Xiao Hua's low voice echoed ominously through the forest, each word carrying a bone-chilling coldness that made the surrounding spectators tremble with unease. Fear flickered in their eyes as a shiver crept down their spines, unable to shake the oppressive atmosphere that hung thick in the air.
Yet, the four elderly figures and the red-robed youth remained unfazed, their expressions calm and mocking. Despite being unable to fully gauge his strength, they scoffed at the notion of Xiao Hua posing any threat. To them, a young Tier 8 Alchemist, no matter how talented, was nothing but frail—a mere child in terms of physical prowess and battle experience.
The Old Ground Demon Ghost stepped forward, his ancient cane tapping softly against the earth. Each movement, subtle as it was, caused the space around him to ripple faintly, like a still pond disturbed by a drop of water.
Though imperceptible to most, Xiao Hua's keen senses caught the distortion. His eyes narrowed, his heart clenching as he sensed the overwhelming depth of the old man's Dou Qi.
"This old man's strength.. far beyond even the First Elder's," Xiao Hua muttered inwardly, a storm brewing in his gaze. "It seems I have no choice but to give my all to break free from this inescapable net..."
Xiao Hua's gaze sharpened as he narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. He knew all too well that if he hesitated or held back in this moment, these old foxes would seize the opportunity to capture him.
'Hopefully, Sister Xue Yue has already taken Xun'er far from here...'
His heart clenched at the thought of Xun Er. No matter how the battle unfolded, she would undoubtedly be drawn into the chaos if she remained too close. He wished for her to be far beyond the forest's reach by now, though fleeing too quickly might arouse suspicion...
A sinister chuckle broke his thoughts.
"Young Master, there's no need to frighten us," the Old Ground Demon Ghost sneered, his voice dripping with false sincerity. "This old one simply wishes to discuss that pill in your hand... and perhaps that beast. I would be willing to grant you anything your heart desires in exchange for both."
Xiao Hua sneered at the old man's words, his disdain barely concealed. He had anticipated that the pill he refined would attract attention, but he hadn't expected the Old Ground Demon Ghost to covet his Lightning Beast as well.
'Greedy old thing!' Xiao Hua scoffed inwardly, his expression growing colder.
His eyes flickered toward the other four figures. It became clear to him that, among them, only the Old Ground Demon Ghost had recognized the true worth of the Lightning Beast. The others were ignorant, their gazes fixed solely on the pill in his hand. But this old man—his vision was far more sinister.
What truly astonished Xiao Hua was the Old Ground Demon Ghost's keen insight into the Lightning Beast's value. To think he realized that the beast far surpassed the Tier 8 medicinal pill, especially since it could effortlessly devour the nine-colored Pill Lightning.
The old man's words ignited a blazing fury within Xiao Hua, his eyes turning as cold as ice.
Never, not once, had he considered the Lightning Beasts mere tools or weapons. To him, they were family. Bound not only by the loyalty they shared but also by their connection to Lady Azure—something far beyond the comprehension of these greedy old men. It was a bond that Xiao Hua would never compromise, no matter the cost.
And yet, here stood someone who dared to reduce them to mere objects, speaking such blasphemy right in front of him!
His rage surged uncontrollably, every fiber of his being consumed by it. His hands clenched into fists, the air around him crackling with an oppressive energy as his aura grew fiercer by the second. To insult the Lightning Beasts in such a manner—it was unforgivable.
He might let the four Dou Zongs leave, but the Old Ground Demon Ghost will have to remain here forever!
"Old thing..."
Xiao Hua's voice was cold, filled with a bone-chilling killing intent as it echoed through the forest. His fury surged, and with a thunderous roar, he spat out, "You've just signed your death contract!"
In an instant, his body erupted in a radiant golden light. Mysterious runes surfaced on his skin, glowing with an ancient power. The golden light and runes swirled violently around him, only to suddenly disperse, shattering like glass, and reforming into a fierce beast-like tattoo between his brows.
His aura surged violently, climbing higher and higher until his strength stabilized at the level of a 3-Star Dou Zong. A pair of silver gauntlets materialized on his arms, their sharp, claw-like fingers gleaming menacingly in the light. His cold eyes, now as savage as a wild beast's, locked onto the Old Ground Demon Ghost with terrifying ferocity.
