At the dead-end of the official road, a tall figure shrouded in a large black cloak silently rose into the air, like a ghost, and appeared opposite Chen Yi.
"Little beast, you're not so little after all. To think you had the nerve to stay behind alone and resist an old man like me."
A slightly aged, chilling voice came from beneath the black cloak, steeped in an unmistakable killing intent.
Chen Yi floated in midair, his amethyst-gold thunder wings slowly stirring as he faced a pressure so overwhelming that it could shake even a Soul Douluo Soul Master. Yet, his expression didn't change at all; only the corner of his mouth curled into a mocking, cold sneer.
"You're just a rat, hiding only your head and tail. Why can't you hide the rest of yourself as well?"
His eyes crackled like lightning, as if piercing through the black cloak.
"Are you concerned about your Seven Treasures Glazed Sect background, or are you just from the pack of rat-like Clear Sky Sect members who cower in the shadows?"
"Hmph!"
The man in the black cloak snorted coldly, stung by the word "rat."
"You sharp-mouthed and sharp-toothed little beast—once you're dead, you'll find out who this old man really is!"
At the same time, a massive hammer-shaped artifact exuding a heavy, oppressive aura appeared in his hand. It was shrouded in a hazy black glow, clearly using means to conceal its form and aura—making it hard for ordinary soul masters to distinguish.
However, under Chen Yi's acute and qualitative spiritual perception, this disguise was fragile as paper.
The Clear Sky Hammer: He was indeed from the Clear Sky Sect!
Chen Yi quickly gauged the opponent's strength in his heart, soul power nearly at a new Title Douluo rank. The Clear Sky Sect's conditions were clearly fulfilled… which of the five elders was this?
"You little beast, die for this old man!"
The Fifth Elder roared, clearly intent on resolving this quickly. With a single movement, he unleashed the full might of a Clear Sky expert.
He lunged, and the black-glowing Clear Sky Hammer smashed down on Chen Yi with the force to shatter mountains and split the earth—one of the Clear Sky Sect's nine ultimate skills!
Chen Yi's eyes were chill, not daring to be the least careless. He unleashed an explosive strike at this Title Douluo, pushing his state to the peak in an instant.
"Awaken!"
Golden light flooded his entire body. Under his skin, golden liquid seemed to flow; his muscles and bones vibrated faintly, and his aura soared.
"Blood Art: Blood Transforms Yin and Yang!"
BUZZ—!
A majestic spiritual power thundered outward, transforming the hundred meters around him into a semi-transparent spiritual domain that faintly merged with his thunderous realm!
Facing the descending Clear Sky Hammer, Chen Yi advanced instead of retreating. The thunder in his hand erupted from beneath with dazzling amethyst and gold, boldly clashing with the incoming blow.
BOOM—!
A deafening roar exploded midair, dazzling light and violent energy shockwaves expanding outward like rings, stripping away part of the ground on the official road.
"Wha—?!"
A flash of undisguised terror crossed the Fifth Elder's eyes beneath the black robe.
His near-complete shattering technique—holding the awe of a Title Douluo-level soul power—had been directly shattered by the boy in front of him, who was clearly only at the Soul Emperor level!
Even Chen Yi was surprised by the force, sliding back four or five steps. His chest felt constricted, but his eyes shone brighter and brighter. He even laughed heartily with excitement and fighting spirit.
"Not bad! Put in a little more effort, old dog. Let this young master try your pound again!"
"Arrogant brat!"
The Fifth Elder was filled with shock and anger, abandoning any contempt, and let out a low roar.
Again, he unleashed the Clear Sky Sect's nine ultimate moves.
Each hammer shadow came down like a mountain, oppressing all under heaven, relentlessly smashing toward Chen Yi. Each strike was strong enough to split mountains.
But Chen Yi felt no fear. His body, as swift as lightning, and the thunder shovel in his hand became a blur of amethyst-gold thunder and lightning shadows, fiercely clashing against the heavy hammer's shadow.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! BOOM!
The collisions roared without end, like unceasing thunder near the ground. Amethyst gold lightning and the black hammer shadows entangled and clashed, while the intense soul power fluctuations overturned the sky and scattered even the distant clouds.
Shui Bing'er and Dugu Yan, even several miles away, could feel the terrifying pressure and violent aura, their faces solemn and their hearts shocked.
The fierce shaking persisted. Chen Yi's thunder sword and the Fifth Elder's Clear Sky Hammer clashed violently again.
BOOM!
This time, Chen Yi's figure quivered, but the Fifth Elder, startled by the terrible power and penetrating thunder, retreated over ten steps. His hammer-wielding arm tingled; under the black robe, his face grew utterly somber.
A miscalculation! He had really miscalculated!
