Chapter 67 — Crimson Flame

At any other time, the Bloodsucking Fiend would at most have been startled; after all, Zhang Qingyue's cultivation was far below his own, and the moment the Bloodsucking Fiend brought out his prized art, Zhang Qingyue was no match. But now that he faced Tian Buhui, whose attainment was not only no lower than his own but seemed faintly to surpass it, this small hidden peril came to light.

Both the Five Ghosts Commanding Spirits formation and the Bloodsucking ** were driven by the Blood Skull; with one life-ghost suddenly destroyed, the Blood Skull itself had at once suffered a fine blemish—and at this moment, that blemish had become the Bloodsucking Fiend's greatest danger.

Tian Buhui had presided over Dazhu Peak of the Canglan Sect for nearly a hundred years. Not only was his cultivation far above Zhang Qingyue's, but his judgment, his eye, and his experience in combat surpassed the younger man's a hundredfold. Within a few exchanges he saw that one spot on the Bloodsucking Fiend's Blood Skull gave off an impure light, and at once threw his full strength against it. At first it mattered little, but as time wore on, the Bloodsucking Fiend found himself hard-pressed beyond measure.

In the sky the fire dragon roared, baring fangs and brandishing claws, while the giant skull that was the Bloodsucking Fiend's avatar grew dimmer and dimmer by contrast; the blazing flames, on the other hand, dyed almost the whole night sky crimson.

The Bloodsucking Fiend cursed inwardly, hating his own overconfidence. He had thought that after a hundred years of painstaking cultivation, apart from those few top figures of the orthodox path, he need fear no one. Before coming this time he had in fact made quiet inquiry and learned that those he deeply dreaded had not come, and so he had set his mind at ease—never expecting that after a hundred years, Tian Buhui's cultivation would have advanced so swiftly.

In his anxiety, he chanced to glance downward and was startled anew. On the ground below, figures moved—surely no fewer than several dozen—and from their dress most seemed to be of the orthodox path. Several faces were familiar, especially that of Cangyan Daoren standing at the very front, who had been one of the Qingyun pursuers in those years.

At this the Bloodsucking Fiend's heart turned cold, and he thought at once of retreat.

Just as his mind wavered, the fire dragon before him suddenly howled madly, its voice like pealing thunder. The Bloodsucking Fiend started in fright, looked up, and paled. The fire dragon in midair suddenly blazed brighter, then in a moment did not attack, but instead drew back into Tian Buhui's hand like a great whale drinking water, once more becoming the Crimson Flame Immortal Sword—and the residual firelight did not fade in the least, but lit the whole vault of heaven.

Tian Buhui's face was stern as frost, his expression grave. Crimson Flame lay across his breast; his left hand formed the seal, his feet trod the Seven Stars, and in midair he paced seven steps. The Crimson Flame Immortal Sword suddenly stabbed at the heavens, and he chanted the incantation: "Mystic seal of the Nine Heavens, become the divine thunder. August and glorious heaven's majesty, drawn forth by this sword!"

On the ground below, especially among the Canglan Sect, there was an uproar. All present, and above all the disciples of Dazhu Peak, were stirred to the depths; even Cangyan Daoren at their side had gone slightly pale.

The low-hanging dark clouds at once seethed like boiling water. Wind sighed through heaven and earth, and moments later from deep within the black clouds came a rumbling of thunder, bursting almost beside the two men.

In an instant, heaven moved and earth shook!

The whole of Liubo Mountain seemed to tremble, and around the island the once-calm sea boiled beyond belief.

A bolt of lightning, as if from remote antiquity, flashed across the sky—rising sudden, piercing the black clouds, tearing the vast heavens—like a proud and matchless god descending into the mortal world, coming to rest upon the burning tip of the sword.

In that instant, the man in the sky vanished from sight; that blazing, dazzling radiance covered all heaven and earth.

There was wind, blowing past.

It lifted, everyone's garments...

Between heaven and earth, suddenly all was solemn and still!

Then suddenly, the thunder pealed again! With a crash, heaven and earth changed color; that pillar of light, vast beyond compare, burst forth, pierced all the black clouds, outshone the summer sun, and rushed at the Bloodsucking Fiend with irresistible, unreturning force.

Moments later, the Bloodsucking Fiend was swallowed by a flood of radiance; even the red light of the Blood Skull vanished utterly in an instant.

A figure fell from above the clouds.

Tian Buhui gripped Crimson Flame tightly and drew a deep breath; his face was somewhat pale, but as he stood upon the clouds he looked like a god of heaven.

After the first stunned silence, a clamor burst from the ranks of the orthodox path, and cries of wonder and admiration rose without cease. The disciples of Dazhu Peak were alight with pride; Zhang Qingyue too stared dumbstruck, overcome with reverence. It was with difficulty that he tore his gaze from Tian Buhui, and saw that everyone around him was smiling, and Tian Lingsu was laughing with delight.

In the midst of his joy, something occurred to Zhang Qingyue, and he turned to look toward Xiaozhu Peak. Sure enough, he saw Lu Xueling gazing up in silence, her eyes fixed on Tian Buhui's figure in midair, lost in a daze.

It was the same technique, the 'Divine Sword Summoning Thunder True Art'—yet in Tian Buhui's hands its power was greater than in Lu Xueling's by no less than tenfold.

The Vampire Fiend's face was red as blood, and his body plummeted uncontrollably. Daoist Cangyan gave a cold snort and shot a glance at Qi Hao and the others. Qi Hao understood at once. With a wave of his hand, six or seven disciples leaped out from the orthodox side and charged together toward the spot where the Vampire Fiend was falling, their magic treasures flying forth all at once.

In midair, the Vampire Fiend's body convulsed violently. His hands flailed wildly as though he meant to resist, but after only a couple of twitches, a red light flashed across his face and he abruptly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his countenance turning ashen in an instant.

The crowd burst into laughter, all of them seeing plainly that the old fiend could no longer fight back. Just as Qi Hao and the others were about to take the Vampire Fiend alive, Su Wan suddenly cried out in alarm: "Look out!"

Qi Hao, Lin Jinghong, and the rest felt their hearts lurch. Before their eyes everything blurred for a moment, and in an instant purple rays and black qi streaked past as several surges of immense force struck from out of the darkness. The two flying at the very front—one a Qingyun disciple and one a monk of the Brahma Sound Temple—were instantly struck so hard that they spat blood and were sent flying backward.

Qi Hao and the others were greatly shocked and forcibly halted in their tracks. But in that brief instant the forces had already reached them, surging forward like a tidal wave sweeping the heavens and the earth. Qi Hao shouted: "Fall back, quickly!"

At the same time, he clenched his teeth, and the Frost Immortal Sword in his hand flashed again and again, laying down seven walls of ice in front of him in an instant to shield his fellow disciples and comrades. But before the others could retreat even a few steps, the forces crashed into the ice walls and, with the irresistible momentum of a splitting bamboo, shattered them like rotting wood and came straight on.