The moment the Earth Thorn grazed my body, a sharp, piercing sound tore through the thick, inky air, like thousands of steel needles piercing my eardrums at once, sending chills down my spine.
The gust of wind, carrying the lingering force of the Earth Thorn, crashed into Ren Xiaoyao with overwhelming force, tearing a tiny crack in his battle-worn black robe.
Immediately afterwards, a trickle of blood slowly seeped out like a delicate thread. Under the dazzling, almost blinding golden light surrounding him, it resembled a red plum blossom blooming alone in the cold night, striking and startling. It was also like a tragic song played in this fierce battle between light and darkness, telling of the cruelty of the fight.
Ren Xiaoyao's eyes were like two golden suns hanging high in the sky. Deep within his pupils, the blazing light surged like molten lava, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.
The golden light surrounding it surged wildly like a raging tide, with overwhelming force.
Each ray of light carried an invincible and powerful force, like an High Antiquity divine weapon, shredding the remaining dark demonic energy around it.
Under the impact of the light, the demonic energy emitted bursts of shrill roars, like the desperate roars of a demon trapped in the abyss. Finally, it turned into wisps of black smoke and dissipated between the vast heaven and earth, leaving only a faint, disgusting rancid smell that permeated every corner of the valley.
The Golden Phantom behind him roared to the sky, its sound waves rolling in with a world-destroying, overwhelming force that spread in all directions.
Wherever the sound waves reached, the surrounding rocks tumbled down like raindrops.
The tumbling rocks collided violently with each other, producing a dull rumble, each sound like a painful groan from the depths of the earth, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
These rocks crashed to the ground, kicking up thick layers of dust. The dust intertwined and entangled with the remaining dark demonic energy, forming black vortexes.
Within the vortex, the demonic energy emitted a sharp howl, as if making a final struggle. However, under the shroud of this powerful pressure, it ultimately vanished without a trace, like wisps of clouds. The valley floor was left in a state of utter devastation, littered with broken rocks and traces of Demonic Qi Erosion.
As Dark Puppet watched the Five Elements Puppet being destroyed one by one in Ren Xiaoyao's hands, like fragile ants, his legs trembled uncontrollably, his knees clattering against each other as if they were about to fall apart at any moment.
His forehead was covered with a dense layer of sweat, and cold sweat gushed out like a burst dam, instantly soaking his clothes. The wet clothes clung tightly to his body, outlining his disheveled appearance.
But the thought of the chilling methods of the Reincarnated Human Emperor sent a chill down Dark Puppet's spine. He gritted his teeth, and a trickle of blood was squeezed from his gums, slowly sliding down his lip and dripping onto the demonically polluted ground beneath his feet, where it was instantly swallowed by darkness.
A madness flashed in his eyes, and his hands moved with lightning speed, forming hand seals. His fingernails turned white from the force, and his fingertips swept through the air, leaving behind black afterimages and wisps of dark demonic energy, like black venomous snakes writhing and hissing in the void.
At this moment, he desperately tried to draw energy from the remaining power of the Five Elements Puppet in a final, desperate struggle. Despite being filled with fear, his desire to survive and his awe of the Human Emperor prevented him from retreating in the slightest.
How could Ren Xiaoyao give the Dark Puppet even the slightest chance to catch his breath? He lightly touched the ground with his feet, and his figure instantly transformed into a dazzling Golden Lightning, Sky-Rending Strike with lightning speed and rushing towards the Dark Puppet.
As he drew closer, the remaining Five Elements Power around the Dark Puppet, as if drawn by an invisible giant hand, surged wildly and merged into the Golden Light Sword in Ren Xiaoyao's hand.
The Light Sword shone brightly, and the runes on its blade resembled lively dragons, dancing merrily across the surface and releasing a terrifying aura capable of destroying the world.
This aura was like a powerful storm, completely dispelling the surrounding darkness.
