198: The curse technique has failed!

That eerie rune was like a ghostly shadow, carrying endless mystery and horror as it shot directly into Su Ling's Sea of Consciousness with lightning speed.

In an instant, Su Ling felt a tempestuous wave surge within his Sea of Consciousness.

The seven star soul settling pagoda instantly bloomed with starlight, firmly protecting his Divine Soul.

However, the rune weirdly penetrated the starlight barrier, clinging tightly to it like a maggot on a bone.

Su Ling's Divine Soul felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, trembling violently. Every tremor pulled at the depths of his Soul, bringing heart-piercing and bone-eroding pain.

The world before him began to twist and blur, illusion and reality intertwining, plunging him into extreme fear and confusion.

The Low Grade Soul-Suppressing Spiritual Artifact, the seven star soul settling pagoda, actually couldn't defend against this eerie Soul attack.

Su Ling's Divine Soul struggled frantically, trying to break free from this terrifying rune.

But his power seemed so small and helpless before this mysterious rune.

The Divine Soul was suppressed deathly still by the rune, as if imprisoned by an invisible shackle, unable to move.

That unknown fear was like a giant beast lurking in the darkness, ready to devour him at any moment.

Just as Su Ling began to feel despair, the rune weirdly and suddenly dispersed.

After only a breath of time, everything came to a screeching halt, as if that terrifying attack had never happened.

The trembling of Su Ling's Divine Soul stopped without warning, and his Sea of Consciousness returned to tranquility, leaving only the sound of his own heavy breathing.

The lingering effects of fear and pain remained in his eyes, yet they were also filled with blankness and doubt; for a moment, he was at a loss for what to do.

“This... how is this possible?!”

The Black-Robed Cultivator's scream suddenly pierced the silence. The sound was sharp and ear-piercing, filled with disbelief and extreme shock.

His eyes bulged as he stared fixedly at Su Ling, as if trying to see through him to find the answer as to why the curse technique had failed.

“The Soul Burial Curse is a Soul secret technique recorded in the Nine Nether Secret Record. How can he be completely unharmed?!”

The Black-Robed Cultivator's lips trembled violently, the words squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying endless alarm and confusion.

His entire being was plunged into a state of massive shock and bewilderment.

In his understanding, this Soul Burial Curse was an invincible killing move, a terrifying secret technique enough to make any Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator tremble with fear.

Not long ago, he had used this technique to silently curse and kill a Peak Nascent Soul official of the Imperial Dynasty.

He had wiped out the official's entire family without leaving a single trace.

But now, in front of Su Ling, the curse technique was like a stone dropped into the ocean, failing to stir even a single ripple.

To the Black-Robed Cultivator, this was undoubtedly a devastating blow to his cognition and self-confidence, making him feel an unprecedented sense of fear and helplessness.

While the Black-Robed Cultivator stood there dazed with shock and his mind in chaos, Su Ling would not waste this hard-won and excellent opportunity.

His gaze instantly became as sharp as an eagle's, and the Aura around him shifted abruptly.

Su Ling took a deep breath, and his majestic magic power, like a surging tide, gathered into the phoenix dance nine-fierce ruler in his hand.

In an instant, runes flashed upon the ruler, and its light flared brilliantly.

The Southern Bright Fire Phoenix seemed like an ancient Divine Beast awakened from slumber, letting out a clear cry that shook heaven and earth as it instantly spread its wings.

It was shrouded in boundless, scorching flames. The fire was a dazzling vermilion, carrying a terrifyingly high temperature that could destroy everything, as it lunged frantically toward the Black-Robed Cultivator.

Everywhere it passed, the air was instantly ignited, letting out crackling pops, and space itself seemed to warp and deform under the terrifying heat.

At the same time, a pair of blue-purple wings suddenly extended from Su Ling's back.

The moment the wings spread, lightning patterns flashed and thunder boomed.

Su Ling transformed into a streak of blue light, shooting out at a speed that was almost instantaneous movement.

