Watching as the brilliant sword beam, spanning several hundred meters, was effortlessly shattered by Protector Wu, the snakefolk below looked on in shock and horror.
Yue Mei's charming face flickered slightly. So this is the power of a Dou Zong...?
"Move—out of the way!"
Die released her Dou Qi to the fullest extent. In a flash of azure light, her form shifted into that of a massive azure serpent, over ten meters long, soaring through the sky.
The shout to move came directly from the serpent's roaring maw.
Elder Jin's expression changed, but he did not retreat. Instead, he launched a ferocious assault toward Die.
The battle between the two quickly became intense and evenly matched.
Elsewhere, the eight tribal chiefs unleashed a joint technique—Eight-Serpent Rakshasa Seal—but even this was barely enough to withstand Elder Yin's attacks, and they were quickly overwhelmed.
Tu Ye took on the three elders and the snakefolk guards stationed along the city walls.
Meanwhile, Chen Mo stood with a grave expression, tightly gripping Mo Yan in his hand as he stared at the bizarre black mist ahead.
Protector Wu wasted no time. He attacked again, a black chain shooting forth like a venomous serpent. It pierced the air, streaking down at Chen Mo like a blurred shadow.
Covered in intricate runes and swirling spiral patterns, the chain radiated an ominous, chilling aura, clearly far from ordinary.
Faced with this spatially-piercing chain, Chen Mo didn't choose to block it head-on.
The Queen is almost done evolving... I just need to stall.
With that in mind, Chen Mo summoned Tianyuan, stepping onto the sword to evade.
But he had forgotten—
Though his power was formidable, his speed was... abysmal.
It wasn't long before the black chain caught up and coiled around him.
Chen Mo's face darkened. In his palm, the Green Lotus Core Flame surged forth, dancing around his hand. He quickly slashed it across Mo Yan's blade.
In an instant, blue-green flames enveloped the sword, and with a swift turn, Chen Mo swung the blade at the approaching black chain.
The moment sword met chain, a low rumble echoed—surprisingly, without an overwhelming burst of energy. Sparks flew as blade clashed with the chain.
Chen Mo staggered back two steps from the impact.
He didn't waste time trying to clash head-on again and continued to dodge, doing his best to avoid direct confrontation with Protector Wu.
"You brat... you don't understand what it means to face a true Dou Zong."
Protector Wu sneered, then suddenly vanished from sight. The only trace of his movement was a faint tremor in space where his aura had spread.
Chen Mo's expression changed.
In the next instant, Protector Wu reappeared—right above him.
His hand, like an eagle's talon, lunged down fiercely toward Chen Mo's head.
Chen Mo raised his sword to block.
A deep, muffled boom rang out. Though he had managed to use the sword to defend, the overwhelming force still transferred entirely into his body.
"Guh—!" Chen Mo coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The force numbed his arms, causing Mo Yan to fly from his grasp as his body was sent plummeting toward the ground.
"Hm?" Protector Wu's eyes narrowed as he murmured, "Blue blood?"
"You... you're not human?"
Protector Wu hesitated for only a moment before lunging again toward the falling Chen Mo.
To be fair, it wasn't strange for him to ask such a question—Chen Mo's appearance, coupled with the blue-colored blood he had spat out, indeed didn't resemble that of a human.
Just as Protector Wu's clawed hand was about to seize Chen Mo—
Mo Yan, which had just been knocked away, suddenly exploded into countless fragments of demonic script and markings that swarmed toward Protector Wu.
Then, under his astonished gaze, the fragments rapidly coalesced into a humanoid form.
A massive question mark practically appeared over Protector Wu's head—he had no idea what was happening.
Just to be safe, he withdrew his hand and launched a fierce strike at the figure formed by Mo Yan.
Protector Wu was stunned again.
That seemingly mysterious and powerful figure was instantly smacked out of the sky by his palm, reverting into a black sword inscribed with demonic runes that stabbed into the sand below.
"Tricks and illusions," he scoffed mockingly.
But in that very moment, Protector Wu's expression shifted.
His gaze turned downward.
There, floating mid-air, was Chen Mo—his golden wings fluttering weakly, his face pale and his aura frail. In his hand hovered a lotus the size of a human head, formed of three distinct flames.
A terrifyingly violent energy surged out from it, so intense that everyone present felt their expressions twist in horror.
Atop the city wall, Yue Nu's gaze fell on the tri-colored lotus, her face twisting in shock.
How is this possible? she thought. How could this kid have the power to fuse an Heavenly Flame with two different flames—and actually succeed?
In the distance, Han Feng, who was still healing, nearly lost his mind. His teeth clenched as he roared in fury internally.
"GO—Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus!"
Chen Mo let out a breath as the tri-colored lotus detached from his hand.
The rotating lotus became a streak of light, soaring through the air like lightning.
Though it carried immense and terrifying energy, it made no sound as it tore through space—no ripples, no pressure. Just absolute silence.
In the blink of an eye, it reached Protector Wu—and exploded.
Seeing the attack land, Chen Mo flapped his wings and retreated at top speed.
This particular Buddha's Fury Flame Lotus had drained nearly all his Dou Qi, and even his soul energy had run dry.
It was a testament to just how powerful this version of the technique was.
He had considered using Great Sun Undying Body, but in his current state, casting it would take far too long—and Protector Wu would never allow him the time to complete it.
As Chen Mo retreated, a deafening explosion—powerful enough to rupture eardrums—resounded through the heavens.
In an instant, a violent storm of energy erupted from the blast site, radiating outward in all directions.
Even the fierce duel between the Elders Jin and Yin came to a sudden halt. Everyone turned in stunned disbelief.
They never expected that a young man—one who had only used secret methods to reach the Dou Wang level—could unleash such devastating power.
This terrifying energy was something none of them could have withstood alone.
The sky became a sea of fire, space itself warping from the intense heat.
And yet, what shocked them most—
Protector Wu's figure had vanished amidst the explosion.
In the distance, Chen Mo furrowed his brow.
Suddenly, the space behind him twisted, and a flood of black mist poured forth from the distortion.
A chilling, sinister voice rang out—
A claw-like hand pierced through Chen Mo's back and burst out from his right chest.
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