The blade light vanished.
Fu Hongxue and the Scorpion Demon stood facing each other.
"What a fast blade, such domineering blade intent, and such ruthless determination. To think a human could be this powerful. Truly, the human race should not exist in this world." The Scorpion Demon looked at the deep gash torn across his body by that blade. It was gruesome—starting from his left shoulder, slicing diagonally across his chest, nearly cleaving him in two.
If it hadn't been for the black divine radiance that blocked part of the blade intent, being split in half would have been his certain fate.
Instinctively, he reached up and touched a jade pendant hanging from his neck. It was a Demon God Jade Pendant, its shape indistinct. Unfortunately, its glow had dimmed, and it was now covered in fine cracks, as if on the verge of shattering completely.
This was a rare treasure he had acquired from the Demon God Altar—a defensive artifact that activates when one is near death, shielding the wearer from fatal blows. This pendant had already saved him from death several times, including when it blocked the force of a rune bomb underground.
Otherwise, he would have died long ago.
Just now, that lethal slash was again blocked by the pendant's protective barrier, activated instinctively to protect its master. Had it not been for that, he would surely be dead. Even so, he was still gravely wounded.
And now, the Demon God Jade Pendant was on the verge of collapse—one more strike and it might shatter entirely.
"What a bizarre technique… and such a brutal poison."
Fu Hongxue sheathed his blade, but his body trembled slightly. A layer of black energy visibly spread across his face, and black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
At the very moment he had attacked, the Scorpion Demon had also struck with his ultimate move. From behind him, his scorpion tail lashed out with astonishing speed, stabbing toward Fu Hongxue. He could have severed the tail using his blade intent, but he hadn't. Instead, he pressed on with the strike toward the Scorpion Demon, exposing himself to injury in exchange for a more devastating blow.
Such cold-blooded resolve—he was ruthless to both enemies and himself.
Even though he paid with pain, even at the cost of his life, he never hesitated.
The only regret was that the slash hadn't killed the Scorpion Demon outright. And worse, the Scorpion Demon's counterattack had imbued him with a terrifying poison, now raging through his body.
"With my venom in you, you won't live past the next few moments. I win."
The Scorpion Demon sneered.
His venom was a deadly toxin, one that coursed through the victim like countless scorpion stingers tearing through flesh and blood. It wasn't just unbearably painful—it destroyed all vitality.
From his perspective, this unmatched human blade master was already doomed.
But Fu Hongxue's face remained cold and expressionless. Though poisoned, not a hint of fear showed. His hand still rested on the blade's hilt. That simple gesture exuded an unshakable aura, as if he were indestructible.
The Scorpion Demon dared not make a move.
Even poisoned, he couldn't be sure Fu Hongxue couldn't draw his blade again. Even if it was half as powerful as before, it could still be fatal.
Meanwhile, green poisonous miasma began to spread—across the battlefield and into Xuanhuang Town itself.
New Element: Green Poison Miasma — A deadly, rapidly expanding toxic fog that kills even poison-resistant Scorpion Warriors within seconds.
"Retreat! Retreat!!"
Everyone—human soldiers, citizens, even alien invaders—scattered in panic at the sight of the poison fog. Even Scorpion warriors, naturally resistant to toxins, fell within a few breaths, their bodies reduced to piles of bones.
The battlefield fell into a frenzy of avoidance and fear.
BOOM!!
As everyone scrambled away from the spreading miasma, the ground suddenly began to rumble. From beneath the earth, a massive stone giant erupted. It stood over ten meters tall, its body made of solid rock, etched with ancient mountain-like patterns—a Stone Giant.
This giant was even larger than the one seen in the Celestial Tomb. Whether it was the same one, no one could tell. All Stone Giants looked the same—made entirely of rock, devoid of any soul aura, exuding only an inhuman coldness.
Surrounded by poisonous miasma, the Stone Giant remained unaffected. The toxins had no effect on its stony body. It moved freely through the mist, utterly unhindered.
New Element: Stone Giant — A towering, poison-immune creature formed from earth essence, immune to toxins, and powered by earth force.
BANG!!
The giant moved like an ancient beast. Its mere presence exerted a suffocating pressure on the people—like a mountain pressing on their chests. Then, it stomped, and a wave of earth-yellow light exploded outward from its foot.
The earth shook violently. Buildings in the town collapsed. From the ground burst dense earth spikes, impaling those who couldn't escape in time—civilians, soldiers, even Scorpion Warriors. The screams were horrific.
The town walls cracked and trembled under the impact.
A massive fist, like a meteor, smashed down toward Yi Tianxing.
The pressure from that punch made the void itself tremble. The air howled with a deafening shockwave.
Yi Tianxing narrowed his eyes. "Another one coming for the Xuanhuang Jade. What monstrous strength."
He punched back.
BOOM!!
The collision was immense. A section of the wall crumbled. Yi Tianxing was blasted into the rubble. Dust flew everywhere. The Stone Giant's fist also jerked backward, as if struck by some invisible rebound force. It missed its mark and slammed into the ground, leaving behind a giant crater.
"What terrifying strength. That punch carried over hundreds of thousands of pounds of force. Even my Tai Chi Fist couldn't fully absorb it and I was injured in the process. These Stone Giants, standing on solid ground, really are unmatched in raw power."
Yi Tianxing stood amid the ruins, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His organs had been rattled by the blow, but thanks to his formidable physique and internal energy, the injuries were manageable.
He had used Tai Chi Fist to neutralize the punch with softness, but it couldn't completely dissipate the monstrous force. Some of the power rebounded, striking the giant's fist off course.
This level of strength was beyond the Spirit Sea Realm, likely reaching the Life Aperture Realm, and clearly walked the path of body refinement. His physical strength had surpassed even the Black Cauldron Realm.
"Kill!!"
Yi Tianxing didn't hesitate. The moment the Stone Giant attacked, it became the enemy—and enemies must die.
ROAR!!
The Yin-Yang Shears appeared once again, transforming into two enormous black-and-white flood dragons that spiraled toward the Stone Giant's waist.
CRACK!!
The shears were fast and inescapable. They sliced the Stone Giant cleanly in two.
But then, a layer of earth-yellow divine light flared up from the Stone Giant's body. The power of the earth filled its form, clashing against the Yin-Yang Shears, trying to block them.
Even so, the Yin-Yang Shears' edge was unstoppable. The earth force was torn apart, and the giant was sliced cleanly in half.
BANG!!
The lower half of the Stone Giant crumbled into rubble. But in the next instant, new rocks began to form, rapidly regenerating a new lower body. In a blink, the giant was whole again. Even the Yin-Yang force remaining on its body was shattered and purged as it broke itself apart and rebuilt.
New Ability: Earth Rebirth — The Stone Giant can regenerate endlessly by drawing on the power of the earth. As long as it stands on solid ground, its body can be rebuilt, rendering physical destruction nearly meaningless.
"To think it can regenerate so quickly by reshaping its body from the earth. The physical form is not its weakness. As long as it has earth power, it can achieve near immortality. Its true weakness lies elsewhere."
Yi Tianxing's pupils shrank in alarm.
The Yin-Yang Shears, which had been devastating against other alien races, had just been effortlessly countered by the Stone Giant.
Truly shocking.