Seeing that Hao Yun did not respond, the Destroyer continued, "Hmph! The strong rule, survival of the fittest, this is an eternal truth. Look across the universe, which planet isn't dominated by the most intelligent race living on it? Even your Spirit God Realm follows this law of survival. So, what's wrong with us seeking survival opportunities while obeying the rules?!"

"Hmph! It's not wrong to follow the rules and seek the right to survive. That's why the Spirit God Realm didn't stop your atrocities from the beginning but allowed you to continue growing. However, your mistake lies in becoming minions of the Mold Spirit Energy, helping it challenge the authority of the Spirit God Realm and bringing irreversible catastrophe to the entire Spirit God Realm!" Hao Yun retorted angrily.

"The Mold Spirit Energy? It's indeed more evil than us Mastanians. But because of it, we've been able to recognize our own value and understand our mission. Only the Mold Spirit Energy truly understands and accepts our existence. It's the Mold Spirit Energy that grants us the power to fight for survival, to completely break free from all the constraints imposed by the Spirit God Realm, and truly control our own destiny." The Destroyer spoke without restraint, clearly showing his pride and honor in merging with the Mold Spirit Energy.

If a person is inherently psychologically distorted and bloodthirsty, no matter how you try to correct or reform them, they won't put down the butcher's knife. This was Hao Yun's evaluation after a brief exchange with the Destroyer Black Gate. Since their ideological differences were irreconcilable, further debate would only widen the gap and increase the conflict. Therefore, Hao Yun shook his head in denial of the Destroyer's views and chose not to waste words any longer.

Seeing this, the Destroyer shrugged nonchalantly and then looked at Hao Yun cunningly, "But then again, I've fought so many wars and killed many priests. But even so, I've never tasted the flesh of a Spirit God Realm priest. Thinking about it, I do feel regretful! Of course, because those guys have such unique forms, I really don't know how to approach them. But you, hmm... You seem different from the other priests. Hehehe. Since you still have a physical body, can't I taste the priestly flavor by corroding your flesh? That's really something I'm curious about!"

As the Destroyer uttered these words, Hao Yun felt a powerful force surging from within him. It seemed that the Destroyer was about to take action against him! Therefore, Hao Yun remained silent, gripped his weapon tightly, and commanded the Mold Spirit Energy pursuit system to activate all available combat support functions, preparing for a fierce battle against the Destroyer.

Of course, Hao Yun knew very well that he was no match for the Destroyer. But fortunately, with the protection provided by the Underworld Spirit Realm Battle Armor, he still had some confidence in facing the Destroyer in battle. Since he couldn't defeat the Destroyer, he would use the armor's shield to withstand his attacks and hold on until Dao Lao and Dream Jia returned to rescue him!

After all, according to the previous battle situation, the armor's shield was very effective in resisting Mastanian attacks. The energy consumption when the Underworld Spirit Realm Battle Armor passively supported the shield to resist Mastanian attacks was far lower than the consumption when Hao Yun actively activated the armor's flight function. Hao Yun didn't understand why this was the case.

Perhaps it was because the armor, strengthened by Countess, possessed an unimaginable defense capability. Or maybe it was because these Mastanians belonged to the same line as the Mold Spirit Energy, and using armor modified by Countess to deal with Mastanians was a perfect match, which resulted in the Mastanian attacks on the armor's shield being minimal and negligible.

The Destroyer naturally understood how difficult it was to deal with the shield enveloping Hao Yun and the two other priests. To him, the shield covering Hao Yun was as sturdy as the shield protecting Tie Zhu's father and his teammates back then. This was the main reason why, despite having a slight advantage in strength at the time, he could only fight the female priest wielding a long spear to a draw.

However, the Destroyer certainly wouldn't let Hao Yun know that he and his subordinates had few ways to deal with the shield enveloping Hao Yun. What the Destroyer wanted to do now was to use his absolute strength advantage as much as possible to destroy Hao Yun's morale, force Hao Yun to surrender actively, and give himself a chance to inject his toxins into Hao Yun's body and try to take over the body of this priest.

Thinking of this, the Destroyer's face twisted again with a grimace, and at the same time, he used his imposing manner to press down on Hao Yun. He also dismantled and reassembled all the muscle fibers on the right arm into a spike resembling a Western sword, saying, "Hmph! Since you're unwilling to surrender actively, then prepare to die!"

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After saying that, the Destroyer swung the spike on his right arm towards Hao Yun. Hao Yun didn't consider his inferior strength any longer and met him head-on with the Speed and Passion Blade launched in an overloaded state. This was the first time Hao Yun had faced the fusion of the Mold Spirit Energy without the help of Dao Lao or Dream Jia since joining the Spirit God Realm. Therefore, without any backing or retreat, Hao Yun became unusually focused in the battle. Because he was very clear in his heart that, in the face of a lonely battle, he couldn't afford any slight mistakes. He could only fight with all his might to retain his hope of survival.

