Survival for All: I can deconstruct projections and synthesize everything.

The Soul Master's expression changed completely.

He hadn't expected Lin Xiao's soul to be so powerful.

The rules of the true self can not only repair physical damage, but also damage to the soul.

Under this rule, the power of soul attacks is reduced by at least half.

"You..." The Soul Master's voice trembled slightly.

Lin Xiao didn't give him a chance to speak.

He took a deep breath and mobilized all the power in the miniature universe.

The power of the five elements was running wildly in the depths of the universe. The five rules of metal, wood, water, fire and earth intertwined and converged into a seven-colored pillar of light.

A beam of light surged from the miniature universe and crashed down upon the Soul Master.

The Soul Master gritted his teeth and channeled his soul power to its fullest extent, condensing it into a gray barrier in front of him.

boom--!

The seven-colored beam of light slammed into the barrier, causing the entire void to collapse.

The barrier trembled violently, and cracks kept appearing.

The Soul Master's body was blasted away, spitting out a mouthful of gray soul liquid.

His breath weakened considerably at that moment.

Lin Xiao gave him no chance to catch his breath.

His figure vanished from the spot and appeared in front of the Soul Master in the next instant.

Seven-colored light condensed on his fist; it was the full power of a miniature universe, the ultimate expression of his strength.

He threw a punch.

The Soul Master had no time to dodge and could only raise his hands to shield himself.

Fist collides with palm.

boom--!

The Soul Master's body was once again blasted away, his hands trembling slightly, and his soul power left a deep dent on his fist.

His face had turned deathly pale.

"You... how could this be..." His voice was full of disbelief.

He's a ninth-ranker.

Although it was forcibly promoted to the ninth rank, the ninth rank is still the ninth rank.

How could he be beaten like this by an eighth-level opponent?

Moreover, Lin Xiao's punch landed squarely on him.

Lin Xiao looked at him, her eyes filled with no pity, only icy killing intent.

"Your ninth rank is fake."

His voice was calm, yet it sounded like a judgment.

"Your power is not your own; it was bestowed upon you by the God of Mist."

"Your soul is not free; it is bound by that statue."

"You are now nothing more than a puppet."

The Soul Master's body trembled violently.

A flicker of pain crossed his eyes.

He knew that Lin Xiao was telling the truth.

His ninth rank was indeed fake.

He was a ninth-ranked servant under the God of Mist, and some kind of secret technique was used to forcibly elevate him to that rank.

The price was that his soul was bound to the statue of the god of mist, from which he could never break free.

He was no longer the leader of the Soul Clan, nor the banner of the rebels.

He was just a puppet.

A puppet controlled by the misty world.

"You're right," he murmured, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"I am a puppet. A pathetic puppet."

He raised his head, looked at Lin Xiao, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

"Even if I am a puppet, I will still fulfill my mission."

His aura suddenly erupted at that moment.

It wasn't an outburst of rage, but an outburst of burning—he was burning his soul, burning his life, burning everything that could burn, in exchange for his final strength.

Gray light surged wildly around him, causing the entire void to tremble.

Lin Xiao's pupils contracted slightly.

He could sense that the Soul Master's aura was rising at an alarming rate.

That was the power of the peak of the ninth rank, a power capable of destroying the heavens and the earth.

But Lin Xiao did not back down.

He took a deep breath and mobilized all the power in the miniature universe.

The power of the five elements is running wildly in the depths of the universe. The five rules of metal, wood, water, fire and earth are intertwined to form a seven-colored halo.

The halo rotated slowly, and each rotation resonated throughout the universe.

His aura was also rising.

But that's all.

The threshold between the eighth and ninth ranks has not yet been crossed.

But he no longer needs to cross that threshold.

Because what he needs to do is not to break through, but to fight.

Two forces confronted each other in the void.

Gray and rainbow, puppet and freedom, despair and hope.

The Soul Master made the first move.

His figure transformed into a gray streak of light, crashing headlong into Lin Xiao.

That collision carried all his soul power, all his life force, all his despair and resentment.

Lin Xiao did not dodge.

He raised his right hand, and seven-colored light condensed in his palm, transforming into a lightsaber.

On the sword, the runes of the five elements generating each other flowed wildly—metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal, in an endless cycle.

Then, he unleashed that sword strike.

It's not a fancy sword move, nor a complicated rule, just a simple sword strike.

But this one sword strike contained everything about him.

His beliefs, his will, his indomitable spirit, his hope.

The sword light collided with the gray stream of light.

boom--!

The entire void was collapsing.

Those members of the Soul Clan were annihilated in this attack, and their soul power was completely dissipated.

After the light faded.

Lin Xiao remained suspended in the same spot.

His miniature universe had shrunk by half, and its surface was covered with cracks.

His body was covered in wounds, and blood gushed from them, floating in the void.

But his gaze remained resolute.

And the Soul Master—

A deep sword wound appeared on his body.

The sword wound stretched from his shoulder to his waist, almost splitting him in two.

Grayish liquid of souls gushed from the sword wound and floated in the void.

His presence was rapidly fading away.

"You..." He looked at Lin Xiao, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

There was anger, resentment, and also relief.

"You win."

His voice was extremely weak, as if he had used up his last bit of strength.

Lin Xiao looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Then he spoke.

"You didn't have to die."

The Soul Master smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness in his smile.

"Perhaps. But what's the point of a puppet's life?"

"Lin Xiao! You must kill the God of Mist!"

Then, he closed his eyes, and his body began to slowly crumble.

Those fragments of souls floated in the void, emitting a faint gray light.

In the final moment of his collapse, a relieved smile appeared on his lips.

"Finally... I'm free..."

As soon as he finished speaking, his body completely shattered, turning into countless points of light and dissipating.

Ninth level.

Fallen.

Lin Xiao hovered in place, watching the dissipating points of light, and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he turned around and flew towards the Eternal Alliance.

Behind them, the Soul Clan's territory had been reduced to ruins.

The statue of the god of mist shattered completely under his sword, turning into countless tiny fragments.

Those bound souls have finally been freed.

But Lin Xiao felt no joy of victory.

Because he knew that the Soul Master was only the first one.

Even more enemies await him.

There are even stronger beings lurking in the shadows.

But time is running out.

He must grow strong enough to fight the God of Mist within a year.