Chapter 877: Mountain Passes and Rivers Exhausted

A golden flash enveloped Zhao Ruizhi, instantly tearing off several tentacles wrapped around him. Unfortunately, the giant octopus had an overwhelming number of tentacles; they regenerated immediately after being severed, seemingly endless.

A chill ran through Zhao Ruizhi. While he would naturally be fearless at his peak, he now felt somewhat inadequate, intensifying his desire to retreat.

He raised his arm, unleashing bursts of golden light to sever all the surrounding tentacles, then rapidly flew backward.

Just then, two extremely thick tentacles suddenly wrapped around his arms.

He struggled fiercely, but these thick tentacles didn't snap off easily like the previous ones.

In that instant, countless red tentacles coiled around him.

Then, the enormous octopus monster suddenly shot out a third massive tentacle directly towards his head. If struck, even an expert as powerful as the emperor would likely die on the spot.

Zhao Ruizhi roared, his arms forcibly dragging the tentacles together, and at the last second, he seized the oncoming tentacle.

Veins bulged on his forehead, clearly showing he was exerting all his might.

The massive tentacle couldn't advance for a while, and both sides fell into a stalemate.

The others nearby watched, dumbfounded. Bi Linglong couldn't help but turn away, looking disgusted and nauseous, and even Mi Li repeatedly frowned. Clearly, girls inherently feared such slimy tentacled monsters.

Zu An, by contrast, was much more composed, having been 'baptized' by extensive tentacle-themed content in his previous life.

However, he couldn't understand why Xu Fu, a perfectly fine alchemist, would transform into an octopus monster.

He suddenly recalled Mi Li mentioning that Xu Fu had spent a long time at sea seeking the elixir of immortality for Qin Shi Huang, had killed huge monstrous fish along the way, and had even brought back a mermaid queen or princess? It seemed plausible that spending most of his life dealing with the ocean would grant him some sea-related abilities.

However, he had no time to worry about these things now. Instead, he picked up Bi Linglong with one arm and put the other around Mi Li, intending to leave the area first.

With two god-like figures fighting, why wouldn't he seize the chance to escape? Was he to wait for them to finish their battle and then deal with him?

Feeling his arm around her waist, Mi Li's slender eyebrows subtly raised. However, she had enough sense not to say anything at that moment. Instead, she made her spirit form more substantial, allowing him to hold her more easily.

Zu An used the Great Wind technique to quickly run out. The octopus monster nearby seemed to notice their situation, but it was too busy dealing with Zhao Ruizhi to spare any energy to stop them.

Zu An's heart lifted. He had reached the exit. In a few breaths, he would be far from here, and then neither Xu Fu nor Zhao Ruizhi would be able to find him.

Just then, a muffled groan came from Mi Li in his arms. Zu An looked back and saw her form flickering erratically, her expression one of intense pain.

"What's wrong?" Zu An exclaimed, aghast.

Mi Li frowned, "I'm being held by the great array here. I probably can't leave. You take this girl and go first."

Although her cultivation was strong, as a soul body, she could be restrained by certain special things.

Clearly, this Five Elements Yin-Yang Grand Array was one such type.

Zu An said grimly, "If you stay here, won't you surely die?"

In her current state, suppressed by the array, she could barely move; staying would certainly mean death.

Mi Li calmly stated, "Anyway, I've lived for so long, there's nothing left to cling to. With so many old acquaintances here, and this familiar palace, dying wouldn't be a big deal."

Hearing her words, Zu An couldn't help but get angry, "Nonsense! Don't you still have me?!"

Mi Li paused, a complex look in her eyes, but she still said, "Your staying here is meaningless; it would just mean dying together. Go quickly. There are many others waiting for you outside; don't let them be sad."

Having been with him for so long, she naturally knew about his many romantic entanglements.

Zu An ignored her words. Instead, he took out a series of healing medicines and some weapons and magical artifacts he had collected, handing them to Bi Linglong. "You leave this place first, find somewhere to hide, and wait for me to find you."

