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Everyone inside and outside the "Dragon Soul Space" felt as if each day lasted a year. Fortunately, time was passing, and I had already endured an hour before the Dragon Soul, a feat that even the twelve ancient dragons, who had lived for ten thousand years, found astonishing. Meanwhile, news came from the "Supreme Dragon Saint" that the space could be dissolved within twenty minutes. Everyone saw that although I looked ragged, I was still agile and powerful with my sword, which made them all breathe a sigh of relief.

However, far away, those responsible had no intention of letting me come out alive.

"Miss, it seems that the Dragon Saint is about to finish his prayer. If we don't act now, we might fail our mission," a black-clad man bowed to Xue Lingpei.

"Hmph, I didn't expect Feng Xuan to last an hour against the Dragon Soul without showing any signs of defeat. Even a regular Sword Emperor might not be able to do that. Very well, let's see if you can survive this final blow!" Xue Lingpei, dressed in white, removed a necklace from her jade-like neck, detached the gemstone pendant, and shot it into the running magic array. Her initial mercy towards Jin Luosha did not extend to me at all.

As soon as Xue Lingpei made her move, the situation here changed immediately. The Dragon Soul, which had been attacking instinctively using only its claws, fangs, tail, and dragon breath, suddenly altered its combat style. Just as I used the Nine Yin technique "Unending Phantom" to dodge a sweeping attack by brushing past the Dragon Soul's belly, it unexpectedly flapped its eight wings, flew into the air, and then spat out a thick stream of dark dragon breath. I had seen this trick many times before and wasn't afraid; I dodged the area covered by the dragon breath. However, the seemingly clumsy Dragon Soul anticipated my movement and blocked my path, shocking me greatly. Fortunately, the Nine Yin techniques were extraordinary, and I managed to avoid the critical hit by moving at the last second, losing only a piece of flesh from my left shoulder and leg.

The danger, however, did not pass. The Dragon Soul seemed completely transformed. Although its attack methods remained unchanged, it was no longer a mindless beast but a skilled fighter, displaying a strict order in its attacks and defenses, enhanced by its super-beast strength and speed. In moments, it added several deep wounds to my body.

"Damn it, if I find out who is behind this, I'll destroy their entire clan! There's no other way; Ice Wind, come out!" Blood flowed incessantly from my wounds, and I knew I wouldn't last much longer. I might be torn apart by the Dragon Soul before losing my fighting ability. Without hesitation, I summoned my last trump card, the Companion Beast, the three-headed magic wolf Ice Wind.

Ice Wind had successfully evolved to the lower ranks of level nine over a year ago and formed a Companion Contract with me. As my power increased, so did his. After I lost and regained my true qi in the desert Magic Tower, he reached the upper ranks of level nine. Since then, he had been accumulating strength, preparing to break through the ultimate barrier and become a super-beast. However, the gap between level nine and level ten was vast, which is why level ten beasts were called super-beasts. I had always estimated that Ice Wind would need to wait until I became a Sword Saint before he could become a super-beast.

When the Dragon Soul appeared, Ice Wind constantly transmitted thoughts of joining the battle from the seal rune. But knowing the difference between a level nine beast and a super-beast, and since Ice Wind lacked my martial arts skills, I couldn't bear to see him get hurt. Plus, I didn't want to reveal my trump card to the Temple members, so I suppressed Ice Wind's desire to fight. However, now, realizing it was a matter of life and death, if I died, Ice Wind, being a Companion Beast, would die too. So, without hesitation, I summoned him.

"Roar!" As soon as Ice Wind appeared, he unleashed all his ice, fire, and lightning magic. Thankfully, the Dragon Soul, having gained intelligence, no longer charged recklessly. Seeing Ice Wind appear, it slowed its attack slightly, adopting a defensive stance, giving Ice Wind room to act.

For a moment, countless fire dragons, ice spears, and lightning orbs filled the dark "Dragon Soul Space." Behind these distracting spells, Ice Wind simultaneously launched his three powerful innate skill attacks: "Inferno Flame Spirit," "Blue Ocean Tears," and "Thunder Hammer." A black-red giant wolf phantom, a tiny blue ice crystal, and a rotating light hammer that attracted lightning struck the Dragon Soul's black energy body simultaneously. The explosion caused by the massive energy collision amplified several times in the confined space. I had to hide under Ice Wind's magic shield to avoid the impact while activating the Golden Bell Shield to control my muscles, temporarily closing my wounds to stop the bleeding, and then using magic scrolls to heal them.

As the intense explosions gradually subsided, smoke filled the space, severely affecting visibility. Normally, magic explosions are pure energy and don't produce smoke, but due to the interaction between ice and fire magic, plus the lightning, the air was filled with mist. Neither Ice Wind nor I knew the outcome of the attack, but it was clear that even if the Dragon Soul didn't have the "Abyssal Dragon King's" magic immunity, it wouldn't be destroyed by the spells of three level nine beasts. The question was how badly it was injured—whether it was repairing itself or preparing to counterattack.

"Ice Wind, get down!" Suddenly, a sense of imminent danger surged within me, and I ordered Ice Wind to take cover. Ice Wind, whom I had raised since he was young and almost shared a telepathic bond with, immediately rolled on the ground. Just as he moved, a massive dragon tail crashed down where he had been, causing a tremendous shockwave that made me feel uneasy. Then, the Dragon Soul broke through the fog and launched a frenzied attack, leaving Ice Wind and me in a sorry state.

The Dragon Soul seemed slightly smaller, indicating that Ice Wind's attack wasn't entirely ineffective. However, the magic Ice Wind had prepared in the seal rune took a long time to complete. Now, with the Dragon Soul advancing relentlessly, there was no time to prepare such powerful magic.