Yin Demon Howl!

"This kid saw through it at a glance..." Venerable Yao's eyes grew more solemn. This person was no simple opponent.

Lu Bu grinned. With a thought, the puppet in the lake slowly crawled out.

A sharp glint flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes under Venerable Yao's control. He abruptly seized the Mysterious Heavy Ruler and chopped downward. Intense wind pressure howled toward Lu Bu, kicking up clouds of yellow dust.

"Hey!" Lu Bu sneered, raising a hand and clenching it. A spear condensed from Soul Power appeared in his palm. Its tip spun wildly like a venomous dragon as it slammed into the Mysterious Heavy Ruler.

Clang~

A crisp metallic ring suddenly sounded, followed by a thunderous boom. The violent roar exploded through the mountains like a clap of thunder, and powerful gales pushed across the earth from the point where the two collided.

Dust instantly billowed up as waves of earth rolled over. Countless trees were uprooted, and the lush green mountain forest became a yellowish-brown wasteland in an instant.

Lu Bu tapped the ground lightly and drifted backward, landing atop the lake. He raised the invisible spear in his hand and pointed it casually at Xiao Yan and Venerable Yao.

Across from him, Venerable Yao retreated repeatedly, his expression turning grim. He was currently using his disciple's body. Crushing weaklings was one thing, but facing an opponent whose strength was not much lower than his own left him severely constrained—unless he was willing to expose his existence.

"Hmph! I've roamed the continent for so many years. I refuse to believe I can't defeat a brat like you!" A vicious gleam flashed in Venerable Yao's eyes. His left hand shot out like lightning, curling into a claw before slamming forward.

In an instant, the pale-white Bone Spirit Cold Fire whistled forth, transforming midway into a hundred-zhang fire serpent. Its jaws gaped wide, and an icy aura rushed forward.

Layers of white mist suddenly spread across the fire serpent's body. It was cold air, the frigid chill contained within the Bone Spirit Cold Fire.

"Good!"

Lu Bu chuckled. With a sudden shake of his spear tip, formless, intangible Spirit Fire spread from his palm, and the spear instantly transformed into a fire dragon.

The scorching heat warped the air at once. White vapor rose beneath his feet, mist formed as the lake water was scorched and evaporated by the flames.

The pale-white fire serpent crashed into the transparent fire dragon in midair. The two colossal creatures bit and tore at each other as terrifying hurricanes burst forth.

Strands of flame splattered out and landed on the churned, softened ground. The terrifying heat instantly melted the soil into droplets of lava.

"Hmph! Arrogant brat!"

"You actually dare compete with me in flame control!?"

Venerable Yao snorted coldly. He was the continent's number one alchemist; fewer than a handful of people across the entire continent surpassed him in controlling flames.

He formed a seal with one hand, and powerful Soul Power howled out, stirring up a swirling gust.

The pale-white fire serpent, which had been evenly matched with the transparent fire dragon, suddenly seemed divinely aided. Its tail turned into a spear and stabbed into the fire dragon's body, while its jaws gnawed away, tearing off half of the fire dragon's front claw.

"Hehehe..." Rather than becoming angry, Lu Bu was delighted. A smile curled across his lips. "You fell for it!"

Seeing the smile on Lu Bu's lips, Venerable Yao's heart jolted. Something was wrong!

But before he could withdraw the fire serpent, waves of piercing, burning pain suddenly surged from his soul.

"This brat's flames can burn souls?" Venerable Yao's expression changed drastically. Could it really be the Fallen Heart Flame?

Impossible. Heavenly Flames have a special resonance with one another. Why couldn't I feel anything at all?

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

As thoughts raced through his mind, Lu Bu abruptly brought his palms together. Soul Power churned within his brow as a terrifying storm of Soul Power surged upward, pressing the lake surface into rolling waves.

"This kid is about to unleash a big move!" Venerable Yao was greatly alarmed. The fire serpent formed from the Bone Spirit Cold Fire suddenly swelled in size, but... it was too late!

The transparent fire dragon opened its jaws wide and swallowed the fire serpent in a single bite. Venerable Yao sneered, about to change his hand seals and detonate the fire serpent, when the Soul Power attached to it strangely began to fade away, as though someone had forcibly pulled his power out of it.

"This... what is happening?" Venerable Yao was shocked, terror rising in his heart.

However, had he looked closely, he would have noticed tiny black markings flickering strangely within the fire dragon formed from Spirit Fire.

That was Devouring Power—the Devouring Power of the Devouring Ancestral Talisman. Once it entered Lu Bu's mouth, it would never escape.

In the blink of an eye, the fire serpent formed from the Bone Spirit Cold Fire vanished completely. The burning sensation in Venerable Yao's soul threw him into a panic.

