Upon hearing the low, roaring growl from Xiao Chen’s mouth, Xiao Yan’s heart trembled violently. An inexplicable feeling deep within his bloodline began to spread through every part of his body. This feeling even made his soul quiver. This feeling was a pride that had once belonged to a race that once stood at the pinnacle of this continent! Though the race was now in decline, that pride still lingered deeply within the blood. In the prime of the Xiao Clan’s era, no one dared to challenge its might! Even the Soul Clan lay in wait like venomous snakes, waiting for their opponent to weaken before delivering the fatal strike!
“Xiao Chen, the present Xiao Clan has no right to speak of such things,” the Soul Devil Elder hissed, casting a snake-like glare at Xiao Chen who was holding the massive Blood Axe with a cruel sneer. “Even if the Xiao Clan is declining, you have no right to comment on it!”
Xiao Chen’s eyes were as cold as ice. He stomped the ground forcefully, and in a flash, he appeared above the Soul Devil Elder. Raising the colossal blood-red axe, he swung it fiercely, as if it were the divine axe splitting the heavens!
“The elder will let you see for yourself whether I have the right or not,” the Soul Devil Elder sneered. With a flick of his sleeves, dozens of ghostly pale bone chains shot out, rapidly forming a white spider-web in front of him as black fog surged. The web effortlessly absorbed the powerful force of the massive axe as it swung down.
*Screech.* The massive axe struck the web, and the powerful energy in the blow swiftly dissipated. The speed of the falling axe gradually slowed, as if it had entered a mire. Finally, it stopped just six inches above the Soul Devil Elder’s forehead.
“Xiao Chen of the Blood Axe, so much for that,” the elder jeered.
“Is that so…?” Xiao Chen’s eyes flashed red, and a thin thread of blood suddenly appeared on the blade of the massive axe. Swinging the axe again, it easily sliced through the elastic bone net. The sharp edge moved like lightning, swiping at the Soul Devil Elder’s throat.
The unexpected change surprised the Soul Devil Elder, but he did not panic. His bony hands, like dried branches, formed a peculiar arc, and deftly touched the axe. A slap, and a deafening boom resonated—the huge Blood Axe was knocked away. As the axe flew past, a lock of the Soul Devil Elder’s hair was cut off.
“Hmph!” Failing slightly due to overconfidence, the Soul Devil Elder’s face turned grim. He abruptly changed his hand seal. In the black clouds overhead, innumerable piercing wails could be heard, and figures could be seen struggling within the darkness.
“Heavenly Fiendish Blood Worm, devour!”
With the Soul Devil Elder’s cold command, the black clouds churned furiously. After a moment, a vicious aura, unbecoming of humans, burst forth from the clouds. Before countless startled gazes, a brilliant streak of blood light tore through the black clouds like lightning, dashing toward Xiao Chen.
“Earth-Splitting Strike!”
As the magnified blood light filled Xiao Chen’s vision, he whirled the huge Blood Axe in a furious dance. Then, with a sudden halt, a thousand-yard-long beam of red radiance soared from the axe, creating sonic booms as it collided ferociously with the streak of red light.
*Rip!* The massive streak of red was violently slashed, flying back several thousand yards amid shrieks that echoed through the valleys, crashing into mountains that crumbled into dust. Despite the impact, the streak of blood seemed tenacious. After steadying, it returned, but slower, revealing a toad-like creature, dark red in color, with numerous protruding lumps on its body, resembling twisted human faces.
“Soul Worm Puppet… So the Soul Devil Elder’s methods are indeed ruthless.”
Not far away, Pharmacist Elder observed the monstrous, gruesome thing, his expression souring.
Xiao Yan’s brows knitted as he recognized the fearsome Soul Worm Puppet, said to be forged from the fusion of myriad tortured souls, mixed with various materials. It was like a marionette but harbored a degree of wisdom, driven by its fierce nature. Once unleashed, it killed with reckless abandon and, later, even turned on its master. Thus, it was created only by those with callous minds.
In the mountains, countless pairs of eyes looked upon the blood toad with repugnance and terror—many aware of the beast’s savage renown.
“Go!” The Soul Devil Elder ignored the gazes, and pointed a finger at Xiao Chen. At his command, the Soul Worm puppet shot out, buying time for the elder’s covert attacks, which aimed directly for Xiao Chen’s vital points, evidently intent on taking his life.
Faced with the joint assault, Xiao Chen had to adopt a defensive stance, subtly beginning to falter.
“It doesn’t look good.” Pharmachemist Elder and the others frowned at the scene, while the opposing side seemed delighted.
Xiao Yan’s gaze remained fixed on Xiao Chen, whose expression barely changed despite the constraints. Seeing this, he felt a twinge of relief—Xiao Chen’s ancestor, though marginally weaker than the Soul Devil Elder, was no simple figure and possessed experience that matched.
*What about that other battle?* His gaze turned again toward the constructed realm where the battle raged, growing increasingly intense. The overwhelming force could be sensed, but details were obscured, rendering the outcome uncertain.
*Three battles, two yet undecided; the other lord has not yet moved.* He surmised the opponent would await the results before intervening. If the Soul Devil Elder and the Puppet Master won, the other party would already clinch victory with two out of three, rendering the final round unnecessary.
As Xiao Yan pondered, the combat in the sky grew fiercer, dazzling onlookers. Only the most discerning observers followed the rapid maneuvers.
*Bam!* As the clash between Xiao Chen and the elder intensified, an explosive sound drew all eyes upward. From the broken spatial rift, two figures emerged, retreating hundreds of paces to steady themselves.
“They’re out!”
Amid exclamations, the elder landed, appearing untroubled. But someone as astute as Xiao Yan saw the elder’s formidable energy severely depleted, indicating the battle’s brutality.
A distance away, Pill Old Ancestor merely smiled silently.
“Elder Qian Mo, what is the result?” Both the Hall Lord and Xiao Yan inquired simultaneously below.
Hesitating, they exchanged glances and spoke: “It’s a draw.”
Their strengths were nearly equal. A mortal struggle might yield a victor, but neither could commit fully. This reply left the Hall Lord displeased.
“Don’t complain—an equal outcome isn’t bad against such an adversary,” Elder Qian Mo said lightly to the Hall Lord, whose frown indicated dissatisfaction. Looking up at the child-figure afar, he mused, “I didn’t realize he’d reached that stage—perhaps the Patriarch would find it of interest.”
The Hall Lord missed these musings, chuckling wryly instead. Observing the raging fight in the sky, he sighed, “If the Soul Devil Elder wins, the outcome is settled…”
Listening, Elder Qian Mo also gazed upward, his brows knotting. “It’s not easy…”
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