In the magical combat among masters, the higher the cultivation, the less likely it is to achieve a surprising victory.

These are ancient monsters of a thousand years. Throughout their cultivation journey, they must have been schemed against countless times. They've weathered many storms to survive till now, so how could they be easily caught off guard?

Si Lingxi was schemed against because her Phoenix bloodline was too unexpected. The Heartless True Desire Demon Ancestor had prepared for at least ten years with an array and a fake Phoenix bloodline.

Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo was ambushed by the Great Jing because he had invested too much sunk cost and the Court ruthlessly set a huge bait with human lives.

This time, however, he was too confident, believing that as long as he didn't show any flaws, he wouldn't be discovered by the Great Jing Court or Abnormal People.

But no matter what, the best that can be done is to create an absolute advantage, trying to immobilize the target as much as possible. Thinking of winning in one fell swoop is wishful thinking, and care must be taken not to let the opponent break the trapping array, escape, or even turn the tables.

Let's see the three examples given above; the first two ended in failure.

So, what about the third one now?

Even though holding the upper hand, Dongyangzi and Si Lingxi didn't relax at all. The Innate Cloud Qi was dense and continuous, the Phoenix Divine Fire burned the sky and boiled the sea, firmly binding this space. Despite several breakthroughs by Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo, they were all blocked.

At one point, Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo used a diversion tactic, fully unleashing his Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl. The power of its Primordial Spirit Poison increased by almost fifty percent yet was still blocked by the ensuing Phoenix Divine Fire, which then gradually wore it down.

...

Another three days passed, the black water between heaven and earth became increasingly scarce, and the Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl grew dimmer. However, the expressions of Dongyangzi and Si Lingxi became more serious and solemn.

Sure enough…

"Moo!"

A strange cry suddenly erupted from Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo's mouth. His face twisted in a ferocious expression as he shouted, and his form transformed, enveloped by a black light surrounded by black water.

The next moment, the black light dissipated, and a strange fish several dozen yards long appeared in the sky.

This strange fish had a head resembling a bull, with twisted horns pointing forward, three extremely long feelers on each cheek, and a huge mouth full of sharp teeth.

The strange fish had no nose, its eyes disproportionately large, and its gaze was vicious and fierce, full of brutality and malice, emanating a murderous intent.

Aside from the bull-like head, the rest of the fish's body was not unusual, just an ordinary fish body, covered in a layer of dark scales, similar to the one Lu Zheng had acquired.

The bloodline of an abnormal beast, the Black Fish!

"Moo!"

The next moment, endless black water appeared out of nowhere, instantly filling the heavens and the earth. The Black Fish made a leap from the sky straight into the sea.

"Boom!"

The endless Black Sea expanded madly, impacting the boundaries of the inverted world of Innate Cloud Qi.

Yet, the Innate Cloud Qi remained elusive yet heavy, with Phoenix Divine Fire burning the sea surface, making it hard for the black water to break the array.

Within the heaven and earth, the Innate Cloud Qi formed an impenetrable cage, the Sea of Black Water rose higher and higher, as if to fill the whole world.

Then…

The entire Sea of Black Water, almost from surface to seabed, was ignited by Phoenix Divine Fire.

"Moo!"

A strange cry echoed through the heavens; the Black Fish churned the black water, then suddenly leaped out, waves surging, towering high.

By revealing its true form, Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo's water control ability advanced further.

"Got you!"

Dongyangzi suddenly made a move, and a White Jade Ruyi appeared out of nowhere, suspended in mid-air.

This White Jade Ruyi was only a foot long, with flowing cloud patterns engraved on its surface. Around it were white clouds swirling, resembling an Immortal Artifact.

The next moment, this White Jade Ruyi turned into a shooting star, descending from the heavens, enveloped in layers of Cloud Qi, without the tiniest hint of earthly air.

"Thud!"

A soft sound echoed as the foot-long White Jade Ruyi struck the head of the ten-yard-long Black Fish.

"Moo!"

Though the blow looked light, it caused the Black Fish to cry out in pain.

Immeasurable White Cloud Qi poured into the Black Fish's body, causing it to slightly contort, as its Divine Soul briefly destabilized. The Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl on top of its head quivered slightly, and peculiar ripples emerged, being the unrefined Divine Soul Poison left after killing tens of thousands of mortals.

Lu Zheng's eyes flashed. "So he killed and refined to make this Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl."

Si Lingxi nodded, "Killing to extract souls, sacrificing to refine the Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl, increases its toxicity and can feed back to his Divine Soul, boosting his cultivation."

"Killing so many people and extracting so many souls, isn't he afraid of the Divine Soul backfiring?"

"Hence, the Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl exists. After passing through this Pearl, how could mortal Divine Souls withstand being poisoned, ultimately merging into the Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl without leaving any hidden dangers."

Si Lingxi calmly said, "It's much like gathering incense, but while incense accumulates slowly and requires sincere devotion from people, his refining of the Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl is swift."

It's indeed fast; killing and refining, cutting directly from the root… 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Such methods are a typical spell that harms others for self-benefit.

While speaking, Si Lingxi moved swiftly, seizing the moment of the Black Fish's unstable Primordial Spirit. Spreading her fingers, nine Fire Phoenixes flew towards the Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl, merging upon it.

Strike when it's weak, aim for the kill, directly targeting the vital core!

"Moo!"

The Black Fish couldn't help but let out another pained moan, as waves of Primordial Spirit Poison spread and churned in the air, then conglomerated with the black water to stabilize itself, wearing down the Phoenix Divine Fire that was burning the Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl's body.

"This guy should've been killed earlier." Lu Zheng frowned and said, "Otherwise, being so close to the final step, he might get even more desperate."

Si Lingxi nodded, coolly saying, "He won't survive this time, no matter who comes to help, I assure you."

Lu Zheng immediately responded flatteringly, "My wife, so mighty and domineering!"

Dongyangzi: -_-#

Their conversation wasn't transmitted by voice. The magical combat's rumbling was too loud for Yuanlin to hear, but Dongyangzi could hear them.

Blinking, he pretended not to hear their flirtatious-sounding words, and with his hands moving in a seal technique, he lifted the White Jade Ruyi, intending to strike the Black Fish once more.

However, the Black Fish shook its head, quickly diving into the Black Sea, not daring to surface again.

But that was of no consequence. He had just unleashed all his power and not only failed to break through the Innate Cloud Qi but also received two severe hits, more than enough to double down on his injury, further diminishing his hope of escaping alive.

As Si Lingxi said, this time, he couldn't get away.

...

Another three days passed, and under the desperate struggle of a cornered beast, Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo made several attempts to break through but was blocked each time by the two. On one occasion, he directly used his Divine Soul Origin to unleash half of the Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl's power yet still couldn't escape.

Thus, what followed was hardly worth mentioning. He was, after all, a prominent figure, didn't lower himself to beg for mercy, and even destroyed his Storage Magical Treasure before his death, decisively leaving nothing of value for the opponents.

Finally, as his Qi weakened, the Innate Cloud Qi broke into his Dantian, the Phoenix Divine Fire burned into his Sea of Consciousness, and having no way to defend himself, he ultimately killed himself, leaving only the indestructible Demon Body and Primordial Spirit Poison Pearl.

Thus, with the joint efforts of Si Lingxi and Dongyangzi, no matter how fiercely Divine Monarch Xuan Ruo struggled, he couldn't cause any substantial harm to them, eventually being worn down and killed by them, a complete victory!

"Buzz!"

The next moment, as if waves of the sea, the Light of Fortune began to madly surge into the Mind Jade Seal.