Lin Xiao naturally didn’t stop. He channelled his spiritual power into the skeletal fist, hurling it forward again. At the same time, he swung his longsword, unleashing a massive thunderbolt sword beam that streaked across, brimming with endless lightning energy. It slashed forward, illuminating the entire area with blinding light.
Clang!
The dagger and skeletal fist were both knocked back. The Spirit Master, in a hurry, conjured a spiritual palm print to strike at the thunderbolt sword.
“Boom!”
A tremendous thunderclap rang out as the spiritual palm print shattered. The thunderbolt sword dissolved into fearsome lightning energy, erupting in all directions. The Spirit Master’s hair flew wildly as he coughed up blood, his entire body forced back by the impact.
How could a Spirit Master with third-tier advanced spiritual power stand against Lin Xiao, who not only matched that level of spiritual power but could also contend with the elemental power of a low-tier Martial King?
After just a few exchanges, he was already at a disadvantage.
“I’d planned to teach that old mongrel a lesson, but since they’ve left you to me, fine—I’ll deal with you first, then go after him!” Lin Xiao bellowed coldly, sending the skeletal hand charging forward.
In truth, the Spirit Master posed a greater threat to him than the old man in the dark robe. Beyond stirring up trouble by rallying others against him, the Spirit Master could also control the ancient beast-refining array.
That array was no simple matter—without significant backing or a special origin, mastering it would be nearly impossible.
Thus, this Spirit Master absolutely could not be spared.
“Whoosh!”
The skeletal hand reached the Spirit Master in an instant. As the Spirit Master sent his dagger flying to intercept, Lin Xiao poured a massive surge of spiritual power into the skeletal hand.
“Woo~ Woo~”
In that moment, an eerie sound, like ghostly wails and wolfish howls from the depths of the underworld, sent chills down everyone’s spines. A profoundly terrifying evil aura spread out, accompanied by billowing white mist thick with malevolence. An overwhelming, icy chill swept toward the Spirit Master.
“What?!” Feeling the cold gust and the dreadful aura rushing toward him, the Spirit Master’s face paled, his body bristling with goosebumps.
“Spirit Master, you old cur, your time is up!”
Lin Xiao’s thunderous shout echoed as a brilliant white light erupted from the skeletal hand. A vast, ocean-like wave of evil energy exploded outward, surging with torrents of white malevolent mist, roiling in all directions.
“No! I con…” The Spirit Master let out a horrified scream, but before he could finish saying “concede,” he was engulfed by the terrifying force.
“Swish!” The sinister white light vanished, and the ghostly wails ceased. A chilling scene unfolded before the crowd’s eyes.
Where the Spirit Master had stood, his figure was gone. A humanoid skeleton slowly fell from the air.
Clearly, this was the Spirit Master’s skeleton—his flesh corroded away, leaving only bones as he met his end.
“Gasp!” The crowd drew sharp breaths, their bodies trembling involuntarily, faces filled with profound horror.
Lin Xiao’s methods were far too terrifying, reducing a Spirit Controller to nothing but a skeleton…
Seeing this, the struggling old man in the dark robe and the purple-robed youth blanched. They never imagined Lin Xiao had such a fearsome technique, capable of killing the Spirit Master with a single strike, leaving only a skeleton.
They were already fighting two against one, at a disadvantage and in constant peril. If Lin Xiao joined the fray, they’d be in grave danger.
“Guan Shuo, Liu family, Gong family—why aren’t you acting? Are you waiting for them to pick you off one by one?” At that moment, the old man in the dark robe, casting aside all pride and dignity, shouted desperately at the crowd, “Everyone, attack now! Kill them and seize their treasures, or none of you will have a chance!”
His urgent voice echoed across the thousand-zhang stone platform.
The faces of the Liu and Gong family members twisted, still reeling from shock and fear. They had never witnessed such a technique from Lin Xiao, and the thought of it being used against them was unthinkable.
Hearing the old man’s shout, they snapped to their senses. If Lin Xiao took down a few more, they’d be his next targets.
“Kill!” Liu Yan exhaled sharply, charging forward.
The Liu family elders, Liu He, and several others rushed out as well.
“Kill Lin Xiao!”
The Gong family’s Gong Hongyun, three elders, Gong Feiyun, and over twenty others surged forward, setting aside past grudges with the Liu family to join forces against Lin Xiao.
At the same time, the Ji family and Jade Fan Sect members charged alongside the two families’ experts.
Lin Xiao’s continued presence posed too great a threat to them.
“Everyone, strike together and take down this fiend!” Someone in the crowd shouted.
The crowd erupted into chaos. They had already suffered terribly from Lin Xiao’s skeletons and Hu Yue’s Nether Black Fireflies, and now, feeling his terror firsthand, they were easily spurred into action, flooding toward him.
“Courting death!”
Seeing this, a cold glint surged in Lin Xiao’s eyes. He recalled the skeletal hand, rapidly channelling elemental power, spiritual power, and spiritual energy. Like a mighty river, they converged at his fingertips, condensing and compressing. At the same time, his spiritual power controlled his body to dodge the barrage of incoming attacks.
As the only one in the air while others were below, his body was as slippery as an eel, weaving through the myriad sword and sabre beams in the void.
“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!”…
In the air, some of the sword and sabre beams inadvertently collided, unleashing a series of loud explosions. Lin Xiao’s swift dodges drew the crowd from all directions toward the centre.
As they nearly converged, Lin Xiao pointed downward. A bright speck of light shot from his fingertip. Amid the dazzling brilliance, this speck seemed utterly insignificant.
Yet it brimmed with boundless, frenzied, and violent energy, radiating wildly, making the entire space seem to shudder.
This speck of light seemed imbued with colossal power, as if it could shatter the void and devastate the heavens and earth. In that instant, everyone’s hearts trembled uncontrollably.
“Not good! Concede now!” Liu Yan shouted urgently, being the first to cry out his surrender. Quick-reacting Liu family members followed suit, as did those from the Gong, Ji, and Jade Fan Sects. As high-tier Martial Kings and Martial Venerables, their senses were sharp. In truth, the moment Lin Xiao prepared to strike, they had already called out.
“Boom!”
A cataclysmic sound erupted as boundless energy detonated in that instant. A light brighter than the sun exploded, and a torrential surge of energy roared outward, sweeping in all directions with unstoppable force.
