"Lost?"
At those words, every member of the Spirit Master Alliance drew a sharp breath, then stood frozen as though turned to stone, their emotions churning with an almost unbearable bitterness.
What had they come here for today? To defeat the mysterious woman and reclaim the dignity that belonged to their Spirit Master Alliance.
But now they were about to lose again. The shattering of their expectations, the vanishing of hope, that heart-wrenching feeling — only they themselves could truly understand.
"Lost? You've got to be dreaming!!!"
Yet in that moment, Lin Yezhou — the Spirit Master Alliance's foremost genius — had no intention of giving up.
With a furious roar, vast barrier power surged forth from his body, forming a protective barrier that rapidly expanded, trying to forcibly burst apart the golden snakes coiling around him.
"Still refusing to admit defeat, huh? Fine — then I'll grant your wish."
But even as Lin Yezhou struggled with all his might, the woman gave a soft snort. Her sleeve swept through the air, arms crossing before her, and the golden snakes began radiating a violent suction force.
The moment that force erupted, it seemed as though the sun and moon themselves could be swallowed. The protective formation Lin Yezhou had condensed with his Imperial-rank barrier power was devoured by the golden snakes in a single gulp — completely drained.
And at that very moment, the golden snakes continued their savage absorption, draining Lin Yezhou's physical stamina, his barrier power, and even his martial force.
"Uuurgh~~~"
Lin Yezhou let out a wretched scream. The golden snakes, while draining his strength, had coiled even tighter — snapping several of his bones. He was on the verge of being crushed to dust.
"That bizarre formation... it looks like the legendary Gold Snake Soul-Draining Formation!"
In that instant,
Hearing those words, the Alliance Master also came to a sudden realization. A trace of unease and shock surfaced on his previously calm face, and he quickly called out: "Stop!"
Only then did the mysterious woman finally relent. But Lin Yezhou was already completely drained — his face deathly pale, his whole body weak and limp, as though he had fallen gravely ill.
Fu Feiteng, by comparison, was relatively unharmed. Although the golden snakes had coiled tightly around him as well, they hadn't absorbed his power.
"Young friend, that's enough. You've already won," the Alliance Master said again.
Upon hearing this, the mysterious woman swept her sleeve once more, fully dispersing the golden snakes.
"
"Is this how it ends? We lost?" The members of the Spirit Master Alliance seemed unable to accept such an outcome.
"To have mastered the legendary Gold Snake Soul-Draining Formation... young friend, your mastery of Spirit World arts is truly extraordinary," the Alliance Master remarked once more.
"The Gold Snake Soul-Draining Formation? What she just used — that was the legendary formation?"
After hearing the Alliance Master's words, many of the Spirit Master Alliance elders' expressions shifted dramatically. They looked again at the mysterious woman and the mysterious old man, their gazes now carrying far greater wariness — some were even trembling with fear.
"So it really is the legendary Gold Snake Soul-Draining Formation. No wonder it's so bizarre. Who exactly are they? And what is their connection to the Golden Snake Venerable?" Even
"The Gold Snake Soul-Draining Formation? The Golden Snake Venerable? Sister Ying, what do you mean?"
"More than eight thousand years ago, a figure known as the Golden Snake Venerable — an Imperial-robed Spirit World Master — appeared on the Martial Holy Land."
"He wielded a unique formation, one without equal, and used it to defeat countless Spirit World Masters. That formation was the Gold Snake Soul-Draining Formation."
"The Golden Snake Venerable challenged Spirit World Masters wherever he went, and in all his battles, he was never once defeated. In the end, he even came to the Spirit Master Alliance to challenge our presiding elders."