Volume 3 Chapter 25

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Volume 3 Chapter 25: The Next Day (Part 5) — Obsession

Watching Deng Tianao’s body burn fiercely after being hit by Xu Qingfan’s "Flame Phoenix," Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian did not feel the relief of having defeated a strong enemy; instead, they both frowned deeply.

Although during the previous battles Deng Tianao had relied on the power of the "Dark Rain Barrier" and had not used any of his Spirit Qi, Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian still did not know which of the Five Elements Deng Tianao’s cultivation method belonged to.

There was no doubt that, as the leader of the Liuhe Gate team in two consecutive Newcomer Competitions, Deng Tianao’s strength was definitely among the top of the new generation of cultivators in the Immortal Realm.

Could such a powerful figure be defeated by them just like that?

Xu Qingfan was momentarily in disbelief.

In fact, although the power of the Wutong branch was beyond Xu Qingfan’s imagination, he never thought he could succeed in one strike, as he could not fully harness its power at his current level.

After defeating dozens of water dragons and breaking through the countless water screens in front of Deng Tianao, the "Flame Phoenix" created by the Wutong branch was already somewhat exhausted. Xu Qingfan had thought of dozens of follow-up plans for possible scenarios after Deng Tianao blocked the Flame Phoenix.

But unexpectedly, Deng Tianao seemed to willingly seek his own end, without making any attempt to dodge.

Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian guided the "Nimbus Cloud" to land beside Deng Tianao’s burning body and found him lying silently on the ground, with no expression of pain on his face. This made them even more surprised, and a vague sense of unease arose in their hearts.

As Flame Phoenix circled above Xu Qingfan’s head, Feng Qingtian was about to inquire something, but suddenly Xu Qingfan furrowed his brow and raised his hand. A fist-sized bead, emitting a mysterious glow, appeared above him, hovering silently. Under its strange light, Feng Qingtian noticed the world before him changed in magical ways.

The downpour transformed into a blue world, and the Flame Phoenix above Xu Qingfan became a phantom of shimmering green and red. Astonished by this transformation, Feng Qingtian glanced at himself and found his body glowing with a strong red aura.

The magical bead Xu Qingfan used was crafted from the eye of the Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast, known as the "Evil Exorcising Pearl." It’s a high-level auxiliary tool of Human Level, revealing the supernatural elements of the world.

Gazing at the vibrant and fantastical world, Feng Qingtian quickly understood the pearl’s purpose and was filled with amazement. He glanced toward Xu Qingfan, increasingly intrigued by his display of skills. If he were to compete with Xu Qingfan again, Feng Qingtian could no longer be certain of an easy victory as he was ten years ago.

However, when Feng Qingtian looked at Xu Qingfan, he noticed Xu Qingfan’s face was stern, his eyes fixed on Deng Tianao’s burning body. Following Xu Qingfan’s gaze, Feng Qingtian observed that under the pearl’s light, Deng Tianao’s burning body glowed red and yellow. The yellow light was weakening but did not disappear, slowly transferring to a specific location.

In the ground nearby, the yellow light grew stronger as if all the earth’s Spirit Qi was gathering there. The Spirit Qi’s slow convergence, combined with the "Dark Rain Barrier’s" chaotic Spirit Qi, meant neither Xu Qingfan nor Feng Qingtian had noticed it before.

Upon witnessing this, Feng Qingtian’s expression turned serious. It was clear Deng Tianao hadn’t been defeated by Xu Qingfan’s "Flame Phoenix," but had evaded it by some means. The area with gathered earth Spirit Qi likely concealed Deng Tianao, suggesting earth Spirit Qi might truly be his forte.

Feng Qingtian looked at Xu Qingfan, questioning if they should strike now, but Xu Qingfan shook his head lightly. That area of condensed earth Spirit Qi might not be Deng Tianao’s hiding place. Deng Tianao’s cunning would not allow such an easy reveal. A reckless attack could fall into Deng Tianao’s trap.

Suddenly, chaos unfurled. The accumulated earth Spirit Qi area became intensely chaotic, and a large amount of Water Spirit Qi from the "Dark Rain Barrier" quickly converged there, mixing with the earth Spirit Qi.

Suddenly, the two types of Spirit Qi mixed together and erupted, rapidly spreading across the land. Everywhere the Spirit Qi passed, the once solid ground turned into a mire. Stones and other objects on the ground were swallowed by the mire, never to re-emerge.

Witnessing this scene, Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian’s faces paled. Although they did not know the exact threat of being trapped in the mire, they were certain it spelled no good outcome.

