An Alchemist's Path to Eternity-Chapter 754: Defiant Howls Defeat (II)

"Once I destroy this wood puppet of yours, you're dead, and your Dao will perish with you!"

A thunderous shout rang through the air. The next moment, Defiant Howl slammed his palm down, and the wood-attribute puppet, the strongest among the five elemental-attribute puppets, collapsed and shattered. The fragments scattered through the air.

But at that very moment, Han Zhan suddenly lifted his head, and his gaze locked onto Defiant Howl. That single glance struck Defiant Howl like a massive hammer—it was a divine soul attack!

Sword orbs flew out from the five destroyed puppets, streaking through the sky like meteors. The sword formation reformed, and the sword light transformed once again. Its range expanded abruptly and completely enveloped Defiant Howl during the brief instant his mind faltered.

Then Han Zhan clapped his hands together, and his puppet avatar merged into his body. Then, he stepped into the center of the sword formation. The true power of the Two Poles Five Elements Sword Formation was about to reveal itself before the world!

When Han Zhan fully activated the sword formation, terrifying cutting intent crisscrossed in all directions. In only a short span of time, Defiant Howl's body was covered with countless wounds of varying sizes.

"I underestimated you!"

Within the sword formation, no matter how the World-Shredding Golden Wheel protected its body, it could not block the sword energy that seeped in everywhere. Even so, Defiant Howl did not panic.

"If you think this is all I have prepared, then you are gravely mistaken."

"AAWWOOOOOOOO!"

As a howl rang out, the Wolf Emperor Defiant Howl's body began to expand wildly. One zhang, two zhang... ten, thirty... In just a short moment, it had swelled to a massive hundred zhang in size! It was as though a small mountain had suddenly risen into the air; compared to it, the Giant Spirit transformations of Luo Chen and Wang Yuan were utterly insignificant.

Such a massive body was naturally just a bigger target for sword energy strikes. However, in his true form, Defiant Howl did not care in the slightest about the five-element sword energy. He reached out with a massive hand as golden light gathered in his palm. As he struck, rumbling sounds echoed through the void. Wherever the enormous golden hand passed, the sword energy instantly collapsed into endless ripples, revealing Han Zhan's position.

Han Zhan attempted to retreat, but a terrifying suppressive force locked him in place and made escape impossible. This strange and sinister demonic technique caused shock to flash across the thin old man's face; this was absolutely not something that a Nascent Soul-level being should have been able to do!

I see! This must be a legacy demonic technique! It's the power of that Heavenly Wolf bloodline he awakened! Han Zhan's heart shook with fear, yet his movements did not slow in the slightest as dark radiance wrapped him once more.

BOOOMM!

Under the golden wolf's claw, mana surged and shook heaven and earth. One figure was struck heavily and fell toward the ground. At the same time, another figure leapt out of the sword formation.

"Oh, you used that puppet avatar as a substitute? A clone made to die in your place?" Defiant Howl looked at the fleeing figure and grinned ferociously. "Well, that's just great! Let me see if you have another one!"

With a surge of power, he scattered the remaining sword formation and flew toward Han Zhan. Their speeds were not on the same level at all; in only a few breaths, the distance between them closed to the range where that eerie demonic technique could be unleashed once more.

At that moment, Han Zhan suddenly stopped and turned to look back. The wolf's forward charge halted abruptly. It was another divine soul attack!

Defiant Howl had been prepared. This time, he recovered even faster, in less than a breath. Yet the moment he regained clarity, he saw the human holding a small nine-story pagoda and looking at him with a cold smile. In Han Zhan's hands, the pagoda suddenly expanded.

Amid thunderous rumbling, golden chains stretched across the sky and bound the Wolf Emperor Defiant Howl. Feeling the faint restraining force, Defiant Howl stirred his demonic energy with clear disdain. "What, is that it? You think that little thing will let you run roughshod over us?"

But just as it was about to summon his demonic energy and break free of the golden chains, a sense of unease rose within him. These chains were not binding his physical body, but his Nascent Soul!

At that very moment, Han Zhan threw his head back and let out a long roar. "All of you, move now!"

Almost simultaneously, a streak of sword light tore through the air from the far western horizon.

WHOOSHH!

A sword flew in and pierced straight into the demonic wolf's hundred zhang body.

"Despicable!"

