Chapter 147: Thoroughly Killing the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat

147. Chapter 147: Thoroughly Killing the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat

"What do you want with it?" Tang Chen looked at Li Xuan with puzzlement; a problem that even a ninety‑nine‑level Limit Douluo couldn't solve—could a twenty‑nine‑level junior soul master solve?

"I have some special means; let's see if I can completely deal with it." Li Xuan pointed at the Golden Bat and said.

"Fine, give it a try. If it dies, no problem; I'll just catch it again." Tang Chen nodded, then pinched the Golden Bat and tossed it to Li Xuan. He was already prepared to re‑enter the Blood Pool to capture the Golden Bat again, after all, that thing truly can revive.

Li Xuan's spirit stirred, and the Burning Heart Divine Flame instantly entered the Golden Bat's body; now the Golden Bat was merely a fragile physical form, and the Burning Heart Divine Flame instantly ignited its Heart Fire.

The Golden Bat, which had already resigned to its fate, suddenly surged violently.

However, after the dark‑golden Three‑Headed Bat split, it had virtually no power and couldn't even break free from Li Xuan's control.

It already sensed that the Burning Heart Divine Flame could damage its soul, which is its very source; it cannot simply await death.

Tang Chen stared at Li Xuan's move and was momentarily stunned; as a Limit Douluo, Tang Chen's eyesight was still sharp, and he discerned that the Golden Bat's body temperature was skyrocketing and it was unusually irritable. He lowered his head, suddenly feeling that this energy resembled the energy he sensed when he had just awakened.

"Squeak… squeak‑squeak…"

Suddenly, Li Xuan heard a series of shrill bat cries, growing from distant to near; Li Xuan and Tang Chen simultaneously lifted their heads toward the direction of the bats, and countless Crimson Bats swarmed down upon them like a blanket.

"Your method is truly bizarre." Tang Chen furrowed his brows, speaking to Li Xuan with puzzlement; he hadn't expected Li Xuan's tactics to be so extensive.

"Heh heh." Li Xuan merely chuckled, saying nothing; although he had saved Tang Chen, Tang Chen was not an ally, and his methods could not be fully disclosed to him.

Li Xuan only ignited the Golden Bat's Heart Fire; while the depletion of Heart Fire wouldn't cause immediate death, it would wound its soul, and recovery would take a long time.

Moreover, these Crimson Bats were not summoned by the Golden Bat; they simply sensed the Golden Bat's injury and instinctively flew over.

"Should we leave first?" Tang Chen furrowed his brows, looking at the overwhelming swarm of bats, and asked Li Xuan.

Tang Chen wasn't afraid of these small bats, but Li Xuan was; in Tang Chen's keen eyes, Li Xuan was a weakling.

Li Xuan shook his head, slowly closed his eyes, and a Golden‑Red Fire Lotus composed of Burning Heart Divine Flame appeared above his head; the lotus was crystal clear like a carved gem, radiating intense heat.

Li Xuan released the Fire Lotus not to incinerate the bats, but to use the Burning Heart Divine Flame to stir their Heart Fire, causing them to die on their own.

These Crimson little bats were also creations cultivated by the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat using its own spiritual power; as soon as the Burning Heart Divine Flame ignites their Heart Fire, it will greatly drain the spiritual power within each, and once that power is exhausted, the bats cannot revive.

It was also to prevent the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat from having a fallback that Li Xuan intended to kill these small bats; otherwise, dealing with the Golden Bat wouldn't be so troublesome.

Initially, Li Xuan estimated that these small bats could revive at most twice before all their spiritual power would be exhausted.

However, Li Xuan clearly overestimated the spiritual power within these bats; before they could even launch an attack, the bats nearest to Li Xuan began melting one by one, turning into Crimson liquid that returned to the Blood Pool.

Starting with one or two, and ending like rain, they crackled down from the sky, and in the blink of an eye a Crimson rain began to fall.

Tang Chen hurried to Li Xuan's side, raising an energy shield to protect both of them inside.

After a dozen minutes, the blood rain gradually ceased; when Tang Chen lowered the shield, no small bats were visible around them. Li Xuan then withdrew the Burning Heart Divine Flame atop his head back into his body. With the small bats dealt with, Li Xuan proceeded to handle the Golden Bat still thrashing in his hand.

He looked at the Golden Bat in his hand, thought it over, and finally hardened his heart.

"Looks like this segment of Soul‑Nurturing Wood can't be kept; we'll have to cultivate another segment tomorrow." Li Xuan sighed, then took the freshly polished small piece of Soul‑Nurturing Wood from around his neck.

Without hesitation, he thrust it directly into the bat's abdomen, piercing the Golden Bat.

The bat frantically struggled in Li Xuan's hand, but it couldn't break free at all.

"Hmph, still trying to turn the tables?" Li Xuan sneered, then crushed the Golden Bat's head.

As the Golden Bat fully perished, the soul of the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat within its body was immediately drawn into the Soul‑Nurturing Wood.

Having lost the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat's soul, it also lost any ability to revive.

Li Xuan produced the iron box he had before and tossed this piece of Soul‑Nurturing Wood into it.

Up to now, the souls of the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat have finally been gathered.

One has been absorbed by Li Xuan, another lies dormant in a soul bone; there's no good way to handle it for now, since it's the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat's own soul bone, and unless someone absorbs that bone, the soul cannot awaken.

Aside from those two that cannot be present, the remaining seven portions of the soul are trapped in the Soul‑Nurturing Wood, sealed by Li Xuan inside the iron box.

The Golden Bat also turned into Crimson liquid and returned to the Blood Pool.

Now that Li Xuan has gathered all nine souls of the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat, though he cannot summon a divine dragon, he can ensure the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat will never revive.

After completing all this, Li Xuan finally lifted his head and glanced at Tang Chen.

"Xuan Ge'er'er, your methods truly are unfathomably bizarre." Tang Chen surveyed the surroundings, noting that no new Golden Bats had appeared, and praised Li Xuan with those words.

Tang Chen thought to himself that if Li Xuan were his disciple of the Clear Sky Sect, the sect could prosper for another hundred years.

"Just a minor trick, nothing to brag about; it merely happens to counter the odd nature of the Crimson Nine‑Headed Bat. By the way, Grand Priest, I have another request." Li Xuan smiled, waved his hand, and said to Tang Chen.

"A request? Xuan Ge'er'er, no need to be formal; I owe you a life. Whatever it is, just tell me." Tang Chen was momentarily stunned, then gave a hearty laugh, patted Li Xuan's shoulder, and said earnestly to him.

"Could you give me that monster snake's corpse? I have some use for it." Li Xuan looked at Tang Chen and said seriously.

The Ten‑Headed Blazing Sun Snake is what Li Xuan most desires; barring any mishap, its corpse should be in Tang Chen's hands.

(End of Chapter)