Lei Dong’s entire demeanor shifted violently. The formerly calm expression on his face gradually took on a wicked, almost seductive charm. The corners of his lips curled slightly upward in a mocking smirk as he watched the massive Azure Lotus sword hack down toward him. Especially the ‘eye’ on his forehead, which lent him an air of eerie, demonic allure. Crack-crack-crack, came the sounds of breaking from his skeletal structure, and his already tall frame seemed to swell, becoming significantly more imposing. A profound, ineffable sense of proud isolation settled over him. Limitless power surged forth from within his very being, lending every movement a rigid, forceful energy that whistled audibly in the air.

“Roar! Break for me…”

The Youming spectral energy clung to his body, billowing and drifting like a cluster of fiercely burning black flames. Lei Dong roared, his arms thickening noticeably, and the swirling black spectral energy instantly ignited. He launched both fists simultaneously, carrying two blazing orbs of dark fire, meeting the formidable power of the Azure Lotus Greatsword head-on.

“Boom…”

A deafening concussion shook the air, and the violent impact caused the displaced air to ripple outward in visible waves. Like a surging tide, these ripples spread in all directions. The shockwave whipped Lei Dong’s hair and robes backward, revealing a face contorted with fierce malevolence and killing intent.

The shattered azure Qi force mixed with the scattered specks of ghostly black fire. They danced across the sky like the sudden burst of a brilliant firework. Amidst the dazzling spectacle, an infinite killing intent permeated the scene.

Dantai Bingyun’s usually pale, delicate features, already drained from unleashing her ultimate technique, suddenly bleached even further. The Azure Lotus Sword Melody was played directly from her mind and spirit; its violent shattering sent a recoil force ripping back, striking directly at her soul and leaving her with severe internal injuries. Her crimson lips parted, and a spray of blood erupted, staining a section of her crystalline white veil crimson.

Dantai Bingyun, whose cultivation level far surpassed Lei Dong’s, poured everything into the Azure Lotus Sword Melody, ensuring its power was extraordinary. Even with Lei Dong employing the first layer of the Tianmo Transformation—the peerless state—such a head-on collision left him battered; his face also paled, and blood spilled from his mouth. Under the backlash of the impact, his internal organs churned as if caught in a tempest.

The sight of blood seemed to make him even more ferocious and brutal, spurring continuous roars. His figure flashed forward like a cannonball, rocketing straight toward Dantai Bingyun. His right fist was now wrapped in a tightly condensed mass of Youming spectral energy. At that velocity, it left a long, trailing flame-tail that fluttered gracefully, spectacularly beautiful.

“Good, good~” Facing Lei Dong’s explosive surge, Dantai Bingyun showed no sign of retreat.

Instead, her eyes ignited with a blazing light, a fierce battle spirit. Qi Feifei even perceived a fire-like fanaticism in Dantai Bingyun’s gaze.

“Ding…”

A crisp, resonant string note rang out like a drawn sword, its energy soaring like a rainbow.

Dantai Bingyun began to pluck the strings with both hands, and a melody both lyrical and stirring floated from her slender, white fingers. Each note, whether high or low, transformed into a razor-sharp sword, shooting out in all directions. The spectral ghosts, stripped of the Youming Grand Art’s support, vanished one by one. Even the Ghost Guards were forced back, desperately dodging the assault.

The ethereal, phantom-like swords spun rapidly, raining down upon Lei Dong like a fierce downpour.

“Hah…” Lei Dong grunted lowly, manifesting the Profound Yin Shield and controlling it with his divine sense. All defensive power was focused ahead, creating a semi-circular shield wall that seemed almost tangible. He endured the sword rain head-on, continuing his reckless charge toward Dantai Bingyun.

Boom-boom-boom. Every sharp projectile that struck the Profound Yin Shield erupted in a brilliant, sparkling explosion. Despite Lei Dong’s augmented strength, the shield wall could not withstand the relentless onslaught of the sword rain for long. Within moments, it shattered. However, Dantai Bingyun’s swords continued to shower down ceaselessly, as if her power was truly inexhaustible.

Such imposing might made Lei Dong, even in the state of mind brought by the Tianmo Transformation, feel a surge of genuine admiration for her. Such a powerful opponent was truly terrifying. Just as he was about to unleash his demonic energy to forcefully break through the sword rain, a wisp of red mist gracefully appeared before him. Qi Feifei stood poised in front of him, her red sash whipping about, pat-pat-pat blocking the incoming blades.

Though his mind was currently frenzied, Lei Dong clearly understood that if he lingered amidst the sword rain, the energy within him would soon be utterly consumed. He would then be nothing more than meat on Dantai Bingyun’s chopping block. Seeing Qi Feifei’s intervention, he accepted the aid without pretense. He swung both fists, burning with Youming spectral energy, using Qi Feifei as his shield to push forward.

However, Qi Feifei’s strength was ultimately a notch lower; she could not defend completely. Within a few breaths, she sustained several strikes. Her defensive shield and Gang Qi were both breached, leaving several gashes on her body, particularly one on her shoulder bone that pierced straight through, spraying blood.

