Mo Ku's sudden self-detonation was like a basin of ice water pouring over all Shadow Snake Pavilion cultivators' heads. The sky-scattering flesh and annihilating demonic qi brought unimaginable fear and shock. Fire Crow Village's morale surged, erupting in fiercer counterattack.
However, this momentary reversal thoroughly enraged that always-coldly-observing powerhouse in the air.
"Useless trash!" Yin Jiusqueeze outthistwo words from between his teeth. The last trace of playfulness in his triangular eyes vanished, replaced by pure, ice-piercing killing intent. Mo Ku's death not only lost a Golden Core combatant, but was slapping the face of him, the Seven Killing Hall Deputy Hall Master!
He no longer floated observing. His form vanished like a ghost, and the next instant appeared less than ten zhang before Xiao Qi! The terrifying pressure of mid Golden Core cultivator descended like a tangible mountain! The air seemed to solidify. Even people below still fighting felt their breathing halt, movements involuntarily slowing.
Xiao Qi bore the brunt. He felt the surrounding space become viscous and heavy. The Swimming Dragon Nine Turns movement technique was greatly restricted. An icy-cold, evil, strongly erosive intention, like countless invisible needles, stabbed toward his sea of consciousness, attempting to disturb his mind.
This was the full pressure of a mid Golden Core cultivator! Far incomparable to those newly entering Golden Core!
"You can kill Mo Ku. You do have some peculiarity." Yin Jiu's voice was hoarse. His withered palm slowly raised, not executing any complex technique, simply pressing forward. "But against absolute strength, all tricks are meaningless!"
"Ghostly Underworld Hand!"
As he pressed, light within a hundred zhang suddenly dimmed, as if instantly transitioning from day to dusk. A massive ghost hand completely condensed from pure demonic origin and vengeful soul malefic energy appeared from nowhere! Ghostly fingernails were sharp and black. Palm lines resembled twisted human faces,emitted a soundless wail. Carrying soul-freezing cold and terrifying power to crush mountains, it descended toward Xiao Qi's head!
This palm locked onto all Xiao Qi's energy signatures. No escape!
Xiao Qi's pupils constricted. He felt unprecedented death threat! He roared. His Four Symbols golden core rotated at unprecedented speed. Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, Black Tortoise phantoms flashed behind him, then vanished. The vast fused spiritual power erupted without reservation! His hands formed seals, pouring most spiritual power into a barrier before him. A Four Symbols Guardian Wall, solid and interlaced with four-colored flowing light, instantly formed!
Simultaneously, he attempted to summon Southern Bright Separating Fire again. But just detonating Mo Ku had consumed most of that fire seed's power. At this moment, he could barely coat the guardian wall's surface with an extremely faint golden glow.
"BOOM—!!!"
The Ghostly Underworld Hand viciously clawed the Four Symbols Guardian Wall!
Like a meteor striking earth! Terrifying explosive shockwaves swept through. Dozens of Shadow Snake Pavilion cultivators and Fire Crow Village people below who couldn't dodge were directly shaken, bleeding from seven orifices, collapsing. The sturdy Four Symbols Guardian Wall violently twisted,emittedunable to beargroans. The four-colored flowing light on its surface dimmed at visible rate. That faint golden Southern Bright Separating Fire glow instantly extinguished!
"Crack!"
Supporting less than three breaths, the Four Symbols Guardian Wall shattered! Xiao Qi felt like struck by heavy blow. His chest tightened. He spit a mouthful of blood. His entire person flew backward like a broken kite, slamming into a half-collapsed bamboo house ruin. Smoke and dust billowed.
"Xiao Qi!" Third Senior Sister Liu Yun's heart greatly shocked. Her sword technique faltered.
The ghost cultivator she had been grappling with let out eerie laughter. Seizing the chance, his bone staff swung. A condensed ghostly green flame, like a venomous snake, bypassed her sword web, rushing toward Third Senior Sister's back!
"Be careful!" Elder Wumeng shouted. Forcing remaining soul power, a crimson-red thread of light arrived just in time, colliding with that ghost fire, detonating it. But Elder Wumeng also suffered backlash, spitting blood, aura increasinglyweak.
Third Senior Sister barely dodged, breaking out in cold sweat. She dared not distract again, focusing fully on the ghost cultivator, but clearly falling behind.
