Chapter 231: Fierce Battle

"Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame!!"

Lin Zixiao gazed at the ice-blue spiritual flame in Qin Ming's hand and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Truly unexpected! Fellow Daoist Qin is indeed a person of extraordinary fortune."

"So it turns out that the one who took the treasures from the other two light shields within the Yunze Dahuang ruin secret realm back then was actually Fellow Daoist Qin."

Qin Ming's Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame had previously devoured his companion's second-rank demonic fire, then fused and refined it with his own Foundation Establishment Innate True Fire.

Now, the Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame had also advanced to the peak of the second rank, only one step away from breaking through to the third rank.

If he and Lin Zixiao were to decide a winner today, perhaps his Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame could advance to the third rank.

As for Lin Zixiao recognizing his Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame at a glance, that was also within his expectations.

After all, Lin Zixiao had obtained the demonic path inheritance from that ruin back then; surely, there must have been mentions and introductions regarding the Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame within it.

"That's right; wasn't Fellow Daoist Lin also able to seize that ruin's inheritance right under the noses of several major sects?" Qin Ming stated plainly as well.

Lin Zixiao's eyes flickered; just now, his Lei Ting had killed three peak Foundation Establishment cultivators in succession, yet Qin Ming, who had watched the entire process, hadn't shown the slightest change in expression, and staring at Qin Ming, he found himself unable to see through the other party.

He suddenly recalled that Qin Ming was the only cultivator who had nearly killed him during his many years of roaming the demonic path.

He was well aware that the other party was no ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator and could not be judged by conventional standards.

"Over these years, I have also heard many legendary deeds about Fellow Daoist Qin."

"Outsiders only know that Fellow Daoist Qin is a spirit planter of supreme skill, incompetent in combat magic."

"They are likely gravely mistaken."

"In reality, Fellow Daoist Qin's true cultivation level is probably not low, is it?"

"Furthermore, I have a question I find very puzzling."

"How did Fellow Daoist Qin see through my disguise?"

Qin Ming had no interest in bantering with him.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, much talk is useless."

"As for cultivation levels? We will know the truth only when we test each other hand-to-hand."

Having said this, Qin Ming's gaze turned sharp, and the Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame in his hand suddenly transformed into an ice-blue firebird, emitting a soul-shaking aura.

Seeing Qin Ming make his move, Lin Zixiao's eyes likewise turned cold, and the Qingluo Demonic Fire in his hand once again transformed into a winged ghost creature, wailing as it pounced toward Qin Ming.

Boom! Bang! Two high-rank heavenly and earthly spiritual flames, one blue and one black, collided violently in mid-air! Countless flames scattered in all directions, and terrifying fluctuations echoed through the clouds.

For a moment, the two spiritual flames were evenly matched, entangling each other in mid-air, as if determined to devour one another and never give up.

Lin Zixiao's surrounding demonic energy surged explosively, his figure instantly vanishing from the spot; when he reappeared, he swung his hand toward Qin Ming, slashing out several black ribbons of light over ten zhang long.

The black ribbons of light sliced through Qin Ming's body, yet they struck only an afterimage.

Whoosh! Qin Ming formed a hand seal and pointed a finger, causing countless black vines to spread wildly from beneath Lin Zixiao's feet.

Gazing at these black vines, Lin Zixiao felt a sudden, heart-pounding sense of dread arise in his brow.

He could sense that once entangled by them, he would absolutely be doomed to die without doubt.

In the next instant, Lin Zixiao's figure blurred momentarily, suddenly transforming into a pitch-black mist and vanishing from the spot.

He had narrowly and perilously avoided the entanglement of the black thorns.

"Foundation Establishment Late Stage!!" Lin Zixiao looked at Qin Ming with lingering fear.

Qin Ming did not pursue; instead, he bit through his middle finger, formed a hand seal, and traced a strange blood-colored rune in the void, a secret technique from the 'Yuansha Seed Demon True Scripture' capable of enhancing the power of spiritual flames.

