Chapter 320: Both Sides Severely Wounded
Yang Xiong, holding the Shura Magic Sword, sat on the ground gasping for breath. He didn't care about the blood flowing from his body and kept eating the Super Recovery Sausage made by Oscar, taking big bites.
Beside him, Ning Rongrong quickly summoned the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to assist Yang Xiong.
The battle with Qian Renxue had left him severely injured. His bones had probably shattered in many places, and his Soul Bone Armor had numerous cracks. Over half of his blood had spilled out. If it hadn't been for his body being specially trained from a young age, with his body having grown exponentially stronger countless times, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold on until now.
At that moment, a voice echoed in Yang Xiong's mind.
"Yang Xiong, for the seventh test of the Shura Nine Trials, challenge a god with a mortal body. Defeat a hundred-level powerhouse within a year. If you fail the test, you will be erased."
Yang Xiong sighed in relief. Among all the trials he had faced, this one was by far the hardest, even more difficult and dangerous than defeating the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King, although also close to the million-year level, was still not comparable to true million-year Soul Beasts. It was also not like Qian Renxue, who possessed a divine artifact. If the Angel God, Qian Renxue, fought the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, it would probably be quite easy for her.
This time, Yang Xiong had truly risked everything, detonating all nine rings and even using the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning. If he had made even the slightest mistake, he would have perished.
The final strike, the third move of the Shura God's Sword Art—Shura Breaks the Sun—was an attack that charged forward, disregarding life and death.
With the help of Ning Rongrong and Oscar, Yang Xiong's injuries quickly began to heal. Coupled with the rapid operation of his dual soul cores, all the visible wounds on his body began to heal at an incredible rate. Even the exhausted Soul Power was quickly recovering.
Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Yang Wudi all stood guard by Yang Xiong's side. They knew this was the moment when Yang Xiong was the weakest, and if anything unexpected happened, it would be troublesome.
After a full hour, Yang Xiong finally opened his eyes. "Rongrong, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, I'm fine now. Don't worry too much."
Ning Rongrong sighed in relief. "Xiongzi, your state earlier was terrifying. I've never seen anyone with such severe injuries."
Yang Xiong smiled and said, "Maybe my body is special, and my recovery ability is stronger than others. Don't worry, I'll recover completely soon."
Although Yang Xiong said this, everyone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Body Sect remained by his side, quietly waiting for his recovery.
Yang Xiong asked, "Sect Master, what's the situation outside now?"
Ning Fengzhi shook his head. "The situation is bad. Emperor Xueye has passed away, and Marshal Ge Long has also been killed by Qian Renxue. The entire army and soul master corps of the Heaven Dou Empire are in disarray. If it weren't for the strength and foundation of our three sects, we would probably be facing a collapse."
Yang Xiong paused before asking, "Now that the Heaven Dou Royal Family only has Princess Xueke left, where is she?"
Ning Fengzhi let out a bitter smile. "Princess Xueke is still in Heaven Dou City. Since the Heaven Dou Palace incident, Emperor Xueye began grooming Princess Xueke. However, Princess Xueke has only ever received a noble education and is more interested in music. She doesn't know much about power and royal affairs."
"During Emperor Xueye's personal campaign, he left Princess Xueke in charge of Heaven Dou City as a form of training. Now that Emperor Xueye is dead, Princess Xueke is on her way to the frontlines, but I'm not sure if she will make it in time."
Yang Xiong sighed. "Now that the Heaven Dou Royal Family only has her left, no one else can support the frontlines. Only she can stabilize the situation."
Yang Xiong looked around and realized that everyone from the Haotian Sect seemed to be gone.
"Sect Master, where are Tang Xiao and the others?"
Ning Fengzhi sighed. "The Haotian Sect has suffered heavily in this war. Tang Hao has fallen, and they've also lost Elder Tang Lie. They're currently dealing with the aftermath. They're trying to bury Tang Hao and Tang Lie in the Haotian Sect's ancestral grounds, but they can't break away from the war."
Ning Fengzhi seemed to think of something. "By the way, Yang Xiong, how did your battle with Qian Renxue end? How badly was she injured, and how long do you think it will take for her to recover?"
Yang Xiong thought for a moment before speaking. "In terms of strength, I think Qian Renxue and I are about equal. My physique and Soul Bones are stronger, but Qian Renxue is a true hundred-level powerhouse. Her body has fully transformed into a divine body, and her recovery ability is probably better than mine."
"This time, I used every method at my disposal just to barely win. Qian Renxue is slightly more injured than me, but due to her divine nature, she will recover faster than I will."
