This aura.
Baiyu was very familiar with it, having felt it more than once.
Though the source was different, it always gave off that same sinister, loathsome feeling.
This is the evil force that causes monstrous transformations!
When extraordinary power becomes overwhelmingly strong and distorted, it emits this kind of aura.
It twists the spirit, mutates the body, turning it into a mindless monster.
The aura emanating from this giant hand is a representation of that power.
When it reached down from the sky, the soldiers around immediately let out cries of agony.
Most people abandoned their helmets and armor, half-kneeling on the ground.
They clutched their heads and rolled on the ground.
Underneath their iron armor, lumps swelled up, filled with green plague-filled pus.
Quickly.
These lumps ruptured, pus splattering everywhere.
Green bugs crawled out, burrowing into the people around them.
Their faces rapidly aged, hair turning white.
A few seconds later.
They became mummified corpses lying on the ground.
Among them were Tier Four and Tier Five martial artists.
Yet they couldn't resist the presence of this giant hand at all.
"Baiyu, hurry and leave, this giant hand is absolutely not something we can deal with now.
Even a Tier Two martial artist cannot withstand it.
Any hesitation.
And we might lose our lives!"
Qiong Xue's eyes flashed with urgency as she hurriedly spoke.
At this moment, she already felt her spirituality struggling against the hand's aura.
If she stayed a moment longer, she might not withstand the mutation.
"Go, retreat immediately."
At this time.
Baiyu cared for nothing else.
He already felt the serious nature of the situation, with the sinister aura spreading around, even he found it difficult to resist.
The mutated part of his palm was already subtly reacting.
The pollution here escalated rapidly, for ordinary people to step in, they'd surely mutate instantly.
Moreover.
The speed and elusiveness of the green bugs emerging from the corpses were like a plague, drilling into people's bodies and draining them dry in moments.
This scenario was out of Baiyu's control.
The evil aura emitted by that beast inadvertently caused all this.
How much pressure would Qiu Yun bear facing this beast's attack?
"Mountain City is ours, you've ruined my plans, your life is mine now."
Amidst the crack.
The sound of thunder and mountain smashing resounded in everyone's mind.
The giant hand now reached for Qiu Yun, with an unstoppable force, pressing the ground downwards and causing cracks to spread.
The sinister aura had peculiar effects on those around, making most of them lose their senses.
No one could aid Qiu Yun at this moment.
"The Celestial Demon King of the Demon Race? I, Qiu Yun, am honored to have you act personally!"
Qiu Yun roared, his clothes tearing apart at this moment.
Though his body was lean, each muscle was aligned symmetrically, covered in the scars of blades and swords, showcasing explosive power.
At this moment.
Qiu Yun's blood qi burst forth.
A fierce Exotic Beast constructed from blood qi appeared behind him, with boundless flames igniting mid-air around, forming fireballs charging at that beast.
The temperature around surged.
The unusual sound of flames exploding echoed in their ears.
The raging flames seemed to ignite the air itself, turning all flammable materials to ashes in an instant.
Such high-temperature flames.
Even the ground turned red, with surrounding trees spontaneously combusting and the fire spreading widely.
Baiyu's pupils flashed.
He could see that all these flames were fueled by Qiu Yun's own blood qi, which was vast like mountains and seas.
The ability to generate fire.
Should be part of Qiu Yun's extraordinary sequence.
The fire grew larger, eventually becoming overwhelming.
Surroundings were engulfed by a sea of fire, obscuring the view.
Baiyu dared not linger.
When immortals fight, staying here is just courting death.
At this moment.
After the fire spread, even alloy-constructed steam vehicles were all incinerated, melting into iron fluid seeping into the ground.
Numerous flames coalesced into hundreds of fire dragons, biting at the giant hand.
Baiyu retreated to a thousand meters away.
Due to the battlefield's fire, the thick fog in the Heavy Fog Forest was evaporated.
Even from this distance.
One could vaguely see the fire and the giant hand collide.
The all-engulfing, world-incinerating flames were extinguished like mere sparks upon impact with the giant hand.
The giant hand, blocking the sun, grabbed Qiu Yun and the people beside him like Zi Xing.
Then.
The area was swept away by the giant hand, disappearing into the crack.
The apocalyptic scene came to an abrupt halt.
The mist in the sky evaporated, transforming into torrential rain falling down.
The flames around extinguished as well without the support of Qiu Yun's massive blood qi, leaving only charred trees.
Baiyu exhaled a sigh.
Beside him, Qiong Xue's face was even more grave.
She usually bore a lazy demeanor, but such an expression was rarely seen.
Just now, it was truly a dance with death.
Luckily, that giant hand showed no hostility towards Baiyu and Qiong Xue, solely targeting Qiu Yun.
Of course.
It might also be because the two of them were too weak, not worth the hand's attention.
The opponent.
Was clearly no ordinary creature.
Merely exposing its arm caused the elite martial artists of the Anomaly Bureau and the Armed Department to mutate instantly, with no resistance, and their corpses even turning into sources of pollution.
"What do we do now?"
Qiong Xue slightly recovered some composure, observing around, except for the scorched area, there were thriving forests everywhere.
The commotion just now.
Had alarmed all Exotic Beasts in the Heavy Fog Forest, plunging them into chaos.
If they wandered aimlessly like headless flies, they might provoke a powerful Exotic Beast and die miserably here.
"Return to Mountain City first, the appearance of that giant hand is a matter of concern. The allied army of the two races likely has changes."
Baiyu still felt lingering fear.
Qiu Yun being grabbed into the crack clearly meant grim prospects.
Returning to Mountain City was the only way to plan long-term.
He checked the Sanctuary Spirit in his pocket.
This rascal played dead the moment the giant hand appeared, with no reaction now.
Indistinguishable from an ordinary book.
Baiyu and Qiong Xue intended to return the way they came.
However, after the strange disturbance, the Exotic Beasts that were originally in their territories had now completely fallen into a state of turmoil.
Now moving, the danger would multiply.
Baiyu and Qiong Xue planned to start avoiding the Exotic Beasts and slowly approach Mountain City.
And then.
Just at this moment.
In the distance, there were faint sounds of searching.
Baiyu and Qiong Xue immediately hid beneath a tree hollow.
Qiao Wan emerged from the shadows, her gaze serious: "Someone is approaching, at least five people, all elite-level martial artists."
As she finished speaking.
Several armored martial artists appeared atop the surrounding trees.
Each had purple skin, but none had the goat horns of the Demon Race.
