"Kill, kill, kill!"

In the dark space, a bloody massacre was unfolding. Screams echoed continuously as people fell to the ground.

The scene was utter chaos. Even disciples of the same sect were killing each other. Faced with this situation, the handful of young titans and top-tier masters did everything in their power to restrain the members of their own sects.

Fortunately, most of those from the Major Sects were top-tier disciples, so they quickly brought the situation under control.

As for the disciples from the smaller sects, they had no energy to spare for them.

Over a hundred smaller sects had come from Qing Province this time, with more than a thousand disciples in total. All those who had not reached the top tier of strength were now under the control of the Blood Bell Flower.

"Something is very wrong."

Liu Bingxue and the others noticed that as soon as a body hit the ground, it would turn into a withered husk in the blink of an eye, completely drained of blood.

"What in the world is this place?"

Even powerful figures like the young titans felt a chill run down their spines. This place was too sinister; they didn’t want to stay a moment longer.

PUFF!

On the other side, Tang Lin and the other two coughed up blood. They were sent flying back by Yuwen Chi’s attack, their faces deathly pale.

"Brother, Sister, you go! I’ll stay behind and hold him off!"

Xiang Yinghao roared. Blood was pouring from his Seven Apertures; he had been grievously wounded in the previous clash.

"No! If we go, we go together," Zi Yunfei refused flatly.

"If you don’t leave now, none of us will make it out of here today! Brother, Sister, find the Ninth Elder and avenge me!"

Xiang Yinghao’s aura surged, his fighting spirit soaring to the heavens.

"Sister, let’s go!"

Tang Lin had always been staid and reserved, but now his eyes were wet as he let out a furious roar.

He knew Xiang Yinghao had resolved to die. Wasting the chance to escape that his friend was buying with his life would be a betrayal of his sacrifice.

"You think you can escape from me?"

Yuwen Chi sneered. A flaming palm reached out, blotting out the sky like a descending cloud of fire, enveloping all three of them.

"Kill!"

The veins on Xiang Yinghao’s face bulged. He shot into the sky to meet the giant palm head-on.

This was a final, desperate charge—an act of someone who had accepted death and cast aside all fear.

"No!"

Zi Yunfei screamed in anguish, her eyes feeling as if they would split apart.

’Ninth Elder, where are you?’ she cried out in her heart, desperately wishing Ning Jiang would appear.

CRACKLE!

Just then, a brilliant bolt of Purple Thunder erupted, streaking across the void and tearing the massive flaming hand apart.

"Who is it?" Yuwen Chi looked over, shocked and enraged.

In his line of sight was a white-haired figure, wreathed in surging Purple Thunder, strolling toward them.

"Yuwen Chi, bullying my sect’s disciples while I’m away?"

"Ninth Elder!"

Tang Lin and the others were overjoyed. They never expected Ning Jiang to arrive in the nick of time.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Looking at their battered appearances, Ning Jiang felt a sense of relief. If he had been even a step later, he would have found three corpses.

After spending a month with the Yanyue Sect, he had developed a sense of belonging, however small.

Besides, as the Ninth Elder, he had a duty to protect the disciples of his sect. It was his responsibility.

"I was wondering where you were hiding, too scared to show your face. But since you’re here, all the better. The value in killing you is far greater than killing those three."

Yuwen Chi snorted coldly, jets of flame shooting from his nostrils.

"Take this! Fire Cloud Earth-Splitting Slash!"

In an instant, all the surrounding Flame coalesced above. After three breaths’ time, a colossal Flaming Giant Axe appeared in everyone’s sight.

The Flaming Giant Axe was a hundred zhang long, wreathed in flames that writhed like countless fiery serpents.

A terrifying heatwave rolled out in all directions.

This was a Cultivation Technique from the Fire Cloud Array. When fighting the Fire Cloud Sect for the Spirit Vein, Ning Jiang had seen three of their disciples combine their strength to use this very move.

But now, Yuwen Chi had unleashed it all by himself, and its power was far more dreadful and terrifying than what he had witnessed before.

"A parlor trick."

Ning Jiang did not retreat a single step. His entire body blazed with brilliant thunder, as if he were a Thunder God incarnate, master of Celestial Thunder.

BOOM!

He threw a punch, and a torrent of thunder surged forward. Though he didn’t use his Thunder River technique, the power of this single punch was not to be underestimated. It was enough to obliterate any top-tier master.

BANG!

The clash of thunder and flame drew the attention of the other young titans.

This was no ordinary battle. It was a collision between two young titans, a contest of raw power like a meteor striking the earth.

Who would come out on top? The long-famous Yuwen Chi, or this mysterious Ninth Elder?

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

A terrifying collision ensued. With a stomp of their feet, the two charged at each other and began to fight.

In an instant, the area a thousand zhang around them became a no-man’s-land.

THUD!

With another impact, the entire space split into two colors. On Yuwen Chi’s side was yellow Flame, while on Ning Jiang’s side was Purple Thunder.

The Flame and thunder clashed, pressing against each other. It was as if the very space was torn in two, with each force holding its ground.

"That Thunder Power is so tyrannical. Yuwen Chi is having trouble suppressing it."

