Chương 204: Chapter 93: Isolation, Annihilation, and Self-Destruction

During this brief window of time, three more Blood Skeleton squads executed the exact same tactic. They isolated and surrounded five Golden-Armored Sentinels, concentrating their absolute, overwhelming force to launch a frenzied barrage of strikes. Meanwhile, the skeleton squad that had just completed its own slaughter instantly dissolved back into the chaotic battlefield.

They seamlessly coordinated with two other squads, continuing their relentless cycle of dividing and annihilating the remaining Golden-Armored Sentinels. Employing this singular, devastating strategy, the eight skeleton squads operated with terrifying synergy. Two squads acted as bait, drawing the enemy's aggro and absorbing their frontal assaults, while the remaining six squads flanked them, cutting the enemy lines into isolated pockets before tearing them apart.

They functioned like a colossal, blood-soaked meat grinder spinning at maximum velocity. Their efficiency was absolute. Within a mere handful of breaths, nearly half of the Golden-Armored Sentinels had been brutally slaughtered, their golden armor shattered into useless fragments.

"How can this be? Impossible... This is absolutely impossible!" Wei Qubing's blood-red eyes widened, instantly filling with sheer disbelief. He had never, in his wildest nightmares, imagined that his ultimate trump card—the Heavenly Deity Puppets—would be dismantled so effortlessly. This was a formidable magic treasure capable of stalling a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, yet it was being torn to shreds before his very eyes!

In truth, this puppet artifact of the Three Thousand Dao Sect was an exceptionally powerful magic treasure. Once activated with sufficient mana, it could unleash ninety-nine Foundation Establishment stage Golden-Armored Sentinels alongside a single Golden Core stage Golden-Armored Commander. When their collective strength stacked through their battle array, they could indeed hold their own against a late-stage Golden Core expert.

However, this treasure possessed a fatal flaw: only the Golden-Armored Commander possessed a sliver of sealed intelligence—an artificial sentience imbued during its refinement, which could not compare to the natural spirit of a true top-grade magic treasure. Once they lost their commander's direct guidance, the ninety-nine Golden-Armored Sentinels, despite their formidable combined power, lost all tactical adaptability.

It was precisely this vulnerability that the Blood Skeletons had seized upon, dealing a devastating blow to the puppet army in a matter of moments. Boom! Boom! Boom! The Golden-Armored Commander roared repeatedly in fury. Yet, the Shura Secret Bone clung to him like a relentless shadow, disregarding all damage to keep him pinned down. No matter what powerful techniques or maneuvers the commander unleashed, he could not break free.

He could only watch in vain as the number of Golden-Armored Sentinels rapidly dwindled. At the same time, high up in the sky, as more and more sentinels were destroyed, the massive sword of slaughter—condensed entirely from Slaughter Qi—began to lose its edge, its strikes growing sluggish. Conversely, the pitch-black skull let out a series of eerie, mocking cackles. As the Blood Skeletons claimed more victims, the dark aura radiating from the skull grew even more oppressive.

With one side weakening and the other growing stronger, the giant sword of slaughter was gradually suppressed by the skull, showing clear signs of imminent collapse. Reyn's eyes flickered with a succession of strange emotions. The Shura Secret Bone's performance today had taken him completely by surprise, sowing seeds of doubt and wariness in his heart. After all, only a few days had passed since it first developed a trace of consciousness, yet its intelligence was growing at an alarmingly rapid pace.

Reflecting on it now, this did not resemble the typical spiritual awakening of a magic treasure. Instead, it felt more like a human infant, its consciousness expanding rapidly alongside its rising power.

"Though the Shura Secret Bone's behavior is incredibly bizarre, I have fully refined it. Its consciousness is filled with deep gratitude and reverence toward me, so it should pose no danger for now. Once Sister wakes up, I will ask her about this." With these thoughts settling in his mind, Reyn shifted his gaze to the rapidly thinning ranks of the Golden-Armored Sentinels. With a subtle nudge of his Primordial Soul, he transmitted a direct command.

In the next instant, the Shura Secret Bone, still locked in fierce combat, threw its head back and unleashed an earth-shattering roar saturated with pure, unadulterated killing intent. Roar! Roar! Roar! On the ground, the countless Blood Skeletons roared in unison, the crimson light in their empty eye sockets flaring violently. Led by their eight squad leaders, they converged into a massive crimson tide within a few breaths.

With deafening roars, they charged like a tidal wave toward the remaining Golden-Armored Sentinels, who now numbered less than half of their original strength. Roar! Even though the remaining Golden-Armored Sentinels lacked true self-awareness, their basic instinct to identify enemies drove them into a state of violent, chaotic fury against the hundred Blood Skeletons. With a collective, explosive shout, they raised their golden spears toward the sky and surged forward to meet the charge. Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Blood Skeletons and the Golden-Armored Sentinels collided head-on once more. Bony fists and golden spears clashed in a brutal, chaotic melee, with neither side showing the slightest inclination to defend or parry. Upon impact, over a dozen Blood Skeletons were sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground as deep fractures spiderwebbed across their crimson bones. Yet, in the very next breath, they roared savagely, scrambled back to their feet, and threw themselves right back into the fray.

