Hun Mo's expression twisted as his limbs turned cold. The terrifying white streak of lightning drew ever closer, filling his vision. From the depths of his heart, an aura of death silently surged forth. Yet, he was no ordinary man. Forcing down his panic, he steadied himself.
A cruel glint surfaced on his shriveled face. At this moment, if he did not stake everything, he would certainly die!
"Devour Curse Insect!"
Before countless eyes, Old Man Hun Mo pressed his hand onto the head of the Soul Curse Toad. A shrill, piercing cry erupted from the beast as a bloody glow burst forth.
Under everyone's horrified gazes, the massive body of the Soul Curse Toad withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, melting into a pool of viscous blood. That blood was then swallowed whole by Hun Mo.
The instant it entered his stomach, his body convulsed violently. Mouthfuls of blood sprayed out as Dou Qi surged madly through his meridians, breaking free of the oppressive suppression that had locked Heaven and Earth. Though the process was forceful and brutal, he succeeded.
At a glance, his form was ghastly, like a specter born of blood. The mighty Dou Qi now raging around him was violent, unstable, and terrifying.
Ao!
A heaven-shaking wail tore from Hun Mo's throat, echoing like the cry of a beast from the abyss. At that cry, the suppressed energy of the world shuddered and broke loose, rushing madly toward him and pouring into his unnaturally widened maw. Within mere breaths, a viscous sphere of blood took form, pulsing with baleful power.
Bang!
The blood sphere shot forth with devastating force, colliding head-on with the descending streak of white lightning before countless watching eyes!
Bang!
A violent collision erupted as blood light and white thunder clashed, releasing a deafening roar. A terrifying shockwave rippled outward, collapsing the void itself before spreading wildly in all directions. The watching experts felt its crushing might sweep over them—yet, fortunately, they were not ordinary experts. Their own strength barely shielded them from harm, though their expressions changed drastically at the sheer force displayed.
But in only a few breaths, the radiant thunder surged forth, tearing apart the blood light and piercing straight through it. The white brilliance crashed upon Hun Mo in an instant.
Pu—!
His body was flung away like a broken kite, utterly uncontrollable. Blood gushed from his mouth in torrential streams as his figure smashed heavily into a distant mountain that had survived only by being far from the clash.
Bang!
The reprieve was short-lived. The impact sent tremors across the mountain, splitting its peak before half of it collapsed entirely, reduced to fine grains of sand under the force of Hun Mo's crash. Yet his body did not stop—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He plummeted through three more mountains, shattering them one after another, until the devastating momentum finally came to an end.
The onlookers were shaken to their cores. Just as unease began to stir among them, a bloodied figure struggled to rise amidst the ruins. Hun Mo's frail frame staggered, drenched in blood, his form utterly wretched.
His body was riddled with deep wounds, bones shattered, blood ceaselessly pouring from him. His vitality leaked away in streams, his aura withering rapidly. His face grew paler with every passing breath, his life force visibly ebbing away.
Xiu!
Li Mei paid no heed to Hun Mo's pitiful state. Though she could clearly see he was but half a step from death, her killing intent surged. She would not allow him even the faintest chance of survival. If she stops now, Hun Mo might yet escape.
With the Hun Clan's terrifying foundation, his recovery was almost guaranteed—time-consuming, perhaps, but inevitable. Should that happen, he would once again rise as a looming threat against Moonlit Chaos Mansion. Li Mei refused to let such a calamity take root. She would personally end him here and now.
In an instant, her figure flashed and appeared before the wretched old man. Just as she raised her hand to deliver the fatal strike, a thunderous voice, brimming with alarm, reverberated across the battlefield.
"Li Mei!"
Ming Cheng's voice crashed into her ears like a bolt of divine thunder. At that moment, Li Mei's instincts screamed. A chilling premonition of death surged through her heart, forcing her body to retreat on instinct. Her figure blurred, vanishing from her original spot before reappearing several meters away from the mountain.
Boom!
The void behind her shattered violently. From within the darkness, an enormous black hand, twisted into a sinister claw, surged forth with overwhelming force, aiming to seize Li Mei in its grip.
Watching the looming black hand surge toward her, Li Mei's expression darkened. Her body moved without hesitation. The suffocating strength contained within that claw told her one truth—if she dared to hold back now, the price would be her life.
Her sword danced lightly in her grip. With her snow-white hand, she traced the blade in a graceful motion. Wherever her fingers passed, arcs of Celestial Thunder crackled into existence, while a razor-sharp sword intent erupted, slicing through the air itself.
