Sparks of electricity arced across Li Yan's skin, and for a moment, he lost all sensation.
If the remaining dark-gold light cluster hadn't been as thin as a silken mist, Li Yan could only imagine the consequences of a direct hit. The thought that he had considered tanking it just moments ago made his face twitch.
However, the attack hadn't caused him significant harm. The paleness on his face was mostly an act; he constantly maintained an appearance of weakness, a state that would easily lull an enemy into a false sense of security.
Looking at Bai Rou's flushed face and the three massive puppets surrounding her, sparks still dancing on their bodies, Li Yan finally felt a sense of relief.
At the critical moment, the three Long-armed Giant Ape Puppets had shielded Bai Rou, taking the attack and leaving her unharmed.
Bai Rou also looked at Li Yan, who was pale with faint dark-gold arcs of electricity still flickering across his body. Her eyes filled with alarm. "Junior Brother Li, are... are you all right?"
"I'm... I'm fine!" The residual arcs on his body now only caused a slight stinging sensation. But even in front of Bai Rou, he still feigned weakness.
As he spoke, the last of the dark-gold arcs on his body finally dissipated. Hearing that Li Yan could still speak normally, Bai Rou let out a small sigh of relief.
"Senior Brother Hu and the others are not in good shape, but at least they're all still alive!" Li Yan's next words made Bai Rou's heart tighten. Her first glance had been only for Li Yan, and she hadn't yet had a chance to check on the others.
Anxiously, Bai Rou's Divine Sense swept the area. Just as Li Yan had said, Hu Xiaowang and the other three, including Yu Yuanjun from "Luoshu Lake," still had arcs of electricity jumping across their bodies. They had all crashed into the valley below. They were breathing heavily but had clearly fallen unconscious.
"What a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect the puppets to be such high-level magical treasures. And someone can even withstand my 'Dark-Gold Thunder Light' with their physical body. Boy, your physique is quite strong. So the Desolate Moon Continent has some decent Body Cultivators after all."
A voice sounded in Li Yan and Bai Rou's ears. Teng Wuji was sizing up the three Long-armed Giant Ape Puppets, his excitement growing. At the same time, he gave Li Yan a few extra glances.
The girl had used a magical treasure to block his "Dark-Gold Thunder Light," but this boy hadn't been knocked unconscious like the others upon contact. The fact that he was still standing in mid-air was truly unexpected.
But when Teng Wuji's gaze swept past Bai Rou, a flash of blood-red crossed the depths of his eyes. Only now did he pay close attention to her. It had been a long time since he had encountered such a high-quality woman. He could even feel his own body swelling with excitement.
'This time, not only have I unexpectedly obtained so many magical treasures coveted even by Golden Core cultivators, but I can also capture such a top-tier woman. A truly bountiful harvest.'
'And judging by the magical treasures they possess, this small team must be composed of direct disciples from a major sect, perhaps even the elite of the next generation of the Four Great Sects!'
Teng Wuji then shifted his gaze to the unconscious Yu Yuanjun on the ground. At this distance, Teng Wuji could sense the power of a restriction on him.
He had basically deduced Yu Yuanjun's identity; he was likely a South Sea cultivator. To be rescued at such great risk, he must hold a significant secret.
Being stared at by a Golden Core cultivator, Bai Rou's pretty face grew even paler, her heart naturally filled with panic. She said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Li, I'm afraid our chances are slim this time."
Facing a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, the gap was absolutely not something she could bridge with her three puppet magical treasures. A Mid-stage Golden Core could easily crush an Initial-stage Golden Core with one hand, let alone Bai Rou, who could normally only contend with some Initial-stage Golden Core cultivators with her three puppets.
Li Yan was also staring warily at Teng Wuji. Hearing the tremor in Bai Rou's voice, his own heart tightened. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and he quickly sent a voice transmission to Bai Rou.
"Senior Sister Bai, trying to escape now is pointless, and Senior Brother Hu and the others are unconscious. Can your puppets use Mid-grade Spirit Stones to enhance their power, like the Thousand Luo Ancient Ape?"
Li Yan's thoughts raced. He desperately wanted to grab Bai Rou and use "Phoenix Soars to the Heavens" repeatedly to create distance and then find an opportunity to escape.
But it was clear that the demonic cultivator had already locked onto their auras, making it a poor time to use "Phoenix Soars to the Heavens."
Moreover, he didn't know if "Phoenix Soars to the Heavens" would be as effective while carrying another person. Perhaps only by engaging the enemy could he find a chance to flee.
But facing a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, even someone as emotionally steady as Li Yan felt his heart pound with uncertainty. This time, they were truly trapped.
If he were alone, Li Yan estimated he would have only about a ten percent chance of holding his own against the opponent for a short while. His greatest trump cards were his physical body, tempered by the essence blood of the "Undead Nether Phoenix," and "Phoenix Soars to the Heavens," with the Fragmented Poison Body as a last resort.
These were all the life-saving means he currently possessed. But if the opponent didn't engage him in close combat, Li Yan wouldn't even have that one-in-ten chance.
The opponent could simply launch another volley of dark-gold light clusters like before. He had no confidence he could dodge them all, and getting hit just once would likely have dire consequences.
Li Yan didn't even dare to use his Divine Sense to scan a wider area. He desperately wanted to know if his master and the others had received the "Ten-Thousand-Li Voice Transmission Talisman" and were on their way to rescue them from thousands of li away.
