Chapter 54: -54- Xu Longhai

Chapter 54: -54- Xu Longhai In a blur of motion, Kai activated his Heavenly Transformation divine ability for the first time. His small form shimmered with dark energy as his body exploded in size, growing to 12 meters tall in the blink of an eye. His claws, now massive and terrifying, crackled with the power of his daos as he easily tore through Yanchi's barrier. (Currently, in his beast form, Kai can grow to 12 meters... but if he was in his human form, he would be able to grow to 17 meters. Regardless though, his gained strength is the same.)

"Shing!"

The Dao seal produced shield shattered under the force of Kai's enlarged claws. Yanchi's eyes went wide with terror as he realized he was completely outmatched. "No! Master, save me!" he screamed, breaking another Dao seal for defense, but it was futile.

Kai, now towering over him, raised one massive claw and, with a roar of finality, brought it down with all his might.

"Shing!" "Bang!"

Yanchi's body was ripped apart, obliterated under the force of Kai's attack. His last-ditch defense crumbled as his body was torn to shreds, leaving nothing but scattered fragments of blood and bone.

But Kai wasn't done. His claws surged with the power of his Dao of Darkness, and the shadows around him began to twist and writhe, consuming Yanchi's remains. The darkness devoured everything, down to the last drop of blood, leaving no trace of Yanchi behind.

The battlefield fell silent, the sickly green poison dissipating into the air as if it had never been there. Kai's massive form shrank back to its usual size, his expression one of satisfied triumph.

Silas walked over, his eyes scanning the area. There wasn't a single piece of Yanchi left—his body had been completely consumed by Kai's Dao of Darkness. "You alright?" Silas asked, his tone calm but approving.

Kai chuckled smugly, wiping the blood from his claws. "Of course. That was fun. Haven't had a good fight like that in ages."

From somewhere deep within the mountain, a chilling, shrill voice echoed out, filled with rage and grief. "My disciple! My Yanchi! You dare kill my disciple! You will all die!!!"

Kai's ears perked up, his grin widening even further. "Sounds like someone's angry," he said, amused.

Silas, however, narrowed his eyes. "That must be his master," he murmured. "Things are about to get interesting."

***

Deep within the mountain, inside that secret chamber, the air was thick with the scent of necrotic energy. Master Xu Longhai's eyes flared with fury as he felt the final shreds of Yanchi's life force dissipate. His most precious disciple, obliterated, without a trace left behind. His trembling hands clenched the edge of his cauldron, the green flames flickering violently in response to his rage.

"How dare they..." he hissed, his voice low and venomous. "How dare they kill my Yanchi...!"

The cauldron's flickering flames reflected in his dark, malevolent eyes, but now, his attention shifted to the massive formation core hovering above the cauldron. This core was no ordinary object—it was the Soulbound Formation Core, forged from the captured souls of millions of mortals, twisted and bound into a single, malevolent entity. The souls writhed within the core, trapped in eternal torment, their suffering fueling the creation of this Sin Weapon.

Xu Longhai took a deep breath, trying to quell the storm of fury building inside him. His heart pounded as he reached for a set of talismans placed beside the cauldron. These were no ordinary talismans—they were ancient, inscribed with runes that glowed faintly under the pulsating green light. He flicked his wrist, and the talismans flew toward a shelf on the side of the room, triggering the release of a set of dark, ominous armor pieces.

The armor glistened with a sinister sheen, as though it had been crafted from the darkness itself. Each piece hummed with latent power, waiting to be activated.

"Zhaoyin, Tulu, Xi, come forth!" Xu Longhai's voice reverberated through the mountain, sharp and commanding. "Don the Dao Battle Armors, take your junior apprentice brothers and sisters, and go after these intruders! I don't care how strong they are. If you cannot kill them, hold them long enough for me to arrive."

