Chapter 218: Chapter 200: All Gathered, Part 2
He seemed to have transcended human form, becoming an embodiment of many beasts. His physique could transform in an instant, allowing him to unleash the full power of each Beast Form.
Moreover, his combat experience and terrifying intuition were simply beyond imagination.
She was even vaguely reminded of the time she had a brief sparring session with the Military Commander.
Any opening would be seized upon. Any advantage would be relentlessly exploited and magnified. His attacks weren’t a furious storm, but each strike was suffocating.
A hundred beasts in one body!!
’So this is the Holy Beast Fist?!’
RRRIP! RRRIP! RRRIP!
Gradually, she shifted from trading blows to defending. Eventually, even her defense began to fail. Torn by Zhao Xuanqi’s claws, her white robes were shredded, revealing large patches of skin flushed red from the intense heat.
Phoenix Blood!!
Her phoenix eyes blazed as the Qi and Blood within her surged to their absolute peak. The red glow was no longer just an external aura; it now coursed through her very body.
Her blood heated, its flow accelerating as her body temperature soared. Her metabolism skyrocketed, pushing her physical abilities beyond their limits.
At the same time, the unbearable heat was continuously damaging her body and internal organs, making her feel as if she were being scorched from the inside out.
Her exposed skin turned completely red. A crimson mist began to seep from her pores—the result of her blood being unable to withstand the intense heat, steaming out of her body.
TSSSSSSSS!
Countless compressed needles of Qi shot out from her pores, firing indiscriminately in all directions. Simultaneously, the giant, fiery bird above her head swelled to its maximum size, bathing the courtyard, dozens of meters across, in a blazing red light.
「Deep within the residence, in a certain courtyard.」
Lu Yuanxiang sat cross-legged atop a rotating stone disk. Veins bulged all over his body as blood streamed from his eyes, ears, and nose. His eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
The strain of controlling the Heaven-Locking Array to such a degree was unimaginable, even for someone of his power. He was at the end of his strength.
And Hong Luan’s explosive burst of power was the last straw.
A section of the courtyard’s array was shattered by that terrifying field of energy, triggering a backlash that struck him directly. He could no longer hold on.
PTHOO!
He violently spat out a mouthful of blood, a bitter smile touching his lips. His mind went hazy, and losing control of his body, he fell backward, stiff as a board.
The moment he collapsed, the rotating disk beneath him ground to a sudden halt.
VMMMM!
Throughout the entire estate, the brilliant starlight that had enveloped and partitioned the various courtyards flickered once, then vanished completely. Without its master, the Grand Array fell dormant.
The barrier preventing the various factions from searching the grounds was now gone. And across the estate, the terrifying auras generated by the dueling masters were no longer concealed.
In a courtyard not far from where Zhao Xuanqi and Hong Luan were battling.
A tall, imposing man in black robes paused. He had sharp brows and eyes that seemed to hold twinkling stars. He looked up toward the sky in a specific direction within the estate.
Elsewhere, another man with wild black hair, dressed in purple robes, also looked toward the sky in that same direction. Between his brows was a mark that looked like a lightning bolt seared into his skin.
There, a red glow pierced the heavens and heat washed out in waves. Water vapor steamed into the air, distorting the space around a colossal crimson bird that let out a booming cry, utterly dazzling against the night sky.
’Hong Luan of the Vermilion Bird Sect?’
’To think she’s been pushed this far?’
’Who’s her opponent? Why can’t I sense their aura?’
Both men’s eyes narrowed in brief contemplation. Then, with a light tap of their feet, they vanished like phantoms, speeding toward the courtyard where the great bird hovered in the sky.
Meanwhile, fueled by the Phoenix Blood Secret Technique, Hong Luan launched a ferocious attack at Zhao Xuanqi.
SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH!
Her arms vanished, and countless points of red light rained down like feathers.
Phoenix Wings Thousand Feathers!
The barrage of attacks instantly sealed off every possible angle of approach. Even Zhao Xuanqi dared not face the Vermilion Bird Sect’s terrifying Gang Qi head-on.
WHOOSH!
