"Killing you alone is enough. Since you're so arrogant, today I'll let you witness the true power of a Netherworld guardian." the Old Ancestor declared.
A massive black saber appeared in his hand, its blade radiating powerful dark-element energy. Evan saw at a glance that this energy was pure darkness—proof that the old man's mastery over the dark element was formidable.
"Prepare to die!" the Old Ancestor roared at Evan, swinging his black saber in a swift, brutal arc. Instantly, a blade of black energy slashed toward Evan.
Evan wasn't one to back down. As soon as the Old Ancestor drew his saber, Evan readied his own counterattack. Against such a powerhouse, only his strongest techniques would do: Unicorn Arm plus Divine Cleave. He knew killing him in one blow was impossible, but only this combo could inflict real damage.
His only advantage was the overwhelming power of his Chaos Immortal Force. With Jadeheart Lotus seeds—those miraculous treasures—he could instantly refill his energy reserves.
Suddenly, the sky shook violently, as if the whole space might tear apart. Huge cracks dozens of meters wide split the ground, some revealing red magma below and others already erupting.
The impact zone stretched across thousands of li, sand and wind raging everywhere. In moments, Evan and the Old Ancestor's attacks collided—blade energy versus sword-qi!
The Old Ancestor's blade carried a corrosive dark-element force. Against ordinary foes, this would cause severe injuries, but it was useless against Evan, whose mastery of the nine elements was unrivaled. Only the sheer power of the blade could threaten him.
Boom! A deafening explosion twisted the sky. With a thunderous crash, a mountain thousands of meters high rose from the ground, the shockwave spreading for tens of thousands of li, toppling countless buildings—like a magnitude-ten earthquake.
Evan's fiery sword-qi crackled with lightning. After the blade and sword-qi partially canceled each other out, both attacks struck their targets. This was Evan's strongest move, and the Old Ancestor was also fighting with everything he had—he'd seen Evan nearly kill a Heavenly God-level elder before.
He held nothing back, convinced this blow would end Evan—a late-stage Nether Emperor was just an ant before him. But now, he realized how wrong he was.
To his shock, the boy's attack was just as strong as his own—maybe even stronger. A sense of danger crept over him; there was no time to dodge, so he hastily raised a defensive energy barrier, hoping it would lessen the impact of Evan's sword-qi.
The saber strike sent Evan flying thousands of meters, his body torn and bloody, wounds so deep his organs were exposed. Golden blood oozed out, but after a few breaths, it stopped.
The wood-element pattern on his Element Core Pearl flashed rapidly, working to heal his body. This was likely the worst injury he'd suffered since ascending—though before ascension, his duel with Logan Shangguan had been even more dangerous.
Evan stared straight at the Old Ancestor, whose injuries were even worse—his body was mangled, one arm gone, blood pouring out, his pale face twisted in agony.
Seeing the old man lose an arm, Evan was secretly pleased—it proved Divine Cleave was more powerful. Still, he couldn't finish the job; if he could break through one more realm, killing the enemy would be certain.
The newly ascended Heavenly God Old Ancestor flashed to the wounded elder's side, frowning at the injuries. A surge of energy shot from his hand into the Old Ancestor's back.
Evan knew he was healing his ally—this was the perfect time to attack. Ignoring his own pain, Evan flashed forward, unleashing another Unicorn Arm plus Divine Cleave combo.
His terrifying sword-qi shot toward the enemy. The Heavenly God-level elder erupted in anger, 'You brat, are you looking to die?' He ignored the wounded elder and struck at Evan with a powerful palm.
It all happened in a flash. Evan's sword-qi struck the wounded Old Ancestor, who couldn't dodge—he might die from this attack. But Evan could also be seriously injured, or even killed, by the Heavenly God Old Ancestor.
For a moment, Evan was torn. If he defended himself, the wounded elder would survive, but he'd be badly hurt himself—rushed defense wouldn't be strong enough. Better to finish off one enemy first.
Evan was confident he wouldn't die easily, even if he was seriously injured. He could always use Lightshift to turn invisible—his only plan at the moment. As he attacked, a layer of earth-stone defense appeared around him.
Though earth-stone defense wasn't much against a Heavenly God, it could still reduce the damage a little—maybe just enough to keep him alive.
Boom! Boom! Two explosions rang out as two figures shot through the air—Evan and the wounded Old Ancestor.
Evan's strike split the Old Ancestor's body in two. Luckily, his Nether Core survived—the body was dead, but the infant soul flew free.
Evan was smashed to the ground, every bone and organ shattered. He lost consciousness, falling into the magma below.
Evan was gravely wounded—almost certain death. But as the protagonist, he would naturally survive disaster. He hadn't expected the Heavenly God's attack to be so terrifying; he'd been careless.
The Heavenly God Old Ancestor watched Evan fall into the magma and said, 'Let's see if you survive this. Who would've thought a late-stage Nether Emperor youth could be so strong? In a few hundred years, no one in the Netherworld would be his match!'
Is the brat dead yet?" the Old Ancestor, now just a Nether Core infant soul, asked.
Hard to say. The magma below blocks my divine sense, but he's probably dead," the Heavenly God Old Ancestor replied.
Alive, I want to see the man; dead, I want to see the corpse. That brat dared to destroy my physical body—I won't let him have even the slightest chance to live!
Let's watch for a few days. Lock our divine senses on the area within a hundred li. If he isn't dead, we'll find him. The taste of magma isn't something ordinary people can endure.
Evan was completely unaware of all this. Fire element surged into his body, while in a corner of his dantian, a drop of golden blood shone with brilliant light...