Chapter 67 — Crimson Flame
劍問蒼天 · Page 5 of 7
Both the Five Ghosts Commanding the Spirits formation and the Vampire ** were driven through the Blood Skull. With one life-ghost suddenly destroyed, the Blood Skull itself had at once suffered a slight flaw—and now that flaw had become the Vampire Fiend's greatest danger.
Tian Buhui had served as head of Dazhu Peak of the Canglan Sect for nearly a hundred years. Not only was his cultivation far above Zhang Qingyue's, his insight and experience in combat were a hundred times greater. Within a few exchanges he saw that one spot on the Vampire Fiend's Blood Skull gave an impure light, and at once threw all his strength into attacking it. At first it made little difference, but as time wore on the Vampire Fiend found it unbearable.
In the sky the fire dragon roared, baring fangs and brandishing claws, while the gigantic skull that was the Vampire Fiend's avatar grew dimmer and dimmer; the flames, by contrast, burned so fiercely they dyed almost the whole night sky crimson.
The Vampire Fiend cursed inwardly, hating his own overconfidence. He had thought that after a hundred years of bitter cultivation, he need fear no one among the orthodox except a handful of the very strongest. Before coming this time he had in fact made discreet inquiries and learned that the few he deeply dreaded had not come—and so he had set his mind at ease. Who could have guessed that after a hundred years, Tian Buhui's progress in the Dao would be so swift?
In his alarm, he happened to glance downward, and was startled yet again. On the ground below, figures were moving—surely no fewer than several dozen. From their dress, most were orthodox cultivators, and several faces were familiar—above all Daoist Cangyan, standing at the very front, who had been one of the Qingyun men who hunted him in those years.
At this the Vampire Fiend's heart chilled further, and he at once thought of retreat.
Just as his mind wavered, the fire dragon before him suddenly roared like a thunderclap. The Vampire Fiend was greatly startled; he looked up, and his face changed in horror. In midair the fire dragon's light blazed up suddenly—then, after a moment, it did not attack, but instead, like a great whale drawing in water, shrank back into Tian Buhui's hand and became once more the Crimson Flame immortal sword. Yet the lingering firelight did not fade in the least; it lit the whole vault of heaven.
Tian Buhui's face was stern as frost, his expression grave. He held Crimson Flame level before his chest, his left hand forming the mudra, and trod the Seven Stars, taking seven paces in midair. The Crimson Flame immortal sword thrust sharply toward the sky, and he chanted: "The Nine Heavens' dark spirits, become the divine thunder. August is Heaven's majesty—let the sword draw it down!"
On the ground below, especially among the Canglan Sect, there was uproar. All present—above all the Dazhu Peak disciples—were overcome with excitement, and even Daoist Cangyan beside them went slightly pale.
The low-hanging black clouds at once surged and churned like boiling water. Wind sighed through heaven and earth, and a moment later, from deep within the black clouds, came a rumbling thunder that burst almost beside the two men.
In an instant, heaven and earth shook!
The whole of Liubo Mountain seemed to tremble, and around this sea island the waters, so calm before, boiled up incredibly.
A bolt of lightning, as if from primeval ages, flashed across the horizon and rose suddenly, piercing the black clouds, rending the vast sky—like a proud and peerless god descending into the mortal world, coming to rest upon the burning tip of the sword.
In that instant, the figure in the sky suddenly could no longer be seen; the blazing, dazzling light covered all this heaven and earth.
There was wind, blowing past.
It lifted, everyone's garments...
Between heaven and earth, suddenly all was solemn and still.