The surge of proud honor within Wanyan Lifeng, as he confronted Qian Jin’s full-force strike, suddenly seemed to awaken, utterly shattering the notion that this attack was unavoidable.

Wanyan Lifeng’s years of combat experience, the hard-won lessons from crawling out of piles of the dead countless times, exploded forth in this moment, granting him the advantage of veteran instinct. Had he been a younger warrior of equal strength, the seed of defeat would already be planted, making a comeback impossible.

But Wanyan Lifeng managed to uproot that seed of defeat. The pressure of living under the Demon Clan’s heel for so many years, the countless struggles clawed back from the very edge of death, all became his absolute advantage in this instant—like a willow branch swaying violently in a tempest yet refusing to break.

“Excellent, I’ll give you one more push!” The Seventh Prince, Lucifer Zhifeng, delicately spun a plain grey metal ring on his finger. In that instant, as Wanyan Lifeng’s power flared, a sigil flashed across his forehead! A grey sigil! An inscription sigil of ash-grey! It radiated an energy that felt utterly divorced from the living.

Wanyan Lifeng’s eyes, in that same fleeting moment, became impossibly dead and grey, his very skin turning ashen. Even his Dou Qi seemed poised for a terrifying change...

This entire sequence of transformations served only to make Wanyan Lifeng stronger! The surrounding demons, witnessing the shift in his physique, immediately recoiled from the peculiar nature of his Dou Qi, sensing a deep, inherent repulsion.

He took it! Wanyan Lifeng, dual blades in hand, utterly and firmly caught Qian Jin’s blow!

The intent woven into his war blades, fueled by the flow of the River of Stars, was actually intercepted completely by Wanyan Lifeng!

He won! The corner of the Seventh Prince’s lip curled upward toward the side, a subtle, predicted smirk beginning to bloom on his face. BUT! The very instant the smile began to form, the Jidu Cleaving Saber in Qian Jin’s grip roared back to life.

A battle-cry saturated with pure fighting intent burst forth like an explosion from within Qian Jin’s body. He seemed about to fuse entirely with his war saber, as if he were the River of Stars, or perhaps the River of Stars itself, descending personally from the heavens.

This thunderous roar, brimming with battle spirit, drowned out the crack of the thunder overhead, vibrating painfully in the ears of every watching demon, threatening to tear their eardrums until it burrowed deep, deep into their very souls.

In that moment, every demon felt it: the true core thought of Jiliu Feijing, this ordinary mixed-blood Demon Martial Artist—a lifelong aspiration to challenge the strength of bloodline, the soul's roar of indomitable will.

“Not good!” Lucifer Zhenshi’s eyebrows shot up. “No time for subtlety! Seal, open for me now!”

Wanyan Lifeng’s grey eyes suddenly filled with bright crimson bloodshot streaks, as if his eyeballs might burst at any second, weeping blood. The pair of gleaming armguards on his arms suddenly emitted a chilling, deathly grey aura. In an instant, not a trace of living essence could be found on Wanyan Lifeng.

Dead! Qian Jin distinctly felt that Wanyan Lifeng possessed no signs of life anymore. The necromantic inscription on his arms had instantly seized his life, converting that essence of vitality into pure, raw power.

“He’s almost Half-Saint level now…” Bokesili stared blankly at Wanyan Lifeng on the platform. How was this possible? Why had his strength suddenly surged to such a degree?

Undead! It was the Undead again!

Qian Jin’s aura, which had peaked, surged yet again. The entire incident with Hai Qing'er’s undead spirit transformed instantly into pure hatred. Every demon could sense that Qian Jin had reached a state of unique transcendence; his Golden Dou Heart felt poised to break through and condense into a Dou Soul at any moment!

Qian Jin, roaring in fury, struck with another saber blow!

This strike shattered both of Wanyan Lifeng’s war blades. The force, surging like a mighty river, poured into the blow, piercing his defense and slicing across his forehead, continuing down across his chest and abdomen...

Pfft...

The instant the saber struck Wanyan Lifeng’s forehead, blood sprayed out from the fissure. His vacant eyes suddenly flickered back to life. Half his face contorted in a ferocious snarl of rage and undead unwillingness, while the other half was filled with serenity, happiness, and release...

And in that very same moment, Wanyan Lifeng’s fists shot out—both slamming into Qian Jin’s chest. The eruption of the Necromantic Badge combined with the power of the armguards allowed him to remain alive even while taking a mortal wound...

Fend Jin Lian Zhan, Duan Shui Lie Lang, Lie Di, and the incomplete Zhan Hai Dou Technique—all hammered into Qian Jin’s body from the ferocious left arm. The quiet, peaceful, happy, and liberated right arm simultaneously struck Qian Jin’s chest. The roaring Iron Arm Praying Mantis Dou Soul, using the arm as a conduit, also surged into Qian Jin’s body.

On the Saint Ascension List, the Iron Arm Praying Mantis Bloodline Warrior, ranked one hundred seventy-fifth, finally had his body cleaved in two. Blood spurted from the wound, and he fell backward stiffly, yet a provocative smile still played on his lips.

Dead or alive, he won!

In an instant, only those two thoughts remained in the minds of all watching demons. Eyes filled with disbelief and shock stared fixedly at Qian Jin and Wanyan Lifeng in the arena.

