Chapter 278: Old Man Burning Heaven Strikes, Ice Lord?
Facing the incoming black beam of light, even Lin Fan wasn't entirely confident he could stop it.
Without hesitation, he prepared to summon the Devouring Heavenly Corpse to intercept it.
But just then, a slim figure suddenly stepped in front of him—her black ponytail swaying lightly in the air. It was Ying Huanhuan.
"Get back!"
Lin Fan reached out to pull her behind him, only to find he couldn't move her.
"You can't block that kind of attack," Ying Huanhuan said softly, standing her ground. There was an icy chill in her voice—one that did not originate from her body, but seemed to emanate from something deep within her.
Whoosh!
The black light shot toward them like lightning. In Ying Huanhuan's eyes, a glacial blue hue began to appear.
Behind her, Lin Fan could see her jet-black hair starting to turn ice-blue.
His gaze sharpened. He didn't want to take that death-bound beam himself—but neither could he let Ying Huanhuan take it for him.
With a thought, Lin Fan still summoned the Devouring Heavenly Corpse, placing it in front of Ying Huanhuan.
Although Lin Fan didn't possess the Devouring Ancestral Symbol itself, he had inherited the power to control it. Thus, he could still command the Devouring Heavenly Corpse.
To most, however, the corpse looked like nothing more than an ordinary demonic body—until it revealed its true strength.
Ying Huanhuan blinked at the corpse in front of her but said nothing. She remained fully focused, tense and ready to act.
SHH!
In the next moment, the black light arrived, a wave of death emanating from it.
Just as Lin Fan prepared to unleash the corpse's power, and Ying Huanhuan readied her Phoenix Zither, the space in front of them suddenly distorted.
A red-robed figure appeared out of nowhere, stepped between them, and caught the black beam with one hand—crushing it to pieces!
Everyone froze.
Even Ying Huanhuan was stunned.
Lin Fan, on the other hand, remained calm—because he recognized the red-robed man: the ancient being known as Old Man Burning Heaven, who had once been saved by the Ice Lord.
It made perfect sense for him to intervene now.
Still, Lin Fan hadn't been sure what would happen, so he had brought out the Devouring Heavenly Corpse as a precaution.
Now that Old Man Burning Heaven had stepped in, Lin Fan dismissed the corpse again.
The red-robed elder glanced briefly at the Devouring Heavenly Corpse, but then his sunken eyes locked onto Ying Huanhuan.
His gaunt, aged face showed a flicker of confusion, as if he was remembering something.
After a long silence, his lips moved, but no sound came out.
Ying Huanhuan stared at the old man curiously. Despite his ancient aura and mysterious origin, she felt no fear.
Nearby, however, Xiao Xiao, Wang Yan, Lin Dong, and the others were clearly on edge. Yuan Power surged silently through their bodies.
Then, suddenly, Old Man Burning Heaven bowed slightly to Ying Huanhuan, said nothing, and turned to stride through the air toward the sky-shrouding black mist.
"…What is he doing?"
Xiao Xiao and the others stared in disbelief, then turned confused eyes toward Ying Huanhuan.
No one could understand why this ancient figure would treat her so respectfully.
"He's no threat to us," Lin Fan said quietly. "But that black mist… we should pull back for now."
As the group prepared to retreat, Wang Yan suddenly cried out, "What's he doing?!"
They turned toward the sky—and saw Old Man Burning Heaven releasing a sea of fire from within his body, forming a massive curtain of flame that enclosed the black mist creature.
SSSS!
The black beams slammed into the fire curtain but were no longer able to pierce through so easily.
The flames burned them away with a fierce hiss.
"Old ghost Burning Heaven… after all these years, look at what you've become! Hahaha! You must have failed your Reincarnation Tribulation!"
A mocking, piercing voice echoed from within the black mist as scarlet light locked onto the approaching old man.
"I still exist… only to seal you," Old Man Burning Heaven said hoarsely. This time, his sunken eyes gleamed with sharp light.
With a wave of his hand, the massive crimson furnace suspended in the sky began to descend, spewing torrents of fire toward the black mist creature.
"You worms think you can contain me?!"
The black mist surged and formed a giant hand, which smashed the firestorm apart.
BOOM! BOOM!
The violent shockwaves of their clash caused the space itself to tremble and fracture.
Fire and mist spread in all directions. Nearby mountains were reduced to rubble upon contact.
The destructive power of their battle was terrifying beyond measure.
CLANG!
A huge black hand suddenly blasted forth and struck the crimson furnace, sending it flying through the air and smashing it into the earth—creating a crater a thousand meters wide!
"That rusty old furnace is nothing now!"
Laughter filled with malice echoed from within the mist.
"…Is that so?"
Old Man Burning Heaven murmured, eyes glowing dimly.
Then, with a gesture, eight crimson beams of light shot out from the fallen furnace and rose into the sky.
They hovered over eight massive volcanoes scattered across the land.
The volcanoes trembled violently. With thunderous roars, they erupted simultaneously, spewing rivers of molten lava.
High in the air, the lava formed eight massive magma gates, floating like burning portals in the sky.
The formation was vast and imposing—but clearly incomplete, as the northeastern position was missing one gate.
"Everyone—leave this place!"
Old Man Burning Heaven's hoarse voice rang out again as lava rained from the sky.
Buzz! Buzz!
The space around them twisted, forming portals of escape.
"Go, quickly!"
Terrified cultivators bolted for the swirling portals.
None had forgotten the terror of the black death beams from earlier.
"You go ahead too," Lin Fan turned to Ying Huanhuan, Qingtan, and the others.
"What about you?" Ying Huanhuan asked, sensing he meant to stay behind. Her expression turned anxious.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1