Gazing at the Void Sky Phoenix Wings, Lin Xiao’s eyes lit up. He then shifted his gaze to the battling crowd. Judging by their unleashed power, these fighters were all low-tier Martial Kings.
Among them, Lin Xiao spotted a familiar face— one of the three young Martial Kings who’d come with Master Yuling, a youth in a purple robe.
This youth, at third-tier Martial King, wielded combat power surpassing even veteran third-tier Martial Kings— among the strongest in the fray.
If the fight dragged on, the Void Sky Phoenix Wings would likely fall to him.
“Hiss!”
With no high-tier Martial Kings present, it was the perfect chance. Lin Xiao summoned the green corpse puppet without hesitation, sending a mental command with a surge of spiritual power.
“Whoosh!” The green puppet shot forward, streaking through the air straight for the wings— its speed staggering, reaching the battlefield in a blink.
“Courting death!” The purple-robed youth roared, slashing fiercely with his blade.
But the figure didn’t dodge— it met the blade head-on with a palm.
Clang!
A piercing metallic screech rang out. The youth screamed as his blade flew from his grip, his body hurled far back.
After blasting the youth away, the green puppet didn’t pause. It thrust both palms at two approaching Martial Kings— five green beams erupted from each hand, targeting them.
Bang! Bang!
The two unleashed powerful fists and palm strikes, but they were no match. Their attacks crumbled— the unstoppable beams pierced their bodies, leaving five bloody holes each.
They crashed to the ground, life fading, faces frozen in horror.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The puppet’s speed was astonishing— after killing two, it charged recklessly, unfazed by attacks. It closed in, punching Martial Kings away one by one.
Finally, it seized the Void Sky Phoenix Wings firmly in its grasp.
In that instant, the wounded fighters stared in shock at the sudden figure.
“Who are you…” The purple-robed youth bellowed, seething with killing intent. Then, seeing the puppet’s face clearly, shock overtook him: “A corpse puppet?”
The other injured Martial Kings gaped— what had repelled them wasn’t alive, but a corpse puppet?
A corpse puppet stealing their treasure?
“How’s that possible?” They froze, as did the covetous Heavenly Martial experts nearby.
A dozen Martial Kings had fought desperately without success— then a corpse puppet swooped in and took it?
“It’s a puppet, folks— no sentience, just instinct. Together, we can take it down— I refuse to believe it can withstand us all!” The purple-robed youth shouted. The Void Sky Phoenix Wings were rarer than rare— he wouldn’t let them go.
The others shared his resolve.
But as he spoke, the puppet’s gaze snapped to him— sending a shiver down his spine.
Did this puppet have sentience?
“Hahaha, sorry, folks— this puppet’s mine. High-tier Martial King strength. If you don’t want to die, step back,” a laugh rang out as two youths flew towards the puppet.
“Lin Xiao!” The purple-robed youth’s eyes narrowed, staring in disbelief.
Before the stone gate, he’d dismissed Lin Xiao— even now, he hadn’t taken him seriously. Yet how could this powerful puppet be under his control?
“You little brat, daring to ambush us!” Another Martial King roared.
Lin Xiao ignored them, focusing on the wings with excitement. He stepped onto them.
Vital qi flowed through his feet into the wings— they trembled faintly, ripples of energy spreading outward.
Standing atop them, Lin Xiao’s eyes gleamed, hair fluttering— his aura, amplified by the wings, gave the impression he might pierce the void and ascend.
“Still works!” Lin Xiao grinned, pulling Hu Yue up beside him. With a wave, he recalled the puppet, then scanned the crowd with a sly glint, chuckling, “Thanks, everyone, for gifting me such a fine treasure!”
With that, the wings shot off— “Hiss!”— vanishing into the distance like a void-breaking streak, impossibly fast.
“Lin Xiao!” The crowd roared, chasing after him on vital qi wings.
But the Void Sky Phoenix Wings’ speed outmatched them— within moments, Lin Xiao was far beyond their reach.
“With my vital qi, I can push these wings to mid-tier Martial King speed. Add some Martial King essence pills, and it’ll hit high-tier levels easily,” Lin Xiao mused with a smirk. This was a jackpot— even against a Martial Venerable, essence pills could fuel an escape.
“No idea how long they fought— those blokes must be spitting blood now,” Hu Yue said gleefully.
“Heh, what if we used the wings and puppet to rob folks— faster than scavenging ourselves?” Lin Xiao’s lips curled into a wicked grin.
“Great idea!” Hu Yue nodded eagerly.
“Hiss!” But at that moment, the space ahead warped— a large group tumbled out of the void.
Lin Xiao halted, scanning them. Recognising them, his face darkened.
These were the ones from the Heavy Force Palace trial— how they appeared here baffled him.
Did timing or random placement dictate their arrival?
The group included not just Heavenly Martials but Martial Kings— all but Liu Yan, the lone Martial Venerable. Familiar faces from the gravity trial mixed with strangers.
After a dazed moment, they awoke, stunned by the corpses around them like others before.
“Lin Xiao!” Soon, Liu He— facing their direction— spotted Lin Xiao in the void and shouted first.
