This Yin Silkworm Soul-Claiming Thread—Jiang Chen knew of it well. It was one of the rarest and most malevolent items in the world. Once deployed, it was extraordinarily dangerous. Its most terrifying aspect was not its physical attack, but its assault on the soul. Once caught in the grasp of the Yin Silkworm Soul-Claiming Thread, the victim's soul would quickly be drained. The white thread would change color—once it turned crimson, it meant the target's flesh and soul had been completely absorbed.
What made this artifact so fearsome was its method of attack, which differed from ordinary weapons. Its greatest threat lay in its ability to strike from a distance.
Even across a gap of three feet, it could attack both soul and flesh. It could even complete its assault from three to five zhang away.
The power of the attack would vary, of course—the closer the range, the stronger the strike. But a long-range attack sometimes worked like a slow blade cutting flesh; by the time the target realized what was happening, it was already too late.
In short, the Yin Silkworm Soul-Claiming Thread was exceptionally domineering. At close range, it could harvest a life in an instant. At long range, it could do so just as surely, only more gradually.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen had encountered this Yin Silkworm Soul-Claiming Thread before and understood its terrifying nature. So when the white threads surged toward him in a suffocating wave, he didn't hesitate for a moment. The magnetomantic force around his body erupted wildly, and a torrent of magnetomantic energy surged outward, blocking the incoming assault.
Meanwhile, his dharma avatar rode a beam of light, rocketing forward in a sudden dash.
"Hmph, brat—where do you think you're going?"
These people had clearly come prepared to ambush Jiang Chen. Every corner, every possible escape route was guarded by someone, all to cut off his retreat.
The man directly in his path waved his hand, and a massive lotus hammer appeared in his grip. Countless petal-shaped blasts of qi erupted from in front of him, severing Jiang Chen's forward path.
This man's strength, while not on par with the white-browed elder's, was not far behind. Even if Jiang Chen faced him head-on, victory would not be guaranteed—let alone breaking through his defense in the blink of an eye, which was virtually impossible.
Jiang Chen roared, "Get out of my way!"
He seized the Sacred Dragon Bow and loosed an arrow in a split second, firing it straight at the man. The shot was utterly sudden—the opponent hadn't expected Jiang Chen to draw and fire at such close range without even so much as a preparatory motion, as though the arrow simply materialized the moment he raised his arm.
Startled, the man hastily swung his lotus hammer to intercept the incoming arrow.
Jiang Chen seized the opening and surged forward, attempting to flash past the man.
But at that moment, a cold, sinister voice came from his flank: "Brat—let's see where you can run now!"
It was Boss Luo. He had agreed with the white-browed elder to attack together, but in truth he had been holding back, biding his time rather than striking simultaneously.
He had been waiting for the perfect opportunity—the chance to deliver a killing blow.
Now, he felt he had found it.
A streak of light shot toward him at blinding speed. Both hands raised a blade, slashing diagonally in a desperate, devastating strike aimed to cut Jiang Chen clean in half at the waist.
The strike came with shocking suddenness, and its force was so violent it seemed capable of cleaving the void itself.
Jiang Chen's eyes widened in alarm. If that horizontal slash connected, even with his Divine Demon Golden Body protecting him, he would suffer catastrophic injuries—he might even be cut in two, and that was no exaggeration.
In his desperation, Jiang Chen didn't even have time to think. He instinctively activated a Mesmerizing Puppet and sent it hurtling toward the incoming blade.
As for himself, he shot skyward in a burst of speed.
BOOM!
A piercing crash of collision rang out. The power of that slash was truly terrifying—heaven and earth seemed to change color, and the sun and moon lost their light.
The Mesmerizing Puppet's defensive capabilities were genuinely formidable, but even so, when the blade swept through, both of its arms were sheared off in a single clean stroke.
However, the Mesmerizing Puppet was not made of flesh and blood. After its arms were severed, there was no spray of crimson—no blood splattered across the sky.
From the corner of his eye, Jiang Chen saw his puppet lose both arms to this man's strike, and a ball of fury erupted in his chest. That puppet had been with him for so many years—though it was not of flesh and blood, it had become no different from his own limbs.
Now this man had severed them with a single slash. It was as if his own arms had been cut off. How could Jiang Chen not be consumed with rage?
"Xiao Tang Island—I will never coexist with you!"
Jiang Chen's furious roar echoed across the battlefield.
Boss Luo's blade had missed its mark. Seeing that a puppet had absorbed the killing blow in Jiang Chen's place, he felt a twinge of disappointment. But he quickly bared his teeth in a savage grin.
"Brat, do you think you still have a chance? Accept your death!"
Everyone could see it—this kid was powerful, sure, but under their combined siege, he was clearly running out of options. His demise was a matter of moments.
It was the white-browed elder who spoke next, giving a light snort: "Nobody rush to claim credit. Each of you stick to your assigned role—don't let this brat slip through!"
The white-browed elder was worried that if everyone scrambled for the kill, gaps would form in their formation. And the moment a gap appeared, this fellow would almost certainly find a way to escape.
That was something the white-browed elder could not allow.
Though only a handful of exchanges had taken place, Jiang Chen was already feeling the strain profoundly. He had been pushed into an exceedingly passive position—arguably the most disadvantageous situation he had faced since he first entered the world of cultivation.
Any single blow from his enemies could prove fatal.
All six people present—each one alone was enough to pose a grave threat to Jiang Chen. Perhaps one or two of them would not be enough to kill him.
But all six working together? Ending his life would not be difficult at all.
"Hold on. I have to hold on." Though Jiang Chen was on the defensive, his mind remained clear. He still had cards to play. If the Vermilion Bird divine beast and Brother Long didn't arrive in time, he had the Spacetime Sigil in hand. At any moment, he could activate it and leave this place.