Chapter 156

The tent fell instantly silent, every gaze sharpening and snapping toward the direction of the Qin family’s representative.

Qin Hao’s face was ashen, his fists clenched tight; Qin Lie, standing before him, hung his head, expression hidden.

Ye Ting let out a cold snort, his holy aura crushing down like an ice mountain toward the Qin family, but now was not the time for retribution—he suppressed his rage.

“This matter will be settled after the battle! The priority is how Jiang Xia will fight!”

Jiang Xia slowly opened his eyes; deep within them, his left eye flashed a crimson Mangekyo Sharingan, his right eye a ripple-like Rinnegan, both emitting a faint gleam.

He drew a deep breath, his voice steady, breaking the heavy silence in the tent:

“Insufficient intelligence—only battle remains. Though the Time Rule is powerful, my eyes are not without countermeasures.”

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Wang Teng, frail and white-haired, being supported by the Demon-Slaying Army.

“In this battle, I will give everything to kill the Mayfly,” Jiang Xia said, his voice low but unwavering.

“But one thing must be clear: if I succeed, the Mayfly’s Spirit Core belongs to Wang Teng.”

“It is the only hope to save his life and restore his lifespan.”

His words plunged the tent into silence once more.

The Mayfly’s Spirit Core contained the principles of Time and Life—its value incalculable, a supreme treasure for research or any other use.

Jiang Xia’s demand was effectively seizing this spoils for Wang Teng by force.

Yet no one spoke in protest.

Ye Ting spoke first, his voice ironclad: “Agreed! If the Mayfly is slain, the Spirit Core goes to Wang Teng—it is only right! Anyone who objects stands against the Demon-Slaying Army!”

Lu Wujiu’s body flared with lightning: “I’ve got no problem! Fatty did this to save Jiang Xia—this Spirit Core is his!”

Ye Qing nodded slowly.

The Underworld, the Martial Alliance, the Sword Tomb… everyone present silently nodded.

Even those with old grudges against Jiang Xia could not utter a single “no” before the righteousness of humanity and the debt of a comrade’s life.

Only Qin Lie, in the shadows unnoticed, suddenly lifted his head—his eyes filled with boundless hatred and malice, fixed on Jiang Xia’s back, screaming silently in his soul:

Jiang Xia! Itachi killed my Shang, and now Itachi want this opportunity?! Arrogant! Itachi will die at the Mayfly’s hands! I’ll wait to see Itachi erased by time, reduced to dust and bone!

Jiang Xia ignored the venomous gaze; he simply gave Wang Teng a slight nod.

Wang Teng returned the gesture with a look of gratitude.

“Time’s up! Thirteenth battle—begin!”

Outside the tent, the final war drum had already sounded!

No more time for hesitation or deployment.

Jiang Xia cast one final glance at those in the tent, his eyes lingering a moment on their worried faces, then turned resolutely, stepping out of the camp—his figure becoming a streak of light, shooting toward the Fallen God Platform!

The instant he vanished, Qin Lie nearly burst into wild laughter; he bit his teeth so hard his nails dug into his flesh, blood dripping, his mind holding only one thought: Die! Jiang Xia! Just die!

…

Fallen God Platform.

After twelve consecutive battles—especially the brutal recent ones against Semi-Saints, Emperor Flames, and Phoenix-level foes—this arena, forged from priceless treasures, lay in ruins: charred, frozen, scarred by swords, riddled with craters; residual laws of nature clashed and collided, rendering the space highly unstable.

Jiang Xia’s figure appeared at one end of the platform.

He still wore his black combat suit, the Night Watcher’s cloak fluttering violently in the chaotic energy currents. His face was calm; only his heterochromatic pupils, deep as starry voids and abyssal depths, betrayed his focus.

Opposite him, space rippled like water—a figure surfaced silently.

It was neither a monstrous beast nor a noble divine bird.

Its size matched a human’s, its body translucent and fluid, as if woven from countless fine grains of temporal sand.

Its form resembled a dragonfly, yet longer and more elegant, with two pairs of wings as thin as cicada membranes, refracting shifting lights from alternate timelines.

No face—only at its head, two strange crystals, like frozen rivers of time, embedded, radiating a detached, ethereal, yet faintly compassionate aura.

The Mayfly, Shi Jin!

Merely standing there, the light around it twisted and folded unnaturally; the flow of time itself seemed distorted.

It emitted no overwhelming aura, yet it felt as if it existed in every moment—past, present, future.

“Human, Jiang Xia.”

Shi Jin spoke—not through air, but directly within every consciousness, ethereal and distant, as if echoing from the far shore of time: “Yinglong threatened to exterminate my kind, ordering me to kill Itachi. Regretfully, our meeting is destined to end in death.”

Its tone was calm—no hatred, no anger—only a detached resignation, as if it had long seen its fate.

Jiang Xia studied this strange lifeform; his Sharingan and Rinnegan activated simultaneously, seeking to pierce its essence—but the feedback was chaotic, like observing a river with countless branching streams, endlessly flowing.

【Ding~ Detected potential Saint-level opponent】

【Task released: Survive】

【Reward: Unknown】

Jiang Xia’s heart tightened—Saint realm? He hadn’t expected this hidden trump card to reach the Saint level!

His expression unchanged, he opened the Points Mall and purchased two Mangekyo Sharingan.

“Each serves their own kind—no need for words,” Jiang Xia slowly assumed his stance; the Kusanagi remained sheathed, but his spiritual power surged violently. “I’m taking your Spirit Core.”

“Time… is inherently merciless,” Shi Jin said no more, its transparent wings fluttering gently.

No earth-shattering force erupted—but Jiang Xia’s pupils contracted sharply!

In his Sharingan’s vision, centered on Shi Jin, an invisible, intangible yet crystal-clear time ripple spread like concentric waves across the entire platform!

“Time Ripple—Slowing.”

Jiang Xia felt his body tighten, as if trapped in thick, viscous glue!

The speed of his arm movements, his spiritual power flow, even his thoughts—all plummeted by several times!

Everything outside appeared in slow motion; his own movements crawled like snails.

“Incredibly potent time slowdown!” Jiang Xia’s mind reeled—this wasn’t mere speed reduction; it fundamentally altered his own time flow!

“Kawarimi!”

Without hesitation, Jiang Xia’s left Mangekyo pattern spun rapidly—space around him twisted and dematerialized!

The time ripple passed through his ethereal body; though some effect remained, the near-paralyzing sensation lifted drastically.