Meanwhile, Elder Sushui, still writhing on the ground in agony, spoke in broken, pained gasps.
“It’s… it’s unbearable… it feels like there’s a fire burning inside me…”
Seeing that Elder Sushui’s words amounted to nothing useful, Gong Zisheng looked up at Xu Fei.
“Though I don’t know what trick you’ve pulled, as long as I deal with you, I reckon the problem will sort itself out!”
With that, Gong Zisheng struck again. This time, all seven black shadows of the Seven Shadows Assassination Formation moved as one.
Faced with such an onslaught, whether Xu Fei chose to attack up close or defend, it would be futile.
After their brief clash earlier, Xu Fei already knew that these seven shadows were at peak performance in terms of attack power, speed, and agility.
He could handle one, but facing all seven at once left even Xu Fei feeling somewhat overwhelmed.
That didn’t mean he was out of options, though. He glanced up at a red lantern hanging under the eaves in the corner, used to set the mood, and instantly devised a plan.
As his opponents launched their attack, Xu Fei sped towards it, aiming to reach the red lantern as quickly as possible.
To Gong Zisheng, however, this move looked like Xu Fei was fleeing without a fight, like a coward.
Even someone as cautious as Gong Zisheng couldn’t help but feel a flicker of arrogance.
“Hmph! Trying to run? After him!”
Gong Zisheng barked the order, and the seven shadows pursued Xu Fei like hounds, racing towards the corner under the eaves.
Thanks to his head start, Xu Fei reached the spot first and plucked the red lantern from its perch.
He wasn’t actually trying to escape. On the contrary, Xu Fei immediately summoned the Yang energy within him, gradually condensing it into a fist-sized orb of light.
He infused the orb into the red lantern, then hurled it high into the pitch-black sky.
In an instant, the lantern, controlled by true qi, hovered steadily in the air. The Yang energy within it ignited, radiating a blinding light like the sun!
Though Gong Zisheng’s pursuing shadows were fast, there was no way they could outpace the speed of light.
Just as one of the seven shadows was about to reach Xu Fei, the brilliance erupted.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
In a flash, all seven shadows in the courtyard burst into flames, blazing like fireballs.
If Elder Sushui, lying on the ground, had only felt a burning sensation within, these seven were now fully-fledged infernos!
“Run… run now!”
The moment the red lantern rose, not only the seven shadows in the fray but even Gong Zisheng and the others sensed something was wrong and bolted.
After a round of raging flames, all that remained in the courtyard were seven piles of ash and a withered corpse slumped beneath the wall.
Xu Fei calmly manipulated his true qi to lower the red lantern back into his hand.
He recognised the seven piles of ash, of course—they were the remnants of the Seven Shadows Assassination Formation after being incinerated.
The side effects of their Blood-Burning Combat Technique were already severe enough.
Add to that the red lantern Xu Fei had ignited, brimming with Yang energy, and their deaths were nothing short of gruesome.
As for the dried-up corpse by the wall’s corner, Xu Fei had seen clearly moments ago—it was Elder Sushui.
The old man had struggled desperately in his final moments to escape the lantern’s light, but in the end, he met his doom right there!
