104: Chapter 104 Thunder and Fire Burn the Lotus, Hidden Light in Desperate Situation

Two black lotuses hovered in the air above the wasteland thirty miles north of Luoxia City.

On the left black lotus stood a black-robed old man, his face withered like tree bark, with deep-set eye sockets. It was none other than Black Prison Lotus Venerable.

Nine black snakes formed from corrosive spiritual power coiled around him, each exuding an aura at the Peak of the Late Golden Core Stage.

On the slightly larger black lotus on the right sat a gray-robed old man with a hunched figure and white hair and beard.

His eyes were closed, his brows lowered, as if in deep slumber. But behind him, a black lotus shadow a hundred zhang tall flickered faintly. Each opening and closing of its petals caused the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual power to churn and tremble.

The Nascent Soul pressure was as deep as an abyss, as oppressive as a prison.

"Old Ancestor."

Black Prison Lotus Venerable spoke respectfully, "This city is where Lin Yue has entrenched himself. Junior Brother's Soul Lamp... was extinguished here three days ago."

Black Lotus Ancestor slowly opened his eyes.

They were pure black eyes, without whites, only endless depth and lifelessness.

"Did Sha'er send any message before his death?"

"Yes."

Black Prison Lotus Venerable took out a shattered Communication Jade Talisman, "He only managed to transmit the words 'Star Power' and 'Dharma Idol Shattered' before the connection was severed."

"Star Power..."

Black Lotus Ancestor repeated in a low voice, a flicker of fluctuation passing through his black pupils.

"No wonder he could kill Sha'er. This boy has no small Opportunity, actually able to invoke the Power of the Stars to empower himself. But..."

His gaze fell upon Luoxia City.

On the city walls, three hundred Shattering Evil Crossbow Carriages were all in position, thunder patterns flowing on their surfaces, their spearheads pointed directly outside the city.

The City Protecting Great Formation, "Star Veil," was fully deployed. A pale blue starlight shield enveloped the entire city, with illusory star shadows flickering on its surface.

"A mere Second-Tier Formation, plus some thunder-patterned crossbow carriages, and you think you can stop me?"

Black Lotus Ancestor's tone was flat, yet it carried a bone-chilling coldness.

"Yu'er, break the Formation."

"Yes!"

Black Prison Lotus Venerable bowed in acknowledgment. In a flash, he appeared a hundred zhang above Luoxia City.

He formed hand seals. The nine black snake shadows simultaneously hissed, their bodies swelling to ten zhang, like nine towering black pillars, crashing fiercely against the Star Veil shield!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each impact caused the shield to tremble violently, the starlight swaying.

The Cultivators on the city walls turned pale. The Disciples operating the crossbow carriages broke out in cold sweat on their foreheads—with each collision, corrosive spiritual power spread along the shield, like ink dripping into clear water, polluting the Formation's Foundation.

"Crossbow carriages ready—"

Lin Hu roared from the battlements, "Target, the seven-inch point of the black snakes!"

Three hundred crossbow carriages adjusted their angles simultaneously.

"Fire!"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—

Three hundred Shattering Evil Thunder Spears tore through the air, transforming into three hundred streaks of lightning, accurately striking the seven-inch positions of the nine black snakes!

The thunder power of the thunder pattern crystal and the purifying spiritual light of the spirit radiance stone erupted simultaneously!

"Hiss—!"

The black snakes let out pained hisses. The struck parts rapidly dissolved and broke apart.

But eerily, the severed snake bodies did not dissipate. Instead, they turned into more small black snakes, continuing to assault the shield!

"These black snakes are formed from corrosive spiritual power; they cannot be exhausted by cutting!"

Lin Yan's expression changed, "Unless they are completely purified at once, they will only multiply the more we fight!"

On the city wall, Lin Yue watched this scene, his eyes calm.

He had long anticipated that the Black Lotus Cult's methods would not be so simple.

"Elder Lin Shi, how is the preparation of the thunderfire demon-suppressing cauldron?"

"Half a ke more is needed!"

Lin Shi's voice came from the city square, tinged with urgency, "The thunder-fire balance of the last three Formation bases hasn't been calibrated yet. Forcibly activating it could cause Formation backlash!"