The overwhelming pressure that had weighed on him moments before had completely vanished. Though he had only reached the 3-Star Dou Zong realm, Xiao Hua could feel the raw power coursing through him. He knew, without a doubt, that he could now contend with the five old experts standing before him.
However, with this surge of strength came a price. The effects of the Mysterious-Illusion Appearance Pill unraveled, and his true appearance was laid bare for all to see.
As Xiao Hua's aura surged, the Old Ground Demon Ghost and the others were momentarily stunned. With their vast experience, it was clear he had employed a Secret Technique to forcefully elevate his cultivation. But that wasn't what disturbed them.
What truly unsettled them was that, despite Xiao Hua only reaching the 3-Star Dou Zong realm, the aura he exuded carried an unmistakable sense of death. A primal, oppressive force that made even these seasoned experts feel threatened. And to their utter shock, the source of this power was no more than a mere child—a boy no older than five or six years!
The Old Ground Demon Ghost's expression darkened, his eyes flashing with both fury and disbelief. "So, Mang Tian Chi has failed to teach his students any respect!" His voice dripped with venom as his grip tightened around his cane. With a sharp strike against the air, a ripple spread through the space beneath it, the force of his rage palpable.
"It seems I must teach you manners in Mang Tian Chi's place!" he snarled, his anger flaring uncontrollably.
As one of the oldest powerhouses of the Black-Corner Region, he had never imagined a day would come where a child from the younger generation dared to disrespect him so brazenly. Worse still, the boy wore the unmistakable uniform of the Inner Academy, marking him as a student of the Jia Nan Academy—a clear connection to Mang Tian Chi. The insult stung even deeper.
"You certainly fear no ridicule, old thing!" Xiao Hua's lips curled into a mocking smirk, his eyes gleaming with disdain. His voice, dripping with scorn, cut through the tense air. "You remain in the Black-Corner Region, still stuck here despite being from the same generation as my headmaster. And yet, you never made it to the Central Plains."
He sneered, his words like daggers. "There's nothing to learn from a living skeleton who's stagnated here, clinging to mediocrity. What could a fossil like you teach anyone when you can't even improve yourself?"
The Old Ground Demon Ghost's face twitched, the veins at the corner of his eyes bulging as Xiao Hua's ridicule struck deep. A fierce glint flashed in his sunken, cold gaze. His talent had not been considered poor—he had reached heights most only dreamed of. Yet, compared to Mang Tian Chi and the other elites of his generation who had long left the Black-Corner Region, he was but a shadow of their brilliance. The truth behind Xiao Hua's words gnawed at his pride, reopening an old wound that had never truly healed.
Mang Tian Chi had ascended to the ranks of Dou Zun long ago, while he remained mired in the Dou Zong realm, never able to break through. This bitter truth had haunted him for years, and now Xiao Hua had torn it open like a fresh cut, letting the pain flood in.
A savage killing intent surged within the Old Ground Demon Ghost's deep-set eyes. His Dou Qi churned violently within him, a dark storm ready to erupt. The boy's insult had crossed a line, and now, there was only one way to silence him—forever.
Mo Tian Xing and the other three exchanged glances, their expressions darkening as they realized they had likely crossed someone far more dangerous than they had anticipated. Yet, the allure of the treasures before them—the Tier 8 medicinal pill in Xiao Hua's hand and the Lightning Beast—was too great to ignore. No matter the consequences, such prizes could not simply be passed up.
They came to a silent agreement. Regardless of the potential backlash, they would strike together. As for how to divide the spoils afterward, that could be settled later. The pressing matter now was to kill the boy before them.
Xiao Hua said nothing further. Instead, with a sharp stomp of his foot in the air, his aura exploded outward in all directions, surging with immense power. Under the pressure of his release, the very space around him began to warp and distort, rippling as though the heavens themselves bent to his will.
Though he was merely a temporary Dou Zong, the power coursing through him allowed him to manipulate the natural energy around him. For now, it was enough to grant him the ability to stand on the void even if only for a fleeting moment.
In an instant, Xiao Hua vanished, reappearing directly before the Old Ground Demon Ghost, his fist clenched tightly. A fierce golden-green aura surged around his fist as it tore through the air, streaking toward his enemy with terrifying force.
