Spirit Domain

The sky was churning with rolling clouds, thunder roaring, and the earth trembling beneath.

Jay stood in the center of the battlefield, clutching the Thunderflash Curse in hand, while his guardian spirit, Ares, burned with dark crimson war flames. Opposing him were three powerful Chinese guardian spirits—Lin Chong, Yue Fei, and Pan Feng.

Lin Chong's eyes glinted like lightning, wielding a longbow with arrows infused with the power of wind and thunder.

Yue Fei, clad in silver armor and holding a war banner, exuded an aura where life and destruction coexisted in harmony.

Pan Feng's twin blades gleamed like rainbows, his imposing aura like a mountain, ready to cleave the skies at any moment.

"Ares, attack!" Jay commanded softly.

Ares let out a furious roar, brandishing the Spear of Destruction, its tip radiating a crimson glow capable of annihilating everything. He lunged toward Lin Chong with deadly intent.

At the same time, he activated Heaven's Annihilation, transforming into a torrent of slaughter surging toward the three guardian spirits.

Lin Chong snorted coldly. "Arrows, to me!"

Drawing his bowstring to full tension, he unleashed Arrow Rain, a storm of countless sharp arrows covering the sky as they rained down on Ares. Simultaneously, he launched Windcloud Arrow, a single shot imbued with gale force, tearing through space as it locked onto Ares's vital points.

Ares swung the Spear of Destruction, creating a mountain of spear shadows that deflected the Arrow Rain. However, the Windcloud Arrow struck directly at Ares's chest!

Boom!

The Windcloud Arrow hit its mark, but Ares's Rage of Violence was triggered in response, boosting his combat power to terrifying levels.

Yue Fei shouted, "Polar Assault!"

He plunged the war banner into the ground, releasing a bone-chilling frost that transformed the battlefield into a frozen plain.

Yue Fei then clasped his hands together to activate Leaf's Breath, healing Lin Chong and Pan Feng's injuries while bolstering their strength.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Pan Feng roared, "Heaven and Earth Slash!"

Crossing his twin blades, he unleashed two arcs of energy that tore through the sky toward Ares.

Following up immediately, he executed Double Blade Strike, overlapping blade energies to form a space-rending slash.

Surrounded on all sides, Ares remained unfazed. Jay, standing calmly, began to chant, "Thunderflash Curse!"

The lightning in the heavens coalesced into a massive thunder dragon that merged with Ares's Spear of Destruction. Empowered by the thunder's might, Ares transformed into a war god, wildly swinging the spear and shattering the Arrow Rain, Blade Energy, and Frost in succession.

Boom!

The thunderbolt pierced through Lin Chong, shattered Yue Fei's frozen plain, and split Pan Feng's blades.

The three guardian spirits were forced back several meters, struggling to recover their footing.

The heavens split apart once more as Ares emerged like a war god from the abyss, his presence emanating an aura of slaughter and destruction. Fully awakened in his Heaven's Annihilation state, he burned with crimson flames that seemed capable of devouring the entire world.

The guardian spirits of Lin Chong, Yue Fei, and Pan Feng were faint and flickering, yet their resolve remained unshaken. They summoned every last ounce of strength to resist the impending cataclysm.

"We cannot retreat!"

Yue Fei shouted resolutely. His war banner glimmered with the last remnants of vitality as he gritted his teeth and once again activated Polar Assault, attempting to freeze Ares in place.

Lin Chong, with unwavering determination, drew his bow to its full extent and unleashed another Windcloud Arrow, the projectile transforming into a howling gale aimed straight at Ares's heart.

Pan Feng roared, swinging his blades in a devastating Heaven and Earth Slash, the twin arcs of energy rending the void as they surged toward Ares.

"Futile resistance." Jay's voice was icy as he formed a series of hand seals, activating the Thunderflash Curse!

Lightning from the heavens descended with explosive force, coiling around Ares's Spear of Destruction.

At that moment, Ares's power surged to its zenith. He raised his spear high, bellowing as he unleashed a strike that could annihilate everything in its path.

Boom!

The fusion of Heaven's Annihilation and the Thunderflash Curse erupted into a tempest of lightning and destruction, engulfing the guardian spirits of Lin Chong, Yue Fei, and Pan Feng entirely. Yue Fei's frozen plain shattered instantly, Lin Chong's bow splintered into fragments, and Pan Feng's blades were reduced to dust.

