Chapter Thirty-Four: Bloodshed

Lei Xiang sighed inwardly. “That black bear reacted far too quickly. If it had withdrawn its demon core just a moment later, the beast skin defense I modified, combined with the self-destruction function of the Celestial Crystal, would have worked perfectly.”

The black bear demon was even more shaken. “That boy is too cunning, full of tricks—I must be doubly careful.”

Before the black bear demon could attack, Lei Xiang once more piloted Swiftstep, fleeing southeast. The black bear demon summoned a black wind and gave chase. Dozens of fire talismans rained down, but the black bear demon simply swept them aside with his massive paws.

After a brief pause, the black wind continued its pursuit, only to find that both Lei Xiang and Swiftstep had vanished without a trace. The black bear demon howled in fury.

This place was an expanse of lush Baizhang Spinach, with tens of thousands of stalks as tall as a man. The black bear demon darted among them, searching for any sign of Lei Xiang.

Suddenly, over this several-acre field, a gigantic azure barrier rose, enveloping both the black bear demon and the Baizhang Spinach within.

Another trap!

The black bear demon was stifled with frustration. By sheer strength, he could have destroyed ten Lei Xiangs at once, but this boy’s endless schemes were truly maddening.

The sun now hung high in the sky, its fierce rays striking the barrier, which glowed a deep, shimmering blue.

Outside the barrier, Lei Xiang dispelled his concealment talisman. Swiftstep hovered in midair, Lei Xiang quietly observing the black bear demon’s brute attempts to break the formation.

“Where am I? Eh, brother, was it you who saved me?”

The Crown Prince, lying atop Swiftstep, slowly awoke and struggled to sit up. Lei Xiang nodded slightly, “I’ve stabilized your external injuries. Once this is over, we’ll find a proper physician. You know I’m no healer.”

The Crown Prince nodded vigorously, his heart easing. After all, he hadn’t misjudged his friend—Lei Xiang was no coward, and had returned at the crucial moment to save him.

Yet he left the word “thanks” unspoken—for between brothers, such formalities were unnecessary. “Lei Xiang, did you leave the battlefield earlier just to set up this grand formation and lure the black bear demon in?”

Lei Xiang kept his eyes fixed on the black bear demon’s futile thrashing. “Since a major cultivator intervened on the enemy’s side, the Lihuo Nation’s great formation was bound to fall. So I came here to prepare a backup plan. Today, that brute must die.”

The Crown Prince asked in confusion, “Then strike now, while you have the chance! If the black bear breaks out, it’ll be too late.”

“Not yet,” Lei Xiang replied calmly. “This miniature version of the Xuantian Lihuo Formation isn’t so easily broken. When he’s exhausted most of his spiritual power, then it will be the right time.”

“This... this is the Xuantian Lihuo Formation? You can actually control it? But I didn’t see any Lihuo flames.”

Lei Xiang flashed a wry smile, his small tiger teeth showing. “The true Xuantian Lihuo Formation isn’t so easily mastered. I’ve spent years creating this simplified miniature version—but it’s more than enough to deal with him.”

Inside the formation, the black bear demon was hammering away at the barrier, growing more and more alarmed. Despite pouring his full strength into the assault, the thin blue membrane remained utterly unscathed.

Lei Xiang glanced up at the sun. “It’s time.” With a flip of his hand, he produced an oval array disk, pouring spiritual power into it. The disk trembled and began to spin slowly.

Suddenly, the black bear demon felt his mouth parched and tongue dry; the air around him grew dozens of times hotter. Looking back, he saw that a mound had risen at the center of the formation, topped with a small altar of six spirit stones, from which a foot-high pillar of blue flame erupted.

At once, the black bear demon rushed for the altar. Yet, despite changing his movement technique three times, he always ended up back at his original spot. Clearly, there were illusion arrays layered within this Xuantian Lihuo Formation. Still, so long as the blue flame remained only a foot high, he could endure it. First, he had to break out—then he’d flay the marrow and sinew from Lei Xiang.

