A Battle of Wills!

Having recongealed its physical form, the ghost mask seemed locked in a state of utter fury, radiating an overbearing momentum. The surging sea of blood flowed right up to Li Guanqi's side. Suddenly! With a furious wave of its hand, the ghost mask coalesced countless blood figures! Dense and packed closely together, they resembled cultivators cloaked entirely in blood. Nearly every one of them exerted pressure approaching that of the third layer of Mystic Immortal. Over a hundred blood figures lunged straight at Li Guanqi. Gritting his teeth, Li Guanqi looked back at the tightly shut stone doors behind him and cursed inwardly. This had to be the weapon refinement chamber of an ancient sect elder; every material used in the surrounding walls was extraordinarily sturdy. He felt these materials were of an even higher grade than the immortal ores he had scavenged from the treasury earlier. Striking them with his blade produced showers of sparks, yet failed to leave behind even a scratch. It was hard to imagine just how exalted that weapon refiner's grade had been in their prime. Furthermore... Was this blood-colored mask before him left behind by that very same person? Besieged by the onslaught of myriad blood figures, Li Guanqi moved like a swimming dragon, using the sheer speed of his footwork to dodge and weave between them. For a time, glints of swords and blades flashed incessantly, accompanied by a ceaseless din of violent explosions. *Clang, clang!* *Boom, boom! Thud!* Li Guanqi shattered a blood figure before him with a single slash, yet it reconstituted in the blink of an eye and lunged once more. For half an incense stick's time, Li Guanqi failed to slay even a single blood figure. Instead, fresh wounds multiplied across his body. The lacerations turned a purplish black, the flesh festering and rotting. Meanwhile, the ghost mask's howling grew increasingly agitated, tinged even with excitement. Perhaps it already foresaw Li Guanqi's demise—dissolving into a pool of bloody water to become its nourishment. Gradually, Li Guanqi noticed something amiss. These blood figures brimmed with killing intent and possessed formidable strength, seemingly imbued with some peculiar "Dao" channeled through the ghost mask's very presence! *Bang!* Li Guanqi was blasted backward by several blood figures, his ragged breaths heaving like a blacksmith's bellows. His vision blurred slightly, and dozens of wounds marred his body. Narrowing his eyes, his expression turned grim. Within him, Shiwu's voice abruptly rang out. "Master, I am ready!" A fierce snarl twisted Li Guanqi's face as he muttered under his breath, "Then let's do it!" Before the words had completely faded, Li Guanqi formed hand seals. Towering flames erupted from within him, surging into a billowing sea of fire that blotted out the sky and concealed the sun. In an instant, Shiwu's power surged to its absolute peak. Even the surrounding walls took on a faint reddish glow. The rising flames gradually took the shape of an immense furnace vessel, sealing the entire chamber within! "Burn!" *Boom!* In practically a single instant, the purplish-black flames completely swallowed all the blood figures! Terrifying fire swept across the space, wrenching a shrill, agonized screech from the blood-colored ghost mask. As the soundwaves rippled outward, Li Guanqi's head snapped back, blood pouring from his seven facial orifices. The conflagration raged for dozens of breaths. Only when the final wisp of flame dissipated did Li Guanqi collapse onto the ground, drenched in sweat. The surrounding walls were charred black, and not a single trace of the blood figures remained in the chamber. All the filthy blood had been incinerated away. The burst of power unleashed by the Devouring Void Sacred Flame just now was enough to slay a cultivator at the fifth layer of Mystic Immortal. Slumped on the floor, Li Guanqi looked at his festering, foul-smelling flesh, a wave of lingering dread washing over him. Had he not possessed lightning and heavenly flame, his mind would likely have been eroded and warped long ago. Carving away the rotten flesh from his wounds, Li Guanqi swallowed a medicinal pill to replenish his immortal essence and stopped the bleeding. Only then did he push himself up and walk toward the gaping chasm in the center of the floor. Gripping his sword tightly, Li Guanqi remained on high alert. He did not believe that thing could be eradicated by fire alone. The Sword Ruins quietly opened, and Spirit Absolution blood threads coiled around his blade. This was his ultimate trump card—a method specifically tailored to suppress a weapon spirit! Li Guanqi leaned forward slightly to peer down. Suddenly! A beam of blood-red light erupted with violent fury! Li Guanqi raised his sword and executed an