A towering Heavenly Demon Puppet stood before Xiao Yan, its entire body a deep purple. Beneath this deep purple, faint golden light could be discerned flickering. This Heavenly Demon Puppet was, of course, the one that Xiao Yan had painstakingly crafted. Before it underwent the tempering of the Void Lightning Pool, it already possessed the strength of a four-star Dou Zun. After being enhanced by the Void Lightning Pool, it reached its maximum potential. According to Xiao Yan’s estimation, after the Lightning Pool’s refinement, the puppet’s own strength rivaled that of a six-star Dou Zun. Now, with the absorption of the force from ten Dou Zun-level Heavenly Demon Puppets, its strength undoubtedly surpassed Xiao Yan instantly.
“Shattered Soul Dark Palm.”
In the distance, dense black clouds mixed with overwhelming cold air surged forward. As the black clouds churned, a stern voice suddenly boomed out. Following that, a gigantic black palm print, as large as a small mountain, streaked out from the black clouds and fiercely slammed towards Xiao Yan. The places where the palm print passed through directly collapsed into patches of inky-black voids, with spatial cracks spreading like spider webs from the nothingness.
Sensing the terrifying oppressive force descending from above, a solemn expression flitted across Xiao Yan’s eyes. Huo Li, who had been reinforced by the clan symbol, now clearly far surpassed him in strength. If they were truly to engage in a real battle, Xiao Yan’s chances of winning would only be around fifty percent, and even then, it would be extremely dangerous. After all, facing an eight-star Dou Zun, Xiao Yan could still fight to the death, but now Huo Li seemed to have reached the nine-star level. The gap between them had widened significantly, and even an Heaven-tier martial skill would struggle to close it. Given the might of the Soul Clan, Huo Li and his companions most likely also possessed extremely powerful Heaven-tier martial skills like those of Ancient Demons. They just wouldn’t be willing to use them except at the final moment.
“Just right, I can use this guy to test the strength of the Heavenly Demon Puppet after reaching its limit…”
In Xiao Yan’s pitch-black pupils, the image of the palm print rapidly expanded. He slowly exhaled, and a command resounded in his heart. As Xiao Yan’s thoughts moved, the motionless Heavenly Demon Puppet before him took a step forward. Its empty, indifferent eyes now gleamed with a golden luster. With a stomp on the void, it transformed into a ray of purple light, shooting straight up into the sky, and then in a way that was extremely visually shocking, clashed with the colossal palm print.
“Bang!”
The two collided, unleashing a terrible gust of wind that swept out from the horizon. The deafening explosion echoed for hundreds of miles, distinctly audible within the area.
“Crack!”
As the windstorm raged, fine cracks began appearing on the massive palm print. As the cracks spread, they eventually caused the energy-infused palm print to shatter with a sharp crack.
“Clang! Clang!”
After colliding violently with the palm print, the potent force sent the Heavenly Demon Puppet staggering backward more than ten steps in the void, leaving a dark black footprint with each step. When its last step landed, its figure shot forth like an arrow, plunging straight into the dense black mist!
“Huh?”
Upon seeing the Heavenly Demon Puppet charge into the black mist, Huo Li let out a startled exclamation. All sound abruptly ceased. After a while, the whistling of fierce wind and fists continued to emanate from the black cloud.
“Boom! Boom!”
Intensely powerful bursts of wind constantly rocketed out from the black clouds, accompanied by the piercing wails of tortured souls. At the same time, the black cloud rapidly dissipated under the ferocious exchange…
Xiao Yan’s gaze followed the movements within the black cloud intently. Inside, bursts of dazzling golden light continually erupted, unhidden even by the darkness of the cloud. After various enhancements, the Heavenly Demon Puppet had indeed finally matured. With such power, it could stand against a nine-star Dou Zun powerhouse!
While the intense battle inside the black cloud was unfolding, Xiao Yan’s attention shifted to another battlefield. There, Xuner was fighting Huo Ya. However, given that Huo Ya was already overwhelmingly on the losing side, Xiao Yan’s concerns proved to be unfounded. Judging from the situation, if given enough time, Xuner could very well kill Huo Ya.
