Xiao Xue was currently in a fit of rage, yet she couldn't beat Medusa.
Conveniently, a One-Star Dou Zong from the Hall of Souls had just delivered himself to be beaten.
While thanking him, Xiao Xue also gifted Iron Protector a Fire Lotus.
—The guy had come all this way to give away his life; she couldn't let his efforts go to waste.
She casually tossed out a Fire Lotus to show her sincerity.
For Xiao Xue, whose Soul Power had reached Peak Sixth Grade, performing the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus using two Heavenly Flames wasn't particularly taxing.
In fact, firing off a few more wouldn't be a problem.
After all, the most important part of the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus was using Soul Power to maintain the balance between different flames; everything else was secondary.
Thus, even if she used the twenty-second ranked Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire along with the Bone Chilling Flame, it was enough to heavily injure a Dou Zong!
Watching the Fire Lotus fly toward him, Iron Protector, hiding in the shadows, felt his pupils dilate, his face turn pale, and his hair stand on end.
Though the pinkish-white Fire Lotus made no sound as it sliced through the Void Realm, not even stirring a breeze along its path.
Appearance-wise, it was merely an exquisite pinkish-white lotus, but Iron Protector sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from it.
The Fire Lotus before his eyes was so dangerous, and the sigh in his ear—along with the words, "Isn't it good to be alive?"—was so arrogant.
In the next instant, Iron Protector's body reacted instinctively, immediately circulating the Dou Qi within him to try and block the strike.
Iron Protector was a Dou Zong, after all, and his reaction speed was not slow. However, the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus was not so easily blocked.
Especially since Xiao Xue knew that Iron Protector had been keeping an eye on her.
If she made any Move, he would surely react quickly.
Therefore, Xiao Xue had used a voice transmission in advance to distract Iron Protector.
Then, while he was dazed, she shoved a Fire Lotus right into his face.
By the time Iron Protector snapped out of it, the Fire Lotus was already inches away.
And then—
The calm lotus base suddenly erupted, the lotus platform trembling slightly.
The pinkish-white petals bloomed and immediately began to expand violently.
Immediately after, an earth-shattering explosion erupted in the Void Realm!
Rumble!
Destructive energy surged outward, creating ripples that pulsed through space, washing out in concentric circles.
Amidst the earth-shattering explosion, a lotus flower slowly rose in the distance.
Following that, Iron Protector was sent flying backward from his hiding spot.
Having been forced to defend in haste, he was caught completely off guard.
Even though he desperately used Dou Techniques and Dou Qi to protect himself, he was still heavily injured by this single strike!
Iron Protector couldn't understand it; he had been waiting here patiently like a hunter.
Yet this lamb he had targeted had suddenly bared its fangs at him!
"How did she find me?"
"Why did she suddenly attack me!"
"How did she dare to take the initiative against me!"
Countless questions filled Iron Protector's mind, but after this strike, he no longer held the initiative.
Of course, Iron Protector never could have dreamed that he had become a little red dot on the other party's System [Map], a key figure in her mission.
"Is this a fucking Dou Ling?!"
Xiao Xue's strike had completely overturned his understanding.
"It's a remnant soul! It must be the remnant soul on her!" Iron Protector looked frantic.
"Fortunately, judging by her speed, that remnant soul is at most a Half-step Dou Zong," Iron Protector thought to himself.
The difference was that while he could have wiped her out effortlessly before, now it would take some effort.
Xiao Xue wouldn't give Iron Protector any time to recover.
Her next attack followed immediately after the Fire Lotus.
The commotion from the Fire Lotus explosion was too great; if she couldn't kill Iron Protector and escape quickly...
...then, setting aside Medusa, she wouldn't be able to leave once the experts from the Izumo Empire arrived.
Borrowing Ahri's Dou Qi, Xiao Xue condensed a long sword and slashed at Iron Protector.
This Move was a Profound Tier High Grade Dou Technique, performed without reservation—a killing blow from the start!
"Mist Sword" — "Epiphyllum"!
"Mist Sword" was a complete set of Profound Tier High Grade Dou Techniques, naturally containing various sword Moves.
The "Epiphyllum" strike had only one characteristic, and that was—
Speed!
The sword light was like a fleeting Epiphyllum; in the clash of blades, it would claim the enemy's life!
This Move wasn't the most powerful, but it was certainly the most unexpected in close-quarters combat!
"You're looking for death!" Iron Protector shouted, his hands forming seals. "Soul Gathering!"
Instantly, a massive surge of black mist erupted around Iron Protector.
The black mist quickly formed into a dark figure in front of Iron Protector, meeting the sword light head-on.
That dark figure was instantly shattered by Xiao Xue's full-power strike.
However, the offensive power of Xiao Xue's strike had also been mostly neutralized, making it impossible to cause any effective damage to Iron Protector.
Taking this opportunity, Iron Protector tanked Xiao Xue's strike and quickly increased the distance between them.
However, how could his retreat speed compare to Xiao Xue's pursuit speed?
Xiao Xue flapped her Dou Qi Wings and, with a wave of her hand, six Flying Swords appeared around her.
"Go!"
With a distant point from Xiao Xue, the six Flying Swords lined up tip-to-tail and chased after the retreating Iron Protector!
Although Iron Protector had taken a Fire Lotus and was seriously injured, he was still a Dou Zong.
While retreating, he formed a seal, and a translucent black barrier abruptly appeared between them.
This was also a Profound Rank defensive Dou Technique; an ordinary Dou Ling would be unable to budge it in the slightest.
Iron Protector didn't believe Xiao Xue was capable of breaking this barrier.
But in the next moment, his eyes widened in shock.
After the second Flying Sword hit, cracks began to appear on the barrier!
Iron Protector desperately pushed his Dou Qi and finally managed to block all six Flying Swords.
In the next instant, a figure unexpectedly appeared behind him.
"Die!"
Xiao Xue's eyes were cold and devoid of emotion.
However, her sword strike hit nothing but air.
Somehow, Iron Protector had appeared a hundred meters away.
"Space Secret Technique?"
Xiao Xue looked at Iron Protector, whose Origin Qi was heavily depleted; for an ordinary Dou Zong, a Space Secret Technique was not easy to perform.
Having taken a Fire Lotus and then forcibly using such a life-saving Secret Technique, Iron Protector's current strength was likely only at the Dou Wang level.
"Jie jie jie... You two, since you're here, why not show yourselves?"
Just as Xiao Xue was about to pursue and kill him on the spot, Iron Protector suddenly turned to the side and shouted loudly.
"As long as you help me capture her, I guarantee you both will advance to Dou Zong!"
Hearing this, Xiao Xue's expression changed drastically.
She slashed a sword at Iron Protector from afar, not caring if it killed him, and turned to leave immediately.
The native experts of Izumo had arrived!
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