Chapter 218: Tian Luo's Edgy Taunts and Xiao Qing's Strange Flame
"Do You Want to Dance Too?"
Inside the Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation at Tian Ming Sect, Tian Luo's edgy words echoed.
It was the kind of line that could make someone cringe, as though the spirit of the infamous dancer Uchiha Madara had descended.
"If Xiao Tianchen were here," thought some onlookers, "he'd probably cover his face out of secondhand embarrassment. Tian Luo, you're too much!"
Even the Soul Clan members were baffled, freezing in place for a moment.
"Dance? What is he talking about?"
The Fight Begins
Their confusion didn't last long.
"Attack!"
With a roar, the Soul Clan Dou Shengs lunged at Tian Luo. Leading them was the high level Dou Sheng, Hun Shengtian, who gathered his Dou Qi and unleashed a ferocious energy palm strike.
Unlike the lesser Dou Shengs, Hun Shengtian's attack was packed with power. Even from a distance, Tian Luo could feel the force radiating from the incoming blow.
"A Heaven tier Dou Technique? So, you're relying on my weakness, huh?" Tian Luo muttered, his tone icy.
He vanished in a blur, dodging the attack effortlessly. In the same motion, he reappeared beside Hun Shengtian and delivered a devastating punch.
"Boom!"
Hun Shengtian managed to block the punch by crossing his arms in front of his chest, but the sheer force of the blow sent him flying hundreds of meters. His arms trembled, and a sharp pain coursed through them nearly breaking.
Grimacing, Hun Shengtian gritted his teeth and stabilized himself mid air by stomping against the ground.
"Boom!"
The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward as he launched himself back toward Tian Luo like a cannonball.
An Intense Duel
The two clashed with unrelenting fury. The speed of their movements created afterimages, making it nearly impossible for anyone to follow the battle.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The sound of fists meeting flesh echoed through the formation. The other Soul Clan Dou Shengs tried to join the fray but hesitated they couldn't risk hitting Hun Shengtian.
Finally, Tian Luo found an opening.
With a spinning kick, he launched Hun Shengtian straight into the formation's energy barrier.
"Bang!"
The impact caused the barrier to tremble visibly.
Tian Luo smirked. "Hun Shengtian, you're just as pathetic as ever. I thought you'd grown stronger over the years, but without the Gate of Death, you're barely worth my time."
Hun Shengtian staggered to his feet, coughing up blood. His appearance was disheveled, his face bruised like a panda's.
"Damn it, Tian Luo!" Hun Shengtian spat, his voice venomous. "You're nothing but a puppet a mere Tian Yao Puppet! Without the ability to use Dou Techniques, how dare you look down on me?"
Despite his taunts, Hun Shengtian quickly absorbed the Soul Qi and blood energy from the formation, healing his wounds.
Tian Luo raised an eyebrow, noting the rapid recovery.
"So, this is the trick behind your formation," he mused aloud. "As long as you're not fatally struck, you can recover by leeching energy from the formation itself."
Realization dawned on him: this regenerative property was what had allowed the Soul Clan to fend off the Spirit Devouring Tribe so long ago.
"Well, if that's the case," Tian Luo said with a cold smile, "then I guess it's time to stop holding back. Let's see if you can survive this!"
Hun Shengtian and the others tensed as Tian Luo's aura surged, signaling that he was ready to fight seriously.
The Soul Clan's Desperation
"Kill him!" Hun Shengtian bellowed, launching another Heaven tier Dou Technique at Tian Luo.
The other Dou Shengs followed suit, unleashing a barrage of devastating attacks: high level Earth tier and even mid level Heaven tier Dou Techniques rained down upon Tian Luo like a storm of destruction.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Amid the chaos, Tian Luo's laughter rang out.
His movements became faster, his strikes more precise. He deflected and dodged the attacks with ease, countering with devastating blows that sent his enemies flying.
"Come on! Entertain me!" Tian Luo roared, his voice dripping with manic excitement.
In no time, the tide of the battle shifted. Despite their initial confidence, the Soul Clan members were being systematically overwhelmed.
