The instant Li Zhexian's fourth Spirit Ring was revealed—
A thick, iron-blooded wind swept across the battlefield.
Countless horrified gazes froze upon the young man in white robes, drenched in blood.
"Th—the fourth soul ring?!"
"What kind of years does that ring carry?! Li Zhexian is too monstrous!"
"To fight the Golden Generation alone and still be holding back! This is simply unbelievable!"
A Spirit Master of Heaven Dou City raised his head from a pile of corpses, hastily wiping dust from his face. His trembling fingers scribbled furiously across parchment.
—"Sword Wine's fourth Spirit Ring revealed, the killing field falls into utter silence!"
The atmosphere among the Shrek people was so oppressive it was suffocating.
Yu Xiaogang let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.
At last, he understood…
Why that man—his own father, who never even deigned to look him in the eye—
Such heaven-defying talent.
Worthy of any price.
Dai Mubai clenched his fists tightly. In those evil eyes of his, pride was smothered by defeat.
Li Zhexian's words—"I've never once looked you in the eye"—
at this moment seared into his heart like a burning brand, making it twitch with pain.
Tang San's body trembled slightly.
He looked toward Xiao Wu, who was still fighting, drenched in blood, and his eyes surged with indescribable torment.
"So…"
"So it's because Li Zhexian is stronger than me…"
"That's why you chose to leave me…?"
High above in the sky—
The battle among the seven Titled Douluo suddenly froze.
All of them looked down toward that dazzling figure in white amidst the crimson battlefield.
Dugu Bo and Yu Yuanzhen's eyes shone with delight.
"A Spirit Ancestor! And another divine Spirit Ring!"
"Excellent, excellent!"
Even the Sword Douluo Chen Xin, usually calm as still water, had a flash of brilliance in his eyes.
Feng Bailong, however, was the most pragmatic.
Taking advantage of the momentary shock that slowed down Bibi Dong and the others,
He drew his old sword from its sheath, releasing a tornado dozens of meters high,
And slammed it viciously at Chrysanthemum Douluo.
Caught off guard, Chrysanthemum Douluo staggered.
"You…!"
His face turned ashen, glaring at Feng Bailong.
He had thought this man, the most masterly in bearing, would act openly and uprightly.
Who would have expected him to repeatedly strike from the shadows during such a battle?
"Li Zhexian…"
On Bibi Dong's half-perfectly beautiful face, hideous purple marks crawled across, even swallowing one of her pupils with purple light, turning her into something like a ghostly Rakshasa.
Killing intent.
An unprecedented, pure killing intent!
It even surpassed her desire to seize a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ring, growing madly within her heart!
Boom—!
Boom—!
A sea-like torrent of Spirit Power raged around her,
Her aura rising higher and higher,
About to break free from its restraints.
Yet—
The purple marks on her face suddenly flared with searing, bone-piercing pain.
Her surging aura abruptly came to a halt.
"Damn you, Rakshasa…"
Bibi Dong forced out the words, each syllable colder than death itself.
Her sleeves flared violently.
"Kill—!"
"Today!"
"Li Zhexian must die!"
Seven figures once more shot into the heavens, clashing in chaos.
The collisions of Spirit Power raised waves like the end of the world, rending the sky itself.
"Hahaha, Zhexian! I knew once you returned, you'd have gained something amazing!"
At Li Zhexian's side, his friends saw his aura skyrocketing.
Though enemies surrounded them, they couldn't help but cheer aloud.
Clang Clang—!
Clang Clang—!
The four Sword Intent Qinglian Swords tore through the air, circling around his body.
Every time Li Zhexian swung his sword, wherever the Qinglian Sword's sword light flashed, it inevitably brought forth a rain of blood and gore.
The cruel slaughter continued
Blood mist spread heavy in the air, staining the battlefield a dark crimson.
By this point—
The importance of support-type Spirit Masters could not be clearer.