A storm raged in the Fifth Elder's heart. He had thought he could take down this "little" Soul Emperor with sheer strength. Even if the opponent was talented, he could capture him.
But he hadn't expected Chen Yi's real combat strength to be so horrifying—golden-level second awakening, a bizarre and mighty spiritual domain, overwhelming thunder attribute attacks, and powerful air control afforded by his twin flying soul skills…
Everything together meant the elder couldn't suppress him, and was forced to open his true spirit body, already slipping into a faint disadvantage.
But as soon as the true spirit body was revealed, the Clear Sky Hammer's form and spirit would be fully exposed, impossible to hide.
What frightened him more was that even if he revealed his identity and opened the true spirit body, he still wasn't sure he could keep him here!
Taking into account the opponent's dragon wings' speed and agility, if Chen Yi wanted to flee, he could not catch up at all!
"Damn it! If you have the ability, fight the old man on the ground!"
The Fifth Elder roared in fury. The Clear Sky Hammer was invincible on the ground, but against an air-dominant opponent, much of his power and skill went to waste, leaving him deeply exasperated.
Chen Yi only laughed disdainfully at his remark, not responding.
He was not Qian Daoliu—why would he throw away his biggest advantage to fight a ground battle with a land-specialist Title Douluo?
The thunder shining in his hands grew more dazzling, his attacks ever more fierce and cunning—aimed especially at the Fifth Elder's weaker defense and awkward power utilization midair.
"Damn it!"
The more the Fifth Elder fought, the more terrified and suffocated he felt. If he wanted to kill Chen Yi and seize his soul bone today—there was almost no hope.
This realization made retreat flash in his eyes. Seizing a chance during Chen Yi's onslaught, he unleashed the "Shock" technique among the Clear Sky Sect's nine ultimate moves as an escape.
A strange shockwave blasted out from the Clear Sky Hammer, violently shaking aside Chen Yi's thunder and forcing both of them back over ten steps, widening the distance.
"Little beast, you got lucky today! Next time, I'll take your dog's life!"
The Fifth Elder spat these harsh words, turned, and tried to flee like a shooting star.
"Eight Soul Skill—Heaven Gathering Strike!"
A cold, murderous voice suddenly erupted from the void behind him. In the blink of an eye, a jet-black spear of condensed energy, carrying a killing intent capable of annihilating all, appeared right at the center of the Fifth Elder's chest.
Too fast! Too sudden!
He'd just shaken off Chen Yi's pursuit, and barely regained his composure—never expecting a third party to be lying in wait, launching such a lethal ambush.
"Wha—?!"
His soul shuddered. Sensing the sharp aura upon him, he tried to dodge and defend, but it was already too late; he barely managed to twist his body halfway.
Szzzzt—
The soul-piercing spear tore through him like blade through paper, instantly skewering his left shoulder. The terrifying penetrative force shredded flesh and blood, even pulverizing the shoulder bone. The spear's soul power raged wildly throughout his body.
Ugh!!
The Fifth Elder let out a shrill scream. That sudden attack threw his body wildly off balance, pinning him—like a kite with a snapped string—to the trunk of a giant ancient tree.
Almost simultaneously, Chen Yi's form flashed in pursuit, the thunder in his hand now carrying destructive amethyst-gold lightning, smashing toward the Fifth Elder's head pinned against the tree.
Strike while the iron is hot!
In this life-or-death moment, the Fifth Elder, driven by sheer will to survive, ignored the agony. He flashed the black glow of the Clear Sky Hammer with his right hand—not to block the thunder but to forcibly smash the barrel of the soul-piercing spear at an absurd angle.
Clear Sky Nine Ultimate—BREAK!
CLANG!
Seizing this recoil and a slight angle from the hammer shaft, the Fifth Elder "pulled himself free" from the spearhead.
With that force, he shot hundreds of meters back like a cannonball, crashing violently into the bushes and rolling in embarrassment before barely struggling to his feet.
When he looked up, his eyes were full of resentment, fear, and disbelief as he stared at the soul-piercing spear.
From the shadows of the forest, a tall figure slowly stepped out. With a flick of his wrist, the spear impaled in the tree thudded softly and obediently returned to his hand.
It was Sky Shatterer Douluo, Yang Wushuang!
This time, as the Grand Martial Academy team swept the mainland, Elder Yang Wushuang had secretly accompanied them—as if he would not provide protection!
He had arrived quietly, hidden his breath, and waited for the perfect moment to strike. When the Fifth Elder was locked in combat with Chen Yi and his attention slackened, Yang Wushuang launched this audacious, deadly blow.
"Yang Wushuang—!"
The Fifth Elder barely squeezed the name out through gritted teeth, filled with hatred.
