Instead of lunging toward Qing Li in the snake molt, nor charging at the seemingly easier-to-attack snake tail.

Chen Yi aimed directly at the massive head of the Infinite King, slightly raised due to its roar, targeting the relatively weaker throat covered by dark gold scales.

With Peak Stepping Cloud activated, he pushed his movement technique to the limit, resembling a gray lightning skimming over the churning pool surface. The Hou Kang Sword, infused with his full strength, tore through the air with a sharp, piercing screech.

The Infinite King sensed the threat aiming directly at its vital point. Its amber vertical pupils suddenly constricted, ignoring the severe pain from its throat exposure, as its pillar-like snake tail, akin to a dark gold giant whip, lashed fiercely toward Chen Yi’s back from the rear. Simultaneously, its massive head slammed down, attempting to deflect this powerfully forceful strike with its hard skull.

This tail whip and head strike were as swift as lightning, blocking all of Chen Yi’s escape routes. If he insisted on striking the throat, he would surely be whipped into pulp by the tail or crushed by the head.

With his other hand, Chen Yi formed a spell, unleashing intersecting lightning bursts.

The three offerings he had consumed earlier, combined with the Thunder Talismans drawn by Yin Weiyin, caused the lightning burst to spread as thick as an arm, directly colliding with the oncoming snake tail, exploding mid-air into a spiderweb-like pattern. The area where Min Ning had previously sliced open the snake scales was already scorched black.

The Infinite King was oblivious to the pain as it twisted its form, rising completely from the pool. Its figure, surprisingly, exceeded Chen Yi’s speed for a moment. The Destruction Zen Sword that missed its mark shattered the water curtain, scattering golden light.

Instead of pursuing victory, Chen Yi continued moving non-stop. His target was not the immense body of the Infinite King but the Bone Shedding Pool itself, rolling with sinister golden light.

With a flicker, he skimmed to the pool’s edge. Confronting the viscous light slurry laden with Buddha Demon Power, potent enough to melt body and soul, he didn’t retreat. Instead, he angled his long sword toward the pool surface, the sword tip vibrating slightly, emitting a low hum.

Sword Creation of Heaven and Earth.

In an instant, centered on his sword tip, a torrent of unstoppable Sword Intent expanded like a vortex.

The boiling dark gold slurry, as if bound by an invisible force, ceased to follow the Infinite King’s will. Instead, it bizarrely reversed direction, converging toward Chen Yi’s sword tip.

A vortex seemed to manifest at the sword tip. Large swaths of golden pool water were forcibly drawn, continuously merging into the "Heaven and Earth" pointed out by the sword tip, just like countless rivers converging into the sea.

This spectacle mirrored Chen Yi’s acceptance of obsessions, accommodating the foul Bone Shedding Pool.

The pool water visibly receded. The golden radiance binding Qing Li fluctuated violently, dimming.

"How dare you steal my Buddha Fruit, ruin my foundation!"

The Infinite King’s furious roar echoed, its massive head rapidly twisting toward Chen Yi. Murderous intent brimmed in its snake eyes. The eerie Sword Intent was devouring the foundation it needed to refine the Buddha Fruit.

No longer concerned about Min Ning, it tore through the light slurry with its enormous, glass-Buddha-light-covered claw, brimming with towering fury and space-confining pressure, clawing fiercely toward the poolside Chen Yi.

Before the claw reached him, the terrifying pressure had already solidified the air around Chen Yi like an iron plate, forcing the viscous light liquid underfoot to spread outward, forming a depression.

Just as the giant claw was about to hit.

Min Ning moved.

A new breath arose as the old one dissipated. A fierce glint flashed in her eyes. Instead of retreating, she advanced, bursting forth with explosive speed.

The long sword in her hand traced an enigmatic trajectory, poised but unloosed. An invisible Sword Intent soared around her. The dirty air of the underground palace seemed stirred by a massive unseen hand, transforming into a whirlwind of rapid air currents entwining the sword.

A storm is brewing.

The next moment, sword light flared, the wind howled like a Dragon Roar. Clouds surged, enveloping Sword Qi, creating a massive Sword Gang carrying immense air pressure, released later but arriving first, majestic and overwhelming.

Wind Cloud Sword.

The fierce collision resounded like thunder. The Wind Cloud Sword Gang clashed boldly with the Buddha Demon Giant Claw. The explosive airwaves sent the pool water into giant waves. The Infinite King’s claw, exerted with full force and intended to hit its target, was forcibly halted mid-air by the one-sword containing Min Ning’s entire essence.

The Buddha Light at the claw’s center fluctuated violently. Dark gold scales emitted a harsh frictional sound, while the massive claw body was pushed upward by the tearing and impact power contained in the Sword Gang.

In this moment of obstruction, brief and fleeting.

Chen Yi, who had been focused on devouring the pool water with Sword Creation of Heaven and Earth, flashed with keen determination when the Wind Cloud Sword Gang blocked the giant claw.

He seamlessly turned, maintaining the sword momentum of absorbing the pool water. With his left hand, he unsheathed No Cluttered Thoughts, swiftly slicing it across his right wrist holding the sword.

"With my essence blood, offered as sacrifice. Three offerings ritual, exorcising evil forms."

The incantation was brief. The gushing blood didn’t spill; his left hand sword finger guided it through the air onto the blade. No Cluttered Thoughts blazed fiercely, transforming into a Wind-breaking and Rain-cutting blade akin to a real fire, aiming for the Infinite King’s exposed throat and chin due to the claw obstruction.

Wind-breaking and Rain-cutting was already extremely swift, now infused with Dao practices enhanced by Chen Yi’s previous three offerings. This Yang energy was the nemesis of beings like the half-demon, half-god Infinite King. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The Infinite King’s snake pupils contracted abruptly, attempting to evade or block, but the obstruction of the Wind Cloud Sword had delayed it by half a beat.

A soft sound followed as the blade light fiercely pierced into the gap among its chin scales.

Gold-red flames instantly ignited, hissing loudly.

"Awooo." The Infinite King emitted an earth-shattering roar. Dark gold blood, reeking and scalding, gushed out like a breached dam from both the throat wound and the large gash on its tail. Its massive head whipped crazily, as its power spiraled out of control.