Chapter 324: Both Sides Wounded

Yang Xiong gripped the Asura Demon Sword, sat in place panting heavily, ignoring the blood flowing from his body, and ate mouth‑after‑mouth the Super Recovery Big Sausage made by Oscar.

Ning Rongrong quickly erected the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda beside him to assist Yang Xiong.

This battle with Qian Renxue left serious injuries; countless bones in his body were shattered, his soul‑bone armor sprouted cracks, and more than half of his blood had drained away. If Yang Xiong had not been tempering his body since childhood—his body having become limitless and stronger countless times—he probably wouldn't have lasted to the end.

At that moment, a voice echoed in Yang Xiong's mind.

'Yang Xiong, Shura Nine Test Seventh, challenge a deity with a mortal body, achieve victory, assessment complete, reward: Shura Affinity +20%, total affinity 90%.'

Yang Xiong finally breathed a sigh of relief; among all his assessments, this stage was probably the hardest—far more difficult and a hundred times more perilous than defeating the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King, though also near the million‑year tier, still falls short of a true million‑year Soul Beast, and unlike Qian Renxue, he lacks a divine artifact. One could say that if Angel God Qian Renxue were to face the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, it would be exceedingly easy.

This time, Yang Xiong went all‑in: not only did the nine rings explode simultaneously, but he also employed Heaven Tribulation Thunder at the end; a slight misstep could have caused his own downfall.

Especially the final strike, which was the third form of the Shura Divine Inheritance Sword Technique: Shura Piercing the Sun, a reckless, death‑defying attack.

With Ning Rongrong's and Oscar's aid, Yang Xiong's wounds healed at a breakneck pace; coupled with the rapid rotation of his dual Soul Cores, the visible injuries across his body mended swiftly, and even the depleted soul power was quickly replenishing.

The Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Yang Wudi, among others, stood guard around Yang Xiong. They knew this was his most vulnerable moment; any unexpected trouble would be disastrous.

After a full hour, Yang Xiong finally opened his eyes: 'Rong Rong, Sword Douluo teacher, Bone Douluo teacher, I'm fine now; don't worry too much.'

Ning Rongrong then exhaled in relief: 'Xiao Xiongzi, your condition just now was terrifying; I've never seen anyone sustain such severe injuries.'

Yang Xiong smiled: 'Perhaps my body is unique; my recovery ability is far stronger than others. Rest assured, I'll be fully healed soon.'

Even though Yang Xiong said that, members of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Body Sect all stood by him, quietly awaiting his recovery.

Yang Xiong asked: 'Sect Leader, what's the situation outside?'

Ning Fengzhi shook his head: 'The situation is dire; Emperor Xue Ye has passed away, Marshal Ge Long has been slain by Qian Renxue, and the entire Heaven Dou Empire's army and Soul Master Corps are in disarray. If it weren't for our Three Great Sects, with their remaining strength and foundation, everything would have collapsed instantly.'

After a moment of silence, Yang Xiong spoke: 'Now the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has only Princess Xue Ke left. What about Princess Xue Ke herself?'

Ning Fengzhi gave a wry smile: 'Princess Xue Ke is still in Heaven Dou City. Since the Heaven Dou Palace Coup years ago, Emperor Xue Ye has been grooming her, but she has always received aristocratic education. She personally prefers music and knows little about politics or imperial duties.'

'This time Emperor Xue Ye led the campaign himself, leaving Princess Xue Ke to oversee Heaven Dou City as a trial for her. Now that Emperor Xue Ye is dead, Princess Xue Ke is rushing to the front lines, though it's uncertain whether she'll arrive in time.'

Yang Xiong sighed: 'Now the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has only this lone sprout left; no one else can hold the massive front‑line, so only she can truly stabilize the situation.'

Yang Xiong looked around; the members of the Clear Sky Sect seemed to have vanished entirely.

'Sect Leader, where are Tang Xiao and the others?'

Ning Fengzhi replied helplessly: 'The Clear Sky Sect suffered heavy losses in this war; Tang Hao has fallen, and they also lost Elder Tang Lie. They are now handling the aftermath, intending to bury Tang Hao and Tang Lie back in the Clear Sky Sect's ancestral land, but the war still entangles them.'

Ning Fengzhi seemed to recall something: 'By the way, Xiao Xiong, what was the final outcome of your battle with Qian Renxue? How badly was she injured, and roughly how long will she need to recover?'

Yang Xiong thought carefully before answering: 'In terms of strength, Qian Renxue and I are evenly matched. My physical quality and soul bone give me an edge, while Qian Renxue is truly a Hundred‑Level powerhouse; her body has fully transformed into a divine form, so her recovery isn't inferior to mine—perhaps even superior.'

'I exhausted every method this time and only just managed to win. Qian Renxue's injuries are slightly heavier than mine, but given her divine nature, she'll likely recover faster than I do.'