"Damn! This guy is too strong!" After the strike with the Tracking Blade launched in an overloaded state was again resolved by the Destroyer, Hao Yun couldn't help but curse angrily in his heart.

However, after a few moves against the Destroyer, Hao Yun also received some good news: although the wound on the left side of the Destroyer's body caused by the bullet had healed almost completely, the internal damage caused by the bullet was still there and severely restricted the Destroyer's ability to perform. Of course, Hao Yun also received some bad news: even with the Destroyer's current injuries, he still couldn't match the Destroyer.

As the battle progressed, the issue of Haoyun's overall combat strength deficiency began to manifest. Due to his limited attack methods and less experience compared to the Destroyer, Haoyun found himself gradually overwhelmed by the Destroyer's varied offensive techniques. Increasingly, he relied on the formidable defensive power of the Yin Spirit Realm Battle Armor to neutralize the Destroyer's attacks. However, the Destroyer's attempts to deplete the armor's protective shield were futile, akin to scratching an itch through boots.

"Hmph! I never expected the renowned pursuer of the Mold Spirit Energy, the Divine Priest, to hide behind magical barriers and eke out a living! Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughing stock?" the Destroyer mocked disdainfully.

"Tsk! You talk as if you're righteous! If not for harnessing the power of the Mold Spirit Energy, how could you even be my match? Let me extract that Mold Spirit Energy from you, then let's see how you fare!" Haoyun retorted defiantly.

"Hmph! Facing death yet still dare to blaspheme against the great Mold Spirit Energy?! Watch me strip away your shield and see if you can still talk tough!" the Destroyer gritted his teeth, then ordered the surrounding Mastanians to launch venomous attacks towards Haoyun.

Haoyun was quite familiar with this scene, having witnessed the Mastanians use the same method against Captain Tie Zhu's father and his team in the King's Hall. Thus, facing the onslaught of venomous spikes raining down like a storm, Haoyun not only remained composed but also calmly sheathed his dagger and sat down right where he stood, observing the enemy's assault.

Having fought the Destroyer earlier, Haoyun deliberately kept the battle grounded, thus conserving the armor's energy solely for defending against the Destroyer's attacks without needing to engage flight mode, which consumed additional energy. This strategy allowed the armor's reserves to marginally replenish from the recharge of a few divine energy modules.

According to the system's estimate, these divine energy modules alone could sustain the armor's defensive shield under the onslaught of the Destroyer and the Mastanians, even under more extreme conditions, for at least ten days. Haoyun's emotions were mixed upon seeing this prediction. On one hand, he was currently safe. But what about after ten days? If Dao Lao and the others couldn't rescue him within that time, what would he do then?

This made Haoyun curious about the battle armor Captain Tie Zhu's father possessed. According to Tie Zhu, his father had been trapped on the Everstar for a long time. Yet why could his battle armor's shield endure for such a prolonged period? It seemed Captain Tie Zhu's father's battle armor was even more formidable than his own. Clearly, Captain Tie Zhu's father's armor must have undergone enhancements. But who exactly had enhanced it for him?

Forget it. There was no point thinking about these things now! I should quickly find a way to break through the enemy's encirclement and find a place to hide. Otherwise, after ten days, things might not look so good! Haoyun shook his head, trying to keep his thoughts clear and focused at this critical moment.

"Stop! Hekumen, I command you to stop! All of you, stop!" Just as Haoyun raised his head again to look around for an opportunity to break through the enemy's encirclement, a voice filled with pain and dignity suddenly echoed from the sky.

With the sudden appearance of that angry voice, all the Mastanians surrounding Haoyun turned to look at the Destroyer, who stood hesitatingly on the giant griffon's back, unsure whether to cease attacking Haoyun. The Destroyer's expression at this moment was extremely embarrassed. He gnashed his teeth in disgust and helplessness upon hearing that voice, then reluctantly waved his hand at the Mastanians, signaling everyone to obey orders and cease fire immediately.

"Why is it you?" Haoyun asked in surprise after clearly seeing the person who had arrived.

At this moment, a giant griffon similar to the one the Destroyer was riding on, carrying a figure dressed in royal armor and crowned, although his face was thoroughly fibrous, did not evoke any horror, but instead exuded a dignified aura. Yes, the visitor was none other than King Er Feng of Evermoor.

"How did you end up here?" Haoyun asked in great confusion.

In Haoyun's view, King Er Feng was no longer a prisoner of the Mastanians but had become a parasitic puppet controlled by the Mastanians, resembling the dreadful fibrous form of King Er. But why could he still shout orders to the Mastanians and the Mastanians' leader, the Destroyer, in a loud voice? Moreover, Haoyun could sense a distinct life force emanating from King Er. This made Haoyun feel as if King Er's body had been transformed into a terrifying fibrous form, but his mind had not been completely swallowed up.