The usually clear sky was shrouded in dense, black qi, so thick it was almost tangible. If one were to accidentally stray into it, they would be met with countless grotesque evil spirits and terrifying vengeful souls, capable of shattering one's mind.
Underneath this dim, oppressive sky, a vibrant splash of red suddenly leaped upwards, issuing a sharp command: "By my order, kill!"
As the words fell, countless streams of spiritual light converged into a colossal spirit sword, slashing down towards the ground!
"Boom, boom, boom!"
The heavy, explosive sounds were deafening, making the mountains and sky seem to tremble. The earth suddenly split open, revealing a massive, broken horn.
Lightning and black qi flickered on the horn.
"Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros?" Yue Bufan exclaimed in astonishment, "Wasn't the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros a sacred beast? Why has it become a demonic beast!"
As everyone knew, the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros, a type of unicorn, could swallow and expel lightning, discern good from evil, and was surrounded by auspiciousness. Its pure, righteous aura was considered the closest to divine judgment, a true auspicious beast. Even as a sacred beast, its popularity was no less than that of a divine beast.
Yet now, this legendary sacred beast's eyes were blood-red like ghostly lanterns, its fangs bared with fierce malevolence, and demonic qi coiled around its body, making it look more like a demonic beast than the ancient demonic beast under Li Tingyun's command.
More importantly, its cultivation far surpassed the Mahayana stage.
"Spiritual Light Realm? A sacred beast that has fallen into becoming a demonic beast, and it possesses the cultivation of the peak Spiritual Light Realm?" Demon King Lin Qingyu propped his chin, a cold, dark glint flashing in his alluring eyes.
Not far away, Qian Ying quickly flew over and stood beside Bai Shengyi.
She, too, was deeply puzzled, "And why is this Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros underground?"
Indeed, why would a Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros, which lacked earth-burrowing abilities, crawl out from underground?
The aura emanating from the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros transformed into a foul-smelling black mist. In just two breaths, the broken horn on its head regrew. However, in that brief moment, its eyes turned even redder, and its breathing became more rapid.
It was clearly enraged by the disciples' attack.
"Roar! Humans, you shall die!"
"Oh, it can actually speak human language?" Bai Shengyi was slightly surprised. It was common knowledge that most auspicious beasts remained as spiritual beasts throughout their lives. While they possessed intelligence and could cultivate, they could not speak like humans or cultivate human forms.
The heavens, while granting them superior living spaces and robust survival capabilities, also imposed the greatest constraints.
"Junior Sister, you don't understand. It's not an auspicious beast anymore, just a demonic beast, a lackey of demonic cultivators! Such brainless, ugly creatures, even if they can speak, they're definitely not smart," Qian Ying narrowed her beautiful eyes, her fingers adorned with crimson nail polish lazily brushing against her exquisite robes.
Her dismissive attitude once again angered the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros.
"Shut up and roar! I am an auspicious beast, how could I be foolish!"
The Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros let out a furious roar, and the newly grown horn erupted with thousands of lightning bolts, attacking the sect disciples gathered in the sky around it.
The lightning was entwined with ferocious demonic qi, and it was feared that any cultivator struck by it would either die or be severely injured.
"Retreat!" Bai Shengyi commanded, and the disciples orderly stepped back two paces.
Immediately after, she swiftly wrote two characters in the air with her Samsara Brush: "Form the net!"
Countless spiritual light ribbons, a thousand horizontal and a thousand vertical, suddenly appeared in the sky. The horizontal ones were red, and the vertical ones were green. The two colors interwove, forming a dense and sturdy net that firmly blocked all the lightning strikes.
"Sizzle... crackle..."
Various sounds erupted on the net but could not shake it in the slightest.
"The Rong Ku Brush is truly wondrous, capable of creating life from nothingness. It truly deserves to be called the most miraculous divine artifact."
Lin Qingyu curled his lips. While speaking, his actions did not cease. With a wave of his emerald green peacock feather fan, sharp currents, carrying divine beast flames, surged forth!
Phoenix Fire! Burning away all darkness!
"Roar, roar, roar! I will kill you all!"
The Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros, scorched by the divine beast flames, hopped around, preparing to leap from the ground. However, at that moment, two sword lights arrived consecutively.
"Pfft!"
Sword light mixed with splattering blood instantly gushed out, resembling the scarlet spider lilies blooming on the river of the dead.
Before the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros could even unleash its ultimate move, it closed its eyes in despair and unwillingness, then fell heavily onto the ground with a dull thud.
"Ayi's sword intent is almost as good as mine." Yue Bufan recalled his long, dark sword from the forehead of the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros, then looked at Bai Shengyi's Chun Hong Sword, which was embedded in the beast's eye, with great satisfaction. He smacked his lips, "It's just that your sword is too shabby; it needs replacing."
Bai Shengyi drew out the Chun Hong Sword.
There were many marks on the sword's body. Even after she had added various precious ores and commissioned renowned artifact refiners to forge it, quite a few marks remained indelible. For instance, the attack traces left by cultivators of the Mahayana stage.
Bai Shengyi lovingly wiped the bloodstains off and said softly, "Not really, the Chun Hong Sword is very good."
Yue Bufan had intended to mention that he happened to have a Saint-grade magical artifact, also a sword, which he could gift to Bai Shengyi. However, upon seeing her complex expression, he sheepishly swallowed his words.
Though he was often unreliable, he was quite good at reading people's expressions at certain moments.
Bai Shengyi, however, quickly snapped out of her thoughts and said to the sect disciples who were ceaselessly approaching the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros, "Don't get too close to it yet."
As her voice fell, the disciples immediately stopped in their tracks.
If three days ago, someone might have questioned Bai Shengyi's strength, challenged her authority, or even disregarded her commands, then the numerous skirmishes over the past three days had seen Bai Shengyi convince all the disciples present with her own prowess.
Everyone understood that the radiant female cultivator, clad in fiery red, was not a delicate flower needing protection, nor a mere façade. Instead, she was a rose with sharp thorns, unyielding and formidable.
Bai Shengyi even instructed Yue Bufan and Lin Qingyu not to approach, and together with Qian Ying, they walked towards the waist of the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros.
"Ayi, I have a strange feeling about this," Qian Ying, being a demonic beast, possessed very sharp instincts.
She felt as if something was watching them, yet the surroundings were empty. Apart from the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros, there was nothing else.
Bai Shengyi also sensed it, but her current concern was a different matter: "Neither I nor my maternal grandfather hit the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros's dantian, and it died just like that. It's truly strange. After all, it's a spiritual beast of the Spiritual Light Realm; it shouldn't be this weak."
Qian Ying nodded in agreement.
Bai Shengyi went to examine the beast's dantian first, and then she was shocked, "It doesn't have an inner core!"
As Qian Ying bent down to take a look, a scarlet gleam flashed in her peripheral vision. It was as if a light had pierced through her mind, and she suddenly understood what was amiss!
"Ayi! Let's leave quickly, it's not dead yet!"
She grabbed Bai Shengyi and immediately pulled her away from the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros, but it was too late. A massive, thick bolt of purple lightning enveloped them both!
"Roar, roar, roar!"
The roars continued one after another, causing the entire Baiye City to shake.
Before everyone could even express their astonishment at the immense power of the Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceros's revival, they were struck speechless by the countless sharp horns emerging from the ground!
Could those… all be Lightning Sacred Light Rhinoceroses?