Chapter 167: Crimson Inferno

The young figure in the sky, his face expressionless, cast his gaze over the battlefield beneath him. Even as he saw the colossal beasts that once protected him fall one by one, he remained unmoved, as if he had long seen through the cycle of life and death.

A fierce wind blew, and his form descended slowly from the depths of the dark clouds. The roars of countless beasts grew ever louder, and even beside him, thin bolts of lightning slithered like serpents through the black vapor.

Above the sea of clouds, the battle-hardened humans and beasts ceased their struggle, drawn to the eerie sight of the strange youth in the sky. There was an uncanny light in his eyes, as if two points of radiance flickered within his pupils.

Finally, the Beast God halted in midair, towering above the multitude of beast fiends. Behind him, the fearsome creature, Taotie, glared fiercely toward the righteous faction at Tongtian Peak and let out a bone-chilling roar.

“Roar…” Almost simultaneously, with Taotie’s bellow, the myriad beasts erupted in a cacophony of howls. The sudden wave of sound seemed to shake the very heavens, sending clouds swirling, sands flying, and stones tumbling. Many of the righteous warriors were forced to retreat several steps. Amidst the chaos, Taotie’s body suddenly swelled, transforming into a massive behemoth, circling around the Beast God. Unusual events began to unfold around them.

From all directions, the black clouds seemed to be drawn by some immense gravitational force, converging above the young Beast God, forming a colossal, rapidly spinning black vortex. The vortex, with its ear-piercing whistles, descended slowly from the sky.

The enormous pillar of wind was so thick it seemed capable of swallowing the entire Tongtian Peak. The sky darkened, and the cold winds howled, creating a terrifying scene that evoked a sense of despair.

The righteous faction, seeing this unprecedented and unheard-of demon magic, realized that the Beast God was no ordinary foe. Though they had expected a formidable enemy, none had imagined such power. They wondered who the ancient sage, said to have sealed the Beast God in the Demon-Slaying Cave for thousands of years, truly was.

As the giant wind column descended, revealing its ominous shape, an invisible suction began to envelop everyone above the cloud sea. Many righteous disciples began to channel their energy to resist, knowing that being sucked in by this demonic spell would likely mean certain death.

Outside the Jade Purity Hall, Daoxuan Zhenren and the other two leaders wore grim expressions. For a long moment, Master Puhong stared at the colossal wind column, then murmured, “This demon magic is truly unparalleled in my lifetime. Daoxuan Brother, the disciples below may not withstand such sorcery. We should…”

Daoxuan Zhenren nodded slowly, replying, “Master Puhong is right. The true adversary has emerged. We must also…”

Before he could finish, the giant wind column, which had been descending slowly, suddenly accelerated, plunging straight down toward the cloud sea. The roars of the beast fiends intensified, piercing the sky. The righteous warriors, faced with this unprecedented and bizarre demon magic, were at a loss on how to react.

As the wind column neared the cloud sea, a few brave disciples could no longer hold back. With resounding cries, they unleashed their treasures, aiming at the violent storm. The more experienced elders immediately tried to stop them, but in the ensuing chaos, a few managed to launch their attacks.

Several divine swords, gleaming with radiant light, pierced into the wind column, only to vanish without a trace. Suddenly, as if disturbed, the wind column rumbled, and several thick, grey-black whirlwinds shot out, heading straight for the disciples.

The righteous faction, startled, prepared to defend. But the whirlwinds, almost imbued with a life of their own, passed through most of the defenses, focusing on the few who had launched the initial attack. The dark whirlwinds entangled these disciples, swiftly pulling them into the ominous wind column.

From the depths of the column, muffled cries echoed, and a sudden flash of blood-red light appeared, followed by an eerie silence.

The righteous warriors, struck with fear, looked at each other in shock.

Suddenly, three beams of light descended from the sky, revealing Daoxuan Zhenren, Master Puhong, and Yun Yiluan. Their faces were somber. Daoxuan Zhenren waved his hand, urgently commanding, “All disciples, retreat. The elders, stay here.”

There was a moment of commotion, but soon, most of the younger disciples retreated. These were mostly from the three major sects, well-versed in the gravity of the situation. Despite the critical moment, they managed to remain calm. Only the senior figures and a handful of elders remained, many of whom had already fallen in the earlier battle.

Daoxuan Zhenren’s face twitched slightly, then he turned his gaze to the formidable enemy before him.

Under an unseen, malevolent force, the colossal black wind column descended, surrounded by dark clouds and fierce winds. The Beast God’s cold, indifferent eyes pierced through the carnage, locking gazes with Daoxuan Zhenren’s stern stare.

Daoxuan Zhenren’s heart jolted. The Beast God, though human in form, had eyes devoid of any human emotion, as if viewing the world as mere lifeless creatures, brimming with a murderous intent akin to a vicious beast.

As the wind column finally touched the cloud sea, the hard, white stone ground beneath it cracked and splintered, rocks and debris flying upward. Inside the wind column, an eerie hissing, like the low growl of a ghost, echoed. Suddenly, the six massive beast carcasses, painstakingly destroyed by the righteous faction, began to move again.

