"Lethe Canyon's special rock layer prevented the use of Earth Attribute Earth Travel Skills. The Centipede Beast crashed into Lethe Canyon and got injured," Wu Shaohua exclaimed with surprise.

"Ruoyun, attack!" Wang Lan shouted, and in a flash, he and Yu Ruoyun arrived above the head of the Centipede Monster.

"Earth Skill, Heaven Falls, Mountain God!" A gigantic array appeared in the sky, and in an instant, a pyramid-shaped mountain with a crystal sheen fell from the sky. This move had been used before in the Nine-layer Pagoda, but its current power was on a completely different level than before.

Last time, what fell was merely ordinary marble; this time, it was a pyramid made of special combustible ice.

Wang Lan's figure flashed to the top of the pyramid, pressing one hand on it. "Weight Exchange—"

In an instant, he increased the pyramid's gravity by several dozen times. Combined with the acceleration from its fall, it quickly bore down on the Centipede Monster's head like the vault of heaven. The restriction on Earth Travel Skills in the area below eliminated any chance of the Centipede Monster escaping underground. The Centipede Monster looked up at the sky and howled, activating the numerous orifices on its body to launch a terrifying sonic attack.

The pyramid was blasted into pieces; countless combustible ice turned into ice beads and snowflakes, scattering down. But no matter how powerful the Centipede Monster's shock domain was, the mountain fell too fast.

BOOM— With the force of a meteor falling from the sky, the mountain ferociously struck the ground. The mountain couldn't withstand the terrifying impact and burst instantly, leaving behind a huge, deep pit that spanned hundreds of meters.

"Is it dead?" Wu Shaohua asked in shock. In his view, with such an overwhelming move like the descent of Mount Tai, even a Titled Strongman would have been crushed into meat paste.

"Not yet..."

Wang Lan leaped up in an instant, appearing beside Yu Ruoyun. Among the fragments of combustible ice underfoot, the centipede was still struggling painfully.

"Flame Method, Earth Fire Roar—" Suddenly, Wang Lan's Super S-Rank Star Martial Skill burst forth. Aided by the combustible ice, flames instantly surged, engulfing the several-hundred-meter-radius pit.

"Wind Dance Spirit—" The moment Wang Lan unleashed his Star Martial Skill, Yu Ruoyun also made her move. Wind, fire, and the burning fuel instantly raised the temperature inside the pit to an extremely terrifying level, with purple flames flowing and swirling within a one-kilometer radius.

The fierce flames burned for ten minutes before finally extinguishing. For so much combustible ice to be consumed so completely in such a short time, the amount of heat released was unimaginable. Inside the pit, it was no longer merely charred; instead, a colorful, vitrified layer had formed, crystal clear like a beer bottle.

"Is it dead?" Yu Ruoyun asked, looking at the Centipede Monster's body, which had fused with the vitrified layer on the ground and was burned red-hot.

"It's been roasted thoroughly; it should be dead by now..."

"No!" There was no notification of an over-level kill in his mind; the Centipede Beast must still be alive, "Whirlpool Water Blade!"

With his hands held out flat, two Whirlpool Water Blades burst forth from Wang Lan's palms. The terrifying cutting force instantly sliced the ground in two. A deep, bottomless trench cut across the landscape, and the scorched earth it contacted instantly ruptured.

The over one-thousand-meter-long Centipede Beast shattered on the spot, its fragments falling like rain, smashing into everyone's hearts like chunks of ice. That red-hot Centipede Beast was, in fact, nothing more than an empty shell.

"Be careful—" Wang Lan immediately sensed danger and fiercely pushed Yu Ruoyun away. The Centipede Beast had managed to sneak underground unnoticed and burst out right under Wang Lan and the others' feet.

The Centipede Beast opened its gaping maw, as fast as lightning, like a ghost. Wang Lan only had time to push Yu Ruoyun away but was too late to push Wu Shaohua. Not just Wu Shaohua, even he himself couldn't evade it.

