The Six-Headed Divine Monarch.
Even though he was merely a corpse—or rather, a refined zombie—he still exuded a dense aura of Demon Power mixed with Corpse Qi and poisonous mist. The sheer intensity of his presence far surpassed that of the Mo He Divine Monarch.
While everyone else was focused on the giant spider, the black-clad youth kept his eyes on Gu Zhao.
Once Gu Zhao made a move, he could no longer conceal his aura. His earlier Thunder Technique had completely obliterated the six-colored poisonous mist, proving that his strength was in no way inferior to the Mo He Divine Monarch’s.
However, murderous intent glinted in the black-clad youth’s eyes.
He had come here today to kill the Mo He Divine Monarch and seize his Magical Treasure. Anyone who stood in his way had to die!
The next moment, the giant spider brandished its eight legs. Its six faces let out sounds of giggling, weeping, roaring, and howling. Layers upon layers of Spiritual Attacks flooded into everyone’s Sea of Consciousness as the six-colored poisonous mist surged forth once more.
However, the Taoist Sect placed the utmost importance on cultivating the Mental Realm. The old Taoists were as unshakeable as mountains, fiercely guarding their Sea of Divine Soul Consciousness.
Yet even so, their Divine Souls still rippled with turbulence.
"No wonder he dared to seek trouble with that Toad Spirit," Taoist Qingwei frowned.
Taoist Yan Ling looked at Gu Zhao. "Should we call a few more people to set up the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Array?"
"There’s no need," Gu Zhao shook his head. "If he still had his sanity, we would have to tread carefully. But now that he’s just a puppet, we don’t need it."
Taoist Yuan He pointed his Sword Pointing gesture, and his Pure Yang Flying Sword executed the Refining Sword into Silk technique. It transformed into a massive net of Sword Qi that enveloped the black-clad youth. "Kill him, and the problem is solved."
Taoist Yu Zhang shifted his Hand Techniques, commanding the Celestial Pig Dharma Aspect hovering above to wield its weapon and strike at the black-clad youth. "Aren’t zombies much fiercer when they lose control in the movies?"
The Seven Treasures Ruyi floating above Taoist Yan Ling emitted a rainbow radiance. The Taiyi Divine Light split into seven colors, mingling with the purple-gold lightning and the six-colored poisonous mist in the lake water, reflecting a magnificent array of hues across the lake.
"You said it yourself—that’s in the movies.
"Furthermore, the zombies in those movies actually have some form of consciousness."
Taoist Qingwei leaped forward. At the tip of his long sword, he condensed a Tai Chi Diagram that exerted a gravitational pull like a black hole.
"But this Six-Headed Divine Monarch is clearly dead. Otherwise, as a Great Demon with Ten Thousand Years of Dao Practice, how could its Spiritual Attack just now be so feeble that it couldn’t even shake our Divine Souls?"
Seeing how a single Thunder Technique from Gu Zhao could offset the six-colored poisonous mist, and how the Spiritual Attacks couldn’t shake their Divine Souls, the old Taoists knew that this giant spider was undeniably much weaker than the real Six-Headed Divine Monarch.
After all, they had seen the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits.
As an existence on roughly the same level as the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits, the Six-Headed Divine Monarch shouldn’t have been too far behind in strength even if he were slightly weaker. He was certainly not a being they could currently afford to provoke.
"Feeble? Die!"
Hearing these Human Mages so blatantly underestimate the zombie he had spent a century refining, the black-clad youth’s face twisted savagely. He shifted the Dharma Seals in his hands, preparing to teleport the giant spider through the air.
But the moment he moved, eight Banners suddenly materialized around the giant spider.
The next second, the Array Flags closed in. The Eight Gates Golden Lock Array sealed off the heavens and the earth, locking the giant spider inside.
BOOM!
A muffled explosion rang out as the Array Flags flared violently. The ferocious impact created a spherical shockwave within the lake water, hurtling outward and sweeping away all the surrounding lightning and poisonous mist.
Gu Zhao lost his footing slightly, and one of the Array Flags was blown away. The giant spider suddenly appeared right in front of him, bringing down a pair of chelicerae like twin longswords, aiming straight for his head.
Gu Zhao reached out and grabbed his Alloy Long Spear. Retreating swiftly, he met the incoming chelicerae with the tip of his weapon.