Under the blessing of Ye Lingling's Nine-Hearted Begonia and Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda—two of the continent's supreme support-type Martial Souls—the academy teams gathered together, forcing their way inch by inch toward the mountain pass.
But…
The enemy came on like an endless tide.
Ye Lingling's face had gone deathly pale, while the light of Ning Rongrong's pagoda was rapidly fading.
The other academies' support-type Spirit Masters had long since collapsed in exhaustion.
Though Bai Baoshan and the other instructors fought desperately to hold off Spirit Douluo-rank foes—
The defensive line was still slowly collapsing.
The number of wounded grew larger and larger.
"Careful!"
Li Zhexian's mind flickered like lightning.
Hi four Qinglian Swords of pure sword intent shot out like streaks of light—
Just in time to block a fatal strike aimed at Yu Tianheng, Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wu, and Shui Bing'er.
"Thanks!"
Several more minutes passed.
Ning Rongrong was drenched in sweat, her Spirit Power nearly spent.
Ye Lingling was also on the verge of collapse, her healing light already faint and dim.
The sustained support... was cut off! Yet, the Spirit Hall Spirit Masters still swarmed like locusts!
Clang—!
Li Zhexian, drenched in blood,
Wielded his Qinglian Sword like a raging tide,
Slashing out again and again with terrifying sword intents that tore the very air apart.
He was like a tireless killing machine.
His white robes had long been soaked crimson with enemy blood, even the strands of hair at his temples clotted with gore.
Yet—
Through the strands matted with blood,
His eyes still shone as brightly as a lone star in the cold night.
Nothing must happen!
Not a single one of his friends must be harmed!
They had all been dragged into this desperate battlefield only because of him!
A thousand words pressed upon his chest—
But in this moment, all he could do was grip his sword tighter.
Each swing came faster than the last, fiercer than the last.
The Fourth Realm of Sword Heart allowed him to see through the danger of his friends as clear as fire, timely delivering a sword to rescue them.
But then—
A Spirit Douluo suddenly broke free of Bai Baoshan's entanglement,
leapt into the air, and slammed a palm full of poisonous Spirit Power toward Zhu Zhuqing's back..
Li Zhexian's four Qinglian Swords were deadlocked with four powerful enemies.
His own blade clashed violently with the foe before him.
In that split second—
His left hand shot out like lightning,
Pulling Zhu Zhuqing into his arms.
At the same time, his right palm met the strike head-on, without a trace of technique.
Boom—!
Pfft—!
A spray of blood burst from Li Zhexian's mouth.
"Zhexian!"
Heart-wrenching cries resounded across the battlefield.
Blood stained Li Zhexian's lips.
And the droplets he spat splattered upon his fourth Spirit Ring.
The faint bloodlines that already coiled around it seemed to come alive, slowly spreading.
Hum—
The Qinglian Sword in his hand let out a low, mournful wail.
On its blade, twelve Qinglian marks gleamed—
Three of them suddenly turning blood-red.
Li Zhexian's face was ghostly pale.
He saw his friends, reckless, desperate, charging toward him.
His bloodied hand slowly lifted—clenched hard upon the empty air.
At once, a heady, intoxicating fragrance of wine spread forth—
So rich it smothered even the stench of blood.
Under the stunned gazes of every soul present—
A jade-glossed wine gourd appeared in his palm.
Upon its surface—
Patterns gleamed: starlight trails, Jade Serpent totem, a fresh breeze, the surge of thunder.
Li Zhexian tilted his head back and drank wildly.
The wine burned with his blood as it coursed down his throat.
"The Wine Martial Soul is an support-type Martial Soul!"
"Of course!"
"And not just for supporting myself!"
From his palm, the Clear Spring Wine Gourd blazed forth with the mysterious aura of a Martial Soul.
At last—
Li Zhexian's long-hidden second Martial Soul—The Wine Martial Soul—
Finally revealed itself before the eyes of all…