Chapter 391: No Honor in Combat
The moment Xiao Yuan finished speaking, Star Reacher Old Ghost knew he couldn't stall any longer. His figure flickered and shot out like a black shadow, charging straight toward the blood-red skeleton at the center of the hall. An ocean of Dou Qi surged from him like a volcanic eruption, pushing back the oppressive blood mist slightly.
The surge in momentum gave a boost to many observers' morale.
Crack...
The blood-colored skeleton's eyes flickered with red light. Seeing Star Reacher's charge, it ground its jaw slightly and stepped forward. Its dark-red skeletal hand swiped forward—directly aiming for Star Reacher.
Shhh!
Its speed was terrifying. The moment it lifted its hand, space was torn apart. Its arm vanished into the rift—and reappeared right in front of Star Reacher.
That horrifying speed darkened Star Reacher's expression. He clenched his fist, gathering all his Dou Qi into his right arm, and unleashed a full-force punch!
Boom!
His fist slammed into the skeleton's palm. But the bones, though seemingly brittle, were harder than steel. His all-out punch only made the skeleton stagger slightly—while he himself was blasted back over ten steps, looking disheveled.
But Star Reacher was no coward. Knowing his mission was to retrieve the Dou Saint skeleton, he quickly stabilized himself and lunged forward again, engaging the skeleton in a fierce brawl.
Watching the battle, even Xiao Yuan couldn't help but feel some awe. The Dou Saint remains were truly powerful—forcing even a five-star Dou Zun like Star Reacher to fall into disadvantage.
"If this is just a residual soul imprint… what would a complete Dou Saint be like?"
Many in the hall had the same thought. The might of this skeleton was shocking.
Shhh!
As the crowd watched in awe, a few more shadows burst out of the blood mist and charged toward Star Reacher. They were the human puppets not yet destroyed.
While several had been eliminated in earlier clashes, eight remained. Now all eight attacked together.
Star Reacher's face twisted. He was already being pressured—if these joined in, he'd be dead in ten rounds.
"Damn it! What are you all watching for? Help me!"
He stomped the floor and retreated angrily.
"Valley Master Tang Zhen, friends from the Sky Underworld Sect, and you, Xiao Yuan... If we four act together, we can suppress the Dou Saint skeleton! What say you?"
One of the remaining Hall of Souls experts spoke, appealing to those with the highest strength.
But Xiao Yuan just narrowed his eyes and sneered.
"You sent three Heavenly Venerables, all five-star Dou Zuns. That's already stronger than most here. Why should we clean up your mess?"
The crowd murmured—clearly, many agreed.
"Or maybe I'll act after your Star Reacher dies. He's your man, after all."
Xiao Yuan added calmly.
"Hmph! Xiao Yuan—I'll remember you!"
The Hall of Souls member's voice turned cold, but Xiao Yuan only smiled and watched.
Tang Zhen, of course, stood with his son-in-law. He made no move either.
The Sky Underworld Sect hated Xiao Yuan, but they weren't about to help the Hall of Souls become even stronger—so they stayed put.
With the strongest refusing to move, the rest of the crowd kept silent. The Hall of Souls' two remaining experts could only scowl in frustration.
"If you wait any longer, Star Reacher will die," Xiao Yuan reminded, helpful as ever.
"Damn brat! Hall of Souls won't forget this!"
Finally, the two Hall of Souls elders were forced to act. As they rushed out to help Star Reacher, they hurled bitter threats behind them.
"Tch. Slow learners."
Xiao Yuan scoffed, turning his gaze to the eight puppets.
"Don't worry, I'll handle your puppets for you."
His soul power quietly spread from his brow, splitting into countless threads that invaded each puppet.
The Sky Underworld Sect's leader scowled—if Xiao Yuan gained control over these puppets too, no one would be able to stand against him.
Better to destroy the puppets now!
"Since Sir Xiao Yuan is so diligent, I'll lend a hand!"