His fist, brimming with the destructive flames of the Primordial Green Lotus Core Flame and crackling with the lightning of Heavenly Tribulation, caused the very fabric of space to tremble. The terrifying combination of flame and lightning violently smashed forward, aimed straight at the Old Ground Demon Ghost's head.
"Hmph! Overestimating your ability!" the Old Ground Demon Ghost sneered coldly.
Without hesitation, a dark, bone-chilling aura erupted from within him, the air around his body turning icy. The black, sinister energy surged outward like a thick fog, intercepting Xiao Hua's domineering fist just inches away from his face.
As the two forces collided, Xiao Hua's golden-green fist came to an abrupt halt, frozen in place by the impenetrable black cold air. Space around them quivered violently from the clash of powers, neither side willing to yield.
Xiao Hua's eyes narrowed, a fierce determination igniting within him as he felt the black cold air attempting to invade his body. He could sense it creeping along his skin, forming a thin layer of frost that quickly melted away, consumed by his inner heat.
The invasion was futile. Within his body surged the domineering flame of the Primordial Green Lotus Core Flame and the cataclysmic power of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning. Even deeper within, the ancient Celestial Frost slumbered—a primordial force of ice itself, rendering any external cold utterly powerless against him.
The thought of his body succumbing to the cold, let alone turning into an ice sculpture, was laughable. Unless there was an overwhelming disparity in strength, even an elite Dou Zong's cold energy wouldn't stand a chance.
His fist had only paused for an instant, but now it resumed its fierce path, smashing relentlessly toward the Old Ground Demon Ghost's withered, bone-thin face. The fury burning in Xiao Hua's eyes was unmistakable. Among all these Dou Zongs, it was this old man who dared to treat the Lightning Beast—his family—as a mere tool. For that, Xiao Hua wanted nothing more than to crack his skull.
The Old Ground Demon Ghost's eyes widened in shock as he realized Xiao Hua had not only resisted his cold invasion but had effortlessly dispelled it. However, he quickly shook off his surprise and focused, his five fingers curling into a claw-like shape, reminiscent of a specter ready to strike.
With a desperate resolve, he met Xiao Hua's fist head-on. Failing to stop this young boy would turn him into a laughingstock among his peers, a humiliation he could not afford.
Boom!
The moment Xiao Hua's fist collided with the Old Ground Demon Ghost's ghostly claw, an explosive force erupted. The sheer impact sent powerful ripples through the air, destabilizing the surrounding space. The shockwave surged outward, throwing the four onlookers off balance. Their bodies skidded through the air, struggling to regain control, before finally coming to a stop fifty meters away.
"What speed! His speed is beyond even that of a Dou Zong!" Ying Shan exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.
Mo Tian Xing's brows furrowed deeply, his expression darkening as he stared at the battlefield. "This isn't the result of simply forcefully raising his strength. His physical body alone possesses terrifying power!" His voice carried a tone of grim realization.
The white-robed elder muttered under his breath, "It seems we've truly offended someone we shouldn't have."
"Then, we will kill him." The youthful red-robed man coldly declared, his eyes flashing with a chilling light. His voice dripped with ruthless intent, his resolve to eliminate this threat clear.
As the four stabilized themselves, fear and shock flickered in their eyes. None of them had expected this child—who appeared no older than ten—to wield such devastating power. His abilities had far surpassed their assumptions, and the destructive force he displayed was nothing short of monstrous.
The four exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. They had reached an unspoken consensus—there was no longer room for mercy. Having offended the boy, there was no point in regret. It was unfortunate they couldn't take him under their wing, but the time for lamenting had passed.
Still, they couldn't help but silently curse the Old Ground Demon Ghost. Though they didn't know the full reason behind the boy's rage, it was clear that the elder's careless words had sparked this deadly confrontation.
With a surge of Dou Qi, their bodies shimmered, disappearing in an instant. When they reappeared, they had encircled Xiao Hua, their killing intent palpable. Without hesitation, the four unleashed their strikes, each aiming directly for the boy, intent on ending him in one decisive blow.
But Xiao Hua's cold smile remained. He had been waiting for this moment, sensing their intent long before they acted. He appreciated that they had come within his reach instead of maintaining a safe distance.
Swoosh—!
