Crack!
At that moment, the Water Element Shield finally shattered. The venomous snake formed from the black chain lunged straight at Song Changsheng.
"Fiery Sun Formation, activate!" Song Changsheng raised both hands as crimson array patterns surged beneath his feet, instantly enveloping everyone within.
A phantom sun materialized above his head. As soon as the "snake" touched its scorching radiance, it let out a sizzle and evaporated into a mist of blood.
"Damn it!" The demonic cultivator hurriedly retracted his chain, but in just that brief moment, its previously smooth surface was already pitted and scarred. His heart ached at the sight.
"You arrogant brat, die!" roared the Qi Refining eighth-layer cultivator. He hurled a blood-red orb infused with overwhelming bloodlust straight at Song Changsheng.
Controlling the formation with one hand, Song Changsheng formed a hand seal with the other. His treasure gourd began to spin rapidly and clashed head-on with the orb. For a moment, the two forces were evenly matched.
"This one's tricky attack together!"
The remaining three immediately summoned their magical tools, joining forces in a coordinated assault. Song Changsheng was suddenly under immense pressure.
His hand seals changed rapidly. With a buzzing sound, twelve triangular array flags rose from the ground. Song Changsheng's eyes blazed with fury as he bellowed, "Scorching Sun, Burn the Sky!"
The blazing sun above him turned a deep orange, and flames began to erupt from the ground. Within moments, the entire area inside the formation became a sea of fire.
This fire was no ordinary flame once it latched onto someone, it clung like maggots to flesh, nearly impossible to shake off. The enemies had no choice but to channel most of their spiritual energy to ward off the flames.
And that gave Song Changsheng the opening he needed.
A glowing "Fire" character suddenly lit up in the palm of his right hand. At that moment, the entire sea of flames fell under his complete control.
"Fire Rain Technique!"
With a sweeping motion of his right hand, the blazing sun above began to pour down a rain of fire.
Empowered by the entire formation and guided by the exquisite control granted by his Art of Water and Fire Control, this Tier-1 fire spell's power surged to terrifying levels. Even the Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivator had to take it seriously and brace himself.
For a time, Song Changsheng managed to suppress all four enemies.
Still, his brows remained tightly furrowed. He knew this wouldn't last his spiritual energy couldn't sustain this level of consumption for long. He needed a breakthrough.
"You'll do." His gaze locked onto a short demonic cultivator, whose cultivation was only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining. The strain was already showing on his face.
Song Changsheng's steps shifted with precision. The short cultivator saw a blur then suddenly, Song Changsheng was right in front of him.
Panicked, the cultivator tried to muster his demonic arts, but Song Changsheng flicked his finger, and a flame pierced through his skull in an instant.
Before the corpse could even hit the ground, it turned to ash in the inferno.
"Old Ninth!" the ninth-layer cultivator screamed, eyes bloodshot, and lunged at Song Changsheng. The chain in his hand moved with terrifying agility.
Caught off guard, Song Changsheng's arm was grazed. A chunk of flesh was torn away, blood spraying through the air.
"Fight!"
The injury didn't make Song Changsheng retreat instead, it ignited his fighting spirit. A flash of resolve flickered in his eyes. He pulled out a porcelain bottle from his storage pouch and downed over half of its contents in one gulp.
His eyes widened as a surge of wild spiritual energy burst from his Zhongwan acupoint, flooding through his entire body.
His nearly depleted reserves were instantly replenished.
"AHHH!!" Song Changsheng roared to the heavens. The treasure gourd erupted with power, blasting away the enemy's magical tools and drawing them back to his side.
At this moment, he stood tall Water-Fire Gourd in hand, the blazing sun above him, fire dragons coiled around his body. He looked like a god of war.
"Impossible…" The demonic cultivators were stunned. Was this the spiritual energy of a Qi Refining cultivator?
"Command!"
With both arms outstretched, the fire dragons curled around Song Changsheng shot out. The remaining Qi Refining fourth-layer enemy didn't even have time to react before he was incinerated on the spot.
"Damn it! We'll take you down with us!" The two remaining cultivators, eyes now filled with murderous resolve, charged at Song Changsheng from both sides.
Song Changsheng's meridians and dantian were swollen with surging spiritual energy this was the perfect chance to release it all.
"Come on!"
The entire grand formation seemed to come alive at that moment. The twelve triangular formation flags circled Song Changsheng, and the "blazing sun" in the sky suddenly came crashing down, heading straight for the Qi Refining eighth-layer demonic cultivator.
After enduring the searing flames for so long, he had already expended most of his spiritual power. Now, faced with the descending "sun," he realized in despair that he had no strength left to resist.
He could only watch helplessly as the blazing sun swallowed him whole...
"Pfft"
The full-force strike obliterated the eighth-layer demonic cultivator, but Song Changsheng paid a heavy price. A chain smashed into his chest, and he felt as if his internal organs were violently shaken.
"Come! Fight to the death with me!" Blood at the corner of his mouth, Song Changsheng's eyes were filled with madness. At this moment, he feared nothing.
"Arrogant!" The last remaining demonic cultivator, though weakened, knew there was no turning back. Only one of them would walk away alive.
"Blood Demon Grand Art!"
With a roar, the demonic cultivator erupted in a blood-red aura he had begun burning his life force.
Song Changsheng remained unfazed, glaring back and shouting, "Today, I'll make sure your soul never enters reincarnation!"
In the blink of an eye, the two collided. Blinding light burst forth, the sea of fire surged, and as their figures crossed, one collapsed and was instantly reduced to ashes.
As the flames gradually faded, only Song Changsheng remained, kneeling on one knee amidst the shattered formation flags scattered around him.
"Cough, cough… Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivators are formidable." Clutching his chest, Song Changsheng rose shakily to his feet. It was a pyrrhic victory.
He took out a few healing pills and swallowed them. Looking around, he saw that a few hundred meters of land had been scorched bare. Thankfully, he had deliberately controlled the blaze otherwise, the entire mountain might've been reduced to ashes.
All the demonic cultivators had turned to dust, leaving behind only their artifacts and storage pouches, which had survived the flames.
After collecting the loot and meditating briefly, Song Changsheng prepared to go support Song Luding and the others.
But before he could act, a voice filled with murderous intent rang out not far away:
"So Second Brother and the others died at your hands… We underestimated you."
Song Changsheng turned toward the sound and saw four black-robed men walking out from the dense forest.
One of them, masked, threw the unconscious Song Changying to the ground and said coldly,
"Those two old fools are already in the afterlife. Hand over the brats, or I promise she'll suffer a fate worse than death."
Song Changsheng's eyes flared with rage.
"You beast!"
"Hmph. Refuse, and I'll crush her skull right now!"
The masked man planted his foot on Song Changying's head, his voice full of menace.
Just as Song Changsheng found himself torn and trapped, a streak of rainbow light descended from the sky, and a chilling voice echoed:
"You're not even worthy."
The masked man only saw a blur before the three subordinates beside him were pierced through like sieves by a rain of needles, falling dead on the spot.
He felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw a hair-thin silver needle trembling, lodged in his heart.
Terrified, he tried to pull the needle out only to realize the ground was no longer under his feet.
Looking down, he saw a female cultivator with icy eyes lifting him effortlessly by the neck with one hand.
"Mother… cough…"
Relief flooded Song Changsheng's face. She had arrived in time.
Seeing Song Changsheng covered in wounds, Xia Yunxue's fury reached its peak.
She fixed her cold gaze on the masked man and demanded,
"Speak. Who sent you?"