"Enough talking. Today, I must kill this Gu Clan member. If you stand in my way, I'll kill you too!"
As soon as Elder Hun Mo finished speaking, his body vanished from sight.
When he reappeared, he was already close to Gu Fei. But just then, the previously dazed Xiao Chen's eyes cleared, and he once again positioned himself in front of Gu Fei.
This time, Xiao Chen wasn't just protecting Gu Fei- he was also seeking to avenge a deep, blood-soaked grudge.
"Blood Axe Xiao Chen, your reputation was indeed loud back in the day, but now you're quite outdated..."
Elder Hun Mo sneered as he looked at Xiao Chen standing before Gu Fei, a look of contempt flashing across his aged face.
"Outdated or not, let's fight and see."
Xiao Chen's expression remained as stoic as ever, though his heart grew heavier. No matter how unpleasant the Elder's words were, they contained a grain of truth.
Had Xiao Chen continued training normally, he wouldn't even consider this Elder a threat. As one of the talented figures of the Xiao Clan, he had every reason to be proud and confident.
But reality was cruel. After being trapped in an illusion for over a thousand years, he was lucky to be alive, but his strength had grown painfully slow.
This allowed even a former junior like Hun Moo to surpass him.
"Come then..."
"Today, I'll end the last remnant of the Xiao Clan and gain a great victory!"
Elder Hun Mo let out a sinister laugh. His robe flared dramatically even though there was no wind, and a torrential wave of Dou Qi surged forth from his body, covering the sky with black mist.
"What terrifying pressure!"
The surrounding spectators gasped in shock, many of them instinctively backing away to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Yet Xiao Chen didn't flinch. Instead, a burning intensity ignited within him.
"Anyone who dares to challenge the Xiao Clan's might will die!"
He raised the giant blood-colored axe in his hand and roared, his aura no less imposing than before.
Very quickly, the Elder and Xiao Chen collided, their clash shaking the heavens and the earth.
"Let me see what strength remains of the once-legendary Blood Axe Xiao Chen!"
Facing Xiao Chen's imposing attack, Hun Mo only smirked coldly. With a wave of his sleeve, dozens of pale white bone chains shot out, forming a white spider web between them. As the giant axe came crashing down, it was caught in the web, its speed slowing until it finally stopped just half a foot from the Elder's forehead.
"Blood Axe Xiao Chen, nothing more than this!"
The Elder taunted, seeing that Xiao Chen couldn't break through his defenses.
"Is that so?"
Xiao Chen's eyes flashed red. A thin line of blood appeared on the edge of the giant axe, and with another swift slash, the seemingly delicate bone web was effortlessly cut apart, the blade racing toward the Elder's throat.
Caught off guard by this sudden turn, the Elder was momentarily shocked.
But his panic lasted only a moment. His hand moved in a strange arc and, with a casual slap, landed lightly on the axe's surface. With a loud boom, the massive blood-colored axe was sent flying.
"I wonder if Senior Xiao Chen can defeat Elder Hun Mo..."
Xun Er appeared behind Gu Fei, her eyes filled with worry as she watched the battle unfold.
"How foolish!"
On the other side, Hun Miesheng's face was filled with rage. He was furious with the Elder for provoking Xiao Chen. Initially, Xiao Chen didn't know about the annihilation of his clan and harbored no extreme hatred for the Hun Clan.
But now, after learning the truth, his fury might even enhance his battle strength.
"It seems we'll have to rely on Elder Hun Ji now!" Hun Miesheng muttered to himself.
Just as he finished his thought, the area around Gu Fei suddenly grew ice-cold.
"You, die!"
A black-robed elder appeared out of nowhere, his terrifying hand laced with battle energy, slamming down toward Gu Fei.
"What?"
This unexpected turn shocked everyone present.
No one had anticipated that the Hun Clan had arranged not just one, but two backup plans to kill Gu Fei.
Not only had they sent Elder Hun Mo, a five-star Dou Saint, but they had also secretly positioned another five-star Dou Saint to ambush Gu Fei.
"With me here, who dares touch him?"
At that moment, a clear female voice rang out. A black-cloaked figure appeared in front of Gu Fei, casually raising a hand and sending the attacking Dou Saint flying.
"A six-star Dou Saint? How is this possible?"
The Hun Clan Dou Saint, now vomiting blood, was filled with terror.
"Did the Gu Clan prepare for this?"
Seeing this, Hun Miesheng's face turned pale.
They had set a deadly trap for Gu Fei, even valuing this over capturing the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. But they hadn't expected the Gu Clan to disregard the ancient pacts and send a six-star Dou Saint.
"Everyone can see it! The Gu Clan brought a six-star Dou Saint to fight for the Demonic Flame, blatantly ignoring the agreement!"
Hun Miesheng quickly tried to shift the blame.
"No, she's not from the Gu Clan!" Xun Er shook her head. The voice that had just spoken was one she knew well.
"The Gu Clan didn't send any additional help... but this person sounds like..." Gu Nanhai frowned, feeling the mysterious figure was also familiar.
"Silence!"
The black-cloaked figure interrupted Hun Miesheng's rant, her voice impatient. In a flash, she appeared beside the fallen Hun Clan Dou Saint.
*Bang!*
With another casual palm strike, the sound of bones breaking echoed through the air. The five-star Dou Saint couldn't even resist.
"Elder Hun Ji!"
Hun Miesheng and Hun Mo's eyes turned bloodshot as they watched, powerless to help.
"Dammit, the Gu Clan must have planned this!"
Elder Hun Mo, who had been fighting Xiao Chen, noticed the situation and quickly abandoned the fight, charging toward the black-cloaked figure.
"Another fool seeking death!"
The black-cloaked figure remained motionless. She raised a hand, releasing a beam of purple-gold light that shot directly toward the Elder.