In the center of the valley, the Magma Behemoth was going berserk.
It stood nearly eight meters tall, towering over even the lowest rocks on either side of the valley walls.
Dark-red rocky armor covered its entire body. Scorching magma flowed through the gaps between its plates, and orange-red light shone through them, making it look like a lump of iron fresh from the forge.
With every step, its foot struck the ground, and the rubble immediately began to smoke. The air was thick with the choking stench of sulfur and scorched stone.
Its eyes were two balls of fire, without pupils—pure, flowing magma. When its mouth opened, red liquid churned in its throat, and heat blasted through its teeth, hitting them full in the face.
It had eleven thousand years of cultivation. It barely qualified as a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Three young people were fighting it.
Xie Yue was the fastest. His Moon Blade Martial Soul was already released, and two crescent-shaped short blades flashed through his hands. Each swing sent a streak of silver light cutting precisely into the gaps in the Magma Behemoth's armor.
But the effect was limited.
The Magma Behemoth's shell was too thick, and its surface temperature was absurdly high. Xie Yue's blade light could only leave a shallow white mark. He didn't dare get close, afraid of being burned by the heat, and could only harass it from mid-range.
Hu Liena stood behind them, her hands constantly shifting through different gestures. Her Martial Soul was the Demon Fox, a mental-control type. Wisps of pink mist drifted from her fingertips and wound around the Magma Behemoth's head.
But this creature had strong mental defenses. It was an old beast of more than ten thousand years. Its mind wasn't particularly sharp, but its instinctive mental barriers were solid.
Hu Liena's Charm skill could slow its movements for half a second at most before it shook off the effect.
Yan was holding the line at the front.
His Flame Overlord Martial Soul was fully unleashed, rocky armor covering his body and black Hellfire wrapping around his fists. He had traded several blows with the Magma Behemoth, and every collision sent sparks and rubble flying.
But he was only at level 50. Going toe-to-toe with an eleven-thousand-year-old Soul Beast was clearly taking its toll. Several times, the Magma Behemoth's massive palm had sent him flying, and he had rolled across the ground before managing to get back up.
"Yan, don't take it head-on!" Hu Liena shouted from behind, her voice urgent.
"I know!" Yan answered, but he still charged forward. That was just how he was. When he fought, all he thought about was how to flatten his opponent. He never considered what his own body could take.
"Nana, increase the pressure! Its left hind leg is injured. I'll attack there!" Xie Yue's voice was much calmer, and his hands never slowed as he spoke.
The two Moon Blades spun into twin streaks of silver light in his hands. He circled halfway around the Magma Behemoth, reaching its left rear flank.
Hu Liena changed her hand gestures, and the pink mist abruptly thickened. Her Fourth Spirit Ability, Demon Fox Roar, silently burst forth.
A mental shockwave slammed into the Magma Behemoth's head.
Its movements faltered. Its head swayed as though it had been dazed.
That was all the opening Xie Yue needed.
His Third Spirit Ability, Break.
A razor-sharp silver gleam gathered along his Moon Blades and cut into the gap in the armor on the Magma Behemoth's left hind leg.
"Roar!" The Magma Behemoth let out a pained howl. Its left hind leg buckled, and its body slumped to the side.
Magma splattered from the wound, scorching black pits into the ground.
"Good!" Yan seized his chance and charged forward, punching the Magma Behemoth head-on. Black Hellfire wrapped around his fist as it slammed into the creature's chest armor.
"Boom!"
The punch packed a serious impact. A crack appeared in the Magma Behemoth's chest armor.
But in the next moment, the Magma Behemoth's mouth sprang open, and a torrent of scorching magma blasted from its throat!
"Get out of the way!" Xie Yue shouted.
Yan had no time to dodge. He instinctively raised both arms and drove his Second Spirit Ability, Granite Rock, to its limit. The rocky armor covering his body abruptly doubled in thickness.
Magma sprayed over him.
"Sss!"
Granite Rock instantly steamed, a layer of white vapor rising from it. The force of the magma drove Yan five or six meters backward, his boots carving two deep tracks across the ground.
Bubbles rose on the surface of his rocky armor, and several patches had begun to crack.
"Yan!" Hu Liena cried.
"I'm fine! I'm not dead yet!" Yan gritted his teeth and spat a mouthful of bloody saliva. The heat had turned his face red, and half his eyebrows were singed off.
Yue Guan watched from the entrance to the valley, his expression unreadable. His arms were still folded across his chest as he leaned against the rock wall, like he was watching a few children play house.
"Come on. Three people killing one Soul Beast, and you're still struggling this much?" Yue Guan said, his tone unhurried, as casually scolding as an elder admonishing his juniors.
Xie Yue ignored him, his expression tightening.
He knew Yue Guan wasn't urging them on. He was putting them in their place.
That was how Spirit Hall trained its people. Core disciples or outer members, it made no difference: if you couldn't win, you couldn't win. No one would bail you out. Yue Guan was only standing there to make sure no one died. Other than that, he wouldn't lift a finger.
Xie Yue's gaze turned cold.
He assessed Yan's condition, then looked at Hu Liena and made a quick decision.
"Hu Liena, control it with everything you've got. Give me three seconds. Yan, get ready to finish it."
At Xie Yue's words, Hu Liena didn't hesitate. She immediately unleashed her Fifth Spirit Ability.
The pink mist turned a deep, blood-red. Her eyes changed with it, her black pupils shifting to an eerie light purple. The corners of her eyes tilted up slightly, and her entire bearing transformed from alluring to dangerous.
Nine-Tailed Charm.
It was her strongest control skill, and one of the Golden Generation's signature Spirit Abilities.
An invisible mental shock shot from her eyes, burrowing straight into the Magma Behemoth's mind.
The Magma Behemoth suddenly froze.
The two burning eyes dimmed. Its mouth hung half open, and the magma in its throat stopped churning. It stood there, its four legs trembling slightly, as though making one last stand against something.
Three seconds.
Hu Liena couldn't hold it any longer. This Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's mental barriers were simply too thick. Even Nine-Tailed Charm could only force it under control for that long.
Xie Yue moved, unleashing his Fifth Spirit Ability, Kill.
The two Moon Blades merged into one, and the silver blade light surged to more than three times its original size. Xie Yue's entire body became a streak of dark silver light as he cut beneath the Magma Behemoth's belly.
"Whoosh!" The light entered through its left side and emerged from its right.
The Magma Behemoth's huge body shuddered violently. A gaping gash split the rocky armor across its belly, and magma poured from the wound, flooding the ground.
It wasn't dead yet, but it was almost finished.
"Quick, Yan, take the chance!" Hu Liena shouted.
Yan needed no urging. Black flames blazed at their fiercest around his fists, and his First Spirit Ability, Hell Magma Rush, was fully charged. He shot forward like a cannonball and punched the Magma Behemoth on the top of its head.
Thump! The sound was heavy and muffled, like a boulder sinking into a mud pit.
The Magma Behemoth's head was knocked to one side, and the two flame-like eyes went completely dark. Its enormous body crashed to the ground, kicking up dust and rubble.
The earth trembled. Even Qin Chuan, far away, felt the faint vibration travel from the tree trunk into his legs.