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*****
The eighth million-year golden soul ring lit up, and layers of golden water waves erupted from within Shui Wuya, rapidly spreading throughout the sky, turning the entire heavens into a vast ocean.
Simultaneously, Shui Wuya's ice phoenix true form, which was initially only ten zhang in size, instantly transformed into a massive thousand-zhang behemoth.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Ice Phoenix Devours Heaven!"
In an instant, the thousand-zhang ice phoenix rose from below, opening its enormous mouth.
Old Xuan floated alone in the sky, staring in horror at the colossal ice phoenix rising beneath him.
"Shui Wuya possesses such power; we were all wrong!"
Old Xuan sighed inwardly, regretting his decision to confront Shui Wuya. Even if he wanted to retreat now, it was impossible.
The golden ripples spreading outward contained a terrifying imprisoning force, binding his movements.
"Buzz!~"
A buzzing sound echoed as the hundred-zhang wide ice phoenix mouth moved to swallow Old Xuan. In response, Old Xuan activated his martial spirit true form and unleashed the power of his ninth blood-red soul ring.
"Boom! Boom!"
In a flash, the two forces collided, producing a violent explosion in the sky.
The extreme noise drowned out all other sounds, and the shockwaves rapidly spread across the entire continent.
Despite using his strongest soul skill, Old Xuan couldn't withstand Shui Wuya's eighth soul skill and was swallowed by the thousand-zhang ice phoenix.
"Long live the patriarch! Unite the continent!"
"Long live the patriarch!"
"Shrek Academy and the Haotian Sect are no match for the patriarch!"
Seeing Old Xuan devoured by the ice phoenix, the elders and disciples of the Tianshui Sect were both shocked and overjoyed, cheering wildly for Shui Wuya.
Meanwhile, Tang Lei, who had been imprisoned in the air by Shui Wuya, was filled with despair and terror.
"This... this... is impossible!"
Tang Lei trembled, mumbling incoherently as he struggled to comprehend Shui Wuya's overwhelming power.
At this moment, the thousand-zhang ice phoenix turned, opening its enormous mouth again in Tang Lei's terrified gaze.
"Sixth Soul Skill: Frost Destruction Beam!"
In an instant, the ice phoenix spat out a blinding white beam, engulfing Tang Lei.
Previously weakened by Shui Wuya's "Eternal Imprisonment," Tang Lei had lost most of his soul power and was unable to resist.
In less than three breaths, Tang Lei was annihilated, leaving no trace behind.
With this, the battle concluded. Shui Wuya had single-handedly defeated all the invading enemies!
Not long after, Shui Wuya retracted his soul rings and soul skills, and the thousand-zhang ice phoenix reverted to human form.
However, alongside Shui Wuya appeared an old, bloodied figure with disheveled hair. This person was none other than Old Xuan, whom Shui Wuyai had defeated!
Clearly, Shui Wuya had spared his life at the crucial moment.
"Why... why didn't you kill me?"
Old Xuan's eyes were bloodshot, his spirit crushed. Shui Wuya's immense power had extinguished any will to resist.
"That's not for you to ask."
Shui Wuya responded calmly, waving his hand and bringing the incapacitated Old Xuan back to the Tianshui Sect's ground.
Initially, he had intended to eliminate Old Xuan to achieve lasting peace, but he changed his mind during the battle.
The reasons were simple:
First, although Old Xuan had repeatedly antagonized the Shui family, he hadn't taken direct action against them, and his attitude had been relatively restrained.
Second, as the head of Shrek Academy, Old Xuan's death at Shui Wuya's hands would likely incite fierce resistance from Shrek Academy and other factions.
Thus, keeping Elder Xuan alive would clearly be more convenient for Shui Wuya to eventually subdue Shrek Academy.
"What now, Patriarch?"
After Shui Wuya landed on the ground, Mo Lihai quickly stepped forward to inquire.
"Isolate Elder Xuan and keep him well-fed and unharmed."
Shui Wuya responded, flicking his finger to shoot out a binding force that temporarily restricted Elder Xuan's soul power.
"Understood!"
Mo Lihai bowed respectfully, then glanced behind him.
The Grand Elder of the Tianshui Sect, understanding the cue, quickly stepped forward and personally took Elder Xuan away.
Moments later, just as Mo Lihai was about to inquire about the next steps for the Tianshui Sect, he noticed Shui Wuyai gazing towards the eastern horizon.
The next words from Shui Wuya's mouth caused Mo Lihai's heart to tremble with excitement and joy!
"Deliver the Shui Clan Patriarch's order: all forces of the three subordinate sects, all soul emperors and above, shall immediately gather under my command to crusade against the Haotian Sect!"
With a deep and determined expression, Shui Wuya issued the patriarch's order. This time, he decided to completely eradicate the lingering threat left by Tang San.
"We obey the sacred order!"
In an instant, Mo Lihai and the elders and disciples of the Tianshui Sect kneeled before Shui Wuya, their voices resonating in unison!
…
When Yan Shaozhe and the others fled back to Shrek Academy in a miserable state, they immediately caused a wave of panic within the academy.
"What's going on? Why are all the strong members of Sea God Pavilion injured?"
"Look, Dean Yan is covered in blood; it looks like he's seriously injured!"
"Where are Elder Xuan and Elder Lin? Didn't they go together? Have they fallen outside?"
Fear spread quickly. Within less than a quarter of an hour, the entire Shrek Academy was in a state of unrest.
By the time Yan Shaozhe and the others had tended to their injuries, half an hour had passed, and they gathered in the Sea God Pavilion hall.
"Elder Xuan did not return, which means he must have died at the hands of Shui Wuya. This hatred is irreconcilable; Shrek Academy will forever be enemies with the Shui Clan!"
"Right, and Elder Lin was killed by Shui Wuya with a single spear. This vengeance must be repaid!"
Momentarily relieved, many in the room, driven by their emotions, expressed their determination to fight the Shui Clan to the death.
In their view, Elder Xuan's prolonged absence likely meant he was already dead.
Elders Song and Mo, among others, remained silent with grim expressions. They had fully realized the disparity between Shrek Academy and the Shui Clan, especially understanding Shui Wuya's terrifying power.
However, even though Elder Xuan had just died, they couldn't openly suggest submission to the Shui Clan and had to let the call for revenge intensify in the hall.
The heated debate continued until Yan Shaozhe's sudden shout interrupted it.
"Enough!"
With Elder Xuan gone, Yan Shaozhe temporarily acted as the Sea God Pavilion master. His eyes were filled with gloom.
Though he also harbored thoughts of revenge against the Shui Clan, the idea was torturous.
Elder Xuan had sacrificed himself to ensure their escape. If they foolishly sought to die at the Shui Clan's hands, they would utterly betray Elder Xuan's sacrifice.
"What is the current attitude of the other forces on the continent towards the Shui Clan?"
Yan Shaozhe suddenly turned his gaze to Zhang Lao, a Sea God Pavilion member responsible for gathering intelligence. Zhang Lao had not gone to the Tianshui Sect and was therefore unharmed.
"With three days remaining until the one-month period set by the Shui Clan, the forces that have declared allegiance to the Shui Clan include the Star Luo Empire, the Tianhun Empire, the Liuhe Sect, and the Purple Jade Sect…"
Zhang Lao quickly listed the gathered intelligence.
Hearing this, everyone in the Sea God Pavilion, including Yan Shaozhe, fell into deep thought.
"Even the Star Luo Empire and the Tianhun Empire have chosen to submit to the Shui Clan."
Hidden from others, a look of struggle appeared in Yan Shaozhe's eyes, his inner conflict evident.
(End of Chapter)