Outside the Formation
Meanwhile, outside the Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation, the Xiao Clan forces listened to the sounds of the battle.
The intensity of the explosions and shockwaves left them in awe.
"Damn," said the Xiao Clan elder known as Fifth Uncle, shaking his head. "If not for this formation containing the fallout, the entire Tian Ming Sect would've been leveled by now!"
Hearing this, the young genius Qing Lian scoffed. "The Soul Clan sure is annoying. Even with Tian Luo inside, they're still holding on. What's taking so long?"
Xiao Wu patted Qing Lian's head in an attempt to calm him. "Relax, Tian Luo is more than capable. Apart from Hun Tiandi and Xu Wu Tun Yan, there's no one in the Soul Clan who poses a real threat to him."
Qing Lian clicked his tongue. "Waiting around is boring. Let me help burn through this formation with my flame!"
Qing Lian's Strange Flame
Without waiting for permission, Qing Lian activated his Green Lotus Core Flame, summoning a vivid green flame to hover above his palm.
Two other Xiao Clan Dou Shengs stepped forward, their own Heavenly Flames igniting.
"Fine," Xiao Wu said, sighing. "If you're so eager, go ahead. But be careful."
The three of them approached the barrier, their flames burning with intensity.
"Boom!"
As the flames struck the barrier, it began to waver under the onslaught of heat and energy.
Inside the formation, Hun Shengtian and the others immediately felt the pressure increase.
"What's going on?!" Hun Shengtian growled, glancing toward the weakening barrier.
His heart sank. The Xiao Clan was attacking from both inside and outside, and their combined might was slowly overwhelming the formation.
Although they didn't fully understand the special properties of this formation, one thing was clear Tian Luo's strength was not weak. If no nine star Dou Sheng from the Soul Clan was present, then the stalemate could only mean one thing:
Either the array was suppressing Tian Luo's strength, or it was enhancing the power of the Soul Clan's Dou Shengs. Otherwise, there was no way the battle would have dragged on this long.
Beside him, Xiao Wu was about to refuse the suggestion of Qing Lian's continued attacks, but Fifth Granduncle nodded and said:
"Let them. Attacking from both inside and outside will surely shorten the time needed to break the array!"
Hearing this, Xiao Wu nodded. Turning to Qing Lian and the others, he said:
"Qing Lian, it's up to you now. Be careful!"
With that, Qing Lian and two other Dou Shengs unleashed their Heavenly Flames once more, launching a barrage of scorching attacks against the array's protective barrier.
Meanwhile at Dan City
Just as the battle at Tian Ming Sect reached a stalemate, the situation at Dan City was equally tense.
The Soul Clan had deployed the Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation, surrounding the entire Holy Pill City. It was unclear whether anyone from the Little Pill Tower still remained inside, but outside the city, the Soul Clan had summoned the Three Thousand Burning Flames from the starry skies.
In a shocking turn, the Soul Clan seemed to have reached an agreement with the flame, allowing it to wreak havoc outside the array.
Three Thousand Burning Flames, ranked ninth on the Heavenly Flame List, was born in the starry skies. It could harness the power of the stars to amplify its strength, earning it the nickname "The Undying Flame."
In the original story, this flame's immense power was demonstrated when Xiao Yan had to face it during his battle with Old Ghost Zhai Xing, a five star Dou Zun. Xiao Yan was gravely injured, and if not for the Yin Yang Profound Dragon Pill and the flame's protective abilities, Xiao Yan's rise to power as the Flame Emperor might have ended right there.
While powerful, the Three Thousand Burning Flames couldn't compare to the strength of Dou Shengs. As soon as the Xiao Clan arrived, a semi saint quickly subdued it.
However, since the flame was nurtured by the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, it couldn't be tamed outright. The Xiao Clan decided to contain it in a spatial prison for the time being.
With the flame under control, the Xiao Clan advanced to the Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation surrounding Dan City.
Xiao Fei's Frustration
Xiao Fei, leading the Xiao Clan forces, launched repeated attacks on the array, but the barrier remained unyielding. Several Dou Zun vanguards who rushed in were instantly annihilated, leaving no trace behind.
