With a crisp crack, a figure plummeted from the sky, crashing violently onto the ground—none other than Yuan Xiang. If Ye Jingyu currently resembled a beggar, Yuan Xiang at this moment was nothing more than a pile of ruined flesh. Not only were his clothes shredded to tatters, but his body had been cleaved apart by countless streaks of blade energy, resulting in a spray of blood and mangled tissue scattered around him.

He lay there, utterly motionless, clearly having breathed his last. Liu Qiuxue and the Grandmaster who had managed to evade the Earth-Shaking Seal watched the scene unfold with stunned disbelief. He had slain Yuan Xiang again.

How could he possibly be this formidable? At this juncture, Adams, who had initially been scorched by lightning, finally regained consciousness. Gazing at the overwhelmingly powerful Ye Jingyu, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

Was this even human? To transform like this... The three of them instinctively drew closer, their eyes filled with terror and hesitation.

They feared Ye Jingyu's might, and they wavered on whether they dared to press the attack. Ye Jingyu, however, made no immediate move. According to Zhuge Yi’s assessment, there should still be one more Grandmaster among them; why hadn't this hidden figure revealed themselves yet?

The Earth-Shaking Seal had been withdrawn, and his internal True Essence was somewhat depleted. Although that last strike appeared devastating, it had exhausted his reserves. Fortunately, Liu Qiuxue and the other two were all injured.

If the remaining Grandmaster did not emerge, Ye Jingyu alone would be powerful enough to dispatch the trio. From the rear, faint cries of agony drifted over—it sounded like Zhu Ruo. Ye Jingyu’s brow furrowed slightly.

Had that hidden Grandmaster, along with a group of true Masters, gone to eliminate Zhu Ruo? He wondered if Bing Ming had located that Soul Master yet, or if such a Soul Master even existed. However, for a Martial Saint, a distance of several kilometers was but a blink of an eye.

If he truly faced a crisis, Bing Ming would arrive instantly. Thus, Ye Jingyu felt no real worry. He simply stared silently at the three figures not far off, like the God of Death contemplating whom to execute first.

Just as Ye Jingyu and Qin Lie/Yuan Xiang were locked in deadly combat, three kilometers away, Liang Xiaoke, his face ashen, lay hidden with Mu Fei atop a massive tree. They observed three men situated some ten yards distant. One was white-haired and aged, appearing to be at least seventy or eighty, exhibiting no fluctuations of True Essence whatsoever.

Yet, the two true Masters standing behind him did so with extreme deference, seemingly guarding him. Seeing this, a sinister grin stretched across Liang Xiaoke's lips. “A Soul Master of the Spirit Manifestation realm—what potent soul power!

That is far more nourishing than the vital blood of a Grandmaster. Little Fei, do you wish to taste the soul of a Spirit Manifestation Soul Master?” Liang Xiaoke stared at the Soul Master nearby as if a wolf had spotted a pristine, tender lamb. “Master, aren't you going after that vampire?

Shouldn't we avoid complicating things?” Mu Fei sounded worried. A Spirit Manifestation Soul Master was a being even more revered than a Grandmaster. “Heh heh, relax.

Killing this Spirit Manifestation Soul Master won't consume much of my time. The bat’s scent is still nearby, no need to fret. Watch how your Master handles this fellow,” Liang Xiaoke chuckled wickedly.

As he prepared to leap from the tree, a black silhouette materialized out of the void, causing his expression to instantly change. His current realm was infinitely close to that of the Corpse Emperor, equivalent to a Martial Saint—perhaps even stronger than an ordinary Martial Saint once that threshold was crossed. Anyone capable of escaping his divine sense would, at the very least, be a Martial Saint or above.

A Martial Saint. The memory of that boy named Bai Tianyu a year and a half ago still sent shivers down Liang Xiaoke’s spine. That had been the closest he had ever come to death.

It wasn't just Liang Xiaoke whose face paled. The Soul Master, who was just about to cast a soul art, and the two true Masters protecting him behind him all stiffened. Anyone who could appear before them without sound or trace could not possibly be ordinary.

“Who are you?” A cry of alarm escaped the white-haired Soul Master’s lips, even as he drew a peach-wood sword. Judging by its texture, it appeared to be at least a thousand years old, with a faint, flickering flame burning upon it. “The one who will kill you!” A chilling voice emanated from Bing Ming’s throat as he advanced slowly toward the Spirit Manifestation Soul Master.

Hearing that voice, the expression on Liang Xiaoke’s face shifted again. Looking closely, he could faintly make out the cold features of the black shadow. It was none other than Bing Ming.

Hmph, this fellow has actually reached the Martial Saint realm? But why is he here? Liang Xiaoke wondered internally, yet his body began to slowly sink into the earth.

“Hmph, overly bold words!” The white-haired elder snorted coldly. He suddenly pointed the peach-wood sword at Bing Ming, causing a blast of flame to spontaneously generate, which morphed into a fire dragon lunging toward Bing Ming. Facing the roaring fire dragon, Bing Ming’s expression shifted slightly.

It seemed the rumors that a Spirit Manifestation Soul Master could threaten a Martial Saint were not entirely unfounded; at least the power of this fire dragon was capable of injuring him. He drew the iron sword from his back with one hand, shaking it slightly. Layers of frost instantly coated the blade, followed by a cold stream of sword energy that slashed toward the fire dragon.

With a swish, the fire dragon was cleaved in two. However, after only a moment, it reformed and continued to rush toward Bing Ming, though it was noticeably dimmer than before. Bing Ming’s expression darkened.

Simultaneously, the white-haired Soul Master recited an incantation, and several streaks of fire arrows shot out, all aimed squarely at Bing Ming. Faced with these fire arrows entirely condensed from Fire Spirit Power, Bing Ming dared not meet them head-on. His figure rapidly retreated backward.

At this moment, the two true Masters behind the Soul Master exchanged a glance, drew their own swords, and lunged toward Bing Ming, intending to cooperate with the Soul Master to slay this formidable opponent. But just as the two lunged forward, a scream echoed from behind them. They whipped their heads around to see a pale hand piercing through the Soul Master’s chest, clutching a still-beating heart.

The two true Masters were greatly alarmed, completely bewildered by what had just transpired. At that very instant, a dazzling sword light ripped across the horizon, slicing down from over a hundred yards away. Facing a blade radiance capable of leveling a small mountain, they instinctively raised their own swords.

Yet, against the sword light emitted by a Martial Saint, their swords—along with their bodies—were torn to shreds like mere tofu…