A pair of vibrant, ten-foot-wide wings suddenly unfurled from Xiao Hua's back, shimmering with a radiant blend of colors. With a single, muffled flap, they generated a wild gust of wind and a faint rumble of thunder. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Hua's figure blurred, vanishing from sight.
"What—?" The four attackers were caught off guard, their eyes widening in shock as Xiao Hua disappeared before they could react.
But before they could fully register what had happened, four blurry figures materialized, each one appearing in front of Ying Shan, Mo Tian Xing, and the two other Dou Zongs. The air crackled with impending danger.
Bang!
In that fleeting moment, all four Xiao Huas unleashed powerful strikes. The impact was immediate and devastating. Three of the Dou Zongs spat out blood, their faces paling as their bodies were launched through the air like kites with severed strings, crashing violently into the ground below.
As the dust settled, the battered forms of the three figures who had been sent flying by Xiao Hua became visible to the stunned onlookers.
Ying Shan's mask had shattered, revealing his bloodied face, his nose grotesquely broken from the force of Xiao Hua's ferocious punch. He had only survived by sacrificing his defensive treasure and activating a sacrificial technique to buffer the impact. Even then, the damage was severe, his breathing ragged.
Mo Tian Xing clutched his chest, coughing up more blood. His chest had caved in from Xiao Hua's palm strike, leaving several ribs shattered. His breathing was labored, each breath sharp with pain. His pale face made it clear that his condition was dire. Though he had used a technique to counter brute force and lessen the damage, the fact that he was still so gravely injured suggested that Xiao Hua had anticipated his defense, striking with calculated precision.
The red-robed young man, reeking of blood, had fared even worse. After receiving a brutal kick, both of his arms dangled limply, completely shattered. His aura had withered to almost nothing, hovering on the brink of death. His once-youthful appearance rapidly withered as if drained of life, leaving him a white-haired old man with deeply wrinkled skin, his vitality all but extinguished.
It became clear that the red-robed young man had relied on a special Dou Technique to maintain his youthful appearance—similar to the infamous Blood Sect's methods, yet more sinister. His technique didn't merely drain the strength of others; it absorbed their very vitality, allowing him to reverse his aging. However, blocking Xiao Hua's devastating kick had exhausted all of the energy he had accumulated, causing his appearance to wither and revert to his true, decrepit self.
Despite each of them reacting quickly and using their respective techniques to defend, they still sustained heavy injuries. Worse yet, each of them could feel a surge of wild lightning energy coursing through their bodies—a remnant of Xiao Hua's attack. The violent energy crackled within them, threatening to worsen their injuries. If they failed to suppress it soon, the rogue lightning would not only hinder their recovery but could cripple their future cultivation.
Among them, the white-robed elder had fared the worst. His chest had been completely pierced by Xiao Hua's strike, and his arms were utterly mangled, hanging uselessly at his sides. Even the ten ice shields he had summoned in a desperate attempt to defend himself had been torn through like fragile paper, unable to withstand the sheer force of the blow. His life force flickered faintly, his defeat written in the blood seeping from his shattered body.
"Sect Master!" Several figures exclaimed in alarm at the sight of Mo Tian Xing's grievous state. They rushed to his side, their faces pale with worry as they checked his condition.
Among them, a red-faced, elderly man in a black robe with pale-yellow lines quickly takes out the medicinal pills in his Storage Ring. He hurriedly fed them to the Sect Master, watching as the color slowly returned to Mo Tian Xing's face. However, it was clear that the injuries he had sustained were far too severe for simple pills to heal.
"Elder Qi Shan, we should retreat and protect the Sect Master before anyone dares to take advantage of this moment," one of the black-robed elders suggested, cupping his hands with a grim expression.
Qi Shan nodded. "Everyone, retreat!" he ordered sharply.
Without hesitation, the black-robed figures swiftly lifted the injured Mo Tian Xing and began their retreat toward Black Emperor City.
Before leaving, Qi Shan turned back, his gaze locking onto the young boy who had inflicted such grievous harm on their Sect Master. A complex expression crossed his face. Like the boy, Qi Shan was also an alchemist, but merely a Tier 5 alchemist, far from the boy's terrifying level.
