Xiao Yan lay on his back amidst the pile of rubble, peering through the cracks in the rocks at the dappled night sky above, his chest heaving violently.
The wound on my back was burning with pain; every breath aggravated it, bringing a sharp, piercing pain.
But his eyes remained bright and calm as he rapidly reviewed the gains and losses of the previous exchange.
He looked with a hint of regret in the direction where the Earth Attribute Dou Emperor was.
In his original plan, this Demon-Breaking Light should have been fatal enough.
It acts directly on the body, destroying the opponent's meridians and dantian core, and theoretically can kill them in one blow.
He intended to sacrifice himself to save the other person's life.
It was just a pity that the Earth Attribute Dou Emperor's cultivation was even deeper than he had anticipated.
Its vitality far exceeded his expectations.
Although the opponent was severely injured by the Demon-Breaking Light, his meridians were seriously damaged, his Dou Qi was in chaos, and his aura was extremely weak.
But in the end, he still managed to stay alive.
The trade of exchanging injury for life turned into an exchange of injury for injury. Although this deal was still profitable, it did not meet Xiao Yan's most ideal expectations.
However, it can be considered as eliminating a formidable enemy.
In this desperate situation of being besieged, the departure of each opponent can buy him more space to survive.
Although Old Ghost Liu remains the biggest threat, the pressure has been significantly reduced with one less formidable opponent.
Are you alright?
The wind-attribute Dou Emperor in mid-air breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his sword light had finally hit its mark.
He then turned around and looked at the earth-attribute Dou Emperor with concern.
The two had worked together for many years. Although they weren't exactly brothers, they were able to rely on each other on the battlefield.
At this moment, he saw his companion kneeling in the Earth Rampart, his face ashen and his breath weak.
His brows furrowed tightly, his heart filled with both shock and anger.
Surprisingly, Xiao Yan managed to severely injure one of the two attackers despite being attacked from both sides.
He was furious because his sword strike came too late; if he had been just half a beat faster, his companion might not have been injured.
However, before he could check on his companion's specific injuries, Old Ghost Liu in mid-air could no longer contain himself.
This Dou Zong expert's patience finally ran out after witnessing the second Dou Emperor being severely injured by Xiao Yan.
Of the three Dou Emperor he brought, one was killed on the spot, and another was beaten so badly that he lost his fighting ability.
Only one person remained standing.
This result completely exceeded his expectations.
It also made him feel a burning pain on his face.
He, a dignified Dou Zong, is in charge.
He actually let a mere Dou Emperor ) brat cripple two of his subordinates right under his nose.
If this gets out, where will Old Ghost Liu put his face?
He no longer cared about saving face, nor did he give Xiao Yan any chance to breathe, and took a step forward.
The space beneath his feet distorted slightly as he took a step, and he vanished from his spot.
When he reappeared, he had already landed steadily above the pile of rubble where Xiao Yan was buried, his feet dangling in the air, his robes fluttering in the night wind.
Moonlight streamed down from behind him, casting shadows over his somber face.
"Die!"
Old Ghost Liu's voice boomed like thunder over the stone forest.
The killing intent contained in that voice was so intense it was almost tangible.
He looked down at the rubble and ruins below; he knew the kid was still alive.
His senses clearly detected the faint yet resilient life force beneath the rubble.
He was too lazy to waste any more words and suddenly raised his right palm.
The earth-yellow Dou Qi gathered wildly in his palm, its Dou Qi far surpassing any attack released by the two previous Dou Emperor.
With a single palm strike, terrifying Dou Qi crashed down from mid-air like a cascading Milky Way.
Even before the palm strike arrived, the invisible pressure had already caused the pile of rubble below to tremble violently.
Countless pebbles were crushed into dust under this pressure, and a huge palm print even appeared on the ground.
The cracks spread rapidly outwards from the palm print, as if the entire stone forest was about to be slammed into the ground by this palm strike.
The entire space became viscous under this palm strike.
The air was as heavy as lead, making even breathing an extremely difficult task.
"Boom!"
However, just as that giant palm of Dou Qi was about to completely crush down...
From the pile of rubble that buried Xiao Yan, a terrifying flame shot into the sky.
Countless fragments of stone were swept away by the flames and shot out in all directions, drawing dense lines of fire in the air, looking from a distance like a meteor shower flying backwards.
The temperature inside the entire stone forest suddenly soared to its extreme in that instant.
The ruins exploded, and Xiao Yan's figure was once again exposed to the moonlight.
He looked extremely disheveled at that moment.
Most of the Soul Armor on his body was broken, with only a few incomplete pieces still clinging to him.
His robes were torn by sword energy and burned by Heavenly Flames, clinging to his body in tatters.
His face was as pale as paper, and a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.
The most shocking thing was the sword wound that ran across his back.
Although he temporarily sealed the acupoints with his Soul Power to stop the bleeding, the rolled-up flesh was still hideous and terrifying.
Even in this disheveled state, Xiao Yan's eyes still shone with an astonishing brightness.
