Chapter 44: The Fall of Feng Xi

Before the words had even faded, a crimson sword qi surged into the sky, igniting the air across the entire abandoned factory zone.

Zhu Yan’s roar cracked the ground, its claws churning wild waves of malevolent energy.

“Jiannan Zhu! Do Itachi really think a broken sword can stop me?”

“Fengshen Bing Jian—transform into ten thousand blades!”

Several blades of malevolent energy sliced through the air, each gleaming with pitch-black radiance.

Enough to obliterate any ordinary Wanghou cultivator on contact, they now poured down like a torrential rain upon Jiannan Zhu.

Jiang Xia instinctively gripped Kusanagi Sword—he could clearly feel the aura of destruction on the blade, dwarfing what he’d faced before like a speck in the ocean.

Yet Jiannan Zhu merely lowered his gaze and flicked his fingertip lightly against the bamboo scabbard.

“Huoyin—Sword Domain!”

A wave of crimson sword wind erupted from him, and the malevolent blades shattered into wisps of smoke the moment they struck it.

The collision of the two auras flipped the entire factory building, leaving only the still-closed entrance to the secret realm; Jiang Xia and the others immediately activated their abilities to shield against the residual shockwaves.

“Damn it! We’re completely suppressed by the Shanhai Pass rules!”

Zhu Yan glared at Jiannan Zhu, whose expression remained utterly calm.

“This sword—cuts Itachi down!”

Before Zhu Yan could move, Jiannan Zhu raised his hand; the crimson sword qi around the blade coalesced into a bird with outstretched wings.

The bird’s wingspan stretched over ten feet, its feathers forged from sword qi, each one glowing with searing golden light.

As the sword descended, the bird dove straight toward Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan’s pupils shrank violently, every hair on his body standing on end. “Damn it! If I take this hit, I’ll be dead—or nearly so!”

“ROAR—!”

A deep, thunderous roar came from the side, filled with final resolve.

All turned to see Feng Xi—supposedly stationed at the battlefield’s edge—now standing squarely between Jiannan Zhu and Zhu Yan!

Its once-cloudy beast eyes blazed with terrifying brilliance; its latent bloodline energy erupted without restraint, the rolling heat warping the surrounding air.

Facing the bird of sword qi, radiating an aura of incinerating heaven and annihilating earth, Feng Xi showed not a single step back.

“Lord Zhu Yan—go!” Feng Xi’s voice was hoarse, yet resolute.

Before the words ended, it clasped its palms together, its aura exploding violently: “Burn Blood! Reverse Blood, Return to Ancestral Form—Feng Xi True Body!”

With a roar, Feng Xi wrapped its arms around its chest, its body exploding outward—its original ten-foot height instantly swelled to dozens of feet.

“Fool! Are Itachi insane?!”

Zhu Yan’s eyes bulged with rage—burning blood meant sacrificing lifespan and foundation; once cast, it could ruin cultivation or erase soul and body entirely.

But Feng Xi did not look back. Its massive palm slammed into the ground: “Feng Xi Technique—Body as Seal to Subdue All Laws!”

The earth trembled violently; the foundation of the abandoned factory zone was ripped upward.

Countless steel bars and concrete coalesced before it into a colossal mound of earth.

This was a forbidden secret technique of the Feng Xi clan—using its own blood as a catalyst to summon the earth’s power, forming an absolute defense while fusing its own body with the barrier.

At that moment, the fire bird dove down, leaving trails of flame.

“BOOM!” The fire bird struck the earth mound—the impact exploded outward with terrifying force.

Jiang Xia and the others were flung dozens of feet by the shockwave, weapons nearly slipping from their grasp.

On the mountain’s peak, cracks spread visibly across its surface; golden flames seeped through the fissures, burning Feng Xi’s soul.

Feng Xi groaned, black blood pouring from its lips, yet it held the mountain firm, continuously pouring its essence into the cracks, trying to mend them.

“Lord Zhu Yan… go…”

Feng Xi’s voice grew fainter, its body turning translucent—the power of reversed blood and ancestral return was draining rapidly.

The fire bird’s assault intensified; its feathers swept violently, flames instantly engulfing the entire earth mound.

“CRACK!”

The mound shattered—Feng Xi’s body sizzled under the fire, its skin charred black.

