Chapter 1036: Explosive Killing Style The Most Tragic Taixu Below Semi-Saints

What kind of a joke is this?

Just you, and you think you can kill me?!

The black sword energy slashed towards him, and Shuang Dai was furious.

As a dignified Tai Xu, he had fallen to the point where even a Zong Shi didn't take him seriously and wanted to kick him while he was down.

Was the last gasp of a Tai Xu something a mere Zong Shi could handle?

"Hua!"

He pressed his palms together, reacting with incredible speed. As the four sword energies approached, Shuang Dai split his body into two, dodging through the gaps between the energies.

Not to mention anything else, could a Zong Shi match the combat awareness of a Tai Xu?

Xu Xiaoshou wielded the You Si Jian, which was indeed powerful enough to ignore differences in realms and deal damage.

But in Shuang Dai's eyes, his movements were as slow as a baby swinging a sword.

Shuang Dai thought that if he let the You Si Jian hit him even once, he'd consider it his loss—with death as the price!

"Go to hell!"

His body turned into a streak of light, and Shuang Dai, along with his second clone, lunged forward.

As they charged, their hands glowed with golden light, transforming into four golden triangular spikes.

"Jue Ling Zha!"

This strike contained a high concentration of metal-element Dao principles.

If it hit, it could instantly destroy the target's Qi sea—minor injuries would cause spiritual energy chaos, while severe ones could lead to immediate death.

Without a doubt, if Xu Xiaoshou took this hit, a Zong Shi like him would suffer far more than just light wounds!

"So fast..."

The two golden streaks flew toward him, and Xu Xiaoshou's pupils shrank.

It was a good thing he had Wang Zuo-level "agility" reactions; otherwise, even if another Zong Shi had superior combat power, they probably couldn't track Shuang Dai's Tai Xu-level speed.

Xu Xiaoshou admitted he had underestimated his opponent...

When he killed Yi, he had Wu Ji Laozu to restrain them; when he killed Jin Zu and Xiao Ren, he had the forbidden formations of the Deep Sea World to help.

Those Tai Xu had indeed died in the end, but the processes couldn't be ignored—they all involved heaven, earth, and human factors in his favor.

Xu Xiaoshou had thought Shuang Dai would be the same.

After all, this guy had been beaten to a pulp by the Xu Kong Shi, and when he appeared, he even needed the Xu Kong Shi to move its foot...

But reality was different!

Even at the end of his rope, Shuang Dai could unleash terrifying combat power with just a trace of spiritual energy in his Qi sea.

Moreover, this place had no forbidden formations, nor the deterrence of Wu Ji Laozu to hold him back, leaving him unrestricted.

By squeezing out his last bit of spiritual energy and igniting some potential, Shuang Dai could still exert six or seven tenths of his peak strength.

But...

"That's all there is to it!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't back down at all.

He thought that if Shuang Dai's attacks could break through his defenses, then all the passive value enhancements to his Wang Zuo body, along with his various passive skills, might as well have been wasted on a dog!

Besides, when facing this spiritual technique, he had more options than just tanking it with his physical body.

"Zhi Jie Li Chang!"

With a spin of the You Si Jian, Xu Xiaoshou activated his all-around offensive and defensive awakening skill without hesitation.

Since he might not be able to dodge Shuang Dai's attacks, and as a killer, Shuang Dai would surely have follow-up moves if the first strike failed...

Then he'd cut off all his escape routes. Let's fight inside the Zhi Jie Li Chang—if you can get close, I'll call it my loss!

Clang, clang, clang, clang—

As soon as Shuang Dai got near, the invisible Zhi Jie Li Chang erupted with countless sword lights, blocking the "Jue Ling Zha" outside.

In the blink of an eye, the triangular spikes clashed with the sword energies countless times.

"What kind of technique is this?"

Shuang Dai was stunned by this strange spiritual skill, but in the heat of battle, there was no time to think.

Since you're defending, I'll force my way through!

"Jin Fo Shen!"

