"Um?"
Old Ghost Liu's gaze almost immediately locked onto the pitch-black humanoid Martial Soul beside Xiao Yan.
His pupils suddenly contracted.
The hand that was about to strike froze in mid-air.
He Dou Qi Continent for decades, witnessing all sorts of cultivation techniques and Dou Technique.
Some cultivate the secret technique of creating clones, some refine puppet battle dolls, and some use secret methods to control corpses.
But he could see through their true nature at a glance.
But the black thing in front of him was completely beyond his comprehension.
He extended his Spiritual Soul Power towards the dark figure like an invisible hand.
As a Dou Zong, his soul perception far surpasses that of Dou Emperor, enough to see through most disguises and illusions.
However, the moment his Spiritual Soul Power touched the black figure...
It was like a clay ox sinking into the sea; all perception vanished without a trace, and nothing could be detected at all.
The black figure did not exhibit any spiritual fluctuations like a living person.
It doesn't have the deathly stillness of a dead person, nor does it bear the marks of manipulation like a puppet.
It's like a black hole that doesn't exist in any sensory system, rejecting all forms of detection.
This eerie feeling of being completely out of control made Old Ghost Liu feel uneasy.
Having lived for so many years, he understands one principle deeply.
The most terrifying thing on the battlefield is not how strong your opponent is, but that you have no idea what cards they are holding.
The young man before him had been using techniques he had never seen before since the start of their fight.
Each time, it caught him off guard.
Now, the appearance of this black figure made him sense a hint of danger.
" Luo Tian Finger!"
Old Ghost Liu is an elder of the Yellow Springs Pavilion and a genuine Dou Zong powerhouse.
Having experienced countless battles, both big and small, throughout his life, he naturally understands better than anyone the principle that "the longer you wait, the more things can go wrong."
He had heard at least eighty or a hundred examples of teams being overturned at the last minute in Central Plains.
So he didn't hesitate at all.
The instant he saw the Clone Martial Soul appear beside Xiao Yan.
He then decided not to give the other party any more chances and to annihilate the kid completely with Thunderous Might force.
The Dou Qi within his body surged like a raging river, converging wildly towards his right index finger.
The sheer power and magnificence of that Dou Qi was far more terrifying than any of the previous moves he had unleashed.
The earthen-yellow Dou Qi was continuously compressed and solidified at his fingertips, displacing the surrounding air and creating a brief vacuum zone.
With the frenzied infusion of Dou Qi, the light at his fingertips grew brighter and more dazzling.
A powerful energy surged continuously in his palm, spreading outwards as if it were a tangible substance.
A gigantic, illusory finger slowly coalesced and took shape in mid-air.
The giant finger was tens of feet long and as thick as the trunk of an ancient tree, its entire body shimmering with golden light.
The fingertip was pointing directly at Xiao Yan below.
Every line on the fingerprint surface was clearly visible, and even the grooves of the fingerprint were meticulously outlined by the Dou Qi.
It was as if this was not an illusion, but a real, giant finger that had fallen from the heavens.
A powerful surge of Dou Qi continuously flowed into it.
With each additional unit injected, the giant finger became more solid, and the oppressive force it emitted became even more terrifying.
A terrifying pressure poured down from mid-air.
The few remaining stone pillars in the stone forest creaked under the weight.
Those stone pillars, already riddled with holes from repeated battles, finally succumbed to the immense pressure they were under.
The surface of the pillar was covered with dense cracks, and gravel fell from the cracks.
The thinnest stone pillar collapsed first, breaking in two.
Immediately afterwards, the surrounding stone pillars collapsed one after another like dominoes, producing a deafening roar.
Luo Tian Finger is one of the core Dou Technique of the Yellow Springs Pavilion. Although it is not a Earth Tier attack method, it is the foundation of Earth Tier Dou Technique.
To pierce the sky with a finger, to break through the surface with a point, to concentrate all power into a single point.
Its power is so great that it can penetrate any defense of a powerhouse of the same level.
"Merge!"
Faced with Old Ghost Liu's earth-shattering attack, Xiao Yan showed no panic whatsoever.
He uttered a short, forceful command, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable determination.
The moment he finished speaking, the pitch-black humanoid Martial Soul beside him surged wildly into Xiao Yan's body.
The previously waning energy surged again the moment the fusion was complete.