He could only probe a small area with his Divine Sense, afraid that its power would be detected by the opponent, who might then see him as a formidable foe, eliminating any chance he might have had.
"My puppets were created under my grandmaster's personal guidance. They can use Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Junior Brother Li? Don't tell me..." Upon receiving Li Yan's transmission, Bai Rou immediately replied. She was exceptionally intelligent and instantly understood Li Yan's meaning. She couldn't help but be shocked. 'Mid-grade Spirit Stones, does Junior Brother Li have that many?'
Bai Rou could tell from Li Yan's tone that he seemed to possess a number of Mid-grade Spirit Stones. After all these years, she herself only had two.
It was worth noting that Four Symbols Peak and Lord Lao Peak could sell puppets, formations, and pills. In terms of earning Spirit Stones, disciples from these two peaks were generally much wealthier than those from the other three.
Of the two Mid-grade Spirit Stones Bai Rou possessed, one was already nearly depleted. In truth, she only had one usable stone.
In fact, Elder Chigong had once offered her Mid-grade Spirit Stones, but Bai Rou, with her gentle exterior and firm interior, had refused his kindness.
It wasn't until this dangerous mission that she immediately accepted when Elder Chigong gave her the small Jade Ruler for protection. Her reasoning was simple: at a critical moment, the treasure could be used to protect the entire team.
Now, if she truly had a few Mid-grade Spirit Stones on hand, the attack power of the three Long-armed Giant Ape Puppets would increase dramatically. Although the hope of escape was still pitifully small, it was at least some hope.
At the very least, they could buy more time. The "Ten-Thousand-Li Voice Transmission Talisman" had been sent out quite some time ago. Bai Rou comforted herself, her eyes looking at Li Yan with anticipation.
They were in a desperate situation, a cornered beast's last struggle. Even a cornered rabbit will bite, let alone a cultivator on the brink of death.
Two breaths of time had passed since they had revealed themselves. After a moment of surprise and a quick assessment of their origins, Teng Wuji was not about to give them any more time.
He needed to get the treasures and the woman into his hands as soon as possible. Only then would any other plans be feasible.
Teng Wuji slapped his waist with his withered hand, and a white light shot out. A roar echoed in the air, and in the next moment, a beast lunged towards Bai Rou.
At the same time, his withered hand slapped his waist again. Another red light flashed, and an object transformed into a streak of crimson fire, hurtling toward Li Yan.
Teng Wuji intended to take down both of them in the shortest time possible. The white light rushing at Bai Rou materialized in mid-air, revealing itself to be a tiger with a white forehead and pale eyes.
This beast was the "White Blaze Demon Tiger," ranked in the middle of the Demon Realm's demonic beast list, at number 283. It had a notorious reputation in the Demon Realm.
This demonic beast had been with Teng Wuji for over two hundred years, its strength having reached the Initial-stage Golden Core. It was one of Teng Wuji's most relied-upon companion demonic beasts, having devoured countless demonic beasts and demonic cultivators for him. It was inherently ferocious and brutal.
But this time, when Teng Wuji released it, he instructed it only to capture Bai Rou alive and not to harm her.
The "White Blaze Demon Tiger" merely glanced at Bai Rou's cultivation and was extremely dissatisfied. She was just a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment human cultivator. Why was he being summoned for such a trivial matter? Teng Wuji himself could have ended it with a single casual strike.
But dissatisfaction was one thing. With a roar, the "White Blaze Demon Tiger" had already pounced on Bai Rou.
Before Li Yan and Bai Rou could finish their conversation, the enemy had struck. Li Yan flicked his wrist, and three streaks of white light shot toward Bai Rou. "Senior Sister, catch!"
At the same time, he leaped into the air to meet the red light. Teng Wuji's attack was clearly intended to separate them and prevent them from joining forces.
What gave Li Yan a slight sense of relief was that the demonic cultivator hadn't launched another one of those dark-gold light clusters containing the power of lightning. So, Li Yan advanced instead of retreating.
Normally, he should have stayed put and fought back-to-back with Bai Rou. But Li Yan felt that would only get them beaten to a pulp without any chance of finding an opportunity.
He had to get close to the opponent, no matter what. Besides, the opponent was a demonic cultivator, who followed the path of body cultivation. If he got close, the man would likely engage him in close combat.
But under these circumstances, he could no longer protect Bai Rou. So he directly threw out three Mid-grade Spirit Stones, which was enough to power the three puppets for one battle. Any more would have been pointless.
This was still a calculated move on Li Yan's part. Although he had plenty of Mid-grade Spirit Stones, taking out so many at once would not only stun Bai Rou but also instantly alert the demonic cultivator.
Although three Mid-grade Spirit Stones were extremely valuable, it was not an impossible amount for disciples of large sects to possess, especially when their lives were on the line. Who would choose money over their life?
As expected, Bai Rou instinctively caught the Spirit Stones. After a brief moment of shock, her eyes filled with delight.
Her three puppets could each be embedded with one Mid-grade Spirit Stone, boosting their combat power to at least the minor completion stage of Initial-stage Golden Core. This way, their side could buy a little more time.
Calculating the time since the "Ten-Thousand-Li Voice Transmission Talisman" was sent, her master and the others should be arriving soon. They should at least be on their way. A fierce determination rose in Bai Rou's heart.