Chapter 596: Fierce Battle with the Black Knight

"Let's begin."

Xu Yang merely offered a faint smile. Three minutes? Not a chance.

"We have always been the ones to dictate the rules of the game. You... truly don't know your place."

Ling Yao's voice also turned cold, shedding all the hesitation she had felt when her spiritual resolve was clouded. With a raised hand, a towering sword beam, dozens of yards high, sliced down from the sky, unleashing an unstoppable wave of energy and sound.

A thundering crash!

The terrifying sword struck squarely, hitting the three-headed wolf mount beneath the Evil Spirit Black Rider. The seemingly ferocious beast let out a muffled roar of defiance.

"Little Yellow, if you're not feeling well, I'll avenge you right now."

With those words, the Evil Spirit Black Rider attacked decisively. A black iron chain suddenly appeared in his hand, burning with fierce flames. It exuded a terrifying, devouring aura from the depths of hell. With each swing, the scorching fire element spread evenly outwards along the chain's trajectory.

Each complete ring released by the chain created an absolute domain lockdown within its area.

This meant that once his technique locked onto Xu Yang, even with immense power, it would be extremely difficult for Xu Yang to break free from the fiery encirclement by physical strength alone.

"So that's it... This guy's chain integrates a special mechanism for stable spellcasting. In essence, it's identical to your Ice Crystal Scepter, Ling Yun."

"If I'm not mistaken, the power within this chain is the purest source of the fire element. As you observe the whip's trajectory, each released flame appears to be weaving a complete sealing formation. Once this complete whip technique is unleashed, the corresponding fire elemental formation will be fully crafted, inflicting a terrifying, irreversible blow upon any target locked within, such as Xu Yang."

Crack!

The iron chain continued to lash out at Long Kun under the Evil Spirit Black Rider's control, making him the first target locked by the attack.

The chain's whipping technique unfolded before Xu Yang's eyes, resembling the progressive weaving of a magical formation. With each lash, the possibility of suppressing Long Kun increased.

"Long Kun, don't prolong the fight. Finish it quickly. Unleash your strongest form!"

Long Kun, still with a reluctant expression, acknowledged the command. It was only because Xu Yang himself had spoken; had it been anyone else, Long Kun likely wouldn't have so easily passed up the opportunity to showcase his presence.

Boom! The power of the Phoenix bloodline finally erupted. A phoenix aurora soared from his back, resembling a fiery dragon aggressively engulfing its opponent, wildly sweeping towards the Evil Spirit Black Rider's position.

Rumble!

The two forces collided. To Xu Yang's surprise, the resulting power surge was so immense that it directly struck the core hub of the mysterious fire array he had previously interrupted.

Screech!

The next moment, the ground beneath their feet opened up like a gate to hell, and boiling magma energy erupted, spraying towards Xu Yang and his three companions.

"Long Kun, combine!"

Without further hesitation, Xu Yang immediately summoned Long Kun to execute their most powerful combined skill: Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens!

In an instant, an incredibly brilliant phoenix cry echoed through the sky. The phoenix totem behind Xu Yang soared, bolstered by the power of the phoenix domain. It then furiously absorbed the essence of the bloodline released from Long Kun's body, continuously strengthening this originally ethereal phoenix soul. Finally, it evolved into a lifelike phoenix, charging straight into the core of the Heavenly Fire Great Formation.

"What! It's... the Phoenix Domain, the King of Fire Seeds! Who exactly are these people?"

Without a doubt, the Evil Spirit Black Rider was truly panicked. It was too late to retreat; he knew very well that no matter the outcome, he would have to grit his teeth and face it head-on.

Rumble!

The Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens ultimate technique was designed to maximize the power of the phoenix lineage, and its explosive force was unparalleled.

In a single clash, the Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens totem completely annihilated the Heavenly Fire Great Formation conjured by the Black Rider, and shattered the chain artifact he held so proudly.

"Damn it, I never imagined you human ants could be so wicked!"

Xu Yang and Long Kun landed steadily after completing their combined skill, both stepping forward with icy expressions.

"My fusion ultimate technique with the boss is the strongest power passed down by the phoenix lineage. How can a mere evil spirit puppet like you possibly compare? To die by our Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens is your honor."

"Hahahaha! You wouldn't be so naive as to think this level of power is enough to instantly kill me, would you?"

The Evil Spirit Black Knight laughed brazenly, and the completely charred black scales on his body began to glow with a deep red light.

"That's... demonic power! This guy actually possesses a primal demonic bloodline!"

The Black Knight laughed wildly. "I forgot to mention, in the Evil Spirit Gorge, only descendants possessing the purest demonic bloodline are qualified to meet Lord Zikung. Those with impure bloodlines don't even get the chance to leave their names in this gorge. This is the rule of our Evil Spirit Gorge, and no one can defy it!"

Xu Yang sneered, "Then I specifically want to defy it. What can you do about it?"

Rumble!

With a single sword slash, Xu Yang's Asura Divine Sword descended from the sky. In just one clash, he shattered the three-headed wolf beneath the Evil Spirit Black Knight, because among its three heads, only one contained the true Hellwolf soul.

Xu Yang's insight was truly astonishing. At the crucial moment when both sides unleashed their peak powers, Master Xu Yang had already clearly discerned the distinct attributes of each of the three wolf heads.

After his analysis, he discovered that the middle wolf head was the true source of the three-headed wolf's soul. Destroying it would annihilate the mount.

Armed with this discovery, Master Xu Yang became fearless. No matter how hysterically his opponent struggled, as long as he played his unparalleled role at the most critical moment, it would be enough.

In fact, for top-tier powerhouses like Xu Yang, a confrontation was no longer about raw strength differences. Instead, it was a test of both sides' control over the battlefield, and their ability to grasp and exploit every detail.

In these regards, if Xu Yang dared to claim first place, who would dare to claim second?

This... was the unique dominance and self-assurance of a true powerhouse.

Having lost the assistance of the Hellwolf, the Evil Spirit Black Knight's mobility was severely hampered. It was precisely then that Xu Yang and his three companions finally realized the reason for his excessive reliance on the Hellwolf: he originally had no legs! The three-headed wolf was his sole means of movement and survival!