So, ignoring the blue flames, the black bear demon spat out his demon core and launched a fierce attack on the barrier.

Lei Xiang smiled faintly, increasing his spiritual power. The array disk spun faster, and the Xuantian Lihuo flame in the center shot up another two feet. At that moment, faint cracking sounds rang out as more than thirty crystal panels shot up from the ground.

Lei Xiang sent the array disk flying and, with a single-handed incantation, directed the crystal panels to all point toward the black bear demon. With a thought, the disk shot out a thumb-thick beam of blue light that struck the Lihuo array.

With a whoosh, the blue flames at the array’s center shot up and split into thirty-six streams, each plunging into a crystal panel.

At the sun’s zenith, beams of sunlight struck the crystal panels. The panels absorbed both sunlight and Lihuo flame, then reflected dazzling streams of red and blue fire, all aimed at a single target: the black bear demon.

After reflecting the fire, each crystal panel shattered with a sharp crack. Only then did the black bear demon realize his peril, but it was too late—thirty-six streams of red and blue fire struck him without mercy.

He barely raised his paws to shield himself before the flames engulfed him; a miserable shriek rang out as red and blue tongues of fire leapt three meters high from his body.

After ten breaths, the flames gradually died down. Lei Xiang swept aside the smoke with a broad gesture and found nothing but a pile of black ash and a pair of intact bear paws.

He gathered the bear paws, then drew out his treasured Dragon Pike, sifting through the ashes until he unearthed a round, greenish demon core.

A fifth-rank demon beast’s core.

The Crown Prince stared in disbelief. This arrogant, rampaging black bear demon had been destroyed by Lei Xiang—his brother was nothing short of heaven-defying! He nearly forgot his own pain and cheered loudly.

Lei Xiang, however, showed no joy. His face remained grim. No sooner had he secured the demon core than he mounted Swiftstep, ready to fly away.

“Brother, congratulations on your victory! Let’s press the attack and wipe out the other demon beasts as well!”

Lei Xiang’s face was frosty. “They’re coming.”

“Who’s coming?” The Crown Prince was puzzled—but before Lei Xiang could answer, he sensed an overwhelming spiritual pressure. Only then did the Crown Prince remember: the enemy camp still had a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. No wonder Lei Xiang’s first instinct after victory was to flee—he must have sensed this person’s approach long ago.

Without a word, Lei Xiang changed his hand seal and piloted Swiftstep straight into the Xuantian Lihuo Formation. Against a Core Formation cultivator, there was no hope of winning or escaping—only the array offered a chance to resist and wait for an opening.

With a rush, a crimson cloud ten fathoms wide appeared above the formation. From within the cloud, a massive, fleshy head emerged, its long, chestnut-red hair dazzling in the sunlight. “Heh, not bad at all. Which of you is Lei Xiang?”

Lei Xiang nodded calmly. “I am. And you are?”

The red-haired man laughed strangely. “You can’t escape anyway, so I’ll tell you. I am one of the Eighteen Bloodkillers under the Blood Demon King, ranked fifteenth—you may call me Fifteen. Now, let’s discuss: how would you like to die?”

Suddenly, Lei Xiang grinned, showing his tiger teeth. “How you die is no concern of mine.”

“Courting death!” With a shout, the red-haired man spat out a massive golden axe, seized it with both hands, and struck with all his might. The Xuantian Lihuo Formation shook violently.

Lei Xiang, unhurried, drew his treasured Dragon Pike and feinted with a thrust, discreetly sending the Chrysanthemum Spike into the earth.

The red-haired man sneered. “Such paltry distractions.” With a gesture, the ground five meters before him turned as hard as iron, making the Chrysanthemum Spike useless.

“Ha, what else do you—” His laughter was cut short as he spun and swept out with the golden axe like a steamroller.

A pale blue sword light appeared from thin air, colliding with the axe in a thunderous clash.

The red-haired man’s expression turned grave. “Come out.”

A faint sigh seemed to echo from the void, and a middle-aged man in azure robes strolled into view.

