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The Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Serpent twisted its head and spewed a cloud of seven-colored mist at Wu Liuqi.
At the same time, the bright red crest on its head glowed intensely, its speed spiking as it fled the scene.
"Watch out!!!"
The instant Elsa saw the mist rushing toward Wu Liuqi's face, she threw up an ice wall in front of him, blocking it completely.
"Sssss—"
Wu Liuqi: "..."
"What the hell? Didn't you say it wasn't poisonous?"
"Hey! Are you messing with me right now?!
After retreating back to Elsa's side, Wu Liuqi shot Liu Erlong an annoyed look.
Liu Erlong: "...I-I don't know either! Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Serpents really are non-venomous!"
"I've fought one before. That seven-colored mist was just for show!"
She remembered it clearly. Back then, the serpent had suddenly spat out that mist, scaring her half to death and making her go all-out on defense.
But when she later saw the people her cheap dad had sent to protect her completely ignore the mist, even breathing some of it in without a scratch, she realized it only looked deadly.
"That means there's only one explanation," Elsa said calmly. "Void energy gave it poisonous properties."
Wu Liuqi: "..."
That's even a thing?
Before Wu Liuqi could make another move, Elsa was already showing off.
Her ice magic was terrifying, especially after she'd bought combat experience using ice magic with dimensional coins. Her strength had skyrocketed.
The serpent tried to ambush her, but the moment it entered a ten-meter radius, it slammed into an ice wall and instantly turned into an ice sculpture.
It wasn't that Elsa had wanted to watch Wu Liuqi embarrass himself earlier. It was just that against ten-thousand-year soul beasts, freezing them was extremely difficult unless they were within twenty meters.
In this world, a thousand years and ten thousand years was a massive dividing line. Even a difference of a single year could mean a world of difference in strength.
"I'm eating snake stew today!"
Wu Liuqi smacked the frozen serpent with his Demon Blade Thousand Edges. "Weren't you badass just now? Come on, try acting tough again!"
The words barely left his mouth when a gorilla-like soul beast suddenly burst out from the side.
"!!! Big bro, wait—!"
Too late.
Wu Liuqi was sent flying by a single punch.
Elsa and Liu Erlong: "..."
Wu Liuqi, maybe it's time for you to leave the group chat.
In the distance, Sam saw the whole thing and couldn't stop his mouth from twitching.
He genuinely had nothing left to say about Wu Liuqi's talent for getting himself killed.
They were still fighting, for crying out loud. What was he doing provoking things?
Still, the situation was slowly coming under control. With Sam, a level-six existence, and Kurama, a fifth-tier one…
Oh.
Never mind.
Kurama was tied up.
Dealing with people and beasts corrupted by void energy would take some effort, but it was only a matter of time.
Honestly, it wasn't that hard.
"Your ice magic's getting smoother and smoother," Sam muttered, pleased with himself. "Guess real combat really is the fastest way to grow."
He could finally shout it out loud now. "I'm not combat-inept anymore!"
The defensive power of the Demon Fox Cloak was ridiculous, and combined with Sam's absurd regeneration, he hadn't taken a single injury despite fighting this long.
His clothes, on the other hand, were basically rags. He looked like a beggar.
That was entirely because he'd had no idea how to fight on this level at the start.
Sure, he'd fought before at school.
But those were kid fights.
Now?
Just look at Kurama, casually firing off Tailed Beast Bombs every now and then. Boom, boom, boom. Scary as hell.
Thankfully, with the Wisdom King assisting him, Sam's combat experience skyrocketed. Fighting several soul beasts alone now felt effortless.
His control over chakra and ice magic was getting sharper by the minute.
I mean, come on. He had the Wisdom King as a cheat, after all.
A dozen minutes later, the battle was nearing its end.
And honestly, Sam was shameless.
Every time an enemy fell, he'd quietly drag its soul and corpse into hell, then summon it back to fight for him.
That's necromancy for you. You lose one fighter, I gain one.
When the last soul beast, also the strongest one, finally fell, the battle was over.
"So… just close the spatial rift and that's it?" Wu Liuqi said, carrying his Demon Blade Thousand Edges and swaggering back.
He'd just gotten his revenge. That gorilla soul beast was dead.
He'd taken some damage, but thanks to the Demon Fox Cloak Sam gave him, the wounds were healing fast.
"That's it?" Kurama scoffed. "They made the Void sound so scary, but this is all it's got?"
"....."