948: Zhang Wang Er petrified, Hu Lai erupted

Hearing this, a chilling glint instantly flashed in Ding Lingxuan's eyes, like the sharp edge of a blade suddenly lighting up in the dark night.

Although her heart was full of anger and resentment, she was also very clear that the one she could rely on now was Hu Lai, who was close by outside and seemed ready to respond at a call.

At this moment, Hu Lai was like her only life-saving straw in this desperate situation.

In an instant, two subtle yet lethal golden lights suddenly shot out from her snake pupils, which looked as if they were carved from gold.

The golden light seemed like an evil thing from the abyss, carrying a heart-palpitating power; it was the Petrifying Light.

Once hit by this Petrifying Light, it would undoubtedly mean certain death for Leng Qingying, who was only at the Early Stage of the King Realm.

In this small and tense space, those two golden lights were like the Reaper's scythe, ruthlessly swinging toward Leng Qingying.

Swoosh—!

Two subtle yet lethal golden lights burst forth like ghosts from Ding Lingxuan's demonic golden snake pupils, which were too eerie to look at directly.

They were silent, as if they were the footsteps of a night traveler, yet fast as lightning, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye and shooting straight toward Leng Qingying.

What the golden light contained was not a pure energy impact, but a more terrifying power—a nearly rule-based Petrifying Force.

This power felt like the most primitive Law of nature; once touched, it would stifle all life.

"Qingying, watch out!"

Witnessing this scene, Elder Wang Er's eyes nearly split with rage.

He was already following Jian Changsheng's orders, rushing toward Leng Qingying with all his might, and now he pushed his speed to the absolute limit.

His figure streaked through the air, leaving an afterimage like a speeding meteor.

Even if he hadn't seen this Petrifying Light before, the intense sense of crisis made even him shudder; it was definitely not something a young girl like Leng Qingying, who had just entered the King Realm, could withstand.

In this critical moment, Elder Wang Er suddenly rushed to Leng Qingying's side and decisively pushed her back.

His movements were crisp and clean, without the slightest hesitation, as if it were all instinctive.

At the same time, the Sword Intent within him erupted without reservation, the power filling his entire body like a surging tide.

His whole being once again transformed into a brilliant yet determined sword light, flashing with dazzling radiance like a lighthouse in the darkness.

He didn't choose to attack the golden light; instead, he threw himself before it without looking back, using his own body to build a solid line of defense for Leng Qingying.

"Break!"

Elder Wang Er roared, his Sword Intent incredibly sharp, like a keen blade trying to sever that invisible yet powerful force.

The sword light blazed, illuminating the surrounding darkness, as if to completely dispel this evil power.

Clang!

The sword light and golden light collided violently, producing the crisp sound of metal striking stone, a sound as clear and loud as a warning bell of fate.

Although Elder Wang Er's Sword Intent was sharp, that Petrifying Force was simply too powerful.

The Petrifying Force was like a maggot on a bone; once attached, it was hard to shake off, spreading rapidly along the sword light.

The sword light that Elder Wang Er had transformed into lost its luster at a speed visible to the naked eye, starting from the tip and quickly becoming grayish-white and stiff, like a sculpture frozen in time, gradually turning into cold stone.

The petrification process was cruel and rapid, spreading across the blade to his sword-wielding arm in the blink of an eye.

On his arm, the once powerful muscles gradually stiffened, and his skin became as rough as stone.

Then, the Petrifying Force spread to his shoulders, chest... every inch of skin lost its vitality under the erosion of this power.

"Uncle Wang!"

The pushed-away Leng Qingying stumbled and fell to the ground; she turned back just in time to see this horrifying scene, her eyes instantly filling with tears as she let out a shrill cry.

Elder Wang Er turned back with difficulty, his eyes filled with reluctance and worry.

He wanted to say something to Leng Qingying, his lips quivering as if he had a thousand words to tell, but in the end, not a single word could be uttered.

His facial expression was forever frozen in that state of anxiety and worry, as his entire person completely turned into a stone statue maintaining a forward-charging blocking posture.

The stone statue remained motionless, like an eternal monument.

Thud!

The stone statue crashed heavily to the ground with a dull thud, the rising dust seemingly mourning the fall of a loyal guardian.

The dust diffused in the air, as if it were Elder Wang Er's Soul making its final struggle in this world.

"Bastard!"

All of this happened in a flash; Jian Changsheng, Elder Antu, and the others were both shocked and enraged.

They never expected Ding Lingxuan to be so vicious as to strike at Leng Qingying directly at this critical moment.

The aura on the two of them instantly surged like turbulent waves, ready to pounce recklessly on the suppressed Ding Lingxuan.

Their eyes were filled with anger and hatred, as if they wanted to tear Ding Lingxuan into pieces.

"Kill her, and maybe Elder Wang Er can still be saved!"

Although Ding Lingxuan's methods were strange, Elder Wang Er was, after all, a powerhouse of the Middle Stage of the Third Rank!

Even if he was completely petrified now, if the source of the petrification were killed, Elder Wang Er might still be brought back!

Everyone held a sliver of hope, wishing to reclaim Elder Wang Er's life this way.

Baili Ziyuan didn't care about any of that; he stared intently at Jian Changsheng and the others, his eyes full of vigilance, giving them no chance to get close.

He was like a towering mountain, blocking everyone's path.

"Damn it—"

Hu Lai's head-clutching roar came to an abrupt halt.

The entire process of Elder Wang Er's petrification, along with his daughter's piercing cry, was like the coldest of spikes, stabbing deep into his chaotic and violent consciousness.

The image of a teammate sacrificing himself for his daughter clashed and intertwined with the warm yet broken fragments in his memory.

Those memories surged into his heart like a tide, filling his inner self with pain and anger.

"Ah—!!!"

A roar, more painful and angry than any before, yet carrying a shred of heart-wrenching clarity, erupted from the depths of the mutated Hu Lai's throat.

The roar shook the heavens and the earth, as if to tear the world apart.

The violent and chaotic aura around him fluctuated, clashed, and exploded intensely, like ice cubes thrown into a boiling pot of oil.

That aura raged around him like an angry beast.

Under the scales, fur, and bone spikes covering his body, blood welled out like a spring—a sign of power backlash and his Physical Body bordering on collapse.

But those scarlet and chaotic beast pupils suddenly broke free from much of the bestial murkiness at this moment.

Though still bloodshot and filled with pain and madness, they reignited a spark of the fire of a "reverse scale" belonging to "Hu Lai" that absolutely must not be touched—his daughter!

"You... dare touch her?!!"