Boom—
The earth trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
The endless military camps along the Star Luo defense line collapsed in large swathes. Soul Masters with weaker strength and ordinary soldiers were instantly thrown to the ground by the violent shockwaves.
Dust billowed, and soil churned. A Thousand-Hand Buddha Statue over five hundred meters tall sat firmly on the ground, sending a tremor of primal fear coursing through everyone present.
"What is that?" a soldier gasped, his mouth agape as he stared up at the colossal statue that seemed to pierce the clouds.
But his question was destined to go unanswered.
Even the Soul Masters in the army were too stunned to speak.
A tingling sensation shot up from their tailbones to the crowns of their heads. Cold sweat instantly drenched their backs. Fear and trembling were the dominant states for most people now.
Some, with weaker constitutions, even collapsed to the ground, warmth spreading between their legs and pooling on the earth.
The fear of colossal beings is ingrained in human bones, whether they are ordinary people or Soul Masters.
The members of the Clear Sky Sect stared at Li Xun's Spirit Avatar, one by one rooted to the spot in shock.
The number of Martial Souls on the continent is beyond count, and while their functions vary, this was the first time they had ever witnessed such a Martial Soul.
As a Titled Expert, Tang Xiao quickly regained his composure and shouted, "Don't be afraid! I just saw his Spirit Rings. This kid is only an eight-ringed Soul Douluo!"
"But he has three hundred-thousand-year Spirit Rings!"
The surrounding disciples didn't share their sect leader's fortitude. Fear was written all over their faces.
Tang Xiao knew he couldn't let everyone lose confidence at this critical moment. Just as he was about to offer reassurance, the thousand arms on the towering Buddha Statue began to move.
"Buddha Transformation."
With Li Xun's emotionless declaration, a dense barrage of fist shadows descended from above, instantly covering Bai He and the others.
Boom, boom, boom—
The noise was far louder than when the giant Buddha had landed. Soil flew, debris scattered, and dust immediately obscured everyone's vision.
"Spirit Avatar, Hammer Shakes Heaven and Earth."
Tang Xiao and Tang Ming, seasoned in battle, knew things had taken a turn for the worse the moment they saw the fist shadows descending. Spirit Rings lit up at their feet as they swung their Clear Sky Hammers with all their might to counter the attack.
By then, the other elders and the younger generation of the Clear Sky Sect had also snapped out of their fear. Setting aside their terror, they poured all their strength into fighting for survival.
Bang, bang, bang—
Soul Skills clashed with palms, Clear Sky Hammers met fist shadows, and a relentless series of deafening explosions assaulted everyone's eardrums.
Wood splinters flew, and severed hands scattered. In an instant, over a hundred arms of the True Several Thousand Hands were shattered, but the Clear Sky Sect had paid a heavy price.
Bai He, as the primary target, found all escape routes cut off. He dodged frantically, but Li Xun had locked onto him. Within two breaths, there was nowhere left to run.
The fist shadows crashed down, leaving nothing behind—not even his bones.
Along with him perished an eighty-level Soul Douluo and over a dozen younger members of the Clear Sky Sect.
Another Titled Elder of the Clear Sky Sect, caught off guard, exposed a flaw and became Li Xun's next focus.
"Sect Leader, save me!" Fifth Elder cried out in panic as a massive fist hurtled toward him.
"Clear Sky Protection."
At that moment, four Clear Sky Hammers shot out simultaneously. Spirit Rings glowed one after another, and a dark golden protective barrier instantly formed, enveloping everyone within.
But it was already too late. The moment the protective shield formed, the Fifth Elder had already been blasted into mincemeat, leaving only several severed giant arms standing upright where they had been cut off by the light barrier.
"Old Fifth!"
"Fifth Brother!!"
Cries filled with rage and grief erupted as the Clear Sky Sect members stared with eyes wide enough to split their sockets.
"I'll fight you to the death~!" The Seventh Elder's eyes were bloodshot, his aura continuously rising as he prepared to forcibly shatter his Spirit Ring despite the risks.
"Enough, Old Seventh! Retreat first." Tang Ming's face was a mix of sorrow and fury as he firmly pressed a hand on the Seventh Elder's shoulder.
"Let go of me! I'll make that brat pay in blood!" The Seventh Elder tried to shake off the grip but found the large hand clamped tightly.
