This beast resembles a giant tortoise, with layers of sharp spikes covering its back, each one glinting with a chilling light that sends a shiver down one’s spine. With every step it takes, the earth trembles as if an earthquake has arrived, its imposing presence truly astounding.
What makes Qin Yu even more terrified is the aura emanating from this Ruins Beast, far surpassing that of a Level Five Ruins Beast.
Perhaps, it has reached the legendary "Half-Venerable" level!
"Is it, a Level Six Ruins Beast?"
Qin Yu couldn’t help but widen his eyes, a trace of fear unconsciously rising from the depths of his heart.
"Roar——!"
The giant tortoise seemed to have absorbed something immensely beneficial, the surging power within it causing it to emit a deafening roar. On its back, a sharp spike shot out abruptly, tearing through the air with unparalleled ferocity, aiming directly at Qin Yu, intending to pierce him.
"Hmph!"
The Empress gave a light snort, her voice filled with disdain and chill. Then, with a delicate wave of her hand, a brilliant silver light streaked through the air like a meteor, colliding fiercely with the spike in an instant.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion sounded. The spike, which could penetrate all things, under the Empress’s attack, turned into fragile paper and instantly turned to dust, vanishing without a trace.
"Whoosh!"
However, the Empress was not finished. Her gaze icy, her fingers flicked gently, sending another silver light shooting out like lightning, swiftly targeting the giant tortoise’s eyes.
"Clang!"
In that fleeting instant, the giant tortoise seemed to sense the danger, its eyelids shutting tightly. Next, a sound like clashing metal stones rang out, deafening.
The attack, which could penetrate even a Level Five Ruins Beast’s hard skull, merely left a faint white mark on the giant tortoise’s thick eyelids, as if a gentle stroke had been made on a sturdy shield.
"Such formidable defense."
The Empress’s slender brows furrowed slightly, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible surprise.
"Roar——"
The giant tortoise let out a low and pained roar, a mysterious wave suddenly flashing across the sharp spikes on its back.
"It really has mastered the Power of Origin!"
An unusual seriousness appeared in the Empress’s eyes, her previously raised hand slowly lowering.
"Roar——!"
Suddenly, the giant tortoise let out an ear-splitting howl, its colossal body akin to a moving fortress, soaring into the sky, carrying with it a force as mighty as an ocean wave. With a sudden swipe of its front claws, it traced several ghastly dark cracks in the air, like the scythe of death, heading straight for the Empress.
"Audacious!"
The Empress’s face was as clear and cold as frost, her brow exuding an undeniable supreme majesty, as if everything between heaven and earth was under her control.
Instantly, lightning flashed, like the wrath of the heavens. Thunder descended like a waterfall, bringing devastating force from the sky, instantly dismantling this attack, and with a supremely domineering stance, slamming the giant tortoise’s enormous body to the ground.
"Boom!"
With a deafening crash, the ground shook as if even the heavens and earth trembled under this force.
Qin Yu’s expression changed slightly as he soared into the sky.
The next moment, a cloud of dust rose like a sandstorm; if not for his timely reaction, the massive shockwave from this force could have injured him.
In pain, the giant tortoise’s eyes were suddenly dyed a vivid red, then its enormous mouth opened wide, spewing a pitch-black torrent like ink.
"Crash!"
Wherever this flood touched, the space seemed scorched by flames, corroding into countless tiny black holes, alarming to behold.
Like a pillar in a raging flood, the Empress stood upright, unmoved, her gaze sharp, fixed intently on the seemingly impregnable abdomen of the giant tortoise.
The previous all-encompassing lightning waterfall, while leaving no trace on the tortoise’s shell, had already created a sizable wound on its belly.
"Hmph!"
Faced with this attack, imbued with terrifying origin power, the Empress’s expression remained as calm as ever, exhibiting no sign of panic. She raised her delicate hand lightly, her palm shimmering with lightning, effortlessly keeping the raging flood at bay, as lightning and black flood intertwined, clashing with a series of deafening booms.
Then, the Empress cast a glance at Qin Yu, saying nothing, and her form suddenly darted like lightning across the sky, swiftly positioning herself beneath the giant tortoise’s belly.
"Whoosh!"
A dazzling golden light suddenly blossomed, followed by a deafening lament from the giant tortoise as a massive bloody hole was pierced through its abdomen, spewing shattered viscera and foul-smelling blood.
However, unexpectedly for the Empress, as the giant turtle’s massive body crashed to the ground, countless black tendrils gushed from the wound on its abdomen, frantically repairing the injury.
A Ruins Beast at the Half-Venerable Level actually has such self-healing power?
The giant turtle let out a deafening roar in pain, its eyes like burning blood-red gems, flickering with a sinister and vicious light. The intense pain spreading from within made it suddenly alert—this insignificant human figure in front of it possessed a chill enough to threaten its life.
