Ji Nanhong saw the Corpse King, mounted her horse and positioned her spear to block in front of him, shouting loudly, "All Elite Team members, heed my command, break through to the northeast with all your might."
With Ji Nanhong's loud call, the Elite Team members rushed in the opposite direction of the Corpse King, breaking through with all their might, tearing a path through the swarm of corpses. The members gathered together and surged forward, displaying an unstoppable force.
Chen Guan and Qin Ziyu found themselves in an awkward situation. They were far from the Elite Team, separated by a large number of corpses. Now trying to charge through to regroup with the Elite Team was nearly impossible.
By the time they manage to rush back, the Elite Team would likely have already broken through, and turning back now would mean confronting the entire swarm of corpses head-on.
Chen Guan's expression was complex. He never imagined that someone would truly sacrifice themselves to create an opportunity for their teammates to escape.
The seasoned members described Ji Nanhong as a selfish person. Although Chen Guan didn't believe it, he didn't expect Ji Nanhong to have such noble character.
Now Chen Guan's biggest fear was the Elite Team breaking through, with Ji Nanhong having the ability to escape as well, leaving him and Qin Ziyu behind.
Ji Nanhong was willing to sacrifice for the Elite Team because she was their leader, but Chen Guan and the others weren't part of the Elite Team, so Ji Nanhong had no obligation to be responsible for their lives.
The black aura surrounded the Corpse King as he raised his massive bone staff and smashed it down toward Ji Nanhong.
Ji Nanhong didn't choose to dodge, grasping her spear with both hands to block the descending bone staff horizontally.
The impact of the gun and staff made Ji Nanhong's body sink abruptly. Her mount, the Ghost Head Saber, unable to withstand the tremendous force, twisted its four legs, let out a wretched scream, and fell to the ground.
Ji Nanhong's feet touched the ground, sinking immediately as her calves sank halfway into it. Yet, her hands continued to hold the spear shaft, forcibly withstanding the blow's power.
The Corpse King's other hand reached for Ji Nanhong's face, with skeletal fingers aiming for her eyes.
Ji Nanhong's face flushed with red, sidestepping the spear to deflect the bone staff to the side. At the same time, she pulled her legs from the ground, charged forward, and with a waist twist, swung her spear, making the Red Tassel Spear whirl around her waist, using the momentum to stab at the Corpse King's heart.
The Corpse wasn't truly a skeleton. It had skin, flesh, blood, and organs, but with its skin and flesh clinging to its bones, it appeared skeletal.
To their surprise, the Corpse King didn't dodge but instead grasped the tip of the Red Tassel Spear, leaving Ji Nanhong's powerful stab unable to advance even an inch.
However, Ji Nanhong's expression remained unchanged as she suddenly rubbed her hands along the spear shaft, causing the Red Tassel Spear to spin rapidly.
The high-speed spinning spearhead instantly released the Corpse King's tightly gripped hand.
Ji Nanhong kicked backward off the spear's tail, causing the Red Tassel Spear to spin rapidly and stab into the Corpse King's chest.
"Beautiful!" Qin Ziyu exclaimed in admiration.
Chen Guan had to acknowledge that this woman's combat skills and grasp of timing were top-notch, and in terms of fighting skill, he might not even measure up to her.
Sparks flew!
The spearhead stabbed into the Corpse King's chest, creating showers of sparks under the high-speed rotation. However, the spearhead failed to pierce the chest, not even breaking the crystalline jade-like exterior.
The Corpse King caught the spearhead again with one hand, stopping the spinning tip immediately.
Ji Nanhong tried to use the Gun Rubbing Technique again to shake the Corpse King's palm loose, but it was already too late.
The Corpse King exerted force with the hand holding the spearhead, directly sweeping Ji Nanhong, along with her spear, into the air.
Ji Nanhong dared not grapple with the Corpse King any longer. In mid-air, she released her grip on the spear, and, pushing off with her toes against the spear shaft, she gracefully flipped and landed in the distance like a solitary crane in flight.
