Withering

Boom! Lightning slammed into the ocean. The sea was pierced on the spot, opening a bottomless cavity. Waves surged skyward, glittering with silver light as countless silver serpents darted amidst the spray and scattered in all directions. Like a peacock fanning its tail, the blast outshone the bright moon and illuminated the entire night sky. Struck by the lightning's aftershocks, Bi Fang's speed slowed involuntarily. Qin Sang seized the opportunity to close in rapidly. The distance between them shrank by a great margin. Bi Fang glared resentfully at Qin Sang, spread its wings wide, and flapped violently toward him. Whoosh! A sudden gale swept up. Qin Sang's field of vision was filled with a sea of bloody red. Looking closely, the crimson glow proved to be made of blood-colored flight feathers, each razor-sharp as they rained toward him in a barrage. These feathers were not physical, appearing somewhat ethereal, yet their power was not to be underestimated. Qin Sang grew wary. He was determined not to risk his life fighting Bi Fang recklessly, and he remained on guard against any underhanded tricks from the beast. Thus, before confirming the strength of this divine ability, he would not act rashly. He immediately checked his speed, keeping the feathers from reaching him. Whoosh! A speck of golden light suddenly flashed. The Jinchen Sword moved like a swimming dragon, letting out a deep, resonant sword chime. Though still a top-grade magic treasure, in Qin Sang's hands its might was not in the least inferior to other treasures. The blade trembled, splitting into dazzling beams of sword light. Golden radiance filled the sky, brilliant and eye-catching, meeting the blood-red barrage head-on. With a thought, Qin Sang sent the Jinchen Sword hurtling forward, bringing with it a torrential rain of sword light in an overwhelming surge. Rumble! Midair, the crimson feathers and the rain of swords collided violently. The impact was deafening. Half the sky was stained crimson, while the other shone brilliant gold. Thump, thump, thump... Explosions rang out continuously. Amidst the chaos, feathers shattered and sword lights were crushed. Neither side appeared to have gained the upper hand. Bi Fang had flapped its wing only to impede Qin Sang's pursuit. Without waiting for the outcome, it turned and flew away. Qin Sang's expression showed no panic. Having gauged the power of those blood-colored feathers, his mind was put at ease. Without hesitation, he united himself with his blade and pierced through the crimson storm. *** Whoosh! A crescent-shaped arc of sword Qi followed in close pursuit at an exceptionally tricky angle. Bi Fang's left wing snapped taut, turning into a blade that chopped downward. Every feather stood on end, gleaming with a layer of bloody luster. Clang! The ring of clashing metal resounded. Bi Fang was unharmed, but the follow-up shockwave sent its figure tilting slightly. Pestered relentlessly by Qin Sang's unending chain of attacks, Bi Fang grew thoroughly exasperated and furious. Yet it had no good solution against Qin Sang unless it stopped to fight a full battle. A red streak and a green streak cleaved through the night sky. Ironically enough, not long ago it had been Bi Fang pursuing Qin Sang; now, their roles were completely reversed. Even with Bi Fang focused entirely on flight, the distance between them continued to close. Right then, Qin Sang abruptly put away the Jinchen Sword. He did not display the Seven Po Killing Array in public view, even though using the sword formation might have made stalling Bi Fang much easier. Instead, what he brought out next was a demonic banner. Back when he was hunted by the frog-fish, he had unleashed the demonic fire in an attempt to ambush it. In the end, he had failed, and since the fire had already been exposed, there was no longer any need to hide it. A piercing whistle tore through the air. Its display was less grandiose than that of the Jinchen Sword, but alarm flared in Bi Fang's heart. Turning its head, it saw a black fire serpent hurtling toward it. The aura radiating from the Nine Nether Demonic Fire made its nerves tighten instantly, reminding it of the frog-fish's prior warning. This man possessed an eerie black flame. Caught off guard, the frog-fish had nearly fallen victim to it, feeling a brush with death that left lingering fear even now. This had to be that very demonic fire! Daring not test the flame with its flesh, the beast had no choice but to swerve aside. The next moment, the black fire serpent grazed past Bi Fang. Feeling the aura of the demonic fire at such close range, Bi Fang was shaken, and its gaze shifted. Though it had heard from the frog-fish that the fire was extraordinary, it had never imagined it would be this potent—more terrifying than any spiritual fire it had ever encountered! "Scatter!" With a thought from Qin Sang, the demonic fire abruptly erupted, expanding into an ocean of flames. The roaring inferno seemed to ignite the night sky itself. Under the moonlight, the black demonic fire looked incomparably sinister as it surged toward Bi Fang with a roar. Bi Fang's eyelids twitched violently. Its long neck grew taut, and it threw its head back with a piercing shriek. Every feather on its body stood erect as blood-colored flames ignited across its form. Whoosh! Blood flames soared skyward, nearly obscuring Bi Fang's true body. The demonic fire bore down upon it. Boom! The two supreme spiritual fires collided. A terrifying shockwave swept outwards, instantly vaporizing a layer of the sea's surface. Sparks burst in all directions, more dazzling than fireworks, turning the night sky into a realm of fire. Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation of surprise. He had no idea what divine ability Bi Fang's blood flame was, but its power was truly formidable. Though outmatched by the demonic fire and steadily eaten away, it possessed enough strength to resist. By this technique alone, Bi Fang was more than a cut above Dongyang Bo. It truly lived up to its reputation as an old veteran who dominated a domain! These thoughts flickered through his mind without hindering his movements in the slightest. Silently urging the demonic banner, Qin Sang poured in two parts more strength. While Qin Sang and Bi Fang were locked in their tangled contest, far on the other side, the experts of both races had already clashed countless times, the battle shifting unpredictably. However, they shared a common objective: the Xuantian Palace traitor! Precisely for this reason, both sides feared the traitor might slip away. Neither intended to fight to the death here, and even amidst fierce combat, they never halted their flight. Eventually, they had outpaced Qin Sang and Bi Fang, leaving the two far behind. No one disturbed Qin Sang and Bi Fang's duel. The humans relied on Master Feng, who was at the middle Nascent Soul stage, confident their odds of victory were tremendous. The Demon Kings also understood that the situation was deeply disadvantageous to them. They could only shift tactics to drag out the Xuantian Palace traitor as quickly as possible, hoping Bi Fang could shake off Qin Sang on its own. Rarely seen Demon Kings and Nascent Soul cultivators engaged in a pursuit across these waters. In the blink of an eye, they swept across stretch after stretch of the sea. From afar, streaks of rainbow light in varied colors crossed and diverged, dazzling to behold. "Careful, everyone! We're almost there!" Island Master Shen warned through voice transmission, remarking with admiration, "Who would have thought Fellow Daoist Mingyue was this formidable, actually managing to pin down Bi Fang!" Hearing this, Master Feng and the others looked closely ahead. Yet the sea surface was completely empty, with not a single island or reef in sight. Here, the winds howled and the waves churned violently. Madam Yue made a silent calculation, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "Any further and we'll enter the Storm Belt..." Before her words could finish, a sudden cry of alarm from Island Master Shen cut her off. "Not good!" Island Master Shen opened his palm. The blood worm had grown completely listless, melting into a puddle of foul-smelling black liquid at a visible rate until its vitality was entirely spent! It was like a flower withering away. At the same time, Island Master Shen lost all connection to the tracking mark. His expression shifted drastically as an awful realization dawned on him. Looking up, he saw a fist-sized Rainbow Rat squeeze out from among the feathers of an eagle demon, staring down at him with eyes brimming with bone-deep hatred!