In a blink of an eye, there were only three out of nine places left, and six people who hadn’t fought; Ye Lingfeng was one of them.
“Feng, they probably have their emotions all pent up after suffering so many losses at my hands. I’m guessing that they’ll arrange someone difficult for you to deal with, like Dongyang Fengxiao,” said Tianming. Only five opponents remained, and the fourteenth prince had the highest status among them. After Tianming had defeated Jiang Fengyue, he could sense that everyone’s eyes had become colder when they looked at him.
“Is he someone important in the Theocracy?” Ye Lingfeng asked.
“I guess.” Dongyang Fengxiao was Autarch Yun’s biological son.
“Understood!”
“He’s in the ninth level of the Earth Saint stage. If you can’t beat him, remember to admit defeat. It doesn’t matter if you can’t enter the Divine Tomb as long as you’re fine,” said Tianming.
“I got it, Big Brother Tianming,” replied Ye Lingfeng. But when Tianming met his gaze, he knew that Ye Lingfeng would give it his all this time.
Everything went just as Tianming had guessed. Ye Lingfeng’s opponent was the fourteenth prince, Dongyang Fengxiao. Dongyang Fengxiao was now facing a scenario where he had to reach the Sky Saint stage in two years. He would only be considered one of the top geniuses in the Divine Capital if he succeeded. But if he failed, he would be further away from being one of the strongest princes.
Under everyone’s gaze, Ye Lingfeng walked into the Cyclic Mirror Lake. Not many people knew him, and most of them had only heard about him recently. After all, Ye Lingfeng was just someone who had lost his lifebound beast in their eyes. When the elders heard about that, their eyes turned colder.
It was common knowledge that one wouldn’t be able to achieve anything if they lost their lifebound beast, even if it was turned into a lifebound spirit. But they would certainly change their mind if they knew what Ye Lingfeng’s cultivation had been when he first joined the Decimo Dao Palace.
“Hall King, I’m worried they might play tricks in Feng’s last battle. What do you think?” Tianming came over to Bai Mo when Ye Lingfeng went up.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re all here, and won’t be careless with his safety,” Bai Mo nodded.
This was a matter of life and death, so they couldn’t rely on the other party to play fair. In everyone’s eyes, Ye Lingfeng wasn’t the same as Tianming; Ye Lingfeng didn’t have an identity that everyone in the Divine Capital would pay attention to. At the very least, Dongyang Fengchen thought the Decimo Dao Palace wouldn’t do anything even if Ye Lingfeng died.
Right at that moment, the fourteenth prince, Dongyang Fengxiao, stepped into the Cyclic Mirror Lake. A seventh-level Earth Saint facing a ninth-level Earth Saint? Standing on the surface of the lake, Dongyang Fengxiao squinted his eyes, looking at Ye Lingfeng like a predator eyeing prey.
“You wish to enter the Tomb of the Ancients?” Dongyang Fengxiao asked.
“That’s right,” replied Ye Lingfeng.
“You’re a piece of trash. You don’t even have a lifebound beast, so stop struggling. You’re Li Tianming’s dog, but he might not need you at all.” Dongyang Fengxiao smiled.
“You’re a dog,” said Ye Lingfeng.
“What did you say?” Dongyang Fengxiao raised his brow. He had never seen someone insult so straightforwardly.
“I’m saying that the Ancient Theocrats are all dogs.” Ye Lingfeng’s eyes flickered with ferocity. He immediately retrieved his two daggers and lowered his body like a black cheetah.
“You’re courting death!” Dongyang Fengchen was somewhat surprised. Even a piece of garbage dared to say something so outrageous in this banquet? Had the Theocrats declined to the point of being bullied?
After a brief moment of shock, he was soon overwhelmed by anger. He realized that talking to such an idiotic opponent was an insult to his intelligence. As he spoke, he summoned his lifebound beast, a six-headed hydra.
This proved that, as a prince, Dongyang Fengxiao’s talent was only comparable to Jiang Yu. But even if there was nothing extraordinary about his talent, his cultivation was still in the ninth level of the Earth Saint stage. Facing someone like Ye Lingfeng, he had the advantage in numbers, as well as cultivation level.
The six-headed hydra might be weaker than some, but it had already evolved into a seventh-order saint beast with seventy-three stars. It had a huge body, covered in azure scales. The most conspicuous part of it was its bat-like wings. Even the six heads looked like bats. The hydra looked ferocious, in line with the tradition of the Theocracy’s lifebound beast. It was an Azurebat Winged Hydra.
At the same time, Dongyang Fengxiao took out his weapon, a black flute. The flute’s tip was decorated with the sculpture of a bat head, and had fifty saintly heavenly patterns, making it a top-tier saint beastial artifact. The saint beastial artifacts used by the Theocrats were extremely valuable, reflecting their solid foundation and rich resources.
“Tianming, I remember that Dongyang Fengxiao’s lifebound beast is a sound- and illusion-type, creating illusions through sound. This is Feng’s forte, so there’s a possibility that his opponent’s attacks might have no effects on him. Then again, we still have to watch the battle. After all, Dongyang Fengxiao is a ninth-level Earth Saint, and his lifebound beast can also fly,” Bai Mo said.
