Chapter Ninety: Taking Action

The mountain wind roared endlessly beside the lake, buffeting the hearts and minds of the martial artists still standing on the shore like an invisible hand. Even knowing how perilous the blazing earth and weak water were, too many could not resist temptation. That was a rare ancient medicinal treasure.

And from the frantic scramble of the great sects, it was clear that the crystal lotus in the lake was far more than an ordinary herb.

In a rush of breaking air, the warriors gathered around the lake lunged forward together, whether lone cultivators or disciples of major factions, all racing toward the crystal lotus. Refusing to be left behind, Luo Hao crushed a flight talisman and shot out as well. At the same time, the demonic beast that had been lying in ambush by the lake finally made its move.

A chilling hiss rang out.

From the dark old forest, a giant serpent some tens of meters long burst forth. Its whole body gleamed with an eerie purple luster; its ferocious triangular head was as large as a millstone, and a rare pair of purple wings spread from its back.

With a violent beat of those wings, the serpent appeared instantly over the lake. Its long tail, as hard as a steel whip, swept down with thunderous force, sending ripples through the void. Sharp cracks burst repeatedly in the air, the sound of the atmosphere unable to withstand such terrifying speed.

Those martial artists rushing toward the lake were struck hard by the tail. Bones shattered with sickening snaps, and blood sprayed across the water. Pale bones and torn flesh flew everywhere as bright red blood splashed down, tinting the lake with streaks of crimson.

Purple-Winged Thunder Python!

The human martial artists who had barely escaped the tail’s reach stared at the enormous serpent in shock, then felt fear rise in their eyes. Among third-tier demon beasts, the Purple-Winged Thunder Python was unquestionably one of the most terrifying.

Legend said it possessed a trace of dragon blood in its veins and was innately close to lightning. The pair of purple thunder wings on its back was a truly horrifying killing weapon.

An incredibly fierce thunder python.

Luo Hao, who had evaded the Purple-Winged Thunder Python’s lethal strike, was likewise grave-faced, but a trace of doubt rose in his heart. Blazing earth was fierce and yang, capable of burning all things, or at the very least unimaginably terrifying. Yet the blood of those dead warriors had fallen straight into the lake without being consumed.

Another low bellow suddenly interrupted Luo Hao’s thoughts. His dark pupils contracted, and then he saw a colossal black shadow by the lakeshore slam one foot into the ground, splitting the earth at once. A terrifying surge of force instantly tore open the lake’s surface.

Looking closely, the monstrous creature had the head of a bull and the body of a qilin, with four horse-like hooves and scales covering its entire body like flashes of cold steel. A long tail, snake-like in form, swayed behind it, while hot breath poured from its wide nostrils like a gale.

It had to be remembered that the water of Lake Celestial Star was no ordinary lake water. This was blazing earth weak water, containing both supreme yang power and nine yin power. And yet it was torn apart so easily.

Earth-Splitting Divine Ox!

Countless martial artists cried out, their eyes flashing with astonishment. Through the split waters a divine ox dozens of meters tall charged madly forward, its body brimming with explosive power. Its silver horns gleamed with a chill sharper than any blade, seeming capable of rending the heavens at once, while the scales over its body could actually withstand the burning of the blazing earth.

Clearly, this was yet another immensely powerful third-tier demon beast. Fortunately, the Earth-Splitting Divine Ox ignored the human warriors and charged straight toward the crystal lotus.

Charge!

With the blazing earth weak water surging and raging, many human martial artists still pressed forward toward the crystal lotus despite the blood-spattered path. Within the crowd, after some thought, Luo Hao finally used his full strength. The Twin Dragons Overlord Art within him began to circulate madly, and the dragon force in his meridians surged like countless divine dragons in flight.

In a flash of golden light beneath his feet, he instantly left many warriors behind. At the same time, Sima Xuan and Yan Longyuan, who were also rushing toward the crystal lotus, suddenly turned and saw a golden back. Both of them showed a hint of confusion at once. That figure’s back looked strangely familiar.

As a surging wave crashed behind him, one azure-robed warrior realized someone was about to overtake him. He clenched his fist and hammered it toward the lake, sending up splashes of dark blue blazing earth and weak water hundreds of meters high, which instantly became a sky-filling wall of fire and waves that surged in to devour all.