"Damn it!" Xiao Fei cursed, his face dark with frustration. "What kind of cursed formation is this? We've attacked it so many times, and it doesn't even have a single crack!"
The other Xiao Clan experts exchanged uneasy glances. What they had expected to be a one sided slaughter had turned into a frustrating standoff. The Soul Clan wasn't engaging directly but instead hiding behind their protective array.
Beside Xiao Fei, an elder from the Xiao Clan spoke up:
"This array… it seems to be the Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation, but we don't know how to break it."
Another elder nodded and added, "I've heard of this formation, but only a few in the clan know how to deal with it. Fei'er, you should send a message to Xiao Pu, the Fifth Granduncle. He'll know what to do."
"Fifth Granduncle? He's with Xiao Wu at Tian Ming Sect." Xiao Fei frowned but nodded. "Fine, I'll ask him."
Xiao Qing Arrives
Just as Xiao Fei was about to send a message, a spatial vortex appeared beside him, and Xiao Qing stepped out.
"There's no need to ask," Xiao Qing said with a calm smile. "I already know how to break this array. The clan leader once discussed it with Tian Luo, and I happened to overhear."
"Greetings, Young Clan Leader!"
Everyone present immediately saluted Xiao Qing respectfully.
"No need for formalities," Xiao Qing replied warmly. He turned his gaze toward the barrier and explained, "This array is indeed the Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation, second only to the Soul Clan's Domain of Death Array."
Much like Tian Luo had explained at Tian Ming Sect, Xiao Qing elaborated on the method to break the array: using Heavenly Flames to burn through it.
A New Strategy
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fei's eyes lit up. He gestured to the spatial prison containing the Three Thousand Burning Flames, bringing it before him.
With a grin, Xiao Fei said, "Young Clan Leader, how about using this?"
"Oh? The Three Thousand Burning Flames?" Xiao Qing raised an eyebrow, surprised. "It seems the Soul Clan released it from the Pill Tower's starry domain. That flame might be helpful, but if they released it, they've probably struck a deal with it. It's unlikely to assist us willingly."
Xiao Qing had sent people to the Pill Tower years ago to negotiate for the flame, even offering valuable treasures in exchange. While the Pill Tower had agreed, they couldn't subdue the flame without the proper Dragon Seal. Fearing it might self destruct, the Xiao Clan had abandoned the attempt.
Now, seeing that the Soul Clan had released the flame, Xiao Qing couldn't help but feel conflicted.
With confidence, Xiao Fei said, "Young Clan Leader, if it won't cooperate, we can just extract its essence and crush it. Let's see if the Soul Clan's turtle shell can hold up to that!"
Hearing this, Xiao Qing chuckled wryly. "No need. A Heavenly Flame is a rare treasure of the world. Destroying it would be a waste. We'll keep it contained for now and take it back to the clan leader. He might find a way to tame it. As for the array, leave it to me."
Xiao Qing's Heavenly Flame
With that, Xiao Qing extended his hand, and a black flame appeared in his palm. As the flame flickered, a faint whistling sound, like the howling of wind, echoed through the air.
"The Nine Nether Wind Flame?" Xiao Fei exclaimed in shock.
"Yes," Xiao Qing confirmed, smiling. "It's ranked tenth on the Heavenly Flame List. A few years ago, Yao Dan from the Yao Clan brought it to us. I thought it was interesting, so I absorbed it."
The Nine Nether Wind Flame, born in the endless abyss of extreme yin, was formed where the fiercest wind gales howled. Its unique ability was its strange whistling sound, which could disturb emotions and throw opponents off balance.
Originally belonging to Yao Xingji, the flame had been recovered by the Yao Clan's Elder Wan Huo before eventually falling into Xiao Qing's hands thanks to Xiao Tianchen.
The Tide Turns
"With the Young Clan Leader taking charge, this will be easy!" Xiao Fei said with renewed confidence.
Xiao Qing smiled and approached the array. As the Nine Nether Wind Flame erupted from his hand, its eerie whistling sound grew louder.
"Let's begin."
(To Be Continued...)
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