Suddenly, torrents of blazing flames erupted from Ye Qiu’s body. Only now did the Blood Slave realise why Ye Qiu had abruptly embraced him.
“So you intended to burn me to death with anomalous fire?”
“Heh… Ye Changsheng, I am afraid you will be disappointed.”
The Blood Slave sneered. “Though I have lost my physical body, I remain a Great Sage.”
“Saint-level anomalous fire cannot kill me.”
As he spoke, the Blood Slave’s palm shot towards Ye Qiu’s throat.
His plan was to subdue Ye Qiu first, then slay Elder Niu. As for the Long-Browed Real Person, he paid him no heed; a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator could be killed with a single glance.
Abruptly, a heaven-shaking roar echoed through the void.
“Boom!”
The Blood Slave jerked his head upwards and saw the Great Emperor Battle Formation vanish into the emptiness, concealed from sight.
In that instant of distraction, the Long-Browed Real Person seized Elder Niu and retreated a hundred li in a single step.
Regaining his focus, the Blood Slave gave a cold snort. “Foul Taoist, you will not take that ox away. His strength is spent. He is nothing but a cripple now.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the Long-Browed Real Person produced several stalks of divine medicine and handed them to Elder Niu.
Elder Niu took the herbs and devoured them with great crunching bites, as though they were mere carrots.
Murderous intent flared in the Blood Slave’s eyes.
“I cannot allow that ox demon to recover his strength. If he once again unleashes Great Sage-level power, I will be in peril. My primordial spirit is already wounded.”
At this thought, the hand reaching for Ye Qiu’s throat abruptly changed course and struck towards Elder Niu.
“Boom!”
In that same moment, a sound like a tidal wave crashed forth. Dazzling light blanketed heaven and earth, accompanied by scorching heat that made the Blood Slave’s primordial spirit shudder.
“What is happening?”
An intense sense of mortal danger surged within him. He looked hastily towards Ye Qiu and saw flames of breathtaking splendour wreathing his body, as though the gates of the immortal realm had swung open and light was pouring into the heavens.
Then, a cyan flame leapt from Ye Qiu’s brow. Though no larger than a grain of rice, it released utterly terrifying energy.
The Blood Slave sensed lethal peril.
“This is bad. This is no saint-level anomalous fire. It is stronger than saint-level…”
His pupils contracted sharply. He tried to shove Ye Qiu away, but Ye Qiu held him in an iron grip.
“I knew saint-level anomalous fire would not kill you, so I prepared something special for you: emperor-level anomalous fire.”
A cold smile curved Ye Qiu’s lips. As he spoke, the cyan flame at his brow flared upwards, forming a vast cyan lotus that blotted out sky and sun, instantly enveloping both his body and the Blood Slave’s primordial spirit.
“Ah…”
The Blood Slave let out a scream of agony. He became a figure of living flame, his primordial spirit writhing and thrashing in torment.
Yet it was useless.
No matter how he struggled, the emperor-level anomalous fire burned unquenched.
Ye Qiu stood unscathed within the blaze, his white robes fluttering, majestic as an immortal sovereign.
“In truth, this has always been my real killing move.”
“From the very beginning, I never expected Dali to finish you.”
“Dali is merely a saint. The gap in realm between you is too great. My aim was to force him to unearth his potential in dire straits and gravely wound you.”
“Dali did not let me down. He succeeded.”
“Despite your superior realm, your primordial spirit is injured. You cannot withstand the incineration of emperor-level anomalous fire.”
At this point, Ye Qiu gave a soft sigh. “If you were not the servant of Wuji Tianzun, perhaps I might have spared you.”
“You are too straightforward, so straightforward that I almost feel ashamed to kill you.”
“Regrettably, the Yin-Yang Sect and I are fated to fight until one side perishes.”
“So, farewell.”
Snap.
Ye Qiu snapped his fingers.
In that instant, the Blood Slave’s primordial spirit ignited fully and exploded into ash.
Snap.
Ye Qiu snapped his fingers again, and the emperor-level anomalous fire retreated back into his brow.
At that moment, thunder rolled and lightning flashed across the nine heavens. Winds howled, clouds churned, sand flew and stones danced, and blood rain poured down.
These were the phenomena accompanying the fall of a Great Sage.
Ye Qiu paid them no attention. He swiftly approached Elder Niu and asked, “Dali, how are you?”
“The Taoist gave me several divine herbs. I have already recovered some strength.” Elder Niu grinned broadly. “Master, you are truly formidable. You actually killed a Great Sage.”
“Though the Blood Slave was burned to death by anomalous fire, the greatest credit belongs to you,” Ye Qiu replied. “Had you not used the Vigorous Divine Fist to destroy his body and wound his primordial spirit, even emperor-level anomalous fire might not have sufficed.”
Ye Qiu had previously tested saint-level anomalous fire and found it unable to kill a saint.
Thus, he had not been certain that emperor-level anomalous fire could slay a Great Sage.
The main reason was that his own cultivation was too low.
If the realms had been closer, the might of emperor-level anomalous fire would have been far greater, and he would have been absolutely confident of burning a Great Sage to death.
When wielding both saint-level and emperor-level anomalous fire, Ye Qiu had clearly sensed that, although he could control them perfectly, he could not unleash their full power.
Everything depended on his cultivation level.
This also made Ye Qiu understand that cultivation was the foundation of all divine abilities.
“It seems I must hasten to raise my cultivation,” Ye Qiu thought to himself.
The Long-Browed Real Person smiled. “However you look at it, the immediate crisis has been averted.”
“Little brat, I never imagined that wretched Dragon Bodhisattva survived and actually became a disciple of Wuji Tianzun.”
“That fellow could well become a formidable enemy in future. We must be cautious.”
“Mm.” Ye Qiu gave a soft acknowledgment.
The Long-Browed Real Person continued, “Little brat, I still stand by my earlier suggestion. While Wuji Tianzun remains unaware of events here, let us go and kill a few more city lords.”
Elder Niu added, “Master, I agree with the Taoist. I have comprehended the third fist of the Vigorous Divine Fist, and with the Nine Steps Nine Heavens you taught me, I can erupt with Great Sage-level battle power.”
“Unless Wuji Tianzun comes in person, otherwise…”
“I understand what you two are thinking,” Ye Qiu said. “But I do not agree.”
“Why not?” The Long-Browed Real Person was baffled.
Elder Niu also looked at Ye Qiu in puzzlement.
Ye Qiu asked, “Old fellow, how many divine herbs do you have left?”
The Long-Browed Real Person shook his head. “None.”
Ye Qiu continued, “If Dali again faces a powerful foe and exhausts his strength, with no divine herbs remaining, how will he swiftly recover?”
The Long-Browed Real Person replied, “Even if Brother Dali cannot recover immediately, do you not still have anomalous fire?”
“I succeeded against the Blood Slave because he never intended to kill me from the outset. He only wished to capture me and return me to the Yin-Yang Sect. I took him unawares.” Ye Qiu explained. “We have slain so many. If Wuji Tianzun changes his mind, or acts personally, even with anomalous fire, we could still perish.”
“Do not raise this matter again. For safety’s sake, we must leave Yin-Yang Sect territory at once.”
“Our next destination is Central Continent!”