The Golden-Armored Sentinels maintained their wedge formation, their combat power amplified significantly by the lingering effects of their battle array. However, having lost more than half of their numbers, the remaining forty-odd sentinels found their momentum grinding to a halt. After pushing forward for a dozen or so zhang, their advance was forced to a crawl. The hundred Blood Skeletons fought like absolute madmen, completely devoid of fear.

Even when blasted away, as long as their core structures remained intact, they would rise again and plunge back into the meat grinder. Once the Golden-Armored Sentinels' advance was completely halted and they were surrounded by the crimson horde, their nightmare truly began. After a brief, desperate struggle, several Golden-Armored Sentinels were flung backward from the center of the melee.

Before they could even hit the ground, multiple skeletal hands thrust out from the shadows, instantly dismembering them and grinding their golden frames to dust. As the Blood Skeletons pressed their suicidal assault, the casualties among the Golden-Armored Sentinels skyrocketed. Locked in combat with the Shura Secret Bone, the Golden-Armored Commander roared in frustration, a look of mounting anxiety flashing in his artificial eyes.

A dense, suffocating cloud of Slaughter Qi erupted from his body, causing his offensive power to spike. In an instant, he managed to crack and splinter the Shura Secret Bone's frame in several places. Yet, the Shura Secret Bone only roared back, its skeleton flashing with a violent orange light. No matter how devastating the commander's strikes were, it refused to yield a single inch. This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. For this was the master's command!

Under the relentless onslaught of the Blood Skeleton army, the Golden-Armored Sentinels were wiped out at an astonishing speed. Soon, only a single sentinel remained standing. Yet, at that exact moment, the Blood Skeletons abruptly halted their attacks and retreated like an ebbing tide. Reyn's eyes flickered with a cold, calculating light. Without a fraction of a second's hesitation, his mind raced, and he activated his high-speed movement technique, the Demon Flash Escape.

In the mere span of a single breath, his physical form blurred into a streak of dark, spectral light, leaving behind a faint, fading afterimage as he materialized directly beside the last remaining Golden-Armored Sentinel. The sentinel's long spear thrust forward, tearing through the air with a sharp, whistling sound that threatened to pierce his chest, but Reyn casually swept his arm out, parrying the heavy weapon with a resounding metallic clang that sent sparks flying into the dark air.

Before the sentinel could recover its balance or pull back its weapon, Reyn's hand shot out like a striking viper, clamping firmly around the construct's cold, metallic throat. A sudden surge of dark, potent mana erupted from his palm, wrapping around the sentinel like iron chains and completely sealing its movements, freezing its joints in place. Reyn's pitch-black eyes gleamed with a strange, profound light.

He turned his gaze toward the Golden-Armored, who was currently locked in a fierce, life-or-death struggle with the Shura Secret Bone. Parting his lips slightly, Reyn spoke in a calm, indifferent voice that carried across the battlefield: "I believe you can understand my words. If you dare to strike another blow, I will instantly crush this sentinel into fine powder."

As his voice echoed through the clearing, the Golden-Armored unleashed a devastating downward slash, its great blade cleaving the air and forcing the Shura Secret Bone back with a heavy, bone-rattling impact. The commander's glowing eyes snapped toward Reyn, burning with a fierce, murderous intensity. For a long moment, the battlefield fell silent, save for the crackle of residual energy. Then, a grating, metallic sound rasped from the commander's throat, forming slurred, halting words: "Let... him... go...

Let go... Or... die!" Reyn heard the threat and merely let out a cold, mocking laugh. His fingers tightened slightly around the sentinel's neck, applying a crushing pressure. Instantly, the golden armor covering the sentinel flared with a brilliant, defensive light, trying to repel the invasive force. However, against Reyn's monstrous physical strength and overwhelming mana, the defensive barrier shattered like fragile glass. The sentinel writhed, completely powerless to resist.

At this moment, all it would take was a slight surge of Reyn's internal mana, and the construct would be obliterated into nothingness. Seeing this, the Golden-Armored's eyes flared with absolute fury. A series of low, beast-like growls vibrated in its chest, shaking the surrounding air. Yet, despite its rage, it did not dare to take a single step forward, fully aware that any sudden movement would seal its companion's doom. Reyn's confidence swelled as he witnessed the commander's hesitation.

A faint, amused smile played on his lips as he said softly, "It seems you still do not fully comprehend the reality of your situation. Your life and death hang entirely upon a single thought of mine."

"I will grant you two paths. The first is to swear fealty to me and serve as my vanguard. The second is absolute, irreversible destruction. Have you made your choice?" The Golden-Armored fell into a deep, calculating silence. When this set of magic treasures was first refined by the grandmasters of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, a secret soul-binding technique had been used to seal a rudimentary consciousness within it.

