Chapter 108: Vicious Battle

Bai Lang took a moment to glance at the toad; after being struck by a lightning curse, the toad was still twitching, its whole body black and shaking, while Mu Rong Jiu Xiu was taking a Qi‑supplementing pill, and Ma Rulong, Mu Ronghua and Qin Lian'er each brandished weapons and rushed at the toad, beating it furiously while it could not get up after the lightning strike. As a result, this demon could only be held back by him alone.

Bai Lang steadied himself; at close range the creature in front of him seemed to have a body as hard as iron, likely forged for millennia in a dark place by murderous qi, becoming this yin corpse after a thousand years—whether that's true or not, its sinews were undeniably steel. That made it simple: he launched his Turtle Fist. Against this sort of foe, everyone's foundation is in raw, unrefined training, so no need for fancy moves... Bai Lang knew claw techniques were completely useless, at least for now; only fists, palms, elbows, knees, and feet could work.

"When I master the Tiger Claw Ultimate Skill, I'll surely tear this yin corpse apart!" Bai Lang thought viciously, then launched a flurry of fists and kicks, trading Turtle Fist blows with the demon, completely shedding any air of a 'martial arts master.' In this respect Bai Lang had the advantage: although the yin corpse had copper skin and iron bones and considerable strength, Bai Lang's Thirteen Tai Bao Golden Bell Shield provided a counter‑shock force, making the Turtle Fist especially detrimental to the demon.

Neither Bai Lang nor the demon sustained any injury; as Bai Lang's Internal Force surged, the protective aura of the Golden Bell Shield continuously filled him, and his fists and kicks were infused with tiger‑like power—the talisman that Mu Rong Jiu Xiu had drawn on him also took effect. The Internal Force of the Golden Bell Shield emitted a bell‑like roar and a tiger's howl, radiating golden‑red light that hammered heavily into the yin corpse's body.

But the yin corpse was also roiling with black qi; Bai Lang's golden‑red yang Internal Force could not penetrate even three centimeters beneath its skin, being immediately repelled by the black yin‑evil qi. When Bai Lang's Internal Force clashed with that yin qi, bursts of lightning and fire erupted—still unable to pierce the demon's body. The demon's attacks also carried black aura, not only striking where it hit but seeping into all seven orifices of Bai Lang without a gap.

After Bai Lang broke the fourth barrier, his true qi remained inexhaustible, and the aura enveloped his whole body like a massive bell; this corrosive yin qi could not infiltrate, and the yin corpse's attacks had not yet breached Bai Lang's aura. Likewise, the black qi on Bai Lang's surface turned into crackling tiny currents and burning marks, which were neutralized by his aura.

Both sides were temporarily at a loss against each other, but the yin corpse could not escape, and Bai Lang held it tightly.

The toad was unlucky, hammered by four attackers, especially since the treasured sword imbued with talismanic power could now easily tear through its flesh. Mu Ronghua's sword style resembled a swimming dragon, circling the toad as if a dragon coiled around it. The blade continuously sliced the toad's skin, soon exposing bone in places. Ma Rulong's sword style was like raging waves; combined with his East Sea Water‑Cloud Sleeve technique, he forced open the toad's bodily defenses, directly damaging its organs and meridians.

Qin Lian'er remained the primary damage dealer; although her short sword didn't create wounds as dramatic as the others', her attacks were truly lethal to the toad. Each time Qin Lian'er's medicinal sword pierced the toad, it let out an earth‑shaking roar, but the damned thunder‑induced paralysis prevented it from moving much.

Bai Lang held the yin corpse, which let out a sharp scream that briefly irritated Bai Lang and slowed his movements. Seizing the moment, the yin corpse suddenly vanished. "Trouble!" Bai Lang cursed, "Damn it!" The ground shook violently, and a massive black snake burst from the earth, its dark head crowned by a four‑armed gorilla.

The giant snake let out a hiss and lunged, but Bai Lang crossed his arms and forced them in front of the snake's head. The snake was aiming at the companions trying to deal with the toad, and as a human shield Bai Lang could not let the black snake interfere. Bai Lang's feet gouged two trenches in the ground, nearly knee‑deep and over a yard long, which ultimately absorbed the impact and blocked the snake head's charge.

Meanwhile, the gorilla leapt, its four arms converging into a massive fist that slammed down. Bai Lang let out a muted grunt as he was driven into the ground. At that moment, the toad let out an unprecedented furious croak, its size swelling instantly. "Ribbit!" With that sound, a wave of qi and light radiated outward from the toad's center. Everyone immediately activated Lightness Skill to flee.

The toad's explosive shockwave resembled an ever‑expanding semicircular light dome, plowing the earth and eventually engulfing the giant snake; the black airflow was stripped from the snake's body, and the portions covered by the dome were continuously battered, its flesh turning into black vapor that vanished, leaving only withered yellow bones. As the toad's shockwave kept expanding, even those bones cracked and shattered, blown away into ash that dispersed without a trace.

A shriek rang out as the yin corpse reappeared, its hair pulled back to reveal its face—its shrunken skin was merely a layer over a skull, yet its eyes remained and glared viciously at the toad. The toad's explosive shockwave vanished, and although its wounds still oozed foul blood, its muscles began trembling and rapidly regenerating, seemingly about to seal the injuries quickly.

Aside from the thunder‑struck wound that pierced Bai Lang's steel‑tipped spear and the injuries from Qin Lian'er's medicinal sword... a pair of hands clawed at the mud, and with force pulled himself out of the earth—Bai Lang had been slammed into the ground by that punch, which also happened to let him evade the shockwave; now he hauled himself out while the gorilla leapt again, delivering another crushing punch.

Bai Lang planted both hands on the ground, using the momentum to roll and kick at the descending gorilla. With another thunderous crash, his arms sank into the earth, and the pit he had previously driven in collapsed with a splash, the gorilla's force and Bai Lang's copper‑bell‑shaped aura turning it into a large hole. After briefly steadied his breath, he used his waist and back strength to spring himself several feet sideways.

At his original spot, six sharp horns pierced the ground; had Bai Lang not jumped away in time, he would likely have been impaled on them.