8: The shadow devours the soul fire, and the oriole finally benefits!

"Dou Master?! It's you!!!" Xiao Yan's eyes were bloodshot, staring intently at the figure on the rock wall shrouded in thick black mist. The familiar, icy, and sickeningly greasy Dou Qi fluctuations instantly ignited all the accumulated rage in his chest! The ambush at the bottom of Soul Severing Cliff, the mockery at the slaughterhouse, the blood debt of his clansmen's tragic deaths... New and old hatreds, like boiling magma, almost breached the dam of his reason! He struggled to stand up, but his internal injuries were agitated, causing him to spit out another mouthful of fresh blood, his Aura becoming even weaker.

"Young Master! Don't!" Xiao Shan, Guard Captain, propped himself up, blocking in front of Xiao Yan, his earthy yellow Dou Qi dim like a flickering candle in the wind, his voice hoarse but with an undeniable firmness, "That evil thing... is stronger!" His gaze was fixed on Yingu Old Man, who had transformed into a pale bone shadow, enveloped in monstrous Death Qi, and was lunging towards Lin Chen. That terrifying speed and pressure far exceeded the Peak of an ordinary Great Dou Master! At this moment, in Xiao Shan's eyes, Lin Chen was merely another piece of meat on that evil thing's chopping block.

"Xiao Yan! Calm down!" Yao Lao's extremely solemn voice was like a splash of ice water, instantly suppressing Xiao Yan's furious rage. "That skeleton's target is him now! When two tigers fight, this is our only chance! Immediately heal your injuries and recover your Dou Qi! I will help you! Success or failure depends on this one action!" At the same time, Yao Lao's Soul Power, like a trickling stream, carefully protected Xiao Yan's most crucial Meridians, while guiding the few remaining Dou Qi in his body to circulate with difficulty, attempting to stabilize his injuries and race against time to recover a trace of strength.

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, drawing blood. He forced himself to close his eyes, not looking at the battlefield about to collide, and fully circulated his Cultivation Technique, greedily absorbing the faint power Yao Lao was transmitting. Every trace of Dou Qi recovery was accompanied by a tearing pain in his Meridians, but he had only one thought in his heart: recover! He must recover! Only with power could he tear apart this venomous snake in the shadows!

At the same time, the pale bone shadow formed by Yingu Old Man had torn through the air, rushing towards Lin Chen with a piercing shriek!

"Ant! Return my power...!" The withered bone claw tore through the black mist, grabbing directly at Lin Chen's head! The claw tips were entwined with dense black Qi, emitting a vicious, Soul-eroding chill!

Having just made a Breakthrough to Dou Master, the power within his body was like raging waves that had not yet subsided, and his Meridians were riddled with holes from the violent energy impact of the source core fragment! The intense pain was like millions of steel needles piercing his entire body! Facing a claw that could tear an ordinary Dou Master to shreds, the dark red blood-light in Lin Chen's eyes suddenly condensed, with no fear, only a cold, mad calculation!

Take it head-on? Certain death! The Soul Erosion power attached to that claw was definitely not something he, a newly Breakthrough Dou Master, could withstand!

Dodge? His Qi had already been locked on! The opponent's speed was too fast, and the space was too narrow!

In a flash! Lin Chen made a move that even Yingu Old Man hadn't expected—he didn't retreat but advanced! His body seemed to have lost all its bones, collapsing forward diagonally at an extremely bizarre angle! At the same time, the thick Shadow Erosion Dou Qi swirling around him surged wildly, not for defense, but all converging on his back!

Splat—!

The sound of bone claws tearing flesh was sickening! Five terrifying claw marks, deep enough to see bone, with rapidly blackening and rotting edges, instantly appeared on Lin Chen's back! The intense pain almost made him faint! But using the momentum of his lunge and the pulling force of the bone claw, he narrowly slipped past Yingu Old Man's side! His target—was precisely the massive dark source core floating above the throne, fluctuating unstably due to the loss of Yingu Old Man's control!

"Seeking death!" Yingu Old Man's attack missed, his skull twisted a hundred and eighty degrees, and the pale Soul Fire in his eye sockets flickered violently with rage! He swept his withered bone arm back, and a solidified, substantial dark energy ribbon, emanating a bone-chilling cold, shot out like a poisonous Dragon emerging from its lair, fiercely striking Lin Chen's back! This attack was faster! More ruthless!

Couldn't dodge it! Lin Chen's pupils contracted sharply! The intense pain in his back and the chaos of power within his body made him half a beat slower! That deathly chill almost froze his Soul!

Was he going to die here today? He hadn't even started yet?!

"Shadow Erosion · Devour!" At the critical moment of life and death, Lin Chen roared like a beast in his heart! He actually abandoned all defense, forcefully expelling two of the three drops of thick, ink-like liquid Shadow Erosion Dou Qi that had just condensed in his Dantian after his Breakthrough! One drop protected his vital heart Meridians, while the other, following his backward swing, transformed into an extremely condensed, inch-long dark spike!

