Chapter 612 - 419: Explosive Kill

A blood-red line streaked across the sky, rapidly approaching.

Fang Qingyuan frowned, his gaze fixed on the direction from which the blood-red line approached. The others present—Qiqi, Jinbao, and the Confusion Insect, among other Spirit Beasts—hadn’t noticed a thing.

In Fang Qingyuan’s spiritual sense, the approaching blood-red line brought a burning sensation to his soul.

’What is that?’

’We just got out here. Can it really be such a coincidence?’

Fang Qingyuan was still carrying the Octagonal Palace Lantern in his left hand, with Gui You trapped inside. He couldn’t help but wonder if the purpose of this approaching, unknown entity was also for the Gui You in his hand.

It wasn’t time to release Gui You, so Fang Qingyuan couldn’t put the Palace Lantern into his storage bag. As for the Immortal Mansion, that was even more out of the question.

’Don’t tell me I’ve been dragged into the conflicts between Divinity Transformation Cultivators again.’

’I knew this damn mission wouldn’t be so simple.’ Fang Qingyuan sighed inwardly and turned to instruct the three Spirit Beasts present.

"An enemy is coming. Prepare for battle."

The newcomer was brimming with malicious intent, not like a normal Cultivator. Fang Qingyuan didn’t believe for a second that any Cultivator who dared to show up at this time was just here to watch the show.

And so, when the blood-red line arrived a hundred zhang before Fang Qingyuan, it descended steadily and transformed into a rather handsome Cultivator. He had a sinister and wicked aura, a pale and effeminate face, and appeared to be a normal human Cultivator, but his pair of seductive, crimson pupils revealed his identity as a Demon Cultivator.

"Heh, such powerful blood qi, such a delicious meal. That vile beast really wasn’t lying to me. There are several Golden Core blood-meals here."

Blood Saber stared greedily at Fang Qingyuan’s group. Three Golden Core-level combatants were apparently nothing in his eyes. Fang Qingyuan’s current retinue would have made him an undisputed overlord in White Mountain, yet Blood Saber saw them only as a delectable meal.

Even from a hundred zhang away, Blood Saber’s muttering was clearly captured by Fang Qingyuan’s divine sense. Hearing Blood Saber’s words, Fang Qingyuan’s heart jolted. ’So this guy was led here by that Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast, diverting disaster onto us.’

’As expected,’ he thought. ’One should never get sentimental about a Nascent Soul Ancient Beast that’s lived for thousands, even tens of thousands of years.’ A moment ago, Fang Qingyuan had even been grateful to the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast for sending him here.

At this moment, Fang Qingyuan was silently observing his opponent, assessing his combat strength. ’For him to get the better of a veteran Nascent Soul Ancient Beast like the Wind Breath Returning Soil Beast, this Blood Cultivator’s true combat power must be in the Nascent Soul Realm.’

’Troublesome!’

Fang Qingyuan came to a conclusion. It seemed this battle was unavoidable. A truly unexpected disaster.

Moreover, he was still holding a Ghost Cultivator captive. If he got into a major battle with the Blood Cultivator before him, wouldn’t Gui You take the opportunity to escape?

The Human Realm within the Eight Sceneries Red Dust Palace Lantern could only barely contain Gui You. If Fang Qingyuan were unoccupied, he could keep a close watch and ensure Gui You couldn’t break the lantern’s control. But if he didn’t have the spare mental energy to control the lantern, would the Eight Sceneries Red Dust Palace Lantern still be able to hold Gui You so securely?

One had to remember that Gui You’s true realm was Golden Core Perfection. If he were in peak condition, he would likely be no weaker than the Blood Cultivator before them.

’This is trouble. A quick and decisive battle is the best option.’

"If you all surrender without a fight, I might be merciful and only eat one of you. How about it? This Seat is benev—"

Blood Saber felt victory was already in his grasp and decided to play with his food like a cat with a mouse. Of course, he had no intention of eating just one. But before he devoured them, he wanted to watch a good show of them turning on each other.

But before Blood Saber could finish, Fang Qingyuan pointed a finger at him from a distance.

"Godslaying Needle!"

An invisible yet extremely pure and powerful stream of divine sense surged from Fang Qingyuan’s finger. At first, it only had the intensity of an Early Stage Golden Core Cultivator’s soul, but in the next instant, it leaped violently to the Golden Core Perfection Realm.

When it first left his fingertip, it was no thicker than an index finger, but by the time it reached the halfway point, it had swelled to the width of a bucket. Its internal structure was constantly undergoing minute adjustments. Countless strands of its divine sense qi, separated into billions, were nevertheless interlocked tightly together. They formed a spiraling, advancing cone that violently slammed into the still-talking Blood Saber.

The frivolous expression on Blood Saber’s face, who was still enjoying his cruel game, froze instantly. Then, in utter astonishment, he exploded with a BOOM, showering the area in a bloody mist.

"Is it over?"

Qiqi looked at Fang Qingyuan with a complicated expression and asked uncertainly. This was the first time she had truly witnessed Fang Qingyuan in action, and she never expected his first move to be so devastating. ’If that attack had hit me,’ Qiqi asked herself, ’my fate would have been no better.’

"It’s not that simple. That Blood Cultivator was just careless and suffered for it. My attack only severely wounded him, it didn’t kill him. Be careful, he’s about to reveal himself."

Fang Qingyuan quickly shared his analysis with Qiqi and the Confusion Insect. Jinbao, however, understood everything without needing a verbal explanation, thanks to its Mind Divine Techniques.

The bloody mist filling the sky rapidly dissolved without a trace after dripping onto the dark soil.

Then, an unconscious, agonized roar echoed as Blood Saber’s figure reappeared farther away. He looked battered, his body like a piece of shattered and re-glued porcelain, covered in alarming cracks.