By the time her hand completed the motion, the sword blazed with divine radiance—pure, elegant, and resplendent, like a sacred artifact that illuminated heaven and earth. Her lips parted, and a clear, majestic voice rang out.
"Lotus Blooming Thunder Sword!"
Her figure blurred as she brandished the sword, cleaving toward the incoming black claw. In that instant, thunder and sword intent intertwined, blooming into a white lotus. Each petal radiated elegance and refinement, yet within it surged an unstoppable might.
Bang!
The lotus spun gracefully, drifting toward the enormous dark hand with an ethereal poise. Yet with every rotation, it erupted with a terrifying power that shook the heavens and earth. Black lines tore open across the void wherever its petals passed, as though the very space itself was being sliced apart.
Boom!
In an instant, the enormous sinister hand collided with the sacred lotus. From the point of impact, an overwhelming brilliance of black and white erupted, blinding in its intensity. The light spread across the mountain range, draining it of all color, as though the world itself had been stripped bare.
The clash was like the confrontation of heaven's purity and hell's corruption—holy and evil locked in a fierce struggle, neither yielding, neither allowing the other to gain the slightest edge.
Kacha—!
The balance broke with a piercing shatter. Cracks webbed across the radiant lotus before it disintegrated into drifting motes of light. A violent shockwave burst forth from its collapse, sweeping the battlefield in a crushing gale.
The sacred lotus had been defeated. The enormous dark claw pressed on, its might unshaken.
Pu—!
Li Mei coughed blood, her figure flung backward through the air. Only after several breaths did she manage to stabilize herself, her body swaying unsteadily. With great effort, she lifted her head.
Reflected in her eyes was the colossal black hand still surging toward her, locked firmly onto her presence. Escape was impossible.
Yet, there was no fear in her gaze. She had already given everything to withstand that strike, even if only for a fleeting moment. That brief delay was enough—her brothers and sisters would surely arrive.
And so they did. Two figures flashed and appeared before her—Mei Ling and Wei Jie.
Above Wei Jie's palm hovered a blazing sun of five-colored brilliance, dragon runes pulsating fiercely across its surface. The wrathful roar of a dragon shook the air, its oppressive might surging forth with searing heat.
Meanwhile, Mei Ling's hands radiated with dazzling flames, a graceful phoenix coiling around them. Its cry was majestic yet sharp, carrying the aura of annihilation, its presence beautiful and terrifying all at once.
With resolute eyes, the two unleashed their strikes in unison, their voices thundering across heaven and earth:
"Burning Sun of Wrathful Dragon!"
"Radiant Phoenix Flare!"
The blazing sun ignited into a torrent of fiery light, scorching both air and void as it surged toward the colossal dark-black hand. Meanwhile, the radiance transformed into a phoenix, wings ablaze as it soared forward, leaving behind a burning trail that seared the very fabric of the void.
The heat radiating from their combined might was overwhelming—the temperature rose to such a terrifying degree that the distant forest began to smolder, smoke rising before it burst into flames.
Bang!
The sun and phoenix slammed into the enormous hand with earth-shaking force. A storm of scorching fire and bone-piercing cold erupted at the point of impact, sweeping across the mountains in a tide of destruction.
The surrounding experts recoiled in shock, retreating without hesitation. Even with their cultivation, their hearts trembled—merely brushing against that annihilating force would mean crippling injuries, if not instant death.
Boom!
The combined might of sun and phoenix forced the enormous hand to a halt. Shockwaves raged outward, tearing the void asunder, while the ground below collapsed beneath the clash of destructive forces.
Bang!
Yet the sinister hand proved monstrously resilient. Within moments, the fiery sun dimmed, and the phoenix let out a sorrowful cry before both shattered into fragments of light, overwhelmed by its crushing power.
Pu—!
Wei Jie and Mei Ling were flung back, though they quickly stabilized beside Li Mei. Blood trailed from the corners of their lips, their complexions pale—clear signs of the backlash they had suffered for failing to endure the might of that monstrous hand.
Though the sun and phoenix were destroyed, their efforts were not meaningless. The colossal hand, after colliding with three successive techniques, had clearly weakened, its once-terrifying luster dimmed, and its momentum slowed.
It was at this critical moment that Ming Cheng and Xin Yu appeared in a flash, stepping forth before the weakened hand.
