Dark Blade Shows Its Might, the Beginning of the Blood Sacrifice

The fierce battle beneath the night sky had already lasted nearly half an hour.

The thunderous collisions of soul skills, the sharp clang of weapons striking each other, and the muffled groans and furious roars that rang out from time to time formed the main melody of this bloody night. The battle above the Li Family estate remained deadlocked, but a subtle change was quietly stirring like an undercurrent.

The Qiu Family's initial unstoppable momentum was gradually being worn away by the Li Family's stubborn resistance. What weighed even more heavily on their hearts was that, below them, more and more auras were rising and gathering within the Li Family grounds.

Most of them were only Soul Sages or Soul Douluos. In a one-on-one fight, they would be no match for Titled Douluos like them. But when those auras linked together like a tightening encirclement, the psychological pressure they brought was immense. Powerful waves of Soul Power locked onto the battlefield from every direction. Though they had yet to directly join this highest-level battle, the hostile, resolute gazes and the faintly forming Soul Power interference made the Qiu Family experts feel as if thorns were pricking their backs.

Even ants could kill an elephant! What was more, among the "ants" facing these "elephants" were several who were nearly as strong as them—or even stronger! Li Yunming, Li Tianwu, Chen Jianjun, and the others were no easy opponents. They had to divert part of their attention to guard against possible sneak attacks or interference from below, making their attacks more cautious and even somewhat impatient.

"We can't drag this out any longer!" Qiu Tianxie, who was locked in fierce combat with Li Tiancheng, was frantic. He had already been suppressed by Li Tiancheng's violent ninth soul skill and had suffered several wounds. Now that he sensed more and more powerful Li Family auras around him, his mind became even more chaotic. Spotting an opening, he viciously swung his Martial Soul Avatar, the Devouring Wolf Claw, at Li Tiancheng's ribs, trying to force him back and find a chance to escape.

Yet that brief moment of impatience and distraction exposed a fatal flaw.

He had kept his attention on Li Tiancheng before him, but overlooked an aura that had remained hidden in the shadows, calmly waiting like a Poison Snake.

Just as his old strength had faded and his new strength had yet to rise, with all his focus fixed on that tail strike—

"Screech!"

An exceedingly faint sound of something cutting through the air, faster than thought itself, suddenly rang out from the void behind and to his side!

It was an extremely condensed dark-golden spear beam. It appeared so abruptly that it seemed to have torn through space itself. The sharpness and power contained within it froze the surrounding air.

Every hair on Qiu Tianxie's body stood on end as an icy premonition of death clenched his heart! He wanted to defend himself, wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.

"Pfft—!"

The dark-golden spear beam pierced precisely through his back and emerged from his chest! Violent Soul Power instantly exploded inside his body, destroying his organs and meridians alike!

Qiu Tianxie's forward charge abruptly froze. He lowered his head in disbelief, staring at the bowl-sized hole in his chest and the hot blood pouring from it, mixed with fragments of his internal organs.

"Urgh... you... dark..." A strange rasp came from his throat as he tried to turn and see the face of his attacker. But the light in his eyes rapidly faded like a candle flame in the wind. At last, filled with endless regret and unwillingness, his body went limp and fell toward the ground below.

A level 93 Titled Douluo had fallen just like that!

This sudden turn of events made the entire battlefield fall silent!

"Elder Tianxie!"

"Third Brother!"

Everyone in the Qiu Family was enraged, roaring in shock and fury. They had never expected that despite their numerical advantage, the first to fall would be one of their own core elders!

"Father—!!!"

Of the two level 94 Titled Douluos fighting Li Yuanhui, the one whose martial soul was the Wind Demon Wolf let out a heart-rending howl! He was Qiu Tianxie's only son, Qiu Lie! Seeing his father die before his eyes, his eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and his reason was swallowed by overwhelming hatred. He disregarded everything and charged toward where Qiu Tianxie was falling.

"Calm down!" his companion, the Darksteel Shield Titled Douluo, roared urgently, trying to stop him.

But Qiu Lie had already gone mad. He turned into a streak of light and rushed out, completely exposing his back to Li Yuanhui.

Li Yuanhui was already delighted by the hidden assistance, but with his keen battle instincts, how could he possibly let such a perfect opportunity slip by? A cold glint flashed through his eyes as the Sky Phoenix Halberd erupted with towering flames.

"Go keep Elder Tianxie company! Eighth soul skill, Sky Phoenix Soaring Strike!"

The blazing fire phoenix let out an enraged cry and, with lightning speed, violently slammed into Qiu Lie's unguarded back!

"Boom!"

"Aah—!"

Qiu Lie let out an even more miserable scream than before. His entire body was blasted away like a kite with its string cut, blood scattering across the sky. His aura instantly withered to the extreme. Though he did not die on the spot, he had completely lost his ability to fight.

In the blink of an eye, the Qiu Family had consecutively lost two Titled Douluo combatants—one dead and one severely injured!

Only then did a tall figure clad in dark-golden battle armor and wielding a Dragon-Patterned Long Spear slowly step out of the void. His expression was cold and stern. He was none other than the man who had remained hidden and never shown himself before—Nangong Yi, the Ascending Dragon Douluo!

"Elder Nangong!" Li Tiancheng panted heavily and cast Nangong Yi a grateful look.

The Li Family members were greatly encouraged by this sight!

"Excellent!"

"Keep them here! Avenge our fallen clansmen!"

The Li Family side, which had been somewhat stifled by the stalemate among the top fighters, now seemed to have been injected with a stimulant. Their cries of battle shook the heavens. Nangong Yi, who had struck from the shadows and killed an enemy in a single blow, had become the key figure in breaking the balance. His appearance allowed the Li Family to glimpse hope of overwhelming their opponents in the clash of top-tier combatants!

Qiu Qianchi, who was being firmly suppressed by Yun Ming, felt his heart bleed at the sight. A tremendous sense of humiliation and panic welled up within him. He knew that tonight's operation had utterly failed—and failed miserably!

Their surprise attack had only killed some lower-level soul masters, while all of them had been held back. Now Elder Tianxie was dead and Elder Lie was severely injured. They had directly lost two Titled Douluos. If this continued, they would only be defeated one by one. By then, perhaps none of them would be able to leave alive. He had to make a decision immediately.

Moreover, the Li Yunming before him was terrifying beyond measure. He was completely no match for him. His strength had already reached the limit beneath godhood. Qiu Qianchi did not doubt that Li Yunming could achieve the 100th-Level Divine Official Realm at any moment. If they kept fighting, he feared that he himself would die within fifty exchanges.

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!" He could no longer care about his pride as he let out a shrill roar. The entire Qiu Family army collapsed like a landslide.

End of Chapter 21