Ch. 1414 - Fun, Isn’t It? Kneel.

“Confident?” Shangguan Xian asked.

“What do you think?” Xu Zimo replied casually.

“I know you’re strong,” she said, “but don’t underestimate Spectral Prince. He’s the successor of the Spectral Valley. The Spectral Valley is a very unusual place. Though they were originally of the Fire God Race, they’ve always sought the power of cold. It’s said their ancestor once descended into the Nine Hells to seize the Spectral Flame from the underworld and made it their life flame.”

“And this Spectral Prince, before him, the Spectral Valley already had a successor. But Spectral Prince, after only ten years of cultivation, defeated that very successor when he was fifteen years old and became the new heir. He’s been called the most talented successor the Spectral Valley has produced in nearly ten thousand years.”

“Only one in ten thousand years?” Xu Zimo laughed.

“He’s a bit bloodthirsty,” Shangguan Xian admitted, “but his power is real. If I faced him, even with all my trump cards, I wouldn’t be certain of victory.”

“Your Immortal Spirit Flame isn’t any weaker than his Spectral Flame,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

“Maybe so,” she said, returning the smile. “Anyway, good luck.”

As the previous matches ended one by one, the referee finally called out the next pairing.

“Xu Zimo versus Spectral Prince!”

As the second-ranked contender on the Myriad Flames Ranking and one of the favorites to win, Spectral Prince drew massive attention wherever he fought. Especially after his brutal slaughter of Zhang Heng, the sheer cruelty of that fight only made the audience more thrilled.

People loved this kind of match, bloody, ruthless, with real life and death on the line. The polite, measured duels were boring by comparison.

So whenever Spectral Prince fought, the arena overflowed with spectators.

“This one’s going to be fun,” someone said. “Let’s see who Spectral Prince tortures this time.”

“Hey, isn’t that the guy who killed Black Flood Dragon last round?”

“Maybe he’ll actually give Spectral Prince a fight.”

“Don’t be stupid. Black Flood Dragon was strong, sure, but nowhere near Spectral Prince’s level. My money’s still on the ghost.”

“How much did you bet on him, old Sun? You sound desperate.”

The man snorted. “My entire life’s savings are on the line. Spectral Prince, you’d better not screw me over!”

The crowd roared with chatter and laughter.

Then Spectral Prince appeared, dressed in crimson robes, grinning wickedly as he stepped onto the stage. His gaze locked on Xu Zimo, studying him from head to toe.

“I just want to see what makes you so special,” he said, his tone mocking. “What kind of man has a bounty big enough to tempt me?”

“So you took the job?” Xu Zimo asked lightly.

“Why would I refuse free money?” Spectral Prince sneered. “Let’s just hope you can last longer than the last one. I didn’t even get to enjoy myself before he crumpled.”

“Remember what you just said,” Xu Zimo replied with a faint smile.

Spectral Prince’s expression turned cold. The air around him darkened, thick with ghostly aura. A massive white skull erupted from above his head, lunging straight toward Xu Zimo to devour him whole.

Xu Zimo raised his right hand. The strike he unleashed split the air with a roaring wind.

A thunderous boom resounded as the skeletal head slammed into him, sending him flying backward.

“Disappointing,” Spectral Prince said, shaking his head with clear disinterest.

Then, in the blink of an eye, his body blurred into shadows. Ghostly wails pierced the air as he struck, hundreds of punches within seconds.

Xu Zimo seemed to have no room to counterattack.

“Soul-Devouring Myriad Ghosts!” Spectral Prince shouted.

Behind him, a colossal ghostly phantom materialized, roaring as it opened its maw. A terrifying suction pulled at Xu Zimo’s body, trying to drag out his very soul.

Xu Zimo struggled against it, his body trembling under the force.

Spectral Prince snorted coldly, channeling even more ghost energy into the phantom. Its hollow eyes flared with ghostfire, burning bright.

“It’s over,” he said, already bored, disappointed by how quickly the fight had gone.

But just as the phantom was about to consume Xu Zimo, it suddenly screamed, a shrill, otherworldly sound, and exploded into fragments of light.

“What...?!” Spectral Prince’s eyes widened as the blast sent him flying.

He looked up and saw Xu Zimo standing unharmed, the fear on his face replaced by calm indifference.

“Fun, isn’t it?” Xu Zimo said softly, smiling.

Spectral Prince narrowed his eyes, realization dawning. “You… you were pretending.” He broke off and chuckled coldly. “Good. Now it’s interesting. I thought you were just another weakling.”

“Have you ever felt fear?” Xu Zimo asked suddenly.

“Only others fear me,” Spectral Prince said flatly.

Before his words even finished, Xu Zimo’s hand rose. A massive palm formed in the air, its presence so heavy it seemed to consume all surrounding energy.

Then, like a collapsing sky, the palm descended.

Spectral Prince roared, the white skull manifesting once more above him. Its hollow sockets flared with twin flames as it screamed, thrusting upward to pierce the incoming force.

But when the palm struck, the skull shattered instantly. The blow crashed into Spectral Prince’s body like a mountain.

He grunted, his face turning pale as blood threatened to rise up his throat. He swallowed it down with effort.

The force pinned his feet deep into the arena floor.

“Kneel,” Xu Zimo commanded, voice cold.

The pressure increased.

Bones cracked audibly. Spectral Prince’s legs buckled, breaking under the weight. He dropped to his knees with a loud thud.

For a moment, the entire arena fell silent.

No one could believe what they were seeing.

“Impossible!”

“Spectral Prince is being crushed!”

“No way, that must be a trick! He hasn’t used his full power yet!”

“Find out who that man is. I want every detail about him!”

“Looks like even the Myriad Flames Tower missed one. The Chaos Fire God Realm is full of hidden monsters!”

The stands erupted in noise as disbelief turned into a storm of chatter.

Spectral Prince’s fury boiled inside him. He had been humiliated, publicly, in front of the entire domain. Soon, he knew, his name would be a laughingstock.

Rage flared in his eyes as ghostfire blazed hotter than ever.

With a roar, he exploded with energy, shattering the massive palm pressing down on him.

Now, he was truly enraged.

A bloody aura erupted from his body, spreading in every direction. Within that crimson haze, countless corpses appeared, shambling like undead soldiers, their eyes empty.

“Kill him!” he roared.

The tide of corpses surged forward, charging straight at Xu Zimo.

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