Shou Xiong had been secretly infused with Lan An's soul force. At his thought, it seized the Void Bell and violently shook it toward Wang Ying's trio…
DING DING DING…
A tyrannical, eerie chime resounded. Space rippled into crushing waves, the sonic assault so ferocious that Wang Ying and Ming Ngo's faces darkened.
"Damn it—he wants us to act!" Wang Ying grimaced. Lan An clearly intended a one-versus-three.
How could Wang Ying let him? He instantly donned a cloak treasure, enveloping even his head. The Ice Defense Cloak—a Low-Grade Spirit artifact from Heavenly Mountain Immortal Realm—flashed icy light, forming a solid frozen barrier that blocked most of the Void Bell's disturbance.
Ming Ngo refused to lag. From his storage ring, he drew a massive feather pen several meters long. Gripping it with both hands, he wrote in the void:
"DEFEND"
The character enlarged explosively. Endless Dark Spirit Force surged, forming a pitch-black shield around him, repelling the bell's chimes. Like Qin Meng Ying, he wielded Dark spiritual roots.
His Dark Spirit Brush—a Mid-Grade Spirit artifact—was perfect for both offense and defense.
DING DING DING…
Shou Xiong rang relentlessly, ignoring their tricks. Though defended, Wang Ying and Ming Ngo's faces remained grave…
Even with countermeasures, the chimes pierced their minds, causing dull pain. The Void Bell outclassed their artifacts by a tier—impact was inevitable.
Recall: on Sea Continent, Lan An's Void Bell had made the Perfected Void Refining Elder Hai Ha of Sea Palace vomit blood. They wisely avoided the void, where the bell's power amplified.
"Ba Li Jiao Huang, how long will you let him strut?" Wang Ying growled, refusing to strike despite being targeted.
Ming Ngo barked seriously, "If you can't fight, I'll go first!"
As said, they had pride. Three-on-one was beneath them. But endless ringing drained spirit force. The only solution: Ba Li Jiao Huang forcing Lan An to focus, freeing Shou Xiong.
"Hmph, watch this King butcher him!"
Ba Li Jiao Huang grinned ferociously…
Scales erupted, shielding his head from partial sonic shock.
"Mid-Grade Spirit Blood Jiao Spear, emerge!"
Space quaked with Jiao roars. A four-meter crimson spear appeared, covered in blood-red scales—extraordinary.
"If fists fail, I'll use weapons!" Ba Li Jiao Huang gripped the spear, horns gleaming.
"Water Jiao Steps – Blood Jiao Spear Art!"
He roared. Water Spirit Force surged, propelling him like a tide. The spear's tip stabbed straight for Lan An's heart…
ROAR…
Piercing Weakness activated, White Moon Soul-Capturing Eyes flashing. With a sky-shaking roar, the Jiao King Halberd materialized. A terrifying Jiao King phantom loomed, enraging the Blood Jiao Spear like meeting a nemesis.
"Heavenly Army Halberd Art – Sweep the Armies!"
Lan An wasted no words. Strange Flames and Lightning cloaked the halberd, sweeping horizontally at the Blood Jiao Spear…
BOOM…
Space shattered. Both retreated dozens of steps, weapons humming. Shockwaves rippled everywhere.
"Here we go again!" Lan An laughed, feeling the Jiao King Halberd's battle lust. Enchanting Shadow Evasion Steps unfolded, another strike crashing down…
"Perfect timing! I'll show you true Jiao weaponry!"
Ba Li Jiao Huang sneered, charging brutishly. The Blood Jiao Spear met Lan An's halberd head-on…
Spear and halberd clashed in fiery sparks, space crumbling under their onslaught.
Lan An's eyes flickered. The Jiao King Halberd trembled slightly with each impact—losing ground.
Ba Li Jiao Huang boasted arrogantly,
"A Jiao King is just a common Sixth-Grade breakthrough. Blood Jiao are mutated elites—far stronger! Using a Jiao King Halberd against my Blood Jiao Spear? Naive!"
Lan An remained calm. Truth. The Jiao King Halberd—a Peak Heaven-Grade artifact forged from a Jiao King's tendons and scales—couldn't match a Blood Jiao wielded by a Jiao Emperor.
ROAR!
Insulted, the Jiao King Halberd roared furiously. Its frenzied will flooded Lan An's mind—vague but clear: fight to the end.
A near-Spirit artifact, it had developed pride. No Jiao Emperor or Blood Jiao could belittle it.
