Seeing the dense blood mist formed after the 'Blood Prison Sword King Tree' exploded, Yi Xing frowned and let out a derisive chuckle.

With a slight rotation of his arm, massive phantom sword shields continuously separated and materialized, stacking one after another to form a tight perimeter around Yi Xing. There were eight shields in total, completely encircling him.

"Buzz!"

In an instant, the eight sword shields vibrated violently, unleashing a fierce, invisible surge of energy that radiated outward. The surrounding space seemed to whip into a tornado, causing the blood mist filling the void to churn violently.

"Impressive, truly worthy of a Seventh-Grade Spirit God!" A faint, mocking laugh suddenly sounded as Nie Kong's body separated from a mass of blood mist, swaying precariously in the surging, fluctuating void.

"Nie Kong, stop playing these petty tricks and fight me properly."

Yi Xing's expression turned stern. The eight sword shields again emitted a deafening tremor, waves of power surging outward like a bursting dam, bearing down on Nie Kong several tens of meters away with the force of an overwhelming tide.

"As you wish!" Nie Kong's gaze sharpened. His body, which had been drifting, suddenly plunged onto the ground. Streams of 'War God Star Seals' spun out from within his body, tearing through the incoming waves and slamming into Yi Xing layer upon layer.

The 'War God Star Seals' Nie Kong employed this time were utterly different from before.

Each Star Seal, as it shot out from Nie Kong's form, was engulfed in raging 'Chaos Heavenly Fire,' resembling a blazing sun. The fierce light radiating from the milky-white flames made it difficult to look upon, and along with this light flowed an unimaginable heat that instantly turned the surrounding hundred paces of ground into scorched earth.

"..."

Even standing at the edge of the battle zone, those Fifth and Sixth-Grade Spirit Gods, feeling the imposing might contained within the 'War God Star Seals,' could not help but show looks of shock and horror. They privately felt they could hardly withstand such an attack directed at them.

Among the dozen or so people here, perhaps only Seventh-Grade Spirit God Yi Xing and Eighth-Grade Spirit God Yan He could suppress him. The 'Chaos Jade Codex,' treasured by the Pill Immortal Sect for ten thousand years, had failed to benefit them, the Spirit Gods of the sect, but was instead increasingly fueling the ferocity of this enemy before them.

"The Divine Power of Chaos is truly marvelous. Burning divine power to form Heavenly Fire, and then combining that Heavenly Fire with the Red Star Clan's 'War God Star Seals' grants boundless power! If he were willing to willingly integrate the 'Spirit Servant Divine Tablet' for a thousand years... no, perhaps only five hundred years, the Pill Immortal Sect could gain another Grand Venerable." Yan He’s expression also shifted, his mind rapidly calculating such possibilities, making his desire to subdue Nie Kong even more intense.

At this moment, the nine 'War God Star Seals' were closing in on Yi Xing's sword shields.

"Boom!"

Ninefold Overlap!

Amidst the earth-shattering impact, the resulting waves of heat rapidly rolled outward. Yi Xing's figure was violently forced back several meters, and his eight sword shields shuddered fiercely a few times before stabilizing once more.

Is this Nie Kong truly only a Sixth-Grade Spirit God?

Yi Xing's face was grim, and a cloud of gloom settled over his heart. As the one taking the brunt of the attack, he felt the true force of Nie Kong's strike even more keenly. The explosion of the ninefold 'War God Star Seals' unleashed a violent surge of heat that nearly tore apart and melted his own Dharma Manifestation.

If he were also a Sixth-Grade Spirit God, he would likely have been completely annihilated by now.

"No matter how immense Nie Kong's divine power is, he cannot sustain such continuous attacks!" Yi Xing’s mind instantly calmed, but in the next second, his pupils contracted violently—another series of burning Star Seals were already spiraling out from within Nie Kong's body.

"Boom!"

In a flash, another set of 'Ninefold Overlap' struck!

Yi Xing's face changed dramatically, and he staggered backward repeatedly. The heat emanating from the 'War God Star Seals' lashed out, profoundly shaking even his soul. A searing sensation surged up, instantly turning his face flushed red as fire, and the surrounding sword shields began to tremble uncontrollably.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

Four massive sword shields shattered in succession before Yi Xing finally managed to steady his footing.

Witnessing this scene, the dozen or so Spirit Gods who had retreated two to three hundred meters away were deeply shaken. Nie Kong's 'War God Star Seals' had actually forced a Seventh-Grade Spirit God onto the back foot. This outcome greatly exceeded everyone's expectations, leading them to begin worrying about the result of this sparring match.

"Huu!"

Just as Yi Xing managed to catch his breath, sheer horror involuntarily welled up in his brow—Nie Kong still had the capacity to unleash the 'War God Star Seals'!

"Boom!"

In less than a second, the third 'Ninefold Overlap' crashed down.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

Another four huge sword shields collapsed. The sheer kinetic force and heat blasting out from the nine 'War God Star Seals' struck Yi Xing directly.

"Bang!"

Yi Xing was sent flying backward like a kite cut from its string.

Nie Kong moved like a streak of light, swiftly pursuing, and coldly spat out a single syllable: "Die!" The vitality of heaven and earth instantly transformed into a dense aura of death.

"You—?"

Before Yi Xing's body even hit the ground, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Nie Kong changed drastically, as if staring at a demon, his pupils filled with terror and disbelief. He realized that the moment he heard Nie Kong utter that sound, it was as if he had been struck by a malicious curse; the life force within his body was rapidly draining away.

Spirit Gods represented eternal life.

Unless a Spirit God's spiritual consciousness, heart-mind, and physical body were completely erased, it was impossible to truly kill them. As long as a trace of spiritual consciousness escaped and found a suitable body, regeneration was possible. If even a wisp of a remnant soul remained in a safe area, death was not assured.

Yet, Yi Xing now felt the threat of death. He had a premonition that if his current main body perished, the sliver of remnant soul residing in the Pill Immortal Sect would likely wither away too.

Why is this happening? I am a Seventh-Grade Spirit God!

His mind reeling in horror, Yi Xing crashed heavily into a deep ravine, then watched helplessly as that demonic figure rapidly magnified in his vision.

"Nie Kong, stop!"

Yan He keenly sensed the anomaly and abruptly shouted out. But from a hundred meters away, Nie Kong’s figure showed no hesitation. Countless purple vines shot out from his body, and in the blink of an eye, the tightly bound Yi Xing was yanked over to face him.

"Insolence!"

Yan He instantly guessed Nie Kong's intention and erupted in fury, his hair and beard standing on end like a raging, maddened lion. He pointed his right index and middle fingers toward the void, and a thick pillar of fire shot out like lightning, instantly disappearing and reappearing tens of meters beside Nie Kong.

Nie Kong laughed heartily at this. With a flicker of intent, the vines dragged Yi Xing to his side.

With a slight flick of his finger, the pillar of fire zipped past Yi Xing’s body. Yan He was so enraged his orifices smoked: "Nie Kong, you are courting death!"

"Are you willing to kill me?"

A mischievous smile spread across Nie Kong's face. Immediately after, the vines covering Yi Xing’s body abruptly transformed into intense Chaos Heavenly Fire, engulfing his figure in crimson light.

"Ah!"

Yi Xing’s soul shrieked from within the fireball, sending a chilling tremor through the air."