WHAT! I Have To Kill Heaven's Son To Live!

Xiao Yan's severed arm regenerated—flesh knitting itself back together with unnatural speed.

His broken ankle twisted and cracked—then snapped back into place, the bones realigning as it fully healed.

'What… the hell?!' Reon's eyes widened in disbelief.

Xiao Yan lifted his gaze, now burning with fury.

He pointed at Reon with a deadly glare.

"You've run your mouth long enough."

"Prepare to die, bastard."

But, inside Xiao Yan's mind, chaos reigned—

'Thank the heavens… my Celestial Elemental Heart and Bound Dao Artifact followed me into this body.'

'Though I can't use the artifact in this weakened body… at least I can still tap into some of the heart's abilities.'

'If not for that… with this crippled excuse of a body, I would've been killed by this lowly insect today.'

'Elemental Consumption… one of the highest-grade abilities my Celestial Elemental Heart possesses.'

'By burning my Life Force, it amplifies my healing, floods me with near-limitless Elemental Energy, and forcefully elevates both my Cultivation and Elemental level by two whole realms.'

'It's an incredibly dangerous ability I only ever used in the direst moments. And yet… this wretched brat has forced me to activate it. Just how far have I fallen?'

'At my current state, I won't be able to maintain this for more than a minute. Once it's over, I'll be left with shattered meridians, drained life essence, and won't recover for half a year.'

'But so what? Even if it costs me everything—I will kill this arrogant bastard today.'

SWOOSH!!

With a guttural roar, Xiao Yan lunged forward, Elemental Power exploding around him like a storm.

"Today will be your last day in this world!"

Reon's eyes widened as he saw Xiao Yan's form streak toward him, cloaked in vibrant elemental light.

'What the hell?!'

'Not only did his severed arm regenerate… his cultivation surged to Peak-Stage Golden Core Realm in an instant?!'

His pulse quickened.

'Is this what Aria meant when she warned me not to underestimate him just because of his realm…?'

'Damn it... What do I do now?!'

His hands trembled for a second—but then he gritted his teeth, eyes sharpening.

'I'm not going down that easily.'

'This technique… it must be like my Core Void Eye's Fourth Technique. Burning power for a temporary boost.'

'There's no way he can sustain it for long. I just need to endure. Hold out—until he collapses.'

Without hesitation, Reon unsheathed his sword.

Dark, ominous aura erupted around the blade as he poured every last trace of his Spiritual Energy into it.

Then—he charged forward to meet Xiao Yan head-on.

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up with interest as he caught sight of the dark flame swirling around Reon's blade.

"Oh? A Dark Aura?" he mused, smirking. "Now that's interesting… I've never seen anything like that in my previous life."

Then his gaze narrowed slightly, recognition dawning.

"Wait a minute… you must be the Mimic Lord. The genius who crushed Yi Ran, the Rank-2 outer disciple, without breaking a sweat."

"No wonder you gave me so much trouble."

A flicker of disdain twisted his lips as he continued, voice dripping with condescension.

"You know… the original owner of this body was jealous of you."

"He was just as useless as you once were. But then suddenly, you started to rise again—like a star reborn. It terrified him. Enraged him. He couldn't stand your talent."

"Shut up, you parasitic soul," Reon snapped, his voice sharp as steel. "You don't belong in this world anymore."

'Though… I suppose I don't either,' he admitted inwardly.

But just as Reon surged forward, ready to clash blades—

His eyes widened again in shock.

Above Xiao Yan, four glowing elemental swords had formed in the sky, forged entirely from pure Elemental Energy.

Each sword pulsed with its own essence—Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth—and radiated not just aura… but something even more refined.

'What the hell?! That's not just Elemental Aura… that's Qi?!'

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

One after another, the Elemental Blades streaked through the air, aiming to pierce Reon like divine javelins.

"Tch—damn it… whatever!"

Reon gritted his teeth and fell into a low stance, his blade burning with intensity.

"Nine Yang Sword Technique…"

A violent swirl of flames erupted around him, condensing into a fiery tempest that danced along the edge of his blade.

"Fifth Form—Swirling Fire Storm!"

In an instant, a blazing inferno twisted outward, its intensity reaching the level of 9-Star Fire Aura.

The air shimmered under its might.

'This… this is the strongest sword form I've mastered so far!'

"AAAHHH!"

With a defiant roar, Reon unleashed the full fury of his attack.

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow as he witnessed the familiar move.

"Oh? That technique..." he murmured, his tone laced with mild surprise. "I created that once… out of boredom. Even though I wasn't even a swordsman."

His eyes narrowed.

"But how… how the hell did he get his hands on it?"

BOOOOM!!!

The moment their attacks collided, a deafening explosion tore through the air.

Shockwaves erupted outward, flattening thousands of trees and ripping the earth asunder, leaving a massive crater in their wake.

Reon squinted through the smoke, panting heavily.

'Did I… did I stop it?!'

But then—

His eyes widened in disbelief.

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!

The four Elemental Blades continued their relentless advance, completely unscathed—not even a single scratch marred their gleaming surfaces.

Infused with 1-Star Elemental Qi, their power eclipsed anything Reon could muster.

Though, they had slowed down a little.

"D-Damn it... What now?!"

But before he could react further—

WHOOSH!

A streak of light flashed before him, and suddenly—Cloudia appeared in her small form, standing protectively in front of him.

Having reached the peak of her affection for Reon, she could now exit the Inner Beast Domain at will—unless Reon forcibly locked her inside.

Reon's voice cracked in surprise.

"C-Cloudia?! What are you doing here?!"

She didn't look back—her voice sharp, urgent.

"No time to explain, Master!" she shouted. "Quick, cast your Barrier Magic! I have a defensive ability too. If we combine them, we might just be able to stop it!"

"B-But... my 1-Circle Barrier Magic is nothing compared to Elemental Qi attacks!" Reon said, voice wavering.

Cloudia turned her head slightly, eyes blazing with fierce determination.

"Just use it, Master… please. You have to survive. No matter what!"

"Y-Yes!"

Suddenly, a thought sparked in Reon's mind.

'Oh, right! There's that thing I can try!'