"We are merely taking what we need, Old Su. I advise you to obediently hand over the Heavenly Flame. Otherwise, you will find no advantage if this turns into a true fight," the old man in the golden robe said with a soft chuckle. The silver-robed elder beside him let out a light laugh of his own. "Old Su, surely you would not wish for your academy to be destroyed, would you?"
"Is that so? Then let me witness for myself the strength of the famed Gold and Silver Elders—rumored to be able to fight Dou Zongs across realms."
Su Qian's eyes narrowed, a cold sneer curling his lips.
"Su Qian, I will ask you one final time: are you handing over the Heavenly Flame or not? With your academy's current strength, you cannot stop the people gathered here. We possess far more Dou Huangs than you. Do not invite calamity upon yourself. I came fully prepared this time."
Han Feng's patience had run dry. The complete lack of news from Earth Demon Old Ghost and the unsettling silence from Eternal Heaven Divine Palace had allowed a creeping sense of dread to coil in his chest. Every delay only deepened his fear that something would go wrong.
"If you wish to seize the Heavenly Flame, you will have to step over my corpse. Otherwise—forget it!"
Su Qian assumed a fighting stance, his gaze fearless as it swept over Han Feng and the others. The students of the Inner Academy were watching. He could not afford to lose face as the First Elder. How else could he stand before them in the days to come?
He struck without hesitation. With a wave of his hand, a surge of Dou Qi lanced directly toward Han Feng. Before it could reach its target, the Gold and Silver Elders materialized in its path. Pale green Dou Qi flickered in their hands, and with a single combined motion, they shattered Su Qian's attack.
The two then launched themselves at him in unison. Su Qian watched them close in and spoke quickly to Xiao Tian. "The rest is up to you. Try to avoid casualties. I am counting on you." Then he hurled himself forward to meet the Gold and Silver Elders, and the three were instantly entangled in furious combat.
The reason Xiao Tian had not acted sooner was to give Xiao Yi Xian time to search for any trace of the Hall of Souls.
"Xiao Tian, I have found him. I have already secretly sealed off the space around him. We can capture him directly when the time comes."
At Xiao Yi Xian's words, a satisfied smile spread across Xiao Tian's face. "Xian'er, if he tries to flee or makes any reckless moves, use the Heavenly Flame to take him down immediately. Be careful. The people of the Hall of Souls always have hidden tricks."
"Understood. I will do as you say."
In the sky above, Han Feng saw that Su Qian was fully occupied. He turned and issued orders to the Black-Corner Region forces gathered around him. "The other Elders are yours to handle. Simply hold them off. I will break the seal myself. Once this is done, everything I promised you will be delivered."
He did not wait for their replies. He shot toward the place where the Heavenly Flame lay sealed.
"Stop him!"
Hu Gan swept his large hand forward, and he and the Elders behind him surged toward Han Feng. But the moment they moved, the Black-Corner Region forces intercepted them, blocking their path.
Xiao Tian saw that the moment had arrived. He turned to the three beside him. "It is time for us to make our entrance. Old Wen, you will go directly after Han Feng."
Medusa and the other two nodded. All of them carried out Xiao Tian's orders with unwavering diligence. Even Medusa listened in silence.
Old Wen stepped into the air and vanished, flashing toward Han Feng. Xiao Tian swept his hand, and two more streaks of light appeared in the sky: White Fang and Hai Bodong.
"Cai Li, you are responsible for that Seven-Star Dou Huang. Old Mo, the Three-Star Dou Huang is yours. Old Hai, you will handle the Two-Star Dou Huang. White Fang, the remaining small fries are yours. The Six-Star Dou Huang belongs to me."
"Once Cai Li and Old Mo have dealt with their opponents, they will move to assist against the Gold and Silver Elders."
The four nodded in unison and shot toward their respective targets.
Han Feng, meeting no resistance, had nearly reached the sealed land. His face twisted in manic excitement. "Haha! Heavenly Flame, I am coming for you! You are mine!"
Then his laughter faltered. A cold premonition of death lanced through his heart.
An aged hand materialized before him. Han Feng felt the mortal threat radiating from it and immediately ceased all pretense. His true Half-Step Dou Zong strength erupted from his body, and he summoned the Sea Heart Flame to shield himself.
But the one attacking him was Wen Yan—an Eight-Star Dou Zong. Against absolute power, his defense was as fragile as paper. The Sea Heart Flame shattered, scattering in all directions, and the palm struck Han Feng's body with full, unrelenting force.
Han Feng's body plummeted like a kite with its string severed—like a cannonball—and crashed into the distant ground.
Boom! His body made violent, intimate contact with the earth. Dust exploded outward in a thick, obscuring cloud.
Xiao Tian flashed through the air and appeared directly beside Old Eagle Claw, who was locked in combat with nearly ten Dou King Elders. His long sword was already in hand.
"Space Severance!"
Old Eagle Claw had sensed a mortal threat flickering at the edge of his awareness throughout the entire struggle, and he had kept a constant watch. The instant Xiao Tian materialized, he acted.
"Ice Shattering Claw!" Old Eagle Claw's body vibrated with power, forcing back the circle of Elders besieging him. His eagle claw ignited with white Dou Qi, forming a long, wickedly sharp talon. This was his signature technique—his ultimate killing move. Several Dou Huangs had already met their end beneath this very strike. The talon lashed out, aiming directly at the four-colored crescent moon that had appeared from nowhere.
Rumble!
The two powers collided. Blinding light and deafening sound erupted from the impact. The resulting shockwave sent the nearby Elders staggering backward.
Crack. A splintering sound echoed from the heart of the explosion. Then a figure plummeted from the sky and slammed into the ground. Bang! The earth caved inward on impact. Enormous fissures spiderwebbed outward from the figure's broken form.
Medusa's figure materialized before Old Ban. The old man stared at the breathtaking woman standing upon the void, and cold sweat drenched him in an instant. "How can Jia Nan Academy possibly have a Dou Zong?! This is impossible!"
*Has he already dealt with his opponent? Then I cannot afford to be slower than him.* Medusa saw that Xiao Tian had already launched his attack, so she struck without hesitation. She refused to fall behind.
"My lady! Spare my life! I surrender! As long as you let me live, all the treasures of the Earth Flame Sect are yours!" Old Ban, feeling Medusa's killing intent surge toward him, immediately begged for his life. Had he not been standing in midair, he might have kowtowed on the spot. He could think of nothing else. He was a Seven-Star Dou Huang. He could never defeat a Dou Zong, no matter how desperately he fought. Begging was his only path.
Medusa paid his words no heed. She struck directly with her palm. Seven-colored light shimmered across its surface, exuding a terrifying, oppressive aura. Old Ban, seeing there was no escape, could only grit his teeth and fight back, frantically condensing his fire-attribute Dou Qi. "Earth-Shaking Blazing Flame Hand!"
Medusa twisted her palm and batted his attack aside as though it were nothing. Then her palm slammed directly into his head. Old Ban's body went rigid. His mouth opened as if to speak, but blood gushed forth, gurgling in his throat. The Dou Qi wings behind him dissolved, and his body plummeted to the earth.
At the same moment, Hai Bodong clashed with Yuan Yi, the City Lord of Eight Gates. Yuan Yi felt the sheer force of Hai Bodong's aura and the weight of his presence, and his resolve immediately began to waver.