BOOMMMMM!!

The green pearl exploded, and blue-green flames spread outward and smashed through the defensive spell, closing in on Luo Chen. The fire seemed almost alive. It roared as it coiled toward him. Seeing this, Luo Chen felt a sense of familiarity. "Azure Yang Devil Flame?"

The nature of the flame struck him at once. It matched the Azure Yang Devil Flame described in ancient records. It was refined from the blood essence of living beings; once formed, it carried intense resentment and manifested constant wailing of ghosts. It was commonly seen among lower-tier disciples of the devil sect. It was fairly strong for that level and also convenient for alchemy and artifact creation.

But Qin Tianming is a true inheritor of the Blood Sea Lineage; why would he use something as crude as this?

Luo Chen was puzzled, but his movements remained steady. The green pearl had released a mass of flame, but it was not the same as the Lightning Immortal Pearl from Bai Ye's pocket world. That pearl focused all its power into a single explosion, and even a high-level Adept would die on contact. This green flame pearl worked differently; it seemed that it was meant to envelop its target in flames, wear them down, and eventually incinerate them. Sadly, when it came to incinerating things...

Luo Chen's lips curled slightly in a little smirk. He exhaled softly. A strand of pale green flame drifted out and spread into a protective barrier that wrapped around him. In an instant, a massive fireball enclosing a smaller fireball appeared in the sky.

Qin Tianming saw this and let out a sigh of relief. Among the three surrounding him, the red-faced man in the red cloud-pattern robe had the highest cultivation. By sacrificing the green flame pearl, he had caught the man off guard and trapped him. That pearl was quite a formidable item. It was a one-use offensive enchanted treasure refined from purified Azure Yang Devil Flame by experts skilled in fire control within the sect. Even an ordinary Adept would suffer severe burns, if they were not killed outright.

Qin Tianming glanced at the Angler, then sneered at Duan Li and Hao Ye. "You guys are next."

"Well aren't you sure of yourself!" snapped Duan Li. He looked calm, but he was fully alert.

Hao Ye controlled his flying sword to circle around Qin Tianming and said, "Fellow Daoist Duan, you take the lead, and I'll keep him occupied. He's from the Blood Sea Lineage, but I've got a few ways to counter blood arts. Just focus on attacking; I'll cover you."

As he spoke, he flicked his wrist and brought out several talismans. They were Blood Coagulation Talismans, Sea-Calming Talismans, and other precious third-tier talismans. Duan Li saw this and felt relieved. I didn't expect him to be so skilled with talismans. That makes things easier.

With that, he set his mind at ease and drove the jade ruler forward, launching an all-out attack. Countless illusory rulers pressed down from above, while Hao Ye's flying sword circled nearby like a venomous snake.

But Qin Tianming showed no sign of panic as he opened his mouth and let out a flying sword of his own. Sword light flashed with incredible speed. Each time the jade ruler descended, it was knocked aside at the last possible moment. It was obvious that his control of the sword far surpassed Hao Ye's, and the longer the fight went on, the more alarmed Duan Li became. He hasn't even used the techniques of the Blood Sea Lineage, yet he can already hold off both of us. If this continues, something bad is bound to happen.

He clenched his teeth and poured out his mana. The ruler projections in the sky merged into one and formed a massive white ruler over a hundred zhang long. It was clear the next strike would be devastating.

Yet a flash of joy appeared in Qin Tianming's eyes. In the next moment, the giant ruler swung down, and with a single blow, it squashed him like a bug. However, a shocking sight appeared. There was no flesh or blood in the air—only a fading afterimage.

"I missed? How is that possible?" Duan Li's mind swam as he shook his head hard. "No... something's wrong... I've been hit by an illusion spell!"

At the moment he came back to his senses, he saw Qin Tianming burst forward dozens of zhang and close in on Hao Ye. The realization struck him at once: From the very beginning, Qin Tianming had already chosen his first target. It was not one of the strongest, the Angler or Azure Yang, nor was it himself, as he had both offense and defense fully engaged. It was Hao Ye, the weakest of them and a mere Pseudo-Adept!

