Jade Flute

"Strike now while she hasn't recovered!" Yuan Zhu thrust both palms forward, his long hair thrashing wildly in near-madness as the phantom silhouette of a flood dragon materialized behind him. The dragon roared with savage fury. Breaking free of his body in an instant, it raised its head, tore through the colossal waves, and lunged toward Nine Phoenix King with its gaping maw wide open. *Roar!* A chorus of sorrowful howls rose through the raging wind and surging waves. Gu Heng had always been known for his calm and composure, yet he still could not bring himself to believe this outcome. He roared at the heavens. In his voice lay not indignation, but an agony of deepest grief—a sorrow so profound it shook the skies, rending the hearts of all who heard it. His voice seemed to pierce through the void, crying out across the distance to demand an answer from someone far away. Fairy Caiyi kept her gaze fixed on the Ninth Aunt she had revered above all others. Receiving no response, the light of hope in her eyes slowly ebbed away, drained of all vitality, replaced by pure hatred. The demons were all jarred awake by Yuan Zhu. Seasoned in the perils of the world, they realized at once how dire their situation was. If they could not kill Nine Phoenix King, it was they who would die! Amidst the mournful roars, a brilliant red light flared across Gu Heng's body. In the blink of an eye, the phantom of a red flood dragon materialized. It was even more ferocious than the one Yuan Zhu had unleashed, its scales dense and fine, looking nearly tangible. The red flood dragon roared, its voice merging into one with Gu Heng's. Within the dragon's jaws, a ball of crimson light rapidly coalesced. Swinging its massive head, the beast locked its gaze onto Nine Phoenix King as boundless crimson light converged there, expanding at a shocking speed. The next instant, the crimson light lengthened, demon fire flared, and a scarlet spear flashed into being. With a whip of the dragon's tail, the spear let out a piercing screech, vanished into the void, and reappeared directly above Nine Phoenix King's head. *Rip!* Swift as lightning, the spearhead thrust straight down toward Nine Phoenix King. Fairy Caiyi channeled all her hatred toward the woman she had once venerated. A phoenix phantom appeared, its shrill cry piercing the ears. At some point, an ornate longbow had appeared in Fairy Caiyi's hands, adorned with exquisitely lavish carvings, its tips sculpted like two living phoenixes. *Clang!* The bowstring resonated. The phoenix phantom wheeled briefly before diving downward, transforming into a phoenix arrow. Drawing the bow and aiming at Nine Phoenix King, Fairy Caiyi's hands trembled with an uncharacteristic shudder. In the end, she squeezed her eyes shut and released her fingers. At the same time, the other demons struck as well. In an instant, wondrous lights burst forth. A torrent of attacks descended like a tempest, threatening to drown Nine Phoenix King beneath their fury. Every one of them was a great demon of at least the late Demon Core stage. Joining forces to besiege Nine Phoenix King, the power they unleashed was staggering; even an ordinary Nascent Soul expert would have had to yield before such an onslaught. A flicker of hesitation crossed Qin Sang's face, but in the end he decided to strike alongside them. If Nine Phoenix King picked them off one by one, doom would await him all the same. Just then, Qin Sang noticed the faint trace of disdain in Nine Phoenix King's eyes as she watched the incoming attacks. His heart gave a violent jolt; something felt terribly wrong. For reasons he could not name, a heavy foreboding surged through him. Just as he was about to summon the ebony sword, his incantation abruptly shifted, and without a second thought, he unleashed the Thunder Command Art. A muffled rumble echoed within him as crackling lightning enveloped his body. "Sigh!" Confronted by the demons' concerted assault, Nine Phoenix King showed not the slightest panic. Catching Fairy Caiyi's gaze, a flicker of guilt crossed her eyes, and she murmured, "I intended to take you all to a quiet place where you could spend the rest of your days in peace..." As the words left her lips, the guilt vanished from her eyes, replaced by cold detachment. Then, light flashed in her palm. It was no blade or spear, but an exquisite jade flute. Bringing it to her lips, she looked coldly upon the demons, parted her delicate mouth, and gently began to play. The gale and colossal waves were loud enough to drown out all sound. Yet as the jade flute sounded, its brisk notes carried clearly to everyone's ears despite the tempest. The melody was melodious, yet in truth, it was a demonic hymn demanding their lives. "Ah!" The bear demon, the weakest in cultivation among them, was the first to buckle. He felt the blood boiling in his veins, defying all attempts to suppress it. Horrific flames welled up incessantly from his essence blood and bone marrow, burning without end. Like maggots gnawing into the bone, they spread through his entire body in an instant, searing his internal organs to ash. His skin rapidly lost its luster, drying and cracking like parched earth under a long drought, as flames burst forth from within. In a flash, the bear demon was reduced to a living torch, shrieking in agony as the raging fire consumed him. "What a venomous True Art of Blood Burning..." Nine Phoenix King's pupils contracted slightly, a trace of dread stirring even in her. The same cruel scene played out in succession as demon after demon was engulfed in flames of blood and fire. Piercing screams rose and fell, sparing neither Gu Heng nor Fairy Caiyi, the strongest among them. The shadow of death had fallen. So the clan had planted this hidden hand within them long ago. Utter despair washed over the demons, their hearts drowning in sorrow. Their only choice was a desperate, suicidal gamble to destroy the jade flute in Nine Phoenix King's grasp. *Rumble...* The flood dragon roared, the crimson spear flashed like lightning, and the phoenix arrow danced wildly... Giving their utmost, the demons unleashed an onslaught that blotted out the sky, shaking heaven and earth. Parrying the blows, Nine Phoenix King kept playing the jade flute without pause, raising her other hand to erect a defensive barrier. Right at that moment, she seemed to sense something and snapped her head up. *Crack!* Amidst the storm of attacks, a brilliant bolt of lightning pierced the void, dazzling the eye and radiating a terrifying aura of destruction. Beside it, even Gu Heng's crimson spear paled by comparison. From this bolt of lightning, Nine Phoenix King actually sensed a thread of genuine danger. The lightning arrived in a heartbeat. The barrier shattered on impact. Nine Phoenix King's expression shifted, regretting her carelessness—she had not expected these juniors to produce such a ferocious attack. Her figure flew backward as her other palm struck upward. A streak of radiant light yielded a seven-color jade bracelet, which spiraled into the air, expanding rapidly. Just as the lightning was about to strike her, the seven-color jade bracelet interposed itself above her in the nick of time. *Bang!* The seven-color jade bracelet shuddered violently, its luster flickering wildly like an iron band constricting the lightning bolt. Though forced backward again and again, it held firm, absorbing the shock of the lightning. *Boom!* A barrage of attacks poured down immediately after, engulfing the seven-color jade bracelet and Nine Phoenix King in the blink of an eye. The assault raged on, dazzling lights obscuring Nine Phoenix King from sight. Yet the sight the demons longed for did not appear. The flute's demonic melody showed no sign of stopping; if anything, it grew faster and more urgent, tolling their death knell with every note. They had originally formed an encirclement, yet Nine Phoenix King had dismantled it with ease using a single jade flute, driving them into a corner with nothing more than its song. A desperate struggle had failed to save their lives. The demons fell into total despair. The flames of blood burned to the marrow of their bones, leaving them no choice but to scatter in flight, yet none could escape her grasp. In the distance, balls of blood-red fire plummeted from the sky. Some fell into the sea, swallowed by the waves and leaving behind only a mist of blood. Others collided with gray gales, torn to shreds in an instant.