Having snatched Ji Nanhong's Red Tassel Spear, the Corpse King thrust it toward her. Ji Nanhong twisted like a swimming dragon, and a flick of her hands brought out the Mandarin Duck Dragon Phoenix Sabers. As she evaded the thrust, she dashed toward the Corpse King like a butterfly fluttering among flowers.
Earlier, it was a long-range attack; now, it was close combat. The long spear and the White Bone Staff were rendered useless. Ji Nanhong, like a butterfly dancing gracefully, continuously attacked the Corpse King, landing several blows within moments.
Yet, the Corpse King's body was extraordinarily formidable. The Mandarin Duck Dragon Phoenix Sabers glided over its form, incapable of even cutting through its skin.
The Corpse King's other hand suddenly struck, making his palm seem boneless, like a white-boned serpent, instantaneously reaching for Ji Nanhong's chest as if to penetrate it.
Ji Nanhong inhaled into her chest, bending like a shrimp to evade the strike, but the Mandarin Duck Dragon Phoenix Sabers in her hands couldn't avoid being caught by the Corpse King.
Without hesitating, Ji Nanhong abandoned the Dragon Phoenix Sabers, and as she retreated swiftly, she flicked her hand to reveal a Nineteen-Section Bone Whip, another Secret Treasure.
The Nineteen-Section Bone Whip, with its blend of rigidity and flexibility, is an incredibly challenging unconventional weapon; without years of grueling practice, it's hard to wield it proficiently in combat.
However, in Ji Nanhong's hands, it was fierce as a wild dragon at one moment, and serpentine as a spirit snake the next, appearing vividly alive.
"No wonder Ji Nanhong could form the Elite Team and become the boss here. Her combat ability alone is beyond ordinary," Chen Guan thought silently.
"She's quite strong, but one person alone probably can't kill the Corpse King," Qin Ziyu said, looking at Chen Guan.
Chen Guan just happened to be looking at Qin Ziyu, and they immediately understood each other's intentions without needing more words. Qin Ziyu charged toward the Corpse King, while saying to Chen Guan, "Give me the necklace."
Chen Guan reached out, drew out the Evil Buddha Necklace, and tossed it straight to Qin Ziyu, simultaneously commanding the Rouge Rabbit to join the attack.
With Qin Ziyu and the Rouge Rabbit joining in, Ji Nanhong's pressure eased somewhat, but only slightly; the Corpse King still maintained the upper hand against the three opponents.
The main issue was its exceedingly strong body; even the Rouge Rabbit's Bloodsucking Saber left merely a white mark on its skin, failing to inflict significant damage.
Qin Ziyu repeatedly tried to loop the Evil Buddha Necklace around the Corpse King's neck, but each attempt ended in failure.
"While there's still time, you should save yourselves; we can't kill it with just us," Ji Nanhong said.
Chen Guan didn't wish to flee either; the Elite Team was already close to breaking through. Escaping now would only trap them in the swarm, resulting in an even grimmer fate.
"Escape is no longer an option. We must unite to slay it; it's our only path to survival." Qin Ziyu's sword moved swiftly as lightning, the Purple and Cyan Qi Profound Skill operating at its limit yet unable to pierce the Corpse King's body.
Upon hearing this, Ji Nanhong said, "Have you reached the point where you can transform Qi into a blade with the Purple and Cyan Qi Profound Skill? If you possess that ability, perhaps we still have a slim chance. Otherwise, once my team breaks free, I'll immediately retreat; staying here serves no purpose."
"I can attempt it, but there's only one shot," Qin Ziyu replied.
Ji Nanhong's beautiful eyes glimmered with a hint of anticipation. The Purple and Cyan Qi Profound Skill was notoriously domineering, known by all. If Qin Ziyu indeed mastered transforming Qi into a tangible form, it might actually be possible to kill the Corpse King.
"The Corpse King isn't actually one Secret Spirit, but two. It's the manifestation of the cultivation of a married couple, representing the unity of yin and yang. To kill it, you must first separate the yin and yang, strike its conjunction point, and divide it into two..." Ji Nanhong said while fighting, though her brow furrowed upon glancing at the movements of the corpse swarm.