The Iron Sword Martial Saint, 'Helian Haoyan', watched this with a look of profound change, instantly transforming into a streak of light and flashing into the distant mountain forest, his heart pounding with terror: "This monstrous fiery bird can incinerate even the innate Golden Core flying demonic beast, the Snow Feather Vulture, whose feathers are as hard as divine weapons. Moreover, its flames are clearly different from those of ordinary innate Golden Core demonic beasts. If I were caught in them, I would surely be burned alive!"
How formidable was the Azure Luan's flame?
Even the Six-legged Saberworm, which Teng Qingshan and Mu Wang couldn't defeat when they joined forces back then, had to flee swiftly when faced with the Azure Luan's fire. The Snow Feather Vulture was even less of a match. If Helian Haoyan truly suffered the full impact of the flames, death would be certain.
"Vicious beast!" the Skywind Battle God roared, drawing the dark black longsword sheathed on his back.
Whoosh!
A beam of sword light ripped through the air toward the Azure Luan.
The Azure Luan flapped its wings subtly, dodging the sword beam as easily as a master of unparalleled movement skills. When the Azure Luan sparred with Teng Qingshan previously, their close-quarters combat saw even Teng Qingshan’s spear thrusts easily evaded by the Luan. One could imagine how superb the Azure Luan's evasiveness was.
"Yoo~~ yoo~~" The Azure Luan swiftly flew above Helian Haoyan.
Logically, two legs are slower than four, and four legs are slower than flight. In short, normal humans are slower than beasts, and beasts are slower than birds. As the king among flying creatures, the Azure Luan's speed was such that even a peak Void Realm expert in flight could not match it... Only a flying demonic beast that had reached the Void Realm could surpass it.
Helian Haoyan looked up, seeing the Azure Luan directly overhead. His face drained of color, and he shouted, "Teacher!!!"
The Azure Luan chirped happily and opened its beak.
"Hoo~~"
Flames, black threaded with purple, descended once more.
"Vicious beast!!!" The Skywind Battle God, who was rapidly approaching, felt his expression change drastically and roared in fury.
Helian Haoyan flashed away instantly.
Sizzle, sizzle~~
The torrent of flame struck the mountain stones. The stones burned as if they were mere paper, instantly turning to ash. Even with his rapid evasion, a small amount of the flame grazed Helian Haoyan... A wisp of fire touched his arm, instantly searing through the innate True Essence battle armor covering his limb, and then began consuming his muscle and bone beneath.
It ignited instantly!
With a hiss, the muscle and bone burned away into dust, the destruction spreading rapidly.
"Ah~~~" Helian Haoyan cried out in pain and swung his left hand violently.
Thwack!
He severed his right arm directly. The limb was already half-consumed by the flames, and by the time it fell toward the ground, the entire arm had burned to ashes. The sheer power of the Azure Luan's flame made Helian Haoyan’s expression shift drastically.
Seeing this, the Skywind Battle God’s face became ashen, rage flashing in his eyes.
"Die!" The Skywind Battle God instantly flashed forward, leaping up to strike at the Azure Luan.
At this moment, the Skywind Battle God was boiling with rage. The Snow Feather Vulture was his reliance for flight, as only reaching the peak of the Void Realm allowed one to fly unaided. Although both Battle Gods of the Duanmu Continent had entered the Void Realm long ago, neither had reached the pinnacle... They relied on flying demonic beasts to travel.
Flying demonic beasts were rare on the Duanmu Continent, and innate Golden Core flying beasts were even rarer! To successfully tame one was nearly impossible!
As for the Iron Sword Martial Saint, Helian Haoyan, he was the designated next clan leader. Losing his weapon-wielding right arm meant his strength would be lucky to remain at thirty percent.
The death of the Snow Feather Vulture! The maiming of his disciple! Truly enraged the Skywind Battle God; he hadn't been this furious in over a century.
"Yoo~~" The Azure Luan ascended easily.
The Skywind Battle God reached a great height only to plummet downwards helplessly. At that moment, the Azure Luan arced in a curve, swooping down towards Helian Haoyan. This sight only fueled the Battle God's fury! If he tried to pursue the Azure Luan in the air, the outcome would only be one—being toyed with by the Luan!
Light flickered around the Skywind Battle God’s body, and he accelerated his descent towards Helian Haoyan.
"Hoo~~" The Azure Luan spat another gout of black-purple fire.
The Skywind Battle God could not concern himself with anything else and rushed to protect Helian Haoyan...
The Azure Luan blinked, flapped its wings, traced an arc, and flew at maximum speed towards Teng Qingshan.
"Azure Luan!" Teng Qingshan was overjoyed to see the Luan approaching, and simultaneously grateful.
Whoosh!
With a single leap, Teng Qingshan landed on the Azure Luan’s back.
"Yoo~~~" The Azure Luan chirped happily, then immediately ascended rapidly, flying southeast. Seated on its back, Teng Qingshan glanced back at the Luan and smiled: "The Azure Luan is truly intelligent, even knowing the strategy of 'Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao.' It knew a direct rescue from the Skywind Battle God was impossible. It first killed the Snow Feather Vulture, then attacked Helian Haoyan, forcing the Battle God to intervene... allowing it the opportunity to rescue me."
Teng Qingshan glanced down.
Among the rocks below, the Skywind Battle God and the one-armed Helian Haoyan both looked up, anger etched on their faces.
"Yoo~~~"
With a cry that echoed through heaven and earth, the Azure Luan accelerated through the air and soon vanished from sight.
"That vicious beast," even with his usual calm demeanor, the Skywind Battle God was utterly consumed by anger. He had lived for nearly four hundred years, yet since entering the Void Realm, he had never suffered such a crushing defeat! At the hands of a single flying demonic beast, he had stumbled three major times!
The Snow Feather Vulture killed! His disciple’s arm burned off! Teng Qingshan spirited away!
What a joke his earlier boast had become: "In my presence, if I will him to live, he lives; if I will him to die, he dies!"
...
The Skywind Battle God and Helian Haoyan were boiling inside, but Mu Wang, Jiang Yan, Fu Dao, and the other Martial Saints watching the events unfold from afar either marveled or stifled quiet laughter.
"The Skywind Battle God has truly taken a massive loss this time," Mu Wang chuckled lightly.
"Indeed? Even Helian Haoyan had an arm burned off," Fu Dao added. "But that flame divine bird is too formidable; its speed is incredible, and the flames it spits are devastating. Even the innate Golden Core demonic beast, the 'Snow Feather Vulture,' turned to ash before this flame divine bird."
The other Martial Saints nodded in agreement.
"And it’s clever too," Mu Wang added with admiration. "Teng Qingshan is truly blessed to have such a demonic beast assisting him."
...
Thousands of feet high in the clouds and mist, the Azure Luan flew at high speed.
"Where exactly did the Azure Luan leave Xiao Jun?" Teng Qingshan worried deeply. He knew the Luan must have flown Li Jun somewhere safe, hiding her and the iron chest, before returning to help him.
Whoosh!
Abruptly, the Azure Luan dove downwards. This was in an ordinary stretch of mountain forest about two to three hundred li south of Ox-Head Mountain. On the sheer cliff face of an unnamed peak within the forest, the Azure Luan carried Teng Qingshan directly into a cave etched into the precipice.
"