71: Stubborn Blue Jade

The Gold Rank Aura pressed down on everyone, making it difficult to breathe. The weakest among them—Xiao Ya, Lan Yu, Ye Chong, and others—turned pale with fear in their eyes.

"Xie Ning..."

The Fallen Demon Tamer wasted no time. After uttering the name, he charged straight at Xie Ning, his withered hand like an eagle's claw, aiming for Xie Ning's neck.

Xie Ning knew that this Fallen Demon Tamer also possessed a formidable Physical Body. Though he didn't know how they achieved it, he was well aware that if caught, it would mean certain death. Resisting the Aura, he struggled to shift half a step to the side, barely dodging the attack, but still getting grazed, leaving a bloody scratch.

Xie Ning's heart pounded wildly. In that instant, he felt the shadow of death looming over him.

The Fallen Demon Tamer, missing with one hand, swept with the other, his five fingers like nails gleaming with cold light, aiming directly for Xie Ning's temple.

Xie Ning arduously raised his arms to block in front of him, managing to deflect the blow, but was still sent flying, crashing into and breaking a small tree as thick as a bowl.

The Fallen Demon Tamer was about to rush forward and deliver another punch to finish off Xie Ning.

At that moment, the Supersonic Mantis erupted with energy, actually stimulating its potential under the heavy pressure. Seizing the moment of surging energy, it unleashed Sound Kill, instantly disappearing from its spot, slamming the Fallen Demon Tamer back over ten meters, then raising its blade arm to slash at the Fallen Demon Tamer's neck.

"Hmph!"

Just as the Supersonic Mantis swung down, its blade arm was caught, then slammed hard into the ground.

Boom!

The earth shook, creating a crater several meters wide. Then, the Fallen Demon Tamer grabbed the blade arm again, swung it in a circle, smashing two Silver Rank captains and their Demon Tamers Beasts away, before slamming it down hard onto the Quartz Porphyry exposed in the crater.

The Supersonic Mantis, headfirst, was smashed hard onto the Quartz Porphyry, shattering the entire rock known as construction-hard stone. Its armor cracked all over, blood flowing everywhere.

It all happened in the blink of an eye—from Xie Ning being attacked to the Supersonic Mantis being severely injured.

In their fury, the Flowing Fire Ice Lion and Poison Flame White Wolf broke free from their restraints, one ice and one fire sweeping forward. The Diamond Demon, least affected, launched earth spikes, attacking from behind.

The Fallen Demon Tamer dodged the two energy attacks, then pulled up the earth spikes and hurled them back at the Diamond Demon. At that moment, the ice exploded, turning into chilling flowing fire, while from within the Poison Flame, the Poison Flame White Wolf leaped out, angrily pouncing at the Fallen Demon Tamer who had just dodged.

Just as it was about to get close, the Fallen Demon Tamer lifted a foot and kicked the Poison Flame White Wolf in the side, breaking bones that pierced through skin and flesh, leaving the Poison Flame White Wolf covered in blood. But as if unaware of pain, it continued its momentum, crashing forward, opening its mouth to spew flame, forcing the Fallen Demon Tamer to retreat.

"Grr..."

The Poison Flame White Wolf growled lowly at the Supersonic Mantis, full of concern.

"Damn beast! Then watch it die!"

Scorched by the Poison Flame, with fine blisters sprouting on his face, the Fallen Demon Tamer gritted his teeth and said, then punched the Poison Flame White Wolf away, followed by another punch aimed at the already severely injured, motionless Supersonic Mantis.

Just as the Poison Flame White Wolf was furious with grief, a reverse-summoning Formation appeared, and the Supersonic Mantis was instantly recalled.

"My... partner... don't you dare..."

A weak voice came through.

Xie Ning was stopped by a large tree, falling to the ground. The reverse-summoning Formation in his hand gradually faded. The wound on his back from the dagger stab reopened, blood gushing out.

From afar, Qianlong's furious voice could be heard from time to time, trying to get closer but often accompanied by loud crashes that pushed him back again.

Clearly, the Fallen Demon Tamer's Demon Tamers Beast was holding back Qianlong and the Dragon-Tail Flying Shark.

The remaining two Silver Rank Demon Tamers were also entangled by the Silver Rank Level 10 Demon Tamers Beast summoned by the Fallen Demon Tamer, unable to come to help.

The Fallen Demon Tamer walked step by step toward Xie Ning. The Flowing Fire Ice Lion and Poison Flame White Wolf lunged forward but were both severely injured by punches and kicks.

The other Demon Tamers Beasts broke free one after another. The Thunderclap Rabbit and Thunder Dragonfly combined their attacks but failed to hit the Fallen Demon Tamer. Instead, their force was redirected to hit the Heavenly Star Bird, which was trying to carry Xie Ning away, electrocuting it unconscious on the ground.

