Chapter 132: If he isn't dead, then you're in for a world of misery!

Song Qi waited for a moment. As the dust settled, only a trace of black blood remained in the hundred-meter-deep crater. A layer of black, viscous substance coated the bottom, continuing to spread.

The system provided no notification of experience gain.

"Not dead yet!"

Song Qi stepped back, his figure flickering as he soared into the sky. He had initially used [Seven Deadly Sins: Envy], but he quickly realized that both the stun effect and the attempt to drag the opponent into a duel space were useless. This meant the high-level demon possessed not only the offensive rule-level skill "Fish Scales" but at least one other defensive skill as well.

Fortunately, the effects of [Greed] were still functioning normally.

"This black sludge is likely another rule-level skill. Di Xin might be able to touch it, but I’d better be cautious."

Song Qi scanned his surroundings, a faint golden barrier shimmering around him. He muttered to himself, "The demon's appearance resembles a fish; he might have some sort of swimming ability, and this black sludge is likely the medium through which he moves. Staying in the air is safer than being on the ground."

No sooner had the words left his lips than the space before Song Qi rippled. The fish-headed demon appeared right in front of him. Though his aura was significantly weakened, a cruel grin of triumph played on his face.

"Human brat, your brain is decent, but unfortunately, you only guessed half of it."

"I can indeed swim, but my medium is... space itself!"

*Pfft!*

A black fish scale shot out like a cannonball, a violent aura sweeping forth! Even ignoring the world essence carried by the scale, the sheer power of this skill alone was beyond imagination.

*Pop!*

The protective barrier around Song Qi was pierced as easily as a bubble. Yet, he showed no panic, merely nodding calmly.

"So, space is your medium. Now I know. Thank you."

*Bang!*

The jade pendant at Song Qi’s waist erupted with light! A massive Bagua formation manifested out of thin air, instantly deflecting the fish scale. This was the talisman given to him by Elder Mu and Li Zong just days ago. It could be triggered three times, each unleashing the full-force strike of a City Lord-level powerhouse.

"You actually have a life-saving measure?" The fish-headed demon was stunned, his killing intent surging even more fiercely. "It seems the humans truly value you immensely! But the more that is the case, the more you must die here!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Song Qi asked with a smile, as three figures suddenly appeared beside him: Lu Bu, Di Xin, and Ying Zheng.

[Life Protection: Creates a shield around the user. Once the shield is broken or voluntarily dispelled, it allows for the forced recall of all summoned entities.]

The fish-headed demon narrowed his eyes, preparing to slip back into space to wait for another opportunity to strike. But then, a light, mocking voice drifted from behind:

"Trash."

Hearing this, his turning movement halted, and an inexplicable, burning rage erupted from the depths of his soul, clouding his mind in an instant!

"What did you just say?!!"

Uncontrollably, he glared at Di Xin with bloodshot eyes. Every scale on his body stood on end; he held nothing back.

*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*

As if ten thousand cannons were firing at once, tens of thousands of scales erupted simultaneously! Each scale alone could whip up a gale, and their combined force coalesced into a single, massive black scale. The tip of the scale shattered the very fabric of space! This was his strongest strike—his desperate, final trump card.

The moment he unleashed the attack, the fish-headed demon snapped back to his senses.

"Strange, what just happened? Why did I suddenly use this move?" He panted, touching his now smooth, scale-less body, feeling a wave of confusion. "Using this move has severely damaged my vitality. To return to the Second Continent, I’ll likely need to recuperate for months before I can even move."

"But... that human brat is dead for sure."

He looked up. The massive black scale pressed down across the entire space, as if even time had been brought to a standstill. His technique not only locked onto the target but also sealed the space in the entire area, slowing the flow of time itself. Everything nearby was being pulled toward the scale. Whether the opponent tried to use spatial movement or flee physically, they would be restricted. It was a guaranteed hit. Against his power, the enemy was surely doomed.

And the result was exactly as he had anticipated.

*Bang!*

Almost instantly, without even a chance to react, Di Xin was struck and driven into the earth.

*Rumble!!!*

The ground, already ravaged by Lu Bu, suffered another devastating blow. This time, even space itself was shattered. A massive, gaping void appeared at the foot of the mountain, swallowing everything around it like a black hole. This terrifying spectacle lasted for a full half-minute before finally dissipating.

As the void healed, the towering mountain had completely vanished, replaced by a crater even larger than the previous one. Di Xin’s figure had vanished as well.

Seeing this, the fish-headed demon chuckled. "If I’m not mistaken, that was your strongest summoned spirit, wasn't it?"

"Without your summoned spirit..."

"What will you do now, human... genius?"

He stepped through the air, confident and relaxed, savoring the moment, eager to see the panic on the human's face before he died. However, he barely had time to feel smug before he realized the boy showed no signs of panic at all. In fact, there was a hint of pity in his eyes.

"The power was indeed strong, but unfortunately..."

"You don't seem to have killed Di Xin."

The fish-headed demon gave a contemptuous laugh. "Bluffing. Not dead? So what?" In his view, his full-force strike would have severely wounded even an entity of the same level, let alone the summoned spirit of a mere level 40 Summoner.

"So..." Song Qi looked into the distance. "You are about to be in trouble."

The fish-headed demon, full of confidence, opened his mouth to laugh. "What a ridiculous..."

*Thump!*

Before he could finish, an inexplicable sense of crisis surged from the depths of his heart, sending a chill straight to his scalp! The words were choked off in his throat. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand! His breathing became labored.

Danger! Extreme danger! His instincts were firing desperate warning signals!

He had no time to think. Run! He had to run immediately!

His body began to retreat even before his consciousness could process the order. He turned, the space behind him rippling like water, and he dived into it.

However, he had only made it halfway through...

*BOOM!!!!*

A terrifying, blinding white light erupted with the force of divine judgment! The space at the foot of the mountain, which had just healed, was torn open once again! The void was even larger than before!

The fish-headed demon’s body was instantly ejected, his movements slowed to an agonizing crawl. The same spatial lock, the same temporal stasis! This familiar scene filled him with a sense of dread, but the energy contained within it made his soul tremble with terror. It was many times stronger than his own full-force strike!