He truly… He, who had looked down on this former "house slave," had now suffered huge losses under him, nearly dying here in the gutter!
Yang Wushuang stood with spear in hand, slowly moving to cut off the Fifth Elder's escape path, forming an angle with Chen Yi in midair. His cold gaze traced over the slightly shuddering, black-robed Fifth Elder.
"Clear Sky Nine Ultimate… Clear Sky Sect, which old man are you?"
The Fifth Elder tried to steady his heart, murmuring low. "Which Clear Sky Nine Ultimate is it? This old man merely… wanted to teach a lesson to this rampaging little beast!"
"Not willing to say?"
A flash of disdained killing intent flickered in Yang Wushuang's eyes.
"No worries. I'll take your body instead—deliver it to the Clear Sky Sect myself."
Yang Wushuang stared at the Fifth Elder, enunciating each word as if taking an oath.
"Old man, remember me: I am Sky Shatterer Douluo, Yang Wushuang."
"This life… I will surely use my soul-breaking spear… to annihilate your Clear Sky Sect!"
Before he finished speaking, the soul-breaking spear in his hand already erupted with an earth-shaking killing intent. Under his feet, the seventh and ninth soul rings glowed simultaneously.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Soul-Breaking True Body!"
"Ninth Soul Skill, Heaven-Slaying Soulbreak!"
As he unleashed his move—a soul skill reinforced by the true form of his spirit—the depth of Yang Wushuang's hatred and intent to kill became clear.
Simultaneously, high in the air, Chen Yi erupted again.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Silent Divine Thunder!"
Thunder surged from his raised hand, summoning bolts from the clouds as if calling forth the Thunder God's own destruction. The thunder merged with his own hellish thunder domain, becoming a terrifying thunderstorm zone a hundred meters wide—completely enveloping the Fifth Elder.
Ahead was Heaven-Slaying Soulbreak; behind, a web of silent divine thunder.
Twin lethal skills drove the gravely wounded Fifth Elder into utter despair, facing a crisis of unprecedented death.
Either of these would be deadly on their own—yet now, they came together in a deadly pincer. Even in his prime, defending would require total focus. But now, wounded as he was, it was all the worse.
"Raaah!"
At the moment between life and death, the Fifth Elder went completely mad!
He knew he couldn't die here. If his identity was exposed and the evidence conclusive, the Clear Sky Sect would face endless vengeance from the Body Sect and give opportunity to forces like the Spirit Hall.
An instant of icy determination flashed in the Fifth Elder's eyes. Suddenly, he bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood filled with his deep life essence. The potent blood was splattered upon his Clear Sky Hammer.
"Guide the blood! Clear Sky protects! Mantle of Chaos—Ninety-nine-to-one!"
The Fifth Elder roared inwardly, burning his internal essence and blood, violently igniting his power.
For a moment, the Clear Sky Hammer came alive—the black glow intensified, intricate bloody lines snaking inlaid across its body.
Facing the oncoming spear and thunder god's lightning, he gripped the hammer's shaft in both hands, spinning wildly.
Hammer one, hammer two, hammer three…
Faster and faster—until the hammer shadows nearly formed a black hurricane!
Burning essence and blood, he forcibly unleashed 99, then 81 hammer strikes in the shortest time.
Sacrificing life and blood, the force of this single blow surpassed even his prime, reaching a terrifying peak.
It was the ultimate bloom of his cultivation and vitality. The black energy storm, like a raging black dragon, roared to meet the soul-breaking spear and thunder god's lightning.
BOOM—!
An unprecedented, terrifying explosion erupted across the official road. Blinding light swallowed all in an instant—heaven and earth shrouded in shadow, a deafening boom making even those thousands of miles away feel their eardrums prick.
At the core of the explosion, a scorched figure was flung out like a broken sack, arcing through the sky in a trail of blood, flying hundreds of meters before crashing into distant forest, life or death unknown.
To fight to the death—the Fifth Elder had burned all his essence and blood!
The aftershock of the blast did not fade quickly. Chen Yi and Yang Wushuang streaked out of the chaotic energy like sharp arrows, chasing after the direction in which the Fifth Elder had fallen.
But by the time they arrived, the Fifth Elder had already vanished.
"Where did he go?!"
Yang Wushuang's tiger-like eyes turned cold. He and the young sect master had attacked together; it made no sense for one to escape—how was it possible?!
Chen Yi answered calmly:
"Tang Hao once escaped from Qian Daoliu's hands. It's not that surprising."
With that, his wings flared, and he shot off toward Suotuo City like a stream of light.
"Elder Yang—the rest is in your hands. Please protect Bing'er and the others. I will pursue!"
…