Chapter 233: One Against Two — Double Kill
"Heh heh, finally starting to feel fear? I told you, today the Poison Sect will never escape the grip of my Ten-Thousand Scorpion Gate!"
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's increasingly dark expression, Xie Shan thought she had been intimidated by Iron Protector. He let out a sinister laugh.
She glanced at the smug man coldly, her expression grim, though her thoughts were elsewhere.
Xiao Yuan's combat strength had already surpassed her expectations. But the Ten-Thousand Scorpion Gate had summoned another Dou Zong?
Xiao Yuan had said this person belonged to the Soul Hall. But what kind of power was the Soul Hall?
Still, Xiao Yuan didn't seem flustered at all...
Looking up at the calm, proud figure in the sky, holding his spear with poise, she had a sudden feeling—
He still has a trump card.
Seeing that Xiao Yi Xiang remained composed even at this stage, Xie Shan grew more agitated. With a twisted smile, he shouted upward, "Lord Tie, this is the leader of the Poison Sect. She's not weak—her poison arts are formidable. With six-star Dou Huang strength, her battle power nearly matches that of a Dou Zong. Please, seize her!"
"Careful, Sect Leader!"
The Poison Sect experts quickly warned her.
"How pathetic the Ten-Thousand Scorpion Gate has become—can't even deal with a six-star Dou Huang brat."
From above, Iron Protector shot a disdainful glance at Xiao Yi Xian, scoffing coldly.
Hearing that, Xie Shan's face turned red with humiliation, but he dared not talk back. Instead, he shifted the anger toward Xiao Yi Xian, his gaze full of venom.
Iron Protector, having made his comment, flicked his finger casually. The black chains around him suddenly shot out with a clang—like the scythe of death, aimed to reap lives.
As the black chain streaked down from the sky, Xiao Yi Xiang narrowed her eyes. Her body flitted gracefully like a butterfly through flowers. Her gray Dou Qi pulsed from her palms—its poison even managed to corrode the Soul Hall's special chains.
"Hm?"
Iron Protector was briefly surprised. What kind of poison is this, to corrode Soul Hall's forged chains?
He frowned, suddenly recalling something. "Could it be... the Calamity Poison Body?"
After a moment of hesitation, he pointed again. The chains twisted like snakes and struck again at Xiao Yi Xian.
Buzz!
A flash of lightning—Xiao Yuan suddenly appeared in front of her. The flame spear in his hand reshaped into a massive cyan-brown Flame Ruler.
A moment later, energy erupted from the ruler, and with a powerful slash, a beam of ruler-light slashed out. The Heavenly Flame surged, instantly scorching and then shattering Iron Protector's chains!
Flame-Splitting Ruler!
Though not difficult to learn, Xiao Yuan had already cultivated this technique to a proficient level.
This strike wasn't enough to kill a Dou Zong, but it would be fatal to any ordinary one-star Dou Zong.
Iron Protector recoiled as if stabbed by needles, dropping the shattered chains and clutching his scorched palm in pain. His expression turned grim.
This woman—she commands such terrifying Heavenly Flames?
"You Soul Hall scum really don't know your place, daring to attack my people!"
Xiao Yuan glared coldly at the injured Iron Protector, his voice brimming with murderous intent.
In the skies, experts from both factions were stunned. Not only had Xiao Yuan escaped a Dou Zong, he had counterattacked and injured another. Even Xie Biyan's face grew darker.
"Iron Protector! Let's finish her together—now!"
Xie Biyan no longer cared about his pride. If either of them lost to this white-robed woman, it would be a total humiliation.
"Very well."
Iron Protector growled, his face cold. Black mist whirled around him, and with a shrill metallic noise, seven or eight black chains blasted from his body and wove into a web, surging toward Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yi Xian.
"You little brat, I'd like to see how you escape now!"
Xie Biyan's face twisted with malice, ready to strike the moment Xiao Yuan slipped up.
The black chains blocked every path of escape, leaving Xiao Yuan no choice but to take the attack head-on. And protecting Xiao Yi Xiang too? That would stretch him thin.
"Xiao Yuan, I'll stall Xie Biyan. You take down Iron Protector quickly and come help me!"
Xiao Yi Xiang said resolutely beside him.
"You're going to fully unseal your poison body?"
Xiao Yuan frowned.
"How did you—?"
"I've read the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture," he replied gently, ignoring the deadly chains above as he took her hand and smiled.
"But—"
"Don't worry. I didn't want it to come to this, but if they're so eager to die, I'll send them on their way."
His peerlessly beautiful smile now radiated a deadly charm—like a flower blooming on the other side of death. Stunning and dangerous.
With a soft push, he sent Xiao Yi Xiang flying back to safety. Without checking if she landed properly, he turned toward the looming black chains. He stood still, not dodging at all.
Sigh...
Seeing their sect leader's consort in such a dire position—even shielding their leader—the Poison Sect disciples sighed inwardly. But they were powerless. If their Sect Leader didn't break through to Dou Zong, the consort's fall was inevitable.
