Outside Ling Xiao’s body, on the black light shield, as the energy continuously refined and transformed, cracks gradually appeared.
These were, of course, delightful cracks.
They indicated that Ling Xiao was only moments away from breaking out of his cocoon and being reborn.
Boom!
The entire mountain suddenly shook.
It turned out that a fragment of the black light shield had fallen to the ground.
This terrifying energy fragment, just a tiny piece, caused such a fearsome tremor. It was unimaginable what kind of horror would ensue if the entire shield collapsed.
Crack, crack!
More cracks appeared, and fragments began to fall continuously, like an eggshell breaking open, as if a new life form was being born within.
The mountain started to shake incessantly, like an earthquake.
Fortunately, this was the Ten Thousand Thunder Forbidden Land, protected by a naturally formed array. Otherwise, a few more tremors like this would likely cause the mountain to collapse.
Crack!
Suddenly, the light shield split entirely in two, revealing Ling Xiao, surrounded by black light.
His clothes had been completely destroyed, but his body was covered with black-golden scales, protecting all vital areas.
He slowly opened his eyes. In his once pitch-black pupils, black-golden flames burned, and two faint shadows of black divine dragons appeared.
In that instant, the colour of his pupils was extremely eerie, like some strange black hole, seemingly capable of absorbing everything.
However, the shadows of the black divine dragons flashed only briefly, and the black-golden flames gradually subsided.
Apart from his pupils turning black-golden, there were no other noticeable changes.
The black-golden hue was not much different from black, just brighter, with a touch of eeriness.
Clearly, after being forged and tempered by the black hellfire, Ling Xiao, including his eyes, had undergone special changes.
As a result, his ability to wield the Mountain and River Martial Soul seemed to have become easier and more natural.
Ling Xiao slowly opened his eyes and took out a set of clothes from his storage ring to put on.
The black dragon scales had disappeared, replaced by skin as smooth as jade.
His skin had been reborn once again.
By fusing the Earth Spirit Body, Golden Spirit Body, Fire Spirit Body, and Water Spirit Body, combined with the blood of the Primordial Hell Dragon, he had forged a brand-new body.
“Hmm, let’s call it the Hell Dragon Body,” Ling Xiao mused, very satisfied with his current physique.
From the start of the devouring process to its completion, the entire ordeal lasted less than half an hour.
Yet, in that half hour, he had truly endured immense pain and torment.
Fortunately, his efforts had paid off.
Huh?
Just as Ling Xiao was about to proceed to the next stage of cultivation, he suddenly frowned.
His body shot out abruptly.
Something was wrong!
He sensed a dangerous aura, along with Dai Yuling’s气息 of struggling on the brink of death.
He hadn’t expected someone to actually breach the Ten Thousand Thunder Forbidden Land.
At the foot of the mountain, corpses littered the ground.
The dead were all Black Spirits.
However, at this moment, Dai Yuling was severely injured, nearly at her limit, and her soul was trapped by Tantai Lingzi using some special secret scroll. If she were killed, she would die here permanently, not just be eliminated.
The Black Dragon King and Fan Daoke were also hanging by a thread, struggling desperately.
Their opponent was too powerful.
The Ancient Ship King, a First Heaven Realm expert, was not someone to be trifled with.
“Heh, Dai Yuling, if you have any regrets, regret being Ling Xiao’s friend. Ling Xiao doesn’t need other women, or my plan won’t proceed!” Tantai Lingzi sneered, a massive shadow of a Spider Goddess looming behind her, inspiring fear.
Countless dense threads had already bound Dai Yuling.
If not for Dai Yuling clinging to life with her newly acquired martial soul, facing Tantai Lingzi, who was at the late Ninth Stage of the Mortal Realm, she would likely have died long ago.
“Even if I die, Junior Brother Ling will avenge me!” Dai Yuling said, a trace of sorrow appearing on her face.
She didn’t fear death, but she hated that she never got to say those words.
Farewell, Junior Brother Ling!
“Heh heh heh, don’t worry, Ling Xiao will die soon too, and his body will become a powerful supplement for my life,” Tantai Lingzi said, her beautiful face twisting into a ferocious, terrifying expression.
“Is that so?”
Suddenly, a cold voice rang out, as if right beside Tantai Lingzi.
She turned back in horror but saw no one.
“Where are you looking?”
In midair, Ling Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, his golden dragon wings behind him shining even more brilliantly.
With a light tap, several sword qi shot out, easily slicing through the threads Tantai Lingzi prided herself on, freeing Dai Yuling from their control.
“Ling Xiao!” Dai Yuling cried tears of joy.
Ling Xiao went to check on Dai Yuling’s condition and was furious.
At this moment, Dai Yuling was on the verge of death. If he hadn’t arrived in time, he might have seen nothing but a corpse.
“Tantai Lingzi, don’t be afraid. With me here, killing him is as easy as slaughtering a chicken!” the Ancient Ship King declared, having already dispatched the Black Dragon King and Fan Daoke and returned to Tantai Lingzi’s side.
His voice carried disdain and strong confidence.
Ling Xiao didn’t even glance at him. He took out a pill and placed it in Dai Yuling’s mouth.
Then he released another Black Dragon King.
At this point, the Black Dragon King card had been completely used up.
Ling Xiao now had only two uses left for Fan Daoke.
But that didn’t matter. These were merely auxiliary forces, meant to be used when needed, not hoarded.
Besides, wasn’t there a better target for sealing right in front of him?
The Ancient Ship King, a First Heaven Realm expert, a master of the Celestial Realm.
The time limit for the Justice Pendant around Ling Xiao’s neck hadn’t expired, so his cultivation level was currently on par with the Ancient Ship King’s.
Of course, that was only in terms of cultivation.
In terms of strength, Ling Xiao never believed that an enemy of the same realm could match him.
“Black Dragon King, protect her!” Ling Xiao commanded after releasing the Black Dragon King.
Here, aside from the Ancient Ship King, no one could match the Black Dragon King in his dragon form, so Ling Xiao was completely at ease.
“Arrogant fool, daring to ignore me!” the Ancient Ship King roared, enraged by Ling Xiao’s attitude.
Whoosh!
Leaping from Tantai Lingzi’s side, the Ancient Ship King turned into a black streak, swift as a black feathered arrow, charging straight at Ling Xiao.
“Primordial Hell Dragon Martial Soul, you’re my first Primordial Dragon Soul. Don’t disappoint me today!” Ling Xiao said, slowly clenching his fists and looking up at the Ancient Ship King, who was attacking like lightning.
In his eyes, the black-golden flames burned again, and the shadow of the Primordial Hell Dragon slowly emerged behind him.
“Die!” Ling Xiao spat out a single word, then threw both fists forward.
Roar!
The sound of a dragon’s cry echoed.
“Nine Meridians Qi Sword, Second Form: Hell Dragon Sword!”
Nine qi swords merged into one. The originally golden-yellow sword qi turned black-golden, with the shadow of a black dragon burning atop it.
