Moments later, a large group of people charged into the mountain range, rushing towards the site of the fierce battle.
"Surrender now! Do you really want the intelligence you painstakingly developed over tens of thousands of years to be shattered!" roared the gray-robed elder of the Lu Family.
The Saint Spirit's combat power was simply too strong. Although the Lu Family members had laid out numerous Earth Formations across this land, they couldn't subdue this Saint Spirit immediately. Instead, the Spirit broke formation after formation, dismantling one treacherous terrain trap after another.
"You actually think such weak humans can deal with me? Very well! Even if it means sacrificing a bit of my Origin Essence Blood, I will slaughter you all today!" bellowed the Saint Spirit.
He was originally a top-tier existence with overwhelming strength and unrivaled in this world. He had gone into hiding here due to his injuries, never expecting the humans he always looked down upon would come to his doorstep to bully him.
Boom...
Suddenly, dazzling divine radiance burst forth from the Saint Spirit's short stature, shining so brilliantly it became impossible to make out his true features.
Rumble...
A terrifying aura soared into the sky, instantly causing the heavens and earth of this area to shake violently.
"Damn it! His injuries aren't as severe as I imagined! He can still burn his Origin Essence Blood!" The gray-robed elder felt a chill run down his spine at the sight, his face paling. He knew he had misjudged.
He had thought the Saint Spirit was severely wounded with little combat power left, which is why he brought the Lu Family forces to capture it.
The Origin Essence Blood of a Stone-born Saint Spirit took tens of thousands of years at minimum to have a chance of emerging. It was a true essence of heaven and earth, containing the great fortune of the universe. Therefore, the Origin Essence Blood of a Stone-born Saint Spirit was beyond precious!
"Retreat! Retreat now!" Though filled with unwillingness, the gray-robed elder knew if they didn't leave immediately, all the Lu Family members here would likely die.
"Die!" At this moment, the Saint Spirit's combat power had risen to a terrifying level. Its golden spear swept out, continuously enlarging like a divine mountain rumbling forward, crushing everything in its path.
Bang! Bang!
Earth Formations shattered one after another.
"Ah...!" Those Lu Family members unable to dodge in time were pulverized one by one, reduced to clouds of bloody mist.
"Run!" The gray-robed elder didn't dare stay a moment longer. He knew he was no match for that Saint Spirit either.
Whoosh!
Seeing the gray-robed elder fleeing as well, the remaining Lu Family members didn't dare linger. They either took out flying vessels and soared skyward or burrowed into the earth to escape.
"Where do you think you're going!" The Saint Spirit locked onto the gray-robed elder, urged its stone chariot onward, and pursued in a rolling cloud of dust.
"This guy's combat power is truly impressive," Ye Yunfei thought from his hidden position, feeling a hint of shock.
"What's going on! There's a jade-stone person!"
"Could it be the legendary Stone-born Saint Spirit?"
"They say the Origin Essence Blood of a Stone-born Saint Spirit is incomparably precious, a top-tier heavenly treasure among all earthly materials!"
By now, large numbers of martial artists had arrived, witnessing the Saint Spirit chasing the gray-robed elder and the Lu Family members fleeing everywhere.
"So the Lu Family came here secretly to capture this Stone-born Saint Spirit!"
"Let's go! We should get over there too. Something this good can't be monopolized by the Lu Family!"
The newcomers immediately moved, charging forward, wanting to surround and intercept the Saint Spirit.
"Don't say I didn't warn you! This Saint Spirit's strength is extremely fearsome. It's not something you can deal with!" shouted the gray-robed elder.
"Hahaha... Elder Lu, you're just afraid we'll compete with your Lu Family for this Saint Spirit, aren't you?"
"Although your Lu Family is skilled in Geomancy Technique, your combat prowess is far inferior. Just because your family can't defeat this Saint Spirit doesn't mean we can't!"
Everyone laughed, thinking Elder Lu was trying to scare them off. They instead increased their speed, charging over.
In moments, a large group of martial artists had the Saint Spirit completely surrounded.
"Come here!" An old man extended a large hand, which continuously enlarged like a patch of cloud, grabbing towards the Saint Spirit.
Boom!
The Saint Spirit swept its spear, instantly shattering that large hand and causing the old man to cry out in pain, staggering back a great distance in fear.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The Saint Spirit urged its chariot forward, its speed astonishingly fast.
"Ah...!" Several people unable to dodge in time were directly struck by the chariot and smashed into clouds of bloody mist.
"Today, I'll slaughter you weak humans to the last!" The Saint Spirit roared at the heavens, opened its mouth, and spat out one huge stone after another. These stones then transformed into stone-men, each wielding large stone clubs, charging out in all directions to fight the human martial artists.
In moments, several hundred stone-men appeared. Each possessed impressive combat power; though not as strong as the Saint Spirit, they could hold their own.
Rumble...