Even the trees in the distant valley, which had been twisted and deformed by the long-term erosion of Dark Power, gradually regained their vitality under the light, radiating vibrant green again. The branches swayed in the wind, as if cheering for the arrival of light, and the dewdrops on the leaves sparkled with crystal light in the illumination.
"You think you can contend with me by relying on the remnants of the Five Elements Puppet? Today is your end!" Ren Xiaoyao's voice boomed like a bell, carrying boundless majesty, as if it were a divine judgment from the heavens above.
The sound echoed through the valley, causing leaves to rustle and fall, startling a flock of birds that had been perched on the branches.
The birds cried out in terror, flapping their wings and scattering in all directions. Many birds crashed into branches in their panic, their feathers falling and forming a rain of feathers in the air, adding to the tragic scene.
The stream in the valley, which was originally crystal clear, now rippled with waves because of the roar, and the current became rapid, as if it too was trembling in the face of this fierce battle.
Recalling the fierce battle with the Five Elements Puppet, Ren Xiaoyao moved like lightning, rushing towards the Metal Puppet first.
The Metal Puppet radiated a cold metallic luster, like a giant, moving iceberg, exuding a chilling aura. The surrounding air condensed into frost because of its presence, forming a thick layer of ice at its feet.
With a flick of its blade, several crescent-shaped beams of cold light instantly pierced the Sky-Rending Strike and emitting a sharp whistling sound.
Wherever the cold light passed, ripples spread through the space, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, as if it would be sliced open by a sharp blade at any moment.
Ren Xiaoyao lightly touched the ground with his toes, his figure soaring into the air like a nimble eagle, skillfully flipping and maneuvering. A cold light grazed the hem of his clothes, leaving subtle marks on them, as if they were provocative marks left by Dark Forces.
Immediately afterwards, Ren Xiaoyao brandished his Golden Light Sword, the runes on the blade blazing brightly, and a sharp Sword Qi roared out, like a majestic Golden Giant Dragon baring its fangs and claws as it pounced on the Metal Puppet.
The Sword Qi contained powerful Law of Light energy. Wherever it went, the dark demonic energy seemed to have encountered its natural enemy, and they all fled and let out unwilling roars.
The Metal Puppet tried to resist, and the sharp blades and Sword Qi clashed fiercely, Mars flying everywhere, like a magnificent firework blooming in mid-air, illuminating the entire valley and even penetrating the caves deep within it.
The immense impact forced the Metal Puppet to retreat repeatedly, each step leaving two deep marks on the ground. The rocks on the ground cracked under the force of this powerful force, and the cracks spread outwards like a spider web, sending fragments of rock flying. Some of the fragments were even lifted dozens of feet into the air by the shockwave.
Taking advantage of the Metal Puppet's momentary lapse in concentration, Ren Xiaoyao swung his sword again. This time, he gathered all his strength into the tip of the sword, and the mysterious power and spiritual energy within his body surged wildly like a raging river. The Golden Phantom behind him also swung its longsword in sync.
An even more powerful Sword Qi was unleashed in an instant. With a crisp, loud crack, the Metal Puppet's blade was severed by the Sword Qi, and the broken blade fell to the ground like a meteor, creating a deep crater.
From the deep pit, black demonic energy surged forth like a raging spring, as if telling the story of the Metal Puppet's resentment.
The demonic energy churned and surged in the air, forming hideous ghost faces that emitted eerie roars, attempting a final show of force against Ren Xiaoyao. The eyes of the ghost faces flickered with a strange red light, as if they were about to pounce and devour him at any moment.
Seeing this, the Wood Puppet's vines, like agile pythons, swiftly coiled around Ren Xiaoyao.
These vines, covered in sharp thorns, shimmered with an eerie glow. Wherever they passed, the air seemed to be corroded, emitting a hissing sound, as if proclaiming the threat of death.
The vines emitted a pungent odor that made one want to vomit, as if one were in a putrid swamp, making it difficult to breathe.