"Zha!"

Under Qin Ming's command, the blood-colored rune merged into the Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame that was currently battling the Qingluo Demonic Fire. Whoosh! In an instant, the ice-blue form of the Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame firebird swelled massively, stirring up a towering wave of heat in the air that suddenly overwhelmed the Qingluo Demonic Fire.

And it began to devour the cyan-black flames.

Seeing this scene, Lin Zixiao, who had just flown backward in retreat, couldn't help but undergo a sudden change in expression! This Qingluo Demonic Fire was something he had obtained through great scheming; merely waiting for the opportunity to enter the demonic cave had taken him a full ten years.

Added to that, hunting cultivators and absorbing souls to refine the demonic fire had cost him tremendous effort and blood.

It was a rare and powerful trump card of his; even against peak Foundation Establishment cultivators of the same rank, he could rely on this demonic fire to kill instantly.

Now, seeing his crucial demonic fire about to be devoured by Qin Ming's poison flame.

Lin Zixiao hurriedly tried to recall the Qingluo Demonic Fire, only to discover it was entangled by the Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame and could no longer be withdrawn.

"Fellow Daoist Qin is still, after all these years, the first cultivator to force me to go all out."

Seeing the situation, Lin Zixiao stopped holding back, and an object resembling a map appeared in his hand.

Then, Lin Zixiao tossed this item into the air; a blood-colored map slowly unfurled, emitting a heart-trembling fluctuation.

"Nine-Bend Blood Refinement Great Formation!"

The next moment, as Lin Zixiao activated it, the blood-colored map suddenly expanded, unfolding in the sky into a scroll dozens of zhang long, from which burst forth a curtain of light interwoven with black and red.

Immediately afterward, the scene before Qin Ming's eyes suddenly changed.

He was astonished to find himself situated within a world constructed from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Everywhere was filled with a nauseating bloody scent.

Countless blood-colored mountains, rivers, and streams resembled an inescapable maze; one careless step would completely trigger the formation's restrictions.

Even within Qin Ming's mind, a slight sensation of dizziness gently arose.

Outside the formation.

Lin Zixiao, manipulating the Nine-Bend Blood Refinement Great Formation, was just about to free his hands to retrieve his Qingluo Demonic Fire.

But then, an ominous premonition arose within him again.

Roar! Inside the formation, a four-armed demonic ape illusory image emerged behind Qin Ming, opening a pair of bizarre double pupils, from which two beams of crimson mysterious light swept out.

Various illusions within the Nine-Bend Blood Refinement Great Formation began to collapse one after another, turning into countless bubbles.

Furthermore, the formation diagram spiritual tool released by Lin Zixiao was punched back into its original form by the demonic ape, with a long crack splitting open at one corner, clearly indicating damaged spirituality.

Pfft! Lin Zixiao spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his eyes revealing horror as he stared at Qin Ming in disbelief; had the other party actually grown to such an extent? This Nine-Bend Blood Refinement Great Formation had consumed his life's efforts; it was a second-rank top-grade great formation.

In terms of sheer power, it was already no weaker than some ordinary third-tier great formations.

Yet Qin Ming had broken the formation in merely a few breaths, something Lin Zixiao found somewhat unacceptable.

Qin Ming definitely harbored a secret!

But which rogue cultivator capable of advancing to Foundation Establishment did not have secrets?

In all his years roaming the demonic path, Lin Zixiao had never once encountered a cultivator who could make him eat dirt.

With a gloomy expression, he stored away the damaged formation diagram; just as he was about to unleash a secret technique, the hairs on his back suddenly stood on end!

Lin Zixiao instinctively shifted to dodge, but it was still too late.

Hiss! Three jet-black earth spikes abruptly pierced out from the void.

Even with Lin Zixiao's swift reaction, one of the black earth spikes still pierced through his abdomen.

A gray figure quietly materialized from the void, baring sharp fangs as it bit toward him.

(End of Chapter)