đź’– If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.
--------------------
Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V
---------------
Facing the inescapable and overwhelmingly powerful Ninth Spirit Skill, not a single trace of fear appeared in the eyes of Sword Douluo Chen Xin. Instead, his expression remained cold and extremely serene. In this moment of life and death, he felt a deep understanding of his own path, the Dao of the sword. He did not take a single step back. Instead, he took a firm step forward to meet the challenge.
"Seven Kill Domain, open!" Chen Xin shouted.
As his low shout echoed through the hall, a terrifying Killing Intent spread out. It was as thick as blood and so chilling that it felt like it could freeze a person's bones. This Killing Intent expanded instantly with Sword Douluo at its center. The domain immediately locked onto the massive pressure released by Demon Subduing Douluo and neutralized a large portion of it.
At the same time, the domain greatly increased the sharpness and penetrating power of Chen Xin's own Sword Qi. This was a Domain that Sword Douluo had realized and perfected through his own meditation and combat experience. Within the area of the Seven Kill Domain, everyone except for Chen Xin himself would find their attack power weakened by thirty percent.
Immediately after the domain opened, the Seven Kill Sword in his hand began to vibrate. It emitted a humming sound that seemed full of extreme excitement, as if the weapon itself was eager for the coming clash.
"Seventh Spirit Ability, Seven Kill True Body!" Chen Xin yelled.
In the next second, a massive phantom appeared behind Chen Xin. It looked exactly like him but stood ten zhang tall. This giant figure was composed entirely of silver Sword Qi that had been condensed to an extreme level of density. In the giant phantom's hand was a version of the Seven Kill Sword that had been magnified countless times.
On the blade of this massive sword, the Seven Kill Sword Qi had condensed into a solid, physical form. Having unleashed his Martial Soul True Body, the aura of the Sword Douluo surged to a new height. The man and his sword, his intent and his soul, were now perfectly unified.
Facing the blood-colored giant rod that was crashing down from above, Sword Douluo gripped the Seven Kill Sword with both hands. He pointed the tip of the blade at an angle toward the sky. Suddenly, the eighth black spirit ring beneath his feet began to shine with a deep, profound light.
"Seven Kill Thunder rises! One sword breaks the sky!" he cried out. "Eighth Spirit Ability, Moving Mountains and Filling Seas!"
This was one of the strongest single-target Spirit Abilities in Sword Douluo's arsenal. By focusing his entire life's worth of Sword Intent and his vast spirit power into one single point, the attack gained a terrifying power.
It was said to have the strength to shake massive mountains and overturn entire rivers. With a sharp shout, the massive Seven Kill Sword held by the True Body transformed. It became a thin silver thread that was condensed to the absolute limit.
It looked as if it could slice through space and time itself, appearing like a celestial river waterfall flowing upward against the current. Without trying to dodge or move away, and carrying a will that refused to be defeated, the sword met the descending blood-colored rod head-on.
It was sword against rod. It was extreme sharpness against extreme weight.
A massive rumble shook the entire area. The silver sword waterfall and the blood-colored giant rod collided in the middle of the side hall. There were no fancy tricks or clever movements, just a direct explosion of pure power. No words could truly describe the terrifying energy that exploded at that exact moment.
In the next second, a blinding light of silver and red swallowed the entire space. A massive ball of energy expanded rapidly. The force of the blast was so great that it blew the roof off the hall and turned it into dust. A deafening roar followed, sounding like two worlds crashing into each other. This sound echoed through the entire palace. The violent shockwave of energy spread out in a ring, shattering the remaining walls and breaking the heavy wooden beams of the side hall.
Some of the Spirit Masters dressed in black were standing too close to the center of the fight. They did not even have enough time to scream before the energy reduced them to a fine red mist. Even powerful experts like Tang Xiao and Thousand Jun Douluo, who were busy in their own fierce fight, had to stop for a moment. They had to use their spirit power just to protect themselves and resist the destructive storm of energy.
The bright light and the roaring sound lasted for several seconds before they slowly started to fade away. In the air, the phantom of the giant blood-colored Coiling Dragon Rod was now covered in many fine cracks. Finally, it shattered with a loud bang, turning into small spots of light that floated away.
Demon Subduing Douluo let out a low groan of pain. A small trickle of blood came from the corner of his mouth, and the arm he used to hold his rod was trembling slightly. It was easy to see that he had lost the exchange and suffered a minor injury in that massive clash.
He had never expected that his Ninth Spirit Skill, his strongest move, would be broken by Sword Douluo's Eighth Spirit Skill. The combination of the Seven Kill True Body and the power of the domain had been enough to overcome him.
On the other side, Sword Douluo Chen Xin looked a bit different. The light of his Seven Kill True Body had dimmed quite a bit, and his face was pale because he had used so much of his spirit power. However, he still stood tall with his sword in hand. His posture was as straight as a pine tree, and his eyes remained as sharp as they had been at the start.
"I forgot to tell you something," Chen Xin said calmly. "After that kid Tang Chen helped me reattach my arm, my spirit power improved. I have now broken through to level ninety-seven."
Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo had been watching the fight from the side. They were waiting for the right moment to jump in. When they saw that the two Enshrined priests, Thousand Jun and Demon Subduing, were being pushed back by Tang Xiao and Sword Douluo, they knew they had to act. The support from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was making the enemies too strong. Seeing even a Ninth Spirit Skill get broken was the final straw. They could no longer hold themselves back.
"What a Clear Sky Sect! What a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!" Snake Lance Douluo shouted. "It doesn't matter who you are. Today, we are going to kill every single one of you here!"
The eyes of Snake Lance Douluo flashed with a cold, mean light. He looked over at Porcupinefish Douluo and gave a quick nod. At almost the same time, both of them moved. Their bodies blurred like two ghostly streams of light as they rushed toward Tang Xiao and Sword Douluo. They chose this moment because both Tang Xiao and Chen Xin had just finished big attacks and were still catching their breath.
The Snake Lance in the hand of Snake Lance Douluo turned into a strange, green light. He stabbed it viciously toward a small opening in Tang Xiao's defense. Tang Xiao had exposed his side for a split second while using his Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method. At the same time, Porcupinefish Douluo's body began to swell up. He looked like a giant balloon filled with poison. Covered in sharp thorns and a foul-smelling poisonous mist, he slammed himself toward Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
With two more Titled Douluo joining the fight, the pressure on Tang Xiao and Chen Xin became much heavier. They had already been fighting Thousand Jun and Demon Subduing for a long time. They had used a lot of their energy and spirit power. Now, facing these sneak attacks, the situation became very dangerous for them.
But the danger did not stop there. At the exact moment that Snake Lance and Porcupinefish attacked, two more powerful auras exploded from the shadows of the side hall. Two more Titled Douluo had been hiding, waiting for the perfect time to strike.
Two blurred figures jumped out like snakes that had been waiting in the grass. On their bodies, nine spirit rings appeared in the best possible colors: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and five black rings. While their spirit power did not seem quite as high as the Enshrined priests, they were definitely Titled Douluo. There was no mistaking that level of pressure.
These two were experts that Spirit Hall had secretly moved here to hide in the shadows. Now, they finally showed their strength. Their goal was very clear. They wanted to work with the other four Titled Douluo to kill or badly hurt Tang Xiao and Chen Xin while they were tired.
Now, Tang Xiao and Sword Douluo were in a desperate spot. They were being attacked by six Titled Douluo at the same time. On top of that, there were many other Spirit Masters in black watching and waiting to help.
Even though Ning Fengzhi was giving them very strong support, the difference in numbers was just too big. It seemed like his help might not be enough to save them this time. Inside the hall, the feeling of Killing Intent was so thick it was hard to breathe.
Meanwhile, outside the palace, the huge sounds of battle were heard. The loud roar from the side hall and the feeling of so many Titled Douluo using their power reached the Five Elders of the Clear Sky Sect. They had been waiting anxiously at the palace gate.
They were told to stay outside to watch for danger and provide backup. But when they felt the familiar, violent power of the Clear Sky Hammer and the many hostile auras, their faces changed. They knew something was wrong.
"This is bad!" the Seventh Elder yelled. He was the one with the quickest temper. "The Sect Master is being ambushed inside! I can feel at least four or more enemy Titled Douluo!"
"The Sect Master is in big trouble! We can't just stand here anymore!" the Second Elder said. He made a quick decision. A sharp light appeared in his old eyes. "Everyone, listen to me! Follow me into the palace! We have to rescue the Sect Master right now!"
"Yes!" the other four elders replied together. Their spirit power exploded all at once. Five powerful auras shot up into the sky as they prepared to charge toward the side hall, no matter what stood in their way.
However, they only managed to run a few steps before they were stopped.
"Stop right there! This is a forbidden area of the palace! If you trespass, you will be killed!" a voice called out.
The palace guards, who had looked like normal sentries before, suddenly moved into position. It was as if they appeared out of nowhere. Among them were many Spirit Douluo and even some experts who were hiding their true strength. they moved into a tight formation. The light from their combined spirit power looked like a wall made of solid metal. They blocked the path of the Five Elders of the Clear Sky Sect.
"Get out of our way!" the Third Elder roared. He raised his hand and summoned his Clear Sky Hammer into his palm.
"We are following the orders of the Crown Prince," the guard commander said in a cold voice. "No one is allowed to go near the side hall. If you try to pass, you will be executed."
"Then we will just have to fight our way in!" the Fifth Elder shouted. He was very angry and knew that talking was not going to help. He swung his massive hammer forward to smash through the guards.
The guard formation glowed brightly as it took the hit. The wall of power shook, but it did not break. Immediately after, the guards started using their own Spirit Abilities. Bright lights filled the air as they attacked the Five Elders. The elders were forced to defend themselves, and a fierce battle began right there at the entrance.
Hammers swung through the air and Spirit Abilities crashed into each other. The fight was just as intense as the one inside. Even though the Five Elders were very strong, there were a lot of enemies. The guards were also well-trained and fought in a formation that was hard to break.
Because of this, the elders could not move forward quickly. They had to stay and fight while listening to the sounds of the battle getting louder inside the palace. They were worried and felt helpless because they were being held back.
With enemies inside and guards blocking the way outside, the situation was terrible. Tang Xiao, Ning Fengzhi, and Sword Douluo were now trapped. They were alone, surrounded, and facing a situation where they might not survive.