Activating the Blood Demon War Regalia certainly granted a tremendous boost in strength, but the dense demonic energy contained within it carried an erosive force. The longer it was maintained, the deeper the erosion would take hold, and the aftermath would be exceedingly difficult to purge.
So unless she was absolutely cornered, the Boss Lady would never resort to the Blood Demon War Regalia.
The Chef and the Accountant only knew that the Boss Lady possessed such an artifact—they had never witnessed her use it with their own eyes.
This was the first time.
The Boss Lady's sudden transformation caught the three Mountain Masters of Xuanyang Mountain off guard. Their eyes swept across the suit of armor and the massive two-handed sword, and they instantly recognized the extraordinary nature of the Blood Demon War Regalia.
Geng Qing shouted, "Second Brother, be careful!"
Yun Feibai had already lunged toward the Boss Lady, his great axe raised high above his head. With a thunderous roar, he cleaved downward, channeling his Inner World and unleashing the might of his World Force. That single axe strike carried enough power to seemingly cleave even the Shadowless Heavenly Domain in two.
Facing this earth-shattering blow, the Boss Lady raised her great sword with both hands. A sudden blast of qi erupted beneath her feet, and her figure flickered like a phantom, materializing directly in front of Yun Feibai as though space itself posed no obstacle. The great sword met the great axe head-on, crashing downward with devastating force.
A deafening boom shook the heavens. Visible ripples of light expanded outward like waves on water, stretching across a thousand miles. Wherever the ripples passed, the void itself grew unstable.
Yun Feibai's eyes contracted sharply as his body hurtled backward like a tattered sack, his gaze filled with shock.
Back at the volcanic crater, he had crossed swords with this Lan Youruo. At the time, though formidable, she had still been within his ability to contend with. But now, in a single exchange, he had been made to viscerally understand the vast gulf in power between them.
What was the origin of this suit of artifacts on the woman? How could it possess such terrifying might?
Before the thought had even finished forming, the Boss Lady—her crimson armor blazing like roaring flames—had already closed in for the follow-up. The great two-handed sword descended once more, utterly devoid of flourish, a纯粹 blow of raw destruction.
Yun Feibai's face drained of color. He hurriedly raised his axe to block.
An overwhelming, irresistible force slammed into him. The suffocating World Force pressed down so terribly he could barely breathe.
Clang, clang, clang—
Several booming impacts rang out, and Yun Feibai spat a mouthful of bright red blood. He had been wounded.
The Boss Lady showed no mercy once she had the upper hand. The great sword fell again, intent on finishing him off.
Fighting one against three—even with the Blood Demon War Regalia boosting her strength—if she couldn't eliminate at least one opponent quickly, the situation would become impossible to handle.
The stench of death bore down on him. Yun Feibai's eyes overflowed with terror. Against these relentless strikes, he found himself utterly unable to hold his ground. If he couldn't dodge the next blow, he would either die or suffer devastating injuries.
At this critical moment, Geng Qing and Zhou Ya charged in together. As the three Mountain Masters of Xuanyang Mountain, there was no way they would stand by and watch the Boss Lady cut down Yun Feibai without acting.
While the Boss Lady and Yun Feibai had been locked in combat, Geng Qing and Zhou Ya had already been rushing toward the battlefield—but the Boss Lady's speed was simply too great, and they had only just now arrived to reinforce him.
A little late was still better than never.
Zhou Ya swept a longsword through the air, pouring her own World Force into it and unfurling a curtain of sword light that crashed down toward the Boss Lady. Geng Qing attacked from the side, his hands weaving a flurry of seals as different divine abilities blossomed forth, roaring as they hammered toward the Boss Lady.
Combining the strength of two, they finally managed to pin Lan Youruo down.
Yun Feibai scrambled to retreat, narrowly escaping with his life. Cold sweat had drenched his clothes, and with a single gust of wind, the chill cut straight to his heart. Before this day, he would never have imagined that among those of the same Sixth-Stage rank, the gap between himself and this Lan Youruo could be so vast. If Geng Qing and Zhou Ya hadn't restrained her just now, he would likely have been killed or at least severely wounded.
This was partly due to his underestimation of the enemy, but it also laid bare just how terrifyingly powerful the Boss Lady truly was.
Humiliation quickly gave way to rage. He hefted his axe and charged back in, forming a triangular formation with Geng Qing and Zhou Ya to surround the Boss Lady completely. Their various divine abilities and secret techniques were unleashed in a frenzied barrage.
"Hssss…"
In the gardens of Twin Islands, Hua Yong sucked in a sharp breath, staring in shock at the battle playing out within the water mirror. "This Lan Youruo—is she really this formidable?"
Even though Twin Islands was shielded by protective formations, he could still feel the terrifying waves of power radiating from outside.
Secretly, a chill ran through him. It was a good thing he hadn't accepted this Lan Youruo. With the strength she had just demonstrated, if she had actually set foot on Twin Islands, even if he and his wife joined forces, they might not necessarily have been able to defeat her.
One could never be too cautious. What if Lan Youruo harbored ill intentions? How could the two of them resist? Let alone the fact that his wife was now with child and could not easily engage in combat.
Shu Mudan, however, was more perceptive. A thoughtful look crossed her face as she murmured, "To gain such tremendous power, her sacrifice must have been considerable. That suit of armor on her—it's deeply sinister."
Hua Yong considered for a moment, then nodded. "My lady speaks truly."
The Boss Lady single-handedly held her own against all three Mountain Masters of Xuanyang Mountain, their battle raging like wildfire. The more Yun Feibai and the others fought, the more alarmed they became—for even combining their strength, the three of them could do nothing to overpower her. That massive, unadorned great sword could erupt with unimaginable power at any moment, sending them scrambling to respond.
Even with the combined might of all three, all they could manage was to fight Lan Youruo to a standstill.