Chapter 839: Sixth Mark Soul Devouring

A violent Genesis Qi impact exploded, tearing apart the forest below.

Amidst the impact, the Sky-Extinguishing Beast's massive body absorbed the force, then transformed into a streak of black light. It reappeared behind a late Divine Dwelling stage expert from the Fire Pavilion, its sharp claws, wreathed in Genesis Qi, tearing down and causing even the void to ripple.

With a ripping sound, the late Divine Dwelling stage expert screamed as their entire body was torn in half. As blood sprayed, the Sky-Extinguishing Beast's massive maw snapped, crushing their head instantly and preventing even their soul from escaping, leaving them utterly dead.

The Sky-Extinguishing Beast chewed the skull, blood and brain matter dripping from between its sharp teeth. A pair of crimson beast eyes glared ferociously at Fang Ao and his companions.

"You beast!" Fang Ao trembled with rage. He had brought four late Divine Dwelling stage experts, who were typically his most reliable allies, and losing one so suddenly was an immense blow.

"Brother Fang, this can't go on; we can't withstand this beast!" another late Divine Dwelling stage expert exclaimed, sweating profusely with a hint of panic in his eyes. Their skirmish had revealed the true horror of the Sky-Extinguishing Beast; even gravely wounded, it still firmly suppressed them.

Fang Ao's face was ashen. He roared skyward, "Zhou Yuan, you dare to scheme against me! If we die here, don't expect to have an easy time yourself! Let me tell you, my master is Xi Guang, the Prefect of Silverlight Prefecture of the Heaven Spirit Sect! Open the barrier for me now and let us leave. We can settle this matter today! Otherwise, if I perish, my master will never forgive you!"

From somewhere in the void, Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. *Silverlight Prefecture, one of the Heaven Spirit Sect's nine prefectures?*

Beside him, Ye Bingling bit her lip, whispering, "Fang Ao's master is indeed Prefect Xi Guang of Silverlight Prefecture."

The others also wore solemn expressions. To them, Prefect Xi Guang, a leader of the Heaven Spirit Sect, was clearly an immensely powerful figure beyond their reach.

Zhou Yuan, however, remained quite calm. Fang Ao's methods were ruthless, and since he had brought this upon himself today, Zhou Yuan naturally had no intention of letting him go. Thus, it didn't matter that his master was merely the Prefect of Silverlight Prefecture; even if it were Sect Master Xuankun of the Heaven Spirit Sect, Fang Ao was destined to die today! Releasing him would only create more trouble.

"Don't worry about it," Zhou Yuan said, waving his hand with a cold gaze. "Even if this matter reaches the Heaven Abyss Territory, Lord Xi Jing will vouch for us."

Seeing his composed demeanor, the others muttered among themselves, realizing that Zhou Yuan's backing must also be frighteningly strong, which explained his complete lack of fear towards Fang Ao.

Below, Fang Ao saw that Zhou Yuan offered no response. Fury and malice flashed in his eyes, but before he could speak, the Sky-Extinguishing Beast once again tore through the air, its menacing aura washing over him.

Fang Ao retreated sharply, growling, "You all hold it back! I'll finish it off!"

He clasped his palms, and a silver light slowly ascended from the crown of his head. Within the glow, a silver needle, several inches long, became vaguely visible. An indescribably sharp aura emanated from it, causing the surrounding void to ripple and tear. Clearly, Fang Ao was preparing his ultimate killing move.

The Sky-Extinguishing Beast also sensed the danger. A fierce glint flashed in its eyes, and its speed dramatically increased. A torrent of black Genesis Qi spewed from its massive maw, directly striking a late Divine Dwelling stage expert full in the face. The expert's entire head, along with their soul, was shattered instantly.

The two remaining late Divine Dwelling stage experts were filled with terror. Although they had inflicted some injuries upon the Sky-Extinguishing Beast, their attacks were utterly insignificant compared to its ability to kill in a single strike. With the demise of their two comrades, the pressure on the remaining pair intensified.

Fortunately, Fang Ao recognized they were at their limit. A moment later, he roared fiercely, "Retreat!" The two late Divine Dwelling stage experts immediately retreated frantically, as if granted a great reprieve.

"Heaven Shattering Silver Needle!"

Above Fang Ao's head, the silver needle was fully revealed. Though it appeared to be merely a few inches long, seemingly formed from countless shimmering fragments, the incredibly sharp aura it emitted made even Zhou Yuan, observing from the void, involuntarily narrow his eyes.