Ming Cheng spat out the Thunder Emperor, instantly splitting it into nine strands of Heavenly Lightning. Since Xiao Hua's year of slumber, Lady Azure had entrusted him with the sparks of the other four Heavenly Lightnings, allowing him to refine the Thunder Emperor to an even higher realm.
This naturally included the Celestial Thunder that Li Mei wielded. It was precisely because of this power that she had managed, even briefly, to withstand the monstrous hand's overwhelming strength.
With a single motion, the nine Heavenly Lightnings surged into the spear within Ming Cheng's grasp, fusing in one breath. An incomparably sharp and cold spear intent radiated outward, honed to its pinnacle before resonating with the coursing lightnings and merging into one.
The void trembled as thunderous roars erupted, shaking heaven and earth. Black-gold arcs of lightning gathered at the spear's tip, swelling with tyrannical might until they fractured into countless feral silhouettes.
At the same time, spatial ripples flared around Xin Yu. An exceptionally pure and sacred water erupted from her body, carrying both serenity and majesty. In an instant, it agglomerated into a vast divine sea.
The overwhelming might and purifying force of the sea made the world itself feel suffocating, as though submerged in the deepest abyss of the ocean, where all was pressed down and refined into pure energy.
In the next instant, the two unleashed their strikes together, their voices resonating like thunder across the battlefield.
"Thunder Beast Rampage!"
"Lotus Tide Divine Strike!"
Ming Cheng's spear cleaved downward, and an army of immortal thunder beasts surged forth. Each one was born from divine thunder and spear will—wolves and tigers, colossal dragons and qilins—all exuding endless destruction.
Their black-gold bodies blazed with annihilating radiance, every movement releasing waves of power that shattered mountains and ruptured the sky. The earth quaked beneath their stampede, rivers evaporated, and the heavens drowned in their tyrannical aura. Each beast bore a fragment of Ming Cheng's spear intent, their strikes not merely thunder's fury, but precise killing blows imbued with immortal sharpness.
Under this technique, the battlefield transformed into a realm of rampaging beasts. Resistance crumbled, defenses collapsed, and all before them were consumed in a tide of black-gold lightning, leaving behind only scorched silence.
Meanwhile, Xin Yu's divine sea surged forth, its tide carrying both purity and serenity. Flowing outward in graceful yet unstoppable waves, its heart blossomed with a flawless lotus of radiant light.
The lotus was not a weapon of sharpness but one of purification and suppression. Each petal unfolded amidst the crashing tide, washing away corruption, malice, and chaos. Yet hidden within that serenity was boundless force: the tranquil tide drowned resistance, while the lotus bloomed with divine might, submerging all beneath heaven in its embrace.
The rampaging thunder beasts and the crashing divine sea surged forward, colliding with the enormous dark-black hand, already weakened after clashing against Li Mei's Lotus Blooming Thunder Sword, Mei Ling's Radiant Phoenix Flare, and Wei Jie's Burning Sun of Wrathful Dragon.
Boom!
Their collision erupted in an earth-shaking explosion. A storm of destruction howled forth, distorting heaven and earth, collapsing the void, and scattering wind and cloud in violent disarray.
Whether it was the alliance of the three factions—Moonlit Chaos Mansion, Pill Tower, and Burning Flame Valley—or their enemies from the Hall of Souls, or even the distant experts watching from afar, all stilled in silence, their gazes locked upon the apocalyptic storm.
Kacha!
After what seemed like the burning of an incense stick, a faint cracking sound echoed. The enormous dark-black hand could no longer endure the rampage of thunder beasts and divine sea. Countless fissures spread across its surface before it finally shattered, dissolving into fragments of dim light.
As the sinister hand collapsed, the storm of annihilation gradually subsided, unveiling the battered figures of Ming Cheng and the others. Though they had succeeded in resisting the hand, their condition was wretched, their auras dimmed, and their bodies marked by loss.
Even so, none could steady their hearts. To witness such overwhelming strength was beyond comprehension.
That the Five Hall Masters possessed annihilation techniques of such terrifying scale was something few had ever imagined. It was a power so dreadful that even those ancient forces which had stood unshaken for countless ages might find themselves unable to contend with their might.
Yet their curiosity only deepened regarding the mysterious expert who had unleashed that enormous dark-black hand. After all, it had taken the combined might of the Five Hall Masters to withstand such a strike. Even then, they had barely resisted, and not without suffering losses.