"But Sect Master, you don't need to worry. Given Qian Renxue's nature, she probably won't do anything underhanded. Even if she strikes again, I should be able to handle it."
As Yang Xiong said, after both he and Qian Renxue had exhausted themselves in the battle, they were both heavily injured. Yang Xiong had relied more on his unshakable will and physical endurance to gain a slight advantage.
In the final moments, when they both made their final, full-powered strikes, Qian Renxue transformed into a massive sun, but within this sun, there was a trace of black aura. This was Qian Renxue's biggest flaw.
Yang Xiong had seized this flaw and delivered the final blow, defeating Qian Renxue.
Yang Xiong speculated that this was a trick the Shura God had played during Qian Renxue's Angel Trials, preventing her from being as perfect as the first-generation Angel God.
So even though Qian Renxue had used the belief power of the Angel Clan, she was still defeated by Yang Xiong.
However, this battle had likely made Qian Renxue aware of her shortcomings, understanding the flaws in her divine inheritance. She would likely find a way to quickly correct these flaws.
If they met again in the future, Yang Xiong expected Qian Renxue would become much stronger.
Of course, in the final moments of the war, both Yang Xiong and Qian Renxue had pulled back. If Yang Xiong had pressed harder, his final sword strike could have pierced Qian Renxue's head. The Shura Magic Sword could have pierced her divine soul, and even a god might not have been able to preserve her life.
Likewise, Qian Renxue had also held back. Otherwise, with the Angel God's final counterattack, Yang Xiong's injuries would likely have been much worse.
If Yang Xiong had insisted on killing Qian Renxue, it would have resulted in both of them either dead or severely wounded. Yang Xiong might have been so badly injured that it would take years to recover fully.
This made Yang Xiong recall the Shura God's instructions. From here on, each test wasn't about ability, but about choices.
The Shura God had specifically noted that the Angel Clan was vital to both the soul master world and the divine world. He had likely foreseen the current situation and left Qian Renxue with a chance, also leaving a chance for himself.
Otherwise, during the seventh trial, the reward of a 20% Shura affinity wouldn't have been given—this was far greater than the rewards for the other trials.
After hearing Yang Xiong's words, Ning Fengzhi looked thoughtful.
"Yang Xiong, what should we do now? The war has reached this point. Whether it's the three major sects, the Heaven Dou Empire, or even the Spirit Empire, they've all suffered heavy losses. This is turning into a pure war of attrition. If it continues, all forces will drain their foundations, and then our two major sects will be in trouble."
Yang Xiong smiled. "Sect Master, it's not just that we don't want to fight. The Spirit Empire probably doesn't want to fight anymore either. Even the Xingluo Empire, which couldn't break through Heaven's Gate, probably doesn't want to fight anymore."
Ning Fengzhi was startled. "At this point, is it still possible for us to withdraw?"
Yang Xiong shook his head. "It's not about whether we want to or not. We're merely supporting the Heaven Dou Royal Family. The root of this war is the conflict between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Xingluo Empire against the Spirit Empire. It's about their desire to conquer each other's territory. When the time comes, let Princess Xueke, Bibi Dong, and Emperor Xingluo negotiate."
"Besides, the Haotian Sect has suffered greatly. Although they are eager for revenge, the Haotian Sect no longer has the strength. They've lost two Title Douluo, and even if they gather all their forces, they cannot stand against the Spirit Empire."
"On the other hand, if they continue to fight, they will only deplete the Haotian Sect's foundations. In the end, they will gain nothing and may even be worse off than before."
As Yang Xiong had expected, the war had reached a point where both sides had lost the majority of their forces. The Haotian Sect, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and Body Sect had all lost at least half of their soul masters. Among them, the Haotian Sect had deployed fewer soul masters, and their losses were the least compared to the other sects.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had sent 2,000 soul masters, the Body Sect sent 1,000, and the Haotian Sect sent 500.
However, the Haotian Sect had deployed six Title Douluo, while the Body Sect sent four, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School sent only the Sect Master and Sword Bone Douluo.
But the Haotian Sect had lost two Title Douluo, a much heavier loss than the 250 soul masters lost.
Tang Xiao, a man as composed as he was, could never allow his sect to keep consuming its resources. If Qian Renxue continued her massacre, the Haotian Sect would be wiped out.
Among the three major sects, the Haotian Sect held the deepest enmity with the Spirit Empire, and Qian Renxue despised them the most.
After hearing Yang Xiong's words, Ning Fengzhi fell into deep thought and didn't speak further.
(END CHAPTER)
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