"Boom!"
The shockwave from the explosion slammed into the spatial barrier, producing a deafening roar.
Old Ghost Liu's figure swayed slightly from the impact.
Although it was only a slight sway, it was enough to shock him.
An attack from a Dou Emperor could actually make him stagger even while he was defending with all his might. If word got out, no one in the entire Central Plains would believe it.
The three Dou Emperor behind him had just arrived and, having just regained their footing, saw the raging flames that blotted out the sky in front of them.
The three exchanged a glance, and each saw a look of disbelief and shock in the other's eyes.
The three of them were also Dou Emperor, holding high positions within the Yellow Springs Pavilion, and considered themselves to be knowledgeable and experienced.
But they asked themselves, no matter who it was, if they were to withstand this attack alone, they probably wouldn't be able to escape unscathed.
Even if they don't die, they'll be badly injured.
How could that kid, who looked to be no more than twenty years old, possibly unleash an attack of that level?
Is this still Dou Emperor?
Whoosh—boom!
The raging Heavenly Flames swept outwards, with scorching fire waves and biting cold air spreading alternately.
But the flames had only spread a short distance when they seemed to be suppressed by some force.
The expansion slowed abruptly, and the flames at the edges flickered and twisted, as if fighting against some unseen force.
Immediately, Old Ghost Liu roar came from within the sea of fire.
The angry shout was full of energy, and although it carried a hint of exasperation, there was no sign of injury whatsoever.
As soon as the shout was uttered, a powerful spatial force surged outward from the center of the sea of fire.
All the flames were as if gripped by an invisible hand in the face of this power, and instantly rolled back.
The sea of fire that was originally spreading outward contracted inward at an even faster speed, and countless tongues of fire were forcibly pulled back and gathered into Old Ghost Liu's withered palm that had been extended again.
"Click--"
A crisp cracking sound rang out across the sky; the sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear.
The last wisp of flame struggled twice in Old Ghost Liu's palm, emitting a series of unwilling crackling sounds, before being completely extinguished.
Only a wisp of smoke remained, rising from between his fingers, which was then dispersed without a trace by the night wind.
As the flames subsided and the moonlight shone down again, Old Ghost Liu's figure reappeared in everyone's sight.
However, he was completely different from his relaxed and carefree demeanor at the beginning.
The once smooth and lustrous dark yellow robe was now dry and stiff, with several obvious scorch marks.
Like fabric baked at high temperatures, his original resilience had been lost; his hair and beard, though not burned, were somewhat curled by the heat.
A faint burnt smell even wafted through the air, it was hard to tell if it was the smell of clothes burning or something else.
Old Ghost Liu glanced down at his sleeve, where there was a small burn mark. Although the area was small, it was particularly noticeable on the dark yellow fabric.
His face darkened—for a Dou Zong to be rendered like this by a Dou Emperor, even if the other party relied on the power of the Heavenly Flames, was still an extremely shameful thing.
"Okay, okay!"
Old Ghost Liu said "good" three times in a row, emphasizing each word as if he were chewing on some kind of anger about to erupt.
His voice was much calmer than before, but the calmer it was, the more chilling it became.
Those who know him know that when Old Ghost Liu is truly angry, he never shouts or yells.
Instead, she would speak in a cold, almost emotionless tone, just like she does now.
Before the words had even finished and before anyone could react, Old Ghost Liu's figure had already vanished from the spot.
He vanished into thin air without a trace, without a sound, and not even a faint ripple in space.
This is the true speed of Dou Zong expert using their full spatial power, more than twice as fast as when they chased Xiao Yan.
"Boy, I'll make you wish you were dead!"
Old Ghost Liu's voice came from afar, and the chill in his voice made the three Dou Emperor shiver involuntarily.
They had followed Old Ghost Liu for many years and rarely saw this old senior get so angry.
The three Dou Emperor exchanged glances again, each reading the same meaning from the other's eyes.
That kid's going to be in big trouble, really bad luck.
The three dared not delay, and simultaneously activated their Dou Qi, unfurling Dou Qi Wings on their backs, and pursued Xiao Yan in the direction where Old Ghost Liu had disappeared.
Boom boom boom!
Deafening explosions echoed continuously through the night sky.
The sounds rose and fell, like rolling thunder in summer echoing through the valley.
Each explosion was accompanied by a dazzling flash of light.
Sometimes it was a bluish-white flame, sometimes a dark yellow Dou Qi aura; the two colors of light flickered alternately in the night sky, like an unequal fireworks show.