“Again? Previously, Jiang Chengfeng’s lifebound beast was also an illusion-type, but relied on eye techniques. It’s sound this time?” Tianming smiled bitterly. It looked like Ye Lingfeng was pretty lucky. If his opponent mainly focused on soul attacks, Ye Lingfeng would surely give them the shock of their life.
At that moment, the two parties on the Cyclic Mirror Lake had already clashed. Dongyang Fengxiao sat on the Azurebat Winged Hydra with a sinister smile. Retrieving his flute, he placed it on his lips and began playing it. For someone like him, music was part of his battle art.
The music was a sky saint battle art, the Nine Soul Funeral. It was a rare soul attacking method that could cause confusion in enemies. Dongyang Fengxiao clearly had talent in the field, and had also cultivated his soul in order for him to play this music.
Everyone outside the Cyclic Mirror Lake could only hear the music. They couldn’t tell what was in it because it was directed only at Ye Lingfeng. When the music surged like waves, it started to get more irritating. It sounded like a piece of mourning music for a funeral; but that was only the beginning. The Azurebat Winged Hydra unfolded its enormous wings and dashed toward Ye Lingfeng, unleashing its spiritsource ability, Supersonic Wave. All six of its heads issued shrilling soundwaves, merging into the Nine Soul Funeral and increasing its lethality.
Honestly speaking, Dongyang Fengxiao didn’t fear anyone in the ninth level of the Earth Saint stage, apart from Jiang Fengyue, who possessed three lifebound beasts. His sound attack was enough to take down most opponents.
“I hear that you’re also proficient in soul attacks? Come, why don’t you show it to me?” Dongyang Fengxiao looked smug.
However, Ye Lingfeng disappointed him. When Dongyang Fengxiao used the Nine Soul Funeral and Supersonic Wave, Ye Lingfeng just blankly stood there. His face was pale, and his body was trembling. Ye Lingfeng had already fallen into the illusion, and he seemed to have seen something terrifying that made him lose his combat prowess. This was the best effect that Dongyang Fengxiao’s attack could bring out.
“What a piece of trash!” Dongyang Fengxiao blew his flute and approached Ye Lingfeng. As his music gradually became faster, Ye Lingfeng seemed to be in deeper pain.
He’ll be a fool after this music. But I’m afraid that the Decimo Dao Palace might react if I take my time… Dongyang Fengxiao pondered inwardly. As he continued playing the flute, the Azurebat Winged Hydra stopped its screeching and came before Ye Lingfeng.
Bite his head! Dongyang Fengxiao communicated in his heart.
This was a complete overwhelm, and Ye Lingfeng couldn’t even admit defeat. He had already been trapped in the illusion right from the beginning. But was he really trapped? Tianming had already noticed that Ye Lingfeng was just acting. Ye Lingfeng might seem a little stupid, but he was smart when it came to battle—especially when facing a stronger opponent.
Just as Dongyang Fengxiao was feeling content, Ye Lingfeng suddenly opened his eyes when the Azurebat Winged Hydra was about to bite down. In the next moment, it was the Azurebat Winged Hydra that screamed out in pain. Not only was Dongyang Fengxiao careless, but even his lifebound beast was sloppy.
Meng Tingyu was already prepared to save Ye Lingfeng, but she was planning to be slightly slower in her movements in order to allow the Azurebat Winged Hydra to kill him. Thus, the sudden turn of the battle left her stunned.
As the Azurebat Winged Hydra screamed, Ye Lingfeng turned into a blur and charged at his opponent. He plunged his Infernal Soul Daggers into his opponent’s abdomen before pulling them out. When he pulled his daggers out, blood started gushing from the wound, along with intestines. When the intestines fell out, they were all cut off by Ye Lingfeng.
With that, the Azurebat Winged Hydra fell into the lake, dying the lake red. It had a massive hole in its abdomen, and the more it struggled, the more internal organs fell out. All of this happened in an instant.
Meng Tingyu had initially wanted to give Dongyang Fengxiao an opportunity, but she’d never expected that the battle would turn out this way. The Azurebat Winged Hydra had been heavily injured in a blink of an eye.
When Ye Lingfeng saw Dongyang Fengxiao charging over with his flute, he immediately withdrew and focused on running, throwing out soul attacks whenever Dongyang Fengxiao got close. Dongyang Fengxiao’s lifebound beast had been heavily injured, and as time passed, it would die if it wasn’t given any emergency treatment.
“How are you fine?!” Dongyang Fengxiao felt as though he had been stabbed in his heart. He was confident in his soul attacks, but he never imagined that they would be ineffective toward Ye Lingfeng.
“It’s dying,” said Ye Lingfeng, pointing at the Azurebat Winged Hydra.
“You!!” Dongyang Fengxiao’s rage peaked. Ye Lingfeng avoided any direct confrontation, and whenever he chased after Ye Lingfeng, the latter would take the opportunity to inflict more injuries on his lifebound beast.