Zhao Xuanqi shot back dozens of meters and began circling Hong Luan at incredible speed. He was like a hunter waiting for its struggling prey to tire itself out, and Hong Luan was a fish in a barrel.
Seeing how her opponent’s movements were so measured, how he remained so rational in the heat of battle, Hong Luan couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of powerlessness.
’Just what kind of terrifying opponent is this?’
Her burst of power was finite. She could feel the Phoenix Blood Secret Technique reaching its limit. Soon, she would be forced to pause, and that would be the perfect moment for her opponent to strike.
The thought of retreat began to surface in her mind.
TAP!
Yet, at that very moment, her expression faltered. Zhao Xuanqi, who had been circling her, waiting for her Secret Technique to end, had suddenly retreated to the edge of the courtyard. He crouched low, his hands and feet on the ground, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if on high alert.
’This is...’
Hong Luan was startled, a flicker of understanding dawning on her.
"The Vermilion Bird Sect now calls itself the world’s foremost master of Beast Forms, yet here you are, pushed into such a state? How curious. I never thought I’d see the day, Hong Luan."
A calm, indifferent voice drifted from one side of the courtyard. A man stood on the wall, arms crossed. He wore black robes and had sharp brows and eyes like stars. The starlight from the sky sprinkled over his clothes, causing them to glitter with tiny points of light, a very eye-catching effect.
"Before you came, you swore you would hunt down the heir to the Hundred Beasts Fist all by yourself. What happened to that?"
From the other side of the courtyard, another voice spoke up. A man in purple robes stood on the opposite wall, the lightning-bolt mark between his brows seeming to squirm, as if about to take physical form.
Yue Shu, heir to the Beidou Sect of the Beidou Army.
Xie Yuan, heir to the Divine Night Sect of the Shenxiao Army.
The heirs of two top-tier schools, drawn by the terrifying explosion of Hong Luan’s aura, had arrived on the scene as timely reinforcements.
"What are you two standing around for? Help me! This man is terrifying! If he escapes, all three of our sects will face a catastrophe in the future!"
Hearing their words, Hong Luan’s face flushed with anger and shame. Her white robes were in tatters, leaving her practically exposed. Even though martial artists are known to be fierce and unconcerned with such details, she was still a woman. Under their gazes, she felt an irrepressible wave of humiliation wash over her.
At Hong Luan’s words, the two men turned their attention to Zhao Xuanqi. Their taunting expressions vanished, replaced by a grave solemnity.
At their level of mastery, there was no way they couldn’t feel the threat he exuded.
"I can help you," Yue Shu said coolly, "but you’ll have to hand over your share, the one we agreed upon."
He made no move to attack, merely locking onto Zhao Xuanqi with his spiritual presence.
"We can discuss that after this is over," Hong Luan said, her face dark. "I guarantee you’ll be satisfied."
Without another word, the two men tapped their feet and dropped into the courtyard. Their auras interwove, subtly enveloping Zhao Xuanqi.
At that moment, under the oppressive auras of the three masters, Zhao Xuanqi’s Hundred Beasts’ Intent roared, vibrating through his mind.
’These three are all extremely dangerous. Their strength is on the same level as Hong Luan’s. That Yue Shu... the threat he poses feels even greater than hers.’
’They’re the top figures, handpicked from among countless candidates by the great Warlords. They’ve been given the best Secret Transmissions and the best resources.’
’It’s safe to say they are the absolute apex of masters in the Divine Land below the rank of Harmony. Even the likes of the Neon Three Celestial Assassins cannot compare to them.’
’One side is a civilian faction, the other is state-sponsored. The difference is immense.’
Even with Zhao Xuanqi’s abilities, suppressing three individuals of this caliber at once would be an incredibly difficult task.
Two fists are no match for four hands.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Just then, another whistling sound cut through the air.
A colossal figure descended from the sky, wreathed in black smoke. An armored Demon Body enveloped his form.
ROAR!!
A dragon’s roar followed as golden light shot toward the heavens. A Divine Dragon coiled through the air as yet another person landed in the courtyard.
Yue Shu and Xie Yuan weren’t the only ones who had sensed the commotion in the courtyard!
A host of masters had now gathered in the courtyard!
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