Xie Shan grinned wickedly. He could almost see Xiao Yuan's gruesome end—
—until the black chains pierced through Xiao Yuan's body!
Gasps exploded through the battlefield. Even Iron Protector frowned in disbelief.
Too easy. That can't be right.
"Urghhh!!"
A shrill scream suddenly tore through the air. Xie Shan's expression twisted in pain and horror.
He looked down slowly—only to see a pale jade-like hand piercing through his chest, heart clutched in its grasp.
"You dare?!"
In the sky, Xie Biyan's eyes turned bloodshot. This woman… had fooled them all!
Boom!
Xiao Yuan said nothing. Cyan-brown Heavenly Flame flared in his palm, vaporizing the heart as it burned Xie Shan's body to ash.
Then he looked up at Xie Biyan with mocking contempt.
"Guess. Do I dare?"
Humiliated, Xie Biyan exploded forward, pincers aiming for Xiao Yuan's waist.
Below, Xiao Yi Xiang was stunned to see the pierced Xiao Yuan vanish into mist.
That… was a fake?! What speed is that?
Before she could finish the thought, Xiao Yuan reappeared in a flash of thunder.
Three Thousand Lightning Movement — Threefold Thunder!
Now empowered, Xiao Yuan's wind and lightning energy reached a new level—his movement skill evolved to the Threefold Thunder Realm.
Although not yet true clones, the afterimages he created lasted longer and bore his aura—nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
He could now generate multiple illusions to conceal his true position.
Which awkwardly rendered his older Ice Mirage Clone skill somewhat redundant…
But not entirely.
A flicker of lightning separated into two bolts. Both surged toward Iron Protector and Xie Biyan.
Two of her?!
The two Dou Zongs hesitated. Which one's real?
They didn't dare be careless—Dou Qi surged as they prepared powerful techniques.
In the next instant, Xiao Yuan's two forms clashed with the two enemies.
Iron Protector's chain pierced through Xiao Yuan again—but this time, it felt… real.
Not an illusion?
Then, icy cold and searing heat surged from the grinning Xiao Yuan's body, latching onto Iron Protector.
A bone-white flame rose—its hellish aura forming skull shapes in the blaze.
"Aghhhh!!"
Iron Protector screamed in agony.
Hearing it, Xie Biyan sighed in relief. She must've used some mutual destruction technique… brutal woman.
Wait. Bone-white flame?!
—Before he could react, a glowing palm wrapped in cyan-brown fire struck his chest.
Great Sorrow Wind-Rending Palm!
Wind and lightning surged. His Dou Qi shattered instantly. Panicked, he fired off his own technique.
But just as it struck Xiao Yuan's chest—
A second Xiao Yuan appeared behind him, spear blazing with black lightning and cyan-brown flame—
—and pierced his heart!
Boom!
At the same time, the other two Xiao Yuan illusions didn't disappear—they shattered into glittering ice.
Mysterious Tier Technique: Ice Mirage Clone!
"Pff!"
Xiao Yuan coughed blood, his aura crashing like receding tide. What little Dou Qi he had left formed wings to keep him airborne.
"Still too weak… If I were a five-star Dou Huang, this would've been easy."
He smiled bitterly, shoving pills into his mouth.
When you're an alchemist, overdosing is just being prepared.
Pills for healing. Pills for Dou Qi recovery. Whatever worked—he took them all.
Heavenly Flame refined the medicine quickly, and he soon looked much better.
"Whew. Good thing Teacher helped!"
He reappeared before the frozen Iron Protector, who had been struck by a trap: inside the ice clone was a compressed Bone Spirit Cold Flame provided by Yao Lao.
In the past, Yao Lao couldn't easily kill a Dou Zong.
But now? With Dou Venerate-level soul power, his compressed Heavenly Flame made quick work of the five-star Dou Zong.
With one strike, Xiao Yuan shattered the ice and grabbed the fleeing soul remnant of Iron Protector, sealing it in a jade bottle and tossing it into Yao Lao's storage ring.
Dou Zong life force was stubborn.
Xie Biyan still wasn't quite dead.
"Heh… you want me dead? You'll pay a heavy price!"
His voice gurgled through blood as he glared at Xiao Yuan. He stomped his staff into the void.
His body boiled—blisters erupted all over his skin, each filled with writhing blood.
The terrifying sight chilled all who saw it.
"He's self-destructing!"
Xiao Yi Xian's face turned grave. The explosion of a Dou Zong—truly catastrophic.
Pop!
His body ballooned grotesquely—then suddenly shrank.
The explosion never came.
As everyone blinked in confusion, Xie Biyan grinned hideously. The blisters on his body burst open one by one. His mouth bulged. His head tilted back.
Pfffsshh!
A beam of black light shot from his mouth like a shooting star.
It was only thumb-sized—but its speed…
Its tip had already reached Xiao Yuan—
—before the tail even left Xie Biyan's mouth.
(END CHAPTER)
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