Instant Slash, but struck only empty air. With lightning speed, the fanged ghost mask clamped onto Li Guanqi's face! Li Guanqi let go of his sword, his hands coiled with Spirit Absolution blood threads as he instantly grabbed the mask! The icy, slimy sensation against his fingertips made his hair stand on end. The mask inverted, its reverse side writhing with flesh that sprouted a dense tangle of thread-like tentacles! The mask's eyes glowed crimson as that bewitching voice rang out once more: "Put me on! Put me on! Take me away!" The tentacles stretched outward, accompanied by a sickening stench, flailing desperately like the arms of a drowning man trying to grab onto anything in sight. Writhing flesh enveloped Li Guanqi's fingers, devouring his flesh in the blink of an eye until only lustrous, jade-like bones remained. Those thread-like tentacles were mere inches from Li Guanqi's eyes. *Boom!* Boundless fire and lightning power erupted instantly. His immortal essence condensed into crisscrossing, needle-fine sword qi, yet the severed tentacles regenerated in an instant. Li Guanqi's knuckles went white, the veins on his neck bulged, and his face turned a deep, suffocating purple. He poured every ounce of his strength into resisting it. The Spirit Absolution blood threads detonated outward, enveloping the mask in a single instant. Just as Li Guanqi was about to breathe a sigh of relief— Suddenly! Every single Spirit Absolution blood thread shattered to pieces. At that moment, Li Guanqi's eyes filled with disbelief. This was the very first time he had ever seen a weapon spirit break free from the power of Spirit Absolution! Before he had time to fathom why, Li Guanqi realized in sheer terror that the writhing flesh of the mask had abruptly shot out a tentacle the length of a finger! *Pfft!* The tentacle pierced straight through his glabella, and Li Guanqi's body went instantly rigid. Densely packed tentacles burrowed into his skin and flesh, binding the mask flush against his face. "Argh!" A shrill, agonized scream tore from Li Guanqi's throat. The tentacles bored through flesh and bone, spreading throughout his meridians in a heartbeat and taking root. A slit tore open at the mask's jaw, revealing bared fangs, while its eyes turned entirely blood-red! A tyrannical, murderous frenzy flooded Li Guanqi's mind. In that single instant, Li Guanqi experienced an agony akin to being flayed alive and having his marrow drawn out. *Rumble, rumble!* In the blink of an eye, Li Guanqi's aura skyrocketed straight to the peak of the sixth layer of Mystic Immortal! An inexhaustible supply of terrifying power surged from within his body. The reddish-black patterns upon the mask pulsed with spiritual light, flickering like the rhythm of a breath. Meanwhile, Li Guanqi bit through the tip of his tongue, drawing upon the sharp pain to forcibly retain a sliver of consciousness. His mind was a murky swamp of chaos, his ears filled with whispered incitements, while killing intent coalesced into tangible crimson light that enveloped his entire body. Li Guanqi also discovered a horrifying truth. *It's... drinking my blood!* Gradually, an overwhelmingly powerful consciousness surged into Li Guanqi's sea of consciousness, attempting to usurp his body like a cuckoo stealing another bird's nest! Li Guanqi's consciousness gazed upon the blurry crimson phantom before him and, without the slightest hesitation, mobilized his divine sense to crush it. Yet the intruder darted through his sea of consciousness like a maggot in the bone. Slowly, Li Guanqi felt as though his memories were being devoured by something; familiar faces began fading away one by one. A chunk of Ye Feng's face was suddenly gnawed away. Right at that moment, Li Guanqi—standing in the secret chamber with the ghost mask fused to his face—snapped awake! What remained of his consciousness erupted in towering rage! A terrifying, awe-inspiring pressure burst forth from his body. Li Guanqi's furious roar echoed throughout the chamber! The terror of losing the memories of those closest to him drove him to a state of boundless, incandescent fury. *Boom!* "You! Dog! Bastard!" "Do you have any idea what you're doing?!" *Boom!* His immortal essence ran rampant. Li Guanqi flipped his toe up, catching Red Lotus in his grip. Without a shred of hesitation, he jammed the sword straight into the seam between his cheek and the mask! The strike sliced clean through his nose bridge and mouth. As the blade pierced through his cheek and the mask, dragon scales manifested across Li Guanqi's arm, and he forcibly tore half the mask away! "You think you... can... con... trol... me?!" *Rip!* Half the skin of Li Guanqi's face was ripped away raw, leaving behind a mangled mess of blood and flesh still tangled with crimson tentacles! "No... No!"