The glimmer of blade danced with an ethereal haze, as hazy as mist, seemingly arising from the depths of one’s soul, irresistible, directly pointing toward an unshakable obsession.
Love and hate, grudges and resentments, painful reunions and sorrowful partings—what could not be let go remained unforgotten, haunting the soul in midnight dreams, gnawing with emptiness and regret.
The Fire Demon had once been human, not born an evil fiend, and thus could not help but awaken profound wounds. Without doubt, Meng Qi suffered a backlash from its mind. His inner lake boiled like molten magma, flames veiling his vision, scorching heat rapidly spreading toward his fingertips and other extremities, leaving little chance for serenity!
Fortunately, Meng Qi had prior experience battling Jiang Hengchuan, and was prepared for such mental backlash and interference. After a brief moment of shock, he activated his inner technique, forcefully suppressing the flames.
Yet, the Fire Demon did not dwell in memories. Hatred and fury stirred by pain were all absorbed by demonic energy, fueling its blazing inferno.
Its demonic aura surged further. Skin devoid of a single hair seemed to ignite with invisible flames, making it appear even brighter, fiercer, and bloodier!
Letting out a furious roar, the Fire Demon summoned flames anew around it, transforming the area into a hellish magma pit.
Its right hand formed a claw, with crimson fire threads clinging to its surface, swiftly lunging to intercept the descending Tianzhi Shang (Heaven’s Sorrow).
The emotions stirred by “Duan Qingjing” (Severing Purity) and “Luo Hongchen” (Falling into the Mortal World) were precisely what demonic energy favored. The more enraged and desirous it became, the stronger the fiend grew!
Since Meng Qi first wielded the Anan Precept-Breaking Blade, this was the first time his blade momentum was intercepted before completion.
Thin threads of flame-force seeped forth, seemingly attempting to burn into Meng Qi’s body along Tianzhi Shang!
At this moment, the Fire Demon sensed the blade was hollow inside, with only a trace of inner energy remaining.
Meng Qi appeared to have anticipated this, moving half a beat faster, retreating swiftly backward!
The demonic fire surged like it had entered a bottomless vortex, not harming Meng Qi but instead propelling his retreat, accelerating him beyond his peak speed!
Deceived once again… the Fire Demon grew even angrier. Yet, with the momentum it had provided, whether chasing or launching long-range attacks, Meng Qi could no longer be intercepted in time. The Fire Demon could only stomp his foot, transforming his body into a blazing streak of light, rushing forward furiously, determined to reduce Meng Qi to ashes.
Meng Qi soared through the air, moving at an incredible speed, his sleeves billowing like a descending immortal. With a flourish of his long blade, he charged straight toward Bingmo (War Demon)!
He had long known that the first two forms of the Anan Precept-Breaking Blade had almost no effect against evil fiends, instead fueling their power. Yet he still used them, for his true intention lay elsewhere!
Hatred, anger, and all manner of desires could fuel demonic energy, preventing the fiend from being overwhelmed by these emotions. In fact, their power appeared to grow stronger. However, any being whose rage, hatred, or extreme emotions surpassed their natural limits would find their mind clouded, losing all reason. Even demons were no exception!
(Note: The original text contained a typo (“邪魔” was partially written in Chinese. I’ve translated it as “demons” for consistency with the demonic theme. The translation maintains the original meaning while adjusting phrasing for natural English flow.)
The obsession stirred moments ago had driven the Fire Demon slightly mad, making it impulsive and furious. Its control over flame energy became brutally terrifying but lost precision and refinement. It also overlooked the possibility of being deceived again, allowing Meng Qi to successfully draw power and “soar high into the sky.” Though outwardly attacking the Fire Demon, his true target was Bingmo!
From the beginning, Meng Qi had never intended merely to defend or stall the Fire Demon. Instead, he had strived to seize the opportunity, creating a scenario where multiple forces could gang up on a single foe, eliminating Bingmo first, then turning to surround the Fire Demon!
Relying on the Bay Jiu Xuan Gong (Eight-Nine Profound Art), Meng Qi, already slightly wounded with two streaks of blood trickling from his nose, endured the burning pain in his meridians like fire. High above, he slashed downward nine times rapidly with Tianzhi Shang.
Boom!
Layered air currents compressed, erupting in thunderous roars. Nine streaks of purple lightning transformed into nine furious dragons, charging fiercely toward Bingmo.
Bingmo was locked in fierce combat with Qi Zhengyan, gradually forcing him into a disadvantageous position. He never expected a divine weapon to descend suddenly from above!
In his mind, the Fire Demon was a Half-Step Beyond Scenery cultivator, powerful and formidable. For a youngster without even nine orifices to survive against him was already a miracle, let alone having the chance to attack him from the side. How could that be possible?
Air currents were completely absorbed, collapsing layer by layer. The heavens and earth seemed to shrink momentarily. Nine streaks of purple lightning entwined, exuding a terrifying aura, as if executing divine punishment!
Huang Dai and Fan Yu watched Meng Qi, soaring in midair commanding thunder, his blade force fierce and mighty, the purple serpents swirling around him, the dazzling and tyrannical lightning terrifyingly brilliant. Their hearts trembled, feeling as if Young Master Su was truly a Thunder God descending from the Ninth Heaven!
Crackling! Bingmo was greatly startled and prepared to endure a strike from Qi Zhengyan to block this terrifying blade force.
If he could block just one strike, the Fire Demon would arrive, and all would be well!
Suddenly, Qi Zhengyan’s expression turned solemn. He activated the Bilu Xue (Arctic Snow) True Qi, unleashing the Dragon Pattern Crimson Gold Sword!
