Chapter 161: Fighting the Blood Clan Elder

In the dense, dark mist, Lu Jun's sixth sense, attuned to the mind element, gave a strong warning.

Swoosh! He swiftly activated his Water Domain to counteract the impending threat. The smooth, round pearl hovering above his head trembled, releasing a vast surge of water vapor alongside his body.

Upon advancing to the high-tier, the Water Repelling Pearl had evolved, now capable of resisting high-tier water magic and storing an immense reserve of Stellar River Mana.

At this moment, mist billowed around Lu Jun, resembling clusters of white jade cotton, soft and warm, forming a pure white canopy from which strands of cloud-like energy descended. It appeared both ethereal and divine, akin to an enshrouded Nebulous Cloud Chariot.

Hiss! Hiss!

The White Mist Domain expanded, unfolding like an inverted white porcelain bowl amidst the darkness, gradually pushing back the surrounding shadows. As the two domains clashed, bursts of evaporation resounded in the air.

Suddenly, within the darkness, a massive sinister shadow flickered and charged into the boundless white mist. Crimson claws shot toward Lu Jun's heart.

The Vampire Count had remarkable speed, yet with the obstruction of the Water Domain, his movement slowed by a fraction of a second.

Lu Jun reacted instantly, locking onto his foe. His silver eyes gleamed, and the silver radiance in the air condensed into an Illusory Mountain, triggering Mid-tier Space Magic: Compression. The Vampire Commander, upon collision, was briefly stalled.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Jun gripped his Black-Gold Dragon Marked Sword and slashed in a reverse grip. A vast burst of white-gold brilliance soared skyward, sweeping across several meters, only for Nie Wei to effortlessly crush it, scattering golden fragments in the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Their battle raged on. The vampire's claws launched relentless assaults, forcing Lu Jun into a frenzy of sword swings to parry. One after another, his white-gold sword auras shattered under the onslaught, a rapid sequence of metallic clashes echoing through the battlefield.

Meanwhile, their clashing domains Water and Darkness continued to erode each other, white mist pushing forward while black fog pressed back.

The old city district looked like a storm had ravaged it devastated landscapes, sword marks, and claw imprints riddled the area. Even the ground was pitted with corroded scars from shadow and water mist.

Boom!

The battle split into two fronts.

In the sky, Lu Mei gracefully flapped her Wings of Wind, weaving effortlessly between the attacks of ten Vampire Warriors. She moved like an elegant butterfly, occasionally flicking out wisps of radiant white air.

At first glance, the soft, seemingly harmless White Qi Threads barely looked threatening. Yet when they landed on the vampires, they burst into terrifying, blood-stained cavities.

Condensed Qi as Steel!

After reaching the high-tier, Lu Mei had spent over a year refining her wind control to its third phase of miniaturization. With the aid of the Earth Elemental Spirit Seed: Mountain, she compressed airflow under increased gravity, making it as hard as steel.

Not only had she reached High-tier Level Two in the Wind Element, but as her elemental affinity deepened, she also successfully mastered her Wind Domain.

Now, Lu Mei clearly held the upper hand. She had elevated her abilities to perfection, forcing the ten Vampire Warriors into a desperate retreat. It wouldn't be long before she slaughtered them all.

Vampires were typically tough, with formidable shadow and flight capabilities, making them difficult foes. Yet, against wind magic, their abilities were completely countered. They couldn't flee, nor could they win.

With no living beings nearby to serve as blood reservoirs, fear was etched onto their faces as they teetered on the brink of a slow and inevitable death.

Meanwhile, on the other battlefield, Lu Jun was struggling against the Vampire Elder.

Bracing his Black-Gold Dragon Marked Sword like a massive shield, Lu Jun faced Nie Wei, whose form had nearly transformed into a whirlwind of black and red, launching a relentless barrage of attacks.

The black greatsword in Lu Jun's grip deflected the blows, sparks flying as he was forced backward step by step.

Although the Metal Element granted him the Diamond Body Effect, preventing his weapon from breaking under the immense force, the impact was still very real.

At first, Lu Jun barely managed to keep up with the Vampire Elder's speed and attack rhythm. But as the battle dragged on, his movements dulled, his body growing numb from the constant shockwaves.

