"...Are you done?"
The words....casual, unbothered, still not taking him seriouslyâhit Ye Mo like a slap.
For a heartbeat, silence lingered around them.
Thenâ
Veins bulged across Ye Moâs monstrous neck.
His jaw clenched.
His crimson pupils dilated in anger and mania.
"...Done?"
He repeated, voice trembling.
"DONE?!"
His killing intent erupted like a volcano.
CLANGâCLANGâCLANGâCLANG!!!
Every chain on his body convulsed violently, thrashing like enraged serpents trying to tear free of his flesh.
Thenâ
They sank deeper.
SHRRRK!
Metal pierced deeper into Ye Moâs muscles, fusing further with his bones.
His aura spiked so abruptly the sky itself rumbled.
Nearby,
Ning Jianli and the other female disciples gasped as blood trickled from the corners of their lipsâjust from the pressure.
Old Han nearly collapsed after being hit by the outburst of that terrifying aura.
âT-This killing intent... itâs rising even more?! Is this still the Qi Refinement realm?!â he thought, lowering his head in shock at the scene.
Ye Mo spread his arms slowly.
Dark red light pulsed beneath his skin, as if there were a molten chain crawling inside him.
"Since you look down on me so much..."
He lifted his right hand to the sky.
The chains reacted instantly, like a thousand beasts answering their masterâs call.
They erupted outward.
SHAAAAAAA!!!
Dozensâno, hundreds of black chains burst from Ye Moâs back, shoulders, spine, ribs, and arms.
They shot upward into the sky like pitch-black pillars.
They twisted.
They merged.
They converged.
Ning Jianliâs pupils shrank at the sight, feeling the heavy pressure as if something malevolent were about to appear.
"W-What is that...?"
Old Han who was afar also clutched his chest, trembling.
"That... that...!!!"
Li Feng raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Ye Mo spread his arms wide and slowly floated into the sky as the black chains writhed behind him.
Looking down at Li Feng, who remained nonchalant, he shouted, unleashing his final move:
"ABYSSAL CHAIN... ASURA!!"
With his words,
The sky darkened.
The chains behind him suddenly spiraled into a colossal whirl, forming a demonic mandalaâlike a rotating, hellish sigil carved from living metal.
Thenâ
A gigantic silhouette began to manifest behind him.
A towering Asura phantom.
Three heads.
Six arms.
Every arm held a colossal chain spear dripping with molten red flame.
Its roar shook the clouds as the sky turn dark.
"RRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"
The aura alone made Ning Jianli fall to her knees.
"W-What... what level is this?!"
Even Li Feng was a little surprised.
But sensing something, he looked at Ye Mo with shock.
"Youâre using your own life force...?"
He could sense Ye Moâs life draining frantically as the terrifying aura surged from his body.
Hearing this, Ye Moâs grin stretched unnaturally wide.
"Hehe... this is just a simple forbidden sacrifice technique..."
He pointed at Li Feng.
"...And with this, I will give you my answerâ"
He slammed his palms together.
The phantom behind mirrored the motion, six arms moving in unison.
"âEXECUTION OF TEN THOUSAND CHAINS!!!"
The sky fell.
BOOOOOOOOOOOMâ!!!
Ten thousand chains which was thick enough to crush mountains launched downward like meteor showers.
Each one wrapped in roaring dark flame.
Each one buzzed with killing intent, seemingly enough to annihilate any living being.
...And each one targeting a single man: Li Feng.
The air itself split apart, space warping under the sheer force.
Li Feng stared upward at the apocalypse-like attack raining from the sky.
"...Now that" he couldnât help but mutter, "...is impressive."
Above him.
The chains descended like a rain of annihilation
The temperature spiked violently.
And the sky itself seemed to collapse.
Ten thousand fiery chains... fell on Li Feng in one apocalyptic strike.
And Ning Jianli screamed at the devastating scene.
"Senior brother!!!"
_
_
_
Meanwhile, Li Feng just sighed softly as he looked at the weakening Ye Mo, who was currently exuding a terrifying aura, with an Asura form looming behind him.
...It seemed Ye Mo would die after unleashing this attack, having expended all of his life force.
Even though he didnât pity his enemy, but after seeing such determination and resolve from Ye Mo made him want to respond in kind.
With that thought, he clenched his fist as silvery light slowly gathered on his arm.
The fifty-two stars seemed to sense their masterâs intention, burning brighter and brighter as the universe within the Starforge Body shone brilliantly.
Now bathed in silvery light, he looked up with a smile, assuming a simple punching stance, and released his own ultimate move...with his full strength.
"Falling Star Fist."
With his wordâ
A silvery pillar of light exploded upward to meet the descending, burning chains.
The moment they touchedâ
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMâ!!!
Ripples of pressure burst outward like a hurricane.
Trees uprooted.
Earth exploded.
But thenâ
The silvery pillar smashed through all the chains as if they were paper, heading straight for the Asura in the sky.
And Ye Mo smiled wryly as he watched.
Even after sacrificing everythingâ
Even after burning his life, twisting every chain within him, destroying what remained of his bodyâ
Even after unleashing a strike meant to drag his enemy to death with himâ
It still wasnât enough.
Not even close.
He chuckled weakly.
A thin stream of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
"...Ah... truly... a monster..."
As silvery light reached him, it began to consume his figure, slowly crawling up his limbs and spreading through his chest, gradually engulfing his entire body.
Time seemed to slow down for him inside this blinding light.
His vision blurred.
His body flickered.
Pieces of him slowly began to dissolved into flakes of light.
And yet, his eyes softened....
...not in fear, but from resignation.
As the silvery light consumed him completely, he let out one final quiet whisper.
"...What a waste... of a life..."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMâ!!!
A blinding light exploded in the sky as the heavens shook.
A sun-sized explosion bloomed overhead, its brilliance engulfing everything around it.
CRACK!
A roaring pillar of radiance shot past the broken Asura, ascending even higher as it keep going straight toward the heavens themselves.
When the light finally faded...
The sky was quiet, clear of clouds.
...And Ye Mo was gone.