"That's the Heaven Shattering Silver Needle, a high-grade Heaven Genesis Art and one of Silverlight Prefecture's ultimate techniques!" Ye Bingling said with a solemn expression. "This art is extremely domineering, incredibly sharp, and unstoppable. It can pierce through ten thousand mountains in a single strike."

Zhou Yuan nodded slightly. Against such a Genesis Art, even he could be severely wounded with a moment of carelessness. Although Fang Ao was arrogant, his abilities were undeniably formidable.

The Heaven Shattering Silver Needle vibrated the void, then shot out with astonishing speed, almost like a teleportation. Even though the Sky-Extinguishing Beast had been wary and retreated rapidly, the silver needle still caught up to it like a bolt of lightning.

The Sky-Extinguishing Beast roared, spewing a torrent of Genesis Qi from its massive mouth, attempting to shatter the silver needle. However, the Heaven Shattering Silver Needle moved like a fish through a flood, swiftly parting the Genesis Qi. In the very next instant, it transformed into a silver streak and pierced through the Sky-Extinguishing Beast's lower jaw!

The Sky-Extinguishing Beast had underestimated the penetrating power of Fang Ao's ultimate attack. A piercing roar of agony immediately erupted from the Sky-Extinguishing Beast's mouth. An attack of this magnitude would have been easily resisted in its prime, but in its current weakened state, it was helpless. Consequently, the silver needle burrowed into the Sky-Extinguishing Beast's body, causing continuous, subtle explosions that directly tore its flesh apart. A massive amount of beast blood rained down from the sky.

"Kill it!" Overjoyed to see the Sky-Extinguishing Beast heavily wounded by his attack, Fang Ao immediately shouted at the two remaining late Divine Dwelling stage experts.

Hearing his command, the two charged forward. The Sky-Extinguishing Beast was now critically wounded; one more strike would finish it.

Boom!

However, the moment they charged, a torrent of Genesis Qi suddenly descended from above, forcefully blasting both of them backward.

"I suppose you're all tired," Zhou Yuan's voice echoed with a chuckle. "Allow me to take over from here." His figure shot directly towards the Sky-Extinguishing Beast, a sword pellet forming in his palm.

"Bastard!" Seeing Zhou Yuan suddenly emerge, Fang Ao's veins throbbed on his forehead in fury. However, having pushed his Genesis Qi to its limit moments before, he was currently unable to act and could only grimly watch Zhou Yuan rush in to claim the victory.

Humming!

The sword pellet in Zhou Yuan's hand transformed into a sharp blade of light. In a flash, he appeared above the Sky-Extinguishing Beast, which was roaring and thrashing, covered in blood. However, its severe internal injuries prevented any escape.

Zhou Yuan's expression remained calm, devoid of any pity. With a flick of the light sword, he pierced directly through the Sky-Extinguishing Beast's head. The Sky-Extinguishing Beast let out a final furious roar, struggled briefly, and then became rigid.

The beast's corpse plummeted, creating a massive crater in the forest. Zhou Yuan landed on the Sky-Extinguishing Beast's body, crouched down, and with a grasp of his hand, the Heavenly Origin Brush appeared. He then plunged the brush's tip directly into the beast's heart.

The Heavenly Origin Brush's pristine white bristles rapidly extended, piercing the Sky-Extinguishing Beast's heart and absorbing all the vital blood from its apex. Zhou Yuan could even see the viscous, blood-red liquid flowing back along the bristles. At the same time, the Heavenly Origin Brush emitted a faint tremor, as if with excitement.

Zhou Yuan pondered, realizing that the material used to engrave the Heavenly Origin Brush's sixth pattern might have been the vital heart blood of a Sky-Extinguishing Beast. Over the years, that blood had been depleted, and to awaken the sixth pattern, he needed to replenish it with more of the beast's heart blood.

"This should be enough to awaken it, right?" Zhou Yuan's gaze was fixed intently on the sixth Genesis Rune on the brush's mottled body.

There, a faint crimson light began to condense, culminating in a magnificent and vast wave of power erupting from within the Heavenly Origin Brush. The sixth Genesis Rune finally illuminated completely. Simultaneously, a piece of information subtly flowed into Zhou Yuan's mind, causing his eyes to suddenly glow brighter.

A slight smile touched his lips, and his finger gently traced the sixth pattern.

The Heavenly Origin Brush's sixth pattern: Soul Devour!