The moment he was repelled by the Zhi Jie Li Chang, both Shuang Dai and his clone shouted in unison, their bodies instantly covered in indestructible golden scales.

"Om..."

Like the toll of a great bell, the mental attack from Jin Fo Shen exploded in Xu Xiaoshou's mind.

"Dizziness! Let's see how you defend against that?"

A smirk tugged at Shuang Dai's lips. He had known that Xu Kong Dao had some strange suppressive force on spiritual energy, so when he launched his previous move, he had already channeled his spiritual energy, preparing for this second strike.

At this point, could a little Zong Shi recover from the mental attack of Jin Fo Shen, which could affect even a Tai Xu, in just three or four breaths?

And in a fight that decides victory, how long did you need?

Just an instant was enough!

"Your head is mine!"

Shuang Dai grinned viciously, relying on the defensive power of Jin Fo Shen to break through the Zhi Jie Li Chang.

No one understood the value of Xu Xiaoshou's head better than he did, as a top-tier hunter assassin.

"Suffered dizziness, passive value +1."

His mind went blank for a moment.

The mental awakening triggered.

Xu Xiaoshou snapped back instantly, his pupils locking onto the two golden, Buddha-like Shuang Dai figures looming larger.

"Shen Mo Tong, activate!"

From behind, a delicate shout rang out at just the right time.

At the same time, a white Himing flower bloomed under Xu Xiaoshou and Shuang Dai's feet.

Lei Xi Er had never let her guard down.

This opponent was a Tai Xu, so how could she not go all out?

Shuang Dai's mental dizziness was a joke under the automatic defense of Shen Mo Tong.

The moment she sensed Xu Xiaoshou might be controlled, she immediately chose to dispel it.

As the left eye's divine power enhanced Xu Xiaoshou, the right eye's demonic power struck Shuang Dai from afar... If she couldn't tell which was the real one, she'd hit them both!

"Suffered purification, passive value +1."

A holy divine light bathed him, and in that instant, Xu Xiaoshou felt his mind clear, his reactions sharpening more than twofold.

In his sight, the two Buddha-like Shuang Dai, who had been aggressively charging, were now tainted with demonic energy, their eyes filled with confusion, and even their movements slowed slightly.

"What a fool—mental attacks don't work on me at all. We just need to control this guy directly."

Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself that their lack of coordination had wasted some of Lei Xi Er's energy.

But in the midst of battle, there was no time for words... At least, that's how Shuang Dai saw it.

Xu Xiaoshou quickly sent a message to Lei Xi Er: "In future battles, don't worry about mental attacks on me—your senior brother is invincible against them."

Lei Xi Er: ???

Are you really in a fight?

Don't get cocky!

"You want my head?"

After sending the message, Xu Xiaoshou looked at Shuang Dai with a mocking smile.

He flipped the You Si Jian, stepped forward, and in an instant, positioned himself behind the two golden Buddha forms.

"Xi Feng, Diao Xue."

With a soft click, the You Si Jian returned to its sheath, and frost began to fall from the sky.

At the necks of the two golden Buddha bodies behind him, rings of black sword energy exploded.

Sizzle, sizzle!

There was no blast, no delay.

Though the defensive power of a Tai Xu's Jin Fo Shen was strong, Xu Xiaoshou had no intention of breaking it with other means.

One sword was enough.

The fierce You Si Jian could cut through iron like mud and slay Buddhas like slaughtering dogs!

"Urgh—"

Screams erupted.

The moment they were controlled by Lei Xi Er's Shen Mo power, the battle was decided.

Both Shuang Dai clutched their necks in agony as infinite demonic energy burst from their bodies. As a non-sword cultivator struck by the You Si Jian, he was bound to suffer Qi deviation.

"Wait, this guy can't die yet..."

After sheathing his sword, Xu Xiaoshou smoothed his hair, intent on finishing the job.

But the next second, he realized—Shuang Dai couldn't die! There were still too many secrets in his mind, like the location of Shen Nong Yao Yuan. How could he find out without reading his soul?