Although this artificial intelligence could not compare to the natural, sentient spirits born within Top-grade Magic Treasures—which possessed the potential to evolve into legendary Dao Artifacts—it still vastly enhanced the combat capabilities of the construct. Furthermore, after centuries of nourishment and battle, this consciousness had slowly matured, granting it a basic capacity for independent thought and self-preservation.

After a tense silence, the violent Slaughter Qi swirling around the Golden-Armored began to recede, flowing back into its golden frame. Though a trace of reluctance lingered deep within its glowing eyes, it slowly descended to the ground. It lowered its massive weapon and bowed its head toward Reyn, signaling its submission. Reyn's gaze shifted past the bowing commander, landing on Wei Qubing.

The young master of the Three Thousand Dao Sect stood frozen, his eyes wide and vacant, his chest heaving with rapid, shallow breaths. The sudden and absolute collapse of his grand ambitions had utterly shattered his mental fortitude. Even if Reyn did not strike him down here, this crushing defeat would leave a massive, indelible heart-demon in his soul, ensuring that his future path of cultivation would be fraught with insurmountable bottlenecks and madness. Reyn shook his head inwardly.

Wei Qubing had brought this ruin upon himself through his insatiable greed. Now that both of his prized magic treasures had been stripped away by Reyn, it was nothing less than the harsh, unyielding retribution of karma.

"Since you have chosen submission, you must allow me to erase the original master's soul brand," Reyn commanded, his voice cold and unyielding.

"I will imprint my own restrictive seals upon your core. From this day forth, you shall move only at my command." The Golden-Armored let out a low, submissive growl of assent. It lifted its heavy feet, taking slow, deliberate steps toward Reyn. For a construct born of metal and sealed souls, survival was the ultimate directive. It held no true loyalty to the Three Thousand Dao Sect; serving a new, more powerful master was of no consequence to its existence. Yet, in that very instant, a hidden malice stirred.

No one noticed the sudden, venomous gleam that flashed deep within Wei Qubing's vacant eyes. He waited, biding his time with deadly patience. The moment the Golden-Armored stepped within five zhang of Reyn, Wei Qubing abruptly snapped his head up. His eyes had turned completely blood-red, burning with an insane, suicidal fury. He opened his mouth, unleashing a piercing, screeching howl that sounded like a dying night owl!

"Reyn!" Wei Qubing screamed, his voice cracking with madness.

"For nearly ten years, I have walked on thin ice, trembling with fear, enduring countless schemes, betrayals, and the cold indifference of the cultivation world just to reach my position today! But today, you stripped away both of my sect's greatest magic treasures! You have destroyed my future! You have destroyed my life!"

"Today, I will drag you down to hell with me! I will ensure you die without a grave, your soul shattered into a thousand pieces, never to enter the cycle of reincarnation!"

"Since you desire this divine puppet so desperately, I shall present it to you as a grand parting gift to send you on your way to the Yellow Springs!" His laughter was a hideous, guttural rasp, like a demon clawing its way out of the underworld. His face contorted into a mask of pure, unadulterated madness. Pointing a trembling, blood-stained finger at the Golden-Armored, he roared three times in rapid succession: "Detonate! Detonate! DETONATE!"

The moment those three words left his lips, the Golden-Armored's eyes widened in sheer terror. Its golden armor flared with an uncontrollable, blinding brilliance. A violent, destructive wave of energy erupted from deep within its core, rippling outward with such immense pressure that it felt as though a mountain had suddenly dropped onto the chests of everyone present, suffocating them instantly.

"Fall back! It's going to self-destruct!"

"Run for your lives! The self-destruction of a Golden Core-level puppet will obliterate us in an instant!"

"Activate the Cloud-Soaring Art! Fly a hundred li! Flee, flee, flee!"

"Earth-tunneling Art! Block all damage! Burrow, burrow, burrow!" In the distance, the spectating cultivators scattered like startled beasts, unleashing their most powerful escape techniques in a desperate bid to survive. But Reyn, standing directly in front of the swelling Golden-Armored, found his face turning incredibly grim.

He had accurately deduced the underlying mechanics of this divine puppet—the commander's existence was intrinsically tied to the combined life-force of the ninety-nine Golden-Armored Sentinels. If all the sentinels were destroyed, the commander would vanish. That was why he had captured the final sentinel, hoping to exploit this link to subjugate the treasure. However, he had severely underestimated the ruthlessness of the Three Thousand Dao Sect.

They had long ago implanted a hidden self-destruction restriction deep within the commander's core, specifically designed to handle a catastrophic scenario like this! They would rather destroy their own supreme treasure than allow it to fall into the hands of an enemy! Reyn's breath caught in his throat. An overwhelming, icy sensation of impending death flooded his senses.

Although his physical body had been tempered to a level comparable to a High-grade Spirit Tool, enduring the point-blank self-destruction of a Golden Core-level entity was an entirely different matter. If he took the brunt of this blast at such close range, he would undoubtedly be torn to shreds!