With his status as a Tier 5 alchemist and the backing of the Black Emperor Sect, Qi Shan had grown quite arrogant over the years. It had taken him painstaking effort to reach this tier, and yet before him stood a boy, barely ten years old, who had already ascended to the rank of a Tier 8 alchemist. Not only that, the boy had refined a Tier 8 medicinal pill capable of summoning the legendary nine-coloured Pill Lightning—something Qi Shan had only heard of in ancient records.
And as if that wasn't enough, this boy was a Dou Wang, capable of battling Dou Zongs without suffering so much as a scratch. The sheer enormity of his talent made Qi Shan's heart burn with envy.
His gaze shifted to the white-robed elder, now lying lifeless with a gaping hole in his chest. The power this boy wielded was far beyond anyone's expectations. Shaking his head, Qi Shan silently returned to the group. It was clear to him now—crossing this boy would only lead to a swift and unavoidable death.
With that in mind, Qi Shan and the rest of the Black Emperor Sect's group hurriedly retreated, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the terrifying young alchemist.
"Gahk! Why... How...!" The white-robed old man choked on his own blood, his eyes wide with disbelief. Unwillingness and regret etched deeply into his wrinkled face as he realized his fate. The light in his eyes dimmed, and with a final breath, his life slipped away. Never in his wildest thoughts had he imagined that joining this battle would lead to his demise.
"Death always comes unexpectedly, old man." Xiao Hua's voice was cold and indifferent, as his gaze flickered over the lifeless body without a trace of emotion.
There was no need for any elaborate techniques, no intricate martial skills. Xiao Hua simply wanted to dispose of the remaining four, dead or alive, as swiftly as possible. He had considered unleashing the power of his colorful wings right away, but he knew better. His current strength might have surpassed even the Old Ground Demon Ghost, but if these four saw his wings and witnessed his extreme speed, they would undoubtedly go all out. In a combined assault, even he might suffer serious injuries.
"Fortunately, they chose to attack together after watching the Old Ground Demon Ghost hold me off," Xiao Hua muttered softly to himself, his expression remaining calm and calculating.
By delaying his more powerful techniques, he had forced them into a false sense of security. Their reluctance to exhaust themselves early had become their downfall. In the end, their greed and arrogance played right into his hands.
Xiao Hua's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the white-robed old man's lifeless body. With a casual wave of his hand, the Storage Ring slipped off the corpse's finger and floated into his grasp. He inspected it for a moment, then tossed the body aside as if it were nothing more than a piece of rubbish. His focus immediately shifted back to the Old Ground Demon Ghost, whose expression had turned solemn.
"Unbelievable... I never thought I'd live to see four Dou Zongs fail to deal with a child,"
"Which hole did this freak of a monster crawl out from?"
"Reaching Tier 8 Alchemist at such a young age is already absurd, but for that same child to possess the strength to contend with four Dou Zongs? That's beyond belief!"
The spectators were frozen in place, their eyes wide as they witnessed what could only be described as a nightmare turned reality. The fact that Xiao Hua, a mere child, had effortlessly overpowered not just one, but four elite Dou Zong experts was something none of them could have ever imagined. Fear, respect, and astonishment surged through the onlookers like a tidal wave. They had severely underestimated this young boy.
The sight of four powerful Dou Zongs being effortlessly sent away before they could even make a move left the onlookers trembling with astonishment and fear.
Initially, the gathered crowd had anticipated an entertaining spectacle, hoping to reap some benefits from the clash of the five forces of Dou Zongs. Even if they couldn't obtain the coveted tier 8 medicinal pill, they believed they could at least seize some treasures amidst the chaos once the battle erupted.
However, none of them expected that four of these mighty Dou Zongs would fail to even last a breath's time against Xiao Hua. This turn of events left them in a rather awkward position, their prior confidence shaken.
"Those wings on your back… they must be from a high-ranking Magical Beast," the Old Ground Demon Ghost spoke, his sunken eyes narrowing as he studied Xiao Hua's wings. "It must be these wings that allowed you to split yourself into four. However, it seems they merely possessed half of your current strength..."
Ignoring the shockwaves of the crowd, the Old Ground Demon Ghost's gaze grew sharper. His ancient, hoarse voice carried a note of intrigue, for what had just occurred was not something he could easily ignore.
