"Ran away?"
Seeing Mu Yang flee without a word, the Slaughter King, enshrouded in blood mist, frowned deeply.
Since Mu Yang dared to come challenge it, he must have come prepared.
Most likely, Shui Bing'er lay in ambush outside. If it gave chase, it would inevitably face their spirit fusion technique.
After all, such a powerful trump card as a spirit fusion skill was not something Mu Yang would discard.
After a brief moment of thought, the Slaughter King clenched its teeth and decided to pursue anyway.
The Slaughter King knew clearly—regardless of whether there was an ambush, it had to kill Mu Yang as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he were allowed to continue growing, its chances of victory would only become slimmer.
More than twenty li outside Slaughter City, Mu Yang descended upon a desolate mountain.
"Well? Has the Slaughter King followed?"
Shui Bing'er, clad in Spirit Gold Battle Armor with the Ice Phoenix Spirit possessing her body, stepped forward to ask.
"The plan is going smoothly!"
Mu Yang nodded. He could sense that the Slaughter King was already on its way and would arrive shortly.
Then, from his spirit-tool storage bracelet, Mu Yang took out five spirit ginsengs.
One Purple Jade Xuanhuang Ginseng, two Silver Jade Undying Ginsengs, and two Golden Jade Reversion Ginsengs.
After handing Shui Bing'er one Silver Jade Undying Ginseng and one Golden Jade Reversion Ginseng, Mu Yang consumed the remaining three.
Before coming, he had already tested it—their spirit fusion technique, whether in beast form as the Iceflame Phoenix or in human form as the Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow, had both reached the god level.
The Blue Jade Ascension Dragon Ginseng, augmented by the Spirit True Body, could increase all attributes by 80%, but its upper limit was below god level. It could not enhance the power of a god-level spirit fusion skill. Thus, Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er chose not to use it.
Given that once Tang Chen's consciousness returned, he would complete the eighth trial of Asura and gain recognition of the Asura God Sword—
And the Asura God Sword was a supreme divine weapon. Though Tang Chen could not wield its full power, its attack strength would still be terrifying. Therefore, consuming the Silver Jade Undying Ginseng and Golden Jade Reversion Ginseng would provide them with far greater survivability.
As for the Purple Jade Xuanhuang Ginseng
"Fifth Spirit Skill—Iceflame Manifestation!"
"Rooaaar——"
Mu Yang's fifth spirit ring shone brightly. As surging spirit power erupted, a dragon's roar rang out. A lifelike, hundred-meter-long, ice-blue divine dragon soared into the sky, exuding an awe-inspiring might.
Since spirit fusion required the participation of the Iceflame Holy Shadow Spirit, the other spirit skills of that spirit could not be used within the fusion state. Even augmentation spirit skills would be canceled once entering fusion.
But Iceflame Manifestation was a special summoning-type spirit skill, unaffected by the fusion state.
And when not using the embodied Iceflame Immortal Ginseng Spirit, the Purple Jade Xuanhuang Ginseng had the same effect as when given to another: it doubled the power of the next spirit skill.
At this moment, Mu Yang had consumed the Purple Jade Xuanhuang Ginseng precisely to boost the power of his fifth spirit skill—Iceflame Manifestation.
After summoning the Iceflame Dragon, an illusory layer of iceflame ignited upon Mu Yang's body. He turned his head toward Shui Bing'er.
No words were needed. With long-established tacit understanding, Shui Bing'er too erupted in dazzling ice-blue radiance.
The next moment, the two merged into one. The black, red, and gold-ringed spirit rings of their two spirits interwove. As resplendent ice-blue light flared, their figures vanished, replaced by a long-haired figure clad in ice-blue phoenix-patterned armor—
The humanoid spirit fusion skill: Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow.
Feeling the power in his hands and feet that could shatter space itself, Mu Yang, who led the Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow, nodded in satisfaction. The Killing God, Iceflame, and Ice Phoenix triple domains surged outward. His figure rose into the sky, standing beside the Iceflame Dragon, gazing into the distance toward Slaughter City.
Soon, a scarlet figure radiating cold and evil aura arrived through the air, stopping a hundred meters away from the Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow.
"You juniors are truly devious!"
Seeing that he indeed faced the spirit fusion of Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er, the Slaughter King could not help but curse.
At this moment, the Slaughter King's heart grew exceedingly heavy.
If its senses were not mistaken, the aura of their fusion skill seemed far stronger than when they had slain Tang Hao!
"Devious? Beast—prepare to die!"
Declaring himself as ever radiant and handsome, Mu Yang shouted aloud. With a thought, he controlled the Iceflame Dragon beside him to charge at the Slaughter King.
At the same time, spirit power of iceflame surged around him. Dozens of iceflame arrows condensed in an instant, transforming into a dense barrage of icy-blue streaks, blasting toward the Slaughter King.
"Hmph—"
With a cold snort, the scarlet bat wings behind it flared wide. The Slaughter King evaded the Iceflame Dragon's blazing breath, transforming into a blood-shadow rushing straight at the Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow, intent on close combat.
But just then, the Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow, which had been suppressing its aura, unleashed its full force. A terrifying pressure of spirit power swept down upon the Slaughter King.
"What?!"
Overwhelmed by the terrifying spiritual oppression, the Slaughter King's body stalled, its eyes filled with shock and fear.
It had not sensed clearly before and had assumed that Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er had simply made another breakthrough. But never had it imagined their strength would have increased so drastically!
This level of suppression was the third most terrifying it had ever faced—second only to the divine pressures of the Rakshasa God's will and the Asura High Priest, Shang. It was highly likely they had already stepped into the level of Level 100.
"Pupupupupu——"
Streaks of icy-blue light cut through the air. Unable to fully dodge, the Slaughter King was pierced by over a dozen razor-sharp iceflame arrows. They tore through the Slaughter Domain, embedding into its body, and scarlet blood flowers bloomed in bursts.
"Explode!"
Seeing this, Mu Yang gave a cold command. The arrows lodged in the Slaughter King's body suddenly detonated.
With a flash of blue light, the areas pierced by the iceflame arrows now burst into gaping blood holes, spraying crimson. Moreover, the scattered iceflame from the explosions clung to the Slaughter King's body.
From afar, it looked like a man of fire—an ice-blue flame-man.
"Ahhh——"
Wracked with unbearable pain, the Slaughter King screamed, its entire body consumed by searing cold as the iceflames gnawed through its flesh.
But this was not the end.
The Iceflame Dragon swooped down, unleashing a fan-shaped breath of iceflames. In an instant, the Slaughter King's body was engulfed in the icy-blue inferno.
For the vast majority of Spirit Masters on the continent, the Slaughter King's strength was indeed formidable. Its Slaughter Domain alone, which restricted opponents' spirit skills, made it a top-tier powerhouse even among Titled Douluo.
But against the god-level fusion skill Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow, the Slaughter King was utterly insignificant. Their strengths were as far apart as heaven and earth.
After all, if the Slaughter King were truly that powerful, why would it have once feared none other than Tang Hao?