“Blood Talisman? Split the Sky!”
He flung the talisman fiercely, and it instantly transformed into a massive pillar of blood-red light, descending with a sharp whistling wind. Wherever the light pillar passed, space seemed to be torn open with a rift.
The black-robed man clearly had not expected Hu Mazi to appear suddenly. His expression changed slightly, and he quickly turned to defend himself.
He clasped his hands together, and black energy gathered around him to form a huge black shield. The shield was etched with eerie runes, emanating a sinister aura.
“Clang!”
The blood-red light pillar collided with the black shield, producing a muffled sound. The black-robed man was shaken and retreated repeatedly, crushing several bones under his feet. His eyes were filled with surprise. “Earth Immortal Realm Ninth Grade? How did you suddenly reach such a high level?”
When in Sword Saint City, the branch hall master had seen Hu Mazi, who was only at the early Earth Immortal Realm. Now, he had directly reached the Earth Immortal Realm Ninth Grade.
He had no idea that Hu Mazi was a reincarnated being. He only needed to awaken his memories and regain his divine consciousness for his strength to recover.
“Thanks to you, I’ve recovered quite well!”
Hu Mazi laughed loudly and pressed his advantage. His hands continuously unleashed various talismans: ice-sealing talismans that froze space, thunder tribulation talismans that summoned lightning, giant stone talismans that called down falling rocks. The talismans rained down like a storm towards the black-robed man, forcing him into a wretched state.
Seeing this, Chen Ping immediately joined the battle. His Dragon-Slaying Sword coordinated seamlessly with the talismans, attacking from left and right, constantly compressing the black-robed man’s space to manoeuvre.
Chen Ping’s sword was as fast as lightning, each strike aiming straight for the black-robed man’s vital points. Golden flames continuously burned away his evil energy. Hu Mazi’s talismans were unpredictable, sometimes launching fierce attacks, sometimes restraining, leaving the black-robed man struggling to respond.
Although the black-robed man was also at the Earth Immortal Realm Ninth Grade, under the combined assault of Chen Ping and Hu Mazi, he gradually fell into a disadvantage.
His black energy continuously melted away before the golden flames and blood-red talismans. His black robe was torn in several places, revealing withered, emaciated skin beneath, covered in eerie black patterns that looked extremely grotesque.
“Damn it! Two insolent brats, daring to humiliate this seat!”
The black-robed man roared in fury, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes. “If that’s the case, then let’s perish together!”
His black energy suddenly surged violently around him, and his body began to swell. The black patterns on his body emitted a dazzling red light. Clearly, he intended to self-destruct! The self-explosion of an Earth Immortal Realm Ninth Grade cultivator had enough power to level the entire Blood Bone Valley!
“Not good!”
Chen Ping and Hu Mazi’s expressions changed simultaneously. They quickly executed their movement techniques to retreat, while deploying defensive measures.
Golden light surged around Chen Ping, forming a massive golden protective shield. Hu Mazi unleashed dozens of defensive talismans, layering them to create a thick talisman wall.
“Boom!”
A earth-shattering explosion rang out as the black-robed man’s self-destruction produced a shockwave that instantly swept through the entire valley.
Countless bones were flung into the air, corpses on the mountain walls were shattered, and the palace teetered on the brink of collapse under the impact. The blood-red crystal at the top let out a mournful cry, its glow dimming considerably.
After the dust settled, Chen Ping and Hu Mazi clambered up from the ground in a dishevelled state.
Although their defensive measures had blocked most of the impact, they still sustained minor injuries. Their clothes were covered in dust and bloodstains, and their hair was somewhat disarrayed.
Fortunately, there was no serious harm, and their cultivation was unaffected.
“That fellow was ruthless enough to resort to self-destruction.”
Hu Mazi spat, expelling the dirt from his mouth, his face full of disdain.
Chen Ping looked towards the palace, which had collapsed halfway, and said gravely, “This place is not suitable to linger. The commotion from the self-explosion was too great. It might attract other cultivators. Let’s leave first.”
Hu Mazi nodded, his eyes filled with reluctance. “Damn it! After all this effort, we still haven’t found the clan’s divine souls!”
