The purple sword in Xu Zilong's hand was a close-range soul-guiding weapon of the ninth level, the Heaven Annihilator, which he had forged himself using rare soul-guiding metal collected from all over the empire.
Its most important trait was its ability to emit a special and powerful destructive attribute from the Brilliant Sky-Annihilating Dragon, destroying all obstacles when swung.
"Hah, this is your last chance. Hand over the inheritance of the gods, and I'll spare your life."
He pointed the long blade at Xu Mingxi's brow and issued an ultimatum. What he couldn't obtain, no one else would, even if it meant losing the inheritance of the Sun God and Moon God.
In response, Xu Mingxi fired the Fiery Sun Cannon to blast open the prison behind him, then darted forward, charging directly at the evil man.
"Hahaha, very well. Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish."
Xu Zilong injected soul power into the soul-guiding gear on his body. His figure vanished instantly, and in the blink of an eye, he was beside Xu Mingxi, slashing down with his blade.
Xu Mingxi's body, cloaked in Fiery Sun energy, activated, and the starlight condensed into armor over his body. He tried to use it to block the attack, but he hadn't expected that the soul power coating his body would start to melt upon contact with the enemy's sword-like soul-guiding weapon.
Xu Mingxi's face turned pale as he tried to retreat, but he was still a step too slow. A portion of flesh on his right arm was struck by the long blade and immediately began to melt.
Flames scorched his flesh and blood, causing excruciating pain, but the bleeding eventually stopped. He knew he stood no chance in close combat, so he used all his remaining power to cast the Lieyang incantation, sending blazing flames soaring into the sky, temporarily forcing Xu Zilong back.
Then, a pair of crimson wings unfolded behind Xu Mingxi, transforming into golden rays of light as he dove straight into the sinister forest. The soul bone skill of the 100,000-year-old Yangyan Crow was the Golden Crow Transforming into a Rainbow.
For a moment, Xu Zilong was surprised by Xu Mingxi's speed, but to say he could escape would be underestimating him—a Titled Douluo and a ninth-level soul engineer.
One fleeing and one pursuing, the two entered the Evil Forest. The three Soul Douluo left behind, unable to keep up, exchanged glances and had no choice but to return and await good news from His Majesty.
The Demon Forest was the gathering ground for the strongest soul beasts in the Sun-Moon Empire. Ancient trees towered into the clouds, their branches intertwined into massive webs, blocking all sunlight. The forest's color shifted from dark green to pitch black. The ground was covered in fallen leaves, emitting a damp and rotting odor.
Most of the soul beasts here were strange and powerful. The Evil-Eyed Tyrant Clan ruled this place, led by the Evil-Eyed Tyrant who had reigned for 700,000 years.
The invasion of Xu Mingxi and Xu Zilong disturbed the forest's tranquility. Fire spread, leaving scorched trails behind, followed closely by purple light that destroyed everything in its path, leaving nothing behind.
There was no possibility of peace between the two. The inheritance of the gods was too tempting—no one could give it up. Unless one of them died, the confrontation would never end.
As Xu Mingxi fled, beams of sunlight repeatedly shot back to slow Xu Zilong down, but to no avail—each was dissolved by the purple soul power enveloping his body, rendering them useless.
Xu Zilong kept wielding the Heaven Annihilator, sending out splashes of purple sword energy that surrounded Xu Mingxi from all directions. Their clashes drew the attention of countless powerful beings within the Demon Forest.
Deep in the forest, two large dark-skinned figures emerged, covered in strange, mystical symbols, faintly radiating an evil aura.
Most strikingly, each of them had a single eye that dominated their heads—like a blood-red full moon—emitting a chilling glow, as if a single glance could disturb the mind.
Tentacles stretched from their massive bodies, and the sudden commotion disturbed their peace. They roared in the direction of the sound and began moving toward where Xu Mingxi and the other man were fighting.
The three elders who had entered the forest earlier had partially recovered. They hid inside a cave, listening to the echoes of battle above with grave expressions.
Originally, they had been assigned to protect Xu Mingxi, but now it was he who had to draw the enemy's attention. It was truly shameful.
Especially the Grand Elder—thanks to a pill made from crystal blood dragon ginseng, his bleeding had stopped and his wounds stabilized.
However, his entire left arm had been broken beyond recovery, severely limiting his combat ability. Even if he wanted to assist, he was powerless.
"Eighth Brother, Ninth Brother, seal the cave and focus on recovery. Trust in Mingxi—he'll be fine."
If anything happens to him, I'll turn the Sun-Moon Empire into a river of blood. The Grand Elder glared in the direction of the battle before retreating into the cave's darkness.
Xu Mingxi was sprinting at full speed, and his soul power was depleting at an alarming rate. If not for consuming three immortal herbs and absorbing a two-hundred-thousand-year soul bone, he would've collapsed long ago.
Seeing Xu Zilong closing in from behind, he rushed deeper into the Evil Soul Forest. Suddenly, he seemed to hear rustling from the left-front. He immediately veered and darted in that direction.
What Xu Mingxi feared now wasn't an accident—but the lack of one. If this continued, his soul power would soon be exhausted in front of Xu Zilong, and he'd be captured or killed. But with an unpredictable turn of events, the outcome might change.
Xu Zilong, chasing behind, frowned slightly. He too heard the sound. While he didn't know much about the Evil Soul Forest, he knew that soul beasts over hundreds of thousands of years old lived here. It was clearly no place to linger.
Suddenly, his aura surged, and the image of a brilliant purple sky-destroying dragon appeared above the forest. His seventh soul skill was the true body of his martial soul, and his ninth soul skill was the Noble-Purple Heavenly Strike.
Tremendous fluctuations of soul power gathered in the dragon phantom's mouth. Xu Mingxi, sensing great danger, went pale. Drawing on all his remaining soul power, he rushed toward the two Evil-Eyed Tyrants now in sight.
He could feel his soul being affected, but with the spiritual power gained from his two lives, the nourishment of the Sun and Moon God marks, and the fragment of the Star God's divinity in his sea of soul, he was able to resist the mental shock and push closer to the Evil-Eyed Tyrants.
As Xu Mingxi approached the Evil-Eyed Tyrants, a burst of purple energy shot out, carving a massive scar across the vast Evil Soul Forest.
Just as he arrived in front of the Evil-Eyed Tyrants, his flaming wings wrapped around his body, the blazing sun enveloping him completely. Starlight even formed a protective sphere around him—his life or death would be decided in this moment.
The two Evil-Eyed Tyrants stared at the incoming purple energy beam with their singular eyes, confusion in their gaze. Sensing a great threat, beams of blood-red light shot from their eyes to meet the oncoming Brilliant Purple Heavenly Strike.