Zhao Rui's heart clenched as Shi Hu emerged unscathed from Dun Che's full-force Soulflame Beam. Though equivalent to a Unity Realm cultivator, Dun Che's attack could flatten mountains in the mortal world. Yet the Wraith King stood unharmed—his armor shattered, but flesh unmarred.
His defenses… are monstrous. Zhao Rui's blood chilled. This power… *Transcending Tribulation Realm.*
Few in the mortal cultivation world ever touched this apex. Even with his Eight Desolations Immortal-Slaying Art at the early Splitting Body stage, Zhao Rui knew the chasm between realms was insurmountable. Not even the ancient Raksha's Bow guaranteed victory if he couldn't wield it fully.
Blinded by rage, Dun Che roared and charged again, gathering energy for another blast. Shi Hu's sword flashed—a crescent of void-black energy screaming toward Dun Che's neck.
Zhao Rui moved.
Space rippled as his teleportation bracelet yanked Dun Che backward an instant before the blade-strike cratered the earth. A 300-meter fissure split the ground, shaking the altar.
"My thanks, brother," Dun Che rasped, sweat-drenched.
"Save gratitude for later," Zhao Rui snapped. "Rage makes you reckless. To kill him, we need strategy."
"Then use the bow!" Dun Che snarled. "One shot—make it count. I'll bait him."
"You'll die!"
"So be it!" Dun Che's eyes burned. "For my sister. For all of them!"
Before Zhao Rui could argue, Dun Che lunged skyward, firing another Soulflame Beam. Simultaneously, Zhao Rui channeled qi into the Asura Demon Sphere, its gravitational vortex locking onto Shi Hu. The Wraith King sneered, sword weaving a sigil of dark runes.
"Ten Thousand Ghosts Devour!"
Black mist erupted, birthing shrieking specters that swallowed Dun Che's attack. The wraith-cloud engulfed him, fanged maws closing in. "NOW, ZHAO!" Dun Che bellowed, charging into the swarm.
Heart pounding, Zhao Rui teleported behind Shi Hu. The Raksha's Bow materialized, its azure arrow coalescing with every shred of his qi.
One chance.
The arrow blazed like a fallen star, piercing Shi Hu's unprotected back.
*BOOM—*
A sapphire explosion tore through the Wraith King's torso, leaving a gaping void. Dun Che's follow-up Soulflame Beam hammered the wound, slamming Shi Hu into a smoking crater.
The surviving demon spirits gasped. "Is he… dead?"
Li Ju, the skeletal vizier, scrambled to the pit's edge. There lay Shi Hu—his hard-won flesh body obliterated, half his form vaporized. Yet within the ruin, faint violet sparks flickered in the hollow of his ribs…