Xu Qingfan was about to use the "Nimbus Cloud" to fly into the sky again, but he found the ground had a strong suction, and the sky pressed down with great force. Under this pressure, the "Evil Exorcising Pearl" fell, the Flame Phoenix’s flight altitude dropped several feet, leaving Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian feeling suffocated and struggling with blood flow. The "Nimbus Cloud" was unable to fly.

Seeing the terrifying mire about to reach them, Xu Qingfan made a quick decision. He gathered speed and, grabbing Feng Qingtian, dashed towards the distance.

However, the mire spread rapidly, and under the pressure of heaven and earth, Xu Qingfan’s speed slowed considerably. Now carrying Feng Qingtian as well, he was further burdened and soon overtaken by the mire.

Realizing escape was futile upon seeing this, Xu Qingfan sighed slightly and stopped, focusing instead on directing the Flame Phoenix to circle around him.

Each time the Flame Phoenix flapped its wings, a surge of heat dried the mire encroaching around Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian, turning it back into solid ground.

Yet, the mire seemed endless, continuously assaulting the ground around Xu Qingfan. In an instant, it surrounded Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian, and the solid earth again turned to mire. After using the Flame Phoenix for so long, Xu Qingfan’s Spirit Qi was depleted by two-thirds, unable to maintain the Flame Phoenix’s power. Helplessly, he watched the ground beneath his feet transform into mire, with the area of solid land shrinking further.

Unknown as to when, Deng Tianao appeared in the sky not far from the duo, observing Xu Qingfan’s desperate resistance against the mire’s onslaught. His face, still tranquil, no longer bore its previous arrogance, replaced by deep-seated anger, even tinged with a hint of madness.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that Deng Tianao’s face, which seemed youthful before, now appeared much older, as if he were forty. It seemed the attack from the Flame Phoenix had a significant impact on him.

The situation took a sudden turn; victory seemed assured, yet he nearly faced defeat in an instant. When the Flame Phoenix struck, Deng Tianao momentarily felt as if he was reliving events from sixty years ago. Back then, just as victory seemed near, he was thwarted by Bao Qingfang’s bizarre techniques, experiencing his first and only defeat.

How could I be defeated by someone from the same sect twice? Impossible, this time victory is certainly mine.

But earlier, Deng Tianao distinctly sensed the impending aura of defeat, a feeling that made him furious, almost driving him mad.

"I apologize for having underestimated you earlier," Deng Tianao’s voice suddenly echoed through the space. "However, the ultimate victory will still be mine. Even though your techniques are strange, much like that of Bao Qingfang, you are now exhausted, and with the Feng family descendant holding you back, your defeat is inevitable."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingfan merely gave a cold snort, refraining from responding, focusing instead on commanding the Flame Phoenix to resist the swamp’s invasion, and too uninterested in answering Deng Tianao’s pointless provocations.

But when Feng Qingtian heard this, his body trembled violently. Holding back? Since when had he become the one dragging behind? This word deeply stung him.

Since arriving on Huandao Island, Feng Qingtian had cooperated with Xu Qingfan’s commands, respecting his role as leader of the Newcomer Competition. Yet, truthfully, he never regarded Xu Qingfan highly, seeing him as the defeated opponent from ten years ago. In Feng Qingtian’s opinion, although Xu Qingfan was the leader, he believed he himself was the most crucial member among the five from Jiuhua Gate, the one needed to turn the tide in critical moments.

However, the recent battle had shattered his pride. Despite his abilities being greatly diminished due to the "Dark Rain Barrier," leaving him at only two to three-tenths strength, it was truly thanks to Xu Qingfan that he hadn’t been hurt or even defeated.

But ten years ago, the Xu Qingfan whom I easily defeated, has somehow grown strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with me now!

Feng Qingtian is a person who believes in clear distinctions between gratitude and resentment; his pride does not allow him to comfort himself with excuses. So, he is grateful for everything Xu Qingfan just did, yet this cannot cover Feng Qingtian’s shame and anger at this moment.

I am the strongest; I am the heir of the Feng family. Feng Qingtian has been reminding himself of this ever since his father died. And indeed, Feng Qingtian achieved it, for he never encountered a rival since beginning his immortal cultivation, not even Jin Qinghan ten years ago posed any real threat to him.

But right now, Feng Qingtian not only discovered that someone, whose talent and cultivation time were both far inferior to his, had reached the same level of strength as himself, but more importantly, he relied on that person’s help to avoid complete failure!

Thinking about this, Feng Qingtian’s shame and anger grew more intense. He is the heir of the Feng family, and the heir should always be the most dazzling one, not someone who needs others’ strength to merely survive and win!

The pride of the Feng family cannot wither in my hands.

"Senior Brother Xu, do your best to withstand Deng Tianao’s attacks and buy me the time it takes to drink three cups of tea. I will take him down," Feng Qingtian said softly to Xu Qingfan, a resolute look in his eyes.