The righteous warriors were shocked!

The sky darkened, and a chilling, eerie scene unfolded. Ghostly auras rolled in, and the six monstrous skeletons, now animated, stumbled forward, dragged by an unknown force, leaving deep gashes on the ground before being sucked into the wind column.

One by one, the skeletons disappeared, culminating with the massive white bone serpent. A wretched shriek, like a cry from the underworld, echoed as a malevolent aura rose from the storm. The Beast God, standing atop the enlarged Taotie, rushed into the wind column like a bolt of lightning.

A thick, bloody stench filled the air, and even the countless beast fiends fell silent, lying prone on the ground, too frightened to move. Some weaker ones trembled, completely terrified.

Suddenly, the winds ceased, and the sky fell silent. The crowd, along with the numerous beast fiends, held their breath, staring in awe at the monstrous creation emerging from the dissipating storm.

Above the cloud sea, a new, unimaginable monstrosity stood, towering three times higher than the original six gigantic beasts. The righteous warriors and ordinary beast fiends were insignificant in comparison, like ants before a colossus.

The monster exuded a constant, pungent stench, its body seeping blood. The exposed white bones made it clear: this was a terrifying revenant, a reanimated fusion of the six massive beast corpses.

On the head of this monstrous entity stood the Beast God, his face pale but his eyes ablaze with a more intense killing intent.

***

The massive, grotesque white bone skull slowly moved, emitting a strange, grating sound. The empty eye sockets seemed to emit an intangible, menacing light, fixated on the gathered warriors.

A putrid, foul odor wafted through the air.

The resurrected fiend seemed restless, letting out a low, menacing growl. Yet, amidst the vast cloud sea, there was utter silence. Everyone held their breath, watching in suspense.

Before the crowd, Daoxuan Zhenren, in his dark green robes, stood resolutely. Countless onlookers, after their initial shock, stole glances at him, but his face, imbued with the aura of an immortal, remained expressionless. No one knew what he was thinking.

The massive fiend emitted a low growl, and the white bones of its body crackled. It began to move, each step causing the ground to sink under its weight. The stench of blood spread.

“Boom, boom, boom…” The abomination moved slowly, but each step seemed to strike the hearts of the righteous warriors. They watched in stunned silence as the mountain of white bones approached. Even Xiao Yicai, known for his composure, turned pale.

As the fiend drew near, Daoxuan Zhenren spoke firmly, “Brothers, follow me.”

In an instant, the three leaders transformed into three radiant beams, soaring into the air, followed by a dozen other luminous figures. On the fiend’s skull, the enigmatic youth’s face remained impassive, his eyes reflecting the approaching lights.

A suffocating silence fell over the land.

As the righteous beams descended, the Beast God’s pupils contracted. Without any visible action, the fiend lifted its massive, horrific head, opened its blood-stained maw, and let out a deafening roar. The horde of beast fiends behind it wailed in response.

With the fiend’s roar, it lunged at the descending beams, its gaping maw ready to swallow the warriors whole. But the high-ranking righteous warriors, elite among elites, were not easily intimidated.

They scattered, each manifesting their true forms in the air, shouting and unleashing their powerful artifacts. From different angles, they attacked the fiend.

High above the clouds, Daoxuan Zhenren, Master Puhong, and Yun Yiluan stood ready. Yun Yiluan was the first to act, raising his left hand. A burst of fire, like pure yang jade, appeared, glowing like amber—a sign of the ultimate Incense Valley Flame Technique.

The fire, seemingly solid, burned in Yun Yiluan’s hand. With a turn of his palm, he sent the flame soaring, rotating slowly in the air, heading straight for the fiend.

The other elders, meanwhile, unleashed their artifacts, striking the massive bone structure. Though the fiend was battered, it remained undaunted, roaring in anger and defiance.

Yun Yiluan’s flame, small but intense, approached the fiend. Surprisingly, the fiend, which had been indifferent to the other attacks, seemed wary of the tiny flame. Its massive form recoiled, but it was too large to avoid the impact. The flame landed on the white bone skull, burning a deep, yellow hole into the unyielding bone.

“Sss…”

Amidst the cacophony, the small, amber-like flame burned a hole into the impervious bone. The sudden, intense heat exploded from within, turning half the fiend’s body to a scorched, yellow color. A column of flames, over ten feet wide, erupted from the bone, shooting skyward. Even the distant Qingyun disciples felt the searing heat, and the monster in the flames was in agony.

The righteous faction, witnessing this, erupted in cheers. The three leaders’ prowess was indeed unparalleled.

As the intense flames subsided, the fiend, now with half its body charred, emerged. Although it was still terrifying, it looked more disheveled and far less menacing than before.

The relieved righteous warriors, initially stunned by the fiend’s appearance, now breathed a sigh of relief. With Daoxuan Zhenren and others, whose powers were almost divine, they had nothing to fear from any demon or monster.

Yet, curiously, while the younger disciples rejoiced, the three great leaders in the clouds, their faces were unusually grave.