"So painful! What is this thing lingering inside my body?"

Fang Qingyuan laughed coldly. The Godslaying Needle wasn’t so easily dealt with. Although the Blood Cultivator had used a Blood Escape Technique to avoid the strongest part of the impact, the pure divine sense within the Godslaying Needle had integrated into Blood Saber’s body like venomous lead sand. Without a long and arduous effort, the Blood Cultivator could forget about expelling it.

This was also the most effective way to counter a Blood Cultivator like him, who was formless, ever-changing, and lacked a solid physical body.

Having suffered a huge blow right off the bat, all of Blood Saber’s desire to play around had vanished. He roared and transformed into a wave of blood that surged toward Fang Qingyuan’s group.

The thin air sizzled as the blood wave burned through it. Before the wave even arrived, Fang Qingyuan and the three Spirit Beasts felt a nauseating, metallic stench of blood seeping deep into their bodies.

The Confusion Insect, having the weakest physical constitution, felt its qi and blood boiling within its body. It was as if its blood had met its true master and was desperately trying to surge out of its body to rejoin the approaching blood wave.

The Confusion Insect’s expression changed drastically. It desperately tried to suppress the changes within, but fresh blood still seeped from the surface of its skin.

It wasn’t just the Confusion Insect; Qiqi’s qi and blood were also stirring restlessly. It was as if, in that moment, the essence blood in their bodies no longer belonged to them, but sought to emerge and greet its sovereign.

This was happening before the blood wave had even touched them. If it were to hit them head-on, what chance would they have?

Just then, a flash of icy light, cold enough to freeze the very soul, appeared before Fang Qingyuan.

’Star Constellation Technique: Great Solitude Crystalized Cold Light!’

The cold light flared, its brilliant rays shining forward and freezing the blood wave in place.

The white light was like an annihilating laser beam; wherever it passed, any object was instantly crystalized, then shattered into fine crystalline dust and scattered between heaven and earth.

But the blood wave was different. Immobilized by the Crystalized Cold Light, the wave simply fell to the ground.

Only then did the figure of the Black Tortoise True Spirit Dharma Aspect manifest before Fang Qingyuan.

The moment Fang Qingyuan had sensed the approaching blood-red line, he had secretly summoned his Four Spirits. Now was the time to strike while the enemy was down.

Struck by this long-prepared Great Solitude Crystalized Cold Light, the blood wave was frozen solid. The sensation of their own qi and blood boiling and threatening to burst from their bodies was also suppressed.

But it wasn’t over. Following the technique unleashed by the Black Tortoise True Spirit Dharma Aspect, the Vermilion Bird True Spirit Dharma Aspect took over, also with a Star Constellation-level technique.

’Nanming Li Fire Flame!’

The enormous Vermilion Bird True Spirit Dharma Aspect appeared above the frozen blood wave. With a flap of its wings, countless pure, white-hot flames rained down upon the wave, and the foul stench of burning filled the air.

’White Tiger Divine Response Soul-Shaking Saber!’

’Supreme Cyan Dragon Chunyi Sword!’

The pure, white-hot flames were still burning the blood wave when two more Star Constellation True Spirit Dharma Aspects attacked.

One was the White Tiger Saber Intent, which specialized in attacking the soul. The other was the Sword of Time, which carried the helpless passage of years—unavoidable, unblockable, and inescapable.

The White Tiger Saber Intent drew upon the ferocious intent accumulated over countless millennia from the stars of this world, from the vast and cold galaxies, and channeled it all into the blood wave.

As for the Supreme Cyan Dragon Chunyi Sword, it captured a sliver of the true meaning of flowing time, transforming it into an irresistible Cyan Dragon sword. Its purpose was to accelerate the effects of the wounds on the blood wave, making a fresh injury age as if it were a day old.

With the four Star Constellation True Spirit Dharma Aspects joining forces, they could fight a Nascent Soul without fear. Moreover, Blood Saber’s current realm had not yet reached the point of forming a Blood Infant.

Therefore, what everyone witnessed was the attacking blood wave suddenly halting fifty to sixty zhang away. It was then evaporated by the pure, white-hot flames. After being infused with the saber’s shadow and the sword’s light, the blood wave’s volume was reduced to less than a third of its original size.

Qiqi and the Confusion Insect, who were standing beside Fang Qingyuan and hadn’t even acted yet, were both completely aghast at this outcome.

Previously, based on Bear Wind’s hints, the two Spirit Beasts knew Fang Qingyuan’s true combat strength was impressive. But only now, seeing it with their own eyes, did they understand just how absurdly powerful "impressive" really was.

None of the Bear Beasts in their lineage, aside from Bear Wind herself, could have survived that combination of attacks.

Fang Qingyuan paid no mind to Qiqi’s and the Confusion Insect’s thoughts. He had endured such a grueling Golden Core Celestial Tribulation back then; the Divine Techniques he had obtained were hardly common goods.

Furthermore, with the support of the immense amount of Primordial Qi and Spiritual Qi in his Immortal Mansion, he could use these Star Skills—which should have been treated as trump cards—as if they were ordinary attacks.

Although he had gone for the kill right from the start without fully gauging his opponent’s abilities, causing his trump cards to be somewhat mismatched, it didn’t matter. The Immortal Mansion gave him more than enough confidence and greatly increased his margin for error.

At that moment, Fang Qingyuan lightly lifted the Octagonal Palace Lantern in his left hand and sent a thought into it. "Have you seen enough, fellow Daoist?"

Inside the Octagonal Palace Lantern, Gui You’s face was incredibly grim, but he was sensible enough not to say a word.

Sensing this, Fang Qingyuan roared with laughter. His body transformed into a Five-Colored Escape Light and shot toward the still-frozen blood wave.