The Chairman fared even worse.
Though his attack hadn’t been his absolute strongest, it was the most powerful strike he could muster in such a short time. Seeing Ye Zhongming’s counter, he hastily tossed out a green-grade apron—a dedicated defensive item.
He assumed it would at least block most of the seemingly weak shockwave.
But the apron was instantly shredded, forcing him to rely again on his golden robe and sheer toughness to endure the damage.
When the dust settled, the golden robe was covered in cracks, its glow flickering weakly, clearly on the verge of destruction.
As for the beam of light Ye Zhongming had fired from his wrist?
Upon hitting the Chairman, it vanished, leaving the Soul Merchant leader utterly baffled and paranoid.
Perhaps due to his thick hide or the golden robe absorbing the impact, he showed no visible injuries—for now.
Ye Zhongming, meanwhile, collapsed to the ground, his body drenched in blood.
The Chairman’s tiger-head strike had been devastating. Though Ye Zhongming had neutralized some of its force with his own skills and blade energy, the residual power had still wrecked his body.
This was the full-force attack of a top-tier eight-star evolved—Ye Zhongming’s injuries had officially crossed into critical territory.
But what truly tormented him was “Five Emotions Overwhelm Heaven.”
Every spectral face’s attack had left a mark on him. When the technique concluded, sets of five marks—at least ten sets—detonated simultaneously.
Since the Five Emotions Spectrum’s assaults targeted the mind and spirit, these explosions did the same.
For a moment, Ye Zhongming’s world spun, his consciousness blanking out entirely as his mind endured colossal trauma.
Had it not been for his oceanic mental reserves and unyielding will, this strike would have either killed him outright or reduced him to a drooling idiot.
Even so, the bizarre attack caused countless micro-fissures to split open across his skin, venting excess energy through his flesh.
His blackout lasted only an instant, but the near-death experience left him too weakened to stand, forcing him to remain seated.
The two leaders yearned to press their advantage, but they too were still reeling from the Wind and Thunder’s shockwave, unable to attack immediately.
However, though they couldn’t act, their battle pets could.
With a mental command, the three-headed tiger roared and charged, while the previously vanished Demon Vine resurfaced.
From the earth, a few meters behind the Director, three massive wooden vines—each a meter thick and studded with thorns—erupted.
Instantly, they unleashed a barrage of wooden spikes, blanketing the area where Ye Zhongming lay.
Trapped, his body numb and aching, unable to wield the Staff of Nature for defense, Ye Zhongming still had one last card to play.
The Demon Bee Hive emerged from his spatial storage, releasing two ice birds.
The birds sprayed twin gusts of frost before Ye Zhongming, the air rapidly solidifying into an icy barrier.
The first wave of wooden spikes embedded themselves into the half-formed ice wall.
Then the three-headed tiger arrived, leaping toward the ice birds blocking its path. Its claws extended unnaturally, gaining an extra meter of length—clearly a talent ability.
The two ice birds’ magic crystals were still purple, but they were now speckled with dense orange dots—a sign they were on the cusp of evolving to level eight.
They would have ascended within a month if Ye Zhongming had not summoned them, continuing to feed energy into the Hive.
Most of the Origin Pearls he’d acquired had been funneled into them.
This battle wouldn’t have been so brutal if they’d already been level eight.
Now, the near-level-eight ice birds clashed with the level-eight three-headed tiger, while the three supreme evolved faced off once more.
The God Hall Director lifted his hand slightly, and the roots of the Demon Vine slithered into his grip.
Holding this legendary plant-type battle beast, he prepared for the final showdown.
The Chairman, though uneasy about the mysterious vanishing beam, shared the same thought:
Kill Ye Zhongming, and the beam won’t matter.
Having chugged a recovery potion, Ye Zhongming staggered to his feet, sparing a regretful glance at the two ice birds.
Who knew how long they could last?
Stowing Wind and Thunder and Undead Sand Moon Blade, he retrieved the Reaper Mimic Shooter again.
With a twist of his hands, the firearm split into two, each radiating terrifying power—enough to tense the two leaders.
Ye Zhongming tilted his head toward his opponents, bowed slightly, then—
Launched himself at them like a cannonball!
Blind, he had chosen melee combat for the final strike!
The Chairman and Director, fully alert, marshaled every ounce of their remaining energy!