"Ahhh—!" The three guardian spirits let out their final cries of defiance before disintegrating into countless shards, vanishing from the battlefield forever.

As the dust settled, only Jay and his guardian spirit Ares remained standing. On the opposite side, the bonded mortals of Lin Chong, Yue Fei, and Pan Feng—Wang, Zhao, and their allies—stared in horror as they stumbled backward, finding themselves cornered with no escape.

Jay stepped toward them slowly, his gaze cold as ice, yet a mocking smile played on his lips. "Pathetic," he sneered.

Scanning the terrified figures before him, Jay's voice dripped with disdain.

"Bonded mortals like you are utterly useless. You depend solely on your guardian spirits to fight, yet you lack even the most basic strength of your own. The destruction of your spirits is entirely your own fault, for dragging them down."

Wang and Zhao pleaded desperately, "Jay! Please, don't kill us! We were wrong—"

"Wrong?" Jay chuckled darkly. "Your mistake was existing in the first place."

He raised his hand, lightning crackling ominously. "Perhaps in your next life, you'll learn to live better. But… there won't be a next life for you."

Ares lifted the Spear of Destruction once more, as Jay's Thunderflash Curse activated again.

A torrent of thunder and lightning swept across the battlefield, obliterating Wang, Zhao, and their allies entirely. The once-living battlefield was now nothing but a smoldering wasteland.

Jay stood atop the ruins, surveying the desolation below. With a calm yet chilling tone, he murmured, "This is what a true chaotic world looks like."

As the smoke cleared, the echoes of thunder lingered in the air, leaving the battlefield in an eerie silence. In the distance, Vilk had witnessed the entire scene, a mixture of astonishment and awe etched on his face.

"I never imagined... Jay could be this powerful," Vilk murmured, his gaze fixed on Jay. He could sense the surging spiritual energy radiating from him.

Clearly, Jay's spiritual power had reached the pinnacle of the Entry Realm, and his guardian spirit, Ares, was none other than the legendary Divine Martial Spirit.

Vilk spoke softly, "Jay, is it? Your strength is truly astounding. I must admit, the synergy between you and Ares in battle is flawless."

Jay turned his gaze toward Vilk, his expression showing a hint of appreciation.

"Your strength isn't bad either."

Vilk smiled faintly.

"My name is Vilk. I'm also a bonded mortal. My guardian spirit is Adam, a Human Martial Spirit who was once a Domain Spirit General.

However, the district I was tasked to protect was recently invaded by the Wolfshade Gang.

Because I refused to submit to them, I was branded a traitor and have been hunted ever since."

"Domain Spirit General?" Jay raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Vilk's background.

"A Human Martial Spirit named Adam? Impressive. And yet the Wolfshade Gang is after you?"

Vilk shook his head with a bitter smile.

"The Wolfshade Gang is powerful. Even with my status as a Domain Spirit General and my capable guardian spirit, I couldn't withstand their oppression. I had no choice but to flee. I never expected to end up here and cross paths with you."

Jay crossed his arms, his gaze sharp.

"Vilk, is it? I've observed your spiritual energy—you're not weak. By rights, you shouldn't have been pushed to this extent by those individuals I just defeated. A bonded mortal who can summon such a formidable Human Martial Spirit shouldn't be easily overpowered."

Vilk lowered his head, sighing.

"Those individuals were just some of the Wolfshade Gang's lesser members. I could have resisted them, but they attacked my district, forcing me to choose between submission and rebellion. I fought back and managed to eliminate their sub-leader and some of their members. The three you just fought were the last remnants of that group. As for their team leader, they probably weren't involved—otherwise, my situation would have been far worse."

Jay's interest deepened.

"What can you tell me about the Wolfshade Gang's overall strength? Their team leader? Does the gang have multiple teams?"

Vilk's expression darkened.

"From what I know, the core strength of the Wolfshade Gang lies in their twelve squads. Each squad is led by a team leader, who represents the elite of the gang. Beyond that, the gang's supreme power resides with their leader and two deputy leaders, who surpass even the team leaders in strength."

Jay raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"That strong?"

Vilk nodded.

"Indeed. Don't underestimate them. However, during my escape, I heard rumors that three of their squads, including their team leaders, were mysteriously annihilated. No one knows which faction was responsible for it."

Jay fell silent, his expression contemplative.

"It seems this mystery is only getting deeper. The truth is shrouded in fog."