Yet it still stretched out its massive palm, shielding Zhu Yan, and with its last breath roared: “GO!”

Before the words faded, the fire bird slammed into Feng Xi’s chest—golden flames instantly swallowed it whole. “No—!”

Zhu Yan let out a piercing shriek, eyes bloodshot—Feng Xi had traded its life for his chance to survive.

He cast one final, deep look at Feng Xi, consumed by fire, gritted his teeth, and turned to sprint toward the newly opened secret realm entrance.

Jiannan Zhu raised his sword to pursue, but Jiang Xia blocked his path.

“Senior Jiannan, conserve your strength and stay outside—this battle for destiny I will handle!”

Jiannan Zhu’s sword hand froze mid-air; he looked down at Jiang Xia standing before him.

“Do Itachi know what this means?” His voice betrayed no emotion, only the lingering warmth of Huoyin Sword in the air.

“I know!” Jiang Xia gripped Kusanagi Sword, his voice brimming with unshakable confidence.

“Inside the destiny realm, our cultivation levels are equal—I have a hundred percent chance of defeating it! Besides, the Cult of the Demonic God still needs your attention.”

Jiannan Zhu said no more, stepped aside, and sheathed Huoyin Sword.

“Go,” he said, his gaze fixed on the secret realm’s entrance, deep and unreadable. “I’ll handle the Cult of the Demonic God outside.”

“But remember—even though this concerns the future of humanity, Itachi must return safely.”

Jiang Xia nodded firmly, no longer hesitating, and turned to sprint toward the entrance, vanishing into the warped light gate.

Jiannan Zhu watched Jiang Xia’s retreating figure, slowly clenched his fist, then vanished into a nearby dense forest.

The moment Jiang Xia stepped into the secret realm, a gentle, pure energy enveloped his entire body, instantly elevating his cultivation base to the Sacred Realm through the power of destiny!

【Ding~ System detects host about to participate in the Destiny Struggle】

【Quest released: Defeat Zhu Yan within the Destiny Struggle and revive humanity】

【Reward: Substantial】

Jiang Xia mentally deactivated the system.

“Destiny energy? Interesting.”

A cold, sinister voice came from the side—Zhu Yan stepped forward.

His malevolent energy had thinned considerably; he now stood at normal human size.

But his bloodshot eyes burned even redder than in the factory zone.

“Here, I’m no longer suppressed by Shanhai Order. Let’s see if Itachi can still defeat me at equal cultivation!”

Jiang Xia gripped Kusanagi Sword, clearly sensing his power being reshaped by the realm’s rules.

His cultivation, once inferior to Zhu Yan’s, now matched it perfectly—each breath drew equal amounts of spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

Jiang Xia raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly: “Before entering, I had a hundred percent confidence. Now? A hundred and ten percent.”

“Itachi’re arrogant. Earlier, I’d just awakened, my techniques limited by my cultivation and Shanhai Order—Itachi got lucky.”

“This time, even at equal level, I’ll defeat Itachi effortlessly!”

………..

Deep in the forest, Zhao Xianhai was under attack by three Cult of the Demonic God guardians, his meridians shattered.

Beside him, Liu Qingxuan was missing; all other academy heads had gathered here, surrounded by Cult members.

Just as a red-robed guardian prepared to deliver the killing blow, Shen Wenru broke free from Lu Wujiu and ordered: “Mission accomplished—retreat, all of Itachi!”

As he spoke, black mist surged around him; using Xuan Ye’s power, he tore open a spatial rift and slipped through first.

The remaining Cult members, seeing this, abandoned battle and fled instantly, vanishing without a trace.

When Jiannan Zhu arrived, the forest held only the dead and wounded Night Watchers, and two academy heads gathered around Zhao Xianhai, drenched in blood.

Jiannan Zhu’s expression darkened instantly—if no sorcerer remained to assist inside the realm…

Even if Jiang Xia defeated Zhu Yan, no one could guide the crucial destiny energy of humanity.

Zhao Xianhai lay on the ground, not showing despair; instead, blood frothed at his lips as he weakly smiled, his eyes filled with quiet relief.

Li Wenru crouched beside him, staring at his ruined body, face filled with panic: “Old Zhao, your meridians are all shattered—what do we do now?”

“Without Itachi to channel the sorcery, even if Jiang Xia wins inside, we’ll still…”