54: Sand Sea Beacon Fire

In the Tagor Desert, the scorching sun was like a giant disk of molten gold, mercilessly baking the endless yellow sands. Heatwaves distorted the air, making distant scenes shimmer like reflections in water.

In front of ancient ruins, half-buried by sand and wind, located deep within the desert, the atmosphere was even more scorching and murderous than the intense heat.

In the center of the dilapidated megalithic complex was a relatively open plaza. At this moment, the roar of colliding energy and piercing shrieks were incessant above the plaza.

Medusa floated in mid-air, her once opulent seven-colored robes now torn in several places, revealing her crystal-clear skin with streaks of blood underneath. Her exquisitely beautiful face was pale, and a breathtaking crimson stain lingered at the corner of her mouth, but her seven-colored snake eyes remained icy and stubborn, burning with an unyielding flame. Each swing of the seven-colored snake-shaped longsword in her hand brought forth a sky full of seven-colored light and scorching green flames (Green Lotus Core Flame), attacking her opponent like a torrential storm.

However, most of her attacks were devoured and extinguished by the dense, impenetrable black mist surrounding her opponent. The black mist seemed to possess life, constantly twisting and writhing, emitting a chilling Aura that corroded the Soul, isolating even the desert's heat.

From within the black mist, a blurry figure let out a hoarse, piercing cackle: "Tsk tsk, Queen Medusa, you truly live up to your reputation. Even with old injuries, you can still last this long under this Protector's hand. Your Physical Body and this abnormal flame truly make this Protector drool!"

It was none other than Protector Wu of the Hall of Souls! His strength had astonishingly reached the Five-Star Dou Huang level! Moreover, his methods were bizarre; the black mist had a strong suppressive effect on both Dou Qi and Soul, making Medusa fight with extreme frustration and difficulty.

At the edge of the plaza, the Snake-People Clan's Elder Yinshi and several other powerhouses were even more miserable. Their battle formation was already on the verge of collapse under a few casual Soul impacts from Protector Wu, everyone was injured, their Aura weak, barely able to defend themselves, completely unable to intervene in the Peak battle.

"Give up resisting, Your Majesty," Protector Wu's voice was full of temptation and coldness, "Hand over that part of the 'key' from your clan's ruins, and offer your Physical Body and abnormal flame. This Protector may spare the lives of your clansmen. Otherwise... today will be the beginning of your Snake-People Clan's demise!"

Before he finished speaking, the black mist violently surged, condensing into a gigantic gray ghostly claw made entirely of Soul Power. On the ghostly claw, countless twisted faces wailed, carrying terrifying power that could tear apart the Soul, and it grabbed down at Medusa! This attack was more powerful than any before!

Medusa's seven-colored pupils contracted sharply. She could feel the fatal threat contained within this claw. She gritted her silver teeth, furiously activating the remaining Dou Qi in her body and the Origin of the Green Lotus Core Flame. The seven-colored longsword burst forth with unprecedented light, and a seven-colored flame sword Qi, condensed from all her power, like a Phoenix in Nirvana, fearlessly met the giant Soul ghostly claw!

"Boom—!!!"

An earth-shattering explosion rang out in the center of the plaza! The energy storm swept out, leveling the surrounding ruins and broken walls another layer!

Medusa's delicate body trembled violently, and she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, her figure falling from the sky like a kite with a broken string, heavily smashing onto the yellow sand. The light of the seven-colored longsword in her hand dimmed, and her Aura instantly plummeted to rock bottom, unable to even maintain suspension. The spatial crack on her forehead, which had been suppressed by Li Ao, now showed signs of reopening.

The black mist around Protector Wu also fluctuated violently, clearly indicating that Medusa's desperate strike had not left him unscathed. But he quickly stabilized, the black mist re-condensed, and he let out an even more triumphant, strange laugh: "A spent force! Let's see how long you can last!"

He slowly extended a withered hand from the black mist, reaching out into the air towards Medusa, who lay on the ground, struggling to get up. A gray Soul suction force erupted, about to forcibly pull Medusa's Soul out of her Physical Body!

"Your Majesty!" Elder Yinshi and the others' eyes were bloodshot. They struggled to rush forward, but Protector Wu casually waved his hand, and a black mist barrier firmly blocked them, making it impossible to cross.

Medusa felt the tearing pain of her Soul about to leave her body, and a trace of despair and unwillingness flashed in her eyes. Could it be... that the fate of the Snake-People Clan was truly to end here?

Just at this critical moment—

"Whoosh—!"

An extremely sharp sonic boom, as if it could pierce eardrums, came from far to near, tearing through the sky at a terrifying speed, suddenly striking!

In the direction of the sound, at the edge of the sky, a dark golden speck rapidly enlarged. One moment it was at the edge of the horizon, the next, it had descended with a world-destroying Aura, crashing down above the ruins plaza!

It was a figure! Surrounded by dark golden Qi and blood smoke, moving so fast that it created a long vacuum tunnel in the air! Before the person arrived, a terrifying Saber Intent, utterly dominant and capable of cutting down everything, had already, like a substantial mountain, heavily pressed down upon the Soul suction force released by Protector Wu!

"Crack!"

The invisible Soul suction force, in the face of this even more dominant and pure destructive intent, shattered and disintegrated instantly like fragile glass!

Protector Wu's hand, reaching for Medusa, trembled violently. He suddenly looked up at the figure that had abruptly appeared in the sky, his gaze under the black mist filled with surprise and solemnity!

"Who?!"

The figure hovered in the air, slowly lowering its head. Its dark golden skin shimmered with a metallic luster under the scorching sun. In its deep pupils, silver-gray flames of annihilation burned quietly, coldly staring at Protector Wu below, like a deity looking down on ants.

"You harmed my person, did you ask my saber?"

The cold voice, devoid of any emotion, yet like a thunderclap, exploded in everyone's ears!

Medusa, lying on the ground, looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in the air, feeling the Aura that was immeasurably stronger than when they parted, and the unquestionable protectiveness in his words. Extremely complex emotions instantly surged in her seven-colored eyes: shock, astonishment, and a trace of... a post-calamity tremor that even she had not noticed.

He... came! At the most desperate moment!

Elder Yinshi and the other Snake-People trembled with excitement, as if they had seen a savior!

Protector Wu stared intently at Li Ao, feeling the annihilating Saber Intent from the other party that made his Soul ache and tremble, his voice becoming incredibly gloomy:

"It's you... who ruined the arrangements in the Soul Burial Ravine? Who exactly are you?!"

Li Ao did not answer his question. His gaze swept over Medusa, who was severely injured and lying on the ground, her Aura weak. The silver-gray flames in his eyes flickered, and a chilling killing intent, sharp to the extreme, spread out like a tangible entity, causing the surrounding temperature to instantly drop to freezing point!

He slowly raised his hand and grasped the hilt of the dark, long saber on his back.

"Those who harm her, die."

Clang—!

The long saber was unsheathed, pointing directly at Protector Wu!

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