Jin Mo was no solid entity, resembling a specter from old legends. Such anomalies unsettled even a seasoned, fierce warrior like Tu Mu, causing him to instinctively step back, opting to observe the situation first.

The moment he retreated, Shi Yan detected the hesitation. Seizing the opportunity with the precision of a hunting leopard, he lunged forward, dagger raised, simultaneously signaling Di Yalan to join the attack.

Though Di Yalan was also unnerved, knowing the ghostly projection had been unleashed by Shi Yan gave her courage, and she moved to surround Tu Mu from behind.

The pale smoke, condensed from all manner of negative energies, coiled forward like venomous snakes, the fierce, ghost-like shadow of Jin Mo trailing closely behind. In an instant, they were upon Tu Mu.

Tu Mu's heart sank. He dared not hesitate a fraction longer. The profound essence of his peak Third Heaven Xiantian realm surged violently into his left palm, catalyzed by a secret art, erupting in a blaze of brilliant red light.

In a mere flash, a crimson shield, forged purely from condensed essence, materialized in his left palm. The shield glowed dazzlingly, barely the size of a washbasin, yet it radiated scorching energy, its temperature intensely high.

This shield, purely condensed from his vital essence, was clearly one of Tu Mu’s most guarded secret techniques, draining his energy severely upon activation.

Sweat already beaded faintly on his brow as the shield formed; it had clearly cost him a great deal of his essence.

The shield adhered firmly to Tu Mu’s left hand. Seeing the wave of negative energy released by Shi Yan approach, Tu Mu immediately raised the shield without a second thought, blocking both the negative force and Jin Mo’s spectral form.

"Sss-ss-sss!"

The white mist, saturated with corrosive negative energies, collided with Jin Mo’s ghostly image against Tu Mu’s shield, suddenly sparking.

Amidst the sparks, the white smoke dissipated, and the ghost shadow seemed to melt, scattering atom by atom into the void.

Seeing that the shield could neutralize these two bizarre phenomena, Tu Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a cold, cruel smile twisting his lips. "Boy, let’s see what else you’ve got!"

Threads of chilling, malevolent aura seeped out from the dissolving matter that hissed and vanished. Without Tu Mu noticing, these energies permeated his body through every pore.

After his cold laugh, Tu Mu’s expression suddenly froze, his eyes wide with confusion and panic.

A glint flashed in Shi Yan's eyes!

Judging by the shift in Tu Mu’s expression, while he had managed to dispel the energy attached to the negative aura, he had failed to cleanse the negative influences themselves; those emotions had successfully invaded his mind.

"Move!"

With a sharp roar, Shi Yan maximized his speed, carving a faint afterimage through the air as he suddenly materialized before Tu Mu.

The dagger, glowing with a faint blue light, shot out like lightning, aimed precisely at Tu Mu's throat!

The searing heat radiating from the shield in Tu Mu’s hand intensified, the fierce warmth seemingly shocking him out of his daze.

Tu Mu’s eyes snapped open!

"ROAR!"

With a savage bellow, Tu Mu instantly suppressed the torrent of negative emotions flooding his mind. His battle-axe in his right hand followed suit, carving a swift arc.

"CLANG!"

Shi Yan’s dagger struck the battle-axe, unleashing a terrifying, overwhelming burst of power that surged back up the blade toward Shi Yan’s arm.

Shi Yan’s arm instantly went numb. Realizing the immense depth of Tu Mu’s essence, he hastily pulled the dagger clear of the axe.

Tu Mu ignored Shi Yan. He spun around like a whirlwind, swinging his axe to intercept Di Yalan’s short sword coming from behind. He let out a cold snort, his expression icy. "I’m going to deal with you viciously in a moment!"

Shi Yan’s face darkened, a savage urge to kill rising uncontrollably within his chest.

Flicking his dagger, the muscles in his thighs tensed. Various negative forces pooled in his acupoints, emerging through the pores of his legs, coating them in a faint, pale mist.

With both his hands and feet transformed, Shi Yan could no longer restrain the violent killing intent raging inside him.

His body exuded palpable death qi, and a faint reddish hue began to creep into his eyes. His features contorted into a terrifying grimace, resembling a fiend crawling from the depths of hell. Mu Yudie, watching from the side, clamped a hand over her mouth in sheer horror.

"Hoo-hoo!"

Shi Yan gasped for breath and stamped his foot hard. He felt an infinite wellspring of power surge into his legs. His lean frame shot forward ten meters in an instant!

He moved as fast and fierce as an arrow loosed from a bow!

Tu Mu’s battle-axe whirled, meeting Di Yalan’s attacks with sharp metallic clangs, driving her steadily back. The hands wielding her short sword were growing numb; buffeted by his ferocious essence, her strength waned rapidly.

A razor-sharp killing intent suddenly struck from behind. A vicious light flared in Tu Mu’s eyes. He brought the battle-axe down with tremendous force, hacking at Di Yalan and forcing her to stagger backward precariously.

"BANG!"

Impatient, Tu Mu delivered a kick, landing a heavy blow squarely on Di Yalan’s smooth abdomen. The force sent her tumbling seven or eight meters away.

Di Yalan landed flat on her back, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her internal essence was thrown into chaos; she couldn't muster any strength at all for the moment.

