As the fierce exchange between the two escalated, the entire auction platform shattered under the impact of their Dou Qi, with stray bursts striking the walls of the Qiyun Hall. Wherever the powerful energy connected, sections of the wall immediately collapsed, making the whole hall tremble precariously.

Trapped within the fray, Mo Han felt utterly cornered. Normally, even if he couldn't win, he could simply flee; with his current strength, he believed even the Dark Pope couldn't easily stop him. But now, with Liu Yanran present, escape was impossible.

Furthermore, Liu Yanran's presence had completely forced Mo Han onto the defensive, leaving him unable to evade. He could only stand and take the attacks from the Dark Pope, who had been transformed into a Yin Puppet Warrior, because Liu Yanran stood directly behind him. If Mo Han dodged, the Dou Qi aimed at him would inevitably strike her.

Given the Dark Pope's formidable power, Mo Han wasn't confident that his miniature Holy Light Barrier could completely withstand the enemy's Dou Qi. Liu Yanran, inside the barrier, was entirely defenseless; one misstep meant her demise. Mo Han naturally dared not risk her life.

This situation left Mo Han entirely passive. Unable to unleash his full strength flexibly, coupled with an opponent whose power was equal to or perhaps even surpassed his own, Mo Han was relegated to a purely defensive, taking-hits role.

Watching the scene unfold from the viewing stands, Xue Sha allowed a sinister smile to touch his lips. "Chen Mo Han, even without acting myself, I have a way to bring about your death and quench the hatred in my heart. Then, no one will stand in my way anymore. Heh heh…"

Meanwhile, Mo Han’s situation grew increasingly perilous. The nature of the Yin Puppet Warriors meant they felt no pain and possessed no instinct for evasion—they only knew attack. Several times, Mo Han struck them and inflicted damage, yet they showed absolutely no reaction. Conversely, the Dark Pope, now a Yin Puppet Warrior, managed to inflict several cuts on Mo Han, but he had no time to heal, which inevitably hampered his movements.

Seeing this, Xue Sha Jella grew more triumphant. Jella even pulled out the flute he used to control the Yin Puppet Warriors and began to play. Stimulated by the music, the puppet warriors moved even more frantically, their speed abruptly accelerating. Mo Han’s plight became even more dire.

Just then, the Dark Pope suddenly leaped high into the air, her weapon blazing with intense light. With overwhelming momentum, she brought it down full force toward Mo Han below. Mo Han inwardly groaned. In normal circumstances, he could easily evade this attack and look for a chance to deliver a fatal counterblow. He could clearly see that although the Dark Pope's offensive was ferocious, it exposed several critical vulnerabilities in her defense. Normally, the Dark Pope would never launch such a foolish attack, but now, utterly devoid of consciousness as a Yin Puppet Warrior, she only knew offense and lacked her usual cunning flexibility.

If he could just dodge this single attack, Mo Han was certain he could deliver a fatal strike before she could recover her guard—or at least a critical injury. That would immediately resolve his current crisis. Once he dealt with this most troublesome Dark Pope, the remaining Dark Elders, despite their notable strength, would be far less capable of threatening him.

However, this perfect opportunity was one Mo Han could not seize. If he truly dodged, the Dark Pope's Dou Qi strike would slam into Liu Yanran behind him. Mo Han’s miniature Holy Light Barrier clearly could not withstand the full power of an attack from a Sword Saint-level expert. If he evaded, Liu Yanran would certainly be injured, so Mo Han refused to do so. His only remaining option was to passively endure the Dark Pope’s full-force strike.

With a sigh of resignation, Mo Han channeled all his Dou Qi into his hands, raising the Holy Sword of Light to meet the Dark Pope descending from above.

The collision of the two streams of Dou Qi unleashed a powerful surge of energy that blasted outward, forcing even the Dark Elder Yin Puppet Warriors to retreat backward, unable to withstand the force. The Dark Pope was thrown flying backward, while Mo Han, impacted by the intense energy, had his feet driven deep into the ground, nearly burying his lower legs up to mid-calf. Just as Mo Han attempted to disengage, a powerful wave of Dou Qi suddenly struck him from the side.

The timing of this assault was flawless; it hit precisely when Mo Han’s previous force was spent and his new strength had yet to build, making it impossible to defend against this new onslaught. Mo Han could only instinctively summon his remaining Dou Qi and raise the Holy Sword of Light to block toward the side.

The instant the two forces clashed, Mo Han felt an energy carrying power no less than his own surge along the Holy Sword of Light, instantly blasting him through the air. Mid-flight, the heavy impact made him lose control, and a mouthful of blood erupted from him.

Xue Sha Jella stood smirking where Mo Han had just been standing. Clearly, the attacker had been Jella—only he possessed the skill to precisely identify Mo Han's momentary opening and deliver a fatal blow. Jella spoke triumphantly to the fallen Mo Han: "Chen Mo Han, did you ever expect this day? Look at your current state."

Mo Han slowly rose from the ground. "Jella, do you truly intend to violate your own oath? Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed once this spreads?" Mo Han spoke coldly.

Jella merely burst into loud laughter, mocking him. "My Royal Highness, I can't believe you actually believed me. You are truly too naive. Only you and I are here today; once I eliminate you, no one will ever know this secret. Boy, do you know why I didn't act sooner? Because I wasn't entirely confident I could defeat you. If I had alerted you, I believe with your strength, no one could have stopped you from leaving. That's why I waited here for the opportunity."

"Besides, once this nuisance is dealt with, I will be the most powerful human on the Longteng Continent. By then, even if they found out, who would dare criticize me? Imagine the result if I turned you into a Yin Puppet Warrior—the thought alone is thrilling. I truly wish to see you as a Yin Puppet Warrior! Hahaha…"

Mo Han was deeply shocked. He never suspected Jella harbored such intentions. He chided himself for his carelessness, for actually believing Jella's words and assuming he would abide by his promises like others on the continent, thus neglecting to guard against Jella’s actions. Jella had exploited exactly that, using the Dark Pope to distract Mo Han while he seized the opportunity to strike during Mo Han's full engagement with the Pope. Indeed, the sneak attack succeeded, leaving Mo Han severely wounded.

Just as Jella was reveling in his success, a chilling voice echoed from the sky, laced with disdain: "Someone like you aspires to be the strongest human on the Longteng Continent? Truly shameless."

Hearing this voice, Jella’s expression shifted sharply, but Mo Han managed a slight smile, recognizing the speaker as Bai Ling. With Bai Ling present, Jella stood no chance.

At that moment, the roof of the auction hall violently cracked open, and a white figure descended slowly through the gap toward the ground. It was none other than Bai Ling. Seeing Bai Ling, Jella’s face changed color, as he could instantly tell that Bai Ling was no ordinary opponent—clearly the difficult kind. Steel his nerves, Jella spoke cautiously, "Who exactly are you, sir? This is a matter between our Dark Church and this person. I advise you not to interfere." Jella did not wish to needlessly gain a terrifying enemy like Bai Ling, so he invoked the name of the Dark Church, hoping Bai Ling would hesitate out of respect for the Church’s power and withdraw.

But Jella’s calculation was drastically wrong. Given Bai Ling’s strength and temperament, she wouldn't be deterred by such threats. Jella’s words were meaningless to her. Bai Ling maintained her icy tone: "What if I insist on interfering?"