This was a vacant expanse spanning several hundred square meters. At the center stood more than twenty stakes, each as thick as a man's waist, and bound to every one was a warrior—none other than his direct subordinates, the warriors of the Chi Yi tribe from the Southern Barren Forest…
They were all N-rank warriors, possessing formidable innate strength; ordinary ropes would never restrain them. Yet, the vines binding them were incredibly tough. Despite the strenuous efforts of many warriors to break free, the vines refused to snap, instead digging deep into their flesh, leaving them bloody and mangled…
Chi Yi Xiu’s towering physique was also lashed to the largest stake. The vines around him were barbed, each spike piercing his body, causing blood to flow ceaselessly, staining his form crimson, dyeing the wood red, and soaking the earth below…
The only figure at the scene not restrained by vines was a man clad in a long white robe, currently standing before a Chi Yi warrior, his pair of withered hands clamped around the warrior’s head…
A tremendously powerful surge of energy emanated from his palm, seemingly siphoning something from the warrior. The warrior’s face contorted in agony, his mouth issuing shrieks of unparalleled suffering…
“That is Ling Xingxuan, forcibly absorbing souls to augment his own soul power…” Gongsun Xiangyi gasped in alarm…
Ye Jingyu’s eyes flashed with crimson light, his figure vanishing instantly from his position. When he reappeared, he was behind the man, his Tianzun blade slashing down like lightning, aimed directly at the man without a hint of hesitation…
To absorb human souls and refine them into one's own soul power—this was an exceptionally malicious method of soul cultivation…
One must understand that typical soul masters cultivate their power through meditation, absorbing the scattered, residual souls adrift in the heavens and earth; this process is naturally agonizingly slow. But this heretical technique of directly refining human souls accelerates the process by several times…
However, this practice inevitably demands lives, and few dared to cultivate such a vicious art. Over a century ago, a powerful soul master named Yuan Potian appeared on the Dou Hun Continent, achieving the Soul Immortal realm solely through this venomous method. Yet, he was ultimately slain by the combined efforts of several soul masters and two Martial Saints, his soul utterly annihilated, and his technique, the Soul Absorption Great Art, was completely eradicated…
Ye Jingyu had assumed such a malignant practice would never reappear in this world. To witness it again today, and worse, to see it practiced upon his own people, was something he could not tolerate…
He unleashed the Absolute Blade, Heaven-Shattering Strike…
“Overestimating yourself…” Facing Ye Jingyu’s incredibly swift strike, Ling Xingxuan merely snorted. With a mere turn of his head, a beam of light flashed in his eyes, and a terrifying force coalesced before him, slamming violently into Ye Jingyu’s body, sending him flying backward…
Ye Jingyu, already injured, could not withstand such a savage assault. Blood sprayed from his mouth without restraint, and his body crashed heavily to the ground, the already fractured Yinggu bone shattering completely…
“A-Yu…” At that moment, Chi Yi Xiu, alerted by the commotion, looked up. Seeing Ye Jingyu hurled backward, he involuntarily cried out…
His body, which had ceased struggling, began to writhe maniacally. Every muscle swelled violently, bulging like ropes. The binding vines tightened further, the thorns sinking completely into Chi Yi Xiu’s flesh…
Yet, he paid no heed, continuing to fight desperately. He could die, but Ye Jingyu absolutely could not—this was a promise he had once made to the Clan Chief…
“Little vixen, are you tired of living here, daring to bring an outsider to my domain?” Ling Xingxuan ignored Chi Yi Xiu’s thrashing, instead looking up toward Gongsun Xiangyi…
“Little Flower, save them…” Gongsun Xiangyi, deeply aware of Ling Xingxuan’s terror, wasted no words and issued the command directly…
Little Flower’s colossal body swayed, and it lunged toward the stakes…
“Seeking death…” Ling Xingxuan, enraged by Gongsun Xiangyi’s attempt to aid the others in rescue, shot a silver glare from his eyes. A massive palm descended from the sky, striking directly toward Little Flower’s head…
A flicker of fear crossed Little Flower’s eyes, but its enormous head deftly dodged the blow. However, the palm struck its neck, sending the creature flying, its neck scales shattering inch by inch as blue blood sprayed out continuously…
Gongsun Xiangyi seized the opportunity, leaping nimbly from atop Little Flower’s head. With a sudden motion, she flung her hand forward, scattering a cloud of green powder…
This powder was non-toxic to animals but lethally poisonous to plants. As soon as it settled on the vines, those previously unyielding restraints withered away…
Chi Yi Xiu, struggling the hardest, was the first to break free. He seized the massive stake behind him and hurled it at Ling Xingxuan…
Ling Xingxuan sneered, murmuring an incantation. A white light swept down from the sky, violently striking the stake and instantly tearing it to shreds…
“Ling Xian?” Witnessing the power of that white light, Ye Jingyu, who had managed to struggle to his feet, gasped in surprise. He had only ever seen the Chi Yi tribe use such techniques…
He had never expected to encounter it again, and this time, the opponent was clearly an enemy…
“Knowing that much is good. Kneel down and beg for mercy immediately, and I will grant you a complete corpse,” Ling Xingxuan replied with a cold laugh, his tone utterly arrogant…
“Ao…” Just then, Ni Bo’s dark figure bolted forward. Flames surged beneath his four hooves, and he took a single step forward, unleashing a burst of energy…
Then he took a second step, causing the very void to tremble…
Without pausing, the third step followed, an invisible wave of energy slamming toward Ling Xingxuan—it was the Seven Steps of Ni Bo…
Cracks began to spiderweb across the void as the terrifying energy advanced upon Ling Xingxuan without any hint of mercy…
Ling Xingxuan’s brow furrowed; he clearly hadn’t anticipated this little foal could unleash such terrifying power…
He swept his hand across the void, forming a silver vortex before him. The horrifying energy slammed into the vortex; part of the force was absorbed, while the rest brutally shattered the shield.