This kick from Tu Mu was imbued with his explosive power and a sudden burst of essence—his intent was to completely neutralize Di Yalan so he could focus entirely on Shi Yan.

Turning around, Tu Mu hefted his battle-axe, his face contorted in menace. "Boy, I'm going to chop you into a hundred pieces!"

Shi Yan charged like an arrow, pouring all his essence into his dagger, using the momentum of his ferocious rush.

As he swung, phantom images of his dagger rained down like a storm, accompanied by an eerie, evil power that seeped out and enveloped Tu Mu completely.

"Hmph!"

Tu Mu inhaled deeply, waving his left-hand shield. Bursts of searing warm wind emanated from it, scattering the chilling, malevolent energies. He then swung his axe, striking Shi Yan’s dagger precisely.

"CLANG!"

Under the violent impact, Shi Yan’s wrist jolted painfully, and the dagger flew from his grip, landing dozens of meters behind him.

Tu Mu was no better off. The power surging from Shi Yan’s blade was equally ferocious. After blocking, his body stumbled, staggering backward.

Simultaneously, a cold, sinister, and terrifying sensation slithered up his arm like a tiny snake, rapidly invading his mind, dragging him back into some gruesome, secret realm.

Shi Yan found his footing just in time to see Tu Mu’s eyes cloud over with confusion as he swayed backward toward Di Yalan.

At this moment, his dagger lay dozens of meters behind him. If he rushed back to retrieve it before closing on Tu Mu, he might miss the crucial window of opportunity, perhaps allowing Tu Mu to regain his senses.

The thought flashed through his mind like lightning. A cold light hardened in his eyes. Shi Yan made a ruthless decision: he charged directly at Tu Mu, wrapping his hands like iron shackles around Tu Mu’s waist, and using his legs to push Tu Mu violently toward Di Yalan, roaring, "Raise your sword! Stab!"

Di Yalan, limp on the ground, heard Shi Yan’s shout and saw a massive shadow hurtling toward her.

Without thinking, Di Yalan gathered every last scrap of strength and raised the arm-length short sword high above her head.

"SHUNK!"

The short sword plunged into Tu Mu’s back. The stabbing pain instantly snapped Tu Mu back to awareness. Roaring madly, Tu Mu fought to control his balance.

Impaled, his body listed precariously in the air, half-tilted, yet he did not immediately fall onto Di Yalan.

Using the embedded short sword as a brace, Tu Mu miraculously maintained his slanted, falling posture, refusing to collapse. It was as if his feet had suddenly rooted to the ground.

Tu Mu struggled fiercely, only to realize both his arms were clamped fast by Shi Yan.

Shi Yan’s face was cold, and he let out a sinister, hacking laugh. "Mongrel dog, you’re finished!"

Maintaining that strange posture, Tu Mu shrieked, "Boy, let go of me! If the short sword pierces me, it will pierce you too! Release me! You don't want to die with me, do you?"

Tu Mu was indeed formidable. Even in this predicament, he managed to snap his leg up, driving his knee savagely into Shi Yan’s abdomen.

Shi Yan poured essence madly into his holding arms; unable to use the Black Light Shield immediately, he had to rely on his "Petrified Martial Soul."

Under Tu Mu’s repeated knee strikes, each blow fueled by terrifying explosive force, the "petrification" seemed to concentrate entirely on his lower abdomen. Other areas quickly returned to normal, but his stomach turned ashen-grey, hard as iron.

Even under the full power of a peak Third Heaven Xiantian realm expert like Tu Mu, Shi Yan’s "Petrified Martial Soul" held firm. Though the pain in his abdomen was agonizing, he didn't cough up a single mouthful of blood; his physical defense was incredibly monstrous.

Di Yalan, below them, saw the situation change. She realized Shi Yan and Tu Mu were locked in a tight embrace. If she drove the short sword deeper, or if Tu Mu suddenly slammed down, the blade would pierce Tu Mu’s body and then run through Shi Yan, pinning both men together.

The thought of Shi Yan being impaled along with Tu Mu made Di Yalan hesitate to move rashly. She shrieked, "Boy, let go!"

"Mongrel dog, I’m shorter than you! You might die, but the worst that happens to me is losing an arm!"

Shi Yan’s expression was grim. He grinned cruelly, summoning all his remaining strength, and with Tu Mu’s face etched in terror, he violently slammed both himself and Tu Mu down onto Di Yalan.

"PFFT! PFFT!"

Two sounds followed in succession—the piercing of blade through flesh, sinew, and bone. Di Yalan lay flat on her back, Tu Mu stacked behind her, and Shi Yan pressed face-to-face on top of Tu Mu.

The short sword, just as she feared, pierced both bodies. The blade punched through Tu Mu’s heart from the rear, and with undiminished momentum, it drove into Shi Yan’s right shoulder, piercing him as well.

With his heart perforated, Tu Mu swayed twice, terror lingering on his face, before his life slowly faded away.

Shi Yan, his shoulder pierced, his features contorted in ferocity, still held tightly onto Tu Mu, showing no intention of letting go.

Only when the life force drained from Tu Mu’s body and he confirmed the essence was no longer flowing into him, confirming Tu Mu was truly dead, did Shi Yan slowly relax his grip, collapsing limply with exhaustion.

……E