The day-long slaughter was beyond tragic, especially for the Heaven-Tyrant Crab Clan. Even though most individuals were not exceptionally strong, they charged forward wave after wave in suicidal military formation.
From an army of ten thousand plus, only three hundred remained.
The Bimu Clan, originally several dozen strong, was reduced to twenty; their terrifying vitality the only reason half had not perished.
The Spirit Phoenix Clan fell from over a dozen to five.
The Tianluo Spirit Snail Clan dropped from dozens to eight.
Besides the four great clans, only the black-clothed figure who had harvested the spirit lotus roots survived.
No one knew which beast race that black-clothed expert belonged to; he had never revealed his true form.
On the human side, despite exhausting every trump card and desperate measure, not one person had managed to escape.
Only three remained from the Jiang Clan: the grey-robed youth whose strength surpassed half-step Martial Saint, and two half-step Martial Saint elders. All others, including one half-step Martial Saint, had fallen.
The Tantai Clan was similarly reduced to three: the two seventh-grade advanced spirit-controller elders with their endless techniques, and the seventh-grade intermediate woman.
The Wang Clan suffered catastrophic losses as well. Only Wang Qi, the two half-step Martial Saint elders, and one Ninth Layer Martial Emperor elder still lived.
During the battle Lin Xiao had used spiritual power and even the Sealing Heaven Stone Hand.
He had not, however, unleashed its full might; he had limited himself to strength roughly equal to Wang Qi’s, enough to overwhelm ordinary half-step Martial Saints.
He had saved Wang family members several times, but because he held back the full power of the Stone Hand, the beast clans kept killing those he rescued.
Lin Xiao had no intention of revealing everything too early. Had he done so, far fewer from the Jiang and Tantai Clans would have died.
If he acted and still failed to wipe out everyone, he would only earn the premature enmity of the Jiang and Tantai Clans.
If he revealed Martial Saint-level power and allowed even a single spirit beast to escape, he would incur the undying hatred of the entire beast-clan alliance.
During the fighting, Tantai Wenjun had noticed his spiritual power and the combat strength that exceeded ordinary half-step Martial Saints. She had seized the chance to attempt enslaving his mind.
Thanks to his spirit abilities, Lin Xiao had shattered her technique effortlessly.
He had, however, taken careful note of her action.
Now, of the surviving humans, everyone except Lin Xiao was drenched in blood and grievously wounded, barely able to stand.
Even Wang Qi and the Jiang youth were covered in wounds and almost out of strength.
The beast-clan survivors, though victorious, were also injured, just nowhere near as severely as the humans.
“Hahaha! Humans, every last one of you will fall here today!”
The Spirit Phoenix half-step Martial Saint laughed wildly. His aura surged once more as he launched a ferocious assault at Wang Qi.
The remaining Spirit Phoenix experts likewise erupted with power, charging Lin Xiao and the surviving Wang members.
The surrounding Heaven-Tyrant Crabs attacked again.
This wave, they were certain, would finish the humans.
Wang Qi forcibly circulated his energy; blood already trickled from the corner of his mouth.
“Hmph! Even if I die today, some of you beasts will accompany me to the grave!” Wang Qi roared fearlessly. He forcibly ignited his aura again, preparing to meet the enemy head-on.
At that moment Lin Xiao’s calm voice rang out.
“That is quite enough.”
As he spoke, his petrified right hand slapped forward. A massive stone block over a dozen zhang across shot out from his palm.
This was pure petrification power.
His petrification had reached the stage where force itself turned to stone. From the outside it looked no different from ordinary rock.
The only difference was that this “rock” was condensed from raw power.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
A cluster of Heaven-Tyrant Crabs and one Tianluo Spirit Snail expert directly in front were smashed into meat paste.
The stone block did not shatter. Instead it continued forward at terrifying speed, barrelling toward the Spirit Phoenix half-step Martial Saint and the entire wave of crabs attacking Wang Qi.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Every crab in its path was instantly pulverised. The half-step Martial Saint Spirit Phoenix’s expression changed drastically.
“What?!”
He frantically swung his sword, pouring all his power into a desperate strike against the oncoming boulder.
Bang!
The stone block exploded into a heaven-shaking shockwave of force that slammed into the Spirit Phoenix.
In the blink of an eye the half-step Martial Saint was reduced to drifting ash.
The remnants of that power continued upward into the sky. Several Heaven-Tyrant Crabs surrounding the Jiang survivors happened to lie in its path; they too were instantly turned to grey dust.
“What?!”
Shock swept through everyone, especially the beast-clan experts.
That Spirit Phoenix had barely been injured before this strike. His half-step Martial Saint combat strength was almost intact, yet a single blow had erased him?
Along with an entire group of crabs?
This youth had fought for a full day and night, yet instead of weakening he had grown stronger?
In that instant the entire battlefield froze.
Even Wang Qi stood stunned.
The shockwave had passed right beside him; he had felt its terror up close.
With his keen mind he instantly judged its level.
“Equivalent to a Martial Saint strike!” Wang Qi’s heart shook, though he kept silent.
Whoosh!
Lin Xiao spun, swinging his arm. A slender stone beam roughly one zhang thick swept out in a wide arc, striking the remaining Heaven-Tyrant Crabs around him.
He still held back, merely using the third stage of the Sealing Heaven Stone Hand, power turned to stone. The crabs frantically countered.
The stone beam shattered into fragments that turned the entire group to flying ash.
Immediately afterward Lin Xiao exploded with full speed, shooting toward the black-clothed half-step Martial Saint who had taken the spirit lotus roots.
Sssk!
His petrified right fist punched forward. A stone-pillar-like beam of petrification power tore through the sky toward the black-clothed figure.
The man’s expression changed. He threw a punch wreathed in terrifying black light to meet it.
Bang!
His attack collapsed instantly. The stone pillar punched straight through, piercing the man’s body.
At the moment of penetration, the black-clothed expert’s flesh instantly petrified.
As the remaining force shot into the heavens, his stone body crumbled into powder that drifted down through the void.
A storage ring fell from the sky.
Lin Xiao flashed forward. Spiritual power guided the ring straight into his hand.
At that instant every surviving face, human and beast alike, wore identical expressions of utter stupefaction.
