Volume 3 Chapter 23

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Volume 3 Chapter 23: The Next Day (Part 3)

"Leave the leader and the Feng family heir to me. You handle the other three."

Under the dense blue rain, Deng Tianao remained completely dry, speaking calmly.

Hearing Deng Tianao’s confident words, Jin Qinghan and the others, except for Xu Qingfan and Wang Qingjun, showed a hint of anger on their faces.

Whether it was Feng Qingtian, Jin Qinghan, or Lv Qingshang, all were renowned among the young cultivators of Jiuhua Gate, considered prodigies from a young age, growing up under the envious and jealous gazes of their peers. After mastering their skills, which cultivator did not approach them with caution and trepidation for a duel? How could they ever have heard such disdainful words?

In contrast to these three, Wang Qingjun’s expression remained calm, just as it was before Deng Tianao and Chou Xuan appeared. Only his gaze flickered slightly, as if he was making some decisions.

Xu Qingfan’s expression was also deep in thought at this time because he already understood from Deng Tianao’s previous arrangements that Deng Tianao, though aloof, never loses his rationality because of it. In fact, he is far more composed than most people.

It was only after Lv Qingshang’s defensive barrier shattered that Xu Qingfan truly witnessed a fraction of the real power of the "Dark Rain Barrier." Every drop of blue rain falling from the sky was transformed from the purest water essence, with immense penetrating power due to its tiny size. Coupled with the massive and dense quantity, its power was terrifying.

At this moment, Xu Qingfan could even feel his "Green Spirit Arm Protector" trembling slightly under the continuous pounding of the blue rain, forcing him to channel several times more Spirit Qi than usual to stabilize it.

With Xu Qingfan’s Human Level high-grade defensive artifact already struggling, the condition of the others could be imagined. Especially Feng Qingtian, as his fire cultivation method faced the greatest restriction in the barrier. His current flame shield maintained temporary safety only at the cost of consuming vast amounts of his Spirit Qi.

As such, without Liuhe Gate’s unique cultivation method, a cultivator within the "Dark Rain Barrier" would have to divert more than half of their Spirit Qi for defense; how could they possibly be a match for Liuhe Gate’s cultivators? Moreover, Liuhe Gate cultivators could leverage the barrier’s power to attack, greatly enhancing their strength. Given the weakening and strengthening contrast, Deng Tianao’s earlier claim to fight two against five was not arrogant at all.

However, Xu Qingfan also knew that since the power of this "Dark Rain Barrier" was so immense, the Spirit Qi required to maintain it must be equally astounding. Therefore, the three Liuhe Gate disciples wouldn’t be able to sustain it for long. Once they were too exhausted to uphold the "Dark Rain Barrier," it would be time for him and the others to strike back.

Even though by then their own Spirit Qi would also be greatly depleted from the previous battle, they could still manage to escape with the captured Seven-colored Deer.

Thinking about this, Xu Qingfan felt a little more at ease.

But was Deng Tianao’s confident "Dark Rain Barrier" really as simple as Xu Qingfan thought?

…

Seeing the azure dragon encircling Xu Qingfan, Deng Tianao paused slightly and then sincerely praised, "What a marvelous artifact, designed so ingeniously. Jiuhua Gate, with its thousands of years of history, truly possesses some fine treasures."

The four from Jiuhua Gate were also amazed at the power of the "Green Spirit Arm Protector," as they were familiar with Xu Qingfan but had never seen him use this artifact before. Even Jin Qinghan, who knew Xu Qingfan owned such an artifact, didn’t expect it to be so intricately crafted.

"Thank you for the compliment." At this moment, Xu Qingfan didn’t want to explain further and just stared at Deng Tianao coldly, saying, "But let’s stop the idle talk and begin the battle. Perhaps in the end, we’ll be the ones capturing your Seven-colored Deer, saving us the trouble of seeking out the remaining two."

Initially, Xu Qingfan considered saying more to buy time. However, he suddenly realized that the longer the delay, the more Spirit Qi the three Liuhe Gate disciples maintaining the barrier would expend, but their own Spirit Qi was also depleting rapidly. Not knowing how long the "Dark Rain Barrier" could be sustained, Xu Qingfan decided it was best to start the battle early before their Spirit Qi was too exhausted.

