The silk ribbons fluttered as Madam Lan moved with graceful agility, the phantom of her Small World flickering behind her. A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator's attacks were formidable — the ribbons swept back and forth, striking the Golden Crow and sending it stumbling, its furious cries echoing through the hall. Though the beast occasionally counterattacked, Madam Lan evaded each one in advance.
Elder Hong and the others were thrilled at the sight, knowing Madam Lan's words had been no exaggeration. The Golden Crow truly was on its last legs — otherwise, how could such a legendary beast perform so poorly? Madam Lan alone was enough to hold it at bay. Even if she appeared to be at a disadvantage, the beast wouldn't be able to finish her off anytime soon.
If Madam Lan alone could achieve this much, what chance would the Golden Crow have if everyone in the hall attacked together?
The thought had barely formed when Elder Hong called out, "Madam Lan, I'm coming!"
His portly figure soared forward, and he struck a palm downward through the air. Right behind him, Yuan Xiaoman, Zhang Qi, and Ji Tianxing each unleashed their Artifacts, rumbling toward the Golden Crow in a barrage.
The low-rank Open Heaven cultivators saw that even the mid-rank cultivators had joined the fight and no longer hesitated, charging in after them.
In an instant, the great hall erupted into chaos — Artifacts and techniques filled the air as the battle raged at its most ferocious.
In a corner of the hall, concealed beneath his Shadowless Veil, Yang Kai watched with wide eyes, overcome with emotion. The Golden Crow had been so magnificent — born with the sun, dancing alongside it — yet now it had fallen to this state, a tiger stranded on flat land, a dragon wading through shallows. The power of time was boundless; even the mightiest existence could not withstand its passage. There always came a moment when strength faltered.
The Golden Crow was already spent, and its final explosive burst had been blocked by Madam Lan's Artifact, clearly exhausting it further. Even so, Madam Lan alone was probably still no match for it. But with at least thirty Open Heaven Realm cultivators still alive in the hall — including four or five mid-rank cultivators — their combined assault forced the Golden Crow into immediate disadvantage. At this rate, its demise here was only a matter of time.
Yang Kai smacked his lips. In the end, he had no idea who would reap the benefits. The value of a Golden Crow's corpse was immeasurable. Though he didn't know exactly what a Golden Crow's body could be used for, such a treasure was surely on par with — if not superior to — Sun Star True Gold.
How tragic. Without sufficient strength, all he could do was stand by and watch. Such a grand spectacle, and he couldn't even join in. Yang Kai felt an urgent need for greater power.
On the battlefield, though the Golden Crow was at a disadvantage, its Golden Crow True Fire was truly fearsome — no one dared touch it lightly. Whenever the golden flames spread outward, everyone was forced to retreat, which at least gave the Golden Crow a brief chance to breathe.
Half a cup of time later, a scream rang out. One of the low-rank Open Heaven cultivators had failed to dodge in time and was struck by the Golden Crow True Fire, half his body melting instantly. His companions immediately dragged him away from the battlefield, though the outcome was almost certainly grim.
Time trickled by. Wounds now covered the Golden Crow's entire body, and blood like molten lava dripped to the ground, burning holes through the floor with each drop.
Of the thirty-odd Open Heaven cultivators, four or five had already fallen. The survivors were all gasping for breath, their strength spent. This was true not only of the low-rank cultivators but the mid-rank ones as well. Their strength was greater, certainly, but the pressure they bore far exceeded what the low-rank cultivators faced. Every one of them had been pushed to their limit — even Madam Lan's fair face had gone pale.
Of everyone present, she bore the greatest burden. The Golden Crow seemed furious at her for ruining its plans, directing roughly half its attacks her way. Had it not been for her considerable personal strength and the numerous Artifacts she possessed, she would have collapsed long ago.
At that moment, Elder Hong suddenly rallied with a shout: "Hold on, everyone! This beast is almost done for!"
The Golden Crow's eyes had gone dim, stripped of their former brilliance. Wounds, large and small, covered every inch of its body, and the terrifying pressure it once exuded had plummeted to rock bottom. It had truly reached the final moments of its life. Its body swayed, yet it refused to fall. Its pale golden gaze swept across the hall — the pride of an ancient beast meant that even in its dying moments, it refused to regard these people as worthy of its attention.
Madam Lan darted forward, the silk ribbons bundled into a single lash, and cracked downward through the air.
The Golden Crow tried to dodge, but no longer had the strength. The ribbon struck its neck squarely, and a faint sound of cracking bone could be heard. Under the tremendous force, the Golden Crow was sent hurtling toward a corner of the hall.
After that blow, Madam Lan herself staggered, nearly falling from the air.
With a thunderous crash, the Golden Crow hit the floor and slid a considerable distance before coming to a stop. For a long moment, there was no movement.
Yet even so, not a single person dared approach to investigate. They had been burned once by the Golden Crow's feigned death before, and until they were absolutely certain it was dead, no one was willing to risk repeating that mistake. If the beast spewed its True Fire again, none of them in their current state could withstand it.
Heavy breathing echoed through the great hall. Almost in unison, everyone drew spirit pills from their spatial rings and popped them into their mouths, rapidly refining the medicine to restore their strength.
Under the watchful eyes of all, the Golden Crow lay there motionless.
Meanwhile, hidden in plain sight, Yang Kai's face twitched as he cursed silently. There was no helping it — the Golden Crow had landed less than three feet from where he was concealed. He hadn't expected Madam Lan to send it flying to precisely this spot.
This was awkward. It was too late to leave now. Every eye in the hall was trained on this area, and divine senses crisscrossed the space. If he made even the slightest move, his presence would likely be exposed.
What should he do? If the Golden Crow was dead, those people would surely come to inspect it soon. Standing this close, he wouldn't be able to hide from the perception of several mid-rank Open Heaven cultivators. When they inevitably asked questions, what excuse could he possibly give?
Just as he wrestled with his dilemma, the Golden Crow before him suddenly stirred slightly. Then, slowly and deliberately, it rose to its feet.
A chill shot through Yang Kai from head to toe, and every hair on his body stood on end. Never mind how wretched the Golden Crow looked now — if it decided to kill him, it would be no harder than crushing an insect.