Since the hand had intervened to save Hun Mo and even attempted to capture Li Mei, it was clear to all that the one behind it belonged to the Hall of Souls.
"Ha ha… I truly did not expect the five of you to endure my strike. Though it was but a casual move of mine, I never imagined a few members of the younger generation could withstand it."
Just as their curiosity reached its peak, a soft, leisurely laughter echoed through the empty space a hundred meters ahead of Ming Cheng and the others. The sound alone caused Ming Cheng, Li Mei, Xin Yu, Mei Ling, and Wei Jie to frown, their brows knitting tightly.
Without hesitation, they swiftly retrieved several Phoenix Breath Pills, forcing their nearly empty Dou Qi reserve to recover and their injuries to stabilize. Color returned faintly to their pale faces as they readied themselves. Within their bodies, Dou Qi surged like floodwaters, whistling violently—any slight movement would be enough to trigger a storm-like eruption.
Suddenly, spatial ripples began to fluctuate before them. The distortion twisted into a vortex, and from its depths a long hand stretched outward, gripping the edge of the swirl. Slowly, a figure stepped through the distorted space and emerged before their eyes.
The man who walked out wore simple grayish-white robes. He looked no older than his thirties, his features refined and handsome, with a pair of bright, penetrating eyes that seemed to peer straight into one's heart.
At first impression, he appeared like a cultured scholar—had he held a book in his hand, none would have doubted the image. Yet beneath that refined exterior lingered a pressure that suffocated the heavens themselves.
"Hun Clan's head… Hun Tiandi?!"
The Pill Tower's ancestor appeared beside Ming Cheng, his expression paling as his heart trembled at the sight of the man before him.
Ming Cheng and the others felt their minds erupt with muffled thunder, their expressions changing involuntarily upon hearing the exclamation from the Pill Tower's ancestor. None of them had expected the man before them to be the clan head of the Hun Clan.
It was difficult to reconcile this seemingly warm and refined figure with the most sinister and unfathomable faction on the entire Dou Qi Continent. Even more unimaginable was his sudden appearance here, at this very moment.
As the gray-robed man stepped forth, several figures slowly emerged from the spatial swirl behind him. The one at the forefront was wreathed in black flames, strange dark symbols crawling across his body like living brands. His eyes resembled bottomless black holes, filled with a devouring force that chilled the soul.
Xin Yu, Wei Jie, and Mei Ling all narrowed their eyes at the sight of him. That aura… that black flame—it was familiar. It was the very same flame Hun Mie Sheng had once wielded against Xin Yu.
"That… that is the spirit of the Nihility Devouring Flame…" Xin Yu whispered, her voice low but clear to the others.
Though they had long harbored suspicions about a possible connection between the Hun Clan and the Nihility Devouring Flame, witnessing the two together with their own eyes still sent waves of shock through their hearts.
"The four figures behind him are the Hun Clan's Four Demon Saints," the Pill Tower's ancestor said with a gloomy expression. "They are the clan's supreme experts. Other than a handful of existences from the Eight Ancient Clans, no one in the Dou Qi Continent can stand shoulder to shoulder with them."
Never in his wildest thoughts had he imagined that Hun Tiandi himself—the clan head of the Hun Clan—would appear here, joined by the Nihility Devouring Flame and the Four Demon Saints. The sheer weight of their presence was enough to make his heart sink.
What unsettled him most was the reason. Why would such a terrifying lineup descend upon a newly rising faction like Moonlit Chaos Mansion? Why would the Hall of Souls go to such lengths?
His gaze shifted toward Ming Cheng and the others. Their faces were etched with disbelief, their expressions just as shaken as his own. Clearly, none of them could comprehend the cause behind this invasion either.
The spectators hidden around the Brightmoon Mountain Range were equally shaken. Startled murmurs spread among them, yet confusion lingered—what could possibly warrant the Hun Clan mobilizing such a force?
It was at this moment that Hun Tiandi's laughter rang out, soft yet carrying across the mountain range like an echo that could not be ignored. His expression remained calm, almost gentle, as he spoke:
"Three days ago, we captured a high-ranking elder and several lower-ranking elders from your side in the Northwestern Region. Astonishingly, no matter the torture, he refused to speak. In the end, we searched his soul before granting him death."
His smile deepened slightly, eyes glinting with faint amusement. "From his memories, we discovered something astonishing about your Mansion Master. Such a threat cannot be allowed to grow unchecked. Thus, I came personally—to cut the root before the weed could flourish."
