With the battle temporarily on hold, Xiao Yan felt a significant sense of relief. He hovered in the air, his expression heavy as he watched the combat arena not far away. Within that arena, two figures flitted about like ghosts, their terrifying energy fluctuations distorting the very space around them. No one, from either side, dared to venture into that battlefield, for all knew that when Battle Sect experts fought, even Battle Emperors had little power to interfere.
“Zi Yan, how is Sister Cai Lin doing?” A petite figure flashed beside Xiao Yan. Zi Yan’s gaze was fixed on the distant battleground, her face showing a hint of concern as she felt the overwhelming energy emanating from the two fighting figures. “She and that Soul Temple’s Iron Elder are quite evenly matched. Their battle is at a stalemate, and it might be difficult to determine a victor in the short term,” Xiao Yan mused. True battles between Battle Sect warriors could last for a long time if they were engaged in a life-or-death fight. However, given Medusa’s and the Iron Elder’s temperaments, they would not let the battle drag on too long. Thus, it might not be long before a victor emerges.
Hearing this, Zi Yan nodded slightly, her large, gem-like eyes lifting to observe another battleground. There, a prison of gray-purple mist confined the space, and no one outside knew what was happening within. Following Zi Yan’s gaze, Xiao Yan squinted slightly. Little Healer Immortal and Xi Biyan had been inside that misty prison for quite some time, but there was no sign of an outcome. It was unknown who held the upper hand.
Xiao Yan and Zi Yan hovered in the sky, their eyes fixed on the battle between Medusa and the Iron Elder. Meanwhile, the skirmish between the Poison Sect and the Myriad Scorpion Gate leaned heavily in favor of the Poison Sect after Xiao Yan personally intervened, eliminating three top-tier Battle Emperors. Victory was imminent; it was just a matter of time.
Of course, all of this depended on the outcomes of the Battle Sect battles in the sky. If Medusa and Little Healer Immortal won, the day’s ending would be clear: the Poison Sect would successfully absorb the Myriad Scorpion Gate, becoming the most powerful faction in the Empire of Rising Sun. Additionally, Xiao Yan would achieve his goal of capturing a Soul Temple Elder and extracting information about the Soul Temple. If, however, the Iron Elder and Xi Biyan emerged victorious, these gains would be nullified, and Xiao Yan would have to flee with his allies. After all, even if he fought with all his might, he could not stand against two Battle Sect experts. Thus, the final key to this great battle lay in the arenas of the Battle Sect fighters.
As figures darted about, swords and chains intertwined in mid-air, generating intense energy fluctuations, sparks, and sharp clinks. As the shadows crossed, Medusa’s face was cold, her sword suddenly drawing a strange arc, piercing through the Iron Elder’s ribs and directly into the black mist. Retreating, Medusa flashed away, dodging the Iron Elder’s counter-attack. She glanced at her sword, frowning slightly—there was no blood on the blade. Nonetheless, the intense undulations of the black mist around the Iron Elder indicated that her strike had indeed had some effect.
“Such a treacherous sword technique. I wonder where you came from; never heard of such a strong warrior before.” The Iron Elder glared at Medusa, his eyes chilling, as the black mist gradually calmed.
Medusa ignored him, her icy demeanor unchanging. Her almond-shaped eyes brimmed with lethal intent. Save for familiar faces, she, the Queen of the Serpent People, spared no mercy.
After so many rounds, the Iron Elder had grown accustomed to Medusa’s frigid demeanor and merely sneered, glancing at Xiao Yan and Zi Yan. “The Myriad Scorpion Gate really is full of useless waste. They squandered their advantage.”
Though he cursed, the Iron Elder knew he could not prolong the battle further. If Little Healer Immortal and Xi Biyan’s battle reached a conclusion, his own situation would drastically change. If Xi Biyan won, it would be manageable, but if Little Healer Immortal prevailed, even with his confidence, he conceded that facing two foes of equal strength, victory was unlikely. He knew well the potential of Little Healer Immortal’s “Disaster Poison Body”; once unleashed, its power was terrifying. Thus, if Xi Biyan lost, he would not be too surprised.
“Can’t delay any longer…” The Iron Elder sighed inwardly, raising a hand from which a black mist detached, hovering before him, exuding dense soul fluctuations. Gazing at the mist with a pained expression, he hesitated briefly before gritting his teeth, forming a hand seal. The black mist expanded and then rapidly contracted, shooting out a translucent soul body.
As the soul body appeared, the Iron Elder exhaled a black mist, engulfing it. The mist-wrapped soul body began to struggle violently, emitting panic. Seeing this, the Iron Elder snarled and opened his mouth, drawing the struggling soul body into his mouth. After swallowing, the black mist around him grew denser, and his aura intensified.
He did not stop there, expelling more soul bodies from the mist, consuming them. Each time, the black mist grew more potent, and the Iron Elder’s aura became more formidable.
“Medusa, act now! Don’t let him consume souls!” Seeing the Iron Elder’s sudden action, Xiao Yan was struck by memories of the Vulture Elder devouring the Soul Mountain. He immediately shouted a warning.
Though these soul bodies were weaker than the Soul Mountain, their numbers were substantial. If the Iron Elder consumed too many, his strength would increase significantly.
At Xiao Yan’s command, Medusa lunged forward, her sword slicing through space with a fierce gale. Swift as lightning, she struck the black mist before the Iron Elder. As the gale hit, the Iron Elder’s face twisted in horror. Before he could react, the black mist exploded, and translucent soul bodies burst forth, fleeing in all directions, leaving Xiao Yan and the others dumbfounded.
“Those… are all soul bodies…”
Staring at the hundreds of soul bodies, Xiao Yan felt a dryness in his mouth. What were the Soul Temple up to?
“Damn it! How dare you destroy my soul bag!” Seeing the soul bodies fleeing, the Iron Elder’s eyes turned crimson, his killing intent boiling. These souls were his year’s work; failure to deliver them would mean dire consequences. The thought of punishment fueled his rage, and he roared, his black chains snapping like vipers at Medusa.
Facing the enraged attack, Medusa’s form flickered, and her seven-colored energy surged. Her sword transformed into a gleaming light, striking the chains with a resounding crash. The resultant energy shockwave caused space to ripple, and Medusa’s sword shattered, sending her reeling back.
“Today, no matter your origin, I will use your soul to recapture those fleeing souls!” Roaring, the Iron Elder unleashed five black chains, each thicker and denser than before. As he roared, the chains whipped down, pursuing Medusa with intense killing intent.
Overwhelmed, Medusa could only dodge. From the sidelines, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan’s expressions changed.
“I’ll go help Sister Cai Lin,” Zi Yan said anxiously, ready to leap in, but Xiao Yan stopped her.
“You’d only be a burden. Guard me, and don’t let anyone disturb me!”
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan raised his hands, forming seals rapidly. As time passed, the sealing speed increased, causing mirages. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his flushed cheeks turned pale.
Watching Xiao Yan turn paler, Zi Yan’s anxiety grew, but she remained silent, sensing that Xiao Yan was preparing a terribly powerful technique. If successful, it would deal a heavy blow to the Iron Elder. Yet, success wasn’t guaranteed. Xiao Yan was unsure about the second seal, the Overturning Sea Seal, but now, he could only pray that his luck would hold.
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