"That's right, these monsters are proficient in illusion arts. They are fighting us while simultaneously trying to bewilder us," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Master, I think I've figured out what these beasts are," Hu Miao suddenly spoke up.
"What are they?" Ye Yunfei asked immediately.
"If I'm not mistaken, these should be Illusion Beasts," Hu Miao stated.
"Just like us Primordial Heavenly Foxes, Illusion Beasts are innately adept in illusion arts, though of course, their bloodline isn't as noble as ours.
However, the illusion arts these Illusion Beasts possess are quite unique. Furthermore, they exist in vast numbers and always move in packs, attacking any discovered enemy en masse.
Also, Illusion Beasts are not only skilled in illusion arts but also in poison arts. The thick mist they spew carries a terrifyingly potent toxin that can work in tandem with Illusion Dao energy and laws to cause one to unknowingly sink into a dazed, inescapable state.
In other words, the Illusion Art of the Illusion Beast race is combined with Poison Arts."
Hu Miao explained.
"So that's the case. However, I'm not afraid of poison," Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
He then immediately took out a bottle of specially prepared divine antidote pills, handing two to the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm.
"After consuming these two pills, the poison spat out by these Illusion Beasts won't be able to affect me," Ye Yunfei declared.
As a Sovereign God-level alchemist, he was naturally very confident in the efficacy of the antidote pills he refined.
Both Ye Yunfei and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm each swallowed two pills. Upon taking them, Ye Yunfei immediately felt his thoughts clear considerably. The white mist surrounding them also seemed much thinner, and the distance he could see became much farther.
Releasing his Soul Power, he sensed that a large number of Illusion Beasts had already gathered on the plain around them.
These beasts looked like giant black toads, dragging a long black tail behind them that constantly slapped the ground.
"Looks like we were actually poisoned earlier. After taking the antidote pills you gave me, I feel my mind is much clearer," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm exclaimed loudly.
"That's right. Even I might have been poisoned just now," Ye Yunfei nodded, feeling rather shocked.
"Even you two were affected, which shows just how terrifying the poison spewed by these Illusion Beasts truly is," Hun Lao couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
"The Illusion Beast race is an exceedingly ancient one, with a heritage spanning a vast stretch of time. Their inherited illusion arts indeed have their unique strengths.
However, Master, you are a Sovereign God-level alchemist. The antidote pills you refine are more than sufficient to handle the poison released by these ordinary Illusion Beasts," Hu Miao said.
"Are there any exceptionally powerful Illusion Beasts, then?" Ye Yunfei asked.
"Of course. This race shares a similarity with our Primordial Heavenly Foxes. They don't require special cultivation; they simply grow stronger as long as they have sufficient cultivation resources and time to mature.
It is said that in ancient times, there was one Illusion Beast that lived for an immensely long period, known as the ancestor of the Illusion Beasts. Its strength was utterly terrifying. However, encountering Illusion Beasts of that level is generally very difficult," Hu Miao answered.
"Master, inside each of these Illusion Beasts is a Beast Core, the crystallization of their entire life's energy.
Obtaining these Beast Cores would be of great benefit to me.
However, Illusion Beasts have one peculiar trait: even if their bodies are destroyed, as long as their Beast Core remains, they can instantly conceal all their life force and energy within the core, secretly escape, and then quickly regenerate their bodies.
In other words, the Illusion Beasts you shattered earlier are all still alive, having barely even suffered any injuries.
To truly eliminate these Illusion Beasts, you must control their Beast Cores," Hu Miao said to Ye Yunfei, looking at the endless stream of Illusion Beasts surging towards them.
"Alright, I will now kill all these Illusion Beasts and dig out their Beast Cores for you," Ye Yunfei nodded.
He then reached out with a hand, employing his body's Divine Power, causing his palm to rapidly enlarge. With a grab, he seized one Illusion Beast.
The beast struggled desperately, but Ye Yunfei's physical strength was monstrous. With a powerful squeeze, the Illusion Beast's body exploded directly under the terrifying force.
While acting, Ye Yunfei had also used a spatial Divine Power to seal the Illusion Beast, ensuring that after its body exploded, all its flesh, blood, and bone fragments remained contained within his palm.
"There is indeed a Beast Core," Ye Yunfei said, glancing at his palm to find a white-colored Beast Core that seemed to possess its own life force.
He sealed this core and handed it to Hu Miao.
"Exactly, Master! This is an Illusion Beast's Beast Core!" Hu Miao couldn't help but feel overjoyed, as she could sense dense Illusion Dao energy emanating from the core.
"Here are some more antidote pills for you. Since these Illusion Beasts are proficient in both illusion and poison arts, their Beast Cores likely contain powerful toxins. Be careful," Ye Yunfei said, handing another bottle of antidote pills to Hu Miao.
"Don't worry, Master. I'm quite familiar with these Illusion Beasts; I'm not afraid of them," Hu Miao replied with a smile.
Over the following moments, Ye Yunfei and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm continuously captured one Illusion Beast after another, digging out their Beast Cores and handing them to Hu Miao.
The number of Illusion Beasts on the surrounding plain was simply too great, and soon Hu Miao had obtained a large batch of cores.
"Master, with these Beast Cores, my strength can advance another level in a short time!" Hu Miao said excitedly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...
Suddenly, the massive stone tablet at the center of the plain began to shake violently.
Ye Yunfei's gaze shot over, seeing that as the tablet shook intensely, it also released copious amounts of dense white mist.
Then, a roar erupted, and Ye Yunfei saw five Illusion Beasts with truly colossal bodies leap out violently from the tablet.
"Be careful! These five Illusion Beasts are extremely formidable, far stronger than the others," Hun Lao immediately warned.
Both Ye Yunfei and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm could also perceive that the energy radiating from these five Illusion Beasts was much more potent, and they swiftly assumed fighting stances.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...
All five Illusion Beasts took to the air simultaneously, charging directly at Ye Yunfei and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm.
Ye Yunfei drew his long sword with his right hand while clenching his left fist into a fist. He employed both his swordplay and body-tempering techniques as he charged forward.
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm swung its dual fists, unleashing a highly advanced spatial-technique-infused boxing art.
At the very start of the battle, Ye Yunfei used his Mind Reading Art in an attempt to disrupt the thoughts of these five Illusion Beasts. To his shock, his Mind Reading Art seemed to have absolutely no effect on them. Surprised, he immediately sent a voice transmission to Hu Miao for an explanation.
"Master, perhaps you didn't know. The Illusion Beast race is innately resistant to all Soul Arts and Illusion Arts. In other words, such techniques hardly work on them," Hu Miao replied.
"I see. The world truly contains such marvelous races," Ye Yunfei finally understood, sighing in wonder.
Since Soul Arts were ineffective, Ye Yunfei could only rely on his formidable physical strength and swordplay to engage the five Illusion Beasts.
During the fight, Ye Yunfei bore the brunt of the frontal assault, with the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm providing support on the flank.
These five Illusion Beasts displayed remarkably clever coordination, vaguely forming a highly advanced battle formation.
At times, the five beasts would rapidly swap positions, creating tens of thousands of afterimages. Consequently, the space around them became filled with their images, making it difficult even for Ye Yunfei to instantly pinpoint their exact locations.
"These five Illusion Beasts truly are powerful!" Ye Yunfei felt genuinely shocked.
"Master, the primary combat method of Illusion Beasts involves using illusions to confuse their opponents. The formation they've adopted is a high-level Illusion Formation. Within it, capturing their true forms and positions is very difficult for others," Hu Miao explained to Ye Yunfei.