232: The final counterattack, making a feint to the east and attacking in the west!

Raymond said nothing more.

He pulled out a rusty two-handed greatsword stuck beside him.

The moment he grasped the hilt, all the grievances of the entire swamp converged towards the greatsword in his hand!

The originally rusted sword body was enveloped in a dense layer of black Qi, exuding a chillingly sharp aura.

He moved.

With a flash of his figure, he vanished from the Bone Mountain.

The next second, he appeared before Mo Yan, his greatsword cleaving down!

This single sword strike seemed capable of splitting the very earth!

Mo Yan's eyes narrowed; instead of retreating, he advanced.

He didn't use any weapon, merely pointed his fingers like a sword, meeting the greatsword with a single jab.

Fingertip and sword tip collided in mid-air.

Clang!

A shockwave, centered on the two of them, exploded outwards!

The mud beneath their feet was not only pushed away but also revealed the black rock layer beneath.

The soul fire in Raymond's eyes contracted violently.

His sword strike, which had condensed the grievances of the entire swamp, was actually blocked by his opponent… with just two fingers?

How was this possible!

Not even Mo Yan's skin was broken.

"The strength is good, but it's a pity," Mo Yan commented, "Grievances are ultimately external forces, not your own power."

After speaking, the spiritual power at his fingertips suddenly erupted forward.

Bang!

Raymond, man and sword, was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the Bone Mountain, shattering a pile of bones.

The Soldiers in the distance watched, dumbfounded.

Idora, even more so, covered her mouth, her face full of disbelief.

That was the legendary General Zhenxi!

He was actually… repelled in a single exchange?

Raymond crawled out of the pile of bones, his armor further shattered.

He looked down at his empty ribcage, then at the calm young man.

"Who… exactly are you?"

"Just a passing Lord," Mo Yan chuckled, "General, do you wish to continue? If we keep fighting, your skeletal frame might just fall apart."

Raymond did not answer.

He slowly raised the greatsword in his hand, pointing it skyward.

"Empire… Heroic Souls… assist me!"

As he roared, the entire swamp began to wail.

Countless illusory shadows rose from the depths of the swamp, transforming into streaks of light and merging into Raymond's body.

His body rapidly expanded.

The skeleton, originally the size of a normal human, suddenly swelled to over three meters tall, its armor cracking and shattering, revealing a black body formed by countless entangled vengeful souls beneath.

The greatsword in his hand also grew much larger, with countless faces of pain and wailing appearing on its blade.

This aura was more than ten times stronger than before.

"Now this is getting interesting," Mo Yan's eyes finally became serious.

He could feel that Raymond, at this moment, was no longer just a heroic spirit.

He was more like a walking disaster.

"For… the… Empire!"

Raymond let out an inhuman roar and charged at him like a madman.

With every step he took, the ground trembled.

Mo Yan took a deep breath, and the spiritual power within his body circulated at high speed.

This time, he didn't overestimate himself.

Facing this attack, which condensed the grievances of countless heroic souls, he had to go all out.

He extended his right hand upwards, palm facing the sky.

"Tianxing Fire Rain!"

Rumble!

Above the sky, the wind and clouds changed color.

A massive fiery vortex appeared out of thin air, and meteors burning with golden flames indiscriminately bombarded Raymond below, as well as the swamp around him!

The range of the fire rain covered several hundred meters in all directions!

"My Lord!" Idora exclaimed, the world-destroying power filling her with dread.

"Everyone, defend!" The Soldier captain roared, and twenty Soldiers activated their spiritual power, forming a barrier that firmly protected them.

Gun Gun also let out a low growl, vigilantly shielding Idora in front of him; his mission was to protect her.

Raymond looked up at the sky, his eyes showing no fear, but rather an even more ferocious Battle Intent burning within them.

He plunged his greatsword into the ground!

"Wall of Souls!"

Boom!

Countless vengeful souls surged from beneath his feet, forming a massive black shield above his head, enduring the bombardment of the Tianxing Fire Rain!

Flames and resentment violently collided, producing deafening explosions.

The entire swamp trembled, black mud splattered everywhere, and dead trees ignited.

The center of the battlefield had already become a purgatory.

Mo Yan stood beneath the fire rain, his eyes growing brighter.

He felt that his control over Tianxing Fire Rain was improving at an incredible speed.

Originally, it was just simple summoning and bombardment; now, he could even precisely control the landing point and explosive power of each fire meteor.

It was like a child accustomed to playing with a slingshot suddenly getting a sniper rifle with adjustable focus and power.

"Prompt: Your understanding of the skill Tianxing Fire Rain has deepened, and your skill proficiency has increased from Novice to Proficient!"

"Tianxing Fire Rain (Proficient): Can consume spiritual power to summon fire meteors to attack a designated area. After proficiency increases, consumption is reduced by 10%, power is increased by 10%, and limited control over range and power is possible."

"So that's how it is."

Mo Yan's lips curved into a smile.

With a thought, the sky-filling fire rain suddenly receded, no longer an indiscriminate carpet bombing, but instead converging into a massive fireball with a diameter exceeding ten meters, like a blazing sun, dragging a long tail of flames, and smashing down on Raymond with unstoppable force!

Raymond felt a fatal threat.

He roared, pouring all his grievances into the Wall of Souls above his head.

Boom—!

The earth-shattering roar caused temporary deafness in everyone.

The fireball collided with the black dome, and this time, there was no stalemate.

The black Wall of Souls lasted less than a second before shattering like glass!

Terrifying flames completely engulfed Raymond's massive body.

"Ahhh—!"

Countless vengeful souls screamed in agony within the flames, being purified and dissipating.

Raymond's body rapidly melted in the flames, shrinking from over three meters tall back to the size of a normal human.

The greatsword in his hand broke, his resentful Qi armor vanished, and he knelt to the ground with a thud, the soul fire in his eyes becoming incredibly dim.

The fire rain dissipated, and the sky returned to clarity.

In the center of the battlefield, only a huge, still smoking crater remained.

"Is it over?" a Soldier murmured.

Mo Yan slowly descended and walked in front of Raymond.

"Now, can you let us in?"

Raymond looked up, his empty eye sockets gazing at Mo Yan, the soul fire flickering as if in thought.

His intact skeletal hand quietly pressed against the ground at an angle unseen by others.

Suddenly, a strong energy fluctuation came from the edge of the deep pit.

"Be careful!" Mo Yan's expression changed.

From the edge of the swamp, which had just been bombarded by the fire rain, a ground spike formed of mud and resentful Qi burst out of the ground without warning, targeting Idora, the weakest point in the defensive circle!

This was Raymond's final counterattack, a feint!

Everything happened too fast; the Soldiers' defensive formation had already loosened from the previous impact and they had no time to react!

Gun Gun roared, instantly blocking in front of Idora, swinging his bamboo at the ground spike!

With a muffled thud, the ground spike was deflected from its vital target, but the cold resentful Qi attached to it still grazed Idora's shoulder, leaving a bloody mark!

Pfft!

She groaned in pain, collapsing backward, the clothes on her left shoulder rapidly corroded by a layer of black Qi, and strange black lines appeared beneath her skin, spreading quickly towards her heart.