Lei Xiang regarded the newcomer with remarkable composure, as though he had expected this all along. Gazing at that pale blue flying sword, then at his own so-called sword, Lei Xiang could only smile wryly—his Wuji Sword Array was little better than a flying shuttle by comparison.

The Crown Prince’s reaction, however, was entirely different. His eyes shone with excitement as he called out, “Senior Linghu, the Lihuo Nation is in dire peril—please lend your aid!”

The man named Linghu was none other than the Crown Prince’s secret reinforcement—Linghu Zhong. He nodded with a smile, then turned to Lei Xiang. “Young man, remarkable work. A pleasure to cooperate.”

Lei Xiang returned the smile. “Senior, the pleasure is mine.”

Two men meeting for the first time, yet exchanging such words—this left the Crown Prince utterly bewildered. Only the red-haired man understood: Lei Xiang’s fierce offense had served to cover for Linghu Zhong, allowing him to sneak in for a fatal strike. There was no way this was their first meeting—their coordination had been too perfect. If one Lei Xiang was this troublesome, what hope did he have now, facing both him and a pseudo-Core cultivator? Perhaps it was time to consider escape.

At that moment, Linghu Zhong addressed him. “Isn’t this Protector Sun of the Seven Stars Guild? When did you become one of the Eighteen Bloodkillers under the Blood Demon King? Who would have guessed?”

Protector Sun laughed coldly. “No one can predict the Blood Fiend Alliance. The person whispering sweet nothings in your ear last night may well, for the sake of the Alliance, drive a dagger into your heart today.”

Linghu Zhong could only nod. The Blood Fiend Alliance was, after all, the most mysterious organization of the last three centuries. Even the righteous path’s coalition had only managed to unearth a few peripheral members, leaving the core untouched.

Protector Sun summoned his golden axe, which grew larger in the wind with a gesture. “Since you know my identity, none of you will leave alive.”

Lei Xiang exchanged a meaningful glance with Linghu Zhong, then slapped his storage pouch. Twelve black-and-white Swallow Darts flew out, circling and howling toward the red-haired man.

Linghu Zhong, equally in sync, released his flying sword, which immediately intercepted the golden axe. The two experts clashed with the fury of heaven and earth, forcing all nearby cultivators—human and beast alike—to retreat. Only Lei Xiang, shielded by the Xuantian Lihuo Formation, assisted with his paired Swallow Darts.

With the black bear demon dead and Protector Sun occupied, the demon beasts he’d commanded became a rabble. Under the Crown Prince’s command, the Lihuo Nation’s cultivators used the capital’s advantageous terrain to rout the remaining beasts and reclaim the royal city.

Night had fallen, yet the duel between the two masters raged on. With Lei Xiang’s support, Linghu Zhong held a decisive advantage—Protector Sun was steadily worn down, his spiritual power close to exhaustion.

Suddenly, Protector Sun gritted his teeth and made his move. He bit through his tongue, spitting out blood and a fragment of flesh. A shroud of blood mist slowly enveloped his body. Lei Xiang couldn’t be sure what secret technique this was, but suspected it could corrupt magical tools, so he withdrew his paired Swallow Darts early. Linghu Zhong also recalled his flying sword and drew out an Autumn Water Bronze Mirror, sitting cross-legged to focus his energy.

After a moment’s thought, Lei Xiang released his own invention: the Black Cloud Rain Talisman. Three talismans formed a triangle above Protector Sun’s head, drifting down slowly. He couldn’t allow the spell to succeed, and needed to buy time for Linghu Zhong.

With a snap of his fingers, the three talismans burst, unleashing a deluge of black rain ten fathoms wide that swallowed the blood mist.

A cold snort came from within. “Such a trifling trick... Huh? This poison is odd, but what can it do to me?” The black rain was quickly absorbed by the blood mist, but Lei Xiang’s face showed a trace of mockery.

Suddenly, from deep within the thick blood mist, a surge of world-shattering spiritual energy erupted, followed by a blinding white flash. The blood mist was blasted to pieces.