He had initially planned to strike Xiao Hua while the boy was preoccupied with the other four Dou Zongs. However, he had never anticipated such a move. Even if Xiao Hua's clones only possessed half of his original strength, he hadn't imagined that the boy would so effortlessly send the four Dou Zongs flying, severely injuring them and rendering them incapable of continuing the battle.
Just as he prepared to strike one of Xiao Hua's clones, they had already retreated a hundred meters in the blink of an eye, easily evading his grasp. Despite only wielding half his original strength, it seemed that Xiao Hua's speed had increased significantly, making his movements even more difficult to predict.
Although he felt some disappointment at the result of the four Dou Zongs, he was secretly relieved they had at least forced Xiao Hua to reveal this formidable technique.
If Xiao Hua had unleashed such speed earlier, while it wouldn't have caught him completely off guard, it would have certainly left him injured.
"Your Dou Technique… it's quite unique. My interest in you only deepens," the Old Ground Demon Ghost remarked, a sinister smile curling on his lips.
Yet, beneath that smile, he understood clearly—if he didn't give everything he had right now, he would end up among the fallen below. He couldn't fathom what he might have done to anger this youth, but one thing was certain: Xiao Hua would never allow him to leave this battlefield alive.
A chilling, black aura lingered over his fingertips before all ten of his fingers flicked in unison. "Thousand Illusionary Ice Spikes!"
Chi! Chi! Chi!
The black ice spikes that shot out might have seemed inconspicuous, but the violent winds they carried were anything but ordinary. The attack came from every direction, and even a single spike held enough lethal power to kill a Dou Huang expert. From this alone, it was clear that despite their small size, these spikes were far deadlier than they appeared.
Xiao Hua snorted coldly and stomped his foot. A surge of golden-green Dou Qi, blazing like fire, erupted from where his foot struck the ground, spreading outward in a circular motion. It clashed fiercely with the incoming ice spikes from all sides.
Crack!
A sound like shattering glass echoed as the black ice spikes crumbled into countless fragments the moment they made contact with the golden-green Dou Qi. Though the attack failed to threaten him, Xiao Hua's expression remained solemn. He knew the old monster wasn't finished yet.
"Ice Condensate Sword Skill!"
Just as Xiao Hua anticipated, the Old Ground Demon Ghost formed a hand seal with his shriveled fingers, his voice ringing out sternly.
In response to his cry, the shattered ice awls that had collided with the golden-green Dou Qi began to rapidly coalesce. In the blink of an eye, they merged into a massive, ten-foot-wide dark-black ice sword. A bone-chilling cold erupted from the sword, pressing down on the golden-green Dou Qi with overwhelming force. Without hesitation, the enormous ice blade descended, aiming to cleave Xiao Hua in two.
Yet Xiao Hua remained indifferent to the transformation before him. His gaze was calm, unfazed. As his Dou Qi surged, he tightly clenched his fist, silver gauntlets glowing with a golden-green brilliance. In an instant, the light swirled and condensed into the form of an azure dragon's arm, its claws crackling with arcs of golden lightning.
Without pause, Xiao Hua thrust his dragon-clad fist forward. The air around him exploded with the deafening roar of thunder, accompanied by the fierce cries of a thousand beasts.
"Draconic Azure Thunder Blast!"
With a single swift motion, Xiao Hua's punch shot forth like a blazing comet, leaving behind a trail of majestic golden and elegant green energy that lit up the entire battlefield. The air twisted and roared as his fist surged forward, coiling like an azure dragon ascending toward the heavens.
The Old Ground Demon Ghost's eyes narrowed to pinpoints as he sensed the overwhelming power within Xiao Hua's strike. The destructive force contained in that punch was undeniable, and he instantly realized that his ice sword was utterly useless before such might.
'Curse it! Where did this damned boy come from?!' The Old Ground Demon Ghost cursed inwardly. He was well-acquainted with Mang Tian Chi and the Jia Nan Academy, yet none of the techniques Xiao Hua had displayed belonged to them. His gaze flickered with suspicion. 'That lightning beast… Could he be from the Lei Clan, one of the Eight Ancient Clans?'
Being from the same generation as Mang Tian Chi, the Old Ground Demon Ghost wasn't ignorant of the great powers of the Central Plains. But the techniques Xiao Hua had shown were unlike any from the known major factions.