"Seventh Elder, don't act impulsively. We still don't understand that brat's capabilities. The Fifth Elder has already fallen—the Clear Sky Sect cannot afford more losses."
Watching the dense barrage of fist shadows and the approaching Sword Douluo, Tang Xiao felt his heart bleeding: "Moreover, the enemy's reinforcements are almost here."
Swinging the Clear Sky Hammer that resembled a small mountain, its surface shimmering with crimson patterns, he hurled it toward the relentless onslaught of fists. The hammer left his hand instantly.
This was the Soaring Strike.
With unstoppable force, the Clear Sky Hammer obliterated the frontal fist shadows, then arced through the air to smash over a dozen arms before returning to his grasp.
"The Sect Master is right. Don't be rash, Old Seventh." The Third, Fourth, and Sixth Elders voiced their agreement while fending off attacks.
"I refuse to accept this!!" The Seventh Elder's chest heaved violently, his voice suppressed like a roar.
The entire exchange had lasted only a brief moment.
Previously, Li Xun had been uncertain about his exact strength level, but now he had a rough estimate.
Those below the 95th rank were no longer his match.
As for those above the 95th rank, further testing was needed. However, he now observed Tang Xiao and the others showing signs of retreat.
"Trying to escape? God of Slaughter Domain, Strength Amplification." The eighth red Spirit Ring at Li Xun's feet lit up.
A pale white color abruptly spread outward from Li Xun, accompanied by a faint blue shimmer—the Spirit Ring ability of the Titan Snow Devil King.
But since he stood over 500 meters in the air, the Domain couldn't reach the Clear Sky Sect members on the ground, serving purely to amplify damage.
Countless fist shadows continued to rain down. Though the number of arms had halved, their power surpassed before.
Boom! Boom! Boom!—
Giant fists hammered against the protective shield. The golden barrier, formed by the combined efforts of the four Clear Sky Sect Elders, warped and distorted, sending chills down everyone's spines.
Just then, a massive hammer suddenly joined the defense, its Spirit Rings flickering as Soul Power channeled through the Clear Sky Hammer into the golden barrier.
Bolstered by this reinforcement, the golden shield—known as Clear Sky Protection—instantly stabilized.
"Retreat beyond the enemy's attack range first. We must not let Sword Douluo join forces with him."
Tang Xiao's expression was grave. Though he feared no attack, the other Elders couldn't withstand them. He swiftly entered the barrier and led the group out of the True Several Thousand Hands' attack range.
"Look!" Tang Ming hovered mid-air, pointing at the now motionless True Several Thousand Hands.
The giant had ceased its attacks, and Li Xun, standing atop the Buddha statue's head, merely watched them quietly without further action.
A flash of insight crossed Tang Xiao's eyes as a series of analyses formed in his mind: "Summoning such a colossal entity must incur enormous consumption. Coupled with using additional skills, his Soul Power as an eight-ringed Soul Douluo is undoubtedly nearing depletion."
"Then what are we waiting for?" The Seventh Elder gnashed his teeth until they creaked. "Strike while the iron is hot! With so many of us here, as long as we don't let our guard down, can't we wear him down?"
"It's too late." Tang Xiao sighed, his gaze firmly locked on the rapidly approaching Sword Douluo.
The other elders also spotted the figure by now: "The opportunity is fleeting!"
Li Xun sensed Sword Douluo's arrival and allowed the True Several Thousand Hands to dissipate with a thunderous rumble.
"Xiao Xun, is this your Spirit Avatar?"
Although Sword Douluo had heard about it from Poison Douluo, witnessing the colossal entity towering over the land from afar still felt somewhat unreal.
With such a Martial Soul, one need not even consider its quality—sheer numbers and attack frequency alone could make it invincible among peers.
And challenging those of higher ranks wasn't impossible either.
Li Xun smiled and nodded. "Sword Grandpa, where are Grandpa Bone and Poison Grandpa?"
"Those two are moving as slow as turtles." Sword Douluo shook his head with a laugh.
The original plan was for Dugu Bo and Bone Douluo to circle ahead and intercept Bai He. Who could have expected Li Xun's technique to be so overwhelming that it frightened Bai He into maintaining his top speed the entire time?
And as the continent's number one Speed Spirit, how could the Needletail Swift be easily caught by ordinary people?
If not for his profound cultivation, he'd probably be like Bone Douluo and Poison Douluo now—unable to even catch a glimpse of Bai He's shadow.
(End of Chapter)