. The shattered soul barrier began to reorganize, instantly transforming into a gray haze. Even with Cao Ying and Dan Chen's soul perception, they were unable to detect what was happening inside.
"Sister Cao Ying, Mr. Chen Guan..."
"Trust him, go inform the elders first!"
Calming the anxious Dan Chen, Cao Ying gritted her teeth, took one last look at the gray battlefield, and decisively turned and flew away.
With their strength, they were no longer able to intervene in a battle of this magnitude. Staying would only be a burden. Better to leave first.
Within the soul barrier,
Chen Guan, focused, ignored Elder Mu Gu's attempts to seal off this area.
They were united in their desire to keep the other person inside.
"With your talent, you'll surely ascend to Dou Zun in ten or twenty years. Then, you might become a major problem for our Soul Palace. It's a shame you were exposed too early, but to die at my hands is something you should be proud of!"
Elder Mu Gu glared at the apparently cautious Chen Guan with a sinister gaze and said with a cruel smile.
The gap between a Dou Zong and a Dou Zun was enormous. In his entire life, he had yet to witness a Dou Zun die at the hands of a Dou Zong.
He didn't know how he'd lost today's battle.
Compared to Chen Guan, it was the puppet beside him that worried Elder Mu Gu the most, a slight source of trouble.
But that was all!
"Netherworld Demonic Fire Arm!"
Without further delay, Elder Mu Gu slid his withered hand from his sleeve, then formed a seal with lightning speed!
Layers of crystals spread from his arm, expanding dozens of times in the blink of an eye. The outstretched hand resembled a giant claw, a mighty force.
The next moment, flames, one yellow and one black, erupted from his body like a volcano, gushing into the giant crystalline claw.
As more and more two-colored flames poured into the giant crystalline claw, the cracks on its surface gradually healed. From behind it, a two-colored flaming arm slowly extended. As the flames rose, this other arm exuded an extremely cold and chilling aura, like the arm of death.
Elder Mu Gu knew time was running out, so even with a hint of contempt, his first strike was still a powerful one!
Gazing at the giant arm swirling with two-colored flames, a solemn expression crossed Chen Guan's face. A low roar emanated from his throat, and the tip of his blade trembled slightly.
"Kill!"
The energy of heaven and earth surged like a hurricane. A streak of cobalt blue, shielded by a puppet, attacked the two-colored arm with the force of an antelope hanging from a horn.
Seeing this, a cold glint flashed across Elder Mu Gu's eyes. His hand seals suddenly shifted, and a massive flaming arm suddenly soared upwards. Like a meteorite, it crashed down towards Chen Guan's position. Space collapsed in its path, revealing numerous dark voids.
The flaming arm swept downwards. At a certain distance, its flames suddenly surged, and the arm itself, surging with the wind, expanded again in an instant, reaching a massive size of nearly ten feet!
A massive shadow enveloped the forest for hundreds of meters!
"Break!"
Sensing the intense pressure of the blazing energy from the sky, the leading puppet raised its head and let out a muffled roar. It clenched its massive fist, and a dazzling deep yellow energy coalesced into a phoenix-like figure, striking fiercely.
Boom! Whoosh!
The flaming arm swept downwards, and in an instant, it finally clashed fiercely with the puppet's iron fist!
At that moment, the mountains trembled, and all the beasts trembled!
The terrifying countervailing energy surged like a tidal wave, and even the puppet's body couldn't escape unscathed. The immense energy blasted it like a cannonball into the mountain, sending up countless rubble.
Fortunately, after the puppet's initial weakening, the massive flaming arm in the sky, though still less pronounced, had dimmed, barely a tenth of its peak strength.
A cobalt-blue line of fire darted past, bisecting it and finally neutralizing the devastating blow!
The line of fire still had some force left, but as it reached Elder Mu Gu, it was single-handedly wiped out by a black-fire-covered palm.
Having suffered a minor setback once, Elder Mu Gu wouldn't be fooled a second time.
"What a bizarre puppet! Anyone who stands in my way, whether you're human or puppet, will die!"
Watching the puppet, still unharmed, soar through the mountain debris and into the sky, Elder Mu Gu muttered a low compliment, his murderous intent growing even stronger.
The toughness of puppets was well known, but he had only rarely encountered one with the spirituality necessary to perform combat techniques.
Now, he became even more interested in Chen Guan's secrets.
His withered palm formed seals again, and two streams of flame gushed forth. This time, they split into two, two flaming arms blazing fiercely, standing tall and firm like pillars in the sky.
The more powerful black arm smashed down upon the puppet, while the arm shrouded in bright yellow flames headed straight for Chen Guan!
Layers of space shattered and exploded. Even though Elder Mu Gu focused on dealing with the puppet, the blow still weighed heavily on Chen Guan.
Watching the flaming arms tear through the air, Chen Guan's gaze blazed, but he remained silent.
Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and in an instant, he retreated hundreds of feet, standing tall on a high mountaintop.
