Above the Star Realm.
Chen Xiaoming stood suspended in the void, his silver hair flowing freely. His handsome face, coupled with a pair of eyes that seemed to hold the power of space collapsing inwards, gazed coldly at the three elders of the Soul Clan.
An invisible wave of pressure rippled outward. In an instant, the black mist that enveloped the entire Star Realm began to churn violently, retreating in turbulent waves. In merely the blink of an eye, the mist shrank down to just a hundred meters across, hovering ominously over the three Soul Clan elders.
"Teacher!"
"Palace Master!"
The moment Chen Xiaoming appeared, the members of the Titled Palace—who had been suppressed by the Soul Clan—felt a surge of morale. Xiao Xun'er's tense expression relaxed into a radiant smile.
Not far away, among the gathered spectators, hearts lurched like passengers on a wild roller coaster—up one moment, crashing down the next, unable to find any peace.
"That's the Palace Master of the Titled Palace? He looks so young!"
"Hmph, didn't you see him strike just now? He's a Dou Saint-level powerhouse!"
"I wonder if he's married, hehehe..."
A bell-like laugh rang out, drawing the gaze of many. They turned to see a stunning young woman, barely seventeen or eighteen, her eyes glittering with a mischievous light.
Immediately, those who recognized her subtly backed away, muttering under their breaths, "Why is she here?" while hurriedly distancing themselves.
"Hey! What's wrong with all of you?"
A young Dou King grabbed a retreating Dou Emperor, puzzled, and asked in a low voice. The Dou Emperor cast him a meaningful glance, leaned close, and whispered a few words. Instantly, the young man's face paled, and he leaped back as if stung.
"Hmph, a bunch of cowards," the girl snorted coldly. Ignoring them, she lifted her slender, jade-like fingers to her rosy lips, gently biting down with her silver teeth. Her limpid eyes shimmered with flirtation as she twirled her finger against her lips, murmuring under her breath:
"I really wonder if he's single!"
At that moment, Chen Xiaoming, hovering in the void, suddenly shivered, a chill crawling up from his feet. He swept his gaze around but found nothing unusual. Shaking his head slightly, he refocused his attention.
"Hmph! So you're the one who annihilated the Hall of Humanity?"
One of the Soul Clan elders, who had remained silent until now, barked coldly at Chen Xiaoming. Though a mere Six-Star Dou Saint, impressive to other factions, in the eyes of the Soul Clan, such strength was hardly a threat.
Chen Xiaoming responded with a cold chuckle, looking at the elder as if he were a fool.
Having dealt with the Soul Clan for some time now, Chen Xiaoming found them annoyingly verbose.
They were already here to fight—what use was there in talking?
Boom!
An immense surge of Dou Qi erupted from Chen Xiaoming's body. A silver radiance flooded the sky of the Star Realm, the light of countless stars bathing him in their glow. With a light tap of his foot, his figure vanished into the void.
"Be careful!" the lead Soul Clan elder barked. Dark mist surged around his right hand as he clawed toward a nearby patch of empty space.
This time, the Soul Clan had sent three elders. Among them, the weakest was the Hall Master of the Soul Hall, Hun Miesheng, who had only reached the Mid-Five-Star Dou Saint level. Naturally, Chen Xiaoming targeted the weakest link first.
Crack—!
The space beside Hun Miesheng shattered. A burst of silver light shot forth, aiming straight for his head. The silver light moved at a terrifying speed, reaching its peak in an instant. Though Hun Miesheng summoned his black mist to shield himself, it lasted only a moment before being pierced through.
Just then, the leading Soul Clan elder's attack descended. His black-mist-formed hand grasped at the silver flash.
Bang!
With a dull thud, the silver light burst apart, scattering into countless silver fragments that pierced through the black mist. Hun Miesheng and the others turned grim, quickly tapping the void beneath their feet and retreating in all directions.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
The Soul Clan elder rapidly changed hand seals, unleashing a surge of black mist that coalesced into massive, withered palms. The air around them became thick with deathly energy.
Each palm strike dimmed the stars themselves. Below, green mountains withered into barren wastelands under the breath of that deathly aura.