“Xuner’s strength has probably reached the level of a nine-star Dou Zun. Huo Ya is at best an eight-star peak Dou Zun. Both come from ancient clans, so their cultivation methods and battle skills can’t be too different…
“Heh, if possible, I’ll kill these two right here. After all, they are top-notch younger generation members of the Soul Clan. Their disappearance will surely cause the Soul Clan some pain.”
A cold smile flashed across Xiao Yan’s face. He and Xuner had been chasing these two for nearly a month and had engaged in several indirect battles, with mixed results. But these two slippery foxes were always unwilling to confront them directly. Seizing this rare opportunity, he couldn’t afford to let it slip away.
“Bang!”
Just as Xiao Yan mused about finishing off these two, a loud bang echoed within the black cloud, sending shockwaves sweeping out. To his surprise, the chilling black cloud actually tore apart, and gold and black lights interwove across the sky, painting a picture reminiscent of fireworks.
“Thud!”
As the black clouds shattered, two figures hurtled backward out of the black mist. After retreating nearly a hundred meters, they finally managed to stabilize themselves in mid-air.
Xiao Yan’s gaze immediately fell upon these two figures. His eyes narrowed slightly. The Heavenly Demon Puppet now had faint, visible handprints on its form. It seemed to have taken quite a few heavy blows in the previous battle. Fortunately, the puppets’ strength was now incomparable; otherwise, it would have shattered long ago.
While the Heavenly Demon Puppet was slightly injured, Huo Li looked even more disheveled, with tangled hair and torn clothes. A trace of blood lingered at the corner of his mouth. Clearly, Huo Li had suffered a significant setback. In the Soul Clan, Huo Li was known for his fierce, reckless fighting style, which was effective against most other strong opponents. However, against the sensation-deprived, obedient-to-command Heavenly Demon Puppet, his usual tricks were useless. When both sides exchanged blows, one was a puppet, and the other was human. No matter how you looked at it, the human had the upper hand and ended up suffering as a result.
“Damn it! How can this kid have such a powerful puppet?!”
Huo Li panted heavily, eyes enraged as he glared at the retreating Heavenly Demon Puppet. He hadn’t expected Xiao Yan to have such a trump card. Despite using the clan symbol, he found that while he wasn’t afraid of the puppet, it was also like a turtle shell, impervious to his attacks. And the worst part was that while the puppet remained indifferent, Huo Li could not ignore its attacks. This kind of battle made him feel extremely frustrated.
“Heh!” Xiao Yan smirked at the fluctuating expressions on Huo Li’s face. Stretching lazily, he flicked his fingers, and the Heavenly Demon Puppet immediately launched itself back, charging at Huo Li with relentless ferocity, turning the latter’s face a slight green.
“Really unlucky, to encounter the tomb’s energy storm right away!”
“Quickly run, or even a peak Dou Zun expert will perish here!”
As the tide of battle gradually favored Xiao Yan and his companion, in the distant sky, several figures fled like lightning. Behind them, a mighty energy hurricane roared, causing a chain reaction and forming a massive energy storm…
With golden flames swirling in her palms, Xuner’s attack slammed into Huo Ya’s chest, forcing him to stumble back and cough up a mouthful of blood. Just as she was about to pursue, her face changed, and she looked up, spotting a line connecting heaven and earth racing towards them.
“This… This is the Tomb of Heaven’s energy storm!”
Looking at the terrifying energy maelstrom, Xuner’s pupils contracted, and she stopped in her tracks. Turning to Xiao Yan, she shouted: “Xiao Yan, quickly run!”
At her warning, Xiao Yan paused, and then looked toward the approaching danger. Sucking in a breath, he immediately recalled the Heavenly Demon Puppet. Moving swiftly, he appeared beside Xuner, and the two shot off towards the entrance of the third layer, leaving behind the stunned Huo Ya and Huo Li.
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Huo Ya glanced back at the energy storm, his mouth twitching. Ignoring Xiao Yan and his group ahead, he and Huo Li exchanged a look and then started running like stray dogs. Battling Xiao Yan was perilous, but being caught in the storm meant certain death!
As Huo Ya and Huo Li turned tail, more silhouettes dashed from the sky behind them. In a short time, the once dead-silent land bustled with a strange commotion as everyone turned to flee…
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