In the demon palace's depths, that heart-like pulsating dark red flesh-mass, imprisoned Demon Marshal Xu Zhan, and the demonic lord's true body shadow floating in, formed an apocalyptic scene, shocking each "Dawn" squad member's heart.
However, the path to this final hall wasn't smooth. The moment they rushed out of the corrosive demonic fog hall and stepped into the core hall's outer area, a heavy-as-mountain pressure descended with rumbling machinery and rock friction!
BOOM! BOOM!
At both sides of the hall's hundreds-of-zhang-tall giant arch, two massive stone statues originally like ornaments suddenly came alive!
They were two guardian demon statues! Each dozens of zhang tall. Entire body cast from some dark like star fragments metal. Surface inscribed with countless twisted demonic runes, flowing dark red light. One held a giant axe, blade gleaming with space-tearing cold radiance. The other gripped a black lightning-wrapped giant hammer, hammer head seemingly containing mountain-shattering power.
They weren't dead. Their eye sockets burned with two ghostly green soul fires, locking onto the seven tiny figures invading the hall. Terrifying physical pressure mixed with pure demonic energy swept over like a tsunami, making the exhausted team gasp.
"Guardian demon statues! Careful, their power and defense are terrifying!" Second Senior Brother Luo Feng's urgent voice rang. His puppet shell's detection runes flickered wildly. "Energy readings off the charts! Physical resistance extremely high. And... they seem to absorb surrounding demonic energy to replenish themselves. Spell attacks may be greatly reduced!"
Before he finished, the axe-wielding demon statue already moved. It stepped heavily, ground trembling. Its giant axe raised high, with world-splitting momentum, brazenly chopped toward Zhao Tiezhu at the front! Before the axe arrived, its had already torn a deep gully in the ground!
"Good come!" Zhao Tiezhu roared. Instead of retreating, his qi-blood erupted like volcano. Muscles bulged. Both fists gained dark gold luster—he actually chose to clash head-on!
"Diamond Subdues Demons • Shaking Mountains!"
BOOM—!!!
Fist met axe. Deafening metal clash! Violent air blast exploded from collision point, sending ground debris flying! Zhao Tiezhu's foot ground cracked inch by inch. He groaned, form sliding back over a dozen zhang, arms slightly trembling, obviously worse for wear. The demon statue only had a small chip on its axe blade, movement barely affected, raised the giant axe again!
Simultaneously, the hammer-wielding demon statue moved! It slammed hammer ground, not attacking directly, but where the hammer landed, countless black lightning bolts like venomous snakes raced from ground, winding toward the squad! Where lightning passed, space rippled, carrying intense paralysis and destruction!
"Ice Cloud Wall!"
Mu Xue waved her staff. A thick ice wall mixed with countless ice crystals and snowflakes rose, blocking the lightning path. However, the black lightning was extremely corrosive. Ice wall rapidly melted and thinned under continuous lightning bombardment!
Liu Yun guided with her sword finger. Flying sword transformed into a stunning swan flight, stabbing directly toward the hammer statue's eye socket soul fire. However, the sword struck only making the soul fire flicker. Demonic patterns on the statue's surface flowed, dispersing and absorbing most sword energy attack! Physical defense and energy resistance both absurdly high!
Crown Prince Ao Qin spat dragon breath. Condensed water arrows struck the axe statue's joint, only leaving a shallow pit. Demonic energy surged; the pit slowly began repairing.
Spell attacks barely effective! Physical attacks hard to break defense! And they could absorb demonic energy to recover!
The two demon statues like two indestructible fortresses, with heavy steps, wielding axe and hammer, constantly compressing the squad's space. Their attacks were powerful, each strike carrying law-level suppression, forcing everyone to continuously dodge and block. Danger at every turn.
"This can't continue! Our attacks can barely harm them effectively. We'll die from exhaustion!" Liu Yun.
Xiao Qi's brow tightly furrowed. The Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword already unsheathed. Crimson sword aura chopped the demon statue, though leaving deeper sword marks, even burning away demonic energy, relative to the statue's massive body and continuous repair ability, still like a cup of water on a burning cart. His purification power worked on demonic energy, but on this thick solid metal and strange energy within, effects weren't ideal.
