211: melee

Boom—!

The combined, full-power strike of eight top Prodigies instantly engulfed the enlightenment tea tree in light.

The resilient barrier/boundary let out an overwhelmed wail, its spiritual light flickering violently, and finally, at the node Qiao Shan pointed to, it ruptured with a massive crack!

"Now!" Qiao Shan transformed into a streak of light, being the first to rush into the crack.

In an instant, eight figures, like sharks smelling blood, each unleashed a Divine Ability, precisely grabbing at the enlightenment tea leaves that had just detached from the branches and were suffused with spiritual light, just as the barrier/boundary had not fully closed!

Chii chii chii!

The sound of tearing air was incessant.

In one surprise attack, over ten tea leaves were successfully collected!

The verdant leaf blades, losing the spiritual light support of their Main Body, instantly dimmed, their power greatly reduced.

The eight individuals continued without pause, their tacit cooperation reappearing.

Under the delaying effect of Leng Ningning Shuang's ice Domain, everyone braved the weakened leaf blade attacks, forcibly tearing open the barrier/boundary again for another lightning-fast assault!

In the second round, nearly ten more tea leaves were secured!

The joy of successive successes diluted the previous tension.

Even from Li Qitian and Nether Bone, a hint of satisfaction seemed to emanate from beneath their cloaks.

Everyone's spirits lifted, and they were about to make a concerted effort to collect all the remaining tea leaves.

"Look quickly! The enlightenment tea tree!"

"Treasure ahead! Charge!"

Just then, earth-shattering shouts and sounds of tearing air suddenly echoed from above the sinkhole!

Dozens of figures, like locusts, rushed down from all directions!

It turned out that the astonishing energy fluctuations unleashed during Cao Yunqing and the others' fierce battle with the enlightenment tea tree, and later when the eight individuals jointly broke through the barrier/boundary, acted like a lighthouse in the dark, finally attracting the various, slightly lesser, Prodigies scattered throughout the ruins!

Seeing the spiritual light-shimmering tea tree at the bottom of the pit, and the verdant tea leaves emanating profound Dao rhyme in the hands of Cao Yunqing and the others, greed instantly overwhelmed their reason!

"Bastards! Get lost!" Ximen Feng's face darkened, and he fiercely waved his folding fan, sending out a howling sharp metal Qi wind that forced back the few people rushing at the very front.

"Amitabha! Benefactors, this place is perilous, retreat quickly!" Monk Chaoyun also sternly shouted, his Buddhist light illuminating all, attempting to deter them.

However, how could those whose eyes were blinded by greed listen?

With the enlightenment tea leaves seemingly within reach, and the top Prodigies appearing to have just endured a major battle, it was the perfect opportunity to pick up some easy gains!

"Bullshit! To the victors go the spoils!"

"Ximen Feng! If you can eat, why can't we touch it? Everyone, let's go together!"

"Grab it!"

The crowd completely erupted, rushing down recklessly, various Spell and Magic Treasure lights haphazardly smashing into the bottom of the pit, not only attacking Cao Yunqing and the others, but many even directly blasting towards the enlightenment tea tree, which had just endured two rounds of impact and whose spiritual light was slightly dimmed!

Rumble!

The enlightenment tea tree trembled violently, as if thoroughly enraged!

The not-yet-fully-recovered barrier/boundary once again erupted with dazzling verdant light, and as the trunk shook, hundreds of leaves instantly flew out. The transformed leaf blade sword lights were no longer fired in turns, but like a disturbed beehive, instantly transformed into a destructive verdant storm, indiscriminately sweeping across the entire sinkhole!

"Not good!" Cao Yunqing's pupils contracted sharply.

"Fools!" Li Qitian's emerald Divine Soul fire wildly leaped.

The shadowy light from Nether Bone's blood-stained bone mirror flared brightly.

The fragile order that had just been established was instantly torn to shreds by the surging tide of greedy people and the furious counterattack of the enlightenment tea tree!

Greater Chaos and slaughter, like boiling magma, erupted with a roar at the bottom of this small sinkhole!

Following the sweep of the verdant storm, the Chaos Dao rhyme on the enlightenment tea tree's Main Body circulated rapidly, points of spiritual light converged, and a surge of verdant spiritual light shot straight up into the sky!

Within the light pillar that pierced the clouds, a vast spiritual fluctuation slowly spread, sweeping across the entire core area like a tide.

That light contained the nascent consciousness's innocence and a towering rage at being offended, instantly becoming the most dazzling lighthouse in this desolate land.

"What is that?!" Xiao Zhuo, who was walking out from the depths of the ancient city, paused, suddenly looking up.