CLANG!
With a sharp ring, Gu Zhao’s wrist shook violently. He immediately performed Stepping on the Stars and Treading the Dipper to execute Shrinking Inches, instantly retreating over a hundred yards away.
The split second he vanished, another chelicera slashed through the exact spot where he had just been standing.
It didn’t stir a single ripple in the water, yet a dark shadow flashed through the void.
Gu Zhao let out a breath.
Even though it was just a corpse, after being refined by the black-clad youth for a hundred years, its strength still exceeded that of the Mo He Divine Monarch.
At the very least, when the Mo He Divine Monarch was trapped by the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array, he couldn’t break out no matter what he tried. Meanwhile, this giant spider had managed to smash open the array with a single ram.
However, Gu Zhao didn’t pay it much mind; a zombie was ultimately just a zombie.
If the Six-Headed Divine Monarch were still alive—even if severely injured—Gu Zhao would have grabbed the four old Taoists and fled immediately.
But judging from their brief exchanges, apart from having a tough body, profound Magical Power, and the ability to spew the six poisons, the giant spider couldn’t cast any other Magic.
Since that was the case, it wasn’t a major problem.
Seeing Gu Zhao retreat, the black-clad youth immediately commanded the giant spider to slash at Taoist Qingwei.
Although the black-clad youth looked to be only in his teens, he was actually a seasoned Demon over four hundred years old, boasting incredibly sharp judgment.
Among the five people before him, Gu Zhao was the leader and the only one capable of temporarily stalling the giant spider. None of the other four could defeat him in a one-on-one fight, but if they joined forces, he would absolutely be no match for them.
Thus, their strategy was clear: have Gu Zhao stall the giant spider while the remaining four focused on killing him first. After that, they would team up to deal with the masterless zombie.
Therefore, the black-clad youth’s countermeasure was simple: he just needed to stall Gu Zhao for a while and let the giant spider kill the other four. Once they were dead, he could command the spider to corner Gu Zhao, assuring his victory.
As the giant spider’s twin chelicerae chopped down, Taoist Qingwei didn’t dare block it head-on. His sword manifested a Tai Chi form as he rapidly retreated.
Two phantom slashes flashed by, shattering the Tai Chi Diagram in a single strike.
But Gu Zhao reappeared above the giant spider. The eight Banners converged around it, once again forming the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array to lock the beast down. Simultaneously, endless Thunderbolts gathered, transforming the inside of the array into a sea of lightning.
Gu Zhao raised a hand toward the sky, condensing infinite bolts of lightning in his palm.
"Dongjia Qian Yuan Heng, righteous Qi flows with speed. Five Thunders Quick Descent Qi, Enter My Thunder Wheel!"
Gu Zhao gathered the Five Directions Barbaric Thunder Spell and thrust his palm downward. The brilliant lightning imbued with the Thunder Curse slammed into the six heads at the front of the giant spider, blasting directly into its body.
SCREECH!
Even without a soul, the giant spider hissed and shrieked in agony.
Taking advantage of the giant spider being sealed by the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array, the four old Taoists felt the pressure lift. They unleashed their Magical Power and launched a synchronized attack on the black-clad youth.
The black-clad youth shot a glare at the eight Banners. While controlling the giant spider to break the array, he activated the Great Seal in his hand. Gathering his Demon Power and poisonous gas, he formed a massive, tangible yet formless seal that crashed down on the closest target—Taoist Qingwei.
"Why are you always targeting me?"
Taoist Qingwei was speechless. He materialized a Tai Chi Diagram on his longsword, but instead of retreating, he stepped forward. Supporting the Great Seal with his Tai Chi Diagram, he redirected its force and stood firm in the water, utterly unmoving.
He thought, "I might not be able to hold off that giant spider, but do you really think I can’t handle you?"
"Because you injured him earlier!"
Taoist Yu Zhang laughed aloud, though a ruthless glint shone in his eyes. The Dharma Aspects gathered behind the black-clad youth grew increasingly corporeal—wielding weapons, casting Wind and Fire, unleashing Sword Qi, or striking the Emperor’s Bell.
The various Dharma Aspects showcased their distinct abilities, attacking the black-clad youth in unison.