Mahayana 115
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Chapter 115: Forcibly Executing a Golden Core Realm Technique — Nine Li Fire Dragon Formation
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
Part 1
Xiao Yifeng glanced around at the seven or eight Golden Core realm's golden chickens circling nearby, with their numbers still increasing. If Su Miaoqing were to stop, he feared he truly might not be able to hold out.
Xiao Yifeng could not help but blame himself in silence. It was all his fault for failing to consider how attractive the Immortal Bird’s source blood would be to these golden chickens, which had led the two of them into such a perilous situation.
He closed his eyes and stopped paying attention to the outside world, focusing all his concentration on constructing his array formation. Only by completing the array would they have a chance to break out.
Another half-incense stick of time passed. To Xiao Yifeng, it felt like an eternity. Anxiety gnawed at his heart as, at last, the array disc in the sky neared completion.
The aura emanating from the array grew stronger and stronger. Blazing flames ignited along the runic lines, becoming ever more terrifying.
Even Su Miaoqing could not help but be stunned by the incomparably profound magic array in the sky.
What kind of array formation was this? Why had she never seen it before? And why was it so complex and intricate?
“Come forth, Nine Li Fire Dragon!” Xiao Yifeng shouted loudly.
A dragon’s roar, filled with overwhelming authority, rang out from the magic formation in the sky.
The array erupted with blinding light. Terrifying flames poured down from the heavens, and then a colossal dragon’s head extended out from the array above.
The head was so enormous that the magic array could only allow a single head to emerge. Even so, the scorching heat that seemed capable of burning everything left all who felt it utterly shaken.
The fire dragon cast a glance downward and opened its jaws, unleashing a torrent of searing dragon flame. The blazing inferno cascaded from above, reducing everything around the two to ashes.
Seven or eight Golden Core realm golden chickens were so frightened by the dreadful flames that they scattered to the sides, while the others failed to escape in time and were instantly melted into nothing.
Su Miaoqing felt the crushing pressure on her body vanish in an instant. She stared up at the colossal fire dragon in shock. From the aura it radiated, it was clearly a Golden Core realm summoned beast.
The dragon appeared to be dissatisfied. With a violent struggle, it thrust out two enormous claws, gripping the edge of the formation, and then forced its entire body out of the formation.
The moment it moved, Xiao Yifeng felt his spiritual energy draining away relentlessly, flowing out of him like water from a broken dam.
The giant fire dragon surged out from the magic array, its enormous body coiling through the sky, stretching for well over a hundred metres. With a furious roar, it shook both heaven and earth.
Xiao Yifeng swiftly seized Su Miaoqing and shot towards the dragon’s head, landing firmly atop it.
He plunged his sword into the dragon’s head, driving the massive fire dragon onward as it soared higher up Golden Rooster Mountain.
The golden fowls showed no sign of retreat, hurling themselves at the fire dragon in relentless waves.
The fire dragon itself was a Golden Core realm creature. It lashed out with its claws, crushing the attacking golden chickens in its grasp. Only those at the Golden Core realm could manage to tangle with it for a brief time.
Yet this fire dragon was under Xiao Yifeng’s direct control, and unlike those lifeless constructs, it moved with living agility. Though both sides were of the Golden Core realm, Xiao Yifeng’s deft control allowed him to slaughter the golden chickens with ease.
For the fire dragon, killing Golden Core realm golden chicken was no harder than snapping the necks of chicks. Its terrifying might left Su Miaoqing staring in shock. She had never imagined that Xiao Yifeng still possessed such a fearsome trump card.
“Senior Sister, are you trying to injure your very foundation? Stop your Blood ignition ignition immediately!” Xiao Yifeng shouted.
Su Miaoqing obeyed at once, halting the secret art. The moment she did, her strength seemed to drain away. Her face turned deathly pale as she sank weakly to the ground, the heavy toll of burning her original blood laid bare.
Seeing her in such a weakened state, Xiao Yifeng lost the courage to scold her further. After all, she had done it to save him.
High above Hellhound Ridge, Mo Shuiyao flashed past through the sky. Below her, wild dogs raged like a living tide, and irritation stirred in her heart. She had been flying without direction for ages, yet there was still no end in sight.
How could she not realise by now that she had been tricked by Xiao Yifeng? The latter had probably led her deliberately onto the wrong path.
In her heart, she added another mark to Wu Chen’s account. Was it really worth this much hatred just because she had harboured a tiny bit of covetousness towards his junior sister’s source blood? That hateful bastard, was it really necessary?
