Chapter 278: Fierce Battle

"Soul-Devouring Poison Flame!!"

Lin Zi saw the ice-blue spiritual flame in Qin Ming's hand and exclaimed in surprise.

"I never expected it! Qin Daoist is truly a man of extraordinary fortune."

"So it was Qin Daoist who took the treasures inside the other two light shields back in the Yunze Great Wasteland Ruins."

Qin Ming's Soul-Devouring Poison Flame had previously devoured the second-rank demonic fire of Lin Zi's companion, then fused and refined it with his own Foundation Establishment primordial fire.

Now, the Soul-Devouring Poison Flame had also advanced to second-rank upper grade, just one step away from breaking into third rank.

If he and Lin Zi were to settle this today, perhaps his Soul-Devouring Poison Flame could ascend to the third rank.

That Lin Zi recognized his Soul-Devouring Poison Flame at once was also within his expectations.

After all, Lin Zi had obtained the demonic inheritance from that ruin; surely it mentioned and described the Soul-Devouring Poison Flame.

"Correct," Qin Ming replied bluntly. "Lin Daoist also took that ruin's inheritance right under the noses of several major sects."

Lin Zi's gaze flickered. He had just used thunder to kill three Foundation Establishment peak cultivators, while Qin Ming watched the entire scene without a single change in expression—he couldn't read Qin Ming at all.

He suddenly recalled that Qin Ming was the only cultivator in all these years who had nearly killed him.

He knew well that this man was no ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator; he could not be judged by ordinary standards.

"Over the years, I've heard many legendary tales about Qin Daoist."

"Others believe Qin Daoist is merely an unparalleled spiritual plant master, inept in combat."

"They are utterly mistaken."

"In truth, Qin Daoist's true cultivation base is hardly low, is it not?"

"Moreover, I have one question I cannot understand."

"How did Qin Daoist see through my disguise?"

Qin Ming had no interest in wasting words.

"Lin Daoist, more talk is pointless."

"What your cultivation base truly is? Let your hands speak the truth."

Saying this, Qin Ming's gaze sharpened, and the Soul-Devouring Poison Flame in his hand instantly transformed into an ice-blue firebird, radiating a soul-chilling aura.

Seeing Qin Ming act, Lin Zi's eyes turned icy, and his Green Silk Demonic Flame once again took shape as a winged ghostly creature, wailing as it lunged toward Qin Ming.

BOOM! CRASH! Two high-rank heavenly spiritual flames collided violently in midair—flames scattered everywhere, their terrifying shockwaves echoing through the clouds.

For a time, the two spiritual flames were evenly matched, entwined in midair, as if neither would rest until it devoured the other.

Lin Zi's demonic aura surged violently; his body vanished instantly from the spot, reappearing moments later as he swept his hand toward Qin Ming, slashing out dozens of black ribbons over ten zhang long.

The black ribbons sliced through Qin Ming's body—but struck only a lingering afterimage.

SHH! Qin Ming formed a hand seal and pointed; countless black vines erupted wildly from beneath Lin Zi's feet.

Lin Zi stared at the black vines, and a sudden, chilling dread pierced his third eye.

He sensed that if caught, he would surely die without a doubt.

In the next instant, Lin Zi's form blurred, suddenly dissolving into a wisp of pitch-black smoke and vanishing from his original position.

He barely escaped the entanglement of the black thorns.

"Foundation Establishment late stage!!" Lin Zi stared at Qin Ming, heart still pounding.

Qin Ming did not pursue. Instead, he bit his middle finger, formed a hand seal, and traced a strange crimson rune in the air—a secret technique from the Yuan Sha Zhong Mo Zhen Jing that enhanced the power of spiritual flames.

"Zhā!"

Under Qin Ming's command, the crimson rune sank into the Soul-Devouring Poison Flame as it battled the Green Silk Demonic Flame. JIū! Instantly, the ice-blue firebird swelled in size, a colossal heatwave surging through the air and overwhelming the Green Silk Demonic Flame.

It began to devour the black-green flame.

Seeing this, Lin Zi—who had just retreated—paled instantly. This Green Silk Demonic Flame was something he had labored endlessly to obtain; he had waited a full decade just for the chance to enter the demonic cave.

Then came the killing of cultivators, absorbing their souls to refine the flame—much of his life's effort went into it.

It was one of his most powerful trump cards, capable of instantly killing even a Foundation Establishment peak cultivator.

Now, seeing his most vital demonic flame about to be devoured by Qin Ming's poison flame,

Lin Zi frantically tried to recall the Green Silk Demonic Flame—but found it entangled by the Soul-Devouring Poison Flame, beyond his control.

"Qin Daoist is the first cultivator in all these years to force me to unleash my full strength."

Seeing this, Lin Zi no longer held back. A scroll-like object appeared in his hand.

He tossed it into the air, and a crimson map slowly unfurled, radiating a terrifying aura.

"Nine-Turn Blood Refining Array!"

The next instant, as Lin Zi activated it, the crimson map exploded in size, unfolding into a dozens-zhang-long painting in the sky, unleashing a curtain of black-and-red light.

Immediately, Qin Ming's surroundings changed abruptly.

He realized he was now trapped in a world forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

The air reeked of nauseating blood.

Countless crimson rivers and mountains twisted like an endless labyrinth—step wrong, and the array's seals would detonate instantly.

Even Qin Ming's mind felt a faint wave of dizziness.

Outside the array,

Lin Zi controlled the Nine-Turn Blood Refining Array, preparing to retrieve his Green Silk Demonic Flame.

But a sense of dread stirred within him.

ROAR! Inside the array, Qin Ming's back revealed a four-armed demonic monkey phantom, its strange double pupils opening wide, spewing two beams of crimson divine light.

All illusions within the Nine-Turn Blood Refining Array began collapsing, dissolving into countless bubbles.

The array's spirit artifact—the map—was struck by the demonic monkey's fist and reverted to its original form, a long crack splitting one corner, clearly damaging its spiritual essence.

PUFF! Lin Zi spat out a mouthful of blood, eyes wide with horror as he stared at Qin Ming—had he grown this powerful? This Nine-Turn Blood Refining Array was his life's work, a second-rank supreme array.

In pure power, it rivaled even some ordinary third-rank arrays.

Yet Qin Ming shattered it in mere breaths—Lin Zi could not accept it.

Qin Ming must have secrets!

But which cultivator who rose from the wilderness to Foundation Establishment didn't have secrets?

In all his years dominating the demonic path, Lin Zi had never before met a cultivator who made him suffer such a setback.

His face darkened as he retracted the damaged array map, about to activate a secret technique—when every hair on his back stood on end!

Lin Zi instinctively shifted to dodge—but it was too late.

CHI! Three pitch-black spikes erupted suddenly from the void.

Even with his swift reaction, one black spike pierced straight through his abdomen.

A gray figure emerged silently from the void, jaws wide, lunging to bite him.

(End of Chapter)