Translator: E.3.3. Editor: Vermillion

  Splash Splash Splash.

  A blood colored jade talisman slipped into Duan Ling’s body and was instantly absorbed within, vanishing into thin air.

  The High Priestess, hovering in the air, suddenly widened the pair of eyes hidden behind her mask. Then, three blood-colored jade talisman floated between her slender fingers. She had spent quite some time on arranging this jade talismans. It supplied her with a rich source of spirit energy.

  She vigorously crushed the three jade talismans in her hand. Tempestuous waves of energy instantly rushed out.

  The moment these jade talismans were flattened, the High Priestess’ sigh echoed in the air.

  The gaze that the High Priestess sent Duan Ling’s way was convoluted. She was a Magic Array Supreme-Being. Her knowledge of divination practices and magic arrays were not any lesser than that of the Celestial Arcanum Sect Supreme Elder.

  Her mastery of divination was more advanced than any of the inheritances of such practices in the Southern Region.

  When the Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flames were swallowed by Bu Fang, the High Priestess instantly detected the changes in Duan Ling’s fate. She foretold that he would encounter a great catastrophe in his lifetime.

  If he couldn’t evade it, he would easily perish.

  Ever since leaving the Hundred Thousand Mountains, she had begun making meticulous arrangements just to help Duan Ling dodge this fated disaster.

  Yet, the occurrences of today proved all of her presumptions correct.

  Within the Light Wind Empire that they dismissed all along, such a formidable presence was hidden.

  Duan Ling, half a step into the Divine realm, was no match for that spirit beast.

  The High Priestess saw that Duan Ling’s body was about to be shattered by the doggy paw and her eyelids fluttered. She clutched a stamp in her hands and activated the blood-colored magic array floating in front of her.

  Outside the Imperial City.

  Everyone in Ji Chengyu’s army felt their hearts thud the moment this magic array was activated. Ji Chengyu felt dizzy, as everything before his eyes became hazy……

  "What is going on?!" Ji Chengyu exclaimed in shock. He tried to suppress the lightheadedness and glanced at his surroundings. He caught sight of his troops all slouched onto the floor, downcast and dispirited. Blood-colored beams flashed by one after another. Contorted silhouettes were dragged out of the soldiers’ bodies, all floating toward the graceful figure hovering high up in the sky.

  This demonic lady!

  Ji Chengyu’s heart was filled with abhorrence!

  He watched as his soldiers fell to the floor, and his heart was bleeding. These were his troops, his only hope! He glared at the High Priestess floated in the air, his eyes filled with loathing and hostility. Ji Chengyu finally understood why the High Priestess ordered for them to besiege the city. This turned out to be a dirty trap.

  Whether or not they showed up to attack the city made little difference. The High Priestess only lured them here to suck out the spiritual essences of its tens of thousands of soldiers!

  Ji Chengyu had a seventh grade cultivation level. Even though he was affected by the magic array, there was a strong enough force of resistance within his body to block the suction of this magic array. This was why he only felt somewhat woozy.

  However, the majority of his troops did not have cultivation levels as high as his……

  Blood-colored beams of light filled the entire sky and instantly converged above the magic array that circled the High Priestess.

  The Supreme Elder’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at the spiritual essences gliding through the air. He couldn’t help but sigh. The gaze he cast at the High Priestess became frosty.

  What a cruel magic array!

  Only demons of the Shura Sect would commit something this ruthless and cold-blooded!

  Ji Chengyu’s army was essentially offered as a sacrifice to generate this magic array.

  The Lord Dog scanned the High Priestess with cold eyes. The doggy paw paused mid-air, then continued to slap downwards. For this Lord Dog, it was one paw to end it all, no matter how one struggled against death.

  Bang!!

  A domineering force of pressure almost caused Duan Ling’s body to burst open. Thin cracks covered his skin as he continued to spit up blood to the air.

  Suddenly, Duan Ling’s eyes widened. A blood-colored magic array flashed across his forehead and he twisted his head toward the location of the High Priestess in shock. His pupils dilated. Duan Ling’s heart tightened at this very moment.

  He saw with his own eyes that the High Priestess somehow swapped spots with him, taking his place under the formidable dog paw……

  "Ah…… Ah Ya!"

  Duan Ling felt like something was stuck in his throat. He could only emit a hoarse rasp.

  The High Priestess floated beneath Blacky’s doggy paw. The blood-colored jade talisman that she pumped into Duan Ling’s body was the Shifter Array. She originally intended to inject it into Blacky’s body. However, the High Priestess shuddered just looking at the creature’s physique and did not have the courage to launch the array at him.

  This was why she chose to swap places with Duan Ling……

  Duan Ling had no chance of withholding Blacky’s paw even with his nearly Divine cultivation level, let alone the High Priestess with her much weaker mortal body.

  Snap!

  The mask that had obscured the High Priestess’ face instantly shattered, revealing her elegant but pale face. Her complexion was no longer beautiful but extremely bleak and forlorn.