She was not the only one who had taken a wrong path. At this very moment, The Old Demon King was alone, surrounded by a pack of ravenous dogs.
He did not have Mo Shuiyao’s good fortune of possessing the Samsara Stele. Instead, he moved as if strolling through a garden, using the pair of huge hooks in his hands to rip open the bellies of every vicious dog that charged at him.
However, there were simply too many hellhounds here. He could barely move, advancing forward with great difficulty. Yet Wang Laoxie showed little impatience. On the contrary, a ferocious grin spread across his face.
“The treasures of the Immortal Palace belong to me. No one else may lay a hand on them!”
After a thorough inspection and confirming that no one lurked nearby, the Old Demon King’s lips curled into a wicked smile. With a casual flex of his hand, he blasted the attacking feral dogs away, then sprang skyward.
He transformed into a streak of light and shot off into the distance. Astonishingly, it seemed that he, too, was not bound by the restrictions of the Immortal Palace.
Far away, Lin Xiao advanced alone through a desolate ravine. Around him, countless folding fans spun in a roaring vortex, circling his body like blades of a storm and cutting down every feral dog that dared approach.
His breathing was steady and unbroken, as though he paid no mind to the tremendous expenditure of energy such a spell required. After taking a few more steps, he suddenly noticed a pitch-black stone stele ahead. Upon it were engraved three characters: Hungry Dog Ridge. Dozens of feral dogs guarded it from the side.
Far from being alarmed, he was delighted. Seeing Xiao Yifeng and the others take to the air and fly away, how could he not understand the purpose of that stone stele? Without hesitation, he dashed straight towards it.
As for the others, apart from those lone wanderers, Luo Yun and Liu Yue travelled together. Compared with the rest, their journey was somewhat less taxing.
Liu Yue charged ahead, swinging his golden great sabre, his red hair blazing like fire.
With bold and unrestrained sweeps, he unleashed arcs of blade light, cutting down every feral dog that came his way. Luo Yun, meanwhile, floated lightly in mid-air behind him, gently plucking the strings of her jade zither in support. One after another, blades of sound flew forward, finishing off any stragglers.
It seemed as though Liu Yue was deliberately trying to show off in front of Luo Yun, taking on as much of the pressure as possible. After cutting down several feral dogs, he glanced back at her. Luo Yun responded with a faint smile.
Luo Yun’s smile filled his heart with warmth. To him, Fairy Luo Yun was the very image of his ideal woman, gentle and dignified, yet understanding and sensible.
The heart that had devoted its entire life to the blade began to stir with unfamiliar emotions. He felt that for Luo Yun’s sake, even standing against all living beings would be no great matter. So long as she stood before him, his courage surged, and fear had no place in his heart.
Xiao Yifeng’s situation was far from favourable as well. Though the fire dragon blazed with overwhelming might, Xiao Yifeng alone knew the hardship behind it.
The spiritual energy in his body was no longer being siphoned. It was bursting forth like a shattered dam. At this rate, in less than half a cup of tea, his reserves would be utterly drained.
He had been far too reckless this time, unleashing a technique meant for the Golden Core realm far too soon. Not only was the Nine Li Fire Dragon might severely weakened, its appetite for spiritual energy was terrifying, draining him as easily as sipping water.
Bolstered by the giant fire dragon, the pair swept over the summit of Golden Rooster Mountain and plunged toward the descent beyond.
Once they escaped this cursed mountain, there would finally be room to breathe. Xiao Yifeng grit his teeth, forcing himself onward.
But fate had other plans. Just beyond the peak, more Golden Core realm golden chickens burst forth, over a dozen of them in an instant. Nearly twenty in total swarmed around the fire dragon, attacking from all sides. Mighty as it was, even the dragon faltered when faced with such relentless numbers.
Su Miaoqing rose to her feet, lending her strength to share the burden. Still, the growing number of enemies only accelerated the drain on Xiao Yifeng’s spiritual energy.
By the time they reached the mountainside, his reserves were utterly exhausted. With a roar filled with rage and refusal, the towering fire dragon shattered into countless flame tongues and faded from the sky.
Xiao Yifeng looked like he’d seen a ghost. Pale, wobbly, and completely out of fuel, he barely managed to stay conscious. Flying was out of the question. If Su Miaoqing hadn’t grabbed him immediately, he’d have face-planted straight into the scenery below.
A swarm of fire birds rushed toward them all at once. Acting purely on instinct, Xiao Yifeng pulled Su Miaoqing into his arms, shielding her tightly against his chest.