The pure spirituality contained within that light pillar instantly ignited the brilliance in his eyes.

"Such powerful spirituality!" Without the slightest hesitation, he pushed the Universe God Step to its limit. He transformed into a blurry streak of light, tearing through the air, and sped towards the source of the light pillar's eruption!

Within the Enlightenment Abyss, it had already turned into a meat grinder.

The enlightenment tea tree had completely gone berserk! Hundreds and thousands of verdant leaf blades were no longer precise point-kills, but transformed into a destructive storm torrent, wildly spinning and cutting!

Space was torn into fine black lines, and the shrill sound of tearing air drowned out all shouts.

"Ah—!"

"My hand!"

"No—!"

Screams rose and fell.

The dozens of Body Integration Stage Cultivators at the very front were like being caught in a meat grinder; their protective spiritual light and defensive Magic Treasures were like paper before absolute power and sharpness, instantly shredded by the verdant storm, flesh and blood flying, severed limbs mixed with fragments of Shattered Realm Magic Treasures raining down.

The rich scent of blood instantly overshadowed the tea tree's fragrance and the Nether Soul's chilling presence.

"Form a formation! Block the storm!"

"Fools! Don't touch those leaves! Surround those eight instead! They have the tea leaves!"

In the Chaos, over a dozen Early Tribulation Crossing Stage Prodigies barely managed to organize scattered resistance, either deploying combined protective shields to block the storm's aftermath, or with bloodshot eyes, leading the remaining Body Integration Late Stage Cultivators, who were equally blinded by greed, to fearlessly charge at Cao Yunqing, Ximen Feng, Li Qitian, and the other eight!

They were convinced that these eight top Prodigies had just endured a major battle with the tea tree and had collected enlightenment tea leaves, making them the most "vulnerable" targets now!

"Courting death!" Ximen Feng roared in fury, sweeping out a sharp metal Qi wind like a tornado, grinding several charging individuals and their Magic Treasures into a bloody mist. But he too was shaken by several fierce attacks, his Qi and blood surging, and the cracks on his fan's ribs deepened a few more times.

Monk Chaoyun's Buddhist light shone, his nine-ringed staff danced like a wheel, each strike containing immense demon-subduing power, sending attackers flying. The Buddhist chant from his mouth carried an unprecedented Evil Qi: "The sea of suffering is boundless, turn back and reach the shore? Obstinate and unrepentant, only salvation awaits!"

The pale flames of the bone lamp in Li Qitian's hand surged, transforming into a giant ghost claw that swept across, grabbing an Early Tribulation Crossing Stage Cultivator. That Cultivator didn't even have time to scream before his Divine Soul and Physical Body were instantly corroded, withered, and turned to ashes by the venomous Divine Soul fire contained within the ghost claw!

His ruthless methods struck fear into the attackers.

Nether Bone's figure flickered erratically in the Chaos, his blood-stained bone mirror's shadowy light flashing frequently. Each flash caused an attack aimed at him to Strangely deflect, instead hitting his "allies" nearby, sparking suspicion and Chaos.

Cao Yunqing's blood Evil Qi condensed into several dark red daggers, circling his body, precisely parrying and point-killing. Each time a dagger's shadow flashed, blood would bloom on someone's forehead or heart, his movements concise and efficient, exuding a chilling coldness that made hearts palpitate.

Leng Ningning Shuang and her sister stood back to back, their ice soul mystic light forming an absolute defensive Domain. Anyone who approached them became sluggish as if trapped in a swamp, and was then pierced by the ice crystal blades jointly unleashed by the sisters.

Qiao Shan, relying on his elusive movement technique, moved through the gaps in the battlefield, constantly pointing out the Myriad Restriction Art, interfering with the attackers' spiritual power circulation and Magic Treasure connections, creating fatal openings, while simultaneously waving his hand to unleash countless golden feather blades to kill them.

The eight top Prodigies, like eight indestructible reefs, carved out a sea of blood under the insane Impact of the greedy crowd and the indiscriminate leaf blade storm of the enlightenment tea tree!

The bodies of fallen Prodigies continuously piled up, the bottom of the sinkhole already a crimson mire.

However, ants can kill an elephant if there are enough of them, let alone when there are Early Tribulation Crossing Stage Cultivators of the same rank mixed in.

Although the eight were strong, their Qi also inevitably began to fluctuate, and they had more or less acquired new injuries, with immense magical power consumption.

Just then, a figure appeared at the edge of the sinkhole without any warning, so fast that it surpassed the visual capture limits of everyone!

It was as if he had been standing there all along.