"Again… that move!"
Han Feng's pupils shrank in shock. Nearby, the Gold and Silver Elders—who had been relentlessly forcing Die into retreat—also paled slightly.
They knew all too well how terrifying that move was.
The last two times they'd been forced back had both been because of that same strike.
But no matter how heaven-defying he was, could he really stand against a Five-Star Dou Zong?
That single question flashed through Han Feng and the others' minds.
Die burned her essence blood once more, revealing her true serpent form to battle the Gold and Silver Elders. Even as she fought, her eyes never left the sky, locked firmly on that radiant sword light cutting across the heavens.
Like her, Queen Medusa, Yun Yun, and Yue Mei all wore pale, anxious expressions. Their delicate jade hands were clenched tightly.
They all understood—this was Chen Mo's strongest attack. The outcome of this strike would decide everything.
The hundred-zhang-long sword light gleamed brilliantly, streaking across the sky under countless watching gazes filled with awe, fear, and disbelief. Then, with a thunderous roar, it cleaved down upon the colossal black skeletal head.
Though the skull was only about one-third the size of the sword light, the energy it contained was no weaker.
"Boom!"
The two forces collided violently, detonating in a deafening explosion. A storm of energy, vast and terrifying, erupted outward in all directions like a thunderclap splitting the world.
The booming roar was enough to rupture eardrums.
Under the weight of such a horrifying energy storm, everyone present trembled in terror, eyes wide with shock.
The overwhelming energy swept through the skies; everything in its path was reduced to dust.
From the heavens to the earth, people scattered in panic, fleeing desperately in all directions. None dared let that storm even brush against them—lest they be obliterated on the spot.
The explosion's light was so blinding that even the sunlight seemed dim in comparison. A crimson radiance shimmered across the sky, reflecting upon the horrified faces of all who watched.
Many gulped nervously, cold sweat running down their foreheads as they trembled in fear.
Those experts who had narrowly escaped the blast radius shuddered uncontrollably.
When both sides began to regroup and count their numbers, the Snake-people Tribe quickly realized their forces had dropped by nearly a third since before the battle began. Their expressions turned grim and ugly.
Among the eight major tribal leaders, aside from the already fallen Du Qianteng and Yan Ci, another had perished in the chaos.
"Damn that Yunlan Sect!"
These warriors hadn't died in the explosion—they had fallen to Han Feng and Fang Yan's hands.
Because these enemies were Yunlan Sect's external allies, the Snake-people's hatred burned even brighter toward that sect.
Meanwhile, Yunlan Sect and the Imperial Army had also suffered heavy casualties, though far fewer compared to the Snake-people Tribe.
After all, up until now, they had still been holding the advantage.
Once both sides finished counting their dead, all eyes turned toward the center of the explosion.
The city wall of Qinghong City was nearly completely destroyed—reduced to rubble and dust.
Amid the lingering storm of energy, a sudden tremor shook the ground. A black sword shot out of the blast zone, spinning through the air before embedding itself deep into the earth. The dark miasma surrounding it had faded greatly.
"It's that brat's sword!" shouted a Yunlan Sect disciple in excitement.
If the sword had been blown away like that… then didn't that mean—
"Pfft—!"
Queen Medusa's already pallid face turned completely ashen. She coughed up a mouthful of blood, her body trembling violently. For the first time, tears welled up in her narrow phoenix eyes, streaming down her cheeks and falling onto the back of the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
"No…"
A guttural roar escaped Die's serpentine mouth.
"It's my fault… it's all my fault…" Yun Yun wept uncontrollably, her heart wracked with guilt.
If she hadn't caused him to hesitate for that brief instant—he wouldn't have… he wouldn't—
"Boom!"
At that moment, two figures were flung violently from the heart of the energy storm, tumbling through the air.
All eyes immediately turned toward them—it was Chen Mo and Protector Xuan.
Chen Mo crashed into the ground, carving a deep trench more than a hundred meters long through the shattered earth. His crimson armor was still faintly glowing, but his condition was dire.
His face was ghostly pale, blue blood spilling from his mouth as his body lay motionless. He had fallen unconscious—his condition clearly critical.
Protector Xuan was in no better shape, his aura weak as he too collapsed, unconscious.
Then—suddenly—the figure lying farther away twitched.
"It's Protector Xuan! He's awake!" someone shouted.
Instantly, countless eyes turned toward him.
A cruel grin spread across Protector Xuan's burned face as he slowly pushed himself up. "Heh… In the end… I still won."
He wanted to finish Chen Mo off right then and there—but his body was nearly spent. He needed to recover.
"Now that Yun Shan is dead," he sneered, "there's no need to support the Yunlan Sect any longer. Time to reclaim what belongs to the Hall of Souls."
At his chilling words, several Yunlan Sect Elders—still fighting nearby—suddenly went pale. Realizing something, they immediately leapt backward in alarm.
But it was already too late.
Their bodies froze midair as if turned to stone. Their faces twisted in agony and horror.
"What are you doing?!" Yun Yun shouted, panic rising in her chest. These Elders were the backbone of the Yunlan Sect—if they were lost, the sect would truly collapse.
Protector Xuan laughed darkly. "Jie jie jie… You accepted power from my Hall of Souls. Now, it's time to return it. Come!"
At his command, the five or six Elders who had recently broken through to the Dou Wang realm collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Wisps of their translucent souls were ripped from their bodies and sucked into the phantom faces embedded in Protector Xuan's armor.
In that instant, his weakened aura surged back to life—stronger than before.
Yun Yun trembled violently, her face turning ashen as she watched her sect's Elders die before her eyes.
Moments later, her fury erupted. "You bastard! Return their souls!"
Her jade face flushed with rage as a pair of cyan Dou Qi wings flared open behind her. With a furious cry, she shot toward Protector Xuan like a streak of lightning.
But he merely flicked his sleeve—and Yun Yun was sent flying backward, coughing up blood.
The difference between their strength was simply too great.
"Hmph. Overestimating yourself," Protector Xuan said coldly, casting her a dismissive glance before turning toward Chen Mo's motionless form.
Without hesitation, his figure blurred as he shot forward. That boy was far too dangerous—he couldn't afford to leave him alive.
"Die, boy!" Protector Xuan snarled, his face twisted in a cruel grin.
"No!"
Queen Medusa tried to rise, but her injuries made it impossible.
Die was still locked in combat with the Gold and Silver Elders.
Yue Mei wanted to intervene—but she was too far away.
"It's over," Protector Xuan muttered coldly as he thrust his fist forward, the blow roaring with killing intent.
Just then—
Chen Mo's fingers twitched. His eyelids fluttered open.
But the moment his eyes met the world, what he saw made his heart sink into despair.
Because—
As Protector Xuan's strike descended—
A figure stepped in front of him.
****
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