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

Ahead of Cloudia—

Xiao Yan's mangled limbs twitched grotesquely as flesh and bone began to regenerate at an astonishing pace.

Swish!

In mere moments, the blood-soaked stumps of his arms and leg reformed—

Skin, sinew, and bone knitting back together until his limbs looked completely untouched, as if the damage had never occurred.

Cloudia's eyes widened in disbelief.

"H-How… how is this possible?!"

From ahead, Xiao Yan let out a guttural scream of agony.

"AGHHH—DAMN IT! That fucking hurt like hell!!"

His gaze snapped toward her, bloodshot and full of rage.

"Who would've thought you'd already awakened that destructive signature move of the Nine-Tailed Clan?"

"I used my full defense and summoned hundreds of Elemental Blades to block it, but it still hit me hard."

His breath heaved with exertion.

"Hah! What terrible luck… That bastard Alaric was the master of this move, too. Though you're still leagues behind him, this damn body of mine is just too fragile right now."

Cracking his neck with a sharp twist, he scoffed.

"But in the end, it's useless. While I'm using Elemental Consumption, there's nothing you can do to hurt me."

Inside, Xiao Yan smirked.

'This ability… In my original body, I could maintain it for just one minute. But now, it's lasting even longer... I guess this trash body has at least one redeeming quality—an absurdly high Life Force.'

His expression turned cold.

"Still… I can hold it for thirty more seconds at best. Time to get serious."

Whoosh!

With blinding speed, he lunged toward her like a thunderbolt.

But Cloudia stood her ground, eyes blazing.

"I won't back down. I will save Master!"

"GWRAAAAA!!"

With a roar that shook the trees and the very ground, she charged forward to meet him head-on.

From a distance, Reon raised his right hand toward Cloudia and spoke with calm intensity:

"Soulbound Beast Command Technique...

Final Form—Absolute Command!"

SWOOOSH!

A surge of radiant energy engulfed Cloudia.

In a flash, her aura erupted—the energy around her twisting into a violent storm as her rank leapt from Low-Ranked to Mid-Ranked Demonic Elite Beast.

Her agility soared by 30%, stamina surged 25%, strength climbed 20%, and destructive power increased by 10%.

This technique, now perfected to its Pinnacle Stage, could elevate his beast companion's rank by one tier—and amplify their attributes.

Though it failed to affect beasts beyond Demonic Elite status, its effect was undeniable.

As a surge of power flooded through her, Cloudia sprinted toward Xiao Yan—briefly turning her head toward Reon.

'Thank you, Master…' she whispered with a smile.

BOOM!

Cloudia and Xiao Yan collided with a thunderous crash.

BOOOM!

BOOOOM!

With their relentless clashes, the battle raged like a furious storm.

The earth cracked beneath them, trees shattered like glass, and shockwaves rippled out in every direction, tearing through the forest like an unchained tempest.

Yet—

Just fifteen seconds later… Cloudia lay utterly defeated.

Her body was crushed against the torn earth, blood pooling beneath her.

Even the powerful regeneration gifted by her Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline could no longer keep up with the grievous wounds riddling her body.

From the distance, Reon's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Cloudia… she fought so hard… and still lost. What do I do now?"

'Damn it! If only I could use the Fourth Art of my Core Void Eye… I would've obliterated that arrogant protagonist bastard!'

Xiao Yan turned toward Reon with a smirk twisted in mockery.

"Heh! So? Got another trump card hidden, little bug? If not... prepare to be erased."

"Don't… hurt… my master…" Cloudia muttered weakly, blood dribbling from her lips as she tried to rise.

But her vision dimmed—and she collapsed into unconsciousness.

Xiao Yan glanced at her with amusement.

"How touching… Such loyalty. Don't worry—when I become your master, you'll forget all about him."

Then—

"Elemental Transportation!"

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yan vanished and reappeared before Reon, the distance of five miles erased as if it were nothing.

He loomed over him, eyes filled with disdain. "You? You're not even worth my time."

Swish.

Xiao Yan extended a casual hand and softly whispered:

"Elemental Impact!"

BOOOOOOM!

The force of the attack struck Reon like a divine hammer, blasting him backward like a bullet.

His body tore through the earth, crashing and tumbling across the forest, uprooting trees like twigs.

"COUGH!!!"

Blood spewed from Reon's mouth as he hurtled over a hundred miles before colliding with a massive boulder—

CRACK!

The rock shattered on impact, fragments scattering as Reon crumpled to the ground.

His vision blurred. Blood poured from his wounds, soaking his robes.

"D-Damn it… An attack this devastating… and not a single Elder notices?!"

"Tch… If this were a protagonist… some Elder would've shown up by now to save the day…"

Clenching his jaw, he fumbled toward his Spatial Ring and pulled out a Low-Tier Grade-3 Healing Pill, shoving it into his mouth.

As he channeled his Spiritual Energy, the pill slowly began to mend his injuries—but barely.

'I should've listened to Aria… I rushed in without a proper countermeasure. But who could've guessed he had abilities like this?!'

"…HUH?!"

Suddenly, something appeared before Reon, making his eyes widen in extreme shock.

But then—

"Elemental Teleportation!"

WHOOSH!

Xiao Yan reappeared before him once again, his shadow blotting out the sun.

"Elemental Palm!"

Before Reon could even rise—

A massive palm formed above him, swirling with Four Elemental-Qi.

BOOOOOOM!

It slammed down.

"AGHHHH!!"

Reon screamed in agony, as if a mountain had crashed down on his back. Blood exploded from his mouth, bones cracking under the sheer force.

But Xiao Yan wasn't done.

Without giving Reon a second to breathe, he muttered again:

"Earth Prison!"

WHOOSH!

The ground responded—thick, earthen walls infused with 1-Star Earth Qi erupted around Reon, sealing him in a cage of stone and darkness.

And then—

"Fire Blade!"

Ten blazing blades, each infused with 1-Star Fire Qi, manifested above and aimed directly at the prison.

Xiao Yan's voice was laced with cruel triumph.

"Die, you worthless trash. And don't worry about that Nine-Tailed Fox—I'll look after her for you."

SWOOOSH!

All ten blades descended toward Reon like a divine execution—

But then—

DING!