Ren Xiaoyao swiftly wielded his Golden Light Sword, forming an indestructible Golden Barrier in front of him, severing the attacking vines one by one.
However, after the vines were cut, a black sap secreted from the cut. After the sap hit the ground, new vines quickly grew, and these new vines were thicker and had sharper thorns, making them several times faster at attacking.
Like hungry, vicious snakes, they pounced on Ren Xiaoyao frantically, some of the vines even twisting and deforming in the air, trying to attack him from different angles.
Ren Xiaoyao frowned slightly, let out a loud shout, and his mysterious power and spiritual energy surged wildly within him. The Golden Phantom behind him also brandished the long sword in its hand.
A powerful Sword Qi burst forth from the Golden Light Sword. Wherever the Sword Qi passed, the vines were instantly shredded into pieces, and Black Slime splattered everywhere, corroding large pits on the ground.
Inside the large pit, black vines writhed like crazed snakes, constantly trying to coalesce into Wood Puppet once more.
They let out low growls, as if resisting Ren Xiaoyao's attack. The growls echoed in the valley, sending chills down one's spine, as if one were in a demon's lair. Even the stream in the valley rippled because of the growls, and the current became rapid. Some small fish and shrimp were frightened and fled in all directions.
The Water Puppet controlled a dense swarm of water arrows, like an angry wasp, rushing towards Ren Xiaoyao.
The water jet emanated a chilling aura, and wherever it passed, the air instantly froze into Ice Crystals, which then fell to the ground.
These Ice Crystals shimmered with an eerie light under the sunlight, like countless tiny throwing knives, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Ren Xiaoyao at any moment.
Ren Xiaoyao's figure moved elusively like a ghost, weaving freely among the water arrows.
Sometimes he would leap onto a protruding rock, letting the water arrows glide past him. The rock would freeze instantly into ice upon impact, then shatter into countless small pieces, the ice flying everywhere like a shower of flowers. Other times, he would use a sudden gust of air to change his flight path and evade the water arrows. The airflow would become distorted and chaotic under the influence of the water arrows, forming small tornadoes that whipped up dust and gravel, like a miniature sandstorm.
At the same time, Ren Xiaoyao unleashed his Sword Qi, shattering the water arrows one by one. After being shattered, the water arrows turned into a pool of black water, falling to the ground with a "sizzling" sound, as if expressing their unwillingness to accept defeat.
Immediately afterwards, Ren Xiaoyao rushed towards the Water Puppet. The moment he got close to the Water Puppet, he shouted and stabbed the Water Puppet with his Golden Light Sword.
The Water Puppet was instantly pierced, turning into a pool of black water that dissipated into the air with a gentle breeze.
But in the instant it dissipated, the Water Puppet condensed into a black water blade, which launched a sneak attack on Ren Xiaoyao.
Ren Xiaoyao sensed the danger, quickly turned around, and used his Golden Light Sword to block the water blade's attack. With a "clang," the water blade was knocked away, turning into countless water droplets that scattered on the ground.
After these water droplets landed, they gathered into a black stream, attempting to launch another attack. The stream meandered across the ground like a black venomous snake, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment. Wherever the stream flowed, the ground was corroded with deep grooves, and the surrounding grass withered instantly.
Seeing their companions being killed one after another, the Fire Puppet and the Earth Puppet immediately joined forces to attack Ren Xiaoyao.
The Fire Puppet spewed out raging flames, which, like a roaring fire dragon, lunged at Ren Xiaoyao with bared fangs and claws. Wherever it passed, the air was instantly ignited, making a crackling sound.
The flames emitted a suffocating aura, making one feel as if they were in a scorching hell, their skin burning painfully from the intense heat, sweat evaporating instantly, and the air filled with the smell of burning.
The Earth Puppet then summoned more rocks, which collided with each other in the air with dull thuds, raising dust that mingled with the flames, creating a Primordial Chaos scene.
The runes on the surface of these rocks flickered more intensely, releasing powerful Dark Power that greatly increased the rocks' hardness and attack power. Some rocks even formed a layer of black armor on their surface, emitting an eerie glow.
