Shen Han's miserable shriek attracted the gaze of Ye Zong and the other experts.
They heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that Xue Hui had saved Ye Ziyun. Now they could turn their full attention to the battle against the Black Roc Flame.
Similarly, Nie Li let out a shaky breath and dropped to one knee as the strength left his body. He felt immensely grateful that Xue Hui had arrived just in time to stop Shen Han from escaping with Ye Ziyun.
The air rumbled as Shen Han lost control of his spiritual energy.
"YOU! HOW DARE YOU INJURE MY SUPREME PHYSIQUE!" Shen Han roared, coughing up a mouthful of blood. His face drained of all color as he gritted his teeth in fury.
Xue Hui looked at him with disgust. He didn't even bother responding as he descended through the air, carrying Ye Ziyun back to the ground.
Once their feet touched the cracked tiles, Xue Hui's eyes lingered on Ye Ziyun as he checked her condition. His brows furrowed upon noticing the patches of bruises along her jaw.
"Are you okay, Ziyun? Are you hurt? Tell me."
Hearing the concern in his voice, a feeling of warmth stirred within Ye Ziyun's heart, causing tears to well up in the corners of her eyes as a wave of relief and gratitude flooded through her.
"I-I'm fine, Xue Hui. Really, I was just a little scared earlier, but I'm okay now," Ye Ziyun said softly, her glistening eyes meeting his.
"Are you sure, Ziyun? It's okay if you're feeling shaken. I could take you to where your mother and little brother are. You don't have to stay here," he fussed.
eyes drifted to Ye Ziyun's hand, which was gripping the fabric of his robe. It was visibly trembling.
Ye Ziyun noticed his gaze, causing her to bite her lower lip. Although it was true that she was still a bit unsettled by what had happened moments ago, she was already beginning to regain her composure. There was no need for her to be taken to a safe location.
Besides, she didn't want to miss the fight, especially now that Xue Hui had arrived and joined the fray.
"I'm telling the truth, Xue Hui, so please don't worry about me and focus on defeating Shen Han," she answered truthfully.
Looking into her eyes and seeing that the fear in them had been replaced with resolve, Xue Hui sighed and smiled wryly as he nodded.
"Alright then. It seems you're fine. Just be careful Ziyun and stay on your toes, okay?"
"I-I will," she answered hurriedly before releasing the fabric of his robe.
Freed from her grip, Xue Hui turned his back to her as his gaze returned to the enraged Shen Han. A bone-chilling killing intent radiated from him.
"And don't worry, Ziyun. This is the last time you'll ever see this guy again," Xue Hui declared with finality before leaping into the air.
Emotions welled up within her. Her misty eyes followed Xue Hui's figure as he confronted Shen Han.
Lost in her thoughts, Ye Ziyun failed to notice the person approaching from behind.
"Ei!"
She jumped in surprise when she felt a hand gently wrapped around hers.
Looking toward its owner, her eyes widened in panic upon seeing Nie Li standing beside her, bleeding and battered.
"Nie Li, heavens! Are you alright? You're covered in blood! Quick, lie down. We need to tend to your wounds!" she shrieked in panic as she adjusted their position, placing his arm over her shoulder to support him.
Nie Li, on the other hand, didn't say anything in response. His eyes remained fixed on Xue Hui. Watching him with a complicated expression, a sense of inadequacy washed over him. Despite all his knowledge and experience, he had failed to protect Ye Ziyun once again.
That thought was like a knife stabbing into his heart.
Nie Li shook the thought from his mind, snapping out of his reverie. His expression turned resolute as a determined glint flashed across his eyes.
"I need to get stronger... and I need to do it fast," he muttered under his breath.
As Xue Hui ascended, he heard a piercing whistling sound coming from above. Ye Zong, Chen Zhenlong, and the rest of the experts looked up to see what was causing the noise.
Only then did they notice that the roof of the banquet hall had begun to cave in beneath an immense weight as branching cracks spread across it.
BOOM!
KRRRK!
The roof trembled violently as something enormous slammed against it repeatedly, trying to force its way inside.
Dust rained down.
BOOM!
CLATTER!
