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Li Jia once again gave the simplest answer: "Me."

While others were puzzled, Chen Xuanfeng instantly grasped Li Jia's meaning. Originally, Li Jia, as an artificial soul, was a failed experiment. It was only later, in an accident caused by Jin Luosha, that she attained independent will. Another result was that the failed research on the Crystal Dragon Knight also achieved a chain reaction of success due to Li Jia's emergence. From this, it can be inferred that the failed research of the Twelve Sages might not remain stagnant forever. Perhaps, in the future, due to some unforeseen event like a thunderbolt, it could undergo changes, overcome its original obstacles, and eventually take form. It seems this monster is also a fortunate one.

Although some understood and others were confused, everyone present was a seasoned expert. Faced with a menacing, unyielding giant monster with no intention of negotiation, the unanimous decision was to engage in battle.

"Ha, break for me—" Naturally, the first to strike was Chen Xuanfeng, who was nearest to the monster. With a flick of his right hand, the "Star Calamity Sword" instantly unleashed dozens of sharp and domineering golden sword energies, intertwining and resonating, transforming into a golden rain of light that rained down on the Black Gold Tree Demon.

"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding—" A series of metallic clangs, like a torrential downpour, rang out as the massive Black Gold Tree Demon's body erupted with bursts of golden light.

"Huh?" Amidst the flashing lights, everyone present saw the effect of this strike and couldn't help but be surprised.

Although Chen Xuanfeng's move was intended as a probe, with the sword energies distributed densely and widely, each beam was still powerful. Moreover, the "Star Calamity Sword," an epic-level magical weapon enhanced by certain aspects of the "Emperor Martial Overlord Art," made even Xi Luo and Morova sense its power.

Yet, the result was astonishing. Tens of thousands of sword energies struck, but the Black Gold Tree Demon's body, as hard as black gold, remained unscathed, without a single mark.

At the same time, Li Jia reported the battle results: "10,853 points of sword energy attack, 2,036 points of penetration, 8,025 points of ineffectiveness, 792 points of reflection, 100% repair rate at penetration points, repair time 0.3 seconds."

Although these words sounded both awkward and strange to Xi Luo and Morova, they still roughly grasped Li Jia's meaning. High defense, high recovery, and almost no weak points—this was the enemy's basic combat capability. It seemed that, aside from relying on overwhelming force to break through, there was no other option for now.

At the same time, the two were also surprised by Li Jia's perceptiveness. Unaware that Li Jia was an artificial human with multiple detection systems, they thought this maid-dressed girl was naturally sharp-sensed, able to discern the enemy's changes amidst the explosive golden light.

In truth, Xi Luo had naturally seen Li Jia before, as she was almost inseparable from Jin Luosha. However, Li Jia, being an artificial human, could change her artificial skin more thoroughly and easily than Chen Xuanfeng and Jin Luosha could alter their physical features, so she naturally didn't reveal any flaws to the young man.

Seeing the enemy's strength, those present naturally didn't adhere to any rules of single combat and immediately joined forces, though each inevitably held back somewhat.

Chen Xuanfeng naturally didn't reveal his dual-qi trump card. Even so, relying solely on the "Nine-Headed Dragon Qi" to power the "Emperor's Wrath" and "Star Calamity," he was still extremely fierce. When the sword and blade energies concentrated at a single point, they were no longer ineffective as before, instead slicing off large chunks of the Black Gold Tree Demon's black skin and vines.

Morova also concealed his Saint-level power and didn't even bring out the true form of the "Red Lotus Sword." Instead, he transformed the wings of his phantom beast, the "Flame Phoenix," into two large axes, attaching the gaseous blade of the "Red Lotus Sword" to them, instantly creating a pair of weapons no less formidable than epic-level divine arms, which he wielded with great ferocity.

Jin Luosha and Li Jia both possessed the strength of human Sword Emperors, but they simultaneously retreated. Jin Luosha waved her slender, pale hand, and a vast expanse of white light enveloped everyone, while layers of stacked holy thunder rained down on the Black Gold Tree Demon's head. Although Li Jia could also unleash the power of a tenth-level mage, she chose not to use it at this moment. Instead, she drew upon the power of the "Crystal Dragon Summoning Gem" hidden within her body, transforming it into a crimson longbow in her hands.

The "Crystal Dragon Knight" inherently had the ability to absorb the crystals of the Crystal Dragon and transform them into armor and weapons. However, previously, seated atop a ferocious, blade-covered puppet dragon, even a twelve-meter-long giant lance wouldn't have added much to the battle outcome. Thus, Li Jia had only used it for self-defense until now, marking the first time she utilized its weapon transformation.

With a pull of the bowstring, four magic-infused longswords appeared on the bow. The longbow, transformed from "Forbidden Spell Crystals," possessed power rivaling epic-level divine weapons. Upon releasing the bowstring, a thunderous crack echoed as the four magic arrows exploded on the Black Gold Tree Demon's body. Li Jia didn't need to fetch arrows or even aim; her bowstring-pulling speed was as fast as playing a zither, and in the blink of an eye, she had already shot dozens of arrows.

Among those present, only Xi Luo was willing to go all out. He simultaneously activated the "Saint Ice Thorn Aura" and the lunar attribute of his qi, "Heaven's Descent." His "Hero's Sword" carried layers of cold, continuously restraining the Black Gold Tree Demon's movements, making for a lively battle.

The Black Gold Tree Demon, surrounded at the core, was no pushover either.

Initially, this massive black monster moved clumsily, its attacks merely wild swings of its forelimbs. However, after a few exchanges, its movements became more coordinated, and the vines covering its body began to coil, attacking and defending, becoming weapons in the fight. Its enormous body naturally possessed immense strength, something even a Sword Saint might not match. The focused attacks of its two massive arms, combined with the dense strikes of countless vines, made its chaotic attacks still highly effective.

At the same time, its reaction to magical attacks was astonishing. Jin Luosha's holy magic couldn't harm it at all; instead, it seemed to absorb the magic and use it to recover from damage. Li Jia's dense barrage of magic arrows, though spectacular in their explosions, didn't cause significant harm. As for the ice attached to Xi Luo's sword, while initially effective, the Black Gold Tree Demon soon found a way to counter it. Layers of thick, deep green magical ripples emanated from within, causing the freezing power to dissipate almost instantly.