After several exchanges, all the young titans saw what was happening. They watched the Purple Thunder coiling around Ning Jiang with a hint of fear.

"Speaking of which, I’ve seen many Martial Artists who cultivate Thunder Power, but I’ve never seen this kind of Purple Thunder."

"Indeed. This Purple Thunder is more ferocious, and it has a very different aura."

The young titans exchanged glances. In all their experience, they had never seen such a strange form of thunder as Ning Jiang’s.

"Damn it."

As the fight raged on, Yuwen Chi also discovered the problem. His flames were being completely suppressed by Ning Jiang’s thunder. His opponent’s thunder was simply too tyrannical, possessing the power to sweep away everything in its path.

"The Ninth Elder is so strong."

Zi Yunfei and the other two exchanged a look of amazement.

"With the Ninth Elder here, the Yanyue Sect will definitely rise again," Xiang Yinghao said with conviction.

Ning Jiang was so young, yet he displayed such terrifying potential. His future was limitless.

"Fire Dragon Dance."

Yuwen Chi once again unleashed one of his signature Martial Techniques. Flames gathered and roiled, forming a gigantic Fire Dragon that lunged at Ning Jiang, trying to swallow him whole.

"Break!"

Ning Jiang answered with a single punch, but it was an unstoppable blow that could shatter gods and slay buddhas.

"Fire Cloud Storm."

"Fire Cloud Hand Seal."

"Fire Cloud Explosion."

Yuwen Chi unleashed a barrage of attacks, one fierce technique after another.

Clouds of fire pressed down from all sides, a terrifying and overwhelming sight.

Faced with such an onslaught, only the Twin Sword Sons among the watching young titans remained calm. The expressions of the others were grave.

But Ning Jiang simply kept throwing punches. No matter how ferocious the enemy’s attack, he shattered them all with a single fist.

"Yuwen Chi must be about to use his ace in the hole, right?" Li Kuangba said.

"You do have some skill. You’re worthy of facing my full power."

After another exchange, Yuwen Chi retreated several dozen zhang. At this point, he had finally acknowledged Ning Jiang’s strength.

"Let me show you my strongest move—the Furious Fire Lotus!"

Yuwen Chi took a deep breath. His hands formed a series of rapid seals as the flames enveloping his body surged out and gathered before him.

Gradually, a Fire Lotus appeared in front of him. At first, it was only the size of a palm, but as more flames poured into it, it slowly grew to the size of a human head.

"The Furious Fire Lotus. I can’t believe we get to see this move again. I heard that to master this technique, you first have to find a volcano and spend a month absorbing its Flame Power until you’ve drained the entire mountain dry."

"That’s right. In other words, this move contains a month’s worth of Yuwen Chi’s accumulated power. Once it detonates, it will be earth-shattering."

The young titans murmured among themselves. Even they weren’t confident they could withstand such a terrifying attack.

"If the two of us worked together, we could block it, but we’d still be injured," the Twin Sword Sons concluded, their expressions turning slightly grave.

"You can be proud to die by my Furious Fire Lotus."

Yuwen Chi grinned, then tossed the lifelike Fire Lotus in his palm toward Ning Jiang.

The Fire Lotus flew silently, a thing of breathtaking beauty. A vacuum trail appeared in its wake where the air itself had been incinerated by the intense heat.

"This temperature is quite astonishing."

Ning Jiang glanced at the ground and saw rocks beginning to melt. The shocking heatwave was intense enough to instantly vaporize an ordinary person, leaving behind nothing but a desiccated corpse.

"Thunder River."

He threw a punch, unleashing the Talent Divine Technique of his Nine Tribulations Celestial Thunder Body.

WHOOSH!

A torrent of thunder poured out like a waterfall, a roaring, magnificent river of pure energy, incandescent to the extreme.

BOOM!

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the Thunder River collided with the Furious Fire Lotus, erupting in a blinding divine light.

The two forces clashed, mutually annihilating each other.

In the end, both vanished into thin air. Neither side had gained the slightest advantage.

"How is that possible?"

Yuwen Chi’s eyes widened in disbelief. The exchange had seemed like a draw, but this was his ultimate killing move, one he had spent a month preparing!

’He can probably only use an attack like that once, right?’

Yuwen Chi comforted himself with the thought that such a tyrannical technique like the Thunder River could only be unleashed a single time.

However, reality was about to slap him hard across the face.

"Thunder River."

Ning Jiang clenched his fist, and the roaring Purple Thunder surged once more, sweeping toward Yuwen Chi.

BANG!

With a loud crash, Yuwen Chi was sent flying back several hundred zhang, his clothes torn to shreds.

"Yuwen Chi was actually defeated."

A ripple went through the hearts of the young titans. They found it hard to remain calm.

After all, Yuwen Chi was a figure on par with them. But now, a young man had appeared out of nowhere and was using Yuwen Chi as a stepping stone.

Given the strength Ning Jiang had just displayed, could they defeat him?

"He’s strong, but if we fought him, our odds of winning would still be higher," the Twin Sword Sons said confidently.

"Yuwen Chi, time to die." Ning Jiang raised his fist, preparing to deliver the killing blow.

"Hmm?"

But just then, he sensed an aura that made his blood run cold.