It was precisely because Mo Fenghuang had detected the tracks of the Nascent Soul stage demonic beast that everyone else fled into the earth, falling right into the trap set by the Grand Master.
Thus, man proposes, but heaven disposes. The emergence of this one specific Sangluan both fulfilled the Grand Master’s intricate scheming and, at the critical moment, invited unforeseen variables.
Feng Zikang glanced at the Sangluan locked in fierce combat within the bloody radiance and nodded slightly.
“It seems that even if the nine Dragon Lairs are defended, the Heavenly Burial Blood Sacrifice Array is laid out too broadly. The Grand Master’s disciples are slaughtering everywhere, and this blood light shows every sign of strengthening. It might actually be enough to trap this Nascent Soul stage monster.”
“Pity,” he shook his head again. If this location were in the prosperous heartland of the Central Plains, slaughtering tens of thousands would saturate the skies with vital energy, allowing the blood light within the formation to condense and potentially match, or even subdue and capture, the Nascent Soul demonic beast. It was a pity this place was a desolate land of the Southern Barbarians. Even killing everyone within several hundred li wouldn't yield much essence.
Of course, if this were truly the interior of the Central Plains, the righteous cultivators from the Three Teachings and Nine Schools would never permit the Grand Master to set up such a Heavenly Burial Blood Sacrifice Array. Success was only possible in such a remote corner.
“That blood light is—”
Mo Fenghuang looked at the blood light hanging overhead, feeling dizzy and unsteady, her heart gripped by fear. She managed to ask.
Feng Zikang shook his head. “This blood light is the refined vital essence of all those who died in the Heavenly Burial Blood Sacrifice. Transformed into terrifying divine powers; even a mere speck touching the skin would cause flesh to rot and death to follow.”
It was only fortunate that the opponent was a Nascent Soul demonic beast. Otherwise, under this intense blood light, escape would have been impossible. But at this moment, the Sangluan was shaking off its lethargy, fighting more fiercely, showing faint signs of breaking free from the blood light’s restraint.
Not enough people have died yet,
Feng Zikang certainly wouldn't voice this thought in front of Mo Fenghuang.
But insufficient death was precisely what would force the Grand Master to act. Having gone to such lengths to trap this Nascent Soul beast, he would never give up. He was determined to seize its vital essence, using the Heavenly Burial Blood Sacrifice method to return to his origins—that was the fulfillment of his purpose.
Therefore, if the blood light were to shatter, he would certainly not stand idly by!
Feng Zikang waited, watching keenly!
“Roar!”
The Sangluan unleashed another roar, like the collapse of heaven and earth. The blood light restraining it gradually revealed—
A streak of crimson light shot in from the horizon, as if slicing through the heavens and earth, and with a soft sound, struck the mass of blood light directly!
The Grand Master had finally made his move!
“It’s finally here!” Feng Zikang stilled his breath and quieted his essence, watching the slowly descending figure in the sky with a grave expression.
Today, of his myriad calculations, a large portion relied on the strength of this Grand Master. To reap the fisherman’s benefit, the Grand Master’s strength could neither be too high nor too low.
If his power were too great, he could obliterate the trapped Nascent Soul monster with a single gesture, in which case Feng Zikang would only be able to flee upon hearing the news, abandoning all further schemes. If his power were too weak, even suppressed by the Heavenly Burial Blood Sacrifice Array, the Sangluan might easily defeat him, meaning Feng Zikang could not lightly provoke an enraged Nascent Soul beast either.
Only if their strengths were comparable, leading to a hard-won victory for one side, would Feng Zikang have an opportunity.
The Grand Master plus the Heavenly Burial Blood Sacrifice Array against the Nascent Soul demonic beast—who would ultimately prove stronger?
The victor would soon be revealed!
The Sangluan, vast in size and mighty in divine ability, was severely hampered by being trapped within the blood light, unable to fully deploy many of its skills. It was only receiving sneak attacks from the Grand Master, eliciting endless rage-filled roars.
“Hmm?”
Feng Zikang observed the Grand Master’s attack methods, deep in thought.
The Grand Master transformed into a deep crimson blood light, almost ink-colored, weaving through the Sangluan, grazing it repeatedly to leave gashes. However, these were not mere wounds; amidst injuring the beast, he was also absorbing the Sangluan’s vital essence!
“This is—”
This divine power was extraordinary. In a confrontation, if one side could use such a technique to siphon the opponent’s vital essence to bolster themselves, who could possibly win a prolonged battle against them?
The Sangluan seemed to grasp this ominous outcome as well. It forcefully tore open the blood light, thrusting its head out, and sprayed layers of black mist to protect its surroundings!
“The Sangluan is using the Hundred Annihilations, Hundred Losses Dance. This stuff is vicious; magical artifacts, weapons, and techniques lose their spiritual nature upon contact. Given the Sangluan’s huge size, its lifespan must have passed several thousand years. This Hundred Annihilations, Hundred Losses Miasma is so dense—we’ll see how the Grand Master handles it!”