Even he, Venerable Yao, found this person's methods somewhat troublesome.

"What should I do?" Venerable Yao's gaze flickered as he subconsciously glanced toward a certain direction in the forest. His disciple did not have only one bodyguard...

Forget it, I'll handle it myself. If others find out I couldn't even take down a brat, I'd become a laughingstock.

A fierce light flashed in Venerable Yao's eyes as he reached out and gripped the Mysterious Heavy Ruler.

On the other side, Lu Bu, having devoured and refined Venerable Yao's Soul Power, opened his eyes again. His black pupils were brimming with vitality. This sort of Soul Power truly was a great tonic. For a moment just now, Lu Bu had even considered devouring Venerable Yao's soul.

But it was only a passing thought. On the road to becoming a Dou Emperor, one had to take things slowly and never rush to stand out as the first target. He should leave Xiao Yan alive to draw fire for him.

Buzz, buzz, buzz~

At that moment, the energy of heaven and earth suddenly became restless. Strange red patterns began spreading across the pitch-black body of the Mysterious Heavy Ruler in Venerable Yao's hand.

Lu Bu raised a brow. An Earth-tier Dou Technique: Flame Splitting Wave Ruler. Xiao Yan had used this technique to defeat many enemies throughout his journey, but... I understand the principle, yet why can he still use a Dou Technique without Dou Qi?

Yet whether Lu Bu believed it or not, the Mysterious Heavy Ruler in Venerable Yao's hand had already turned from black to blazing red, containing a terrifying aura.

Lu Bu had no doubt that this strike could kill him, provided it could hit him.

Lu Bu stamped his foot, and the Spirit Gathering Array abruptly appeared. Under the array's effects, the energy of heaven and earth boiled, forming an energy vortex in an instant.

Lu Bu changed his hand seals, and silver array patterns spread out to cover the entire lake. The shimmering waterlight suddenly contracted and gathered. A deep-blue pillar of light then shot into the sky, enveloping Lu Bu within it.

"Flame Splitting Wave Ruler!"

Xiao Yan shouted, swinging the dazzling crimson giant ruler down fiercely. A red ruler-shaped beam of energy howled forth.

A faint layer of red flame coiled around the radiant beam, releasing an oppressive aura so terrifying it was suffocating.

The instant it left the Mysterious Heavy Ruler, the blazing, dazzling beam flashed and swept toward Lu Bu.

An Earth-tier Dou Technique truly deserved its rank, especially when unleashed by an expert of Venerable Yao's level.

"Hehe..." Having already prepared his defenses, Lu Bu no longer paid attention to the ruler beam. Instead, he changed his hand seals, and Soul Power roared out.

A silver, translucent skull wrapped in all manner of mysterious runes slowly emerged. At the same time, the crimson ruler beam slammed violently into the azure pillar of light.

Boom, boom, boom!

A thunderous roar erupted through the valley. Layers of ripples spread across the azure pillar of light, while the lake surface churned violently.

The earth began to tremble, and the cliffs shook. Countless rocks tumbled down from the mountainsides. The surrounding magical beasts cried out and scattered in all directions, desperately fleeing from the storm.

With a boom, the crimson ruler beam exploded. The powerful energy storm battered the watery pillar of light, but though it rippled violently, it remained as steady as a mountain. There was not the slightest sign of cracking or collapsing, and white mist spread across the entire lake.

"This kid actually used an array to mobilize the entire lake for defense..." Venerable Yao's mouth twitched. With his current incomplete strength, it was impossible for him to destroy the entire lake in one instant.

"Little Yan, retreat. Even your teacher can't defeat him..." Venerable Yao sighed.

"Teacher, something's wrong!" Xiao Yan shouted. He seemed to have seen something.

Venerable Yao's expression changed. Pale-white Bone Spirit Cold Fire spun out like a storm, firmly enveloping the two of them.

"Yin Demon Howl!"

Lu Bu shouted. The silver skull within the deep-blue waterlight slowly opened its mouth.

"Screee—!"

A piercing shriek rang out, and invisible sound waves shook forth, crashing viciously into Venerable Yao's soul.

"Aah—!" Venerable Yao cried out in pain. His aura rapidly withered, and the Bone Spirit Cold Fire shot back into his soul. Lu Bu's attack struck directly at the soul; for a Soul Body like him, this was certainly no minor injury.

"Go!" Enduring the intense pain, Venerable Yao shouted. He kicked off the ground and lunged toward the forest.

Yet just as he moved, a chill suddenly descended over his head. Sensing it, Venerable Yao instinctively stopped.

Black wings spread from Lu Bu's back. With a gentle flap, he hovered high in the air, a faint smile on his lips as he looked down at the master and disciple preparing to flee.

"Damn it, we can't escape..." Xiao Yan's face turned ashen as he muttered.