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Although Xi Luo's EightColored Realm of the Hero's Sword also contained a branch for manipulating dark forces, one must not forget that the magical power of the Hero's Sword originated from the Twelve Sages, who were essentially disciples of the Great Demon King Baruto. Using their creation to counter Baruto's strongest magic naturally fell short by a tier. Had Xi Luo been capable of fully unleashing all eight elemental forces, it might have been different, but as it stood, he was not yet up to the task.

Chen Xuanfeng, having breached the realm, wasted no time in detonating all the dark energy stored within the Tiger Soul Blade, sending it crashing down like a comet toward the Heaven-Piercing Tower below. Pitifully, the mages atop the tower had already halted their mana output to prevent Xi Luo's realm from being attacked from both sides. Caught off guard by the sudden assault, they had no time to react before the pure black blade light, condensed like black crystal, cleaved through the tower from top to bottom.

"CRUNCH-CRACK-BOOM——————"

The tower, which had guarded the Mercenary Empire for four centuries and earned the reputation as the continent's mightiest fortress, was split in two by the hundred-meter-long blade light amid a series of explosive sounds. Then, a force a hundred times more violent erupted from the tower's base, swallowing the 400-meter-tall structure like an expanding black hole in an instant.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

Not only the collapsing Heaven-Piercing Tower but also the adjacent Mercenary Empire's Glazed Palace, which lay within Xi Luo's realm, stood no chance of escape. The palace, though fortified with numerous magical defenses, was no match for the tower's resilience. In an instant, it was devoured by the exploding dark energy, only to amplify the destructive force as it burst outward.

"Beastman King, you...!" Xi Luo had not expected the balance of power to shift so drastically in a single moment. His hesitation allowed the tower to be cleaved apart, and the final stage of "Chaos Reborn - Purple Calamity" erupted in full force. Despite channeling all the dark energy within his EightColored Realm, even a Sword Saint specializing in dark forces would retreat before such a supercharged dark spell, let alone a novice like Xi Luo, who relied on a divine weapon to manipulate his realm. Thus, no matter how hard he struggled, he could not prevent the destruction of the Heaven-Piercing Tower and the Glazed Palace.

"Still not enough, Xi Luo. No matter when, you always fail to protect what you wish to protect. Do you know why?" The silver-haired werewolf Sword Saint sheathed his blade and stood tall, untouched by the dust despite standing at the epicenter of the explosion.

"Damn it, what are you trying to say?" The young Pope's face darkened as he spoke, simultaneously adjusting his realm to harness wind and fire elements.

Chen Xuanfeng ignored the shift, crossing his arms arrogantly. "The reason you're always flustered in front of me is because you've never recognized your own limits. Since long ago, you've insisted on facing enemies stronger than you head-on, like the brave yet foolish heroes in legends. I must admit, your wits and luck are decent—you always find a way out in dire situations. But that's all you can do. Though you've caused me plenty of trouble each time, no matter how many fortuitous encounters or schemes you muster, you've never truly stopped my advance."

"Enough! Are you trying to crush my fighting spirit with these words?" Xi Luo roared, thrusting his Hero's Sword forward. Instantly, firestorms and hurricanes erupted within his realm, a majestic display of power.

The silver-haired werewolf shook his head slightly, effortlessly evading hundreds of Xi Luo's thrusts as he continued, "Not at all. It's just that, knowing I'll never see you again after today, I wanted to say a few final words to you, my disciple... Many times before, my hesitation allowed you to escape. But today, I will kill you here."

Xi Luo froze momentarily at the icy killing intent in those last words before angrily swinging his sword. "That's my line! Today, it's you who will die here!"

Facing the oncoming inferno of flames and gales, Chen Xuanfeng no longer dodged. Drawing the Tiger Soul Blade once more, he swung it, and five forces—water, wind, earth, light, and darkness—surged from the golden blade, spiraling and slicing through Xi Luo's assault. The counterattack forced Xi Luo to shift his realm's attributes to light and ice, parrying each strike in turn.

"From one to two, but the essence remains the same. I have no interest in watching your realm shift back and forth. If you still think my strength is the same as during your coronation in the Holy City, you're dead wrong." Chen Xuanfeng sneered, pointing his blade at the young Pope. "All this time, you've been toying with the realm of that Hero's Sword. This time, let me show you the true realm forged by a genuine Sword Saint!"

Xi Luo tensed at Chen Xuanfeng's words, gathering his strength to counter the new realm. Yet, after a moment of waiting...

Nothing happened.

No realm distortion, no fluctuations of power, no chromatic shift. Not even...

The Beastman King Sword Saint himself had vanished.

Yes, Chen Xuanfeng, the silver-haired werewolf Sword Saint, had disappeared from Xi Luo's sight as if it were the most natural thing in the world. So seamless was the disappearance that Xi Luo blinked before realizing what had happened.

"What's going on? Wasn't he going to use a realm? Was it just a ruse, and he actually used invisibility magic?" Xi Luo wondered. "No, invisibility magic shouldn't work within my realm. It feels like he's not even occupying space anymore—has he escaped my realm? But no, the realm's boundary is intact. He's still here, yet..."

As Xi Luo hesitated, an inexplicable sense of danger suddenly transmitted from the Hero's Sword to his heart. Without thinking, he whirled around, bringing his sword up in a horizontal guard. A metallic "SHIIING" rang out as the Hero's Sword clashed with a semi-transparent golden greatsword that had materialized from empty space. Only then did the silver-haired werewolf Sword Saint leisurely appear.

Xi Luo snarled, "You lied again! Talking about using a realm, only to ambush me with invisibility magic!"