Half a ke... At the current consumption rate of the Star Veil shield, it probably wouldn't last that long.

Lin Yue took a deep breath, his right hand resting on the hilt of the dragon thunder sword.

With the Cave Heaven dormant, his strength was only at seventy percent, but facing a Late Golden Core Stage opponent, he might still have a fighting chance.

"City Lord, you must not!"

Elder Lin De hurriedly dissuaded, "Your injuries are not yet healed. If you force yourself to act again, it might damage your Foundation! It's better to wait for the three Elders from the Qinglan Sect—"

Before he could finish speaking.

Outside the city, Black Lotus Ancestor suddenly moved.

He raised his withered right hand and gently pressed it toward the direction of Luoxia City.

That hand clearly remained in mid-air, but the next moment, a pitch-black giant palm shadow covering a radius of ten li had already appeared above the Star Veil shield!

The giant palm slowly pressed down.

There was no sound of wind, no surge of spiritual power.

But on the surface of the Star Veil shield, spiderweb-like cracks began to appear!

"Crack—"

A piercing shattering sound spread throughout the city.

The Second-Tier City Protecting Great Formation showed signs of collapse under the casual strike of a Nascent Soul Cultivator!

"Formation bases overloaded! Insufficient spiritual power supply!"

The auxiliary Formation Cultivator in charge of Formation operation urgently reported, "It can hold for at most thirty more breaths!"

Thirty breaths.

Lin Yue's eyes turned sharp.

There was no time to wait for the Thunderfire Formation.

He stepped off the city wall. The dragon thunder sword left its sheath, its tip pointing directly at the giant palm in the sky.

"Everyone, inject spiritual power into the formation eye! Hold out as long as you can!"

As his words fell, he shot up into the sky.

"City Lord!"

Exclamations of shock rose from the city wall.

Black Prison Lotus Venerable sneered, "Overestimating your own strength!"

He abandoned his attack on the shield. The nine black snakes changed direction, simultaneously pouncing toward Lin Yue!

Lin Yue neither dodged nor evaded. The sword's body blazed with brilliant thunder light.

[Remnant Star Power: Invoke]

The Cave Heaven was dormant, but some of the residual Power of the Stars from his previous Star Vein Dao Body still lay hidden deep within his Meridians.

Now, he forcibly invoked this power.

The cost was—Meridians tearing, Dantian violently shaking!

Pfft!

A mouthful of blood sprayed out, staining his clothes red.

But the thunder light on the dragon thunder sword had transformed into dazzling starry thunderfire!

One sword sweep!

The nine black snakes were slashed by the sword light. This time, the Star Power contained within the thunder completely purified the regenerative property of the corrosive spiritual power.

The black snakes disintegrated, turning intoSky black smoke, unable to coalesce again.

"Star Power?!"

Black Prison Lotus Venerable's pupils contracted, "You can still use it?!"

He dared not be careless. Forming hand seals, nine pitch-black lotus buds appeared around him.

"Nine Lotus Soul-Devouring Formation, rise!"

The nine buds flew toward Lin Yue, surrounding him at the center, and simultaneously bloomed!

The moment each lotus bloomed, it released a devouring ripple that directly struck the Divine Soul!

Nine ripplesOverlay, forming a lethal Formation!

Lin Yue felt as if his Divine Soul had been struck by a heavy hammer; his consciousness instantly blurred.

But he bit the tip of his tongue, forcing himself to staywide awake.

He could not retreat.

If he retreated, the city would fall.

"Haotian..."

He called out in his heart.

Within the dormant Cave Heaven, the main trunk of the World Tree trembled slightly.

A faint thought pierced through the dormant barrier, entering Lin Yue's Sea of Consciousness:

"Master... use blood as a guide... awaken... the Origin of Thunderfire..."

Blood?

Lin Yue's eyes turned sharp.

Without hesitation, he wiped his left hand across the edge of the dragon thunder sword. Blood gushed from his palm, soaking the sword's body.

The life force in the blood, mixed with the Remnant Star Power, infused into the thunder pattern crystal core within the sword.

Hum—

The dragon thunder sword emitted an unprecedented hum!