The void trembled faintly. The elder's enormous black palm tore through space, aiming to crush Chen Xiaoming in the void itself.
"Break!"
A thunderous shout rang out. In the next instant, the falling palm collided with a radiant silver fist-shadow—nine golden dragons danced within it. With a terrifying force, the fist-shadow shattered the void as it surged forward.
Golden light blazed, condensing into a divine beam that pierced cleanly through the giant palm, dispelling the black mist completely.
Seeing his attack neutralized, the Soul Clan elder unexpectedly smiled coldly. Upon the silver fist-shadow, a creeping deathly energy wound around it, gnawing away at the silver brilliance.
Another giant palm descended. The golden brilliance of the fist-shadow flared again, but the momentum from before was gone. The two forces became locked in a stalemate.
"Die!"
From the sides, Hun Miesheng and another Soul Clan elder launched their attacks simultaneously.
Hun Miesheng summoned his Void Devouring Flame's sub-fire—billowing black flames erupted into the sky, forming a massive vortex that burned the void itself. Firelight burst from within, engulfing the heavens as it hurtled toward Chen Xiaoming.
Meanwhile, the other elder continuously formed seals. From the center of his forehead, streams of soul force emerged, coalescing into a transparent nail, about three inches long, that floated ominously before him.
"Annihilate!"
The surrounding black mist poured into the elder's body, while his soul force surged like a tidal wave. The transparent nail gleamed brightly, slicing through space itself as it hurtled forward.
In the void, Chen Xiaoming, who had been preparing to counter the Void Devouring Flame, suddenly sensed an overwhelming sense of danger.
A rift tore open in front of him. From it, a gleaming transparent nail shot straight toward his soul.
"A soul attack!"
Chen Xiaoming's expression changed—but only for an instant. Then, a cold smile curled his lips. Fear a soul attack? How absurd!
From within him, the Imperial Soul Realm he had yet to unleash roared forth. A terrifying surge of soul force erupted from his body, rapidly condensing into a miniature figure wielding a silver sword.
The little figure flicked its blade—an almost invisible sword light shot out.
Boom!
The approaching transparent nail shattered instantly under the strike. Riding the surge of Imperial Soul power, the sword light tore through space and raced toward the Soul Clan elder.
"Ahhh—!"
The elder screamed miserably as his gathered soul attack was destroyed. The sword light pierced him, causing his soul force to collapse chaotically. His face turned deathly pale. Blood spurted from his lips as he fought to maintain consciousness, his bloodshot eyes locked on Chen Xiaoming with hatred.
"An Imperial Soul... it's you!"
Black mist surged wildly around him as the elder of the Soul Clan roared through gritted teeth. In that instant, he realized the truth — the Imperial Soul Realm alchemist their clan sought to capture, and the Dou Saint who had annihilated the experts from the Hall of Humanity, were one and the same.
The void trembled faintly. In the next moment, a vast tide of soul force swept across the battlefield. Hun Miesheng and the other Soul Clan members froze in shock — and before they could react, Chen Xiaoming tapped his foot against the ground and vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already at the elder's side.
A silver light flickered in Chen Xiaoming's right hand. Without giving his opponent the slightest chance to respond, he thrust his palm straight through the elder's body.
A burst of Dou Qi detonated alongside soul force, shredding the elder's vitality in an instant — ending him on the spot.
By the time Hun Miesheng and the others shook off the shockwave rattling their souls, they could only stare in stunned disbelief at Chen Xiaoming, who had slain their comrade with a single blow. A wave of chilling danger swept into their hearts.
Chen Xiaoming chuckled softly at the sight of them, his gaze tinged with amusement.
"You didn't even bother gathering proper intelligence before coming for me. Has the Soul Clan grown too arrogant... or just plain foolish?"
Taking a single step forward, an overwhelming surge of soul force poured out from his body, causing the surrounding void to ripple once more. In a flash, Hun Miesheng darted back to the elder's side, his movements betraying his rising fear.
Seeing this, a sharp gleam flashed in Chen Xiaoming's eyes, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a slight smile.
"Looks like you're afraid after all."
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