Shadow Erosion - Fang Thrust - Liquid Version!

Puff!

Hiss!

Two sounds rang out almost simultaneously!

The dark energy ribbon fiercely struck the drop of liquid Shadow Erosion protecting Lin Chen's back! The terrifying impact instantly sent Lin Chen flying like a broken sack, heavily crashing below the massive dark source core! The wound on his back instantly widened, black flesh rolled back, and even his pale spine was visible! The protecting drop of liquid Shadow Erosion was also largely scattered instantly, and the backlash caused him to violently spit out a mouthful of black blood mixed with internal organ fragments, his Aura plummeting!

But!

The inch-long dark spike also precisely struck the core of the energy ribbon Yingu Old Man had swung out! The terrifying power of devouring and annihilation instantly erupted! Like a hot butter knife cutting into solidified butter, the condensed dark energy ribbon was actually "bitten" off and a large section devoured by the inch-long spike! Although it failed to completely negate the attack, it greatly weakened its power!

"Roar!!!" Yingu Old Man let out a roar of shock and anger, the "bitten" off energy ribbon lost control and recoiled, causing a slight tremor to himself! More importantly, he felt that his pure Death Energy had been partially devoured by that strange black spike! This was simply the greatest blasphemy against him!

And at this moment, Lin Chen had crashed below the massive dark source core! He was covered in blood, like a demon crawling out of Hell's blood pool, but his dark red eyes were fixed on the slowly rotating, infinitely alluring and terrifying dark core above his head!

"Source core... power..." The only remaining, smaller source core fragment in his arms was scalding hot like a branding iron, resonating strongly with the massive source core above his head! An irresistible, greedy devouring urge, originating from the innate nature of Shadow Erosion Dou Qi, erupted like a volcano!

"Devour it! Devour it and you will gain supreme power!" A tempting voice roared in his mind.

"No! You will be blown up! You will be assimilated! Become part of this dark source core!" Another cold voice warned.

Below, Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes! With Yao Lao's help, he barely suppressed the most severe injuries, and a trace of Dou Qi had recovered in his body! Now was the time!

"Teacher! Help me!" Xiao Yan roared in his heart!

"Good!" Yao Lao's voice carried a hint of determination!

A vast Soul Power, far exceeding Xiao Yan's own Realm, surged into his body! Xiao Yan's face instantly flushed red, and his Meridians groaned under the immense strain! He endured the tearing pain, his hands forming an abstruse hand seal with difficulty! At his fingertips, the almost extinguished pale white flame, as if infused with a Soul, suddenly erupted with an unprecedented scorching brilliance! A terrifying high temperature capable of incinerating all things instantly swept through the cave!

"Flame Splitting Tsunami Ruler!" With the support of Yao Lao's Soul Power, Xiao Yan immediately unleashed his trump card!

A ten-foot-long, extremely condensed, blazing white flame blade, carrying the supreme majesty of incinerating all directions and purifying evil, tore through the thick darkness and Death Qi, like a sword of divine punishment, striking directly at Yingu Old Man's skull, which was momentarily stagnant due to the energy ribbon's backlash! The target—the two clusters of pale Soul Fire cores!

This strike drained all of Xiao Yan's newly recovered Dou Qi, and even overdrawn his immense potential! After unleashing it, his vision went black, and he almost fainted on the spot!

"Ant! How dare you!!!" Yingu Old Man felt a fatal threat! He no longer cared about grabbing Lin Chen, his skull jaw opened to an exaggerated angle, emitting a silent shriek! The two clusters of pale Soul Fire in his eye sockets instantly detached, like two burning meteors, one after another, meeting the blazing white flame blade! At the same time, the dark red patterns on his withered bone body flickered wildly, attempting to mobilize the power of the throne's source core for defense!

Boom—!!!

The blazing white flame blade and the pale Soul Fire collided fiercely! A deafening explosion echoed through the cave! A terrifying energy storm instantly swept out! The pale white Bone Chilling Flame and the chilling Soul Fire frantically intertwined and annihilated each other! The dazzling light illuminated the entire cave as bright as day!

Crack! Crack!

Subtle but clear cracking sounds rang out at the center of the explosion! The pale white Soul Fire in the lead, before the all-consuming nature of the Bone Chilling Flame, was like ice thrown into a raging fire, rapidly melting and disintegrating! The Soul Fire behind it was also covered in cracks, its light rapidly dimming! Although the blazing white flame blade had also consumed most of its power, it still carried residual might, fiercely striking Yingu Old Man's hastily condensed skeletal shield!

Rumble!

The skeletal shield shattered in response! The remaining flame blade fiercely struck Yingu Old Man's skeletal body! The blazing white flames instantly spread!

"Ah—!!!" A Soul-piercing shriek, not sounding human, erupted! Yingu Old Man's skeletal body struggled violently and burned in the Bone Chilling Flame! The bones forming his body, like dry kindling, rapidly carbonized and cracked! The dark red, bizarre patterns twisted and wailed in the flames! The only remaining, dim cluster of Soul Fire in his eye sockets flickered wildly, filled with endless malice, pain, and... a hint of fear!