Xiao Yan dodged the fierce attack from behind with a flurry of movements, his body performing dazzling maneuvers in mid-air.
His Twin Flame Wings had repaired the cut and were now operating at maximum speed, each flap propelling his body into a sharp turn or a sudden stop.
Even so, the attacks from behind continued to get closer and more intense, with several spatial blades almost grazing his body and adding new tears to his robes.
He could even smell the unique, acrid odor left behind after the air was cut by the power of space.
Sensing the approaching presence behind him, Old Ghost Liu's oppressive spatial fluctuations felt like a tightening net, sealing off all his escape routes.
Xiao Yan felt somewhat helpless, but he had to admit a fact.
Dou Zong expert is still too terrifying.
This terror is not a crushing defeat in terms of strength, but a complete suppression in terms of fighting style.
No matter how strong his attacks are, they are useless if they miss; no matter how fast he is, they are futile if he cannot outpace spatial teleportation; no matter how sturdy his defenses are, they are made of paper if they cannot withstand spatial cutting.
Even though he kept launching attacks along the way in an attempt to slow down the opponent, it had no real effect.
Those fire attacks, which would have been enough to severely injure Dou Emperor of the same level, were like pebbles thrown by a child in front of Old Ghost Liu.
The opponent either casually shattered it with a wave of their hand, or simply teleported around it.
Having learned his lesson the first time, Old Ghost Liu was now on guard against his Heavenly Flames attack.
Utilizing the spatial control of Dou Zong expert, he was able to easily neutralize Xiao Yan's attacks each time.
Xiao Yan could clearly feel that every one of his attacks was being neutralized by his opponent in the most effortless way.
However, the Soul Power within his body was constantly decreasing due to this high-intensity consumption.
At this rate, he can only last another quarter of an hour at most before his Soul Power runs out.
Soon, a dark, shadowy outline gradually emerged from the horizon in front of Xiao Yan.
As they drew closer, the outline became clearer and clearer; it was a stone forest.
Stone pillars of various shapes rise from the plain, some tens of feet high and others only a few feet high, their surfaces riddled with holes from wind and sand erosion.
They present a variety of peculiar shapes.
Some resemble sharp swords piercing the sky, some resemble giants standing on the earth, and some resemble fierce beasts crouching and waiting to pounce.
Moonlight spilled onto these stone pillars, casting crisscrossing shadows. The entire stone forest looked like a huge natural labyrinth, deep and mysterious.
A resolute ruthlessness flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes.
He made the decision almost instantly: continue fleeing until his Soul Power was completely exhausted, at which point he would truly become a lamb to the slaughter.
They wouldn't even have the last bit of strength to resist.
This stone forest has a complex terrain and numerous obstacles.
Although it cannot completely restrict the spatial power of Dou Zong, it can at least weaken the opponent's perception and buy oneself some room to maneuver.
With things having come to this point, Xiao Yan had no choice but to fight him with all his might.
There's no escaping now. Rather than being chased to death, I'd rather fight to the bitter end here.
He turned and rushed into the stone forest, his whole body like a swallow flying through the forest, swiftly moving between the jagged stone pillars.
Old Ghost Liu followed closely behind, watching Xiao Yan plunge into the stone forest, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
In his view, Xiao Yan's decision to abandon the option of escaping in the open air and instead choose to enter this stone forest was tantamount to courting death.
In this narrow and complex terrain, although the opponent has more room to dodge, one's own space to pursue also increases.
More importantly, his spatial perception would indeed be affected to some extent in the Stone Forest, but he was, after all, Dou Zong.
Even with its perception range compressed, it still far exceeds that of Dou Emperor, so this impact is simply insufficient to change the course of the battle.
Those stone pillars, however, were as fragile as tofu in the face of spatial power.
"Trying to use the terrain to hold me back? Naïve."
Old Ghost Liu snorted coldly, and without pausing for a moment, he chased after them into the stone forest.
His pursuit method was completely different from Xiao Yan's.
Xiao Yan walked around the stone pillars, and when he encountered a stone pillar blocking his way, he did not dodge or evade it at all, and the power of space around him surged.
Those solid stone pillars were as if they had been sliced in two by an invisible blade, and collapsed with a crash.
In an instant, dust billowed up in the stone forest, stones flew everywhere, and the roaring sound was incessant.
Hearing the continuous loud noises behind him, Xiao Yan knew that Old Ghost Liu was using the most violent methods to break through the obstacles and pursue him.
But he didn't panic. Instead, he used the chaotic sounds of the collapsing stone pillars to cover his movements, constantly weaving and changing direction through the stone forest.