Moreover, if a fierce battle were to occur within the barrier, the Spirit Qi of the three Liuhe Gate disciples maintaining it would be consumed faster.

After speaking, Xu Qingfan descended to the ground on the "Nimbus Cloud." Now, he was using the "Green Spirit Arm Protector" for defense, but he no longer had the strength to control the "Nimbus Cloud" for fighting in the air.

Seeing Xu Qingfan land, the other four from Jiuhua Gate immediately understood his intention and quickly followed suit, landing on the ground as well.

Watching the Jiuhua Gate members, Deng Tianao didn’t land. He simply smiled slightly and said, "As you wish."

With these words, Deng Tianao gestured gently with his hands, and the water on the ground began to surge and quickly transformed into countless blue water snakes, surrounding Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian and cutting them off from Jin Qinghan and the others. The snakes then swiftly moved toward the center where Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian stood, ignoring Jin Qinghan and his three companions.

For a moment, as Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian looked around, all they could see were countless blue water snakes, and all they could hear were the hissing sounds.

Instinctively, Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian stood back-to-back, each alert facing the direction of the water snakes.

"Pardon us," Deng Tianao remarked coolly as the snakes approached within ten feet of Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian.

Seeing Xu Qingfan surrounded by the water snakes, Jin Qinghan and the others were just about to help, but Chou Xuan suddenly appeared beside them unnoticed, calmly saying, "Senior Brother Deng has already mentioned, the three of you are mine."

…

Seeing Deng Tianao’s sudden attack, Xu Qingfan snorted coldly, yet wasn’t surprised at all. He quickly moved his fingers, placed his hands on the ground, and softly commanded, "Rise!"

Instantly, two towering "Whomping Willow" trees appeared in front of Xu Qingfan. Once formed, the countless willow branches began to swing wildly, striking down the numerous water snakes that approached. Though the snakes were many, they posed no threat to Xu Qingfan.

While defending, Xu Qingfan also conjured hundreds of "Six Tomb Flowers" and quickly shot them at Deng Tianao in the sky.

At this moment, Xu Qingfan did not guard his back because Feng Qingtian was standing behind him. Even though Feng Qingtian’s power was reduced to less than one-third in the "Dark Rain Barrier," he remained the same proud and solitary warrior.

Indeed, when faced with the numerous water snakes rushing towards him, Feng Qingtian’s expression remained unchanged. However, the flame shield around him shone brightly, and its blinding red light seemed to cover half the world. Then, countless Firebirds emerged from the red glow around Feng Qingtian, soared into the sky, and dove towards the blue water snakes on the ground. With each Firebird’s collision, explosions erupted before Feng Qingtian, turning the water snakes into the most primitive Water Spirit Qi and dispersing them into the air.

However, within the "Dark Rain Barrier," Feng Qingtian’s strength was greatly diminished. Although he could fend off the water snake attack on his side, he no longer had the strength to simultaneously attack Deng Tianao.

Thus, Deng Tianao’s first wave of attacks was easily thwarted by the two.

Although they successfully blocked Deng Tianao’s initial attack, Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian couldn’t help but furrow their brows in concern.

From the recent attack, they were shocked to discover that Deng Tianao’s strikes were entirely fueled by the power of the Dark Rain Barrier, without depleting any of his own Spirit Qi. This meant that as long as the Dark Rain Barrier was active, his Spirit Qi seemed endless, making him nearly unbeatable.

More importantly, Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian now had to contend with Deng Tianao’s attacks while also being affected by the constant downpour of dense blue rain from the sky.

For instance, Xu Qingfan’s Whomping Willow had its branches broken, mostly due to the relentless blue rain. His Liuling Flowers burst before they could even reach Deng Tianao.

Feng Qingtian’s Firebird, aiming at the water serpent on the ground, was often prematurely triggered by the blue rain, causing Feng Qingtian some panic.

Not only did they have to use half of their Spirit Qi for defense, but their attacks were considerably weakened by the thick blue rain. How would they fight this battle?

Thinking about this, Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian couldn’t help but feel anxious, especially Feng Qingtian, who was shocked to find that a fifth of his Spirit Qi had already been depleted.

While Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian were deep in thought, Deng Tianao showed no frustration at the setback of his first attack. In truth, it was merely a test.

After seeing Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian block his initial attack, Deng Tianao smiled slightly and moved his hands again, causing the puddles on the ground to surge with even greater intensity than before. The sight of the ground’s fierce undulations made Xu Qingfan feel as though the earth itself was quaking.

Then, dozens of large water dragons formed from the ground’s puddles, surrounding Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian, and with thunderous roars, they lunged at the two.

Yet, after summoning the water dragon, Deng Tianao didn’t pause at all. Instead, he waved his hands again, and the water on the ground began to gather, forming countless wild waves that followed the water dragon and rushed fiercely toward Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian.

Seeing such a powerful attack, Xu Qingfan’s face changed slightly, and he called out to Feng Qingtian, "To the sky!"

Saying that, Xu Qingfan used the "Nimbus Cloud" to appear beneath them, swiftly flying into the sky with Feng Qingtian before the water dragon and wild waves could reach them.

Xu Qingfan knew that although the two of them could barely fend off the water dragon’s attack, they had no effective way to defend against the oncoming wild waves. These waves, made of pure Water Spirit Qi, were several feet high and thick. Getting hit by them would surely result in serious injury or even death.

While flying into the sky with the "Nimbus Cloud" allowed them to temporarily evade the wild waves, Xu Qingfan had to simultaneously use two magical artifacts to fight Deng Tianao. This multitasking greatly increased the consumption rate of his Spirit Qi, and his control over it weakened significantly.

Although the wild waves could no longer threaten Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian from above, the dozen water dragons, under Deng Tianao’s control, roared and soared into the sky, chasing after them.

Hearing the roar of the water dragons behind, Feng Qingtian frowned deeply. These dragons, formed from Water Spirit Qi, had solidified bodies, and ordinary fire techniques were useless against them.

His family’s secret skill, the "Flame Phoenix," could fend off the water dragons, but using it required releasing half of his internal fire Spirit Qi. More importantly, controlling the phoenix demanded full concentration, meaning if Feng Qingtian used the "Flame Phoenix," he couldn’t maintain his external fire shield.

While Feng Qingtian hesitated, Xu Qingfan, dodging the water dragons with the "Nimbus Cloud," was also thinking of a solution. After a while, he sighed softly in his heart, thinking, "This is the only way."

Then Xu Qingfan softly called to Feng Qingtian, "Senior Brother Feng, can you help me maintain the ‘Nimbus Cloud’? I’ll take care of the water dragons behind us."

Although the ‘Nimbus Cloud’ was a magical item crafted by Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian couldn’t control it freely, he could still manage it temporarily with Xu Qingfan’s permission.

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Feng Qingtian was slightly taken aback. He had competed with Xu Qingfan before and was well aware of Xu Qingfan’s abilities, yet he couldn’t think of how Xu Qingfan would fend off the dozens of water dragons behind them.

However, upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s resolute tone, Feng Qingtian hesitated for a moment but decided to take over the ‘Nimbus Cloud’ for Xu Qingfan. Meanwhile, Xu Qingfan sat down cross-legged, ignoring the surroundings.

The moment Xu Qingfan sat down, Feng Qingtian was astonished to see intense blue, grey, and red lights emanating from Xu Qingfan! The red light was the fire energy that Feng Qingtian was most familiar with!

Could Xu Qingfan actually cultivate fire Spirit Qi? Aren’t cultivators unable to cultivate a second Spirit Qi before reaching the Condensed Core Stage?

Seeing the three-colored spiritual light around Xu Qingfan, Feng Qingtian momentarily forgot about the roaring water dragons behind them. The Xu Qingfan before him was vastly different from the one defeated by him ten years ago.

Just as Feng Qingtian was filled with wonder, the hairpin on Xu Qingfan’s head suddenly flew up on its own, quickly enlarging into a three-foot-long, three-inch-thick ordinary-looking branch, charged with powerful wood and fire Spirit Qi, clearly indicating that this branch was anything but ordinary.

"Command!" Suddenly, Xu Qingfan’s eyes snapped open, and he pointed at the branch with a gentle shout.