The blinding radiance flashed once before being blasted away by some attack, and a series of cracking sounds followed. The not-low-grade artifact long sword in the Battle Heaven Alliance warrior's hand shattered the instant it made contact with the pitch-black staff, breaking apart with shocking ease.
"How is this possible?!" The man's eyes trembled violently. His artifact was at least of Void grade—though it was renowned for sharpness and agility rather than sturdiness, it shouldn't have been destroyed so easily.
This artifact had accompanied him for decades, slaying countless enemies. Nurtured with his own Sacred Yuan and Divine Sense over the years, it had become his most relied-upon artifact.
He never imagined it would be destroyed here.
Along with the heartache, a flash of horror crossed his eyes. He had no idea what kind of power the pitch-black staff contained—just a casual sweep had destroyed his long sword. If he were struck head-on, how could he possibly survive?
With that thought, a look of resolve flashed through his eyes. He bit the tip of his tongue, spewing a mist of blood while rapidly pulling back to dodge the staff's blow.
His plan was sound enough, but he had gravely underestimated the sinister nature of the pitch-black staff.
This pitch-black staff was none other than the Heaven-Shaking Pillar that Yang Kai had brought out of the Emperor's Garden. According to Yang Yan, the entire pillar was forged from Heavenly Crystal Profound Iron—a Void King grade smithing material of extraordinary weight, where a palm-sized piece weighed ten thousand jin. It was incredibly durable, with extremely few methods in existence capable of damaging it.
Even Yang Kai himself couldn't wield the Heaven-Shaking Pillar.
Whoever had forged it had imbued the artifact with the ability to freely change size. When the puppet in the Emperor's Garden used the Heaven-Shaking Pillar, it had stretched over ten zhang long. In the end, it was gifted to the Stone Puppet, which swallowed it into its stomach.
Now, drawn out for battle, the Stone Puppet adjusted the pillar to match its own body size. The Heaven-Shaking Pillar was no more than one zhang long—but that didn't mean it was limited to that size alone.
Watching the Battle Heaven Alliance warrior spew blood mist and prepare to flee the attack's range, the Stone Puppet's round eyes flashed with a gleam. The Heaven-Shaking Pillar in its hand suddenly grew longer out of nowhere, engulfing the enemy within its reach once more as it swept forward with undiminished force.
This turn of events filled the Battle Heaven Alliance warrior with despair. In his desperation, he could only frantically circulate his Sacred Yuan, forming a protective barrier around his body.
*Crack...*
A light sound rang out as the Heaven-Shaking Pillar struck the warrior head-on. The seemingly brilliant protective Sacred Yuan shattered like bubbles. The Battle Heaven Alliance warrior's body twisted at an inconceivable angle, accompanied by the sickening sound of bones fracturing that made one's scalp tingle.
Blood gushed from his mouth, mixed with fragments of his organs. The warrior himself was sent flying a great distance like an arrow released from a bow, swept away by the Heaven-Shaking Pillar.
A single blow left him gravely injured. Though he hadn't died, such wounds were far from light.
Had he been facing only the Stone Puppet, he might have had a chance to escape with his life. But how could Yang Kai miss such an opportunity to beat a drowning dog? The Golden Blood Threads shot out, transforming into a sky full of golden light that enveloped him in their attack.
Sharp whistling sounds cut through the air as blood mist exploded in all directions.
Midair, this Return to Void Realm Second Layer cultivator had already lost all signs of life!
In the blink of an eye, a Return to Void Realm Second Layer warrior died on the spot—and in the most horrific manner at that. Everyone remaining saw their expressions change drastically, caught between fury and shock!
Truthfully, the preceding scene hadn't been all that dangerous. The Battle Heaven Alliance warrior had simply been unlucky, running into the Stone Puppet wielding the Heaven-Shaking Pillar. The pillar's ability to change length at will had caught him completely off guard. Being impossible to guard against—that was the true culprit behind his instantaneous demise. Had he known this beforehand, he certainly wouldn't have been so careless.
But it was far too late for what-ifs now.
After dispatching the enemy, the Stone Puppet let out a bestial roar. Its compact body began rapidly expanding, and in the blink of an eye it transformed into a stone giant standing thirty to forty feet tall. Correspondingly, the Heaven-Shaking Pillar in its hand grew considerably longer.
*Boom, boom, boom...*
The transformed Stone Puppet took massive strides forward with imposing momentum.
A stone giant standing thirty to forty feet tall, paired with a heaven-defying artifact like the Heaven-Shaking Pillar—such a combination could produce a level of combat power that even Return to Void Realm Third Layer cultivators would have to dodge for the time being. Each sweep of the staff seemed to freeze space itself. The numerous enemies already entangled by the Divine Tree and unable to break free found themselves in terrible trouble. One after another they screamed, even willing to use secret techniques that severely damaged their own Yuan Qi just to escape the Stone Puppet's reach.
But how would the Divine Tree let them have their way? Countless branches transformed into whips, swung so densely that not a single gap remained, wrapping all enemies within. A moment's carelessness resulting in a hit meant split skin and torn flesh without question.
Seizing this opportunity, the Stone Puppet displayed devastating might, swinging the Heaven-Shaking Pillar one opponent at a time. Every enemy struck was sent spewing blood and left in wretched disarray.
The Heaven-Shaking Pillar itself weighed hundreds of thousands of jin, yet in its hands it was light as nothing. Even without Sacred Yuan channeled into it, it was an inconceivably devastating weapon. Only Void King Realm powerhouses could withstand it head-on—Return to Void Realm cultivators could only dodge.
This was the principle behind "one force overcomes all skill." The Stone Puppet didn't need to master any secret techniques. This heaven-shaking, earth-shattering power alone was enough to make heaven and earth lose their color.