Chapter 80: Chapter Eighty: How Could the Ancient Black Panther Be Like This?

Luo Changfeng's Cloud-Splitting Sword first sliced through the stagnant air; wherever the blade passed, it actually stirred up a muffled wind‑thunder sound. The black panther ahead obviously didn't expect Luo Changfeng to launch a sudden attack; it instinctively shrank back, but it was too late—the blade grazed its forepaw, kicking up a spray of black‑red blood.

"Howl——!" the black panther roared in pain, a deafening bellow that shook the icicles on the cavern walls loose, sending them scattering down.

Almost at the same instant, Qi Chengshuang's Silver Soul Sword turned into a silver flash of lightning; he gave a low shout, and the sword tip tapped seven times in the air, each strike precisely aiming at the vital point of the other black panther.

That black panther was agile, dodging repeatedly in the tight space, but the seventh strike finally left a deep wound at its shoulder blade, deep enough to see the bone.

Ruan Xinli's flexible sword writhed like a serpent spitting its tongue, her style taking oblique angles; though not as fierce as Qi Chengshuang's, it excelled in unpredictability. When the third black panther lunged, her blade suddenly bent into an unimaginable angle, striking from the beast's blind spot toward its throat; the panther twisted desperately, the tip only nicked its ear, but this blow made it dare not rashly attack.

"Fine swordsmanship!" Luo Changfeng laughed, his sword never ceasing; with a move "Forceful Split of Mount Hua, Heavenward Slash," the wounded black panther barely dodged—the blade scraped its spine and slammed into the ground, actually cleaving a three‑foot‑deep crack in the hard frozen earth.

Qi Chengshuang also didn't waste the opportunity, flickering like a ghost to the black panther's flank; his Silver Soul Sword thrust straight for its throat, and in its haste the panther raised a forepaw to block—blade meeting claw actually sparked a few sparks.

"Be careful, this black panther's claws are hard!" Qi Chengshuang's pupils contracted slightly; he saw the claws gleaming with a metallic sheen, and a doubt arose in his mind—it is said that this black panther clan, like the Crimson Thread Bird, fell into the Lotus Secret Realm to guard the Seven-Colored Fire Lotus, yet this black panther doesn't resemble an ancient ferocious beast; instead it seems specially bred by some people for hunting here.

Hearing this, Ruan Xinli's heart tightened; she waved her flexible sword more urgently, catching sight of Shi Ran still curled up quietly behind them, her pallid face etched with flickering firelight, red threads wandering—she couldn't tell whether it was the fire or the threads, and unconsciously bit her lip.

The three black panthers seemed to reach some tacit understanding, suddenly stepping back together a few steps, then fanning out to encircle the four of them in the center. Their amber eyes flickered with an eerie light in the darkness, and from their throats came a low gurgling, as if they were communicating something.

Beads of fine sweat dotted Luo Changfeng's forehead, yet his sword‑hand remained steady as a rock. "These black panthers are strange!" he lowered his voice, "Guess what they're saying?"

"Of course they're studying how to kill us," Qi Chengshuang said, already used to his senior brother's occasional madness; he didn't elaborate, his Silver Soul Sword trembling slightly in his grip and emitting a faint hum. He said coldly, "Never mind what they're saying—when soldiers come, generals block them; when water comes, earth dams it. In my view, the legendary black panther clan is nothing special!"

Just as they were speaking, the black panther on the left suddenly erupted, no longer charging straight but skimming the ground at high speed, its claws aiming for Luo Changfeng's lower stance; at the same moment, the black panther on the right leapt high, cutting off his upward escape route.

"Watch out!"

Ruan Xinli gasped, her flexible sword darting out like a serpent from its hole, trying to intercept the leaping black panther—but the largest black panther in the middle suddenly lunged at her, forcing her to pull back her sword to defend herself.

At the critical moment, Qi Chengshuang flickered, appearing simultaneously in two places; he first used his Silver Soul Sword to lift and deflect the black panther's claws, then struck with his left palm, squarely hitting the face of the black panther lunging from the ground—the beast winced, and its attack stalled.

Luo Changfeng seized that split‑second opening, swung his sword in a wide arc; the blade's wind howled, forcing the two black panthers to retreat—one had its hind leg sliced by the blade, blood instantly pouring out.

"Senior brother, cooperate with me!" Qi Chengshuang bellowed, suddenly holding his Silver Soul Sword upright before him and charging forward like a whirlwind; Luo Changfeng flashed, leapt onto Qi Chengshuang's shoulders, borrowed the force to spring into the air, and his Cloud‑Splitting Sword turned into a shower of heavenly stars that engulfed the two black panthers.

The relatively lightly injured black panther roared angrily, actually charging straight into the sword light without dodging; Luo Changfeng's eyes flashed cold, his blade shifted from feint to real, and a single thrust pierced the panther's left eye straight into its brain! The massive beast froze in mid‑air for an instant, then crashed heavily to the ground, twitching a few times before lying still.

On the other side, Ruan Xinli's battle with the largest black panther had reached a critical point. Her flexible sword had left several wounds on the beast, none fatal, but the black panther seemed to have spotted a weakness in her weapon; it suddenly swiped a claw at the sword, the flexible blade taking the full impact and instantly bending out of shape, nearly wrested from her grasp.

"Xinli!" Qi Chengshuang saw this, ignoring the other black panther's entanglement, he forcibly turned to come to her aid—but the wounded black panther would not pass up the chance; it lunged, its claws raking across his back, blood spraying instantly.

Hearing Qi Chengshuang's muffled groan, Ruan Xinli's heart ached, her gaze hardening; seeing the black panther's bloody maw already within reach, she suddenly loosened her grip on the flexible sword, swept both hands to her waist, and pinched ten silver needles between her fingers, which glowed a faint blue in the firelight.

She gave a delicate shout, the silver needles shooting out like a rainstorm; at such close range the black panther had nowhere to dodge, seven needles struck precisely into seven vital points on its face, and the beast let out a miserable howl as its massive body crashed to the ground, limbs twitching uncontrollably.

"The needles are laced with numbing powder!" Seeing Luo Changfeng and Qi Chengshuang looking over, Ruan Xinli panted, explaining, "At this dosage it's enough to fell an elephant!"

Now only the last wounded black panther remained; it gazed at the corpses of its kin, showing a human‑like grief and fear, and slowly retreated toward the cave mouth. Qi Chengshuang was about to press the attack when Luo Changfeng reached out to stop him, "Don't chase it—your wound!" Before he finished speaking, Qi Chengshuang suddenly dropped to one knee, blood gushing from the wound on his back.

Ruan Xinli rushed to his side, pulling a medicinal pill from her bosom, "Don't move—the wound is poisoned!" She hastily tore open the back of his robe, seeing five claw marks already turning a strange bluish‑purple.

This was actually the rare Azurefall Cold Poison; Ruan Xinli's eyes trembled as she took an even portion from her Cosmic Pouch and scattered it over his back, but her heart churned—Azurefall Cold Poison is a toxin exclusive to the Heavenly Rank Sect, used to punish those who deviate from the orthodox path and flee to the demon race; such poison should nowhere else exist, yet why does it appear in this secret realm?

Just then, a roar more terrifying than any previous howl burst from the cave mouth, the ground began to tremble, and the icicles hanging from the cavern ceiling shattered and rained down.