"Hahaha! Hun Tiandi, you might as well surrender and let yourself be devoured!"
Laughter echoed across the sky. Atop the blood-colored formation of the Soul Realm, the Void Swallowing Flame looked down upon the disheveled figure of the Soul Emperor, a confident smile playing at his lips.
Within his pitch-black eyes, flames flickered dangerously. The wound on the Soul Emperor's abdomen had grown increasingly severe—the silver light emanating from it corroded his vitality, leaving waves of weakness surging through his body. His face twisted into a grimace of pain and fury.
To think that a Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint, a being revered at the very summit of power, could be schemed against by the Void Swallowing Flame and forced into such dire straits.
Murderous intent surged in the Soul Emperor's icy gaze. He had raised a tiger only to be bitten; now, it had to be put down.
Glancing down at the silver-glowing wound on his abdomen, hatred for Chen Xiaoming surged once more in his heart. If not for that one strike from Chen Xiaoming's spear, the Void Swallowing Flame would have been nothing in his eyes—he could have crushed him with a mere flick of the wrist.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
From the distant horizon, multiple figures flew toward the battlefield. The shockwaves from the titanic clash between the Soul Emperor and Void Swallowing Flame had long since alerted the Soul Clan's top experts.
Several Dou Saints arrived, each radiating terrifying auras. From afar, they saw the two combatants and immediately felt the tension in the air.
Their cautious eyes scanned the surroundings but found no trace of an external enemy. Perplexed, the Soul Clan's Dou Saints froze in confusion.
"Clan Leader. Lord Void."
They saluted respectfully, yet their eyes brimmed with confusion. There were clear signs of battle, but no third-party enemy in sight. What had happened?
Their gazes lingered on both the Soul Emperor and Void Swallowing Flame. The intensity in their eyes—the barely restrained killing intent—left the Dou Saints in stunned silence.
"Lord Void, you… you—"
One of the Dou Saints, standing closest to Void Swallowing Flame, suddenly seemed to realize something. His expression twisted in horror.
Pfft!
Before he could finish speaking, the Void Swallowing Flame raised his hand. A dreadful suction force burst forth from his palm, which was inscribed with ominous black runes. In the blink of an eye, the Dou Saint was caught in his grasp.
"No! Lord Void, please—!"
The Dou Saint cried out in panic. He circulated his Dou Qi, ready to resist. But the terrifying devouring force swept over him like a torrential river, siphoning his power uncontrollably into the body of Void Swallowing Flame.
In a matter of moments, everything within the Dou Saint was absorbed. His body shriveled, reduced to a desiccated corpse, which was then incinerated by black flames into nothing but ash.
"Jie jie jie... What a rare treat."
After devouring a Six-Star Dou Saint, the Void Swallowing Flame's aura surged once more. He looked down at the Soul Emperor with an air of arrogance.
"What are you doing, Lord Void?!"
The others shouted in shock, instinctively stepping closer to the Soul Emperor.
"What am I doing? You all saw it, didn't you?"
Void Swallowing Flame laughed heartily, stepping forward. Invisible waves of pressure rolled out with each step, slowly closing in on the Soul Emperor. His gaze fixed on the silver-lit wound—he could afford to be patient. The one who couldn't was the Soul Emperor.
"Void Swallowing Flame has betrayed the Soul Clan! What are you all waiting for? Seize him at once!"
The Soul Emperor's voice was frigid enough to freeze blood. The Blood Vitality Formation beneath his feet roared to life, channeling energy into his failing body to hold the wound at bay.
The Dou Saints who had just arrived hesitated briefly at his command. But then, Void Swallowing Flame barked a cold order—and the Soul Saints moved instantly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Wave after wave of terrifying energy burst forth. But their target wasn't the Void Swallowing Flame in the sky—it was the heavily injured Soul Emperor on the ground.
The space around them tore as devastating blasts surged forth. Eyes wide with disbelief, the Soul Emperor barely managed to retreat, tapping his foot on the ground to launch backward. Black mist surged around him, forming a Black Hole in a desperate attempt to shield against the attacks.
But he had no time to fully prepare. The hastily formed black hole was torn apart almost instantly, and two of the energy blasts slammed into him without resistance.
"Guard!"
With a crazed roar, the Soul Emperor activated the Blood Vitality Formation beneath him. Crimson energy enveloped his body, clinging to his skin like a suit of blood-red armor.
BOOM! BOOM!
The two strikes landed in succession, shattering the armor and blasting him backward. Blood sprayed in midair as he hurtled toward the mountains.
Splatter.
His glowing blood vanished into the Blood Vitality Formation below, and his body smashed into the mountainside, sending boulders tumbling.
Cough... cough...
Staggering out of the rubble, the Soul Emperor's aura had plummeted. The silver light on his abdominal wound now spread unchecked, covering his entire midsection.
His organs were injured, his blood surged chaotically, and his Dou Qi was nearly depleted. He was now in an utterly hopeless state.
His glare burned with rage as he stared at the Soul Clan's Dou Saints.
"You... all..."
Before he could finish the accusation, he noticed the flickering of black flames in their pupils—their consciousness was gone.
"Haha, I made preparations long ago. Hun Tiandi, you'd best accept your fate."
Void Swallowing Flame strolled over with ease, a satisfied smile on his face. His parasitic control over the Soul Clan's elders had worked flawlessly.
Of course, he had planned for this. After spending so much time at the Soul Emperor's side, how could he not know what kind of man he was?
A scheming, ruthless old fox.
"So, you were planning this all along."
The Soul Emperor looked up at the approaching Void Swallowing Flame, eyes sweeping over the parasitized elders. These were the old monsters of the Soul Clan—those who seldom emerged from seclusion. And now, every one of them had fallen under Void Swallowing Flame's control.
"So many of the Soul Clan... already in your hands."
He shook his head slowly. The fury in his gaze faded, replaced by a chilling calm. His indifferent tone made Void Swallowing Flame's eyelid twitch involuntarily.
"Hmph. Soul Emperor, you've already lost."
Sensing the waning aura of the Soul Emperor, Void Swallowing Flame furrowed his brows. A cold shout escaped his lips—he had no intention of wasting words on the Soul Emperor any longer.
Villains die from talking too much.
He could hardly wait to devour the Soul Emperor.
"Go. Finish him."
Exercising caution, Void Swallowing Flame issued the command to the Dou Saints beneath him. Yet as his voice fell, none of them moved. His eyes narrowed sharply.
On the other side, the Soul Emperor curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile.
"Do you truly believe victory is already yours?"
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