Must find the weakness!
While dodging the axe's chop, he pushed divine sense to extremes, carefully observing both demon statues. Their movements seemed yet contained some profound battle technique, cooperating seamlessly, almost sealing all direct paths to the core hall. Where was their energy core? What powered their movement?
Just as the hammer statue raised its hammer again, summoning sky-full black lightning, and Mu Xue's ice wall was about to completely collapse—critical moment—the rabbit spirit on Xiao Qi's shoulder suddenly let out sharp squeaking. Its paw desperately pointed toward the axe statue's chest left side, where there was a region slightly different color from other parts, showing dark purple, roughly basin-sized, slightly rising and pulsating with the statue's movement!
Meanwhile, Xiao Qi's jade pendant transmitted faint resonance, not pointing toward the hall-depth father, but faintly resonating with those two dark purple regions! Within was an extremely pure thread, yet incompatible with demonic energy... earth's? Or rather, a spirit vein core forcibly imprisoned and distorted?
That's it! These demon statues weren't completely driven by demonic energy! They were war puppets with demon-corrupted earth vein spiritual marrow as core, combined with strange metal and demonic patterns! Those dark purple regions were their energy cores—also why they could absorb demonic energy and repair themselves!
"Their weakness is the dark purple core on chest left!" Xiao Qi. "Attack there! That's their power source!"
Everyone's spirits lifted!
"I'll create the opening!" Liu Yun's eyes flashed cold light. Her back sword case opened again. This time, not one sword light, but nine! Nine different colored, different attribute sword lights like a peacock's tail, forming a small sword formation. Not attacking the statue directly, but weaving into a dense sword net, temporarily trapping the axe statue's movement, particularly restricting its axe-wielding arm!
"Ao Qin! Tiezhu! Tie down the other one!" Xiao Qi shouted.
Ao Qin let out a dragon cry, manifesting partial dragon true form. Massive dragon tail with ten thousand jun force the hammer statue, staggering it. Zhao Tiezhu charged like a bull, fists like hammers striking the statue's leg joints. Though unable to cause serious damage, successfully attracted its attention.
Now!
Xiao Qi's form moved like lightning, avoiding scattered black lightning, directly rushing toward the movement-restricted axe statue! The Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword erupted with unprecedented blazing light. Dragon patterns and phoenix shadows on blade seemed alive! Simultaneously, he the high-quality Southern Brightness Departing Fire source obtained from the Vermilion Bird Soul Crystal!
Crimson flame and white flame intertwined! Destruction and purification coexisted!
"Burn All Worlds • Departing Fire Slash!"
A sword aura condensed to the extreme, showing white-hot color, like a heavenly punishment blade, precisely stabbed toward the axe statue's chest left dark purple core!
Hiss—!!!
No earth-shaking explosion, only an ear-piercing sound like hot iron inserted into ice and snow! The sword aura penetrated the statue's thick metal shell without obstruction, striking the dark purple core!
The core instantly brightened, then... dramatically dimmed! Surface demonic patterns shattered inch by inch. The imprisoned, distorted earth's within, mixed with purified demonic energy, energy spray!
The axe statue's massive body violently stiffened. Eye socket soul fires flickered violently, then completely extinguished! Its raised giant axe helplessly sagged. The massive body lost all power, collapsing with a boom, raising vast dust.
One down!
Xiao Qi didn't pause. Turned and rushed toward the hammer statue being tied down by Ao Qin and Zhao Tiezhu. With experience, teamwork was smoother. Liu Yun's sword formation trapped again. Mu Xue's ice spells slowed its movement. Xiao Qi again condensed Southern Brightness Departing Fire and crimson sword aura, using the same method!
BOOM!
Second statue's chest core shattered. Also, collapsing.
At the hall entrance,. Only the two demon statue remnants testified the just-battle's intensity.
Everyone breathed slightly. Faces showing. Finally removed these two hard nails!
Xiao Qi sheathed sword and stood. His gaze the statues' remnants, again falling on the pulsating flesh-mass in the hall's depths, imprisoned father, and demonic lord's shadow.
The path to the final battlefield was now clear.
The final decisive battle was imminent.