Aside from the raw amount of elemental fire gathered in the area, everyone could feel an almost feral-like amount of energy from the dragon. Its jaws spread wide apart in an effort to swallow Dongfang Ming whole!!

The lightning-fast strike of a Late-stage Soul Emperor was terrifying to behold. Many weren’t even able to withstand the stifling pressure of the attack. Huo Zhenting, for example, broke out in cold sweat upon feeling the pressure. He felt afraid for Dongfang Ming, but there was nothing he could do to help him. He didn’t dare do anything.

His eyes flickered up to the person standing above them all. He looked worried, but also a little expectant of something.

“……”

Dongfang Ming quirked an eyebrow at the incoming dragon. His face wasn’t as calm as before, but it certainly wasn’t panicked either. Hesitant if he wanted to dodge or not, Dongfang Ming’s eyes looked to where Huo Zhenting was. Raising both hands, Dongfang Ming began to go through a series of hand seals.

It was time for him to take a stand and defend against this move!!

“Roar!!”

Then without further ado, everyone watched as the giant flaming dragon ‘swallowed’ Dongfang Ming whole!!

“Boom!!!”

The entire world exploded into a chaotic symphony of sound as the dragon exploded. Energy flowed across the battlefield in waves while everyone else watched the epicenter with their breaths held for the aftermath.

“He’s…still alive!!”

Qi Ning cried out, relieved. He could sense Dongfang Ming’s aura still alive and well within the center of the explosion.

“Bang!!”

A pillar of blood-red light shot out from the flames left behind by the dragon. Cleaving apart the flames, the red light cleared away the area before revealing a person within itself.

Dongfang Ming!!

He was still standing in the same spot…a little short for breath and a little disheveled, but…he was still alive!

But there was something that stuck out from him. Something that made everyone’s heart skip a beat when they saw it. A red spear was sticking out from his chest!

The shaft of the spear had a dragon engraved on it like flames. At a little over two meters long, this spear was currently stuck deep in Dongfang Ming’s chest!

And it was embedded at the same place of where his heart was!

This was a wound far more critical than the one Hu Yang gave him on the shoulder. Anyone, Bai Yunfei included, would’ve died instantly if they were to face such a strike. But…Dongfang Ming was still alive!

“Huff huff…”

A pained growl escaped from Dongfang Ming as he wiped the blood from his lips. He was snarling, but he didn’t look panicked or frightened at all. If anything…he looked happy?

“The legendary dragonic spear, crafted from the bones of a Primordial Dragon…and that’s it?!”

Dongfang Ming sneered in between mouthfuls of blood. He seemed to be laughing at the fact the spear had yet to kill him as he grabbed hold of the spear with both hands!

……

“Hm?! He’s alive?!”

It went without saying that Chu Yintian was surprised. From his spot within the flames, the Soul Emperor was thoroughly shocked to see Dongfang Ming alive. His spear should’ve easily killed anyone, especially when it stabbed through one’s heart like it did with Dongfang Ming. And yet…Dongfang Ming was still moving!

“What is this?!”

A sudden power spike from within Dongfang Ming alerted Chu Yintian to a new sensation from his draconic spear!

His spear…was getting weaker somehow. The connection between him and the spear was weakening without him knowing why. It was as if his spear was trying to fight off against another soul armament…

His spear wasn’t struggling against a person, but with some kind of soul armament!

“Boom!!”

A loud clap of thunder alerted Chu Yintian to a new development above his head. Raising a hand, the Late-stage Soul Emperor summoned a tortoiseshell to protect his head.

The clouds above him cleaved apart at that moment to allow for a giant bolt of lightning to crash down onto him!

“Boom!!”

Straight away, the world was awash with a violet light as the lightning bolt broke apart. The resulting flash of light was so intense that everyone watching it had to force their eyes shut, thus preventing them from seeing what happened to Chu Yintian.

“Master!!”

Huo Zhenting shouted aloud. His eyes were staring intently at a new figure standing in front of him.

This new person appeared out of thin air almost to attack Chu Yintian. It was an elderly figure dressed in violet robes and looked even more rickety than Chu Yintian. A sudden gust of wind was probably enough to send this person toppling over if they weren’t prepared. But…the amount of power radiating from this person wasn’t any less than that of Chu Yintian!

Dong Wanlei was one of oldest remaining elders of the Wind Lightning School. A man of the same generation as Chu Yintian and also the greatest trump card the Wind Lightning School had to offer.

He was a living fossil and also someone no one would normally see in their lives. If not for the chaotic state of the world, Dong Wanlei would’ve preferred to stick to his isolation instead of appearing now.

“……”

Dong Wanlei ignored Huo Zhenting. His eyes were for Chu Yintian only. The aura around him crackled with lightning as he raised both hands in front of him and were pressed outward.

“Rumble rumble…”

The skies above Chu Yintian and Dong Wanlei darkened rapidly. The clouds grew dark and bristled with violet lightning bolts. More and more elemental lightning was starting to appear all over the place to gather around Mt. Crimson.

“Behold! The Nine Tribulations!!”

Dong Wanlei thundered. The soulforce within his body exploded with frightening force upon the very last word. At the very mention of this name, the elders from the Wind Lightning School began to look on with ecstatic expressions.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…”

As if the heavens were administering divine justice, nine gigantic bolts of violet lightning crashed down from the clouds to strike Chu Yintian!

……

Surrounded by the nine bolts of lightning, Chu Yintian continued to hold his soul armament over his head. His soulforce was circulating rapidly as he attempted to push away any tendril of elemental lightning trying to force itself into his body.

Chu Yintian merely narrowed his eyes at the nine lightning bolts. He waved his left hand as if to summon another soul armament to him, but then…his eyes shifted back to where Dongfang Ming was in shock!