72: Human Soul vs. Dragon Soul

In the core of Dragonfall Nest, the battle between Zhao Tieying and Alduin had reached a fever pitch.

Zhao Tieying was bathed in 'gold,' a manifestation of his martial will and domain of rules burning to their utmost.

Each swing of his axe carried the terrifying might to cleave mountains and split star rivers, leaving deep fissures on Alduin's enormous, unmatched dark-golden skeletal body, with dark-golden bone fragments and lava-like energy blood splattering everywhere.

However, Alduin was, after all, a true Transcendent-level existence!

Its massive size was the most impregnable fortress, and the death rules it contained were as vast as the sea.

Every breath it took stirred the energy tides of the entire Bone Plain.

Every swing of its claw tore through large swathes of space.

Every roar it let out contained the terrifying power of soul annihilation.

Although Zhao Tieying was also Transcendent-level, his strength was clearly not as great as Alduin's.

Under Alduin's furious counterattacks, the golden light on Zhao Tieying's body grew dimmer and dimmer, and the golden bloodstains at the corners of his mouth increased, indicating he had sustained serious internal injuries.

"Roar!!! Ant! Die!"

Alduin was completely enraged; its massive head rose high, and the countless dragon soul phantoms entwined around its body let out soul-piercing screeches, converging into a grey-white torrent filled with endless resentment and death energy, sweeping towards Zhao Tieying like an apocalyptic tsunami!

This was an attack that mobilized the core power of Dragonfall Nest, its might far surpassing anything before!

Zhao Tieying's pupils constricted, sensing a fatal threat!

He let out a furious roar, pouring all his strength into his battle-axe, preparing to fight to the death!

Just at this critical moment!

"Buzz!"

A soft yet incredibly resilient, pale white light screen, seemingly capable of encompassing all things, appeared without warning in front of Zhao Tieying, like the strongest dam, meeting the destructive torrent of dragon souls head-on!

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

The grey-white torrent of death collided with the pale white light screen, emitting an ear-piercing corrosive sound; the light screen fluctuated violently, as if it could shatter at any moment, yet it stubbornly held its ground!

"General Zhao, you've worked hard. This old man is a step late."

An old, calm, yet inexplicably authoritative voice, like a spring breeze, swept across the chaotic battlefield and clearly entered Zhao Tieying's ears.

Space subtly twisted, and an old man in a simple grey robe, with white hair and beard, and a lean face, appeared silently beside Zhao Tieying as if stepping out of a painting.

He leaned on a seemingly ordinary wooden staff, at the top of which was embedded a smooth, milky white gem, emitting a soft glow that supported the light screen blocking the dragon soul torrent.

It was one of the high-ranking members of the Professional Association from the earlier secret meeting!

A complex light flashed in Zhao Tieying's eyes, containing surprise, vigilance, but more so the relief of seeing strong reinforcements.

"Councilor Zheng! You're finally here!"

The old man's gaze calmly fixed on the enraged Alduin, but deep within his eyes was a chilling coldness.

"This fiend is vicious and cunning. Now that it has appeared, we must not let it escape again!"

"General alone, I fear, might not achieve complete success. Let us join forces and finish this quickly!"

Zhao Tieying suppressed his injuries, and his golden great axe once again burst forth with brilliant light.

With the old man's addition, the tide of battle instantly turned!

The old man appeared calm, but his attacks were incredibly sharp.

His power seemed not to be purely destructive, but rather carried certain rule-level characteristics of 'purification,' 'binding,' and 'annihilation.'

Pale white runic chains appeared out of thin air, coiling around Alduin's skeletal body; although constantly broken by its rampant power, they greatly slowed its movements and weakened its energy flow.

Each time his staff pointed, a beam of concentrated white light shot out, precisely striking the bone fissures Zhao Tieying had previously opened, causing even more violent internal energy disorder and explosions within Alduin!

Alduin's roars grew even angrier; it sensed that this latecomer human's power essence had some kind of restraint over it!

It frantically mobilized the power of Dragonfall Nest, and the dragon soul phantoms entwined around it became even more solid, the grey-white death field almost materializing.

"General Zhao, attack with all your might! I will break this turtle shell of its!"

A fierce glint flashed in the old man's eyes; he was clearly preparing to use stronger methods.

"Good!"

Zhao Tieying understood, took a deep breath, and poured all his strength, will, and even a portion of his life essence into the great axe in his hand!

The light on the axe blade was no longer dazzling gold, but rather extremely restrained, as if it would absorb all surrounding light, emitting a destructive, terrifying aura that made space itself collapse!

He was charging up, preparing to unleash an earth-shattering blow!

At the same time, the old man's calm facade completely vanished, replaced by an almost cold indifference.

He gripped his staff with both hands, raised it high, and began to chant an ancient, obscure incantation.

This incantation did not act upon the material world, but directly penetrated the boundary between life and death!

"In my name, I wield the authority over life and death..."

"Souls lingering in this realm, unable to find peace..."

"Your resentment, your unwillingness, your hatred for unjust death..."

"All shall be fuel, to burn away this fiend's reliance!"

As the old man chanted, the milky white gem at the top of his staff suddenly burst forth with a ghastly white light!

This light was not warm, but carried a bone-chilling coldness!

Buzz!

The sky of the entire Barren World seemed to darken instantly.

It wasn't obscured by dark clouds, but rather a coldness and dead silence originating from the soul level enveloped the earth.

At the edge of Thousand Dragon Valley, the dragon beast horde, locked in fierce combat with the xenomorphs, paused for a moment, as if sensing some tremor and fear from the depths of their souls.

The next moment, countless translucent, twisted, human-shaped phantoms, filled with pain, fear, despair, and endless malice, rose from every corner of the battlefield... from the torn limbs of those ripped apart by dragon beasts, from beneath the rocks shattered by energy aftershocks, from the scorched earth burned by dragon's breath!

Tens of thousands!

Tens of thousands of student souls who had tragically died in the Professional Association entrance exam!

Their faces were blurry, but the overwhelming resentment, gathered together and almost substantial, was enough to cause any living being's mind to collapse!

These Revenant seemed to be pulled by invisible chains, involuntarily converging towards the core of Dragonfall Nest, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, eventually forming an enormous, grey-black torrent, obscuring half the sky, composed of pure resentment and despair!

"Roar?!"

The Bone Monarch·Odun seemed to sense a great threat; the dark-golden light in its massive eye sockets flickered violently, trying to mobilize more dragon soul power for defense and counterattack.

However, the old man's staff suddenly pointed downwards!

"Go!"

That grey-black torrent, formed by the convergence of tens of thousands of student souls and filled with endless malice, guided by the old man's incantation, let out a silent, yet soul-tearing shriek, like a breached apocalyptic flood, smashing fiercely and with extreme precision into the grey-white defensive energy field around Alduin, which was composed of countless dragon soul phantoms!

This was soul against dragon soul! Resentment against resentment! Despair against death!

Hiss—Boom, rumble, rumble!!!