Chapter 1416: The Rebellious Little Monster

It's no wonder the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor let them wade straight into the fire—it was the only way. Baoxin and the others pursued cautiously, afraid of being struck by falling burning wood, so their speed naturally couldn't increase. He Lingchuan and his two companions were about to leave the fire zone when they looked back and saw that the others had not yet covered half the distance.

The divine bone necklace suddenly rattled a few times, as if something wanted to pop out. He Lingchuan seemed to realize something, probably understanding what was happening, and thus said to the Weng brothers: "You go out."

Actually, they didn't need his instruction; the two brothers leapt out of the burning hall in two steps for every three, heading toward the mountain path behind.

They couldn't help but take a long breath of clear, cold air—escaping the fire felt wonderful!

The two brothers exchanged a glance, seeing that each other's faces were blackened with soot.

Looking back again, they saw the black-armored man standing at the edge of the fire, exhaling a long breath like a howling gale.

Even a speck of white flame was exhaled, thrown into the fire.

With a "whoosh," oil was poured on the fire, and the white-hot flames spread wildly! Weng Xing couldn't help but exclaim: "Amazing! He actually put the white flame back inside the hall."

The true fire cultivated by Xuezongwu—even the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor could control it at will.

What principle is this? Weng Xing couldn't figure it out.

Earlier, Baoxin and the others could follow He Lingchuan's trio into the fire because the white flame had been withdrawn, making ordinary fire no threat to his divine abilities; now that He Lingchuan's trio had passed through the fire hall smoothly and turned back to return the white flame to the fire, this...

"Let's go." He Lingchuan released the white flame, turned, and headed up the mountain: "They won't be able to catch up for a while."

Baoxin was a newly arrived pursuer on North Mountain, unaware of what had just happened here, only catching sight of a pitch-black shadow standing at the rear gate of the hall through the gaps in falling timber and flames.

"Hurry and chase!" Given the distance between the two sides, they could catch up! But there was also a personal guard of Xuezongwu in the ranks who, seeing the white flame spreading this way, immediately shouted: "Not good, run fast! General Xue's white flame fire spirit is charging over—it burns everything!"

Just moments ago, several companions had died here, only he had escaped the fire alive—did he now have to die here again in the blink of an eye? Hearing this, Baoxin's face changed, and he decisively said: "Go back, retreat!"

Xuezongwu possessed a white flame that wasn't entirely a magical artifact, and they knew this. Even with elemental power protecting the body, that little thing burning people still hurt terribly. Now this burning hall had become its domain, and the power of the white fire spirit was amplified manifold here. Even if he and Fu Wending could endure it, what about the Peach Blossom Mountain Villa and so many soldiers? Upon hearing this, no one dared to linger—they turned and fled back the way they came.

At this moment, the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor turned at the rear hall door and departed calmly.

Between Baoxin and him raged the ferocious white flame fire spirit and crackling falling timber; though unwilling, he dared not pursue, only able to watch helplessly as that black silhouette vanished from sight.

Zhao Guangzhi also didn't know where he had crawled out from, his tree trunk burned down to half, yet he still bowled over two people, frightening the rest.

The others still heard his shrill laughter coming from the fire, which only gradually faded after more than ten breaths.

Midway, a firebeam fell and crushed another person.

By the time the crowd overcame all obstacles and rushed out of the fire, the white flame had already caught up to the last three.

Two of them were Xue family soldiers, protected by elemental power, merely burned by the white flame into howling in pain, sprinting out of the fire before collapsing and rolling a few times on the ground, barely managing to press out the flames; the third was a villa servant, whom the white flame, with a "whoosh," burned into a fire-man, even collapsing before escaping the fire.

Under everyone's eyes, he was burned on the spot into charcoal.

After one trip into the fire, less than half a cup of tea's time passed and four people were dead.

They hadn't even exchanged blows with the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor.

Baoxin's face changed: "How did the power of the white flame suddenly become this strong?"

That was originally Xuezongwu's shoulder-crouching beast; he had teased it before.

"It might have absorbed power from this fire zone." Fu Wending was examining the wounded's fire burns: "If I'm not mistaken, that black-armored man previously swallowed the white flame?"

"Yes." Baoxin also saw it: "We hadn't been in the hall long when the white flame reappeared—apparently the black-armored man released it to block us."

The timing was truly precise—those few people were really sinister.

Fu Wending puzzled: "How could this little thing help Xuezongwu's enemy?"

"I don't know." Baoxin worried: "What now?"

"Send a message to the master, then call in aerial scouts." The two of them were not officials in Wang Ting, not enlisted soldiers commanding troops, had no elemental protection, and now dared not rashly enter the hall.

Baoxin's fire-proof artifact couldn't resist this fierce true fire, but they were agile: "We'll climb up from the side cliff."

The mountain path was inside the hall—ordinary people couldn't climb it.

But they weren't ordinary people.

……

After repelling the pursuers, the white flame circled once inside the hall, then chased after He Lingchuan's trio.

Hearing the movement, the Weng brothers turned back, their faces changing: "Master, be careful—the fire monster is coming again!"

The black-armored leader stood firm and turned; the Weng brothers immediately hid behind him.

Now they had a backer, with nothing to lose face over.

The white flame lunged forward, mighty and scorching, Weng Xing's beard nearly singed, yet the black-armored leader didn't move.

Before they could act, the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor slightly shifted sideways, and the white flame plunged straight onto his shoulder.

In an instant, the flames and firelight vanished; on the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor's battle armor appeared a pitch-black crouching beast.

Weng Xing wondered: "Huh, it changed color?"

Earlier, when crouching on Xuezongwu's shoulder, this little beast was silver-gray; now it had merged with the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor's battle armor, turning pure black.

Even the dullest person could see: this little ferocious beast had recognized its enemy as master.

The Weng brothers exchanged a glance—tonight, everything was unbelievable, and they suspected they were dreaming.

Had they already avenged Lord Tu's grudge in the dream? "Follow." The Nine Abyssal Great Emperor urged them: "Time is pressing."

They hadn't yet successfully escaped.

Others fled down the mountain, but He Lingchuan's trio had to climb up first to withdraw.

Fortunately, the three had already scouted the area and knew the high cliff lay ahead.

Weng Xing suddenly said: "There are avian demons chasing us in the sky."

The burning hall blocked the road—people couldn't pass, but winged beings could.

He Lingchuan had long known this; the Soul-Capturing Mirror had already warned him several times. The three sped up, then suddenly darted under two camphor trees.

Both were old trees, with dense foliage and thick canopies. On such a night, the area beneath them was pitch-black, letting through no light at all.

The three vanished instantly.

The blue robin that had been tracking them from above circled a few times, found the three no longer appearing, feared losing them, and had to descend to observe.

As it just descended into the tree shade, a flash of cold light swept below, chopping off several leaves.

(This chapter ends)