Even though his Warrior-level physique was formidable, it still paled in comparison to the Vampire Elder. Once Nie Wei revealed his true form, both his power and speed skyrocketed.

Lu Jun had initially planned to use the Metal Element's Catastrophic Tribulation to deliver a devastating blow to Nie Wei.

However, the Vampire Elder quickly noticed the danger. After exchanging a few claw strikes, he realized that while Lu Jun's magical artifacts remained intact, his own strongest body parts were being corroded by the Tribulation Qi, nearly snapping apart.

As a result, Nie Wei abandoned direct confrontation, instead opting to circle around, attacking Lu Jun from angles unprotected by the Black-Gold Dragon Marked Sword. His overwhelming speed prevented Lu Jun from effectively countering.

Lu Jun fell into a disadvantageous state and even considered using high-tier Water Magic.

However, the cunning Nie Clan Patriarch was willing to let him use low- and mid-tier spells but would rather sustain injuries himself to interrupt any high-tier spell with a desperate, mutually destructive assault.

Lu Jun was wary after all, the Black-Gold Dragon-Patterned Sword was not specialized for defense.

Without a "Diamond" effect for protection, and with the Profound Underworld Tortoise Shell Shield being a one-time-use Magic Tool, he was uncertain whether his Telekinesis, Water Defense, and Blood Qi Overlay could withstand a strike from a Commander-level being.

Little did he know, Nie Wei was equally apprehensive. The sight of that dazzling Dragon-Patterned Sword left him deeply unsettled, compelling him to relentlessly increase his attack speed to force Lu Jun into a defensive stance an approach that ironically played to the sword's strengths.

Moreover, he could sense the overwhelming power contained within this human's Water Domain. If it erupted, the results would be unimaginable.

These two factors posed a significant threat. While Lu Jun's Spiritual Power was formidable, his Curse and Psychic Magic were rendered ineffective under Nie Wei's continuous mind invasion.

Boom!

Lu Jun was sent flying by a powerful punch, crashing into a building wall. He was blasted back over ten meters as walls shattered, debris scattered, and dust filled the air.

Before he could catch his breath, a towering, pitch-black figure emerged from the swirling dust. Its ferocious face twisted as a massive claw swung down viciously.

Seeing this, Lu Jun rolled to the side just as a deep crater exploded beside him.

Screech!

A Flying Sword soared into the sky, carrying him swiftly away from the building.

Soon, the dust cleared below, revealing the Blood Clan Elder unfurling his massive bat wings and pursuing relentlessly.

Lu Jun gripped the Black-Gold Dragon-Patterned Sword as he flew, yet he couldn't shake off Nie Wei, who was like a shadow.

Aside from physically defending himself, he also had to focus his mind on resisting the vampire's mental bewitchment. Layers of Spiritual Barriers rose in his mind, weaving intricate illusory masks to neutralize the invasive attacks.

At this moment, he truly felt an immense pressure weighing down on him from all sides, suffocating him. Only now did he fully grasp the sheer power of a Commander-level being.

"Human Mage, you truly are a genius," Nie Wei transmitted his voice telepathically as he attacked. "I have changed my mind. Instead of killing you, I will turn you into my Blood Kin. Then, you and Ding Yumin shall both serve as sacrifices for my rebirth!"

Hearing this, Lu Jun's heart sank. He realized he needed someone to keep Nie Wei occupied so he could fully unleash his power.

Originally, Lu Mei could have played this role, but she was currently busy eliminating ten Blood Clan Generals. He could only rely on himself.

He quickly assessed his abilities and ultimately focused on his defenses.

If he could endure a single strike from the Blood Clan Elder and buy time to cast a high-tier spell, he was confident he could turn the tide of battle.

After brief contemplation, he made his decision. Among his various defensive spells, only the Space Element's basic spell, Telekinesis, had the potential for further enhancement.

Fortunately, his White Tiger Pendant contained ten Servant-level Souls, more than enough to upgrade Telekinesis to Level Four.

As for the Summoning Element's basic spell, Dimensional Summon, it was not immediately useful, so he decided to postpone its upgrade.

Without hesitation, Lu Jun channeled the seven clusters of ghostly blue flames stored within the White Tiger Pendant, feeding them into a silver nebula within his Spiritual World.