After all, it was a Nascent Soul demonic beast, possessing several ultimate trump cards. As expected, the Grand Master frowned, ceasing his close-range attacks. Instead, he waved both sleeves, releasing countless magical soldiers, treasured artifacts, and magical implements, scattering them like heavenly flowers onto the beast’s head.
This was truly an extravagant expenditure.
Half of the magical soldiers and treasures fell into the Hundred Annihilations, Hundred Losses Miasma and quickly lost their luster before dropping to the ground. But quite a few pierced through the miasma, causing the Sangluan to cry out in pain, only falling after exiting the cloud with momentum expended.
The Grand Master kept waving his sleeves; these magical artifacts seemed inexhaustible, clattering down in heaps. They were defiled and dropped, yet he didn't even blink.
Feng Zikang’s expression grew increasingly strange.
“He clearly has divine powers he can use to attack, so why would he choose to waste so many artifacts…?”
This was completely incomprehensible. After all, using divine power attacks would, at worst, be ineffective, costing only a small amount of spiritual power. But an artifact passing through the Hundred Annihilations, Hundred Losses Miasma had a ninety percent chance of being defiled and damaged. Even if one was lucky enough to survive the first pass, the Grand Master was attacking continuously, repeatedly. Unless he possessed artifacts or divine powers specifically designed to ward off defilement, even the best would eventually perish.
Feng Zikang watched with heartache. This was the first time he had seen someone treat treasured weapons and artifacts with such disregard.
Moreover, judging by the brilliant radiance, these artifacts were by no means ordinary. Several famous swords, in particular, shone with dazzling light. Sadly, after repeatedly clashing through the Hundred Annihilations, Hundred Losses Miasma, even they eventually dimmed, transforming into mundane iron and falling to dust after more than ten passes.
It was truly a magnificent rain of magical artifacts.
The demonic beast roared incessantly, bleeding all over, seemingly incapable of mounting any defense!
“Madness… absolute madness!”
Feng Zikang shook his head. This Grand Master was truly disregarding everything, seeking only to slay this Nascent Soul beast, caring nothing for anything else! External possessions were utterly dismissed!
The Grand Master’s skull-like face twisted into an expression of frenzy.
“Pfft!”
Under the continuous assault, a golden, shining treasured sword finally pierced through the Hundred Annihilations, Hundred Losses Miasma and sank deep into the beast’s back!
“Roar!”
The Sangluan let out a pained screech. Since achieving Nascent Soul stage, it had never been so constrained, completely on the defensive with no opportunity to counterattack.
“Who is it? Who dares injure me?”
An Gao roared in fury, his mouth—
The Grand Master ignored him entirely, focusing only on urging the seemingly endless supply of magical soldiers to smash down upon the beast’s head.
Victory and defeat were about to be decided!
A hint of regret flashed in Feng Zikang’s eyes. He hadn’t expected this Nascent Soul demonic beast to be so ineffectual. After Feng Zikang himself had helped block seventy percent of the blood fiend energy, it was still fighting so miserably.
If the beast died here, Feng Zikang knew he would have to swiftly gather Mo Fenghuang and the others and flee while the Grand Master was preoccupied refining the beast’s essence.
As for any benefit, it was unlikely he would secure any.
No matter how fierce the beast was, it couldn't withstand this rain of artifacts the Grand Master was raining down as if they were worthless!
Just at that moment, a sudden, strange change occurred!
“Bullshit!”
The blood light that had been restraining the beast suddenly showed a massive rift!
The vital essence and blood fiend energy of the living beings finally proved insufficient!
The Grand Master’s face darkened, and he hastened his movements; the magical soldiers flew even more wildly.
He had to force the issue before the blood light completely collapsed, even if he couldn't deliver a killing blow, he had to at least beat the monster until it was half-dead and unable to resist!
The Sangluan, however, was overjoyed. It had been disheartened, but now its spirit was revived. Once it broke free from the blood light’s shackles, what it wanted to do would be easy!
The Sangluan roared and writhed desperately. The fissure in the blood light widened, and finally, it shattered!
“Hah!”
At that very same instant, two other flying swords wielded by the Grand Master pierced the beast’s back. In pain and anger, the creature convulsed, scattering countless crescent-shaped, tiny phosphorescent lights. Though small, their destructive power was immense, shattering stones with thunderous force.
The Grand Master frowned, joining his hands before him, conjuring several golden shields. The tiny phosphorescent lights passed through several layers before finally being entirely blocked by him, leaving behind only fragments of shattered artifacts.
Feng Zikang smiled bitterly. He hadn't expected that even he, the mere spectator, would suffer collateral damage. He could only brandish his sword light, desperately blocking. Yet, these minute lights were pervasive; even with his sword defense dense as starlight, two managed to slip through, grazing his shoulder and arm.
