The forest in the distance trembled violently. A wave of icy mist rolled in, and with it came three figures landing heavily before Chen Junting and his team. Their soul power surged like a tidal wave.
BOOM—!
The pressure of two Soul Kings and one Soul Emperor hit like a wall. Chen Junting's brow furrowed. But in the next breath, his Seven Killings Swordsmanship flared to life—sharp, unyielding—cutting through the pressure and holding it back.
The trio, led by Dai Yueheng, blinked in surprise. A Soul Ancestor withstanding their aura?
Impressive.
"You're good, junior brother," Dai Yueheng said, locking eyes with him.
"You flatter me, senior." Chen Junting gripped the Seven Killings Sword tightly, calm and collected.
But his attention was already on the blue-haired beauty behind them—Ling Luochen, staff in hand, soul rings gleaming.
"Ready to surrender?" asked Yao Haoxuan, short and stocky, his smirk disarming but his tone lighthearted. "Not sure how you managed to beat Chen Zifeng and the others, but against us? You've got no chance."
"Is that so?"
Chen Junting smiled faintly.
At that moment, a veil of hazy, multicolored mist swept over the area, casting the clearing into an illusion.
Illusionary Space.
Activated through Ning Tian's Illusionary Wisdom Skull, the ability created a psychic network similar to the legendary Ning Rongrong's soul skill from ten thousand years ago. It boosted the team's mental strength by 50%, weakened enemy perception, and let allies communicate through thought.
"Move!"
Dai Yueheng roared, activating his White Tiger Martial Soul and charging toward the coordinates where he remembered seeing his brother and Zhu Lu.
BOOM—!
Yao Haoxuan slammed a foot into the ground, cracking it with the force. His uniform shredded apart as his muscles expanded wildly. Grayish armor-like skin covered his body, and his dark green eyes glinted. (TL:Yao Haoxuan Martial Soul is Gorilla but Support-System)
A walking fortress.
Two yellow soul rings lit up—his amplification aura spreading like ripples.
"Boom. Boom. Boom…"
Each beat of his chest released pulses of yellow light, empowering Dai Yueheng and Ling Luochen, sharpening their momentum.
But Junting's team stood strong—Ning Tian's illusions shielding their minds from the disruptive resonance.
"Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu!" Chen Junting's voice was firm, the command echoing through their shared mental link.
Xiao Xiao and Cao Jinxuan moved first.
Nine Phoenix Cauldron and Time Flies Bell activated in unison. Two waves of deceleration slammed into Dai Yueheng, stalling him just long enough—
—for Zhu Lu and Dai Huabin to clasp hands.
Their bodies blurred, fusing together in an instant.
The Netherworld White Tiger roared into existence.
"ROAR—!"
The sound thundered through the forest as claws raked through the air—striking from behind.
Dai Yueheng turned instinctively, activating his protective soul skill. White light enveloped him.
With his Soul Emperor cultivation, even Ning Tian's amplifications weren't enough to let the Netherworld White Tiger break his defenses.
Chen Junting knew this.
The real goal wasn't to beat Dai Yueheng. It was to stall him—long enough for the others to act.
Wu Feng was already closing in.
Her target: Ling Luochen.
But before she could act—
"Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao understood instantly. The psychic network allowed seamless communication. In the blink of an eye, he vanished—and the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor emerged in his place.
Its frigid aura descended.
Golden crystal eyes locked on Ling Luochen. She froze—completely immobilized by the absolute chill.
Junting moved.
One swift motion of the Seven Killings Sword—and Ling Luochen's badge was gone.
Even the tip of the sword nearly froze from the icy backlash.
"Ultimate Ice… no joke."
Junting nodded, then turned to his next opponent.
Yao Haoxuan.
With a light step, Junting darted forward.
"You again?"
Yao Haoxuan narrowed his eyes but didn't hesitate. He raised a fist, surrounded by thick keratin armor, and punched out.
Junting vanished—then reappeared right in front of him.
CLANG—!
Sword met fist.
The impact sent a shockwave across the clearing. Yao Haoxuan stumbled—but Junting held firm.
The others joined in.
Wang Dong, Cao Jinxuan, and Xiao Xiao piled on. Under the onslaught, Yao Haoxuan's defenses began to crack.
His armored fist started to bleed.
"Where's Ling Luochen?!" he roared in panic.
No answer. Only more attacks.
At the same time—
The Netherworld White Tiger's aura faltered.
Dai Yueheng, now fully transformed with White Tiger Vajra Transformation, crushed the fusion with brute strength.
The martial soul fusion collapsed.
But Wu Feng escaped—lifted skyward by Ning Tian's Tear Wind Wings just in time.
Dai Yueheng wasn't done.
"Fifth Soul Skill—White Tiger Demon God Transformation!"
"Sixth Soul Skill—White Tiger Destruction Slash!"
Golden claws crossed in an X-shape. A massive "Kill" character exploded forth.
Illusionary Space shattered.
The clearing returned to normal as light and mist dissolved.
Dai Yueheng stood, barely scratched, towering before the younger team.
"You've done well," he admitted, glancing at the beaten Yao Haoxuan and the unconscious Ling Luochen.
"But it ends here."
Or so he thought.
From above—
Ning Tian dove from the sky, streaking toward Dai Yueheng like a shooting star.
His eyes narrowed. He prepared an attack, but—
Two golden shields activated around Ning Tian in a flash.
Invincible Shields.
Pricey and rare, but for the Nine Treasure Glazed Sect? A non-issue.
Not only that, the shields had embedded array patterns, allowing double layering.
The first blocked the white tiger's light wave.
The second wrapped around them both, trapping Dai Yueheng inside with her.
A modified version of a Sun-Moon Empire tactic, first used against Ma Xiaotao.
But this wasn't the tournament.
And Dai Yueheng was not Ma Xiaotao.
Still, it was enough.
Chen Junting moved.
Six slashes in a blink—each one containing a different essence of killing intent.
They converged into a single massive "Kill" character in the air.
The pressure of the Seven Killings Sword fully unleashed.
The atmosphere itself seemed to grow heavy with death.
"Buzz—"
A golden feather floated down from above.
Its radiant energy washed over the battlefield, dispelling the killing aura.
Junting looked up, lips curving.
Two hours.
Exactly.
He lowered his sword.
"We're done."
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(End of Chapter)
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