Rumble— Sand and gravel flew, the fiery serpent’s body thrashed and writhed within the hazy dust cloud. Roars erupted one after another, as if the world were ending; the broad combat ring was flattened in an instant, the fierce surge of energy shooting outwards like crashing tidal waves.

This earth-shattering spectacle caused the spectators’ hearts to tremble. Fortunately, when the Sect Founding Ceremony began, four mighty figures had stationed themselves at the ring’s edges, continuously sealing back the frantically raging energy currents, thereby preventing the weaker Spirit Masters nearby from being affected.

After a long while, the crowd finally calmed down slightly, but their confusion only intensified: What exactly happened after Snake Qianbian swallowed Nie Kong?

“Snake Qianbian was too careless. Nie Kong intentionally let himself be swallowed!” Lu Rong took a deep breath, barely suppressing the shock surging in his chest.

“You think he didn’t know Nie An’s intention?”

Kou Xilai stared intently at the battle circle at the arena’s center, his expression dark as still water. “He was too confident in his ‘Serpent Form Universe’!” The so-called ‘Serpent Form Universe’ was an ability that gathered energy from the serpentine spirit clan’s core intent to form a miniature domain, capable of trapping anyone inside, making escape nearly impossible.

“‘Serpent Form Universe’ is the Serpent Spirit Clan’s most formidable divine ability, yet even it couldn't contain Nie Kong!”

Lu Rong managed a wry smile. Most people assumed Nie Kong was simply too slow to dodge and was swallowed by Snake Qianbian, but those with discerning eyes knew the trickery involved. Witnessing that scene, the experts from the Spirit God Hall, including him and Kou Xilai, all believed the outcome was decided.

But now, they realized they had once again misjudged Nie Kong.

“Devour!”

Another wave of heart-wrenching agony echoed. The giant serpent’s head slammed violently onto the ground, its tail whipping with even greater ferocity, yet its severed body began to swell rapidly, soaring dozens of meters high in the blink of an eye.

“Bang!”

A burst of bloody mist erupted from the serpent’s back, intense golden light shooting out. Immediately, a white shadow broke through the bloody hole and shot towards the sky, lightly descending just outside the dust cloud. The crowd involuntarily gasped, focusing their gaze only to see that the figure was Nie Kong, his white robes completely unstained by blood.

Nie Kong swept his long sleeve, and the billowing dust immediately dissipated.

Almost simultaneously, the falling serpent body rapidly contracted, reverting to Snake Qianbian’s original form—his body was drenched in blood, and his face was pale as snow.

“Nie Kong, I still underestimated you.” Snake Qianbian gasped like a wounded beast, his breath heavy as thunder, coldness radiating from his blood-red eyes.

“Snake Qianbian, it is you who overestimated yourself! After three days apart, one should look upon another with new eyes. Do you think I am still the same Nie Kong from beneath Jiyang City?” Nie Kong shot him a mocking glance, and the center of his brow flashed—the core intent of the ‘Violet Luo Illusory Spirit Incense’ shot forth, its stems and leaves spreading wildly. Snake Qianbian’s pupils constricted, his body twisting as he suddenly merged into the void.

The next instant, Snake Qianbian reappeared a hundred meters away, but the moment he materialized, purple stems and leaves suddenly sprouted before him, blocking his path. Before he could react, the ‘Violet Luo Illusory Spirit Incense’ stems and leaves from all directions connected to form a cohesive barrier.

Stalks crossed, leaves intertwined, and in a flash, a massive, circular dome was woven together. The spectators felt dazzled by the brilliant purple light.

“Nie Kong, you think this can trap me?” Before Snake Qianbian’s low roar even faded, the top of the dome sharply pointed upwards, as if struck by a powerful impact. Then, before the bulging dome could return to its shape, a second impact followed immediately...

Thundering sounds rang out successively. In just two or three seconds, the conical protrusion reached over ten meters high, looking as if it might shatter at any moment.

Nie Kong stepped forward, his figure suddenly dissolving into the circular barrier.

“The core intent can only trap you for a while. What about this, then?” Nie Kong’s cold laughter echoed from within the purple dome.

“Flower Spirit?”

Snake Qianbian cried out in alarm. “Nie Kong, I concede—”

“Flower Mountain Blood Sea!” Snake Qianbian’s final word, ‘lose,’ was cut off by Nie Kong’s shout.

Immediately, at the location of the purple dome, the flower buds interspersed among the stems and leaves suddenly burst open, and spheres of red energy exploded simultaneously. In a brief moment, the purple light was swallowed, and a wild, powerful force rippled outward. However, they only expanded a few meters before seeming to experience a powerful attraction, pouring inward toward the dome like an overwhelming, surging blood-colored ocean.

Although the force did not spill out, the terrifying aura permeated the entire arena. The crowd instantly turned pale with shock and involuntarily sprang to their feet.

“Ah!”

A piercing shriek tore through the void.

His figure shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow, Snake Qianbian’s face terrifyingly distorted. The moment he rushed clear of the sea of blood, his body stiffened, dropping straight down like a kite whose string had snapped.

Thud!

The impact sounded like a giant hammer striking heavily against everyone’s hearts. Snake Qianbian lay motionless on the ground like a dead snake.

“Dead?”

Staring at the bloody shadow, Lu Rong uttered those two words in horror. The expressions of Kou Xilai and the others around him were extremely grim. The few Serpent Spirit Clan experts nearby were pale-faced, looking utterly incredulous; they could no longer sense any life aura from that mass of blood.

The red mist receded like a tide, and Nie Kong’s figure suddenly reappeared.

Looking at the annihilated Snake Qianbian, a flicker of surprise crossed Nie Kong’s eyes. He hadn't expected that the synergy between Tai Yan’s Devour and the ninth-tier skill ‘Flower Mountain Blood Sea’ would nearly double the resulting power; otherwise, it would have taken him considerably more effort to succeed.

As he thought this, Nie Kong swept his right hand, sending Snake Qianbian flying to land before the group of Serpent Spirit Clan experts.

The group instantly snapped back to awareness. A gaunt old man’s eyes widened in fury. “Nie Kong! Lord Snake already conceded, yet you still dare deliver such a fatal blow?”

“Conceded?”

Nie Kong smiled faintly. “Did he concede? I am very sorry, but I only heard the words ‘I con—’ but I did not hear the complete phrase ‘I concede.’”

“You, you…”

The old man trembled with rage, but Nie Kong’s words left him with no room for rebuttal. He could only turn to the surrounding crowd and shout angrily, “Everyone! Nie Kong’s actions have violated the rules of the Heaven and Earth Arena. I ask you all to lend the Serpent Spirit Clan a hand and execute this despicable villain!”

“…”

Unfortunately, his plea received no response.

Everyone knew that Snake Qianbian had intended to concede, but since he hadn't fully uttered the three words, “I concede,” it technically didn't count.

Seeing this, the Serpent Spirit Clan elder grew agitated and furious, swiftly turning to Kou Xilai. “Hall Master Kou, what is your opinion?”

“Indeed, such a person deserves to be collectively executed!”

Kou Xilai’s gaze flickered slightly, then his expression suddenly darkened. He looked toward the five young men and women standing next to the man in the black robe. “I request the five Deities to step forward and apprehend Nie Kong.”

“Very well!”

A young man smiled slightly, exchanged glances with the four others, and gracefully stepped forward.

…

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