27: Claw of Annihilation and Judgment of Life and Death
The three cold and deathly Auras were like ink drops in clear water, exceptionally clear in Liu Qingtian's perception. Their movement patterns were treacherous and unpredictable, sometimes merging into shadows, sometimes traversing tiny spatial folds over short distances, perfectly avoiding the automatic defense mechanisms based on energy sensing at the periphery of the Domain.
Evidently, these high-level Annihilation Beasts were not only powerful, but also possessed extremely high intelligence and special concealment techniques.
They approached in a triangular formation, with some kind of invisible energy link seemingly existing between them, their movements perfectly coordinated. They stopped simultaneously while still a thousand zhang away from the core area.
No communication, no probing.
The Annihilation Beast in the center, slightly larger and shaped like a twisted dark purple mantis, suddenly raised a pair of blade-arms shimmering with metallic cold light, crossing them in front of its body. The other two, one shaped like a multi-eyed spider and the other like a floating shadow jellyfish, simultaneously poured their own energy into the mantis beast's body.
The mantis beast's pair of blade-arms instantly erupted with a heart-palpitating pitch-black radiance. A tiny but extremely condensed black thread, seemingly capable of cutting through space, slashed out silently, striking directly at Liu Qingtian's main trunk!
This strike had already surpassed the scope of the ordinary Wutian Realm, approaching the power of the Initial Stage Golden Body Realm! Their goal was simple: kill in one blow and destroy this anomalous energy source!
However, just at the moment the black thread was about to touch the outer light mist—Liu Qingtian moved.
Not by dodging, but by having the entire Wither and Flourish Domain suddenly contract inward!
The gray-green fog sea within a radius of several hundred zhang condensed instantly, transforming into an extremely thick, violently rotating barrier of Qi of Life and Death! Inside the barrier, countless tiny phantom willow leaves floated, each leaf shimmering with the light of the Law of alternating Wither and Flourish!
Sss—!
The black thread slashed into the barrier, like a hot knife cutting into extremely viscous grease, its speed slowing down abruptly. The energy on the thread that annihilated everything clashed violently with the Law power of the continuously cycling Qi of Life and Death within the barrier, canceling each other out and emitting a teeth-grinding sound of erosion!
In the end, after exhausting most of its power, the black thread barely penetrated the barrier, but it was already at the end of its strength and was easily shattered by a willow branch Liu Qingtian casually swung out.
"Roar?"
A trace of shock flashed simultaneously through the simple consciousness of the three Annihilation Beasts. The target's defensive strength far exceeded their estimates!
Before they could react further, Liu Qingtian's counterattack had already arrived!
"Wither and Flourish Strangulation!"
Within the Domain, the Qi of Life and Death that had originally been flowing slowly suddenly turned violent! Countless willow branches interwoven with dark green and gray-white, like chains reaching out from the void, entangled the three beasts from all directions!
These willow branches were not physical entities, but were entirely formed by highly condensed Laws of Life and Death! The power of vitality crazily eroded the defenses on their bodies, while the power of deathly stillness directly froze their energy circulation!
The three beasts were shocked and furious, each using their own methods to resist.
The mantis beast danced its blade-arms wildly, slashing out countless black blade lights, yet it could not completely sever the endlessly appearing, shifting between void and reality Law willow branches.
The multi-eyed spider beast's dozens of compound eyes lit up simultaneously, firing chaotic mental shocks, but they were like clay oxen entering the sea, unable to shake Liu Qingtian's firm tree soul.
The shadow jellyfish beast attempted to merge into the shadows to escape, only to find that the surrounding space had been completely sealed by the Domain of Life and Death, leaving it nowhere to hide!
In just a single encounter, the three high-level Annihilation Beasts, comparable to the Wutian Realm, were completely trapped, like insects caught in a spider web!
Liu Qingtian had no intention of showing any mercy. For such alien objects that lived for destruction, only complete annihilation would suffice!
With a thought, three main branches, like spears of judgment, pierced toward the three beasts respectively!
At the tips of the branches, it was no longer simple Wither and Flourish Finger Force, but an attack that condensed deeper Laws—aimed at the mantis beast was the ultimate intent of "Return to Void," pointing at its energy core; aimed at the multi-eyed spider was a massive storm of vitality, forcibly expanding and bursting its mental compound eyes; aimed at the shadow jellyfish was an absolute death freeze, solidifying its illusory main body!
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Three soft sounds rang out almost simultaneously.
The mantis beast's core was touched by the power of "Return to Void," instantly turning into absolute nothingness, with half of its body silently disappearing along with it.
The multi-eyed spider beast's compound eyes were flooded with violent vitality, exploding suddenly as if inflated, with fluids flying everywhere.
The shadow jellyfish beast was frozen by death, maintaining a twisted floating posture, turning into a cold statue, then shattering bit by bit.
The battle started quickly and ended even faster.
The three high-level Annihilation Beasts, capable of causing bloody storms in the outside world, were so vulnerable within Liu Qingtian's Wither and Flourish Domain! Their energy-devouring characteristics lost their effectiveness in the face of higher-level Law power.
Liu Qingtian rolled his willow branches, sweeping the pure annihilation energy and core fragments that had not yet completely dissipated from the three beasts' remains into the Domain, throwing them into the "Spiritual Ripple" vortex to attempt refinement.
However, this energy was extremely stubborn, filled with repulsive and destructive characteristics, making it far more difficult to refine than refining Yin-Sha Death Qi or natural spirit essence, and the speed was slow.
"It does have some tricks." Liu Qingtian was not discouraged, but instead viewed this as a form of tempering for the "Spiritual Ripple" vortex.
Just as he had finished dealing with these three vanguard scouts, through the Jade Dream Realm, an extremely short but incredibly clear and urgent message suddenly rushed into his tree soul!
"...Alert! High-intensity spatial jump fluctuation detected! Coordinates: Sumeru Spirit Realm, Borderland!"
"...Target energy level: Peak Golden Body Realm! Suspected 'Annihilation Lord' level individual!"
"...Warning! Evade immediately! Evade immediately!"
Peak Golden Body Realm?! Annihilation Lord?! Liu Qingtian's tree soul shook violently, and a huge sense of crisis instantly enveloped his entire body!
Almost at the same time he received the alert, the space above his head shattered suddenly like glass!
An incomparably huge claw, covered in dark golden scales and with fingertips burning with pitch-black flames, tore through the void, carrying a terrifying Aura that crushed everything, and slashed down fiercely toward Liu Qingtian's canopy!
The power of this claw strike far exceeded the combined attack of the previous three beasts, having truly reached the Peak level of the Golden Body Realm! Space wailed and twisted under its claw, and the terrifying pressure caused the entire Wither and Flourish Domain to shake violently, as if it would collapse at any moment!
The real formidable enemy had arrived!
All of Liu Qingtian's willow branches instantly erupted with unprecedented radiance, the Qi of Life and Death poured crazily into the Domain, meeting the attack head-on with all his might!
At the same time, one of his main root whiskers reached out without hesitation toward the silent zang youming great halberd beside him—it was a moment of life and death!