Ren Xiaoyao remained calm and composed despite being surrounded by flames and rocks.
He unleashed all the mysterious power within him, and the runes on the Golden Light Sword illuminated the entire valley, like a beacon in the darkness.
Ren Xiaoyao brandished his Light Sword, unleashing a powerful Golden Sword Qi with World-Ending Aura that shattered all the flames and rocks.
Wherever the Sword Qi reached, flames were instantly extinguished, and rocks were instantly shattered, turning into a sky full of Stone Powder.
Stone Powder danced in the air, intertwining with the embers of the flames to create a strange scene, resembling an apocalyptic painting.
At the same time, the Golden Phantom behind Ren Xiaoyao let out a deafening roar, the sound reverberating around and causing the surrounding lightning to pause. The lightning flickered in mid-air, as if in fear of this powerful force, and even the distant mountains trembled slightly because of the roar.
Then, Ren Xiaoyao rushed towards the Fire Puppet and the Earth Puppet at an extremely fast speed.
Seeing this, the Fire Puppet frantically spewed out flames, attempting to stop Ren Xiaoyao's advance.
However, Ren Xiaoyao used a mysterious footwork technique, dancing gracefully in the flames and easily dodging their attacks.
His figure moved like a nimble butterfly, darting freely through the flames. With each movement, he brought forth a golden light that dispersed the surrounding fire. Under the impact of the light, the flames scattered like defeated soldiers, some even being compressed into small fireballs before disappearing completely.
In just a few breaths, Ren Xiaoyao arrived in front of the Fire Puppet and the Earth Puppet. He shouted and wielded his Golden Light Sword rapidly, destroying the Fire Puppet and the Earth Puppet like a whirlwind.
The Fire Puppet turned into a cloud of black smoke and dissipated in the air, while the Earth Puppet shattered into a pile of stones and scattered on the ground.
But the moment the stones scattered, the Earth Puppet conjured a Earth Thorn, which launched a sneak attack on Ren Xiaoyao.
At this moment, the Dark Puppet roared madly, its sharp and piercing voice echoing through the valley, creating countless echoes, as if the entire valley was trembling at its madness.
He infused the last wisp of dark demonic energy into the remaining fragments of the earthen golem beside him.
In an instant, the fragments surged wildly, intertwined, and coalesced into a gigantic earthen hand that blotted out the sky, slamming down fiercely towards Ren Xiaoyao.
Wherever the earthen hand passed, space was easily distorted like tattered paper, emitting a series of piercing sounds, as if space itself was groaning in pain.
The ground was ploughed into Bottomless Ravines by immense force, within which Black Demonic Qi churned, emitting a nauseating stench.
The faint wails of countless vengeful spirits echoed from within the demonic energy, as if cheering on the Dark Puppet's final struggle. The cries were shrill and chilling, even causing the small animals in the valley to tremble in fear and hide deep within the caves. Some timid rabbits even curled up in a ball due to excessive fear, trembling and filled with despair in their eyes.
Ren Xiaoyao remained calm and composed, drawing a dazzling yet deadly arc with his Light Sword, unleashing a surge of Sword Qi imbued with powerful Law of Light.
The Sword Qi resembled a giant golden dragon, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, colliding fiercely with the earth hand in mid-air.
In an instant, a deafening roar, like ten thousand thunderclaps, resounded throughout the heavens and earth.
The intense light was as dazzling as the sun, so bright that it was impossible to open one's eyes.
Within the light, one could vaguely see Golden Giant Dragon and an earthen hand intertwined and tearing at each other. The scales of the Golden Giant Dragon shimmered with Sacred Light, while countless strange runes appeared on the surface of the earthen hand.
The two were locked in a fierce battle, and for a time it was difficult to determine which was superior.
The Golden Giant Dragon continuously spewed flames, attempting to burn the Earth Hand, which constantly changed shape to defend against the dragon's attacks.
