At this juncture, Xiao Taotao’s body suddenly materialized before Ling Xingxuan, opening its cavernous maw to strike at Ling Xingxuan’s vital spot… “Taotie?” Ling Xingxuan’s expression shifted drastically; only then did he recognize the existence of the Taotie… His body instinctively recoiled, yet despite being a Sixth-Rank Soul Master, he wasn't a Grandmaster, and his agility likely couldn't even match an ordinary Warrior.

How could he possibly evade it… An entire arm was seized by the Taotie, which tore it clean off.

The agonizing pain caused Ling Xingxuan’s face to contort once more… At this moment of life and death, his Sixth-Rank Soul Master strength manifested perfectly.

Without needing any incantations, a vast torrent of Spiritual Force erupted, slamming violently into the Taotie and blasting it away… Simultaneously, he began chanting a spell, and instantly, blades of wind materialized from the air, hacking fiercely towards Xiao Taotao.

At the same moment, a sphere of lightning appeared before him, continuously expanding… Now aware of the sudden appearance of a fierce beast like the Taotie, Ling Xingxuan dared not hold back; he had no intention of capsizing in the shallows over this mishap… A Soul Master at the Lingxian Realm was a formidable existence capable of challenging a Martial Saint, and the pressure emanating from the sphere of lightning he had condensed was truly immense… And the myriad blades of wind slicing before him offered absolutely no chance for Xiao Taotao, Ni Bo, or even Chi Yi Xiu and the others to step forward and interrupt… Facing such razor-sharp wind blades, even Xiao Taotao’s body could never withstand them… “Damn you, die…” At this critical juncture, Ye Jingyu felt the terrifying power contained within that sphere of lightning.

Consumed by rage, he could neglect everything else; the residual Soul Power within his body surged out madly, and the Heaven-Shaking Seal in his hand was directly thrust forth.

Absorbing all the Soul Power in his entire body, the Heaven-Shaking Seal instantly hovered above Ling Xingxuan’s head, already the size of a small mountain, plummeting towards Ling Xingxuan’s skull with a roaring whoosh… Faintly, one could observe the shimmer of lightning flashing around the Heaven-Shaking Seal… Ling Xingxuan felt a chill sweep over his scalp.

Looking up, he saw the colossal Heaven-Shaking Seal, and his face instantly turned deathly pale, followed by a gasp of alarm… “Mystic-Grade Soul Tool…” For a Soul Master, a Mystic-Grade Soul Tool held an irresistible, fatal allure; for one, they might even risk their lives.

But at this moment, Ling Xingxuan harbored not the slightest thought of seizing this Soul Tool… The Heaven-Shaking Seal, infused with Ye Jingyu’s entire Soul Power, unleashed a force three to four times greater than when it struck Nangong Shang.

Especially with the lightning it carried, which seemed aimed directly at the soul… Without any deliberation, if this strike landed, Ling Xingxuan would certainly have his soul instantly scattered, leaving him no chance for reincarnation… In this moment of survival, Ling Xingxuan’s potential erupted fully; the Soul Power within his body circulated frantically.

The sphere of lightning, originally aimed at Ye Jingyu and the others, instantly swelled to a diameter of about three to four meters and was hurled directly toward the sky… “Rumble…” With a deafening explosion, the sphere of lightning violently collided with the Heaven-Shaking Seal.

The unrestrained power detonated, actually shaking the descending Heaven-Shaking Seal completely off course… Ye Jingyu, whose consciousness was tightly bound to the Heaven-Shaking Seal, immediately spat out a mouthful of blood… However, the rampant energy still blasted the Ling Xingxuan below, leaving him covered in severe wounds… This was despite him having drastically controlled the direction of the lightning sphere, and his spirit was left profoundly weakened… “Die…” Just then, a tall figure, a body utterly mangled and covered in blood, appeared before him and unleashed a single punch… Ling Xingxuan was at the peak of exhaustion, his spirit grievously wounded, leaving him no time to recover, unable even to summon his quickest Spiritual Force.

He only saw a fist the size of a cooking pot hurtling towards him… He couldn't even manage a focused mental attack, let alone react physically… With a resounding smack, Chi Yi Xiu’s fury-laden punch landed squarely on his head.

Instantly, his skull exploded like a watermelon, sending white brain matter and blood spraying everywhere… A dark shadow burst forth from his body and streaked away into the distance… “Awoo…” Xiao Taotao, who had been waiting, let out a mighty roar, and a dark shadow shot out.

Immediately following, a golden ripple flashed—it was the Dragon-Patterned War Wave… Let alone a Soul Master of the Lingxian Realm, even a Soul Immortal, without the protection of a physical body, possessed an extremely fragile soul, incapable of withstanding the attack of the Dragon-Patterned War Wave… Instantly, that dark shadow completely fragmented, and the vicious beast opened its massive jaws and lunged forward… Ling Xingxuan had devoured countless souls, his Soul Power terrifyingly vast; the scattered soul fragments were astonishing.

But the vicious beast paid them no mind, its mouth widening, generating an intense suction force that pulled in all the scattered soul fragments, swallowing them directly into its maw… Absorbing such a colossal amount of soul energy at once, even the vicious beast, despite its enormous appetite, was swollen to the point of near-explosion… From the vicious beast’s throat came sounds of “Aoooo…” perhaps from the discomfort of being so stuffed, or something else… “Quick…” Ye Jingyu, his Soul Power completely drained, shouted out loudly… The vicious beast paused for no moment, its massive body rushing directly toward Ye Jingyu… Its entire form submerged into Ye Jingyu’s body, continuously channeling the enormous Soul Power into him… But Ling Xingxuan’s soul power was simply too immense.

Even though his consciousness had been shattered, this massive energy was still too much for Ye Jingyu and Xiao Taotao to absorb… In mere moments, Ye Jingyu’s depleted Soul Power was fully replenished, yet the colossal soul energy continued to pour in… It looked as if it would soon explode his own soul along with it… Gongsun Xiangyi, who had been busy freeing the Chi Yi Tribe warriors, watched this spectacle with wide-eyed astonishment.

She knew precisely how powerful Ling Xingxuan was; even Xue Hengzhi held him in some awe.

Yet, such a terrifying existence was instantly annihilated by the combined efforts of Ye Jingyu and his companions… For the first time, she felt thankful for the decision she had originally made.

Had it not been for Xiao Taotao’s appearance, she might have already moved against Ye Jingyu.

But faced with that terrifying Heaven-Shaking Seal, could she, or even Xiao Hua, have resisted?

However, after the initial shock, a wave of terror washed over her.

Because a portion of her soul was under Ye Jingyu’s control, the sensation of swelling currently afflicting Ye Jingyu’s soul was clearly transmitted to her… It was the feeling of a soul about to burst, about to be torn apart… Pain—an indescribable pain… Her soul, ultimately, was not as powerful as Ye Jingyu’s.

After only a brief moment, she passed out… And Ye Jingyu, who was continuously absorbing the immense Soul Power, also felt the impulse to faint.

But he knew he could not; if he truly passed out at this moment, he would lose all control over the massive Soul Power, and he would become the first Soul Master to perish due to soul inflation…