Once he understood this, Duan Li recalled his life-bound enchanted treasure and shouted, "Careful! He can use divine soul attacks!"

Unfortunately, Hao Ye could no longer reply as the enemy was rushing upon him. He desperately activated the Blood Coagulation and Sea-Calming Talismans. Both were special talismans developed by Northern Sea cultivators after suffering heavy losses to the Blood Sea Lineage cultivators. He was a skilled talisman maker; not only could he craft them himself, but he could use them more proficiently and with greater power than ordinary people. Yet what followed shocked him. The two talismans had no effect on Qin Tianming at all, and the man was not slowed in the slightest. It was as if the dense mana of a Blood Sea Lineage cultivator lay beyond the talismans' influence.

How could this be? Though he was shocked, Hao Ye had no time to think further. He slapped his storage pouch, and a dragon head emerged. Its mouth parted slightly, and the vibrations of a quiet roar spread through the air.

Qin Tianming froze for a brief moment. Then his face lit up with delight. "I did not expect you to have something like a Chiwen![1] Well, I guess it's mine now!"

The silent roar echoed through. Even Duan Li and the Angler, who were some distance away, were affected and swayed slightly. Yet Qin Tianming only paused briefly before darting forward again. At the same time, he flicked his hand and produced a long banner. He gripped it with both hands and shook it hard. At once, countless ghosts howled out to surround Hao Ye!

Hao Ye had advanced using the core of a Demon King. Though he had mana, it was impure and chaotic; worse still, his divine consciousness had not undergone proper refinement and was only slightly stronger than a Perfected Mastery Initiate's spirit consciousness. Under the assault of countless souls, he could not hold on for more than a moment.

"SENIOR, SAVE MEEEE!!!" Hao Ye cried for help, but the Angler kept his hands tucked in his sleeves and said nothing. His gaze remained fixed on the white-robed man surrounded by countless souls, and a look of realization appeared in his eyes.

Duan Li stood not far away, yet he did not move either. Fear showed plainly in his expression.

With the Angler refusing to act and Duan Li wavering, Hao Ye fell into utter despair. Realizing that no one would save him, his miserable voice rang out amidst the tearing souls. "Fine! So be it! If you will not save me, then none of you will have it easy either!"

As his voice spread, dense demonic energy surged within him. A destructive force began to gather. He was about to self-destruct!

Qin Tianming sneered. "What, you think I'll just let you do that? Hand it over!"

No one saw him move, but in the next instant, Hao Ye froze in midair. Then, his eyes turned vacant as his body began to fall. His storage pouch and spirit beast pouch separated from him and flew toward Qin Tianming.

Suddenly, accompanied by a swooshing sound like a stick flicking through the air, a faint thread shot through the air. "His life is irrelevant, but his items stay with the Society."

Right before Qin Tianming's eyes, the spirit beast pouch was spirited away by the thread. "Old bastard, you—"

The Angler caught the spirit beast pouch with one hand and nodded in satisfaction. Then he looked up. "Looks like you're not from the Blood Sea Lineage, and you're certainly not Qin Tianming either. That name was just a ploy to mislead us. As for this so-called drop in cultivation... there was none. You're at the third stage, and you always were. Since you're about to die, at least leave your name behind. Come on, give us your real one."

The white-robed cultivator was enraged. "My name is none of your concern!"

"Well, alright. If you refuse, you refuse. But let's see how many tricks you still have left," the Angler said mockingly, looking away from his interlocutor.

The white-robed cultivator followed the Angler's gaze and looked south. The massive green fireball had dissipated at some point. A red-robed Daoist stood there with a green pearl in his hand. Green flames coiled around him, and he looked back at the white-robed man with a cold gaze. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

1. 鸱吻 (chī wěn) is a mythical fish-dragon creature in Chinese tradition, commonly depicted as a roof ornament on Chinese traditional buildings. It is one of the nine sons of the dragon and legends say that it loves to swallow things. ☜