The terrifying aura and scorching heat from behind relentlessly pressed against the last line of defense in Xiao Tianyang's heart.
But what made matters worse were the extensive burns covering his body, the most severe of which was on his right chest.
It was nearly pierced through! Just three minutes ago, he had almost met his end there.
'It's fortunate that the blow landed on the right chest and not the left, or else it would have been game over,' Xiao Tianyang thought to himself, feeling a mix of relief and caution.
He reminded himself not to let his guard down, even for a moment.
Earlier, he had relied on a treasure to create distance between himself and the Magma Flame soul beast, allowing his mind to relax momentarily. That lapse had nearly cost him his life.
"Woof!"
At that moment, Bubu suddenly leaped out from the bushes, wagging his tail and barking at Xiao Tianyang.
"Has it finally arrived?" A glimmer of joy flashed in Xiao Tianyang's eyes, and the corner of his mouth curled into a sly smile.
"Let's get started. This is a generous gift I've prepared for both of them. I hope they can get along well and not quarrel."
"Woof!"
Bubu seemed to understand the sarcasm in Xiao Tianyang's words and responded with a look of disdain, as if acknowledging the shared understanding between master and pet. They were clearly on the same wavelength.
In the next instant, Bubu seamlessly blended back into the surroundings, while Xiao Tianyang held a talisman between his fingers.
"Roar!"
The Magma Flame soul beast emerged, hovering above Xiao Tianyang, and swung its massive fist. In an instant, molten magma gathered, forming a fiery fist that hurtled toward him like a cannonball!
But at the same time, an enraged roar echoed from nearby.
A towering tree was shattered, and a colossal monster emerged from the shadows—the Sky Swallowing Demonic Beast from before!
"Roar!"
The Sky Swallowing Demonic Beast let out a deafening roar, its eyes locking onto its enemy. Without hesitation, it charged straight at the Magma Flame soul beast, completely ignoring Xiao Tianyang.
Now, Xiao Tianyang was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
Behind him was the Magma Flame soul beast, and in front of him was the Sky Swallowing Demonic Beast. Both were formidable enemies intent on ending his life.
However, at this critical moment, Xiao Tianyang suddenly turned to face the Magma Flame soul beast, a cunning smile spreading across his face.
For some reason, the Magma Flame soul beast, which had been so arrogant moments ago, felt a chill run down its spine upon seeing that smile. It was as if it had just glimpsed the face of death itself.
"Bye-bye," Xiao Tianyang whispered, just as the talisman in his hand burned to ashes.
In the next moment, something astonishing happened. Xiao Tianyang vanished from his spot, replaced by the Sky Swallowing Demonic Beast!
Boom!
The Magma Flame soul beast's fiery fist slammed into the head of the Sky Swallowing Demonic Beast with a thunderous crash.
Instantly, a large patch of the beast's glossy fur was scorched away, and the sound of cracking bones sounded through the air.
"Ouch! That sounds painful. Good thing it wasn't me," Xiao Tianyang muttered as he landed a safe distance away, wincing in sympathy.
He couldn't help but take a moment to silently mourn the Sky Swallowing Demonic Beast's misfortune.
But this was no time to sit back and relax.
Xiao Tianyang knew that his plan wasn't as simple as just making the two beasts clash. If it were, the fight would be over in moments, and the beasts would quickly realize they had been tricked.
Their shared hatred for humans would unite them, and Xiao Tianyang's scheme would fall apart.
To ensure his plan succeeded, he needed to fan the flames of their conflict.
With a swift motion, Xiao Tianyang pulled out a palm-sized Eight trigrams and pressed it to the ground. "Let me give you a taste of this. Behold, the Eight trigrams Array—the crystallization of wisdom from my world!"
In an instant, Xiao Tianyang felt his soul power draining rapidly, like a receding tide. But the formations Bubu had set up earlier began to glow, activating the array.
In the blink of an eye, the two soul beasts were ensnared within the Eight trigrams Array.
Qian, Kun, Xun, Dui, Gen, Zhen, Li, Kan!
Thin threads of energy extended from eight directions, weaving together to form an intricate cage.
At the same time, a dense mist began to rise from the center of the array, clouding the beasts' senses.
This mist wasn't meant to blind them but to disorient them, making them forget their original targets.
For the Sky Swallowing Demonic Beast, the memory of being struck by the Magma Flame soul beast's fist—and the resulting cracked skull—would naturally shift its focus to its fiery opponent.
As for the Magma Flame soul beast, its simple mind would only remember that the creature before it had attacked first. With its volatile temper, a fight was inevitable.
Roaaar! Roaaar!
The ground shook as the two beasts clashed violently.
Xiao Tianyang, who was still maintaining the array with one hand pressed to the ground, couldn't help but tremble at the sheer ferocity of their battle.
"Good grief, it's a good thing I didn't try to fight the Magma Flame soul beast head-on earlier. Otherwise, there'd be nothing left of me but bones," he muttered to himself.
Initially, he had believed he was strong enough to face the Magma Flame soul beast alone.
In some ways, if he had succeeded, his strength would have far surpassed even Qian Renxue, who was still hovering between levels.
But his earlier confidence had been misplaced, and he had nearly paid the ultimate price. Not only had he suffered severe injuries, but he had also almost dragged Qian Renxue into danger with him.
Fortunately, he had grown more cautious and had Bubu set up the formation in advance, waiting for the perfect moment to activate the Bagua Array. Of course, luck had also played a part.
It was rare for two soul beasts to cross paths like this, and timing was everything.
If the distance between them hadn't been just right, the substitution talisman would have been useless.
But Xiao Tianyang had remained calm, even when the Magma Flame soul beast's fist was mere meters away. His courage and composure had carried him through.
"Now, you two have fun," Xiao Tianyang said with a smirk as he stowed the Eight trigrams back into his storage ring and retreated to a distant tree.
Bubu appeared beside him, blending seamlessly into the environment.
For now, they were safe. The intense battle between the two soul beasts had drawn all attention, masking their presence.
Even if another ten-thousand-year soul beast were nearby, it would be too preoccupied with the chaos to notice them.
And so, Xiao Tianyang and Bubu watched from the shadows, their figures hidden.
…
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