No one had anticipated such an outcome. Wanyan Lifeng, possessing a Peak Dou Soul, had actually been defeated? And the defeat had resulted in death! Especially considering the power he unleashed at the very end—strength that bordered on Half-Saint level.

Pfft! Qian Jin’s grip on his war saber could no longer hold. The two streams of immense power flooding into him flung him high into the sky. Blood jetted from his mouth like a pillar; the bones in his chest shattered audibly and ceaselessly. As he flew backward, he frantically tore the pair of armguards from Wanyan Lifeng’s limbs.

“This is bad…” The Seventh Prince, Lucifer Zhenshi, felt his heart jump seeing this, but then his expression smoothed back into a smile. What was there to fear? Jiliu Feijing would die soon enough, and by then, no one would pay attention to those armguards.

The multiple great Dou Techniques were enough to instantly tear Qian Jin’s body apart. If not for the continuous use of two Ultra-Ethereal Soul Dou Techniques and the Golden Body Protection art, his body would have already been shredded to dust.

“Feijing...” Lucifer Liushui touched down lightly with her toes, leaping into the air to intercept the retreating Qian Jin, reaching out with both hands to embrace him.

Instantly! A brutal force coursed through Qian Jin’s body. Some of that power lunged directly into Lucifer Liushui’s form. The Tenth Princess gasped mid-air, spitting out a mouthful of blood as she, too, was sent flying backward. Though her arms caught Qian Jin, the contact caused two ribs on his back to snap again under the shockwave.

“Feijing Jia Shi...”

Bokesili could remain seated no longer. The Saint-level power of his surging Dou Soul exploded forth. Qian Jin suddenly felt a softness against his back, as if the very air had become yielding, enveloping him as if he were falling into cotton batting softer than the fluffiest bloom.

Soft! The specialized Domain ability of Bokesili post-Saint Ascension! Softness, capable of making anything pliable. The air behind Qian Jin turned soft, providing him with the best landing assistance.

Puff! Qian Jin drifted in the yielding air, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood. The internal landscape of his body was now more chaotic than any Demonic battlefield.

“Apothecary! Quickly!” Bokesili crouched beside Qian Jin, turning back toward the former Head of the Apothecary Guild who was watching the Imperial Combat from the high platform.

“This...”

“This what?” Bokesili asked the former Guild Head he had summoned.

“There’s nothing to be done...”

“Nothing?!”

“Forget it...” Pfft... Qian Jin struggled to open his eyes to look at Bokesili. “He can’t save me... I’ll have to do it myself... Take me somewhere quiet. Do not let any demon disturb me...” Before the words were even finished, Qian Jin lacked the strength to keep his eyelids raised. The battlefield within was too chaotic; lingering awareness for healing was a luxury he could no longer afford.

Fend Jin Lian Zhan? Duan Shui Lie Lang? Damn it! And Lie Di, that incomplete Zhan Hai—Qian Jin felt the riotous Dou Techniques within him, striking with unprecedented force!

His three Dou Hearts were already spinning at full speed, attempting to suppress these attacks. However, even though the follow-up energy was gone, these were strikes delivered by power approaching Half-Saint level. The sheer force could not be suppressed even by the combined effort of the three Dou Hearts. Furthermore, the broken Dou Soul of the Iron Arm Praying Mantis Bloodline had also invaded his body.

Indeed, the shattered Dou Soul of the Iron Arm Praying Mantis Bloodline! Once inside, this Dou Soul ignored everything else, charging toward a specific target with frantic purpose—its objective was the First Dou Heart!

It cannot be allowed to approach the Dou Heart! If it does, it will certainly impact and destroy the Golden Dou Heart! Qian Jin mobilized every ounce of strength in his body, pouring his Subtle Thunder Dou Technique into the remnant Iron Arm Praying Mantis Dou Soul. A series of tiny explosions erupted within the soul, but they failed to immediately halt its charge.

The Three Flames of the Heart of Earth and Fire joined forces: Ice Flame Dou Qi worked to freeze the invasive power techniques and Dou Soul within his body; then, Hellfire unleashed its toxic invasion; and finally, the righteous fire of the Heart of Earth and Fire followed to consume it.

Detonating an Ultra-Ethereal Soul confrontation? A joke! Qian Jin looked at his body with utter helplessness; this frame could not withstand the shattering Dou Seals of an Ultra-Ethereal Soul. Whether shattering it would eliminate the invading power was unknown, but it would certainly annihilate his body.

This body was more broken than ever before; at least a dozen bones were fractured, as were his Dou Meridians and spiritual apertures...

He had only been in the Demon Clan for a few days! Qian Jin couldn’t help but marvel; for the second time in such a short period, he was infinitely close to death, and this time, it felt like he truly couldn't stop it.

Block the Dou Soul! He had to stop this broken Dou Soul...

Qian Jin resisted with all his might, but layer after layer of defenses shattered. There was simply no way to halt this remnant Dou Soul.

In the past, perhaps there would have been a chance! But Wanyan Lifeng, having reached the near-Half-Saint state, was absolutely not something Qian Jin could contend with.

Facing the near-Half-Saint power left behind by Wanyan Lifeng, Qian Jin truly fell short. Belief alone could not bridge the gap; after all, one side was merely a Golden Dou Heart, while the other wielded power nearing Half-Saint status—a difference of two major cultivation realms!