Upon seeing Meng Qi’s approach, he had already prepared. The tacit understanding of life and death allowed him to instantly grasp Meng Qi’s intent, leaving no need for secret voice transmission, which might be eavesdropped upon by those with higher cultivation.
The surrounding temperature plummeted, colder than the deepest frost, and snowflakes drifted into existence, instantly forming an icy layer.
Cold, gleaming sword qi, like a hornless dragon, tore through the void, striking Bingmo’s face directly.
As Bingmo prepared to endure the strike and turn to use his ultimate technique to resist the heavenly thunder, he caught sight of the incoming cold gleam and had no choice but to fight desperately, blocking the sword qi first.
Suddenly, surrounding demonic energy vanished, as if diving straight into Bingmo’s body. Then, countless black weapons shot forth from beneath his skin, resembling a charging army, densely packed, with a continuous whistling sound.
The weapons shattered the cold gleam but themselves seemed to fall into the ice layer, frozen midair, turning into black snow.
Qi Zhengyan stepped back several paces, his red sash swaying, dispersing the remaining demonic weapons. Bingmo suddenly felt bone-piercing cold, the numbness spreading rapidly, slightly slowing him.
The clash of their Beyond Scenery techniques lasted merely half a breath, but half a breath often determined the boundary between life and death, especially with the added effect of blood freezing.
Purple lightning descended, followed closely by the long blade transforming into thunder.
Boom!
Dazzling purple serpents scattered wildly, charring the ground, igniting decayed wood. Tianzhi Shang cleaved downward from the head, splitting Bingmo like firewood into two halves.
Bingmo’s eyes froze with fury, pain, shock, and unwillingness, before each half toppled sideways, vanishing from view forever beneath the ten-mile pavilion, lost to the ends of the earth.
The two halves of the corpse slowly collapsed, devoid of blood or entrails, already reduced to ashes by the violet lightning. How could a demon possibly withstand the power of divine thunder?
The demonic energy within his body churned, condensing into a pitch-black gemstone, twelve-faceted, dark and profound, yet subtly radiant.
Landing behind the corpse, Meng Qi flourished his long blade, pointing toward the approaching Fire Demon, staring directly into his eyes brimming with rage and shock, and declared loudly, “Now it’s your turn!”
Crack! Bingmo’s two halves of the corpse simultaneously hit the ground, reflected in the eyes of the Fire Demon, Huang Dai, and others.
At this moment, Meng Qi’s momentum soared to an unprecedented peak, as if he were the true master of thunder!
…
Zhao Heng patted his left sleeve. His aura suddenly changed. Previously, he had a noble brow and bright eyes, subtly exuding nobility. Now, his majesty radiated outward, making him unbearable to gaze upon directly. A golden-yellow glow seemed to flow around his body, and the air currents behind him gathered, forming a dragon with bared fangs and claws.
Majestic and imperial, gods and immortals bowed, ghosts and demons fled!
His right palm, slowly pushed forward and clenched into a fist, suddenly accelerated, sending shockwaves through the void.
Boom!
The mighty air-dragon surged forth with his fist, darkening the sky, with air currents swirling chaotically like a retinue following their sovereign.
The earth trembled faintly, as if a subterranean dragon had turned over.
The dragon soared into the ninth heaven, vanishing from sight, while the zombies summoned by the Corpse Demon collapsed to the ground, never to rise again—only a few remained, petrified into stunned silence.
Zhao Heng took a couple of breaths, seemingly satisfied with that punch. He quickly stepped forward, unsheathed his sword, and mowed down the remaining zombies like cutting grass.
…
“Pilgrim Sword Immortal” Tong Yao and “Eight-Finger Palm Sage” Zu Wenzhong stood back-to-back. One brandished a sword swift as thunder, its blade aura crackling like lightning, while the other unleashed palm strikes dense and mighty, their force capable of splitting stone. Yet beneath the terrifying oppression of the Corpse Demon, they could barely cling to life. Their bodies bore a faint grayish-white and dark aura, simultaneously poisoned by both corpse miasma and venomous qi.
Seeing them teetering on the brink under the relentless assault of the two demons, yet refusing to fall, Tie Mo (Iron Demon) grew furious. Instead of rushing in first to disrupt the situation and seize the Zhenyun Cauldron, he attempted to intensify his attack, determined to kill the two annoying enemies on the spot. After all, once all enemies were dead, the Zhenyun Cauldron would inevitably be his.
Moreover, if he rashly advanced, he might end up alone against the hundred-foot Daoist priest, and might not survive until the Fire Demon and Bingmo arrived for reinforcement.
Just as the thought of the Hundred-Foot Daoist crossed his mind, Tie Mo saw the old Daoist floating toward him like a wisp of willow catkin on the breeze. Cursing under his breath, he shifted his focus to pressing the attack against Tong and Zu, leaving the Corpse Demon to intercept the Hundred-Foot Daoist. After all, their strength was no match for his, and their bodies were already contaminated by corpse poison and noxious qi. It was only a matter of time before he finished them off—then they could join forces against the Hundred-Foot Daoist!
Before that, he could only hope the Fire Demon and Bingmo would swiftly eliminate their enemies and wipe out all martial artists at the ruins of Changchun Temple in one fell swoop.
Boom!
A deafening roar resounded across the land. Tie Mo, the Corpse Demon, and the hundred-foot Daoist all turned their gaze westward. There, nine electric dragons coiled together into a colossal lightning bolt—as thick as a water barrel—radiating a brilliant violet light, both dazzling and awe-inspiring.
“What happened over there?”
They all shared the same thought simultaneously.
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