High above the Inner Academy—thousands of meters in the sky—an enormous formationformation shone with dazzling, multicolored light, its radiance so intense that even the sun itself seemed dimmed beneath it.
The Inner Academy Elders watching from a distance were dumbstruck. None of them had imagined that Liu Xi still possessed such a terrifying trump card—one capable of suppressing even a high-ranking Dou Zong.
Inside the Five Ring Flame Expelling Formation, the Earth Demon Old Ghost's dark pupils flickered with genuine fear. The pressure and the destructive heat within that fiery curtain were overwhelming—it felt as though the heavens and seas themselves were burning.
This… this was not a power a mere Dou Huang could release. But Liu Xi, though only at the Dou Huang realm, commanded three Heavenly Flames and had mastered the Five Ring Flame Expelling Formation, a technique that could fully unleash the might of those fires.
His skeletal face twisted as he forced a smile, eyes darting toward Liu Xi. "Hahaha… Master Liu, it's all a misunderstanding! Surely someone of your grace wouldn't take offense. You have my deepest respect—please, withdraw your technique. I'll leave right now, this instant!"
Typical of a Black-Corner Region overlord—shameless, cunning, and willing to grovel if it meant survival.
Outside the formationformation, Liu Xi's face had grown pale. His body was nearly drained of Dou Qi; if he released the formation now, he would never be able to suppress the Old Ghost again.
"Senior," Liu Xi said softly, his tone almost pleasant, "you must be joking. I've gone through so much trouble to pin you down. Why would I let you go now?"
That empty feeling inside him gnawed painfully, but his expression remained calm. Raising his hand, he pointed downward. The blazing curtain of fire shuddered violently, unleashing a terrifying pulse of heat.
A fireball nearly ten meters wide began forcing its way out of the flaming formationformation. The temperature spiked sharply again, the very air twisting under the blistering heat.
World energy roared in from every direction, swirling around the fireball like a ring of burning stars. That fiery halo locked the surrounding space, cutting off all escape routes into the void.
The Earth Demon Old Ghost's expression collapsed into pure terror, sweat pouring down his face. He could smell death approaching.
"Sir! We can talk—anything you want! Gold, women, techniques, treasures—just name it! Spare me today, and I'll give you the entire Demon Flame Valley!"
Liu Xi chuckled softly. "You're too generous, Senior. But with a 7-Star Dou Zong guarding your valley, even if you offered it to me, I'd still think twice."
He paused, then his tone hardened. "Though… I do have some interest in your valley's treasure vault. Don't worry—I'll make sure your legacy lives on after you pass."
"Farewell, Senior."
His hand fell sharply.
The massive fireball, wreathed in its burning ring, streaked downward like a meteor, its force unstoppable as it crashed straight toward the Earth Demon Old Ghost.
"No—!"
The old man's face twisted in horror. He hadn't expected Liu Xi to strike so decisively. The falling fireball radiated such annihilating power that even a Dou Zong felt his blood freeze.
"Damn you!" he shrieked, his voice wild. "You think to kill me and claim my treasures? Even if I die, I'll drag you to hell with me!"
"Ice Heaven!"
A torrent of black, frigid energy erupted from his body, spreading across the void. The air froze instantly, layer after layer of dark ice forming around him like iron walls.
But as soon as the ice reached ten meters thick—
Boom!
The fireball struck.
Hissing white steam burst out, melting everything in its path. A tunnel opened straight through the ice toward the old ghost at its center.
Then came a thunderous explosion.
The ice shattered into countless shards and was instantly devoured by raging flames.
The entire sky became a sea of fire, waves of flame surging violently inside the formation, layer after layer of destruction spreading without end.
Even with the formationformation containing it, faint traces of that fiery devastation leaked outward. If not for the barrier, the Inner Academy below would have been obliterated in seconds.
Half an hour later, the inferno finally began to subside. The blazing formation, having reached its limit, groaned and cracked before dissolving into nothingness.
The warped air shimmered with residual heat. No trace of the Earth Demon Old Ghost could be seen.
Liu Xi exhaled deeply in relief—but also felt a twinge of regret. The man had been burned so completely that even his storage ring was gone. He would have to recover that loss from the Demon Flame Valley's vault.
Instinctively, Liu Xi spread his Spiritual Sense across the area—and frowned. Something was off. Without hesitation, he retreated several steps.
To his senses, the space before him—smooth and clear as glass—bulged slightly, as though something were pressing from within. The sight made his skin crawl.
He swallowed a recovery pill and gestured toward the distance. "Xian'er—come here."
Xiao Yixian appeared at his side, her grayish-purple eyes filled with concern. "Young Master, what is it?"
Liu Xi pointed toward the bulging spot in the sky. His tone grew serious. "That space there—use your spatial force and strike it with everything you've got. I suspect that old ghost isn't dead yet."
At his words, Xiao Yixian's expression hardened. She moved to stand protectively before him, her hands weaving intricate seals as gray-black Dou Qi surged around her.
"Poison Spirit Needle!"
The energy condensed and compressed until, moments later, a small jet-black needle—barely three inches long—hovered before her, radiating lethal aura.
Knowing that an opponent of that level would never die easily, Xiao Yixian bit her tongue, spitting out a mouthful of crimson Woeful Poison Blood. It merged into the needle, tinting it with a faint, ominous blood-red glow.
"Go."
The needle shot forward, distorting the air as ripples spread across the void. It pierced through space itself—and vanished.
A heartbeat later, from within that bulging distortion, came a terrible scream.
A black rift tore open, and a charred, mangled figure was spat out. His robes had burned to ash; his flesh was flayed and blistered, his blood congealed into dark crusts. He looked like a demon dragged from hell.
The Earth Demon Old Ghost glared hatefully at Liu Xi, his voice hoarse and filled with venom. "I wanted to let you live longer... but since you insist on courting death, I'll bury you both here today!"
Liu Xi studied him carefully. The old man's aura was almost gone—weak and flickering. For him to survive the earlier attack was already a miracle.
"Xian'er," Liu Xi said quietly, "can you finish him?"
Her lips curved slightly. "This time, Young Master, it's my turn to protect you."
Forming another hand seal, she activated the poison already inside the old ghost's body.
The Woeful Poison Blood that had entered him through the earlier strike suddenly exploded, spreading like crimson threads through his bloodstream.
The Earth Demon Old Ghost's eyes widened in horror. With his Dou Qi nearly exhausted and no resistance left, the poison invaded his heart instantly.
He spat out a mouthful of dark-gray blood, his voice trembling with disbelief. "What… what poison is this? How can it be so vicious…?"
Xiao Yixian said nothing.
Within seconds, his entire body turned gray-black. His aura vanished. The once-feared overlord of the Black-Corner Region fell lifelessly from the sky.
The Earth Demon Old Ghost—tyrant of an era—was no more.
(End of Chapter)
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