“Dantai Bingyun, die!”

Lei Dong roared again, his speed suddenly increasing even further. Black hellfire now completely enveloped him, making him look like a peerless demon emerging from purgatory. He drove a heavy punch toward Dantai Bingyun.

Dantai Bingyun’s delicate fingers flew rapidly across the zither strings. The remaining swords spun at extreme velocity, quickly forming a circular azure shield wall before her. Simultaneously, her body retreated backward.

“Break!” Lei Dong’s punch struck the azure light shield wall first, the fierce impact causing the wall to shatter like glass, flying apart in all directions. He himself, like an unparalleled ferocious beast, passed straight through the broken shield without changing his posture.

His momentum remained just as violent, aimed directly at Dantai Bingyun.

Time seemed to momentarily halt. If one looked closely, they could see Lei Dong’s eyes burning like twin infernos. The Emperor Devil Seed embedded in his forehead emitted a light of unprecedented depth.

But in the next instant, Lei Dong’s flaming fist slammed heavily into Dantai Bingyun’s chest.

Even passing through the shockingly resilient sheer veil covering her, and bypassing her formidable body Gang Qi defense, that world-shaking blow almost tore Dantai Bingyun’s soul apart and shattered every one of her internal organs. The colossal shock threw her diagonally downward at incredible speed. Striking the ground on her back, she pulverized a massive, scorched boulder into dust.

Lei Dong knew, given Dantai Bingyun’s cultivation and strength, this single blow likely wouldn't end her life. After all, the power of the punch had been largely depleted and diffused by layers of resistance as it struck her. And at the very moment of contact, he distinctly felt a yielding softness erupt from within Dantai Bingyun, which canceled out yet another layer of impact.

“Lei Dong, I will remember you…”

Dantai Bingyun, her white dress tattered, shakily managed to stand. A thin trickle of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth, and her face was ashen, like that of a dead woman. Immediately afterward, mimicking Jie Chen, she erupted in a streak of azure light and fled swiftly into the distance. Many sects possessed similar life-saving escape techniques to the Yin Sha Sect’s Blood Evasion Art, though such methods usually demanded a heavy toll on the user, often leading to unforeseen disasters if one’s Qi circulation was slightly off.

Just as Lei Dong prepared to surge after her, a wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over him. The power spurred by the Tianmo Transformation had severely overdrawn his reserves, and his limbs went limp, causing him to collapse. He silently cursed his bad luck; such a perfect opportunity to kill Dantai Bingyun had been lost. However, killing her was clearly no easy feat. This Dantai Bingyun was truly formidable. It was only then that Lei Dong understood why Xi Donglai’s expression had become so strained when this woman’s name was mentioned.

Still, it was fortunate she escaped. Otherwise, with Lei Dong’s strength utterly drained by the Tianmo Transformation, and Qi Feifei also sustaining significant injuries, the outcome of a continued fight would have been uncertain. The red mist drifted gently, and Qi Feifei caught the falling Lei Dong, seeing his face as pale as a ghost. She knew he must have just used some kind of power-draining technique to achieve that god-like martial prowess.

Although she found it strange—while many techniques involved burning through one’s reserves, she had never heard of an exhaustion technique that could suddenly boost power to such a degree. He had managed to break the Azure Lotus Sword Melody with his bare fists! Considering Lei Dong was two full realms below Dantai Bingyun, and Dantai Bingyun was certainly no mere nobody from a minor faction, her reputation for might preceded her.

But Qi Feifei also knew her own life was currently in Lei Dong’s hands. If she asked too many questions, who knew if she might provoke his anger. Not daring to inquire further, she began carrying him away, running while enduring the sharp pain in her own wounds. She silently prayed that Dantai Bingyun, in her haste to escape, might run right into a nest of monstrous, brutal fiends and be tormented to death.

Relying on her memory of the path, Qi Feifei ran with Lei Dong in her arms for dozens of miles before finally, breathless, depositing him safely within a hidden cave.

Lei Dong remained silent, forcing himself to sit cross-legged. He swallowed a small Qingyun Huanling Pill and immediately began meditating to circulate his Qi and heal his injuries. After an unknown length of time, when he opened his eyes, he saw Qi Feifei standing guard at the entrance, completely unclothed. She had already tended to her own wounds. He noticed her face was drawn and pale from excessive fatigue, clearly indicating she hadn’t properly used her Qi to heal herself yet.

Seeing Lei Dong awake, Qi Feifei turned back and asked with concern, “Senior Brother Lei, are you alright now…”

“I’m better. My true Qi has mostly recovered; it’s just the soul and internal organs that will need a little more time to regulate…” Lei Dong felt a touch of relief that he had frequently pushed himself using the Tianmo Transformation; although a deep weariness lingered in his bones, it was still within tolerable limits. He rose, silently moving to the cave entrance, and stated coldly, “You should tend to your wounds yourself now. I will stand guard for you…”

“Mhm…” Qi Feifei retreated into the cave, sat cross-legged, and, centering her focus, briefly glanced at Lei Dong’s back before closing her eyes.