"Wang Lan—" Yu Ruoyun, sent flying backward, felt her eyes might split open as she watched helplessly while Wang Lan and Wu Shaohua were swallowed whole by the Centipede Beast.

Once again, the centipede's color changed to a greenish-brown. This time, the transformation allowed it to ignore the properties of Lethe Canyon's soil, letting it easily traverse the mud completely undetected.

The Centipede Beast's abilities were exceedingly strange. The ripples it emitted could both attack and defend, capable of withstanding even Super S-Rank Star Martial Skills. Its armor was indestructible, and even when faced with the bombardment of a complex Star Martial Skill it couldn't withstand, it could still perform Cicada Sloughing Its Shell to survive.

For a moment, desperation enveloped Yu Ruoyun's heart. Despite having improved so much and becoming so strong, she felt powerless and guilty in the face of the Exotic Beast.

What do I do? Although Yu Ruoyun knew that even if Wang Lan and Wu Shaohua had been swallowed, they wouldn't die immediately, she didn't know how to save them.

Just as Yu Ruoyun was about to push herself to her limits, the space next to her suddenly warped, and two figures appeared from within. Wang Lan, clad in Saint Cloth, seemed unharmed, but Wu Shaohua's body looked as if it had been soaked in sulfuric acid, pocked and pitted. Wang Lan immediately linked a strand of Life Light to Wu Shaohua the moment he appeared.

If Wang Lan hadn't left a spatial coordinate outside after activating his Phoenix Form, he really wouldn't have known how to escape from the Centipede Monster's belly.

In "Journey to the West," Sun Wukong enjoys burrowing into demons' bellies to cause them immense pain, but it's not a tactic commonly seen among other powerful beings or demons. If anyone could do it, would demons still consume things so carelessly?

The moment they were swallowed by the Centipede Beast, they were enveloped by terrifying digestive acids, whose corrosive properties were beyond imagination. Even a block of steel would melt into a puddle of iron within a second or two.

Sun Wukong survived because he was born from stone and had also been refined into an invulnerable body in Taishang Laojun's alchemy furnace. Wang Lan survived because he had the Phoenix Saint Cloth, but Wu Shaohua was not so fortunate. If Wang Lan hadn't rescued him instantly, he would have been a goner.

While Yu Ruoyun used Water Attribute Star Martial Skills to cleanse Wu Shaohua, Wang Lan treated him. Fortunately, the Centipede Beast remained dazed and didn't interrupt Wang Lan's treatment. Half a minute later, Wang Lan hid Wu Shaohua in a nearby corner.

Even if an Exotic Beast was powerful, it wasn't highly intelligent. In its limited intellect, it couldn't discern what was important from what was not, nor did it comprehend the saying, "One misstep can cause everlasting sorrow."

As it hesitated over how Wang Lan had escaped from its belly when it had the chance to draw first blood, it was destined to meet its chilly end today.

Escaping from the Centipede Beast's belly gave Wang Lan an excellent opportunity to deliver a decisive blow. In an instant, his figure flashed as he charged straight at the Exotic Beast's head.

Knowing the Exotic Beast's defense was impenetrable and its rippling vibrations could crush anything, the best combat strategy would normally be to kite it, using sustained attacks to gradually overwhelm and break through the Centipede Beast's defense. But as Wang Lan charged the Centipede Monster, Yu Ruoyun held back her cries.

Yu Ruoyun understood Wang Lan; he wouldn't be unaware of the most effective tactics, nor would he act irrationally out of anger. There was only one reason for Wang Lan's actions: his current tactic was more effective than kiting.

The Centipede Monster's eyes emitted a green chill as it suddenly opened its jaws wide once more, swallowing Wang Lan like a flash of light.

In an instant, countless digestive fluids flooded towards him, instantly engulfing Wang Lan. His Saint Cloth radiated a milky glow, serving as a protective film over his body.