He moved toward a different corner of the room, where a massive stone figure stood, motionless. The golem, towering over ten feet tall, was an early rank 4 qi cultivator, its body cultivation at the peak of rank 3. Its eyes gleamed faintly, awaiting its master's orders. Xu Longhai placed his hand on the golem's chest, infusing it with a surge of his qi, and the creature stirred to life, its stone limbs groaning as it moved.

"Go," Xu Longhai commanded, his voice dripping with malice. "Destroy them. Cripple their defenses, and give my disciples time. I'll be there soon enough to finish them."

The golem bowed its head, then lumbered toward the exit of the chamber, each step shaking the ground beneath it. Xu Longhai watched it go, his eyes still blazing with hatred. He couldn't afford to leave just yet—his Sin Weapon, the Soulbound Formation Core, was almost complete, and rushing the process could be disastrous. But the moment it was ready, he would descend upon those intruders and annihilate them. Every last one.

He turned back toward the cauldron, where the formation core continued to swirl with chaotic energy. The countless trapped souls within were still fighting, their agonized wails filling the chamber as they resisted the final stages of refinement. Xu Longhai bit down on his lip, tasting blood as he cursed under his breath.

"Yanchi... I swear, your death will not be in vain."

He knelt before the cauldron, eyes narrowing as he focused all his energy on rushing the final stages of the weapon's creation. The sooner it was finished, the sooner he could unleash its full power and personally tear apart the ones who had dared to challenge him. His fingers danced through the air, weaving complex hand seals that sent waves of qi into the cauldron, forcing the remaining souls into submission.

The formation core pulsed, its energy growing stronger with each passing moment. The trapped souls within screamed in voiceless agony as they were fused into the weapon, their very essence becoming part of the deadly formation. With this Soulbound Formation Core, Xu Longhai could control the battlefield itself, manipulating the energies of life and death, trapping his enemies within a never-ending nightmare.

"Hurry," he growled to himself. "Just a little longer... Then, I'll make them regret ever setting foot on this mountain."

Xu Longhai's hands moved with frantic urgency, his fingers blurring through intricate hand seals as sweat poured down his face. The pressure mounted with every passing second, and his heart pounded violently in his chest. The Soulbound Formation Core hovered above the cauldron, swirling with dark energy, but it was not yet at its peak.

"Damn it... I shouldn't have to rush this!" he snarled through gritted teeth, his frustration growing. The energy coursing through the core was volatile, unstable, far from the perfection he had intended.

His eyes flickered with a mix of rage and desperation. "I wasn't ready for this... If only those fools hadn't forced my hand! I could've completed it at full power!" He paused for a moment, considering the consequences. Once the process was rushed, there would be no way to reverse it. The Soulbound Formation Core would never reach its true potential—its strength would be crippled, operating at only half of what it was meant to be.

And yet... the thought of Yanchi's death gnawed at his mind. The rage bubbled up once more.

"They think they can kill my most precious disciple and walk away?!" Xu Longhai roared, his voice echoing through the chamber. "For Yanchi, I'll burn it all if I must!"

His fingers moved even faster, pushing the formation core into forced completion. The wails of the trapped souls grew louder, piercing the air as their essence was absorbed at a brutal, unnatural speed. The green flames in the cauldron flared violently, casting twisted shadows across the walls, as if the room itself was writhing in pain. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Xu Longhai's face twisted in fury. "I'm being forced to halt now... cursed be these intruders!" He knew the cost: his Sin Weapon, which should have granted him the strength of a peak rank 4 Adept, would now only reach half its intended power. At best, it would only make him slightly stronger than he currently was. It wasn't enough—not for his plans, not for his ambitions.

But he had no choice.

The dark energy of the Soulbound Formation Core crackled around him, less intense than it should have been, but still potent enough to make the air hum with malice.

His chest heaved as he forced himself to accept the bitter reality. "This won't be its full power... but it will be enough to slaughter them."

He clenched his fist tightly, feeling the crackling energy of the weapon thrum through his veins. It wasn't perfect, but for the sake of avenging Yanchi, it would have to do.

"They will all die," he spat, his voice thick with venom. "And for making me do this... I'll make their deaths agonizing."