“Ah!”
Mo Fenghuang cried out, “You’re hurt!”
Though she could stand steady now, she lacked strength and swayed as she tried to retrieve medicine from her pouch. Feng Zikang waved his hand, signaling it was nothing. He retrieved a pill himself, crushed it, and applied it externally, yet he was still shocked by the might displayed by this Nascent Soul beast.
He wasn't the primary attacker, merely caught in the crossfire, yet the force was this powerful. If he had faced it head-on, he certainly couldn't have endured that strike. This suggested that the Grand Master’s strength was also far superior to his own.
Feng Zikang’s expression hardened. He knew today was a massive gamble.
If he won, there would be immense benefits; if he lost, he needed to focus on how to escape!
In its rage, the Sangluan might not have noticed him yet, but Feng Zikang didn't believe the Grand Master was unaware of his presence. The reason the Grand Master hadn't attacked was simply that the monster’s current power was too great. The Grand Master couldn't yet guarantee victory, so he naturally had no attention to spare elsewhere.
“Roar!” The Sangluan let out a deafening bellow. Suddenly, it shot forward like lightning to the Grand Master’s front, plunging a claw forward and tearing off the Grand Master’s right arm!
The Grand Master acted as if he felt no pain; no blood flowed from the severed arm!
He took this opportunity to stab three more flying swords into the Sangluan’s back!
This was the Grand Master’s first injury since entering the battle, yet it was incredibly bizarre!
His right arm was ripped clean off, but his expression didn't change in the slightest. Only wary of the Hundred Annihilations, Hundred Losses Miasma surrounding the beast, he flipped backward, retreating several zhang away!
“This… is he immortal?”
Feng Zikang’s expression shifted slightly. His vision was clear, and he could see perfectly: the Grand Master’s right arm was torn off, bones and meridians completely visible, but for some inexplicable reason, not a single drop of blood emerged!
“What exactly is this Grand Master?”
He was certainly no ordinary cultivator. No blood inside the body suggested he might have cultivated a body-refining divine power akin to the Vajra Indestructible Body, hardening his entire form so that even when injured, he wouldn't bleed.
But if he had cultivated such an immortal body technique, he shouldn't have lost an arm so easily.
Could it be... he wasn't human!
If he were a mechanism beast like Long Que, naturally having no internal blood, he wouldn't bleed profusely. This was highly possible. But upon closer inspection, although his features were rigid, he didn't resemble a mechanism beast at all.
The injured Sangluan howled frantically, but its offensive force did not diminish. Having gained freedom and broken the blood light, it was immensely furious. It unleashed all its divine powers without restraint, truly shaking the mountains and overturning the heavens!
This entire constructed Seven Treasures Pagoda Mountain could not withstand the onslaught and was gradually beginning to collapse!
Moments ago, the Grand Master held the advantage; now, the demonic beast Sangluan was forcing him into a desperate retreat. Feng Zikang was inwardly delighted. The scenario he had hoped for—where both sides were severely damaged—was finally emerging, allowing him to be the ultimate winner!
“Pfft!”
The Sangluan struck out with both claws, once again knocking away the Grand Master’s left arm. The sheer difference in size led to this unbalanced result. Although the Grand Master managed to wound the beast repeatedly, he couldn't deliver a fatal blow. The Sangluan had only managed to strike him twice in total, but it had disabled both of his arms!
The Grand Master showed no sign of pain whatsoever. After losing both arms, his leaps and movements actually appeared more agile!
“Should we help—”
Mo Fenghuang had observed enough to guess Feng Zikang’s objective: he wanted both the man and the beast to destroy each other. Now that the Grand Master was clearly at a disadvantage, should they step in to help?
“No need to rush,” Feng Zikang waved his hand. “The Grand Master hasn’t used his ultimate move yet. Why rush?”
As his words fell, the Grand Master let out a long cry. The Hundred Annihilations, Hundred Losses Miasma surrounding the Sangluan had finally been ground down by the Grand Master’s thousands of artifacts. The Grand Master threw himself forward, once again transforming into an ink-colored blood light, soaring out swiftly—piercing straight through the Sangluan’s chest and out through its back!
Leaving behind a massive gaping hole!
“Roar!”
The Sangluan shrieked in pain and cursed loudly, “You vile dog, you have wounded me again and again! How can I tolerate this? I will fight you to the death!”
“You just watch for the Sangluan’s final, ultimate technique!”
Foul blood sprayed wildly from its chest, yet it paid no heed, its eyes fixed hatefully on the Grand Master. It opened its mouth wide, shaking its head, and a murky, killing yellow mist rose up, enveloping the entire Seven Treasures Pagoda Mountain!
“Not good!”
Feng Zikang’s expression changed drastically. Before Mo Fenghuang could ask again, he was desperately urging his divine powers, trying to isolate them from the yellow mist!