章 349: Chapter 348: Heavy Injury

Among the Dou Venerates on Xiao Ming's side, three of them were puppets. As long as Zhai Xing could catch him off guard and take him down, those three puppets would naturally be unable to resist them.

It was precisely because of this that the Old Ghost Zhai Xing launched a sudden attack.

With a cold smile on his face, Old Ghost Zhai Xing's body surged with a majestic flow of Dou Qi, resembling raging black dragons. He took a light step forward, causing the space to distort as he instantly disappeared from sight.

Just as Old Ghost Zhai Xing vanished, Xiao Ming sensed a withered hand drifting through the void, aiming directly for his throat. Although the hand appeared to lack Dou Qi coverage, it left pitch-black spatial traces wherever it passed.

The sudden attack from Old Ghost Zhai Xing was unexpected, but Xiao Ming was already familiar with the nature of the people from the Hall of Souls and had not let his guard down since their appearance.

Xiao Ming remained calm in the face of the unexpected attack. A Sky Demon Puppet appeared in front of him with a thought, while the other two puppets vanished from their original positions. They reappeared in front of Old Ghost Zhai Xing, swinging their arms and making sonic booms as they aimed for his head.

Remaining calm in the face of danger, the Old Ghost Zhai Xing retracted his reaching hand and shifted his foot back, avoiding the puppets' attacks by moving a meter backward.

Bang!

The attacks of the two Heavenly Demon Puppets collided in mid-air due to Zhai Xing's evasion, resulting in a thunderous noise. At the point of impact, the space was distorted and shattered.

The collision's powerful force caused Xiao Ming's white robe to flutter, his long black hair swaying in the wind, exuding an extraordinary charm.

Before the onlookers could even marvel at Xiao Ming's lightning-fast reaction speed, the retreating Old Ghost Zhai Xing let out a cold sneer. Opening his palm, he trembled his five fingers, causing five viscous black patches of fog to ooze from his fingertips. With rustling sounds, the fog condensed into eerie black chains.

Coiling in mid-air, the chains pierced through the void with a "chi" sound, appearing above Xiao Ming's head in the blink of an eye. They fiercely stabbed downwards, firmly immobilizing him in place.

Whoosh!

Xiao Yi Xian beside him appeared to have just realized what was going on and reached out to break the chain.

But Zhai Xing wouldn't let her succeed. He had used great cunning to trap Xiao Ming with the chain, and now that he'd caught him, how could he let him go?

He dragged and pulled Xiao Ming through space to his side, sneering, "Jie Jie, the number one genius of the Central Plains? Is that all you've got..."

Just as he was about to continue mocking Xiao Ming, a fiery red bead flew toward him from Xiao Ming's direction.

Old Ghost Zhai Xing tried to flee instinctively, but after successfully capturing Xiao Ming earlier, he drew him closer to prevent his escape. The fiery red bead moved quickly, leaving Zhai Xing with no choice but to twist his body in a desperate attempt to avoid it. Despite his efforts, the bead struck him directly!

When they collided, the fiery red bead exploded instantly, unleashing a terrifying surge of fiery energy that swept through the area like a hurricane, engulfing everything in its path.

Boom!

With a resounding boom, a flame storm hundreds of meters in size erupted. It appeared to connect heaven and earth from below, creating a miraculous phenomenon!

The whole of Ye City shook as if struck by an earthquake, and massive cracks spread in all directions from where Old Ghost Zhai Xing had stood.

Caught closest to the explosion, Old Ghost Zhai Xing had no chance to escape and was directly consumed by the raging flames.

Meanwhile, after throwing the Core Lightning Bead, Xiao Ming quickly broke free from the restraints and enveloped himself in spiritual energy, fleeing to the side.

The Sky Demon Puppet, Xiao Yi Xian, and even the Hall of Souls' Protectors scattered in all directions.

The ferocious energy storm raged in the sky for three to four minutes before gradually dissipating. The dark gloom that had shrouded the world dissipated, allowing for the return of light.

Below, Medusa furrowed her brows as she watched the energy storm dissipate. She hadn't expected Xiao Ming to use such a method, which made her a little worried. Despite his earlier attempt to flee, Xiao Ming had become engulfed in the storm.

Xiao Yi Xian was concerned as well. It wasn't that she hadn't reacted quickly enough, but Xiao Ming had signaled her to wait. Little did she expect that he would throw the Core Lightning Bead she had just returned to him!

"Cough, cough!"

A cough resounded, and Xiao Ming's figure appeared before everyone's eyes.

Having distanced himself and protected his body with spiritual energy, Xiao Ming was uninjured, although his blood surged due to the shock of the energy.

The first thing Xiao Ming did upon reappearing was to direct his gaze toward the center of the previous explosion. He sensed that Old Ghost Zhai Xing was still alive.

Old Ghost Zhai Xing also appeared in front of everyone at this time. His gray-white robe was tattered and bloodstained, and his exposed skin revealed numerous wounds. A sleeve and a pant leg had been blown off, and blood was pouring from the ripped areas. His right arm and thigh were gone. The old ghost's aura had reached its lowest point...

Witnessing the pitiful state of Old Ghost Zhai Xing, the onlookers below were all stunned. They sucked in a breath of cold air, their horrified gazes eventually shifting to Xiao Ming.

With just one move, he had managed to injure a Tianzun of the Hall of Souls?

"Cough... you... little beast... how dare you scheme against me..."

Old Ghost Zhai Xing coughed violently, spewing mouthfuls of blood. Sharp observers could even spot fragments of internal organs in the blood. Witnessing this gruesome scene, everyone exchanged glances, silently mourning for this old guy. Such a severe injury was likely to leave lasting effects, and it was not unthinkable that he might never improve his strength in the future.

"Kill... kill that kid! I... I'll tear him into a thousand pieces! Attack, all of you!"

Blood foam continued to overflow from the corners of his mouth, but Old Ghost Zhai Xing's gaze brimmed with intense resentment as he stared at Xiao Ming. The hatred he harbored toward the latter at this moment was nearly overwhelming!

Suffering such a massive defeat at the hands of a nine-star Dou Ancestor kid as a peak five-star Dou Venerate! How could he calm the intense fury in his heart?

The Hall of Souls' Protectors brought by him displayed a hint of shock in their eyes. They were well aware of the old ghost's strength. To witness a formidable five-star Dou Venerate reduced to such a state was beyond their imagination. If Xiao Ming were to do the same to them, they wouldn't stand a chance for even a second!

Thinking of this, the Protectors hesitated and shrank back, unwilling to step forward.