'Nonetheless, Sect Leader, you can rest assured; given Qian Renxue's temperament, she won't exploit anyone's weakness. Even if she attacks again, I should be able to manage.'

As Yang Xiong said, after both he and Qian Renxue gave their all, their injuries were comparable; Yang Xiong relied more on steadfast will and bodily endurance to gain a slight edge.

Moreover, at the climax when both sides unleashed their final full‑power strikes, Qian Renxue transformed into a massive sun, yet within that sun a sliver of black aura flickered—her greatest flaw.

Yang Xiong seized that flaw and, with one decisive move, shattered Qian Renxue.

According to Yang Xiong's estimate, this must have been Luosha God meddling in Qian Renxue's Angel Nine Examinations, preventing her from being as flawless as the original Angel God.

Thus, even though Qian Renxue wielded the Angel Clan's faith power, she ultimately fell to Yang Xiong.

However, this time Qian Renxue should have realized her own temperament's shortcomings and the flaws in her divine inheritance, and will likely seek to remedy them quickly.

If that's the case, the next encounter with Qian Renxue will probably find her even more formidable.

Of course, at the war's final moment, both Yang Xiong and Qian Renxue held back. Had Yang Xiong not left a sliver of margin with his final sword, it could have pierced Qian Renxue's head outright; the Asura Demon Sword could have sliced through her divine soul, and even a deity might not have survived.

Qian Renxue also restrained herself at the last instant; otherwise, the Angel God's death‑blow counterattack would have inflicted wounds on Yang Xiong many times worse.

So if Yang Xiong had insisted on killing Qian Renxue just then, both would have ended in death or crippling; Yang Xiong would have suffered grievous injuries, taking years to fully recover.

This made Yang Xiong recall the Shura God's earlier words to him: each subsequent assessment isn't about ability but about his own choices.

Moreover, the Shura God explicitly stated that the Angel Clan is crucial to both the Soul Master World and the God Realm; he likely foresaw today's scenario, granting Qian Renxue a sliver of chance, which also preserved his own.

Otherwise, passing the seventh assessment wouldn't have awarded a full twenty‑percent Shura Affinity, a reward far exceeding that of other stages.

Ning Fengzhi, after hearing Yang Xiong, showed a hint of confusion in his eyes.

'Xiao Xiong, what should we do now? The war has reached this point; whether it's the Three Great Sects, the Heaven Dou Empire, or even the Spirit Empire, all have suffered massive losses and turned into a pure war of attrition. If we keep fighting, every faction will exhaust its foundation completely, and our two great sects will be in trouble.'

Yang Xiong laughed: 'Sect Leader, it's not just that we don't want to fight anymore; the Spirit Empire likely doesn't want to either, and even the Star Luo Empire, which has never breached the Heavenly Gate Pass, probably doesn't want to fight either.'

Ning Fengzhi's face showed a sudden shock: 'At this stage, can we still withdraw?'

Yang Xiong shook his head: 'It's not a matter of whether we want to. We're merely backing the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. The war's core is the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire battling the Spirit Empire, each seeking to seize the other's territory. The details can be left to Princess Xue Ke, Bibidong, and the Xing Luo Emperor for negotiation.'

'Moreover, the Clear Sky Sect has also suffered heavy losses. Though they yearn for revenge, they now lack strength; they've lost two Title Douluo, and Tang San has fled. Even pooling the entire sect's power can't stand against the Spirit Empire.'

'Conversely, if the fighting continues, it will merely drain the Clear Sky Sect's foundation, leaving them truly at a loss—perhaps even worse than before.'

As Yang Xiong anticipated, the war has now reached a point where both sides have lost roughly half their strength; the Clear Sky Sect, Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and Body Sect have each lost at least half their Soul Masters. The Clear Sky Sect dispatched relatively few Soul Masters, making its ordinary Soul Master losses the smallest among the Three Great Sects.

Initially, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect sent two thousand Soul Masters to the front, the Body Sect sent one thousand, and the Clear Sky Sect sent five hundred.

However, the Clear Sky Sect dispatched as many as six Title Douluo, the Body Sect four Title Douluo, and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect sent the Sect Leader plus a Sword Bone Douluo.

Yet the Clear Sky Sect lost two Title Douluo, a loss far graver than the two hundred fifty Soul Masters.

Someone as composed as Tang Xiao could never allow the sect to keep being drained, especially if Qian Renxue kept killing; the Clear Sky Sect would be left with nothing.

It should be noted that among the Three Great Sects, the Clear Sky Sect harbors the deepest hatred toward the Spirit Empire, and Qian Renxue despises the Clear Sky Sect the most.

Ning Fengzhi, after hearing Yang Xiong's words, seemed thoughtful and said nothing further.

(End of Chapter)