Jiuxiao's Wrath

*Roar!!!!* A low draconic roar resounded across the firmament, and Jiuxiao's aura surged wildly! Its body had previously looked like a tiny snake before the Scarlet Thunder Suanni, a stark and vast disparity. Yet now, Jiuxiao's body writhed frantically as layers of dragon scales shed away. Bursting through its old scales, Jiuxiao reared its head high. Its horns grew exceptionally long, flickering incessantly with thunderbolts. Two dragon whiskers whipped in the wind like long lashes, and thunderous power surged around its frame, carrying a terrifying destructive force. The zenith of thunder—capable of destroying heaven and earth! The Scarlet Thunder Suanni tried to seize this chance to launch a sneak attack, but the moment its massive body shifted even a fraction, a graceful figure blocked its path. Terrifying sword light erupted instantly! Wherever the ice-blue sword light passed, space itself was frozen solid. Dark clouds churned violently across the sky, seething like boiling water. *Rumble!! Boom, boom!!* The white lion dodged while unleashing myriad bolts of lightning, attacking everything within a radius of a thousand zhang indiscriminately! Meng Wanshu's pupils shrank. Amidst the sky-filling thunder was a faint, deeply concealed tinge of crimson. Clearly, the Scarlet Thunder Suanni was going all out as well. Every single arc of lightning carried world-destroying might. Meng Wanshu tapped her feet against the void in rapid succession, instantly forming a defensive array beneath herself. Lowering her stance, she unconsciously tightened her grip on her sword. The sword spirit of her spirit treasure–grade blade seemed to sense its mistress's resolve. The blade trembled slightly, emitting a resounding, melodious sword chime! *Clang!!!* Waves of resplendent ice-blue light burst from the edge of the blade, and the woman's Sword Ruins hummed within her. Fixing her gaze firmly on the oncoming sea of lightning, she parted her vermilion lips and murmured softly, "Frost Burial!" *Boom!!!* Her body, which had been hurtling backward, twisted sharply, her feet carving two pitch-black fissures across the void. With every muscle coiled tight, she stepped forward violently. The void beneath her feet shattered, and boundless frost instantly froze every inch of the surrounding ten thousand zhang! The sword in her right hand swept out into countless afterimages! In an instant, thousands of frost sword shadows swept across heaven and earth, engulfing the thunderbolts in the sky like a torrential downpour! Meng Wanshu's eyes shone with ice-blue light, and every shattered fragment of ice from earlier became her eyes. The trajectory of every bolt of lightning was laid bare before her. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly closed her eyes. Every sword strike landed with pinpoint accuracy against the swift thunderbolts! The lightning struck by her blade was instantly annihilated by the sword light, turning into chunks of ice that encased the shattered thunderous power. If anyone were watching from afar, they would see myriad lightning bolts crashing down in all directions. Yet across heaven and earth, blooming frost flowers spread outward from that slender silhouette!! *Pfft! Pfft!!* Several beams of sword light breached the blockade of lightning and flashed past, nearly severing the white lion's shoulder. A horrific wound was torn open, deep enough to expose bone! Enraged, the white lion moved with astonishing speed. Cloaked entirely in thunder, it disregarded the sword light and charged headlong straight into Meng Wanshu with reckless abandon! The strike came too fast—before Meng Wanshu could fully react, the earring pendant on her ear burst with dazzling light. Yet no sooner had the barrier formed than it was smashed to pieces by the beast's head-on collision, and the residual force slammed into her. *Pfft!!* Like a kite with a severed string, Meng Wanshu coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying thousands of zhang away... Jiuxiao reared upright, its body now over seventy zhang long and exceptionally thick. The scales covering its body gleamed with a cold, icy glint, boasting far greater defensive resilience than before! With each breakthrough, Jiuxiao awakened a bit more of its bloodline. At this moment, the Scarlet Thunder Suanni felt an unprecedented bloodline suppression! Even the circulation of demonic power within its body turned sluggish, and its thunderous might waned considerably! Jiuxiao's size was now on par with the Scarlet Thunder Suanni, carrying an even heavier sense of oppressive majesty. Lowering its draconic gaze toward the flying figure of Meng Wanshu, its eyes burned with cold, murderous intent. Not only had this lower being of inferior bloodline dared to provoke it, but it had even dared to harm someone it cared about!! *Roar!!!* Jiuxiao swooped down violently toward the white lion! Its terrifying power shattered mountains and rivers. Gripping the Scarlet Thunder Suanni directly with its claws, it hurled the beast away! *Thud!!* The white lion was sent flying over a thousand zhang by the force, tumbling to a halt only after shattering a towering mountain behind it! Shaking its massive head, stimulated by the scent of blood, the Scarlet Thunder Suanni's gaze gradually turned feverish. It had already advanced to the rank-seven sovereign realm—so what if this was a true dragon?! "This King will devour you all today!!!" *"Roar!!"* A lion's roar rang out, the earth crumbling into a colossal crater as a streak of lightning tore through the night sky, bolting straight for Jiuxiao. In an instant, the two great demons of exceptionally noble bloodlines were locked in fierce combat! Meng Wanshu's body carved a long trench across the ground, finally coming to a halt only after carving a hundred-zhang crater into a high mountain. "*Cough... hack...*" Meng Wanshu's face was deathly pale. Her entire left shoulder was shattered, and her internal organs were completely jostled out of place. The blood she coughed up was mixed with bits of mangled flesh, and half her chest had caved in. Blood dripped down from her brow, blurring her vision. In her dazed state, she could vaguely see two colossal figures clashing violently in the distance. "*Pant... huff...* No... I can't stop..." Even so, her mind was consumed with thoughts of how to kill the Suanni! If she failed to slay it now, tracking it down once it went into hiding would be nearly impossible. Moreover, Li Guanqi's Void Returning was imminent. She had to slay this beast and rush back as quickly as possible! *Swish!!* A familiar aura surfaced beside her. A thoroughly weakened Pengluo poked half his head out from the void and handed Meng Wanshu a small half-bottle of milky-white spiritual liquid. "Drink, Mistress! This is all the help I can manage..." Meng Wanshu did not refuse. Tilting her head back, she downed it, and her injuries began to mend rapidly. Retrieving several purple-crystal jade cases from her storage ring, she swallowed the medicinal pills inside, and her plummeting aura began to recover swiftly. Fixing her eyes intently on the distance, sword in hand, she soared into the sky once more! Deafening booms resounded continuously. Jiuxiao was knocked back by the white lion's head-on charge, but it twisted around and whipped its dragon tail violently toward the beast! *Thud!!* Space collapsed as the white lion was sent flying laterally by the blow, its right shoulder mangled and bloody. Yet the white lion's reflexes were equally swift, raking its sharp claws toward the dragon tail. This time, however, sparks showered from the dragon tail. Though the terrifying strike still breached Jiuxiao's defense, the wound was far less horrific than before. Furious, Jiuxiao pounced forward, coiling its tail around the white lion and slamming it violently into the earth! *Bang! Crash!!* The earth shuddered as the ground was smashed into a deep pit. Blood gushed from the white lion's mouth. Digging its hind paws hard into Jiuxiao's body, it left two deep claw marks across the dragon's underbelly. Springing back up, it lunged at Jiuxiao, slashing its lightning claws with wild abandon. Scales flew from Jiuxiao's chest in an instant, leaving behind a gory, mangled mess.