The shattered "World-Purifying Sacred Domain" light points drifted like mourning stars, slowly dissipating in the bloody air. The Demon Marshal Xu Zhan's punch that pierced the domain not only shattered the purification barrier the allied forces relied upon, but seemed like a fist pounding into every living being's heart who witnessed it—completely extinguishing the flame of hope just kindled from slaying the Demon General.
Nascent Soul late stage! And a Demon Marshal tempered by the demonic lord's source!
Such an existence was, for the vast majority of allied cultivators, no different from true gods or demons—an utterly irresistible natural disaster! Despair like an icy tide instantly drowned the entire "Watchtower Bastion." Countless faces were deathly pale; gazes were vacant; even the strength to grip weapons was draining away.
Tang Xiaoqi staggered to steady himself, wiping away the blood at the corner of his mouth. The domain being forcibly shattered's backlash made his internal organs churn and spiritual power. But the physical wounds were far less than theagony in his heart at this moment.
He gazed at that figure a thousand zhang away, covered in grotesque demonic armor, at those hollow, deathly eyes that held only killing. The resonance deep in his bloodline was like a red-hot branding iron, scalding his soul into trembling. That was his father, Xu Zhan—the father he had yearned for on countless nights, sworn in his heart to rescue! Yet now, father and son reunited, but under such cruel, opposing circumstances on this mountain of corpses and sea of blood battlefield.
Countless words, endless longing, guilt, worry, and to awaken him surged like waves in his chest, clashing and churning, yet finally frozen by that ice-cold reality, stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word.
What could he say? Recount the pain of parting? Demand why he aids the demon? Beg his father to awaken?
Before that gaze holding nothing but pure killing intent, any words seemed so pale and laughable, so... out of place.
The Demon Marshal Xu Zhan also seemed to have no intention of any communication. His hollow gaze locked onto Xiao Qi. That gaze held no emotion belonging to "Xu Zhan," only instinctive loathing for the "purification source" bearer, and absolute coldness in executing the demonic lord's kill order.
He moved.
Still simple and direct, no flourishes. One step forward; the beneath his feet seemed to solidify into an actual stair, emitting a sound. Dark purple demonic energy swirled around him—not ostentatious, yet carrying a suffocating, heavy pressure, as if the very rules of space in his area had submitted to him.
He used no weapon, merely raising that hand covered in demonic armor, five fingers slightly spread, toward Xiao Qi's direction, pressing down from a distance.
"BOOM—!"
The space around Xiao Qi instantly solidified! As if instantaneously cast into ten-thousand-year mystic ice. An invisible yet enormous, irresistible force squeezed from all directions, intending to crush him along with his soul! This was pure power suppression—the absolute gap in realm!
Xiao Qi's pupils contracted. His Nascent Soul within let out a clear cry; the guardian dharma image phantom behind him erupted with brilliant light. Purification power and Four Symbols power operated at full capacity, attempting to break this spatial confinement.
"Open for me!"
He roared. The Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword erupted with blazing sword intent, like a burning sun, forcibly tearing apart the solidified space around him! But that terrifying compressive force still existed, making his movements impossibly sluggish, as if sinking into a swamp.
Then, the moment he broke free from confinement, the true power of the Demon Marshal's press finally descended!
A massive demonic palm, completely condensed from pure demonic energy,, as if reaching out from the Nine abyss, carried terrifying might to crush stars and shatter all laws, and smashed down toward the sluggish Xiao Qi!
Before the palm arrived, its terrifying pressure already caused the ground below to crack inch by inch. Nearby demons and allied cultivators were directly crushed into meat paste! Xiao Qi felt as if the entire sky had collapsed, intending to bury him completely.
No evasion possible! Could only hard-counter!
Xiao Qi's gaze was resolute. He knew any hesitation or retreat at this moment meant certain death. He forcibly suppressed complex emotions toward his father, pouring all his heart into this vastly unequal life-and-death battle.
"Crimson Flame Burns Heaven!"
The Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword let out a deafening dragon roar. The dragon patterns and phoenix shadows on the blade seemed to come alive. He exhausted all bodily spiritual power, fused protective sword intent with purification source, and slashed out an unprecedented crimson-gold sword pillar,, brazenly facing that palm-blanketing demonic palm!
Simultaneously, his left hand thrust the Creation Chaos Cauldron upward! Chaos aura flowed across the pan; it attempted to use that strange force field to distort and weaken part of the demonic palm's power.
"THUMP—!!!!"
The instant sword pillar and demonic palm collided, it was like two stars impacting! An indescribable roar made the entire battlefield momentarily silent, leaving only tinnitus-like humming. Crimson-gold sword light and dark purple demonic energy frantically eroded, annihilated, erupted with glare sufficient to blind eyes!
The sword pillar Xiao Qi slashed out lasted less than a breath before shattering and disintegrating inch by inch under the demonic palm's absolute power! Crimson flame wailed; sword light dimmed.
Next, that demonic palm, reduced somewhat yet still terrifying, violently struck the Creation Chaos Cauldron!
"CLANG—!!!"
Like a great bell struck by a massive hammer, a roar shook Xiao Qi's qi and blood churning, blood flowing from his nose and ears! The Creation Chaos Cauldron let out an unbearable hum; the pan's glow flickered violently. That strange force field, under the demonic palm's absolute power, also reached its limit, shattering with a crash!
Xiao Qi was like being struck head-on by a meteor. His entire person, like a kite with cut string, spat blood and rapidly fell from the sky, slamming into the demon corpse mountain below, vast amounts of foul blood and shattered bones.
"Master!"
"Xiao Qi!"