"Holy Lord! What exactly are you trying to do! Sealing me means you can't possibly continue to command the Shadow Legion!"
Seeing the nine generals pinned to the ground and Bai Qi advancing menacingly, Tala was furious.
"Of course, I know that, but none of that is your concern."
With a wave of his hand, the nine Shadow Generals before him were sent flying aside. He took the mask from Xiao Yu's hand and strode towards Tala.
"You are pushing me too far! We can go down in flames together!"
"The fish may die, but this net will not break."
As he spoke, a dragon's breath erupted from his mouth, shooting directly at Tala.
"Don't underestimate me too much."
At this moment, Tala had also recovered his strength. His body trembled, his upper robe ripped open, revealing layers of lean, well-defined muscles.
Tala struck a fighting stance, a powerful surge of energy gathered in his fist. He punched out, surprisingly breaking through Bai Qi's dragon's breath.
It had to be said, Tala, with his strength fully restored, was indeed formidable. He was worthy of being the master of the Shadow Legion who commanded nine generals.
Putting away his playful demeanor, Bai Qi began to deal with the enemy before him in earnest.
Even though Tala's strength was fully restored now, and he had the support of the nine Shadow Generals, Bai Qi felt no fear in his heart.
He could indeed break through his dragon's breath with a single move, which showed some skill. But what about two moves? Or three?
To Bai Qi, dragon's breath was merely a casual attack, no different from a basic attack. He could unleash it for as long as he wished. Could Tala continuously break through it with his fists?
The reality proved to be so.
After breaking through Bai Qi's dragon's breath several times consecutively, Tala felt his stamina severely depleted. If this continued, he might not even have the strength to harm the Holy Lord.
As for his nine Shadow Generals, the Holy Lord, while fighting him, had used his residual power to crush them so thoroughly that they couldn't even muster a decent distraction.
With no other choice, Tala decided to fight desperately, risking being sealed again, to engage the Holy Lord in close combat.
Although he knew the Holy Lord possessed the Ox Talisman and was not weak in melee, it was still better than being slowly worn down. A gamble might offer a slim chance of escape.
With this thought, Tala no longer hesitated. Mustering all his strength, he punched away the incoming dragon's breath. Then, with a few swift steps, he lunged beneath Bai Qi. Before Bai Qi could react, he stomped on Bai Qi's right leg, using it as a fulcrum to leap high into the air. He soared towards Bai Qi, spun 360 degrees, and delivered a vicious roundhouse kick to Bai Qi's face.
*Bang!*
Tala had put his full ten-tenths strength into this roundhouse kick. He had expected that even if it couldn't cause significant damage to the Holy Lord, it would at least force him back a few steps. To his surprise, when Tala's leg struck Bai Qi, Bai Qi not only didn't retreat, but he didn't even move his head. Standing like a statue, he remained firm.
"Not bad, this kick looks somewhat decent."
Once Tala completed his move, it was Bai Qi's turn. Bai Qi grabbed Tala's right leg and violently flung him aside. A sharp *crack* echoed.
Accompanied by a sound like shattering glass, Tala's body froze mid-air as if he had collided with an invisible wall.
Upon closer inspection, one could see spiderweb-like cracks appearing behind Tala, yet there was nothing behind him. It was as if the very air had been shattered by the impact.
Then, the dragon claw holding Tala was enveloped by a white spherical ball of light.
Before Tala could recover, the dragon claw, gripping him, smashed him heavily onto the ground once more.
A violent tremor instantly spread across the entire ground. The palace's sturdy marble floor cracked completely, and the demonic inscriptions etched upon it exploded under the immense force.
Although Tala now possessed a physical body, it was actually a disadvantage for him compared to before.
Because he now had a real physical body, Tala could no longer be immune to physical damage.
If he were still in his phantom form, Bai Qi's two blows might not have harmed Tala. But now...
With just these two blows, Tala's frail body could no longer endure. His internal organs were shattered and torn. For an ordinary person, or even any other weaker magical creature, this would have been fatal.
As for Tala, he had been favored by the Black Qi Mother before, and even now, a considerable amount of Black Qi remained within him. Therefore, despite suffering such severe injuries, he wouldn't die immediately. The Black Qi within him would gradually help repair his damaged organs.
However, the complete repair of his shattered organs would be a long process. Tala knew Bai Qi wouldn't give him that time. Enduring the intense pain in his body, he mustered all his strength and threw a punch, attempting to break free from Bai Qi's grip.
Whether it was Tala's sudden burst of power or Bai Qi's intention, this punch actually made Bai Qi loosen his hold.
Tala, freed from his restraints, no longer cared if it was a trap. He turned and fled towards the palace exit. As for his nine generals, it was a joke. When disaster strikes, everyone flees for themselves. He was on the verge of death, how could he possibly spare a thought for their lives?
In contrast, Tala's nine Shadow Generals appeared much more loyal.
Seeing this situation, instead of scattering, they rallied a large number of Shadow Legion ninjas and, disregarding their own lives, launched a suicidal charge at Bai Qi. Their aim was to buy Tala time to escape.
At this moment, Bai Qi no longer seemed in a hurry. He calmly began to play a game with these charging Shadow Generals who were rushing to their deaths.
His body heavily wounded, many of Tala's bones were fractured. He stumbled and limped, his gait comically awkward.
But Tala could no longer afford to care about such things. What was demeanor? What was dignity? His life was far more important. Only by preserving his life could he have a chance to return and reclaim everything he had lost.
Initially, Tala believed that Bai Qi, with his strength, wouldn't be able to kill him, at most he could only seal him again.
After suffering Bai Qi's two blows, Tala realized that the Holy Lord's power had increased too rapidly, and he was no longer in his phantom form. The current Bai Qi could not only seal Tala but also kill him.
As the exit grew closer, Tala's excitement mounted. With every step, his hope of survival increased. As long as he escaped the palace, he could flee into the Shadow Kingdom. Once inside the Shadow Kingdom, it would be Tala's domain. Even if the Holy Lord possessed unparalleled abilities, he wouldn't be able to capture him again.
Just as he was about to reach the exit, a figure appeared before Tala.
The opponent's speed was not particularly fast. In his prime, Tala would have been able to see him clearly. But now, it was different. Severely injured, Tala's only thought was to escape the palace as quickly as possible. He had no energy to pay attention to anything else. By the time Tala reacted, it was too late. A mask was already being pressed onto his face.