The earthen hand sometimes transforms into spikes, piercing the dragon; at other times, it coalesces into a shield, repelling the dragon's flames.
Ultimately, the Hand of Earth was torn into countless fragments by the impact of the Sword Qi, turning into dust that slowly drifted down like a black snowfall.
Where the dust settled, the ravines on the ground were slowly filled in, and the dark demonic energy was completely dispelled. A fresh atmosphere filled the valley, and sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the earth and bringing a touch of life. Birds began to sing again on the branches, as if celebrating the victory of light.
Taking advantage of the Dark Puppet's stunned and distracted state, Ren Xiaoyao appeared before him like a ghost.
Dark Puppet stared in terror, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, trying to dodge, but found that his body was as if tightly bound by an invisible shackle, unable to move.
Ren Xiaoyao stretched out his left hand, his long, strong fingers gripping the Dark Puppet's throat like iron clamps, and lifted him high into the air.
Dark Puppet's feet kicked wildly in the air, while its hands desperately pried open Ren Xiaoyao's fingers, its nails scratching bloody marks on the back of Ren Xiaoyao's hands, dripping blood and splattering it on the ground.
But all efforts were in vain; Ren Xiaoyao's hand was as hard as steel, showing no sign of loosening.
Dark Puppet's face turned ashen from lack of oxygen, his lips turned purple, and his eyes were filled with fear and despair.
He twisted and turned frantically, trying to break free of his restraints, kicking his legs wildly in the air, kicking up clouds of dust, and occasionally letting out desperate cries, but all of this was in vain.
"Spare... Spare my life!" Dark Puppet managed to squeeze out a few words, his voice hoarse and weak, filled with fear and despair, like a wounded beast howling.
His body trembled violently, the muscles in his face contorted and deformed, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, gleaming eerily in the darkness.
Ren Xiaoyao coldly stared at the Dark Puppet, his eyes devoid of any pity. "You Dark Forces have wreaked havoc on the world and caused immense suffering to the living. Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven!" With that, Ren Xiaoyao slowly raised the Golden Light Sword in his right hand, its tip pointing directly at the Dark Puppet's heart. The light emanating from the sword illuminated the Dark Puppet's distorted face.
At this moment, the runes on the Light Sword shone even brighter, as if gathering power for the impending judgment. As the runes flickered, mysterious whispers emanated, as if an ancient god was proclaiming a just verdict.
The runes glowed brightly and dimly, like breathing, accumulating destructive power, and the air around the sword was slightly distorted by this power.
Just then, a strange fluctuation suddenly came from the sky, as if the air was being kneaded by an invisible hand, emitting a series of whimpers.
A sinister aura rapidly approached from the depths of the universe. This aura was even more powerful than that of the Reincarnated Human Emperor, and it seemed capable of devouring the entire world.
Wherever this aura passed, space itself became distorted and deformed. The light of the stars was also obscured by this aura, and the once bright starry sky became dim and lifeless. Even the moon was shrouded in this aura and lost its former brilliance.
Ren Xiaoyao was startled, his brows furrowing as he sensed the immense threat contained within that aura.
Killing the Dark Puppet rashly could very likely trigger an even greater crisis.
After a moment of contemplation, Ren Xiaoyao decided to suppress the Dark Puppet first, and then make further plans.
Ren Xiaoyao muttered incantations, and ancient and mysterious Golden Incantation, like pearls, flowed from his mouth and merged into the Dark Puppet's body.
The Dark Puppet let out a painful scream, its body trembling violently as if pierced by countless steel needles.
Black veins appeared on his skin, like wriggling worms, trying to resist the power of the incantation.
Black Demonic Qi continuously surged from the black veins, clashing with the Golden Incantation and forming a black and white vortex around the Dark Puppet's body.
Within the vortex, the two forces collided, producing a series of booming sounds. Cracks appeared on the surrounding ground, emanating an eerie light, as if they were passageways to another Dark World.