Yin Jiu, after wounding Xiao Qi with one strike, didn't stop. He didn't even glance at the bamboo ruin. His cold gaze swept across those still resisting below. Killing intent intensified.
"If you persist in futile resistance, this village will be your collective grave."
He raised both hands. Demonic qi around him surged like plumes of smoke, forming in mid-air a black demonic cloud covering half the village! Within the cloud, countless twisted vengeful soul faces appeared,emitted a scalp-numbing wail. The terrifying pressure caused the entire battlefield to stagnate.
"Ten Thousand Souls... Soul-Destroying Malefic!"
His hands pressed down!
That massive black demonic cloud, like the heavens collapsing, carrying terrifying malefic qi to destroy all life, slowly pressed down toward Fire Crow Village's core area—toward those villagers clustered together, relying on the totem and remaining buildings to resist!
Before the cloud arrived, the overwhelming malefic qi caused many lower-level cultivator villagers to have their eyes roll back, souls trembling, nearly losing consciousness. Even Chief Lie Shan and Yan Lie at Foundation Establishment peak felt blood and qi churning, spiritual power circulation sluggish, a sense of despair rising.
This was the true might of a mid Golden Core cultivator! With a wave of hand, they could slaughter cities and destroy villages!
"Race them!" Chief Lie Shan's eyes were bloodshot. He was about to burn his essence blood, launch that tragic combined attack formation again.
Elder Wumeng also struggled to stand, preparing for final shaman sacrifice with his life as guide.
Third Senior Sister was firmly entangled by the ghost cultivator, couldn't detach to rescue, anxious beyond words.
At this critical moment, as Fire Crow Village faced imminent annihilation—
"Hum!"
A pillar of white light, not dazzling but incomparably pure and resilient, violently erupted from within the bamboo house ruins! Within the light pillar existed mighty intention to smooth restlessness, purify filth, directly crashing into the pressing black demonic cloud!
It was the Purification Source!
Xiao Qi's figure stood up somewhat staggeringly from the ruins. His clothes were torn, blood at his lips, face pale. But his eyes blazed terrifyingly, like burning stars. The jade pendant at his chest glowed, transporting endless purification force, transforming into that pillar supporting heaven and earth, firmly holding back the pressing cloud!
"Sizzle-sizzle-sizzle—!"
Purification white light and Ten Thousand Souls malefic qi violently clashed, mutually annihilating. The cloud's descent suddenly slowed, even forced upward slightly!
"What?!" For the first time, an incredulous expression appeared on Yin Jiu's face. His "Ten Thousand Souls Soul-Destroying Malefic" was refined from tens of thousands of living souls. The malefic qi's heaviness, vengeful intent's depth—even same-realm cultivators wouldn't dare directly face it. How could this youth, clearly already severely wounded by him, still possess such power to resist? That white light... what exactly was it? How could it so restrain his demonic arts?
Little did he know, Xiao Qi was already at his last gasp. Just receiving the Ghostly Underworld Hand had injured his internal organs. Now forcibly activating the Purification Source to counter this area-effect terrifying malefic cloud was draining his very origin. Blood continuously seeped from his lips. The arms supporting the light pillar trembled slightly. But the resolve in his eyes never wavered in the slightest.
He couldn't retreat! Behind him were the Fire Crow Village people who trusted him, his senior sister fighting side by side, the hope leading to the Molten Fire Heart and sealing the demonic entity!
"Obstinate fool! Let's see how long you can hold!" Yin Jiu was furious with humiliation. He wildly activated demonic origin. The cloud grew denser. Malefic doubled, pressing down viciously!
White light and black cloudstalemate in mid-air. Energy frantically consumed both. Xiao Qi's body trembled increasingly. His complexion turned from white to gold. Obviously reaching the limit.
Third Senior Sister watched Xiao Qi's swaying figure, heart anguished. Her sword techniques grew increasingly frantic, ignoring her own defense, forcing the ghost cultivator to retreatrepeatedly, but couldn't break free for the moment.
Lie Shan, Elder Wumeng and others watched that youth's back, single-handedly resisting the Golden Core demonic cultivator's village-destroying strike. Their eyes moistened. Hearts filled with endless gratitude and tragic heroism.
Could it be... truly ending here?