Golden spiritual power burst forth. A streak of gold suddenly pierced through the fire wave from behind, and a golden fist shattered it in an instant. Behind that fist, a figure advanced with dragonlike steps and tigerlike stride.

Stand in my way, and die.

The cold voice spread out. Many warriors glanced sideways, and then a golden palm descended fiercely from the void. The azure-robed warrior was horrified and threw out both fists with all his strength to resist.

That palm, covered in golden runes, was like a world-ending grinding mill, and it smashed violently into the man’s fists. The fists burst apart; pale, bloodied bones flew out. The azure-robed warrior’s body split open on the spot and was directly crushed into a cloud of blood mist by that golden palm.

Zong Fengyan actually died like that? Even against a martial artist in the middle stage of Blood Gathering, he was no weakling at all!

Many warriors, seeing the azure-robed man turned to blood mist, wore looks of disbelief. Clearly this Zong Fengyan had quite a reputation.

Luo Hao paid no heed to those voices. Right now, all he wanted was the crystal lotus in the center of the lake. If a god stood in his way, he would slay a god; if a Buddha stood in his way, he would slay a Buddha.

With golden light surging, Luo Hao’s figure accelerated again. Soon he could see ahead that Zuo Qingfeng of the Fire Desolation Sect, Duan Yixiao of the Five Peaks Spirit Academy, and the others were already fiercely resisting the even more terrifying blazing earth weak water rolling toward them.

“Sima, did you see that just now?” Yan Longyuan, dressed in white, suddenly sent his voice to Sima Xuan.

Receiving Yan Longyuan’s transmission, Sima Xuan nodded and replied, “No mistake. The fierce, vast golden battle aura from that man just now was very familiar. I suspect Brother Luo is not dead, though I have no idea how he survived after the collapse of the Blood Spirit Secret Realm.”

Just a beast, and it dares covet this treasure. It does not know death.

The Earth-Splitting Divine Ox’s massive body pressed ever onward, using its pair of silver horns to forcibly carve a waterway across Lake Celestial Star as it charged straight for the crystal lotus.

Zuo Qingfeng of the Fire Desolation Sect let out a thunderous shout, scattering the blazing earth weak water that had swept toward him, then threw a fist at the divine ox.

With a booming impact, the void trembled violently. A colossal fist-shadow crashed down, and the Earth-Splitting Divine Ox’s charge was blocked. A roar like thunder exploded from the heavens as the ox raised its silver horns, the cold light flashing on them, and met the blow with fierce defiance.

The silver horns and the fist-shadow collided in intense struggle. Terrifying spiritual power swept outward like a storm, and the human warriors on the lake were immediately struck vomiting blood by the raging force. It had to be remembered that anyone able to reach the middle region of the Heavenly Cang Mountains, whether sect disciple or lone cultivator, was no weakling.

Moo!

Another deep bellow rose from the storm, and then two rays of silver light, brilliant to the extreme, burst straight through it and crashed mercilessly into Zuo Qingfeng’s Heavenly Net Divine Light Shield.

With a ringing clang, like metal striking metal, the golden runes on the shield dimmed sharply. Zuo Qingfeng was forced back hundreds of meters before finally managing to steady himself.

A hundred meters away, Zuo Qingfeng’s expression was dark. As a third-tier demon beast, the Earth-Splitting Divine Ox was far stronger than an ordinary Heavenly Core realm martial artist, and its terrifying physical strength was especially formidable.

The raging blaze of weak water surged again, and towering flames slapped down from thousands of meters above. The man and beast, having just been preparing to strike again, immediately abandoned the attack and began desperately resisting the blazing earth weak water.

With his vast and overbearing dragon force, together with dragon fire containing supreme yang power, the blazing earth could hardly burn Luo Hao despite his mere Spirit Qi realm cultivation. The only threat was the weak water bearing the power of nine yin. Fortunately, he had two protective scales given by the serpent-drake.

As a water-type yin creature, the serpent-drake could resist the power of nine yin to some extent. Under the wildly surging fire waves, Luo Hao still managed to force his way through.

Ahead stood only Zuo Qingfeng and the others, lined up in a row, among them the elder in silver hair from the Azure Sea Sect.

Without exception, all of them had been stopped here. The even more violent blazing earth weak water ahead was like an eternal heavenly barrier, leaving no room to advance.