He plunged his long sword into the ground, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. Simultaneously, the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire, the Fallen Heart Flame, and the Sea Heart Flame dispersed, rising against the wind and transforming into three fire spirits that commanded the three directions.
Immediately afterwards, Chen Guan snapped his fingers, and two more backup beast fires shot forth. Controlled by his powerful mental force, they swiftly transformed into the final two fire spirits, soaring into the sky.
"Five-Wheel Separation Fire Technique, initiate!"
"Separation Fire Burns the Heavens!"
With Chen Guan at the center, five fire spirits formed a pentagram formation, interconnecting and intertwining.
In an instant, flames surged across the sky, like a raging wave, rapidly spreading across the heavens.
This place had become a sea of fire!
A yellow flaming arm charged forward, its boundless flames instantly slamming into it, trapping it like a quagmire, unable to advance an inch.
It was a clash of flames, a clash of boundless power!
Although Chen Guan held the absolute upper hand in the flames, even with his Dou Zong strength, he still felt a surge of fatigue against Elder Mu Gu.
A single flaming arm took over ten breaths to completely incinerate him.
Meanwhile, the puppet, though also lacking in strength, handled the onslaught more easily than Chen Guan. Its body, more terrifying than a demonic beast, served as a perfect shield. If
one punch wasn't enough, then another, fiercely meeting the flaming arm, the massive shockwave toppled countless mountains.
The black flames swirling around the fire arms were truly terrifying. Just the scattered and falling stars caused many tiny pits to appear on the surface of the puppet.
"Hah!"
Seeing the puppet stabilize the situation, Chen Guan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he had a rough assessment of Elder Mu Gu's strength.
Compared to the puppet, it was only slightly better.
He estimated that it should be around four-star strength.
Slightly modifying his plan, Chen Guan controlled the boundless sea of fire and engulfed Elder Mu Gu.
Crackling explosions continued, and wherever the sea of fire passed, mountaintops became bare, swept by the whirlwind-like energy of heaven and earth, and pulverized them.
"Tianzhihen! Cut!"
From a high place, Chen Guan drew his sword and attacked Elder Mu Gu from two directions with the puppet.
In the boundless sea of fire, fist shadows surged into the sky, and an extremely gorgeous sword light dozens of feet long pierced the air.
If Queen Medusa were here, she would definitely find that Tianzhihen at this moment seemed to have returned to its original point.
Putting aside the power, the momentum was enough to shock the world!
"Hmph, you're just trying to attract attention! You're vulnerable!"
Black flames transformed into a curtain of fire, shielding Elder Mu Gu from the encroaching sea of flames.
Seeing the attacks coming from both sides, Elder Mu Gu scoffed, knocking back the puppet with a punch, then spun back with a palm strike.
This seemingly light palm strike carried immense power, crushing the sword flashes dozens of feet across with a single blow!
Furthermore, the remaining force continued to push forward, bearing down on Chen Guan like a falling sky.
In this critical moment, Chen Guan thrust his long sword upwards, and a massive fireball emerged from the sea of flames. The sword flashed, accompanied by the fireball. The combined power of these two techniques finally neutralized the terrifying force. The
remaining force collided with him, sending Chen Guan retreating violently, his expression changing slightly, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth.
Seeing this, Elder Mu Gu's sneer deepened, and he was about to finish him off.
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However, a piercing sound echoed from behind, the puppet already charging.
Forced to do so, Elder Mu Gu temporarily abandoned his desire to instantly slay Chen Guan and turned to confront the puppet.
Flames roared, fists thundered, and swords flashed like rainbows. Amidst the sea of flames, three figures engaged each other in a continuous barrage, each a ghostly presence, elusive to the naked eye.
However, a person of profound mental strength would have noticed that among the three engaged in combat, only one was coughing up blood.
One minor injury, then ten minor injuries—these accumulated, leaving the young man looking quite battered, relying solely on his tenacity to persevere.
However, for a Dou Zong facing a Dou Zun powerhouse, sustaining some injuries was par for the course. His ability to hold out this long was truly remarkable.
Coincidentally, Elder Mu Gu shared this thought.
"Buzz!" "Buzz!"
A sudden, trembling sound echoed from the outside, startling the three combatants.
Then, everyone understood. Perhaps the elders of Danta had received the news and rushed over, currently attacking the soul barrier outside.
With this realization, both Elder Mu Gu and Chen Guan's eyes shifted slightly.
"Soul Handprint!"
He swung his sword to distance himself. Chen Guan followed suit, unleashing his spiritual power for the first time, unleashing a Soul Handprint spanning over ten feet.
Elder Mu Gu's gaze quirked slightly at this level of spiritual power, a hint of surprise in his heart.
"Spiritual Realm Soul?! You're truly a freak. But have you forgotten that I'm also an alchemist? Your spiritual power, newly entered in the Spirit Realm, is nothing compared to a child wielding a dagger in my eyes."
Elder Mu Gu shook his head in mockery. While fighting the puppet, he maintained his soul shield and channeled some of his spiritual power back to strike back at Chen Guan.
