Crushing Defeat

The Indomitable Fate Crown had appeared in Yue's hand. He had yet to fully master the power of separation, so to use it, he had to transform his Martial Soul into the Indomitable Fate Crown.

Meng hid not far to the left of the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer. Yue continued to move stealthily, circling around behind it.

Then his third Soul Ring lit up, and the Different Authority Sword fell, pinning the injured Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer to the ground.

The sudden attack sent the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer into a moment of panic, but it quickly recovered. Under the effects of Yue's Soul Skill, it struggled to its feet.

At the same time, its left hoof struck the ground, conjuring ice spikes, while its right hoof lifted and blasted out flames. Normally, ice and fire would annihilate each other on contact, but the poison horn on its head drew them together, forming an ice-and-fire vortex between its brows.

The moment the vortex appeared, the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast felt much better. Its poison horn controlled the vortex and sent it hurtling toward the Different Authority Sword.

Unsure whether its attack had worked, it turned and fled beyond the sword's range as soon as it released its Soul Skill. But the pressure from before had further aggravated its internal injuries.

Seeing this, Yue Hongchen gathered Soul Power at his fingertips. The second Soul Ring behind him lit up, and the shadow of the Divine Authority Sword appeared beside the Different Authority Sword. Its suction power erupted, pulling the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer back into the Different Authority Sword's range.

The ice-and-fire power churning around it was thrown into slight disarray. Cracks spread across the ice coating the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast, and its flames flickered for an instant. Then Yue Hongchen spun his wrist, unleashing all his Soul Power without reservation. The fourth Soul Ring behind him lit up.

Silver light tore through the air as a third sword shadow crashed down above the giant beast. The Divine Authority, Different Authority, and Human Rights sword shadows formed a triangle, trapping the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer in the center. Each sword shadow radiated light, gradually forming a Soul Power barrier that blocked every escape route.

At that moment, the Different Authority Sword's shadow was wreathed in dark purple, the Divine Authority Sword's shadow shimmered with golden light, and the Human Rights Sword's shadow flashed silver. Their auras intertwined, and they hummed in unison. Yue Hongchen's eyes suddenly blazed as a glaze-colored radiance surged around him like moonlight, spreading in every direction.

His true form was revealed.

The instant the strengthened state activated, the void behind him to the left shuddered violently. A pale-gold Divine Authority Sword, a dark-purple Different Authority Sword, and a silver-white Human Rights Sword materialized all at once. Their blades hummed and trembled. Their immense power flowed through the Soul Power link and into every part of Yue Hongchen's body. His aura surged several times over, wind howled around him, and his clothes snapped in the gale. Even the snow at his feet was swept away in every direction.

Yue Hongchen pushed off the ground and charged forward, rushing at the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer like a streak of light. The three physical swords attacked from different directions as he moved. The Divine Authority Sword's suction power dragged at the beast's limbs, forcing it to lower its head and brace itself. The Different Authority Sword's pressure crashed down like a mountain, slowing the flow of ice-and-fire power through its body. The Human Rights Sword's point aimed straight at the poison horn between its brows, trying to shatter the source of the vortex.

The Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer let out a roar that shook the mountains and forests. Its enormous body jolted, and all four hooves sank deep into the earth. The poison horn between its brows flared brightly, and the ice-and-fire vortex spun at its utmost speed. The ice and flames no longer drew together; instead, they became two raging dragons, one blue and one red, surging with world-destroying force as they crashed into the three sword shadows!

"Clang—clang!"

The sharp clash of metal rang out, making the surrounding trees shiver. The Divine Authority Sword's suction was swept away by the ice-and-fire dragons, and its pale-gold shadow rocked violently, nearly shattering. The Different Authority Sword's pressure landed on the beast, but only made it falter for an instant; fine cracks instantly spread across its dark-purple shadow. The Human Rights Sword struck the poison horn, only to be repelled by the vortex's force. Its silver-white shadow buzzed, its light dimming by more than half.

Yue Hongchen's expression darkened. He drove his Soul Power to the limit, and the light of the three physical swords blazed once more. He darted back and forth, sending sword shadows raining down like a storm. Each strike left a shallow cut in the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer's hide, but this was the Far North, where ice attribute energy was abundant. The icy crystal patterns on the deer's body gave off a faint glow, and each cut healed in the blink of an eye.

It swung its massive head, and the ice-and-fire vortex on its poison horn continued to expand. Blue and red light enveloped everything within several dozen feet. Wherever it passed, the ground froze and then exploded, leaving behind charred shards of ice.

An ice spike suddenly shot toward Yue Hongchen. He dodged sideways, and it grazed his shoulder before smashing into a tree behind him. Taking advantage of the opening, he rushed forward and thrust his sword at the giant beast's left eye. But the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer had been ready for him. Its right hoof rose sharply, and a burst of scorching flame forced Yue Hongchen to retreat again and again.

"Again!"

Yue Hongchen gritted his teeth as Soul Power poured out of him like a tide. The three physical swords slashed through the air, sending out countless sword auras that wove into a net and closed around the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer.

But just as the net was about to touch its scales, the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer threw back its head and roared. The ice-and-fire vortex on its poison horn exploded, unleashing a torrent of blue and red energy that tore the sword net to shreds!

The three physical swords dimmed instantly, then dissolved into flecks of Soul Power. Yue Hongchen felt an overwhelming force crash into him. His chest was struck as if by a sledgehammer, and the sharp crack of breaking bones rang out with his groan. He flew backward like a kite with its string cut, slamming into the ground ten zhang away. Blood sprayed from his mouth, splattering the earth before him.

The light of the Indomitable Fate Crown had faded completely. The crown hovering above his head trembled faintly, on the verge of dispersing. Yue Hongchen collapsed onto the ground, his entire body wracked with pain. He watched helplessly as the Ice Fire Poison Horned Deer slowly approached. His battered form was reflected in the giant beast's eyes. It lowered its head, its warm breath brushing against his face.

"Brother!"

Seeing Yue's crushing defeat, Meng could no longer stay hidden.

The Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast was drawn by the sudden voice. It turned its head and spotted Meng's small figure. She had already used Martial Soul Possession, her eyes turning blood-red as she stared fiercely at the Soul Beast that had hurt her brother.

At the same time, ten Fixed Soul Tool Cannons appeared around her. After she fused with the token, the cannons charged rapidly.

The Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast sensed death from those metal contraptions. It stopped paying attention to Yue Hongchen lying on the ground, turned, and prepared to flee.

It was already injured, and it had just fought Yue Hongchen with all its strength. How could it possibly outrun a Level Six Fixed Soul Tool Cannon now?

The ten Fixed Soul Tool Cannons trained their aim on its fleeing form.

"Bang!"

Realizing it couldn't escape, the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast turned around. The ice-and-fire vortex between its brows gathered once more, then transformed into two raging dragons that shot forward.

The collision sent out a tremendous shock wave. The white snow on the ground rose into the air and melted. At last, the earth beneath it was exposed.