Translator: CinderTL
Whoosh!
A crimson flash streaked past. Tu Wanshan's eyes widened in terror as he watched the bloody light hurtle toward his chest.
Without time to think, he instinctively thrust the burning wooden figure forward, colliding violently with the crimson flash.
Boom!
The raging flames shattered into a shower of sparks that filled the sky. Tu Wanshan's face twisted in a ferocious scowl as he glared at the surrounding crowd, cursing them inwardly as useless trash. How could so many fail to stop a mere Xu Sanyan?
After absorbing the impact, the wooden figure's burning flames dimmed by more than half, leaving a deep gash across its body. It still hovered in the air, trembling.
Tu Wanshan breathed a sigh of relief. Though its power might be diminished, at least it was still usable.
The black-robed old man lowered his eyelids, sensing the surrounding aura had weakened considerably. His heart settled into a calm rhythm.
With the wooden figure no longer a threat, he could finally focus on his own plans.
Heavenly materials and earthly treasures belong to the virtuous!
If others could claim them, why shouldn't he, a Peak Stage Soul Refinement cultivator, be entitled to his share?
Xu Sanyan sensed the aura weakening significantly, and the sense of impending danger in his heart eased considerably. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze shifting to the black-robed old man. His pitch-black pupils concealed his inner thoughts, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
Xu Sanyan had realized earlier that the black-robed old man had both the opportunity and the ability to intercept his attack. Yet he had stood by and watched as the sword's radiance shattered the fiery flames, leaving a deep gash in the Wooden Man's body.
What did this signify?
Xu Sanyan's lips curled slightly. Their unity was clearly a facade.
This was only natural. Who wouldn't covet such a supreme treasure?
Moreover, they were members of a demonic sect—ruthless killers and looters who knew nothing of loyalty or righteousness.
But even the demonfolk of the demonic path, despite their myriad flaws, possessed one undeniable virtue:
The courage to gamble everything!
They never lacked the courage to risk their lives; it all depended on the allure of the reward. And this time, the temptation was clearly irresistible.
This reminded Xu Sanyan of certain private enterprises in his previous life...
No, rather, it was the capitalists who bore a striking resemblance. When the promise of sufficient profit dangled before them, they would dare to risk even beheading, trampling over laws and human decency without hesitation.
Only eight people remained in the arena, and for a moment, no one moved.
Tu Wanshan's face was deathly pale, the Wooden Man still relentlessly draining his spiritual power.
Xu Sanyan stood tall, his four arms hanging at his sides, one hand clutching the Secret Realm Fruit, the other gripping his great halberd. His towering frame, over three meters tall, resembled a giant, his gaze sweeping down over the crowd.
"Die!"
With a thunderous roar, Xu Sanyan finally struck. The moment his voice echoed, he vanished from his spot.
When he reappeared, he was leaping high into the air, his great halberd descending like a bolt of lightning toward Tu Wanshan's head.
"Kill him!" Tu Wanshan roared, and several nearby cultivators attacked simultaneously. At the same moment, the Wooden Man burned to ashes, and a figure emerged from the flames, rising like a phoenix reborn from the ashes to meet the assault head-on.
Xu Sanyan twisted his body, his great halberd slashing down with thunderous force, leaving trails of afterimages in the air.
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the arena. The figure engulfed in flames was impossible to discern, but he thrust out both hands, somehow blocking the halberd's strike!
The surging shockwave blasted outward, the residual spiritual power shattering trees in its wake. Tu Wanshan, caught in the blast, was sent flying backward.
Pfft...
A mouthful of stagnant blood spewed forth, and an indescribable terror flashed across his face. As fellow holy sons, he never imagined the gap between their strengths could be so vast!
To be fair, he had just poured all his spiritual power into the Wooden Man, leaving his own reserves completely drained, which explained his current vulnerability.
Regardless, the disparity in their power was undeniable.
"Die, you little thief!"
The surrounding cultivators reacted swiftly, seizing the opportunity while Xu Sanyan was engaged with the Wooden Man. A barrage of mystical arts rained down from all directions.
"Hmph!"
Xu Sanyan let out a cold snort. The vertical eye on his forehead flickered open, and crimson mist flowed from it, instantly enveloping him in a swirling shroud.
Boom, boom, boom...
Mystical arts crashed against the crimson mist in relentless waves. The mist scattered under the assault, yet despite the fierce barrage, Xu Sanyan remained unscathed.
In an instant, the forest filled with crimson mist, engulfing everyone present.
The Black-robed Old man's eyes flickered. This crimson mist not only suppressed mystical arts but also obscured perception and vision. Xu Sanyan's figure had vanished completely.
"Ah!"
A sudden, bloodcurdling scream pierced the air. The black-robed old man whirled around and charged toward the sound, only to find a headless corpse swaying before collapsing to the ground.
The old man's eyes narrowed, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
How many of the original nine remain?
Boom!
Ah!
A series of screams erupted one after another. Panic-stricken, someone bolted out of the Crimson Mist's perimeter, soaring into the air to observe the scene below, their expression a mix of shock and uncertainty.
Unable to see clearly through the Crimson Mist and unwilling to rashly enter, they could only watch helplessly from outside.
"Help me! Someone, save me!" Tu Wanshan's desperate cries echoed through the air, his voice thick with terror.
Despite his frantic pleas, no response came. The fire-man puppet that had been guarding him lay in pieces nearby, completely dismantled by Xu Sanyan and posing no further threat.
"Senior Brother Tu, I originally didn't want to kill you out of respect for your father. But since you've actively sought your own death, don't blame me for what comes next..."
Xu Sanyan's ferocious fangs bared as he slowly advanced, great halberd in hand.
"You can't kill me! My father is a Void Harmony expert! If you kill me, he'll never let you live!" Tu Wanshan's panic grew with each step Xu Sanyan took, forcing him to retreat inch by inch.
"Heh... then tell your father to come find me!"
The words had barely left his lips when the great halberd materialized above Tu Wanshan's head, descending in a crushing strike. Tu Wanshan barely managed to raise his broadsword to block, but an overwhelming force surged through the blade.
The halberd crashed down with a deafening clang. Tu Wanshan's arm went numb, his grip loosened, and the broadsword clattered away.
Unimpeded, the halberd cleaved through his skull, splitting him vertically in two.
Tu Wanshan's eyes flickered with momentary confusion as his gaze drifted downward, settling on the crimson line bisecting his body.
"My father... won't... spare you..."
Before he could finish, Xu Sanyan's halberd trembled, and Tu Wanshan exploded in a shower of blood and gore that rained across the battlefield.
"Your father?" Xu Sanyan sneered, stepping over the mangled remains. "I'll send you both down to reunite soon enough."
Suddenly,
A wisp of black energy pierced through the layers of Crimson Mist, hurtling toward Xu Sanyan's back. The mist had relentlessly eroded its power, so by the time it struck him, the force was negligible. He didn't even flinch.
Xu Sanyan turned his head to see the black-robed old man standing behind him, his face calm as he gazed at him. "Give me the item, and I'll spare you."
"Spare me?" Xu Sanyan's voice dripped with disdain. "Then come and try."
Before the words had even left his lips, his figure transformed into a streak of light, hurtling forward with explosive speed.
(End of the Chapter)
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