The Six Veins master, now a giant skeleton, was a terrifying sight. Its eyes glowed with a faint green light, and set against the black of night, the image was truly hair-raising.
Zhang Xinlan could clearly feel the monster's power soaring. This method of boosting one's strength at the cost of their life was terrifying. Right now, she had no confidence she could defeat it.
Those enhanced by a Soul Enhancement Potion gained muscles as hard as iron and a terrifyingly high Defense Power. Ordinary attacks were completely useless against them. Moreover, their strength became immense, effectively doubling their Attack Power.
"You bitch! Today, you'll learn just how potent a Soul Enhancement Potion is! Now die!" the skeletal monster roared, its voice hoarse.
"Even if you've used a Soul Enhancement Potion, I can still kill you!" Zhang Xinlan retorted. "But I'm extremely curious how you obtained such a Heaven-defying potion! It's an item so rare that even the Holy Lands have few."
'I have to know how he got his hands on a Soul Enhancement Potion. My own Sect and the Shen Li Palace were once attacked by the one who created these potions, and we paid a heavy price.'
"You want to know where I got it? I'll be happy to tell you after you're dead!" the skeletal monster said. "You're the one who forced me to become this! How can I ever extinguish the hatred in my heart if I don't kill you?!"
"Not talking? Then I'll just have to beat it out of you!" Zhang Xinlan declared. With a flick of her longsword, she unleashed a vicious stream of Sword Qi. She held nothing back, attacking with her full power.
'Others might not understand the power of a Soul Enhancement Potion, but coming from a Holy Land, I know it all too well. It's impossible to break through its Defense Power without using my full strength.'
Zhang Xinlan's control over the Water Attribute was superb. The moment her Sword Qi appeared, the surroundings plunged into a frozen state. The air itself seemed to solidify, and a layer of Profound Ice instantly covered the land for several miles around.
"You think an attack this weak can hurt me!" the skeletal monster roared, swiping its enormous claw directly at Zhang Xinlan's Sword Qi, completely disregarding its formidable power.
BANG! A deafening explosion rocked the air. The Sword Qi slammed into the fleshless claw, erupting in a dazzling burst of sparks.
Zhang Xinlan's strike didn't destroy the skeletal monster's claw, but it did leave cracks on the bone. 'And that was with my full Attack Power! Even if it wasn't my strongest Martial Skill, it was close.'
The fact that such a powerful strike couldn't seriously injure it... she knew exactly what that implied.
The very space around them trembled violently. Vicious shockwaves shot out in all directions, whipping up a storm of dust and rock. The dark sky was momentarily obscured by flying sand and debris.
Ye Tian remained unconscious, but the Thunder Elemental Pearl within his body had grown immensely powerful. Simultaneously, several other Elements were slowly coalescing into their own pearls, and they even appeared to be gradually fusing together in a bizarre fashion.
"Not a bad Attack Power!" the skeletal monster taunted. "But you're still far too green to hurt me!" As it spoke, its cracked fingers emitted an eerie glow. In the space of a few breaths, the fissures vanished without a trace, its hand completely restored.
'That means it wasn't injured at all. In this state, it's practically an unkillable monster.' The pressure on Zhang Xinlan mounted. This was the first time she had ever faced such a powerful foe.
'Based on its power, it's probably equivalent to a Seven Vein Martial Artist, at the Middle Stage at least! Even though I broke through, we're not even in the same league.'
"Don't get too smug," Zhang Xinlan shot back. "Once the Soul Enhancement Potion wears off, you'll be completely helpless. When that happens, I'll make you wish you could die!"
"A nice thought, but I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," the skeletal monster said. "I'll have no trouble killing you long before the effects wear off! Once I'm done, I have my own ways of returning to the Demon Realm!"
'He can return to the Demon Realm?' Zhang Xinlan was even more astonished. 'That means he must have ties to the Demon Realm, or he might even be one of them. But it's strange... he doesn't have a trace of Demonic Qi on him.'
"You've had your turn to attack!" the skeletal monster screeched. "Now it's mine! Have a taste of my Netherworld Ghost Claw!"
As its voice faded, the enormous, withered claw swiped at Zhang Xinlan. The space around them instantly began to shudder, threatening to tear apart under the force of the blow. The powerful Energy Attack coalesced into a flurry of devastating Wind Blades.
The Wind Blades shot toward Zhang Xinlan at blinding speed. She knew if they hit, she would be gravely injured, but dodging seemed impossible.
It was a maddening situation. Zhang Xinlan glanced at the distant Ye Tian, her resolve hardening. 'For his sake, I'll protect him even if it costs me my life.'
Her longsword became a blur, weaving a protective circle of sword-light around her. The potent Sword Qi within the pattern instantly condensed into Profound Ice, which she sent flying toward the incoming Wind Blades.
The Profound Ice was hard, but it was no match for the Attack Power of the Wind Blades. The might of a Seven Veins practitioner was on a completely different level from that of a Six Veins. Even as a Late Six Veins expert, Zhang Xinlan was utterly outclassed.
The Wind Blades quickly shattered the Profound Ice and closed in on Zhang Xinlan. She threw up an Energy Barrier, but it couldn't withstand the assault either, shattering after only a few moments.
However, slowed by the Profound Ice and the Energy Barrier, the Wind Blades' Attack Power had been greatly reduced. With no way to dodge, she could only watch helplessly as they slammed into her.
In a flash, three bloody holes appeared on her body. Crimson blood instantly soaked her white robes, and she was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string.
She coughed up a mouthful of blood as she flew. The skeletal monster's Attack Power was simply too immense. A single attack had left her severely injured.
Gritting her teeth against the searing pain, Zhang Xinlan pulled a white elixir from her Storage Ring and swallowed it, her eyes never leaving the skeletal monster.
"And here I thought you were so tough. Turns out you're just a weakling!" the skeletal monster bellowed. "So fragile! Weren't you putting on such a grand display a moment ago? Where's all that bravado now?" Its hoarse voice grated on the ears like a demonic curse.
Zhang Xinlan had no time to trade barbs with the skeletal monster. She was focusing all her power on absorbing the elixir. Her wounds were already healing at a visible rate, the flow of blood having stopped completely.
And just then, in the distance, Ye Tian stirred. He had opened his eyes.