Opportunity!!!

Just at this moment of earth-shattering collision, rampant energy storm, Yingu Old Man being heavily injured, and his attention completely drawn by Xiao Yan and his own crisis!

Lin Chen, lying beneath the massive dark source core, his two points of dark red blood-light in his eyes, shone to the extreme! Madness! Greed! All-in!

He suddenly opened his mouth, not to shout, but like a giant whale sucking water! The only remaining drop of liquid Shadow Erosion Dou Qi in his Dantian spun wildly, erupting with unprecedented devouring power! At the same time, he pressed his hands tightly against the massive, unstable dark source core above his head! Shadow Erosion Dou Qi poured out without reservation!

"Shadow Erosion · Devour Source!!! Devour it for me—!!!"

Not Fusion! Not guidance! But the most savage, most direct devouring and plundering!

Buzz—!!!

The massive dark source core was like a punctured balloon, and thick, pure dark energy, like a bursting flood, surged frantically along Lin Chen's arms, mouth, and nose, into his riddled body! This energy was too vast! Too pure! And too violent!

"Ugh ah ah—!" Lin Chen's body instantly swelled like a balloon! His skin cracked inch by inch, and black blood gushed out like a fountain from the cracks and his seven orifices! His Meridians groaned under the terrifying impact, as if they would completely shatter in the next second! His consciousness was instantly submerged in endless darkness, coldness, violent negative emotions, and chaotic evil will! It was as if billions of vengeful spirits were shrieking in his mind!

Intense pain! Tearing! Annihilation! This was the backlash brought by devouring beyond limits!

But the core instinct of Shadow Erosion Dou Qi—devouring and assimilation—was also stimulated to the extreme under the threat of death! The drop of liquid Shadow Erosion in his Dantian spun wildly like a black hole, desperately devouring and refining the surging flood! More dark liquid drops were forcibly condensed under high pressure and on the brink of destruction!

One drop! Two drops! Five drops... Ten drops!

His Aura fluctuated wildly between destruction and rebirth, sometimes plummeting like a flickering candle in the wind, and sometimes surging violently, directly approaching the Peak of a One-star Dou Master! His body became the most tragic battlefield!

On the other side, Yingu Old Man, burned by the Bone Chilling Flame, his skeletal body had completely carbonized and disintegrated, leaving only the cracked, extremely dim cluster of pale Soul Fire, floating in the air like a flickering candle in the wind, emitting weak but malevolent fluctuations. He "looked" in Lin Chen's direction, filled with endless unwillingness and monstrous hatred!

"Source core... my... power..." The remaining will wailed in the Soul Fire.

Just then!

"Evil spawn! Die!" An angry shout came from the cave entrance! Xiao Shan, Guard Captain, had somehow endured his injuries, gathered his last strength, and like an enraged rhinoceros, holding a heavy sword infused with all his earthy yellow Dou Qi, with a tragic Aura of mutual destruction, fiercely charged towards the floating pale Soul Fire!

"No—!" Yingu Old Man's remnant Soul let out a desperate shriek!

Boom!

The heavy sword fiercely struck the Soul Fire! The Soul Fire, already on the verge of collapse, shattered with a bang like fragile glass under Xiao Shan's final blow, which condensed all his Dou Qi, will, and even life essence! It transformed into countless tiny pale light spots, scattering and annihilating!

A generation of evil cultivators' remnant Soul, Yingu Old Man, was completely Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!

And just as the Soul Fire shattered!

Lin Chen, closest to it, had his Shadow Erosion Dou Qi's innate nature triggered again!

"Shadow Erosion · Soul Absorption!" He subconsciously circulated his Mind-Cultivation Technique! Several invisible Shadow Erosion threads shot out like lightning, like greedy tentacles, forcefully grabbing the largest cluster of pale light—containing a portion of Yingu Old Man's remnant memories and pure Soul Origin—before the Soul Fire completely annihilated!

Boom—!

This cluster of pure Soul energy surged into his body, like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pot! It instantly detonated the already violent dark energy within Lin Chen's body!

"Puff!" Lin Chen violently spat out a mouthful of foul blood mixed with internal organ fragments and black blood clots, his body could no longer support itself, and he slumped to the ground like a broken puppet! His consciousness completely sank into endless darkness and chaos. The last thing he saw was Xiao Yan's bloodshot eyes, filled with endless killing intent, struggling to stand up, and Xiao Shan's figure collapsing from exhaustion, his fate unknown.

Inside the cave, it was a mess.

The massive dark source core had disappeared, leaving only a shallow energy crater in its place.

Only burning skeletal embers remained, pervasive burnt and bloody smells, and three figures lying in pools of blood, their fates unknown.

Silence, a deathly silence, only the rock wall, eroded by the source core's power, still emitted a faint, ominous dark glow.