He paused, then added, "If you don't find me, this secret realm will eventually reopen. When it does, find an opportunity to escape. You'll be safe once you reach the academy's back mountain."

Bi Linglong pushed the items back, shaking her head. "I'm not leaving."

Zu An grew annoyed, "Don't be foolish; leave quickly."

"You risked your life to save me before," Bi Linglong said, her voice soft but extremely firm, "how could I abandon you now? At worst, we die together."

Zu An said gravely, "But I'm staying for another woman."

Bi Linglong blinked. "She's your master. If you were to turn and leave, you'd be a despicable person, betraying your master and ancestors. How could you then be the upstanding man I... like?"

Zu An was silent for a moment, but then he let out a hearty, unusually carefree laugh. "So be it. If we can't share a bed in life, sharing a grave in death is still fine."

Rage points from Zhao Hao +666 +666 +666...

"I, her rightful husband, am practically dying, and you two are over there flirting and exchanging sweet nothings! What a pair of illicit lovers!"

With his momentary distraction, the enormous tentacle before him became harder to resist, slowly approaching his head.

His mind snapped back, and he quickly focused on resisting. Unfortunately, the tentacles were covered in slime, making them incredibly slippery, and he soon found he couldn't maintain his grip.

At this moment, Zu An and the others also witnessed the scene. Bi Linglong asked, "Which side should we help?"

"Though the emperor isn't a good person, he's still human, isn't he? What even is this bloody octopus?"

Regardless of who won, their group would most likely die. She pondered for a long time but couldn't figure out what to do, so she could only turn to Zu An for help.

Zu An hesitated for a moment, then grabbed his sword and charged towards the giant octopus.

Bi Linglong nodded subtly, as she also favored this plan.

Zhao Ruizhi was, after all, severely wounded. If he won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, adding injuries to existing ones, so she might not fear him.

On the other hand, Xu Fu, this monster, was truly terrifying; his origins were completely unknown. If he defeated Zhao Ruizhi, he would certainly retain most of his strength, making him impossible for them to deal with.

Moreover, Mi Li was still trapped by his strange grand array!

Seeing Zu An charge towards the octopus monster, a flicker of gratitude appeared in Zhao Ruizhi's eyes. He was truly at his wits' end now, and with this guy's help, at least some pressure could be relieved.

A thought even crossed his mind: if Zu An could help him kill this octopus monster, their past grievances could largely be wiped clean.

He felt no love for Bi Linglong, merely a man's possessiveness. Giving her to Zu An wouldn't be a big deal.

However, this thought was ruthlessly extinguished as soon as it arose. This youth possessed a rebellious nature and could not be allowed to live. After they dealt with the octopus monster together, while Zu An was still immersed in their cooperation, he absolutely had to strike suddenly. Otherwise, given his own weakened state afterward, he might not be able to kill Zu An so easily.

Although Zu An's cultivation wasn't high, he had too many unique skills, which even made Zhao Ruizhi feel a bit apprehensive.

As he was pondering this, he suddenly noticed the octopus monster detaching several other tentacles and lashing them towards Zu An. He secretly sneered, thinking the octopus monster had severely underestimated Zu An's strength; how could those few tentacles possibly stop him?

But just then, Zu An didn't confront the tentacles directly. Instead, his figure flashed, and he instantly appeared dozens of feet away, unleashing a full-power strike towards the Yin-Yang fish pattern on the ground.

Zhao Ruizhi: "..."

"Damn you!"

This guy had no intention of cooperating with him at all. Instead, he was letting Zhao Ruizhi wear down the octopus monster so he could reap the benefits!

Zu An drew his 40-meter-long Flame Blade, but unfortunately, after a ripple, the Yin-Yang fish pattern on the ground returned to calm.

Xu Fu's unrestrained laughter rang out, "It's useless. Since this grand array has been activated, how could it be destroyed by mere mortal power?"

At the same time, he controlled the thick tentacles to surge forward. Zhao Ruizhi could no longer hold on and watched helplessly as one of the tentacles extended directly into his mouth.