Feigning sincerity, the Sky Underworld Sect expert charged toward one of the puppets.
But before he could strike—
Xiao Yuan flicked his wrist and hurled Fei Tian, his golden Sky Demon Puppet, straight at him.
The puppet tore through space like a meteor and smashed into the expert.
"Back off. Next time you talk nonsense, I'll make you a puppet."
Xiao Yuan's tone was icy.
Fei Tian might not beat a five-star Dou Zun, but he could definitely stall one. The remaining Sky Underworld Sect members had no courage left—they retreated instantly. After all, Xiao Yuan had more puppets and allies than anyone else here.
In truth, Xiao Yuan was the strongest force in this entire relic—and few dared question it.
Hall of Souls and Burning Flame Valley were powerful. Starfall Pavilion was nominally weaker, but Xiao Yuan wasn't just their Young Pavilion Master—he was also a Little Giant of the Pill Tower and a legitimate eighth-tier alchemist.
Only an idiot would pick a fight with someone like that without a good reason.
The rest of the crowd settled into a passive "spectator" mode.
On one side: Xiao Yuan taming puppets with ease.
On the other: the three Hall of Souls Heavenly Venerables struggling to suppress the Dou Saint skeleton.
Some well-informed individuals recognized the other two Hall of Souls experts as the famed Black and White Heavenly Venerables—both peak five-star Dou Zuns. Together, they could fight even a six-star!
Xiao Yuan nearly laughed.
He had expected Hall of Souls to send someone beyond Dou Zun after Mo Yu's death. Apparently, he had overestimated them.
But once the spatial seal ended, everything would be in his hands.
Right now, even the Dou Saint skeleton was struggling under the Hall of Souls' three-man assault. Though not weak, the skeleton was no longer in its prime. Destruction was just a matter of time.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blows rained down. Sparks flew. With every strike, the skeleton's bloody aura dimmed, and its eye-glow flickered.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Meteoric Dou Qi blasts exploded across the altar, cracking the very walls of the main hall.
As the bombardment continued, the skeleton suddenly froze.
Seeing the pause, the three Hall of Souls elders pushed harder.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuan smiled as he finished binding the puppets and stored them away. When he turned to check the fight—his face changed.
"Crap. Retreat!"
He enveloped his team in Heavenly Flame and bolted. Tang Zhen didn't hesitate to follow.
And having learned from the puppet attack earlier, many others followed Xiao Yuan without question.
BOOM!
The moment Xiao Yuan escaped, the skeleton jerked upright, its voice hoarse and distant—
"Great Heaven Creation Palm."
"Damn brat…"
Star Reacher cursed as he watched Xiao Yuan flee. But he also ran—fast. So did Black and White.
As chaos spread, the skeleton's blood aura surged into its right hand. At the center of its palm, a tiny black dot appeared—so pure it seemed capable of swallowing souls.
Then it struck.
Tap.
There was no sound at first.
But the ground beneath its palm—stone, steel, everything—vanished.
A black energy ripple exploded outward.
Shhh...
Everything it touched—stone, columns, people—disappeared completely. Like a black hole. No trace left.
"RUN!"
Terror gripped the survivors. The black circle was still expanding—and it was sucking everything in.
AAAHHH!
Screams rang out. People were dragged mid-air, unable to resist, vanishing on contact.
Xiao Yuan led the way out, but many still died on the way. The Sky Underworld Sect's Dou Zun fell behind and was nearly out—
But Xiao Yuan appeared in front of him and punched.
No one saw it coming.
His terrifying physical strength knocked the man into the black zone. Instantly—gone.
No one else from Sky Underworld dared look at Xiao Yuan.
He flashed again—appearing in front of Black and White and Star Reacher.
"Now then... It's time for the three of you to make your final contribution."
The three panicked. If Xiao Yuan knocked them back, they'd die.
But they had one last hope:
Kill him now—and maybe they'd survive.
They unleashed their ultimate techniques—going all in.
(END CHAPTER)
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