Xue Hui's nose twitched as the air filled with the stench of blood. The scent reminded him of something, and he quickly realized what was on the roof.
But it was already too late for him to do anything about it.
"TAKE COVER!" Chen Zhenlong shouted in alarm as the roof collapsed, followed by a massive cloud of blood mist pouring into the banquet hall.
"This is bad! There's more of those things!" Ye Zong exclaimed in panic. He and the other experts immediately retreated as a massive torrent of blood encircled Shen Han before forming into a devastating crimson tornado.
"Woooosh!"
Debris and furniture were swept into the air by the powerful blood tornado. It roared furiously as the raging winds intensified, leaving widespread destruction in their wake.
Ye Ziyun reacted instantly. Integrating with her demon spirit, she invoked her domain technique, raising a thick dome of ice to shield herself and Nie Li from the destruction outside.
Nie Li's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Ye Ziyun's demon spirit form.
'What happened to the Snow Queen I gifted her?', he asked quietly.
Nie Li failed to recognize the demon spirit she had transformed into, but based on its aura alone, he was certain it possessed a God-level growth rate and a dragon bloodline.
This shocked him greatly. He had never expected Ye Ziyun to acquire such a rare demon spirit.
One should know that finding a demon spirit of such caliber was next to impossible in any lower world.
Moreover, the cultivation technique she was using was different from the one he had given her.
'Based on its aura alone, it has the same purity as Chen Linlin's cultivation technique... or even Xue Hui's…'
That realization made Nie Li pause. He looked up to see Xue Hui floating amid the destruction, looking at him with a complicated look.
Xue Hui hovered motionlessly near the edge of the storm despite the destructive winds battering him from every direction.
He remained completely untouched as his Origin Spheres did a remarkable job protecting him, moving in perfect sync to deflect every piece of debris hurled at him.
From his position, Xue Hui could sense Shen Han's aura. His strength was rapidly increasing, rising from one-star Legend Rank to Demigod Rank.
Even so, Xue Hui remained unmoved. It didn't matter how strong Shen Han became because, as far as Xue Hui was concerned, Shen Han was already a dead man for what he had done to Ye Ziyun.
The blood mist gradually receded as it flowed into Shen Han's body.
A low, dangerous laugh reverberated throughout the banquet hall as Shen Han's new form gradually revealed itself.
The blood mist healed all of his injuries, while his entire body swelled with muscle, doubling in size. His face became snake-like, with a sharp spike protruding from his jaw. His gray flesh was replaced by lustrous crimson scales that glistened beneath the light. Four massive arms extended from his torso, ending in razor-sharp claws, while two enormous bat-like wings kept him aloft. Finally, his legs disappeared, replaced by the long, serpentine lower body of a giant snake that coiled through the air.
Shen Han's current appearance resembled a demon beast far more than a human.
His slit pupils leisurely swept over the gathered experts. As a sinister grin stretched across his lips.
"Apologies for keeping all of you waiting. It took me a while to summon the blood of the remaining members of my Sacred Family."
Shen Han stood arrogantly before everyone, his face filled with contempt as he looked down upon them.
"You should have killed me earlier, before I reached my perfect form. That mistake will cost you dearly.
With my current strength, I'm afraid none of you will survive to witness the imminent destruction of Glory City."
After he spoke, his entire body erupted with power, enveloping the surroundings in overwhelming spiritual pressure.
Chen Zhenlong, Ye Zong, and all the Legend-rank experts were forced to their knees.
They gritted their teeth as they realized that Shen Han's current strength had surpassed theirs by a wide margin.
"This is bad! We can't move at all!" Chen Yinying exclaimed breathlessly. Fear washed over her as she felt as though an entire mountain were pressing down upon her.
But before everyone could be crushed beneath Shen Han's soul pressure, another wave of spiritual energy burst forth. Unlike Shen Han's oppressive aura, this spiritual energy was imbued with pure, majestic soul power.
The crushing pressure vanished as Xue Hui's spiritual aura pushed it back, saving everyone.
Shen Han noticed this and shot Xue Hui a sharp glare, a dangerous glint flashing through his eyes.
In response, the light within Xue Hui's pupils intensified as boundless soul power surged through them.
End of Chapter 115
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