His thoughts naturally shifted toward the more elusive and deeply hidden forces—the Eight Ancient Clans. However, with his limited knowledge of their secret techniques, his suspicions could only remain vague guesses.
As Xiao Hua's fist neared the ice sword, the Old Ground Demon Ghost's eyes flashed with a sinister glint, and he softly cried out, "Explode!"
Bang—!
The dark-black ice sword suddenly trembled before exploding without warning. However, it didn't simply shatter; instead, it transformed into countless palm-sized ice blades, each one sharp and deadly, all hurtling straight toward Xiao Hua with murderous intent. The old ghost wasn't aiming to merely defend—he was aiming to take Xiao Hua's life directly.
But Xiao Hua had long seen through the Old Ground Demon Ghost's cunning ways. He had anticipated this move and was waiting for just this moment.
With a thunderous stomp, purple lightning crackled beneath Xiao Hua's feet. His massive, ten-foot-wide colorful wings flared to life, whipping up wild winds as muffled thunder rolled across the battlefield. In an instant, his figure blurred, vanishing into the storm of lightning and wind.
A faint roar of thunder echoed through the sky, and Xiao Hua reappeared, as if materializing from thin air, right in front of the Old Ground Demon Ghost. His movement left a purple trail. Ignoring the ice blades that slashed against his skin, drawing blood, Xiao Hua's focus was singular—his fist, filled with terrifying might, was aimed squarely at the old man.
Without hesitation, Xiao Hua unleashed his draconic fist, smashing it violently toward the Old Ground Demon Ghost's head. The sheer power within the punch surged like the wrath of an ancient beast, enough to send even the most formidable foe flying upon impact.
If this fist connected with the Old Ground Demon Ghost's skull, there was no doubt—it would obliterate his head, reducing it to nothingness.
The Old Ground Demon Ghost's brows furrowed tightly. He had already braced himself for Xiao Hua's blinding speed, yet he had severely underestimated the boy. He had thought Xiao Hua had already reached his peak, never expecting that his speed would be even more terrifying.
Cold, black air surged from the Old Ground Demon Ghost's body, rapidly encasing him in a protective shroud. In the blink of an eye, the black aura condensed into an enormous energy barrier that surrounded him entirely. Upon closer inspection, the barrier's surface was riddled with countless tiny air swirls, each one spinning with sinister force.
Crack—!
A resounding sound of shattering glass echoed across the battlefield. The black energy barrier crumbled under Xiao Hua's overwhelming strike, unable to withstand even a single blow. However, the barrier had served its purpose—buying the Old Ground Demon Ghost just enough time to put some distance between them.
"Hmph! That won't be enough to take this old man's life, ignorant brat!" the Old Ground Demon Ghost sneered, his skeletal face twisting with mockery. His hollow eyes gleamed with disdain as he spat out his taunt. "Do you truly believe a junior like you can challenge me?"
"Tch!" Xiao Hua clicked his tongue in frustration, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. He had hoped his speed would catch the old relic off guard and end the battle swiftly. But it seemed this decrepit skeleton was more resilient than expected. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes—he couldn't afford to drag this fight out any longer, lest opportunists swoop in to steal the rewards of his hard-earned victory.
"You decrepit old corpse," Xiao Hua sneered, his voice like frost, eyes filled with killing intent. "You've lived far too long if you think you can spout such shameless nonsense!"
Xiao Hua's gaze remained calm, though a cold scorn flashed in his eyes as he stared down the withered figure before him. The Old Ground Demon Ghost was clearly stalling, continuously avoiding Xiao Hua's strikes instead of facing him head-on.
"How pathetic," Xiao Hua continued, his tone dripping with mockery. "It seems the longer one lives, the thicker their skin becomes."
"What a sharp tongue, brat!" The Old Ground Demon Ghost's expression darkened, his killing intent growing denser, swirling like a dark storm. The boy's taunting words only fueled the rage burning within his hollow eyes.
Yet, despite his anger, he couldn't deny the truth of Xiao Hua's words. It was true—he dared not take a direct strike from the boy, knowing full well that even one blow would leave him gravely injured. No matter what technique he used, unless he found a way to pin Xiao Hua down, the boy would continue to dodge and retaliate with even greater ferocity.