"Clatter—"
The giant turtle opened its massive mouth as if the gate of an abyss had been unleashed, with a pitch-black torrent like a deep chasm surging within its oral cavity, bearing an undeniable might. Within those blood-red eyes, the human-like dread and warning interweaved, attempting to use this terrifying scene to force the Empress to retreat.
However, the Empress’s face remained as cold as frost, unmoved. Behind her, faint lightning like a silver dragon in a stormy tide was poised to strike. In her palm, an imperceptible golden brilliance quietly emerged, sharp and unstoppable.
The Ruins Rift in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains couldn’t close in a short time.
The Empress couldn’t stand guard at the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains forever. Once she left, if a Ruins Beast at the Half-Venerable Level broke through the space barrier and descended upon the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, it would surely bring a catastrophe to the entire Great Yan Immortal Country.
She absolutely couldn’t allow any Ruins Beast at the Half-Venerable Level to exist near this Ruins Rift!
Even if she had to use the Power of Origin, she must slay this giant turtle here.
"Boom!"
Immediately, a thunderbolt roared out like a furious dragon, instantly filling the entire space, bringing a wave of world-destroying destruction. Those Ruins Beasts who were initially eager and hungry due to sensing human presence were now also intimidated by this power, their greed instantaneously replaced by terror, staring wide-eyed and shrinking back at the heaven and earth about to crumble.
The giant turtle’s mouth suddenly opened wide, within the black hole resembling an abyss, a heavy ink-like torrent surged out, rapidly transforming into a thick water curtain, tightly wrapping itself as if donning a layer of black armor.
Subsequently, the heart-pounding Thunder Power fell heavily like celestial punishment, splashing black water everywhere, with electric serpents crazily flickering within, as if refining the entire black water.
Perceiving the threat of death, the giant turtle dared not hold back, now, it no longer cared about consumption, only wanting to quickly heal its wounds and flee afar.
"Is this the Power of Origin?"
Qin Yu gazed incredulously at the black water, his expression grave. The all-conquering destructive thunder, momentarily failed to tear the black water apart.
"Tzzzz!—"
Just as Qin Yu was in astonishment, in an instant, beneath the black water, a glimmer of golden light burst forth like the light of dawn.
A Sword Aura, entirely golden in color, abruptly emerged, its brilliance so intense, resembling the rising sun, instantly coating the surrounding dozens of miles in a dazzling golden glow. An incredibly sharp atmosphere swept out like a storm, filling every corner, making heaven and earth change color.
The Sword Aura had yet to be launched, but the invisible Sword Qi alone had already etched numerous horrifying cracks on the ground, as if even space was being cut by its sharpness.
"Slash!"
The Empress’s eyes flashed with a frosty chill, her red lips slightly parting, her voice light, yet carrying undeniable imperial authority.
A look of terror suddenly surfaced in the giant turtle’s eyes, as if suffering the pain of a thousand swords piercing its heart, an unprecedented sense of danger like icy cold penetrated to the bone.
"Whoosh!"
The golden Sword Aura, carrying an indomitable momentum, shot out violently, and the black water, which even the Thunder Power couldn’t tear apart, at this moment split as easily as fragile paper.
Then, the wound on the giant turtle’s abdomen that had been slowly healing was ruthlessly torn apart once more. More horrifically, the terrifying Sword Aura did not dissipate, but instantly transformed into countless thread-like golden small swords, pouring in like a torrential rain, deeply penetrating its massive body.
Even though Qin Yu tried with all his might to concentrate, even so, he couldn’t see the scene clearly.
In just a moment, a golden shower of stars shot out through the body, each golden ray containing an indescribably sharp aura.
"Pop!"
The gigantic turtle, like a small mountain, was torn into countless fragments under this blow, a pitch-black Crystal Core suddenly flying out from the bloody rain.
The Empress was prepared, catching it with one hand.
"The Crystal Core of a Ruins Beast at the Half-Venerable Realm."
Qin Yu’s pupils contracted, able to clearly sense the vast energy contained within the Crystal Core in the Empress’s hand.
The Empress wore a calm expression, as if slaying a Ruins Beast at the Half-Venerable Realm with ease was as simple as brushing a speck of dust off her sleeve, hardly worth mentioning.
Qin Yu silently memorized this scene.
With a wave of the hand, the formidable enemy was reduced to ashes, while maintaining an air of effortless composure.
In the future, he must learn to adopt the Empress’s demeanor, to exhibit grandeur in the presence of others.
By then, he must let Tu Yaoyao know, a true master performs with grace and ease, not like her kind, who, after slaying two black-robed men, still waits eagerly for his praise.
The Empress casually tossed the giant turtle’s remaining Crystal Core into the Storage Space, scanning the surroundings, sensing no aura of a Ruins Beast at the Half-Venerable Realm.
Evidently, even in this Ruins Rift, a Ruins Beast at the Half-Venerable Realm belonged to the most top tier of existence.