The array trembled but held firm.
Within thousands of miles, heaven-earth rules and forces surged again—not toward Zuo Li, but toward the *Seven Stars Heaven-Sealing Array*, making it unshakably stable.
“Star Shift, Seven Stars God-Slaying!” Xiao Hei manipulated the array, transforming it.
Seven radiant starlights converged, forming a sharp star sword radiating celestial might.
*Whoosh.*
The sword slashed down at Zuo Li, its momentum earth-shaking, nearly cleaving space.
The array seemed linked to the cosmic stars, countless starlights descending, rivaling the sun’s brilliance in a dazzling display.
Zuo Li’s eyes narrowed. He poured demonic energy into the *Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription*.
The stele partially awakened, releasing potent demonic aura. A tiger phantom roared, as if shattering the starry river.
*Bang.*
The star sword struck the stele.
The tiger phantom shattered, and the stele dimmed.
The sword, undeterred, continued toward Zuo Li.
Light flashed from his brow, and a brown treasure seal flew out, expanding to a hundred zhang, like a small mountain, meeting the sword.
Having struck the stele, the sword’s power was largely spent.
Zuo Li’s seal successfully blocked it, halting its descent.
Xiao Hei ignored Zuo Li, swiftly striking with array seals, knocking the dimmed stele away.
Flashing forward, Xiao Hei appeared beside it, channeling holy energy. Crimson light enveloped the stele, sealing it.
“Don’t even think about it!” Zuo Li roared.
A solid black dragon, thousands of zhang long, shot from his back, charging at Xiao Hei.
This wasn’t conjured from demonic energy but a powerful dragon soul, extracted from a Near-Path Realm black dragon, sealed within him, and nurtured with demonic energy. Integrated with his being, it unleashed formidable attacks.
“Once it’s in my claws, no one’s taking it. A mere dragon soul dares attack me?” Xiao Hei scoffed.
As the soul neared, Xiao Hei didn’t dodge or use arrays. It activated its immortal bird bloodline, radiating terrifying soul pressure.
Under this pressure, the dragon soul trembled, its ferocity gone.
“This pressure…” Zuo Li, linked to the soul, paled.
Before he could recall it, Xiao Hei opened its beak, swallowing the soul like a whale gulping water.
Moments later, Zuo Li’s connection to the soul severed.
*Pfft.*
He spat blood, his aura chaotic.
Losing the soul he’d nurtured dealt him severe damage.
His control over the seal weakened.
*Bang.*
The seal flipped, and the star sword slashed down.
*Pfft.*
Despite his quick reaction, Zuo Li lost an arm, blood gushing.
Xiao Hei didn’t pursue, instead retracting the seven array flags and retreating, keeping distance from Zuo Li.
It knew further attacks might draw Mo Sheng’s interference.
Since killing Zuo Li wasn’t feasible, it saw no point in wasting effort.
Fully suppressing the *Heavenly Demon Tiger Roar Diagram*, Xiao Hei glanced at the wounded Zuo Li, chuckling, “Kid, you’re far from my match. Train a thousand years, and you still won’t be.”
“Invincible, yet so lonely.”
Zuo Li spat blood again, his aura faltering, spirit broken.
Whether he admitted it or not, he’d lost, costing an *Inscription*.
“I lost…” His eyes dimmed, dejected.
“Useless,” Mo Sheng said coldly, anger burning.
Losing two *Inscriptions* was infuriating.
He regretted agreeing to the wager, underestimating Zhang Ruochen’s allies—a Heavenly Phoenix Dao Body and an array master. Could a declining Kunlun produce such figures and still rise?
A lone genius, no matter how strong, remained solitary. But with talented allies, Zhang Ruochen could one day rule realms.
Zuo Li retrieved his severed arm, head low, returning silently to the Black Demon Realm’s ranks.
Having lost, he had no words.
No one in their camp spoke; it wasn’t Zuo Li’s weakness but the owl’s strangeness. The *Seven Stars Array* alone was daunting, even for Zhuo Gu, the second strongest below Great Saint.
“Told you, when I act, it’s flawless,” Xiao Hei boasted, flashing back.
It tossed the *Mad Dragon Diagram* to Zhang Ruochen, keeping the *Tiger Roar Diagram*. “Here’s yours. This one’s my trophy.”
“You don’t practice demonic techniques. What’s the *Inscription* for?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
“You don’t get it. The *Inscriptions* aren’t simple. Each is a potent weapon. What if they’re combined? Legend ties them to a divine artifact,” Xiao Hei said.
“The *Inscriptions* and Kunlun’s ten divine artifacts?” Zhang Ruochen’s eyes lit up.
Xiao Hei rolled its eyes. “It’s a legend, not fact. Since ancient times, the *Inscriptions* have been scattered among factions, never united.”
“Even if collected, a special secret method is needed to merge them, and no one knows it.”
Zhang Ruochen pondered, recalling all he knew about the *Inscriptions*.
Kunlun’s ten divine artifacts were legendary, their existence uncertain today.
Few knew their names—only the *Dragon-Sun-Moon Chaos Tower*, *Emperor’s Divine Ruler*, and *Dao Soul Platform* were familiar to him, and they existed.
The *Chaos Tower* was held by a taboo figure.
The *Ruler* and *Platform* were mysteries.
The *Ruler* was once kept by the Inscription Guild, known to few.
“Zhang Ruochen, you sent fighters first for two rounds. This one’s my turn!” Mo Sheng’s icy voice cut through his thoughts.
Snapping back, Zhang Ruochen replied, “Fine, send your fighter.”
Mo Sheng’s lips curved slightly.
Yin Fan Demoness nodded to him, then flashed forward.
“Who from the Blood God Sect dares fight?” she shouted from midair.
Seeing her, Zhang Ruochen’s expression shifted.
Others frowned too.
Yin Fan Demoness wasn’t Path’s Anterior or Near-Path Realm but Heaven-Connecting Realm, between the two.
The Blood God Sect had no Heaven-Connecting Realm fighters.
Spectators noted the shift.
“Two losses, and Mo Sheng’s desperate, resorting to this,” one said.
“In a wager, fighters must match or be weaker than the opponent. Mo Sheng sent Yin Fan Demoness knowing Zhang Ruochen lacks a counter,” another observed.
“Forget Heaven-Connecting. Zhang Ruochen has only two Path’s Anterior fighters—one’s fought. Can the other match her?”
“Don’t forget Zhang Ruochen’s Path’s Anterior himself. He killed Near-Path titans in Saint Ming City. His odds are high.”
“Will he fight? I’m curious.”
Eyes turned to Zhang Ruochen, believing only he could win.
They didn’t know he and Mo Sheng had agreed to fight each other, barring him from this round.