The Saint Spirit, urging its chariot and holding its spear, rampaged across the land. Wherever it went, no one could stand against him.
Several elders from major forces of the Eastern Barrens were also sent flying by this Saint Spirit, coughing up blood continuously.
"Too terrifying! Elder Lu was right! We can't deal with this creature! Run!" Finally, everyone was terrified, turning around to flee.
"These guys really have a death wish. Although this Stone-born Saint Spirit is severely injured, by burning its Origin Essence Blood, it can unleash at least forty to fifty percent of its peak power. How could they possibly handle that?" Ye Yunfei remained hidden in the distance, watching this grand battle.
"After burning its Origin Essence Blood, this Saint Spirit will surely suffer a significant drop in power, with its injuries worsening even more. If I strike then, I might have a chance to subdue it!" Ye Yunfei thought to himself, a flicker of anticipation in his heart.
At this moment, the Saint Spirit, leading hundreds of stone-men, was in hot pursuit of the human martial artists.
"Stone-fiend! Cease your atrocities!" A loud shout rang out.
Then, a man in green robes strode forward with his hands behind his back, his body straight as a sword, his gaze sharp and penetrating.
"Elder Tang from the Sword Palace has arrived!" someone exclaimed joyfully.
Clang!
With a roar, Elder Tang opened his mouth and spat out a long sword that shot towards the Saint Spirit like lightning.
Roar...!
Another man strode forward, his build as thick and sturdy as an iron tower. A ten-meter-tall demonic ape followed closely beside him. Man and beast advanced together, pressing towards the Saint Spirit.
"It's Elder Zhen from the Beast Taming Sect!"
"A mere stone monster possesses such terrifying power. Truly, heaven creates all things, each exhibiting its unique wonders!" A scholar dressed in elegant robes soared through the air, appearing infinitely free-spirited and graceful.
Rumble...
The illusory form of a flood dragon coiled around him, releasing a mighty draconic pressure that seemed to weigh down heaven and earth.
"National Scholar Liu Zichun from the Heavenly Dragon Ancient Nation!" someone called out.
"It truly is the legendary Stone-born Saint Spirit," said another elder who had just arrived, his eyes fixed on the Spirit as he sighed with emotion.
A stunningly beautiful woman stood behind this elder.
"It's Miss Lü, and Elder Fang from the Four Directions Trading House!" someone recognized the beautiful woman and the elder.
"She's here too," Ye Yunfei thought, slightly surprised upon seeing Lü Dandan.
"With Elder Tang, Elder Zhen, National Scholar Liu, and Elder Fang here, we don't need to fear that Saint Spirit anymore. Let's join forces and kill it!"
Seeing four true experts had arrived, the martial artists who had been fleeing in all directions moments before now found their courage significantly bolstered.
"Humph! You humans just wait! One day, I will slaughter every single one of you!" Feeling the pressure from the arrival of four experts, the Saint Spirit spat out a furious threat. Then, it abruptly turned its chariot and attempted to leave.
"Where do you think you're going!" Elder Tang, Elder Zhen, National Scholar Liu, and Elder Fang acted simultaneously, moving to intercept the Saint Spirit.
"Get out of my way!" the Saint Spirit roared in fury.
Rumble...
The four human experts had no intention of letting it go. They secured the four directions and attacked together, giving the Saint Spirit no chance to escape.
For a time, the four human experts and the Saint Spirit fought fiercely, locked in a stalemate. The energy released from their battle spread out in all directions like an ocean, horrifying to behold. Others in the vicinity retreated in fear. Those too slow were directly injured by the shockwaves, coughing up blood repeatedly.
After a while, the Saint Spirit finally couldn't withstand them any longer. With a combined strike from the four human experts, it was sent flying like a cannonball, streaking far into the distance and smashing through four or five mountain peaks consecutively.
Then, the Saint Spirit transformed into a streak of light and instantly burrowed into the earth.
"Damn it! Knocking it away ended up helping it escape!" the four human experts instantly regretted their action.
"Elder Lu, only by using Geomancy Technique to seal the earth would we possibly be able to force that fellow out," said Elder Tang from the Sword Palace, looking towards the gray-robed elder.
"No use. It has already fled far away. It has lived in seclusion within this land for an extremely long time and knows every inch. I can no longer locate it," the Lu Family elder shook his head.
"What a pity. Stone-born Saint Spirits are exceedingly rare. We were lucky enough to encounter one, only to miss it," Elder Fang sighed repeatedly.
"Now it's my turn to act," Ye Yunfei thought to himself, having personally witnessed the Saint Spirit being injured. He knew the opportunity had arrived.
That Saint Spirit had burned its Origin Essence Blood, and now it was injured again. This was its weakest moment!
Whoosh!
Without revealing a trace of his movements, Ye Yunfei sank into the earth. He released over five hundred Earth Dragons to roam everywhere underground, searching for the Saint Spirit's whereabouts.