He managed three things simultaneously, yet remained unfazed, displaying the demeanor of a powerful warrior.
The invisible collision of spiritual forces struck Chen Guan as if struck by lightning. His face paled suddenly, and he staggered, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
Elder Mu Gu wasn't surprised at all. The clash of mental energies was always the most bizarre and dangerous.
Unwisely acting rashly would only lead to instant idiocy.
Suddenly, Elder Mu Gu sensed the external force assaulting his soul barrier growing stronger.
Shaking his head slightly, he knew it was time to bring this battle to a close. Any further delay would only increase the risk.
Just as he was about to launch his final, decisive blow, something unexpected occurred. Chen Guan, as if sensing his killing intent, launched a final, final counterattack.
"Explode!"
His mouth stained with blood, his face a frantic expression.
At Chen Guan's command, the puppet obeyed his command and launched a self-destructive attack, recklessly absorbing the energy of heaven and earth and charging at Elder Mu Gu at breakneck speed. The imminent appearance of losing control made Elder Mu Gu's brows tremble.
However, his anxiety lasted only a moment, and he quickly calmed down.
While this self-destruction attack was threatening, it was still too clumsy.
If it didn't hit anyone, all the efforts would be in vain.
With a faint smile, Elder Mu Gu prepared to withdraw.
However, at that moment, a vast spiritual force, no less powerful than his own at his peak, suddenly surged forth. Before Elder Mu Gu could even retract his scattered spiritual power, a series of soul storms had already begun to rage.
This invisible spiritual storm, invisible and intangible, could be heard like gusts of howling wind.
Elder Mu Gu's body suddenly straightened, and then began to tremble continuously. Streams of blood flowed from all seven orifices, making him look extremely creepy.
The moment the puppet charged forward, Elder Mu Gu realized everything.
He gazed at Chen Guan, whom he had severely underestimated, with a look of surprise. A black flame rose from his palm. This was his most powerful trump card.
However, at this moment, he no longer had the power to use it!
"Boom!"
A deafening roar suddenly resounded like thunder from the nine heavens!
A terrifying energy storm formed at that moment, then raged wildly. The entire mountain trembled under the raging storm. Soul shields shattered inch by inch, and massive cracks, several feet long, spread rapidly, stretching as far as the eye could see. The
sudden eruption of the energy storm also caught the attention of the Danta elders outside. However, upon sensing its terrifying power, they were horrified. Gathering all their strength, they grabbed Cao Ying, who had followed them, and quickly rushed towards the distant peaks.
The energy ripples spread for over ten seconds before calming down. Once all subsided, the two Danta elders looked out at the battlefield and gasped in unison.
They saw the devastating energy razing several peaks to the ground. The once lush greenery was gone, leaving only a barren expanse of red and yellow, and a vast, deep crater hundreds of feet across!
"Something's happened!" the elder holding Cao Ying whispered softly, his face grim.
"Junior Brother!"
Cao Ying snapped out of her trance, breaking free from the elders and charging towards the pit.
"Be careful!"
"Come back!"
The deadly yellow earth began to churn. The next moment, a charred figure, unrecognizable and half-broken, suddenly emerged from the mud. With a single, swift step, it sprinted towards the Dan Realm's exit in the blink of an eye.
Its speed was so swift that the two Danta elders couldn't react!
By the time they recovered, the figure was gone, leaving only a trail of blood.
"Elder Mu Gu?"
Cao Ying, now closest, saw the charred figure's face clearly. It was none other than Elder Mu Gu.
Strangely, despite his tragic condition, Elder Mu Gu's face showed no trace of pain. Cao Ying saw only numbness in his eyes and face. So
numb, it seemed as if he were no longer a human being...
Many questions filled her mind, but Cao Ying didn't have time to dwell. She leaped into the pit, her mental energy searching.
Fortunately, her worries didn't last long. Soon, she sensed a familiar presence buried beneath the soil.
A flicker of joy crossed her pretty face, and Cao Ying's hands moved swiftly, harnessing her fighting spirit. In just a few minutes, she had dug the man out.
Seeing his limbs intact and no serious injuries, except for his turbulent aura and the faintest traces of black flame emanating from his mouth and nose, Cao Ying felt relieved, yet her doubts grew.
She was certain she was not mistaken; it seemed that this same black flame had been used by Elder Mu Gu when he attacked them earlier!
The intertwining of doubts, and the outcome of this battle, led Cao Ying to a bold hypothesis.
"Cao Ying, is Chen Guan alright?" Elder Danta's voice called from behind.
"He's fine, just a minor injury, temporarily unconscious. These are the herbs for his mission. Elder Qin and Elder Li, please register them. I'll take my junior brother out for treatment."
Cao Ying moved swiftly, her consciousness penetrating Chen Guan's finger ring without being stopped, further confirming her suspicions. She
retrieved the herbs and handed them to the arriving elders. Then, before the two elders' stunned gazes, a large bag fell into her hands.
Without even giving the elders a clear view, she had already dragged Chen into it.
Pack them up and take them away...
(End of Chapter)