The Fallen Demon Tamer took a few more steps, shattering nearly half of the Diamond Demon that rushed over, injuring its Origin and leaving it in a severely wounded state. The Long-Nosed Strength Tapir also failed to block an attack and was sent flying.

When he was eight steps away from Xie Ning, the Poison Flame White Wolf and Flowing Fire Ice Lion stimulated their potential, lunging forward recklessly. They tangled with the Fallen Demon Tamer for three rounds, both getting injured and falling. If Xie Ning hadn't used Poison Flame to push the two beasts sideways at the last moment, their heads would have been smashed.

"Underestimated you. You can still stand." The Fallen Demon Tamer stared at Xie Ning, who struggled to his feet, the killing intent in his eyes intensifying.

At this moment, he ignored Lu Bingyun and the others who couldn't move, focused solely on killing Xie Ning.

"Cornered dog will jump over the wall, huh?"

Xie Ning's face twisted in pain, but he grinned, trying hard to appear calm, though a trace of unwillingness inevitably showed in his eyes.

Hearing Xie Ning's words, the Fallen Demon Tamer grew even more irritated.

He wasn't in a hurry because this place was still some distance from Flower City, making it hard for others to see what was happening. Moreover, there were no forces available to rescue them now.

Thus, the Fallen Demon Tamer stepped closer to Xie Ning, watching his unsteady stance with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Standing before Xie Ning, he revealed a ferocious smile, slowly reaching his hand toward Xie Ning.

Suddenly, several exclamations rang out. He saw Xie Ning's pupils contract in shock.

First stunned, he then heard a 'clang' as a blood-stained dagger stabbed from the side but couldn't pierce the skin. The one holding the dagger was actually Lan Yu, the frailest among the group.

"Interesting little girl. Then you die." After saying this, the Fallen Demon Tamer's raised hand turned to choke Lan Yu.

Xie Ning, who had been secretly gathering energy, erupted, catching him off guard and slamming into him, forcing the Fallen Demon Tamer back several steps. Then, he pulled Lan Yu over and shouted, "Are you crazy!"

Lan Yu bit her lip tightly, stubbornly refusing to speak.

At this moment, no one knew how Lan Yu had broken free from the pressure of the Gold Rank expert's Aura.

"What a touching scene. Then both of you die."

Before the words finished, before the Fallen Demon Tamer could charge forward, a familiar Demon Taming Formation suddenly appeared in front of Xie Ning. The figure of the Supersonic Mantis stumbled out from within, but in its supersonic state, it moved extremely fast, closing in and thrusting with the golden horn on its forehead.

Thud!

The golden horn pierced the center of the Fallen Demon Tamer's chest, creating a bloody hole.

Severely injured by the blow, the Fallen Demon Tamer flew into a rage, erupting with energy, shattering the Supersonic Mantis's golden horn and sending it flying.

"Little Mantis!"

Xie Ning quickly caught the Supersonic Mantis, retreating six or seven steps before stopping.

"What are you doing?! Did I tell you to come out?!" Xie Ning looked at the blood-red Supersonic Mantis, blood still flowing from its forehead, his heart aching so much his eyes reddened. He hurriedly took out an intermediate energy potion, wanting to give it to it.

"No wonder the Leader is so determined to kill Hua Country students. You're too dangerous. Especially you..." The Fallen Demon Tamer showed no anger now. He looked down at the wound on his body, then back at Xie Ning. "Possessing strange Demon Tamers Beasts, Intermediate cultivation ability, turning the tide single-handedly. What scares me more is that you're only 18... I finally understand the Leader's goal. Even if it costs my life, I must not let you, Xie Ning, live!"

As he spoke, the Fallen Demon Tamer's body turned crimson, all his hair fell out, veins bulged, and the breath from his mouth and nose thickened like white mist, accompanied by heavy, thunder-like sounds.

This was the maximum use of the blood fury pill and secret technique. His Aura surged, half-stepping into Platinum Rank. The terrifying Aura directly knocked out the Silver captains, Lu Bingyun, Lan Yu, and others, along with their Demon Tamers Beasts, all collapsing weakly. Even his own two Demon Tamers Beasts couldn't withstand it and fell unconscious.

Now, only the Fallen Demon Tamer in blood fury state, along with Xie Ning and the Supersonic Mantis, remained conscious on the field.

"Roar..."

The next second, the Fallen Demon Tamer revealed a ferocious, bloodthirsty expression and pounced.

Just as Xie Ning felt despair, thinking he was about to die, a clear, cold shout rang out, followed by a flash of sword light, and the Fallen Demon Tamer's head fell to the ground.

It rolled 'thump thump' to Xie Ning's feet, still bearing the frenzied smile from before death.

"Classmate, are you alright?"

A familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared before Xie Ning. Just then, sunlight shone down, and this scene... felt déjà vu.