There was no despair or fear in those dark eyes, only a volcanic fighting spirit and an indomitable tenacity.
He knelt amidst the ruins, supporting himself with one hand, looking up at the Dou Zong powerhouse who was looking down at him from high above.
Feeling the massive palm of Dou Qi descending from Old Ghost Liu in mid-air like Mount Tai pressing down.
A surge of fury flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes.
Fifth Soul Skill, Cold Heart Lotus Explosion!
A low growl escaped Xiao Yan's throat.
His voice was somewhat hoarse due to his injuries, yet it still possessed a captivating, penetrating quality.
The black Soul Ring on his body flickered once more.
That was the most dazzling and deepest light; the black Soul Ring suddenly shone brightly among the five halos.
Pure Soul Power surged wildly from his body like an out-of-control torrent, flowing into his palms.
The next moment, a dazzling Fire Lotus shot out from his hand.
That Fire Lotus was more exquisite and refined than the one used against Old Ghost Liu. It was only the size of a bowl, yet it exuded an even more dangerous aura.
The moment the Fire Lotus left his hand, it began to spin rapidly, its light growing more intense with each rotation.
He fearlessly met the giant palm of Dou Qi that was crushing down from mid-air.
Xiao Yan did not choose to dodge, knowing that he could not avoid a palm strike from a Dou Zong at close range.
He chose the most direct and forceful approach: a head-on confrontation.
"Kid, do you really think the same trick will work a second time?"
Old Ghost Liu stared coldly at Xiao Yan below, his large, round eyes still blazing with anger.
But more often than not, it's a cold indifference born of anger and embarrassment.
He spoke with disdain, but his actions were anything but careless.
He was covered in soot and grime from that Fire Lotus explosion, and his robes still smelled burnt. He would never make the same mistake again.
The Dou Qi within his body surged forth even more violently than before, and the earthy yellow Dou Qi continuously accumulated in the giant palm.
The palm print was solidified to an extremely terrifying degree.
The space on the surface of the palm print was slightly distorted under the pressure of this force, emitting a low humming sound.
"Boom!"
The dazzling Fire Lotus collided violently with the giant palm of Dou Qi in mid-air.
The moment they made contact, the Fire Lotus suddenly expanded, transforming into a massive fireball with a diameter of tens of feet.
The pure white and turquoise flames rolled and tumbled alternately, like a flower of death blooming in the night sky.
The giant palm of Dou Qi, like an unshakeable mountain, forcefully pressed into the center of the fireball.
The force of the palm strike and the flames violently eroded and neutralized each other.
The shockwave from the impact swept outwards, uprooting dozens of remaining stone pillars in the stone forest like building blocks.
The flames and Dou Qi remained locked in a stalemate in mid-air for several breaths, but in the end, the giant palm of Dou Qi gained the upper hand.
After all, it was a strike from a Dou Zong (a high-level martial arts master).
The giant hand forcefully shattered the fireball, turning it into countless tiny fragments of flame that scattered in all directions, like a dazzling Huo Yu.
Not far away, the wind-attribute Dou Emperor had already taken advantage of the gap between Xiao Yan and Old Ghost Liu's battle to pull his injured and unconscious companion to a safe area.
After settling his companions, he stood at a distance and quietly watched the scene unfold.
With Old Ghost Liu, Dou Zong level expert, personally taking action, they no longer needed to lift a finger.
In his view, the raging flames and terrifying Dou Qi had almost leveled the entire stone forest.
That young figure who had just been like a god of death in their eyes.
He knelt amidst the ruins, his breath weak and feeble.
Old Ghost Liu remained firmly in mid-air, like an insurmountable wall, his eyes slightly lowered, his gaze coldly fixed on the ground below.
Old Ghost Liu did not rush to launch a second attack; he stood in mid-air.
Although the Fire Lotus had neutralized most of the power of that palm strike, the remaining force was still enough to give Xiao Yan a hard time.
He saw that Xiao Yan barely had the strength to stand up after releasing the Fire Lotus.
The sword wound on his back reopened during the impact, and blood gushed out again, staining the rubble beneath him a deep red.
Xiao Yan knelt amidst the ruins, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, his body trembling slightly.
He could feel that seventy or eighty percent of his Soul Power had been consumed, and the remaining power was only enough for him to unleash one or two more Soul Skill.
But he still gritted his teeth, raised his head, and stared intently at Old Ghost Liu in mid-air.
There was no pleading or compromise in his eyes, only a stubbornness that made even Old Ghost Liu uncomfortable.
"Kid, I told you, the same method won't work a second time."
Old Ghost Liu's voice came down from mid-air, as cold as a chilling wind seeping from a crack in the ground.
He looked down at the young man below, who could barely stand, yet still glared at him with that defiant look.
A sudden, indescribable unease welled up within me.
He had seen far too many opponents kneel before him and beg for mercy.
I've seen too many people break down and despair in dire straits, but this kid in front of me, who was clearly at his wit's end...
But the bones are so hard.