Chapter 503: Soul Raid

Rumble!

"How is this possible? He pierced my defense system with a single strike, using only pure sword energy, without the added power of a materialized sword blade! This guy's mastery of the sword is terrifying!" The Ancient Spirit instinctively shivered, utterly terrified, watching as his silver light defense shattered, unable to hold for even a minute. However, this was understandable. How could he know the perilous trials and tribulations Xu Yang's team had endured to reach this point? The depth of their team's capabilities was simply beyond ordinary people's comprehension.

It was impossible for the Ancient Spirit not to panic when his newly formed defense was instantly annihilated. However, he quickly played his second proud trump card! In a flash, an ethereal and radiant chessboard outline appeared before the Ancient Spirit. Upon closer inspection, it resembled a treasure map-like artifact, yet this totem was vastly different from ordinary artifact spirits. It was a complete chessboard encompassing endless mountains and rivers, with countless black and white pieces. Each piece seemed capable of unleashing power strong enough to cleave mountains and part seas! "You lot, prepare to experience despair!"

The next instant, with a wave of the Chess Spirit's hand, the countless black and white pieces surged wildly towards Xu Yang's team. Yet, at that very moment, Daojun Xiaohua revealed a scornful smile. The dazzling Exquisite Pagoda reappeared in her palm! This time, it wasn't merely a soul-form but an incredibly crystalline, physical pagoda! "Oh my god, is this truly a miniature of the Tower of Infinity? I feel like this pagoda could contain an entire world! Such an aura is terrifying!" Long Kun couldn't help but shiver, his eyes wide as he stared at the crystalline pagoda in Daojun Xiaohua's palm. However, this pagoda was certainly not just a harmless, delicate-looking toy. When it truly displayed its unparalleled power, everyone, including the formidable Xu Yang, was utterly stunned!

The next moment, the pagoda grew wildly, releasing an irresistible, terrifying devouring force. A violent vortex of consumption formed around it, its center locking onto the Ancient Chess Spirit's true form. With a tragic scream from the Ancient Chess Spirit, the treasure chessboard before him, which seemed to contain mountains and rivers, was instantly torn to shreds! The hundreds of black and white chess pieces, which had formed a destructive offensive wave, were also ripped to pieces by the furious pagoda vortex in that same instant.

"Wahahaha! Chess Spirit, what more do you have to say now? Any one of us could crush you a thousand times over. If you have any sense, surrender quickly. Continuing this fight is utterly meaningless!" Long Kun continued his taunting, seeing that given the current battlefield situation, he no longer needed to personally intervene. Of course, this was merely his own optimistic speculation. Little did he know that in the eyes of the three great goddesses, including Daojun Xiaohua, Long Kun had no chance to even make his presence felt on this battlefield.

Shi Lingyun alone could suppress the power of the Blood Demon Curse. Daojun Xiaohua, merely by unleashing an artifact, had completely shattered one of the Ancient Chess Spirit's greatest trump cards! And while Ling Yao's attack style was relatively singular, in her presence, any defensive measure was rendered useless. As for Xu Yang, as the soul of the team, his role was naturally self-evident; without him, they wouldn't even have found this Chess Spirit. Only Long Kun, at this moment, hadn't found his specific role and could only serve as a temporary cheerleader.

It wasn't that the Chess Spirit didn't want to resist; it was just that facing a team with a nearly infinite talent ceiling, he truly didn't know what kind of resistance he could offer to change the situation. The next moment, the silver light around the Ancient Chess Spirit instantly dimmed. He himself seemed to age countless years in an instant! His hair turned completely white, his face wrinkled, his eyes became unclear, and his body appeared withered and lifeless.

Seeing that the opponent had given up resistance, Xu Yang and the others didn't continue their aggressive tactics. Instead, they approached the Chess Spirit. "Tell me, what happened back then?" No sooner had Xu Yang spoken than the withered body suddenly lifted its head. From its hollow eyes, two silver rays of light unexpectedly shot forth, piercing directly into Xu Yang's eyes and penetrating through his pupils into his soul space.

"Hahaha! I'm sorry, Xu Yang, but your life is about to end... Anyone who tries to pry into that secret from the past meets only one fate: annihilation! And once I eliminate you, these others will never be able to leave Cloud Dream City, because you personally activated this Chess Spirit Grand Array, and only you can help them leave. Let all of you sleep forever with that secret from back then, hahahaha!" How could Daojun Xiaohua allow this old being to act so recklessly? With a backhand strike, she instantly obliterated the Chess Spirit, leaving no trace of life. While her action might have been impulsive, it was certainly justified. After all, from the current situation, the Chess Spirit's last move was clearly an attempt to perish together with the formidable Xu Yang!

"Boss, how do you feel? What just happened?" Long Kun and the others immediately gathered around Xu Yang's physical body, only to find him sitting motionless like a piece of decaying wood, his eyes hollow and devoid of any light. He looked as if his soul had been completely drained. However, this state didn't last long. After just one minute, Xu Yang's eyes regained their original brilliance.

"That was truly dangerous just now. If my soul were like those of ordinary beings, without its own unique color, then that strike would have been enough to completely destroy my soul's origin! Your judgment was correct; this guy intended to perish with me and permanently seal this Chess Spirit Array and himself into oblivion." Long Kun clenched his fists, gritting his teeth: "Why would that old man do this? What kind of mastermind could compel an elder who was devoid of desires and only focused on the path of chess to willingly give up everything and bury that secret from the past? What exactly was his motive?"