The demonic wolf roared and thrashed around violently, causing the golden chains to shatter little by little. It no longer harbored any intention to kill Han Zhan; with all the might of its immense demonic power, he temporarily suppressed the terrifying Sword Will raging within his body and turned to flee.

However, a magnificent pavilion wreathed in the power of wind and lightning blocked his path.

From the Wind Lightning Pavilion, a giant hammer crashed down. Defiant Howl raised both hands to brace himself against the incoming force.

BOOM!

Even though he had readied himself, Defiant Howl was caught off guard. The hammer smashed him squarely and sent him flying dozens of li away. He spat out a mouthful of blood in midair, yet he laughed loudly and said, "Fellow Daoist, thank you for seeing me off! Today's grudge will be repaid one day!"

As it turned out, he intended to use the very tremendous force that had just blasted him away to escape!

However, to his dismay, Han Zhan's plans did not end there. At some point, without being noticed by anyone, a figure had appeared quietly along his path to life. The newcomer looked exceedingly young, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. His brows were sharp, and his dark hair was bound high within a black jade crown. His features appeared flawless, and his eyes, in particular, bloomed like peach blossoms, making one want to give their heart at first glance.

Of course, Defiant Howl was not the kind to be casually entranced by beauty, and neither was he lacking will. He roared, "Get out of my way!"

The young man shook his head, pinched his fingers as if plucking a flower, and flicked them lightly. "Fellow Daoist, stay."

As his finger flicked out, a pink mist scented like musk and orchids spread across the air. The mist suffused everything as petals seemed to fall. Yet those falling petals were not peach blossoms, but flesh and blood!

"AHHHHHHHHH..."

Under excruciating pain, Defiant Howl cried out; his titanic, hundred-zhang body seemed to be melting! At the same time, the Sword Will that had been temporarily suppressed within him surged violently once more.

And while he was besieged by danger from within and without, yet another attack descended. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

From the Wind Lightning Pavilion, the giant hammer appeared again and smashed down with unstoppable force. His massive body instantly shattered! The broken remains seemed to try to rejoin, yet under the pink mist, they dissipated inch by inch.

Whoosh!

A tiny figure no more than three cun tall burst out from the remains. It drifted out in a daze, then its gaze sharpened as it stared at Han Zhan with deep resentment. It did not utter a single word, however; it merely quivered for a moment and then vanished. This was a Nascent Soul trying to escape!

Unfortunately, even this move had already been fully anticipated by Han Zhan and the others.

In an empty stretch of the sky, streaks of white feathers suddenly drifted down as demonic energy spread, no weaker than Defiant Howl's energy at its peak.

Bang!

Defiant Howl's Nascent Soul was forced to reveal itself.

"Pure Crane, you wretch!"

Defiant Howl's Nascent Soul let out a shrill scream and tried to flee again. But this time, it was not so easy. From afar, a steady gaze locked onto him and unleashed another divine soul attack. The Nascent Soul shuddered, then froze for an instant. Seizing that brief pause, many golden chains rattled out and wrapped tightly around his Nascent Soul and bound it completely.

"Bind! Return!"

Han Zhan completely ignored his dizziness and divine soul exhaustion; he kept forming hand seals, controlling the golden chains to drag Defiant Howl's Nascent Soul back into the nine-story pagoda.

And thus, the battle came to an end.

Five figures stood tall in the high sky. From the Silktree Sect, the representatives were a human and a demon—Cloud Crane and Pure Crane, who appeared outwardly calm yet could not hide a trace of anticipation. On the Wind Lightning Pavilion side, Heaven Smelter looked curiously at the shrunken pagoda in Han Zhan's hand. The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect's Sage held a long sword in a reverse grip with one hand while forming a sword seal with the other. At once, four sword orbs flew back to his side and circled around him. He looked toward Han Zhan and snorted coldly.

Under these gazes, all holding different feelings and intentions, Han Zhan simply acted as though he was alone. With one hand holding the Demon Locking Pagoda, the "lost" treasure of the Valley of Ghosts and Divinities, he looked down upon the tens of thousands of densely packed human cultivators on the ground.

"All cultivators below the Golden Core Realm, sweep away the remnants of the Defiant Howl Wolf Court. Adepts whose names I call, ascend the Wind Lightning Pavilion. Follow us as we march to the Great Snow Mountains!"