Chapter 1225: Faceless Giant

This giant has no facial features; only at the place of a face is a constantly rotating black hole that Devours all light, emitting an aura of "my desire" that shares its origin with the previous desire puppet but is far larger and far more brutal! Its body seems fused with the entire swamp, endless demonic Qi and negative energy continuously surging into it.

Roar!

The giant let out a deep, muffled roar, and the facial black hole generated a terrifying suction that targeted not only flesh but also cultivation and spirit! Several Flowing Cloud Alliance disciples who were a bit closer cried out, their bodies uncontrollably dragged toward the swamp, their protective aura instantly dimming, and their cultivation visibly fading!

"It's the embodiment of the Devour Law! Be careful!" Han Wuxian's pupils narrowed; this giant was more than ten times stronger than the previous puppet! It had already reached the late stage of Harmony Dao, and within this swamp domain it was virtually unbeatable!

"Form formation! Defense!" Leaders of various sects shouted, cultivators channeling all their magical power, various lights flaring, forming a massive joint shield to resist that terrifying suction.

Qing Lin's spear halted, and the verdant life force transformed into countless vines that tangled the sucked‑away disciples, pulling them back forcefully. Xiao Ran merged with his sword, becoming an extremely brilliant sword rainbow that slashed at the giant's arm; where the blade passed, mud and bones scattered, yet at the broken point black Qi surged, instantly restoring it to its original state!

The giant's attack was simple and brutal; it swung its massive arm made of bones and mud, smashing hard into the joint shield!

Boom!!

The shield quivered violently, its halo flickering erratically, and several Void‑Refining Elders who presided over the formation each spat a mouthful of fresh blood! This power was far too overbearing!

At the same time, the suction of its facial black hole intensified again and began warping the surrounding space; multicolored Poison Miasma surged, the hallucinations became more vivid, continuously assaulting everyone's mind and spirit. The light of the Ice‑Heart Pure‑Spirit Formation began to gradually dim under the double onslaught.

"We can't let it attack the formation again!" Han Wuxian knew that once the joint shield was broken, the army would be exposed in this swamp domain to the giant's assault and would suffer heavy losses.

He must strike again, and he must locate the giant's core; otherwise it could never truly be destroyed.

"Defend me!" Han Wuxian shouted to Xiao Ran and Qing Lin, then closed his eyes, merging his spirit perception with Chaos Return to Void Qi, like countless fine tendrils, carefully probing into the raging swamp domain, evading the omnipresent Devour force and desire‑laden currents, searching for the core node of the giant's energy flow.

This is an extremely dangerous process; if his spirit perception were captured by that black hole or contaminated by too much desire‑laden Poison Miasma, he could suffer severe injury.

Outside, Xiao Ran and Qing Lin led the elite, holding the giant's attacks at bay, buying Han Wuxian time. Each time the giant's massive arm struck down, everyone's blood surged, yet no one retreated.

Time seemed to stretch infinitely.

Suddenly, Han Wuxian opened his eyes, Chaos Qi swirling within his pupils, locking onto a point just below the giant's chest—a continuously flashing spot gathering the purest dark energy!

"Found you!"

He shifted his form, ignoring spatial distance, and appeared directly before the giant's chest! The terrifying suction acted upon him, but the naturally circulating Return to Void field around him continuously nullified and countered it.

This time, Han Wuxian did not employ an area attack nor the ultra‑concentrated Piercing Spear of Rupture; instead he extended a single finger. At the fingertip, a dim, grayish light, though not dazzling, seemed to contain the ultimate principle of creation and destruction of heaven and earth, the cycle of all things. It was no longer pure Silence Extinction, but within Silence Extinction it held a hint of guidance, a hint of the "returning" concept!

With a single finger, he pinpointed the energy core!

There was no earth‑shaking explosion. The giant's massive body suddenly stiffened, the facial black hole ceased rotating, emitting a silent howl that seemed to come from the deepest abyss, filled with resentment and fear. Immediately thereafter, its body—made of mud, bones, and lingering souls—began, from the core point Han Wuxian had struck, not simply disintegrating into ash but, as if having endured millennia of temporal refinement, rapidly weathering and decomposing, ultimately turning into the purest celestial Qi and soul fragments, returning to this world and even slightly purifying a strand of the surrounding demonic Qi!

The reincarnation finger is not destruction, but an acceleration of its existence into a "reincarnation", forcibly "returning" it to nature!

The giant vanished, the vortex at the swamp's center calmed, and the once‑vivid Poison Miasma seemed to lose its core support, becoming much thinner.

The swamp domain was broken.

Han Wuxian hovered in midair, his complexion slightly pallid. Continuously drawing upon deep forces of the Great Dao's origin taxed him greatly. Yet he could feel his understanding of Return to Void deepening by another layer.

The cultivators of the Demon‑Subduing Alliance watched the scene in stunned silence. The alliance leader's might repeatedly reshaped their perception.

"Move quickly through the swamp! Watch for lingering traps!" Han Wuxian suppressed the surging Qi and ordered.

The army dared not delay; under the protection of the formation, they carefully flew over the swamp, which had become much more 'tame'.

However, just as the army was halfway across, another anomaly erupted!

From the previously calm swamp mud, dozens of black shadows shot out like lightning! Their aura was concealed, speed unbelievably swift, and their target was not Han Wuxian and his group ahead, but the rear of the formation—those of lower cultivation who handled logistics and support from Hundred Herb Valley and Heavenly Craft Sect!

They were demon beasts, hidden deep in the swamp, twisted by desire! Yan Buji's scheming, one link after another!

"Watch out for ambush!" cries rose.

Just as those ferocious demon beasts were about to plunge into the crowd, a verdant green aura suddenly expanded outward from Wang Tie as its center!

"Qing Lin shines upon all, repelling ten thousand evils!"

Wang Tie's beard and hair stood on end as he poured his lifelong cultivation into a simple jade pendant in his hand! Where the verdant aura passed, the demon beasts seemed scorched by blazing sun, emitting a mournful wail, their movements instantly slowed, and black smoke hissed from their bodies! Though not outright slain, they bought the surrounding combatants precious reaction time!

Xiao Ran, Qing Lin and the others immediately turned back, sword light and spear shadows flashing, swiftly cutting down the intercepted demon beasts.

A sudden crisis was resolved in time.

Wang Tie gasped heavily, retrieved the jade pendant, and nodded at Han Wuxian, indicating all was clear.

Han Wuxian watched the troops behind him, who had successfully crossed the swamp, their formation slightly chaotic yet quickly reformed, and then turned his gaze toward the deeper, darker interior of the Ten Thousand Souls Mountains; in his heart he knew that the swamp and the giant earlier were barely even an appetizer.

Yan Buji's true tactics lie ahead. And their Demon‑Subduing path is destined to be paved with blood.

"Reorganize the troops, treat the wounded," Han Wuxian's voice carried a barely perceptible fatigue, but more so, an iron‑like resolve, "We are closer to the Nether Sect."