Chapter Fifty-Eight: Fierce Battle

The stone demon seized Xie Bing with one hand and hurled him violently to the ground. In the nick of time, Xie Bing activated his protective aura, barely escaping injury, though the shield itself shattered under the blow—a testament to the sheer force behind the attack. Xie Bing was no ordinary cultivator; at the fourth stage of the Heart of the Zither Realm, his true energy shield was thick and robust, which allowed him to withstand the assault. Yet, when the stone demon realized its strike had failed to wound him, it immediately stomped down with a massive foot. If struck, Xie Bing would certainly have suffered broken bones. Paralyzed with terror, he squeezed his eyes shut, unable to move.

At that critical moment, Guo Jian sprang into action. Sensing the danger, he swiftly swung his celestial sword at the stone demon. But the creature was no simple foe. After a brief hesitation, its foot still descended hard upon Xie Bing, even as Guo Jian’s sword struck its body. Two muffled sounds rang out—one a heavy thud, the other a sickening squelch.

Xie Bing seized the chance afforded by the demon’s momentary pause to twist his body, but his left arm was caught beneath the monstrous foot. With a cry of agony, he felt his arm go numb and heard the unmistakable crunch of breaking bone; his limb was undoubtedly ruined. Nor did the stone demon escape unscathed: Guo Jian, the strongest among the group, wielded a sword of immense power, and with one blow he pierced straight through the demon’s chest, leaving a gaping hole nearly a foot wide. Seeing the creature wounded at last, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though no one dared lower their guard.

This stone demon was no ordinary beast, but a monster born from the essence of heaven and earth, likely possessing its own magical treasures and secret techniques. Guo Jian did not linger after landing his strike. Yan Jie quickly dragged Xie Bing to safety, and Guo Jian leaped back as well, both of them checking Xie Bing’s injuries and watching for any change in the demon’s condition.

Upon seeing Xie Bing’s injury, Guo Jian drew in a sharp breath. The wound was grievous—Xie Bing’s left arm was mangled beyond recognition, the flesh and bone a ruined mess. Guo Jian shook his head, secretly relieved that he himself had not tried to pick the Ice Spirit Herb earlier.

He then glanced at the stone demon and was shocked anew. Though the creature wore a mask of pain, the hole in its chest was already shrinking and healing at an alarming rate, soon vanishing altogether. Moreover, its aura was now even stronger than before it was wounded.

Not only Guo Jian, but also Li Sibai and the others were stunned. None of them had imagined the stone demon could regenerate; this would make defeating it far more difficult.

Guo Jian gave a cold laugh and called out loudly, “Junior He, why don’t we join forces? If we drive this demon away, I’ll split the Xuantian Jade-Pure Pill with you. But as for that fourth-grade spellbook, I’m afraid I can’t let you have it!”

He Tianshu flushed with embarrassment. When he had first joined the group, he had only mentioned dividing the Jade-Pure Pill, never the spellbook, intending to keep that treasure for himself. He hadn’t expected Guo Jian to reveal it now, leaving him thoroughly mortified.

Gong Degang, whose strength was comparable to He Tianshu’s, wore a mocking expression upon hearing this. Though he too would have vied for the spellbook had he not been injured and weakened, he was nonetheless displeased by He Tianshu’s earlier concealment.

As He Tianshu prepared to respond, Li Sibai tugged his sleeve and whispered, “Fall back, Senior Li. The stone demon seems focused on them. We need to conserve our strength.” He Tianshu nodded and retreated, touched that Li Sibai cared for his safety rather than confronting him about the spellbook, and his opinion of Li Sibai improved even further.

He had never intended to help Guo Jian anyway; after all, he could not match either side in strength, and joining the fray would be suicide.

Guo Jian saw He Tianshu’s retreat and immediately understood his intentions. With a cold snort, he launched another attack on the stone demon.

By now, the demon’s wound had completely healed. Seeing Guo Jian advancing again, the monster let out a furious roar, intent on tearing him limb from limb. Yet this time, Guo Jian did not challenge it head-on. Instead, he relied on his nimble footwork to evade the demon’s blows, gradually maneuvering closer to He Tianshu, deliberately leading the demon in that direction.

“Junior Li, lend a hand! This brute is too much for me!” he called, even as the stone demon’s massive palm swept toward He Tianshu and the others. Li Sibai dodged swiftly, and Yao Xueqing leapt aside as well. But because Guo Jian had drawn the demon toward him, He Tianshu now found himself caught between Guo Jian and the monster, with no avenue of escape.

Desperate, He Tianshu raised his Carefree Sword and activated his protective aura, bracing himself for the blow. The stone demon’s enormous fist crashed down upon the sword, shattering He Tianshu’s shield and sending him flying. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Had he not managed to block with his sword, his injuries would have been far worse. As it was, his internal energy surged chaotically, his chest tight and hot, until he spat a mouthful of dark blood, his face turning ashen.

Guo Jian laughed heartily at the sight. He had never expected He Tianshu to be of any real assistance; none among the group could truly help him. With Xie Bing wounded, Guo Jian had feared an imbalance in strength and had purposely drawn the demon toward He Tianshu’s side. Now that He Tianshu was grievously hurt as well, Guo Jian felt secure, and his laughter rang out unabashed.

Guo Jian’s abilities far surpassed the rest. He alone could dodge the stone demon’s attacks with ease, the creature’s brute strength countered by its lack of agility.

“Yan Jie, attack!” Guo Jian barked. He Tianshu and the others assumed that he and Yan Jie were about to take down the stone demon, but to their shock, the two men spun around and rushed at Yao Xueqing and Ye Chunjiao instead.

Two heavy blows sounded. Yao Xueqing was struck in the shoulder by Yan Jie’s short sword—her strength nearly matched his, and she was only lightly wounded, caught off guard. But Ye Chunjiao fared much worse: under Guo Jian’s overwhelming power, her shoulder was pierced through, suffering the same fate as Gong Degang.

The two showed no mercy, attacking the young women without hesitation.

Li Sibai’s face darkened, his anger burning.