Let's go play over there

"Elder Yan!"

Lin Xuan rushed over to check on Elder Yan.

The old man's abdomen had been pierced clean through, though he’d managed to stop the bleeding himself.

He wasn’t dead, but the wound was severe—the spear that had impaled him carried a power that hindered recovery. Such an injury was troublesome; it wouldn’t heal anytime soon.

"Don’t worry about me. Kill the Grand Priest," Elder Yan said through gritted teeth.

It was just a hole, after all. Elder Yan insisted he could still fight, though he needed a moment to adjust.

"Understood."

Lin Xuan had already made up his mind before Elder Yan even spoke.

Elder Yan’s sacrifice fueled Lin Xuan’s boundless fury.

Though Elder Yan still lived, that didn’t lessen Lin Xuan’s rage.

In his extreme anger, Lin Xuan pushed past his limits, his body wreathed in thick, white spiritual energy.

"Immortal Art: Supreme Eight Extremes Collapse!"

Lin Xuan’s fist shot out without hesitation.

The Grand Priest took the full brunt of the punch to his face, sending him flying before he crashed into the ground.

Lin Xuan pursued without pause.

Nearby demon beasts rushed to block his path, but it was useless—Lin Xuan smashed through them one by one, each falling to a single strike. He closed the distance again, spinning mid-air before delivering a devastating axe kick.

The Grand Priest staggered to his feet, hastily absorbing the life force of a few unlucky demon beasts nearby.

As he drained them, three staffs materialized above his head, intercepting Lin Xuan’s kick.

The impact forced the Grand Priest to one knee, but he held firm, already preparing his counterattack.

"Ten Forbidden Arts: Soul Scatter!"

Blood trickled from the Grand Priest’s eyes—a side effect of the forbidden technique.

This "Soul Scatter" didn’t target enemies, but the demon beasts themselves.

From the corpses around them, pale wisps of energy rose—the lingering souls of the fallen beasts.

Now, they became the Grand Priest’s weapons.

The spectral forms lunged at Lin Xuan, their twisted, ghastly appearances unmistakably malevolent.

Lin Xuan blasted a few apart with fireballs, but their numbers were overwhelming.

One soul struck him, shattering on impact but unleashing a devastating burst of energy.

Pain flared through Lin Xuan’s body, forcing him to dodge. When evasion failed, he raised a barrier of spiritual energy—only for the souls to phase straight through it, striking his flesh directly.

Lin Xuan hadn’t expected such an attack. He’d underestimated it, and now he paid the price.

The Grand Priest finally had a moment to breathe.

Because the technique was soul-based, it possessed an innate ability to bypass most defenses—effectively dealing true damage.

The cost? The souls were utterly annihilated. The Grand Priest suffered only minor backlash.

Lin Xuan reinforced his body with spiritual energy, but it was futile.

As the Grand Priest continued his incantation, more and more souls rose from the fallen.

Recognizing the danger, Lin Xuan focused on evasion, only enduring unavoidable hits.

Defense was never his style. Soon, he closed in again, fists blazing with power.

Even if it meant taking a few soul strikes, he would not let the Grand Priest escape.

Forced to abandon his technique, the Grand Priest turned to face Lin Xuan head-on.

Though the Grand Priest excelled in magic, his close combat skills were no joke—he was a well-rounded fighter.

Unfortunately for him, so was Lin Xuan—and in battle, Lin Xuan was superior.

With the Grand Priest weakened and the remaining demon beasts occupied by others, he found no advantage.

The fight settled into another drawn-out clash.

Both combatants were battered, yet neither showed signs of yielding.

This was the endurance of true powerhouses.

But...

Su Luo shook his head.

He’d been watching Lin Xuan’s battle.

As expected, with his early appearance, the fight was dragging on.

Would the Beast Lord last until Lin Xuan and the Grand Priest settled things?

The Beast Lord continued his relentless assault on Su Luo, yet not a single strike landed. Doubt crept into his mind.

Still, he swung his fists and axe, exhausting every treasure and pill at his disposal.

Think! There had to be a way to defeat this man!

But the more he struggled, the emptier his thoughts became.

His rationality slipped away, leaving only bestial instinct.

Pathetic.

What good was power if it reduced him to a mindless beast? He could hardly call himself the Beast Lord now.

Su Luo decided it was time to end this farce.

He took a single step forward.

The Beast Lord scrambled back.

The last shreds of his reason screamed that something was wrong.

Why? He’d been attacking nonstop without hesitation. Why did Su Luo’s mere movement make him retreat?

Wasn’t killing his opponent the goal?

The Beast Lord didn’t understand—until realization struck.

Fear.

Su Luo’s slightest motion had triggered an instinctive terror, a primal awareness of death.

"ROAR!"

The Beast Lord bellowed, trying to drown out his dread.

His instincts weren’t wrong. Su Luo was done playing.

Another step, and Su Luo stood before him.

"Go play over there."

A single whip-like kick sent the Beast Lord flying.

CRASH—he landed near the Grand Priest.

"Beast Lord!" The Grand Priest’s voice sharpened with alarm. Things were worse than he’d thought.

"That man—he’s too strong!" the Beast Lord warned.

"He’s coming." The Grand Priest’s tone was tense. He braced himself.

Yet neither could comprehend Su Luo’s movement—one moment he was distant, the next, right in front of them.

Su Luo didn’t just arrive. He delivered a straight kick to the Beast Lord’s chest, sending him tumbling again.

"If you don’t get serious, you’ll die here," Su Luo said.

The Beast Lord didn’t know how to respond—he’d been giving his all.

But Su Luo’s words weren’t for him. They were for the Grand Priest.

A clear message: Your Beast Lord is outmatched. Sacrifice yourself. Let him ascend.

The Grand Priest didn’t grasp the hint. Instead, he and the Beast Lord attacked in unison.

Their coordination was flawless.

Their strikes were meaningless.

Su Luo’s fist sent the Grand Priest hurtling toward Lin Xuan.

"Handle your own opponent."

Lin Xuan seized the opportunity, striking as the Grand Priest flew toward him.

"Immortal Art: Flame Fist!"

The punch connected with the Grand Priest’s waist, snapping his spine.

But as a high-ranking demon, the Grand Priest twisted his body, realigning the bones instantly.

He tried to retreat, but Lin Xuan gave no quarter. Their battle resumed.

Meanwhile, Su Luo turned his attention back to the Beast Lord.

Before, when Su Luo had barely acted, the Beast Lord had felt confident. Now, with Su Luo truly attacking, the gulf between them became undeniable.

Su Luo tore off the Beast Lord’s left arm.

The Beast Lord didn’t utter a sound.

Grabbing the right arm, Su Luo twisted—not just the limb, but the Beast Lord’s entire body contorted under the force.

The right arm fared worst, spiraling like a wrung-out rag.

"AAAAARGH!"

The Beast Lord let out a piercing scream.

The sound was filled with agony and despair.