  She gazed at Duan Ling, who was wrapped with blood colored gleams in a distance, her eyes filled with a trace of ache and relief……

  Boom!!

  The doggy claw clamped down, and only smoke and ashes remained.

  The High Priestess of the Shura Sect…… was dead.

  The terrifying waves of energy gradually dissipated. Blacky gaped at the woman he had just smashed into nothingness, staring at the empty space in front of him. He couldn’t help but feel dazed.

  Clang……

  A tattered metal mask fell onto the floor, emitting a crispy rang.

  Silence washed over the entire Imperial City. Everyone held their breaths as they took this in. Their hearts were shaken with bewilderment. They were astonished that the High Priestess sacrificed her own life to prevent a fatal blow for that demon. This really came as a huge shock to them.

  Bu Fang also fell quiet after witnessing this event. He stuffed the last piece of dragon claw into his mouth.

  "Aghhh!!!!"

  Duan Ling stared into the empty space, flabbergasted. Now frenzied, he released a long wail towards the sky! That howl was filled with misery and sorrow.

  The High Priestess Ah Ya was someone who has accompanied him all these years. The woman who had followed him faithfully from around the Hidden Dragon Continent to the Southern Region, no matter in good times or in bad times, was no more.

  Cling Clang Cling!

  The chains on Duan Ling’s arms clashed with each other. The magic array formulated by the High Priestess circulated. One after another blood-colored spiritual essences slipped into Duan Ling’s body, surging in through the magic array between his brows.

  Duan Ling’s force of energy was elevating and advancing by the second!

  Glug, glug!

  Blood continued to spurt out of his mouth. His eyes flashed red as tears of blood rolled down his face. His energy fluctuated. Duan Ling, overwhelmed with intense hatred and a deep intent to kill, began his breakthrough under the magic array that the High Priestess drew for him. Having sucked in the spiritual essences of tens of thousands of soldiers, he was about to reach a breakthrough!

  "Damned demonic woman!!"

  Outside the Imperial City, a seething roar filled the air. Ji Chengyu coughed up a cloud of blood-colored smoke. His entire body swayed and sank to the floor. This was a gigantic scheme to slay his grand army……

  His heart ached, and he repented. But alas, it was all too late.

  Buzz……

  The Shura Sect Sword that held Whitey back suddenly trembled. It rocketed away the very next second, gliding toward Duan Ling.

  Then, Whitey’s silver eyes flickered. It grasped this opportunity to smash away the vigor of sword cage with a punch, finally dissipating it. The metal wings on Whitey’s back spread, its cold silver eyes fixated on the faraway Duan Ling.

  Somewhat fascinated, Blacky trod through the air as if sauntering down the catwalk. He curled his doggy lips in a playful way.

  "Looks like he’s broken away from the first layer of shackles and entered the Divine stage? He is indeed resolute…… no, I should say that woman’s got quite some guts."

  Blacky humphed.

  The Shura Sect Sword returned to Duan Ling, firmly clutched in his hand. In his bloodshot eyes, one could see the vigor of sword sweeping across the air. Duan Ling’s face wore a savage expression. He glared at Blacky and Bu Fang, who was still in the store, with cold eyes. A murderous vibe burst forth.

  With another wretched long howl, Duan Ling swung the chains wrapped around his hand and sliced down with the Shura Sect Sword.

  Bang!

  The shackles trembled, emitting crackling sounds. As the Shura Sect Sword landed on it, ripples of energy spread outwards.

  Having absorbed the spiritual essences of tens of thousands of soldiers, Duan Ling had reached an elevation in his cultivation. This slice of sword actually yielded the sound of fracturing from the chains.

  One after another, thin cracks covered the chains.

  Finally, the Supreme-Being shackles shattered.

  Duan Ling gripped the Shura Sect Sword, positioning it horizontally. His force of energy was like a flood pumping through the water dam, with ongoing tides and turbulent waves that escalated.

  On the city walls, the Supreme Elder looked like he had suddenly aged even more. He felt weak all over as he plopped himself down. His face as gray as burnt ashes. "It’s over. He successfully achieved the breakthrough."

  This was the first stage of the tenth grade Divine state, the Divine Physique Echelon. But even though he had only broken through this first layer of shackles, he was still at the Divine state.

  Wu Mu also drew in a chilled breath. As he sensed the terrifying vigor of sword suspended around Duan Ling’s body, a trace of despair and fear smeared across his heart. As a swordsman, he actually felt craven. This was enough to prove just how intimidating was Duan Ling’s current force of pressure.

  Hundreds of thousands of spiritual essences have been sucked out and absorbed into his body, enabling his force of energy to reach this forbidding level of intensity.

  He had finally completed his breakthrough.

  Taking in a deep breath, Duan Ling landed his eyes on Blacky, who was hovering in the air.

  Blacky lifted up his doggy head and humphed.

  Duan Ling raised the Shura Sect Sword and pointed it straight at Blacky.