"Da Kuai Duo Yi!"

Since A Jie was gone and couldn't help devour the demonic energy, Xu Xiaoshou wasn't worried—he had a backup plan. The Taotie beast head opened behind him and suddenly swallowed toward the two writhing golden Buddha forms of Shuang Dai.

Thud, thud.

Two crisp sounds echoed as spiritual energy flowed in.

Xu Xiaoshou's body tingled, and he let out an involuntary groan, "Urgh."

This pure Tai Xu spiritual energy was like icing on the cake for his already abundant Qi sea reserves.

But he hadn't expected that "Da Kuai Duo Yi" would consume not just energy forms, but...

From his "perception," the two Qi-deviated Shuang Dai behind him had vanished completely after being swallowed by the Taotie beast head.

"All dead?"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. That couldn't be right!

Da Kuai Duo Yi only devoured energy substances, not people.

That meant...

These two Shuang Dai were entirely made of energy substances?

"Shen Xing Zhi Li? Mo Xing Zhi Li?!"

From afar, at the spot where the Xu Kong Shi had lifted its foot earlier, a shocked voice rang out. The real Shuang Dai stared in disbelief at Lei Xi Er.

"How could you possess such power?"

Xu Xiaoshou glanced sideways, suddenly understanding.

As expected, these assassins never let their true selves get too close.

So, the two who had attacked were both clones?

"This is impossible... This can't be happening..."

Outside the battlefield, the Shuang Dai who had left behind only a trace of energy earlier now reformed into his full body, utterly terrified.

He had just tested the waters.

Xu Xiaoshou lived up to his black gold bounty reputation—his Dao-cutting combat power was even greater than expected.

Paired with his bizarre spiritual skills and the fierce You Si Jian, there was no way to take him down quickly.

But what shocked Shuang Dai most wasn't Xu Xiaoshou, but the silver-haired woman controlling the field.

"Strange eyes, strange abilities..."

"Lei Jia Tong?"

Shuang Dai panicked at the thought.

This pair was formidable—even at his full strength, he might capsize in the gutter if not careful.

And now, in his weakened state, if he couldn't instantly kill them both, the longer the fight dragged on, the less his Qi sea's spiritual energy could sustain.

"Damn it..."

Shuang Dai wanted to run.

It was a killer's instinct and intuition.

He probably couldn't beat these two young ones now.

But the Xu Kong Shi stood behind him, arms crossed, watching with amusement—it wouldn't let anyone escape!

Since that was the case...

"No more delays!"

"Sheng Li!"

"Activate!"

Shuang Dai raised his hands, unleashing the Sheng Li born from the Sheng Ji Guo. It had been depleted in his fight with the Xu Kong Shi but had recovered somewhat through stalling.

Boom!

In an instant, the ground collapsed, and a thick semi-saint pressure descended.

Xu Xiaoshou's knees bent slightly, feeling the pressure he'd faced from Jiang Bu Yi, but it wasn't as overwhelming as before.

On the contrary, this Sheng Li pressure looked imposing but was actually weak.

Weak enough to seem like a typical Lian Ling Shi who had just consumed Sheng Xue and begun to unleash its power.

Of course, that was still terrifying.

But for Xu Xiaoshou, who often battled Tai Xu like the Six Department Chiefs and had experience with consuming Sheng Xue, it was nothing new.

"Is this the effect of the Sheng Ji Guo?"

Even so, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but feel envious.

He had plenty of Sheng Xue from various semi-saints, but to master Sheng Li without it, and have it grow over time... How many people dreamed of that?

"A Bing!"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't rush in. He didn't want to waste Sheng Li on this desperate Shuang Dai, so he summoned A Bing.

The strange rules of Xu Kong Dao extended A Bing's already long skill casting time even further.

But from the start of the battle, A Bing had been chanting.

Now, its "forbidden spell" was fully formed.

"San Ri Dong Jie!"

With a flip of his hand, to coordinate with A Bing, Xu Xiaoshou even summoned the San Ri Dong Jie itself.