Xiao Yan exuded an aura even stronger than when he was at his peak.
A visible shockwave emanated from him and spread outwards.
His complexion regained some color thanks to the combined effects of the medicine and the fusion of his divided soul.
The gruesome sword wound on his back was temporarily sealed by energy, and the bleeding stopped.
Xiao Yan's surging aura caused Old Ghost Liu's eyes to suddenly narrow in mid-air.
His pupils contracted rapidly, and the composure and coldness on his face finally crumbled at that moment.
Instead, there was an incredulous shock.
In his perception, Xiao Yan's strength at this moment had undergone a tremendous change compared to before.
It wasn't a minor improvement, but rather a leap up a whole level, like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.
If the aura Xiao Yan previously exuded was only comparable to Seven-Star Dou Huang...
Now, with the eerie black figure merging with the other, his aura is now approaching the Peak Dou Emperor.
The Peak Dou Emperor is a realm only one step away from Dou Zong, and it is the most outstanding existence in the entire Dou Emperor level.
Although there is still a qualitative gap between them and true Dou Zong.
But this gap is no longer the desperate chasm it once was.
A thought flashed through Old Ghost Liu's mind: Absolutely.
We can't let this kid live any longer.
He already possesses the combat power of Peak Dou Emperor at such a young age.
In addition, there were those two Heavenly Flames and a constant stream of bizarre methods.
If he were given a few more years, breaking through to the Dou Zong would be a certainty.
At that time, everything I did to him today will become the reason he seeks revenge on me in the Yellow Springs Pavilion.
This potential threat must be nipped in the bud.
"Whoosh!"
The moment the Soul Division Martial Soul completely merged with his physical body, Xiao Yan felt as if the world around him had changed completely.
His perception increased several times over with the help of the split soul.
The spatial fluctuations that could only be vaguely sensed before have become much clearer now.
They could even clearly perceive the subtle energy ripples within the Dou Qi flowing around Old Ghost Liu.
The speed at which his Soul Power circulated within his body also increased significantly.
Looking at Old Ghost Liu, who was gathering the Luo Tian Finger killing move in mid-air.
A dark red light suddenly appeared in Xiao Yan's hand.
The gun barrel was dark red all over, like solidified magma.
The surface is engraved with countless fine and intricate flame patterns.
The patterns lit up the moment the spear was formed, radiating a scorching and ancient aura.
The Soul Power within his body surged forth into the spear like a flood bursting its banks, without any restraint.
That long spear was like a bottomless abyss, devouring every bit of power within him, accepting all who came.
As Soul Power continued to be injected, the flame patterns on the gun became brighter and brighter.
It changed from dark red to orange-red, and then from orange-red to a dazzling pure gold color.
The light on the tip of the spear was dazzling, like a small sun embedded on it.
" Radiant Heaven World-Burning Spear!"
As the Soul Power within Xiao Yan's body converged into the spear like rivers flowing into the sea.
The light emanating from the gun illuminated the entire stone forest ruins as if it were daytime.
The energy of heaven and earth throughout the entire stone forest seemed to be drawn to this aura, converging directly towards the spear in his hand.
Even the oppressive force of Old Ghost Liu's Luo Tian Finger was somewhat diminished by the power of this shot.
" Earth Tier Dou Technique!?"
Feeling the unusual fluctuations of Dou Qi in mid-air.
Old Ghost Liu's expression changed again.
His perception was incredibly sharp; almost the instant Xiao Yan released that aura, he determined the grade of the spear.
His voice held a hint of disbelief and surprise, but even more so, an barely suppressed excitement.
A deep greed then surfaced in his eyes.
The fact that this kid possessed two different kinds of Heavenly Flames was already enough to tempt him, but now he actually had Earth Tier Dou Technique hidden within him.
Moreover, judging from its imposing presence, it's definitely not one of those common, low-ranking Earth Tier.
Once you defeat the opponent, all these things will become your spoils of war.
The Heavenly Flames can enhance his combat power and cultivation speed, and the Earth Tier Dou Technique can serve as his capital for further advancement in the Yellow Springs Pavilion in the future. It can even be left as a family heirloom to his direct descendants.
The harvest from this trip far exceeded his expectations.
Thinking of this, greed and murderous intent intertwined in Old Ghost Liu's eyes, making his gaunt old face look somewhat distorted.