Chapter 69: Vermillion Bird Armor
Mu Qingtong crushed the Jupiter Flower, sprinkling its fragments into the glass bottle where they dissolved into the fiery red liquid. Instantly, golden starlight floated up from the mixture, shimmering in the air.
She held the bottle up to the blood moon, examining it before nodding. "Fifty more seconds for complete fusion."
Fifty seconds—that should be enough.
Xia Feng's gaze sharpened as he stared into the forest depths. "The pursuer's here."
Mu Qingtong pocketed the advancement elixir just as the 8-faced man materialized beneath the blood moon, his black robes billowing, a crimson scythe gleaming in his grip.
"What's this? Giving up on running?" he taunted, voice dripping with amusement.
"Dogs chase harder the more you flee." Xia Feng drew his longsword with a quiet rasp, lips curling. "Easier to just put it down."
"..."
"Clever words won't save you, brat." The 8-faced man's tone iced over. His scythe flashed—
—and he was behind Xia Feng in an eyeblink, grinning. "Let me send you off!"
A spike of battle instinct screamed at Xia Feng. He jerked his head aside—
Whoosh! The scythe grazed his scalp, the metallic tang of blood flooding his nostrils.
Twin golden tails erupted from his back, plush fur bristling with spiritual pressure. They lashed out like whips, propelling him rocket-fast toward the ground.
Yet the 8-faced man matched his speed. A spiral of scorched grass marked where he'd pivoted, already looming above Xia Feng to stomp down—
The crossed tails formed a shimmering barrier, but the crushing force still slammed Xia Feng earthward.
BOOM!
Dirt geysered. Through the dust, the 8-faced man's eyes widened—Xia Feng stood unscathed, sword raised, knees coiled like springs.
Crackling electricity spiderwebbed underfoot as he unleashed his stored momentum—
A crimson tidal wave of energy erupted skyward!
"Wha—?!" The 8-faced man's pupils shrank. He crossed his arms. "Shield!"
CLANG!!!
Xia Feng's blade met the emerald barrier in a cataclysmic detonation, blood-red shockwaves ripping outward.
The 8-faced man skidded back a hundred meters, arm trembling.
"That power... Triple Wave from D-grade spirit clothes?" His mask tilted in disbelief.
More confounding—the electrified footwork Xia Feng used... That was a C-grade technique!
How could a fledgling first-stage spirit master wield C-grade clothe? And with such proficiency?!
The prince's warning echoed in his mind: "That boy's a genius. Don't underestimate him."
He'd scoffed then. Now he understood—this wasn't talent. This was monstrosity.
A relieved chuckle escaped him. Good thing he'd nip this freak in the bud.
"Kid, you're full of surprises~" He crooked a finger. "Let's see how far you can—"
His taunt died as he whirled, scythe intercepting a barrage of crimson wind blades—
Mu Qingtong's hair streamed like moonlight as her sword painted the air with blood-colored slashes.
Crack! The mask split, revealing pale skin beneath. A trickle of blood slid from his lip.
Damn it! She knows Triple Wave too?!
The 8-faced man soared backward, hands weaving seals. "Touch of the Ghost Tree!"
Jade-green spirit robes enveloped him. Branches exploded from his sleeves, writhing like tentacles to block the onslaught.
At opposite ends of the battlefield, the white-clad man and black-gowned woman locked eyes—and moved as one.
Hands flashing identical seals, they intoned: "Heaven Declares Rain."
Thunderheads blotted the moon. Torrential rain fell in punishing sheets.
"Thunder Explosion!"
The synchronized incantation sent faint electrical currents splitting and multiplying through the air. Within moments, the battlefield became a writhing sea of lightning serpents.
The wooden tendrils attacking them blackened instantly, sparking and crumbling to ash before they could strike.
"Thunder Sky Step."
Two streaks - one black, one white - transformed into living lightning, weaving through the ghost-tree defenses with impossible speed. In three breaths, they flanked the 8-faced man completely.
As the dual shadows hovered mid-air, their prey finally looked up. His pupils contracted.
One monster he could handle. But two?
Yet even as doubt gripped him, his lips curled upward. Twin crimson blades crossed like executioner's axes—
—and a fountain of blood erupted from his neck, his still-smiling head tumbling through the storm.
The black-clad woman and white-garbed man flicked blood from their blades in unison, turning to study the kneeling, headless corpse with identical frowns.
"Something's wrong," Mu Qingtong murmured.
Xia Feng nodded. "A second-stage evil soul cultivator shouldn't die this easily."
"Haha~ Sharp as ever, you two."
The chuckle came from the corpse's abdomen. A wrinkled, child-sized hand emerged, followed by a 1.2-meter-tall elder climbing out like a snake shedding skin. The decapitated body and head dissolved into wisps of spiritual light.
[Target spirit weapon contacted. Copying—]
[Target: Vermilion Bird Magic Armor]
[Copy successful!]
[Copy slots full. Replace current spirit weapon "Forest Scepter"?]
The old man cracked his neck as spiritual pressure erupted around him, rising like floodwaters breaking a dam. Second-stage peak... then third-stage! The surrounding trees bent like worshipping subjects.
"Battlefield breakthrough?" Xia Feng's eyes narrowed. "No—this must be his spirit weapon's ability!"
His pulse quickened. A weapon that granted temporary rank advancement? With each rank granting additional copy slots, this changed everything. Imagine the tactical possibilities during combat!
"I'll admit," the elder croaked, his grin revealing blackened teeth, "you two could slaughter ordinary second-stagers. But against third-stage spiritual pressure..."
He raised a gnarled finger. The air solidified around them, creating a three-meter sphere of crushing force.
"Try copying this, boy."
The afterimage hadn't faded when his real form materialized behind Xia Feng—cold eyes gleaming with killing intent.
(End of chapter)