In the blink of an eye, he arrived before the Black-Robed Cultivator. His right hand, wreathed in black mist, was raised high, his five fingers curved like hooks as he clawed fiercely at the Black-Robed Cultivator.

Soul Capturing Art!

In an instant, a powerful suction force emanated from his palm, frantically pulling at the Nascent Soul within the Black-Robed Cultivator's body.

The jade tablet that had been protecting the Nascent Soul vibrated violently, and the Black-Robed Cultivator's Nascent Soul was actually forcefully pulled out of his body!

Immediately, countless Soul-Binding Silks coiled around it like venomous snakes, firmly binding the Nascent Soul.

A look of terror appeared on the Nascent Soul's face as it tried to struggle and evade.

But that double layer of Soul-binding power was like an inescapable shackle, tightly restraining it.

At this critical moment, the Body Refining human puppet, which had been chasing relentlessly, closed in again, throwing a full-power punch at Su Ling with a fist as hard as steel.

“Boom!”

A loud explosion shook heaven and earth as the punch landed heavily on the golden steel demon-clearing bell.

The powerful impact force directly sent Su Ling flying back.

The Black-Robed Cultivator took the chance to break free from the restraint, but before he could catch his breath, nine dark-green mother-son soul-chasing needles, fine as hair, suddenly shot out from the dissipating Netherworld Ghost Hand!

“Crack!”

Under his horrified gaze, the nine Soul-chasing needles pierced fiercely into the jade tablet.

A crisp yet Soul-stirring sound suddenly rang out, and that supreme grade Soul-suppressing Magic Treasure jade tablet shattered upon impact.

“No! How is this possible!”

The Black-Robed Cultivator finally let out a roar of despair, a voice filled with fear, anger, and unwillingness.

The next moment, the ghost soul arrows, no longer obstructed, drove straight in, piercing deeply into his Nascent Soul!

Following closely, the Southern Bright Fire Phoenix spread its flaming wings and let out a cry of destruction.

At the moment of crisis, the human puppet actually flashed forward without hesitation, using its flesh-and-blood body to shield the Black-Robed Cultivator.

“Boom!”

Vermilion flames dyed half the sky, and the powerful body of the Body Refining human puppet rapidly turned to ash under the burning of the Southern Bright Departing Fire.

“Ah!”

The Black-Robed Cultivator let out a shrill scream: “Su Ling!!! I will tear you into ten thousand pieces!!”

Although the ghost soul arrows hadn't killed him on the spot, the overbearing Soul-destroying power had severely wounded his Divine Soul.

His originally flawless Nascent Soul was now covered in cracks, and its entire form became illusory and unstable.

The Black-Robed Cultivator's Aura also abruptly plummeted from the Late Nascent Soul Stage directly to the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

In his fury, he no longer held anything back.

His water-blue Flying Sword exploded with a bang, turning into a sky-covering giant wave that poured down toward Su Ling!

At the same time, the Black-Robed Cultivator threw out several more Magic Treasures in succession.

Those Magic Treasures were of various forms; some flashed with piercing cold light, while others emitted thick black Qi, whistling as they launched a relentless attack on Su Ling.

For a time, the entire sky was shrouded in the light of these Magic Treasures.

Facing this overwhelming onslaught, Su Ling didn't show the slightest panic, and the power of thunder erupted around him once more.

“Sizzle!”

Thunder light rose again, and a blue streak of light flashed past.

Su Ling had actually appeared behind him.

That pair of incomparably sharp Azure Roc Wings slashed down like celestial blades, forcefully cutting through the protective Magic Treasure and piercing straight into the Nascent Soul's body.

“No!!!”

Amidst the Black-Robed Cultivator's despairing roar, Azure Heaven Thunder erupted violently from within the Nascent Soul!

His body stiffened, and all movement came to an abrupt halt.

The light in his eyes rapidly dimmed, and his body, flying backward, fell powerlessly like a broken-winged eagle.

The Late Nascent Soul Stage Black-Robed Cultivator had fallen!