"Haha, good! Today, you'll bathe in a Jiao Emperor's blood!"
Lan An laughed wildly, infected by its battle lust. Ba Li Jiao Huang became prey.
"Hmph, arrogant! A dead Jiao King turned weapon dares challenge this King?" Ba Li Jiao Huang sneered. The Blood Jiao Spear roared, eager to crush the insolent relic.
Lan An raised the Jiao King Halberd.
Ba Li Jiao Huang raised the Blood Jiao Spear.
Eyes locked in fury, boundless power surged. They charged…
"Sweep the Armies! Shake the Nine Heavens!"
Lan An unleashed two forms—one sweep, one thrust…
"Blood Jiao Emerges! Blood Jiao Emerges!" Ba Li Jiao Huang's eyes blazed, ignoring the Void Bell. Battle lust overrode reason.
BOOM BOOM…
Earth-shaking clashes. To the crowd's horror, cracks spiderwebbed across the Jiao King Halberd. Yet it roared defiantly, Jiao King phantom flashing, claws bared.
"Shatter, insolent trash!"
Ba Li Jiao Huang laughed thunderously. The Blood Jiao Spear howled, about to pulverize its kin.
As Blood Jiao Emerges closed in, Instant Shift dodged. Lan An's eyes flared, coldly spitting:
"Heavenly Army Halberd Art, Third Form – Heavenly Fury Slaughter!"
The Jiao King phantom roared skyward. Winds howled, skies darkened. Lan An thrust savagely, rage and killing intent infinite.
Ba Li Jiao Huang's pupils contracted. Behind Lan An, countless furious Heavenly Armies appeared, halberds stabbing with murderous intent…
This strike cracked space, dimmed the heavens—only the Jiao King's roar and the armies' fury remained.
Heavenly Army Halberd Art: at its peak, each thrust carried the might of thousands…
Countless halberd shadows trapped Ba Li Jiao Huang in illusion. The Blood Jiao Spear roared unwillingly, desperate to block…
Ba Li Jiao Huang snapped awake. In crisis, he thrust the Blood Jiao Spear to parry…
SLASH…
Heavenly Fury Slaughter grazed the spear's tip. Jiao King versus Blood Jiao—backed by Heavenly Armies, it finally whipped the Blood Jiao Spear away, then surged in mutual destruction, piercing the damned Jiao Emperor…
But Ba Li Jiao Huang reacted lightning-fast. Scales formed, shielding vitals…
STAB…
The Jiao King Halberd pierced scales but was deflected by friction—from heart to shoulder, embedding deeply…
SPLURT…
Blood sprayed, staining Lan An's handsome face. The halberd fully pierced Ba Li Jiao Huang's shoulder, tip protruding far behind—handle flush against flesh.
Lan An's gripping hand touched the shoulder…
"How…?" Ba Li Jiao Huang stared at the halberd impaling him, muttering dazedly, unreality gripping him…
ROAR…
Tasting Jiao Emperor blood, the Jiao King Halberd roared, shaking heaven and earth. Then—BOOM—it shattered before Lan An's tearing eyes, still embedded in Ba Li Jiao Huang…
The Jiao King phantom dissolved into dazzling light. Before vanishing, its eyes held pride and fulfillment, gazing at its master…
Lan An closed his eyes, swallowing unshed tears. Expected…
The Jiao King Halberd, already damaged by the Blood Jiao Spear, couldn't withstand Heavenly Fury Slaughter's might. After piercing a Jiao Emperor and drinking his blood, it departed satisfied…
Thinking of battles shared, Lan An's chest tightened.
…
Silence fell. Even the Void Bell faded into irrelevance…
Countless eyes watched the Jiao King Halberd's heroic end. It pierced its despiser, drank enemy blood. Its master, Lan An, granted it a glorious exit…
Blood dripped. Humiliation surged in Ba Li Jiao Huang—worse than verbal insults.
Beasts revered strength and hierarchy…
In the Jiao Clan, only his brother Jiao Jun outranked him. Jiao Kings? Males were subordinates, females concubines or slaves…
Yet a dead Jiao King—forged into a weapon—pierced his noble body. Madness consumed him…
Eyes blood-red, Ba Li Jiao Huang raised his ferocious head, staring at his foe—the man who let a lowly Jiao King taste his sacred blood. He growled:
"Lan An, this King will make you pay dearly!"