Chapter 208 — Terror
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 2 of 5
As the huge head lunged down and the roaring flames came crashing with it, Ming Li drove the Soul-Devouring Demon Staff deep into the Crimson Flame Beast's howling mouth.
The massive body froze in midair. The surrounding air was still scorching, yet a piercing cold seemed to radiate from the depths of the human heart. At some point, little Gray was still crouched on Ming Li's shoulder, its body unchanged—but its three eyes, as if stimulated by something, had turned red, glaringly so.
And now, seeing the Crimson Flame Beast's decline appear in an instant under Ming Li's soul-devouring strike, little Gray's face grew even more savage. It bared its fangs at the Crimson Flame Beast and gave a sinister grin.
In the blink of an eye, the surrounding temperature kept falling, and the searing heat upon the Crimson Flame Beast's body receded with it. As if bearing an indescribable look of dread, fear now flickered in those flame-burning eyes.
Hovering in the void, Ming Li slowly raised his head. From the Soul-Devouring Demon Staff in his hand, red firelight flooded the entire treasure, seeming to drain away the very essence of the Crimson Flame Beast, drop by drop, without mercy.
A faint look of pain seemed to cross Ming Li's face, and a layer of reddish-yellow light rose upon it—but after flickering three times, it was masked by a radiance of gold.
The Crimson Flame Beast could no longer support its colossal frame and tumbled heavily from midair. The monster that had been so overbearing mere moments ago now presented so feeble a sight that one could scarcely believe it without seeing it with one's own eyes. The flames in the stone chamber were rapidly dissipating, and the temperature dropped with great speed. In place of the heat came an extreme cold radiating from Ming Li, tainted with a hint of something evil.
The Crimson Flame Beast lay upon the ground. The blazing fire that had once covered its body was now all but gone; from a distance, this guardian beast seemed to have lost the greater part of its power. After fixing its gaze of utter hatred upon Ming Li as he slowly descended, the Crimson Flame Beast at last gave a furious roar, and then its massive body slowly dissolved into the air.
Yet though its body dissolved, the mysterious halo of the Eight Fierce Deities in midair did not vanish, and indeed seemed not to have been affected by that battle at all. It still glowed bright and dim by turns, slowly rotating on its own, drifting gradually backward, until at last it came to rest before the Beast Venerable—who had reappeared and still sat upon the ground—above that ancient brazier.
In the brazier, the flame burned quietly.
Amid the freezing aura that Ming Li's Blood-Devouring Orb had spread with its demonic power, this was the only source of fire and light, and it seemed wholly untouched by his demonic force.
Ming Li descended to the ground once more, yet there was no joy of victory on his face at all. Gazing at that flame which still burned, his pupils seemed still to contract faintly.
The mysterious halo revolved slowly, and the eight ferocious, hideous deity statues lit up, dimmed, and brightened again in turn, as if secretly telling of something.
Beneath the halo was the Beast Venerable's face, deeply weary yet still smiling.
"Clap, clap, clap…"
The Beast Venerable clapped softly and smiled gently. "Impressive, impressive. I never imagined you possessed such cultivation, and such a formidable treasure. I had long guessed your cultivation was not low, but I never thought it reached such a level." He sighed faintly, as if somewhat self-mocking. "I always seem to be wrong, don't I?"
Ming Li regarded him and said slowly, "The Crimson Flame Beast that appeared this time is impressive in spectacle, but its power truly falls short of the one in the Profound Fire Altar of Fenxia Valley that day."
The Beast Venerable looked at Ming Li without speaking, yet approval gradually appeared in his eyes, and he nodded.