"Void Purple Eyes... activate!"

A purple light burst forth from Wang Lan's eyes. Pushing his Void Purple Eyes to their limit, he perceived, high above him within the Centipede's head, a dim, pearl-like Soul Bead emitting waves of Star Energy Fluctuation.

In a flash, Wang Lan raised his hand, and Star Power roared around him.

"Star Sky God Arrow!"

Yu Ruoyun dodged agilely amidst the ruins of the Mandala Flower, like a sprite avoiding the terrifying onslaught of the Centipede Beast. As time passed, the burden on Yu Ruoyun reached its limit. If Wang Lan's Phoenix Form brought overwhelming aftereffects to his mind all at once after deactivation, the toll of Yu Ruoyun's Dragon Emperor Form was a gradual process.

Her uncle's words after she completed her training echoed in her mind.

"Your Dragon Emperor Form can be considered barely successful, but you can only maintain full battle strength for fifteen minutes. If you exceed fifteen minutes, you should consider finishing the fight quickly. And if you still cannot secure victory after forty minutes, run away!"

Forty-five minutes had now passed! Yet, the thought of running away never crossed her mind. Inside the Centipede's belly was someone she could never abandon.

Suddenly, a familiar flow of Star Power surged through Yu Ruoyun's heart. Even though she couldn't see what Wang Lan was doing, she could feel every change in him through their connected Star Power.

This is... the Star Sky God Arrow!

BOOM—

A terrifying force erupted from the body of the Centipede Beast. The rampaging Centipede Beast froze abruptly, its green eyes staring upward as if gazing into paradise above the void.

Suddenly, a beam of white light shot from the Centipede Beast's forehead and illuminated the air. A phoenix-shaped arrow broke through the heavens, exploding in the sky and sending terrifying shockwaves in all directions.

A sonorous phoenix cry echoed as Wang Lan, bathed in white light, wings unfurled on his back, flew out of the opening in the Centipede Beast's head. He glided through the wind, past the clouds, and came to a stop in front of Yu Ruoyun.

Yu Ruoyun stood on a Mandala Flower leaf, gazing, mesmerized, at Wang Lan. As his wings moved, shimmering feathers of light drifted down like soft flecks.

His wings folded, transforming into a cape, and they both deactivated their Sublimation State. Yu Ruoyun suddenly let out a light groan, her footing unsteady.

Wang Lan quickly supported her. "Are you all right?"

"It's nothing, just a bit weak..."

"It's good you're okay... I think I might..."

Before he could finish, Wang Lan was abruptly consumed by intense fatigue. The combined aftereffects of the Star Sky God Arrow and his Phoenix Form overwhelmed him. Even though it had been a long time since Wang Lan had fainted from exhaustion, he once again collapsed gracefully.

Feeling the weight on her shoulder, Yu Ruoyun found herself at a loss for words. Did you support me just so you could lean on me?

A sweet smile touched Yu Ruoyun's lips. Wang Lan, heavy in her arms, felt like a boulder pressing on her heart—a metaphor for her unspoken feelings. She dared not speak, act, or even give a subtle hint.

But in that moment, Yu Ruoyun gently lowered her head and lightly kissed Wang Lan's forehead. With you here, it's truly reassuring, she thought.

COUGH, COUGH— A light cough interrupted her, and Yu Ruoyun suddenly jerked alert. Turning around, she saw Wu Shaohua, who had, at some point, dressed himself and was standing next to the Star Traveller she had met before.

"Um... Yu Ruoyun, how is Wang Lan? He's not hurt, is he?"

"He's fine, just a bit depleted of Star Power. I was just checking on him..."

"Good to hear!" Wu Shaohua said. "Who would have thought that the Lethe Canyon defenses, which haven't been breached in two years, would face a crisis. Luckily we had you both, and fortunately, you are safe. Since the giant Exotic Beast has been dealt with, we can consider this crisis safely resolved."

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