In that moment, the sky turned to frost and snow, and the ground cracked with ice.

Inside and outside the battlefield, the ancient forest transformed into ice sculptures. Even the Xu Kong Shi stepped back in surprise, then began devouring the invading ice energy in large gulps.

Delicious, so delicious.

"Roar..."

Under Lei Xi Er's command, the ice-blue white skeleton A Bing finally let out a low roar.

As energy overflowed, an ice-element arcane array spread beneath its feet.

In sight...

From A Bing to Shuang Dai, even under the suppression of Sheng Li, a dozen ice-element arcane arrays lit up along the path, like arcane principles paving the way to sainthood!

"Damn!"

Shuang Dai was dumbfounded.

Arcane arrays?

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't mastered arcane principles, and neither had that silver-haired girl.

But their mount had?

"This is a group of freaks!"

Shuang Dai was going mad.

But before his madness could turn into an attack, those brilliant ice-element arcane arrays, boosted by San Ri Dong Jie, swelled with energy to their limit.

"Bing He Shi Ji!"

A Bing couldn't speak, so Xu Xiaoshou stood with his sword, speaking indifferently... He loved moments like this, where he didn't need to lift a finger—just say the words.

As soon as he finished...

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

Terrifying ice explosions rocked dozens of miles around, completely covering the ancient forest in the battlefield with frost.

Even the observing Xu Kong Shi turned into an ice crystal giant because it couldn't devour the massive ice energy in time.

Crack!

The world froze.

Shattered trees hung in mid-air, and exploding dust solidified in the sky.

At the center of the icy storm, Shuang Dai, shrouded in semi-saint pressure, hadn't even had a chance to unleash his newfound power before being completely encased in ice.

Puff, puff...

Unique sounds from Jin Zhao Bai Yan echoed.

Hah, hah, hah!

The next second, the Jin Zhao white skeleton A Huo pounded his chest in excitement.

He was unaffected by the ice forces and had been itching to join after watching for so long.

Now, with the enemy separated from his master, he finally didn't have to worry about accidentally obliterating everyone with one punch.

"Roar!"

He bent his knees and launched like a giant cannonball, his feet exploding with Jin Zhao Bai Yan as he punched straight at the iced Shuang Dai.

"Break for me!"

The freezing power of ice-element arcane principles was extreme, but Sheng Li was no empty title.

In just half a breath, Shuang Dai broke free from the ice and shattered the sculpture.

But as his vision cleared from the darkness, a massive fist wreathed in blazing flames filled his world, turning everything white.

"What the hell..."

Shuang Dai was stunned.

In that moment, he even recalled the fear of being dominated by the Xu Kong Shi.

Because from a human perspective, that fist was no different from the Xu Kong Shi's foot—just enormous!

Incredibly enormous!

Bang—

The punch connected, and time seemed to slow under that absolute force.

Shuang Dai felt his world distort...

His eyeballs strained under the impact, nearly popping from their sockets; his teeth flew out amid blood and blur; his body shattered into pieces, his elbow lodging into his heart and lungs...

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

In the quiet of his consciousness, Shuang Dai became lost and confused.

He didn't understand.

Was Xu Xiaoshou really just a Zong Shi?

Did the black gold bounty even consider his Dao-cutting combat power?

He was strong enough, but his girlfriend had Lei Jia Tong.

Lei Jia Tong was bad enough, but they also had giant mounts.

The giants were one thing, but one mastered ice-element arcane principles, and the other's physical strength was more terrifying than anything he'd seen in his life—completely on par with the Xu Kong Shi!

Pfft!

His Sheng Li had barely emerged, not even showing its full power.

After A Huo's punch, Shuang Dai was blasted from the ground, turning into a spray of flesh and blood.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh!"

With the battle over, A Huo bounced around like an excited monkey, dancing wildly in front of Xu Xiaoshou.

Look at me! Look at me!

I shattered the enemy with one punch—am I strong?

Praise me! Praise me!