Iron Skull didn’t look down on An Xuan, though according to the information, An Xuan was only at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, but the war puppet who fought like a killing god had been defeated, and the explicit order to capture him was sufficient proof that An Xuan definitely possessed extraordinary power beyond common sense.
But taking the initiative to attack the camp was another matter—they had laid mines all over the place, there were automatic sentry guns in every corner, everyone was armed to the teeth, elixirs and talismans were fully stocked... Open battle might be a bit iffy, but if it were a defensive fight, they could definitely unleash two hundred percent of their strength!
Only Qu Tong was suddenly startled.
Because he had just exchanged a glance with An Jing.
The sudden rise of a sense of crisis from deep within his soul spirit, his breathing momentarily stopped; at that instant, he seemed to have encountered an unsolvable puzzle, a question without an answer.
Qu Tong’s talent allowed him to see that the way the spirit qi operated around An Jing was similar to that of a Feather Transformation Cultivator, yet he couldn’t see which part of An Jing’s body had undergone the transformation.
"No, something’s not right!"
He murmured softly, "Definitely more than just Qi Refinement level four, this feeling... Foundation Establishment?!"
Instinctively identifying the strongest enemy, An Jing confirmed that the strength of these defenders was indeed beyond what was expected in the reports, but was still within the range he could dispose of swiftly.
An Jing never liked to be passive, and since Feng Weiyan surely intended to try his measures, he might as well show him.
He crouched down, exerting force from his feet.
With a loud explosion, An Jing disappeared from their sight.
As soon as Iron Skull saw An Jing vanish, he didn’t hesitate to take out the Array Plate, activating the Protective Great Formation.
Suddenly, boundless sand and dust fog erupted, enveloping the surroundings of the entire camp, making it obscured and shrouded. To the naked eye, this lead-gray wisp of smog seemed fragile and easy to disperse, merely rolling slowly, but in reality, it concealed a profound mystery with tremendous Primordial Magnetic Power grinding within. Even if a battle tank were to be caught in it, it would only be flattened into a layer of steel.
This was one of the fundamental reasons why their group of Tribulation Cultivators had survived for so long—the Four Mountains Formation, reputed to reach perfection with the crushing weight of four mountains; without the strength to lift mountains and cauldrons, death was certain upon entering.
As soon as the Great Formation was activated, a human figure suddenly appeared in the smoke on the right side, startling all the Tribulation Cultivators. They had not expected An Jing’s speed to be so fast that in just an instant, he had reached the periphery of their camp.
If not for the Great Formation, in just a few more breaths, An Jing would have surely already breached into the camp.
But now... they would cripple him first!
"Higher-ups only said not to kill, they didn’t say we can’t wound!"
Iron Skull was obviously also frightened by An Jing’s speed, his expression becoming ferocious; he twisted the Array Plate in his hand, Formation Patterns spinning like wheels, and immediately inside the Great Formation, numerous transformations occurred. Invisible forces were about to turn into shackles and chains, pressing An Jing to the ground, unable to breathe.
But An Jing didn’t hesitate. Before the Great Formation could even begin operating, he slashed out with his sword—Sword Intent cutting through the void, directly severing the operating Daoist Patterns of the surrounding Formation, restoring his ability to move, and like a bolt of lightning, he charged into the interior of the camp.
"A Sword Cultivator with Sword Intent!"
Seeing this scene, Iron Skull was almost frantic with urgency. If the inside of the Great Formation contained Divine Skill patterns, it wouldn’t be easily slashed open by a Sword Cultivator, but if he had such ability, would he still need to be a Tribulation Cultivator in the Wilderness? He shouted, "Fire, open fire!"
In the next instant, tens of thousands of metallic projectiles transformed into a storm of rain, tracing arcs across the sky and bombarding An Jing.
Even though they were Wilderness Tribulation Cultivators, their weapons were genuine military-grade, loaded with bullets and flying swords infused with various Art of Magic effects, sealing off every area An Jing could potentially dodge to. Even if An Jing, as a Body Refinement powerhouse, feared not these attacks, the kinetic energy carried by the bullets could still restrict his movements, allowing more powerful strikes to hit their target.
But unexpectedly, a multitude of land mines suddenly emerged around An Jing, each darting through the air like flying swords at precise angles surrounding him, and then detonating in succession!
The array of martial arts, this is the Sword-controlling Land Mine!
Terrifying explosions and shockwaves swept away all the bullets, even creating vast clouds of explosive dust, obscuring his figure and halting the barrage momentarily.
"He’s at three o’clock!"
Iron Skull roared, informing everyone of An Jing’s position in the Formation via the chip, but it was a bluff. The moment Iron Skull spoke, An Jing forcefully stamped the ground and moved as if he teleported, reappearing ten yards away to the side, leaving all the bullets to hit nothing but the ground.
However, at that moment, his figure was once again exposed within the firing range, and the Tribulation Cultivators, after all, were seasoned in prolonged combat. Several veteran Tribulation Cultivators had been patiently biding their time until now, and upon seeing An Jing, they immediately deployed their Skills.
In an instant, thunderbolts descended upon An Jing’s head, searing flame light streaked towards his front, and wood vines stretched out from the ground below, striking from all angles.
But An Jing wasn’t fighting alone.
Through An Jing’s maneuvering, all the enemy’s firing points were revealed, and Steel Skeleton, who had also been patiently withholding action, immediately ordered: "Fire!"
Thus, a sky blanketed with rocket shells and a barrage no less intense than the Wilderness Cultivators’ was unleashed upon them, suppressing the Tribulation Cultivators.
Simultaneously, Steel Skeleton leapt up, turning into a silver flash and charging straight into the enemy camp.
And while everyone was plunged into chaos for a moment, An Jing also subtly exerted his Martial Meridian power—Tai Shi Yuan Evil vibrated around him, causing all the low-level Art of Magic at the Qi Refinement level to dissipate, manifesting the suppression strength of a superior Spiritual Fiend over inferior Skills. And the same was true for Foundation Establishment; once surrounded by a Dharma Body constructed of Spiritual Fiends, other low-level Skills of the same rank become ineffective.
Almost no one noticed this scene, except Qu Tong, who had been intently observing An Jing.
He was startled, and just then, several dark shadows flew up around An Jing, stacking beneath his feet.
Thanks to the inspiration from the Automatic Puppetry Floating Guns, An Jing now realized he had a terrifying array of tactical options—accompanied by the booming explosions of the land mines beneath him, the unidirectional blast propelled An Jing forward like a cannonball towards the camp.
In a flash, An Jing was propelled by the explosion, traversing dozens of yards. His Sword Light flashed, and the sharp blade emitted a heavy, hammer-swinging rumble. The platinum radiance flickered and only gradually faded from the retina after several seconds.
Boom! Like a cannonball striking the ground, An Jing’s figure arrived within the camp, slowly rising amidst the smoke and dust.
And where that Sword Light passed, whether the Tribulation Cultivators were armored or hiding behind cover, those who detected and tried to defend with Skills or attempted to dodge, were all cleaved in two by a single stroke!
Without sheathing his sword, An Jing silently surveyed the many Tribulation Cultivators within the camp.
"Hey, isn’t that strange Feather Transformation Cultivator who sniped at me earlier around?"
He dismissed the shocked looks of the many Tribulation Cultivators in the camp and asked bluntly: "Bring him out, and all your weapons too. Give them to me, and I might spare your lives."