The expressions of those from Moonlit Chaos Mansion—especially Ming Cheng, Li Mei, Xin Yu, Mei Ling, and Wei Jie—grew incomparably dark. They instantly realized the elders Hun Tiandi spoke of were the very ones they had dispatched to the Northwestern Region to construct a spatial wormhole, meant to link directly to the Brightmoon Mountain Range.
But never had they expected those elders to fall into the hands of the Hall of Souls. The revelation struck like a heavy blow.
Teeth clenched, fury and hatred surged in the eyes of every Moonlit Chaos disciple present. They understood all too well what it meant for their elders' souls to be searched. It was proof of their torment—proof that, despite unbearable agony, the elders had refused to betray their Mansion.
They had sought to self-detonate rather than speak, but the cruel restraints of the Hall of Souls prevented even that release. In the end, their souls were forcibly searched, stripped bare, and discarded.
Their loyalty had been absolute, yet their deaths were far too tragic. Such an end was far too cruel. The elder's loyalty to Moonlit Chaos Mansion had been unwavering, and yet his death was met with such humiliation.
Battle intent surged like a raging tide. From every heart within Moonlit Chaos Mansion, a bloodlust erupted, sharp and unyielding, vowing blood in return.
At last, they understood the true reason for the arrival of Hun Tiandi, the Nihility Devouring Flame, the Four Demon Saints, and the Hall of Souls' other experts. Their sole purpose was Xiao Hua—here to prevent him from stepping across that critical threshold.
"Bastard! I will tear you apart!" Li Mei's furious roar echoed through the mountains. Her ethereal figure blazed with pure brilliance, as though a goddess unsullied by the filth of the mortal world. Her wrath resonated with the others, their hatred and anger uniting into one surging tide.
No matter the reason, the Hall of Souls and the Hun Clan had provoked them beyond forgiveness. Until rivers of blood flowed through the Hun Clan, their fury would not be quenched.
"Unfortunately, that day will never come. All of you will die here, and soon your Mansion Master will follow." A figure wielding a crimson ghost blade let out a dark, mocking laugh, delighting in the fury of Moonlit Chaos Mansion.
"I can sense something… extraordinary about the two of your flames." The black-flame–shrouded figure's gaze locked onto Mei Ling and Wei Jie, his eyes glinting with a strange hunger. "Allow me to devour you both, along with those flames of yours, to satisfy both curiosity and desire!"
As a Heavenly Flame, he could feel the resonance of the flames within them—an aura that made even his very soul tremble. He could not discern their origin, but he was certain of one thing: those flames were extraordinary, and devouring them would grant him an unimaginable evolution, perhaps even allowing him to rival the First Flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.
"Why don't you try, then?" Mei Ling replied coldly, her lips curling into a smile. Flames surged around her, her figure radiant like a phoenix queen, regal and untouchable.
"Ha ha… if you insist, then I shall accept." The Nihility Devouring Flame's laughter turned vicious. He shifted his gaze toward Hun Tiandi and spoke softly, his words meant only for the two of them.
"I will take these two. Let us finish this swiftly. This realm is strange—I cannot consume it. With your strength, capturing them should not be difficult. Once we have them, Xiao Hua will show himself."
"Indeed. Even my perception cannot find him." Hun Tiandi's eyes narrowed as he gave a slow nod. This realm was truly peculiar, enough to veil even his probing.
He then turned toward Ming Cheng and the others, his voice laced with quiet menace as he spoke, "From this day forth, the glory of Moonlit Chaos Mansion shall be erased. Your fate is only death."
Hun Tiandi chuckled softly as he advanced, the others naturally following his lead. Having witnessed the strength Ming Cheng and the rest had revealed, they could not deny it any longer—Moonlit Chaos Mansion was truly terrifying. If allowed to grow to their peak, they would become a calamity to the Hun Clan.
Thus, after uncovering the secret, Hun Tiandi and his forces had moved in secret, preventing other clans from detecting their movement, intent on erasing this threat before it could fully mature.
But just as their killing intent surged forth and they prepared to strike, a soft laughter echoed across the entire Brightmoon Mountain Range.
"Haha… Since when has the fate of my Moonlit Chaos Mansion been something a pack of dogs like your Hun Clan could decide?"
The familiar voice made Ming Cheng and the others' expressions brighten instantly. Relief and joy surged through their hearts as Xin Yu whispered, trembling with excitement,
"Our little brother… has finally emerged from his retreat!"
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