The thunder patterns on the sword's body actually changed from azure blue to dark red—that was the "Blood Thunder" born from the Fusion of thunder and blood!

"Slash!"

Lin Yue swung his sword.

The Blood Thunder, like a dragon, tore through the Nine Lotus Soul-Devouring Formation!

The nine lotuses shattered simultaneously!

The backlash force caused Black Prison Lotus Venerable to grunt, retreating three steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

But in his eyes, a strange light flashed.

"So that's how it is... you are at the end of your rope."

He had seen through it.

Lin Yue's sword strike was bought byoverdraft life force.

In this state, he couldn't last many more moves.

"Old Ancestor!"

Black Prison Lotus Venerable shouted loudly, "This boy is already a turtle in a jar. Please, Old Ancestor, take action and capture or kill him in one move!"

In the sky, Black Lotus Ancestor slowly stood up.

He glanced at the Star Veil shield—under the desperate infusion of spiritual power by the city's Cultivators, the shield barely held, but cracks now covered it like a spiderweb.

"A pity for this Opportunity of Star Power."

The Old Ancestor's tone was indifferent, "If you are willing to submit and offer the Star Power Legacy, I can spare the lives of everyone in the city."

Lin Yue leaned on his sword, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Dream on."

"Stubborn and unyielding."

Black Lotus Ancestor said no more, raising his right hand again.

This time, he slowly clenched his five fingers.

With his movement, the heaven and earth spiritual power within a hundred li radius above Luoxia City began to madly converge toward his palm!

As spiritual power was extracted, the cracks on the shield accelerated their spread.

The Cultivators in the city even felt the spiritual power within their bodies uncontrollably leaking out!

"He's extracting the heaven and earth spiritual power... this is the Nascent Soul's 'Domain Control'!"

Elder Lin De was horrified.

Without spiritual power support, the shield would surely break, and the Cultivators in the city would lose their combat ability.

This was a lethal situation.

Yet, at this critical moment—

"It's done!!"

From the city square came Elder Lin Shi'sRoar!

"thunderfire demon-suppressing cauldron—Activate!!!"

Boom—!!!

The entire Luoxia City trembled violently.

Three hundred Shattering Evil Crossbow Carriages simultaneously erupted with blinding thunderfire light!

The light, like veins, intertwined on the ground, ultimately converging on the thunderfire demon-suppressing cauldron at the center of the square.

The cauldron's body rotated. Thunder patterns and fire patterns were fully activated!

A thunderfire giant cauldron shadow a hundred zhang tall shot up into the sky, enveloping the entire city within!

On the surface of the giant cauldron shadow, thunder and fire intertwined and flowed, emitting aviolent and majestic aura.

Black Lotus Ancestor's Domain that extracted heaven and earth spiritual power was forcibly severed by the thunderfire giant cauldron!

"This is... a Third-Tier Formation?!"

Black Prison Lotus Venerable's face changed drastically.

The fluctuations emitted by the thunderfire giant cauldron had clearly reached the High Grade of the Third-Tier!

Moreover, the Origin of Thunderfire within the cauldron faintly countered the Black Lotus Cult's corrosive spiritual power!

"Somewhat interesting."

For the first time, a serious expression appeared in Black Lotus Ancestor's eyes.

"A great Formation for both offense and defense, set up with thunder pattern crystals and the Origin of Lotus Fire as the core. If this Formation were controlled by a Nascent Soul, even I would need to exert some effort."

He looked at Lin Yue.

"Unfortunately, the controller is you."

As his words fell, the motion of his right handloosely grasp suddenly accelerated!

This time, it was not extracting spiritual power.

But—directly attacking the Formation core!

A pitch-black giant hand shadow pierced through the thunderfire giant cauldron's protection, directly grabbing toward the thunderfire demon-suppressing cauldron at the center of the square!

He wanted to destroy the formation eye!

"Don't even think about it!"

Lin Yue forcibly mustered his last spiritual power, slashing his sword toward the giant hand.

But Black Prison Lotus Venerable had already blocked his path.

"Your opponent is me."

Nine black snakes coalesced again, entangling Lin Yue.

Lin Yue was held back, unable to rescue.

Just as the giant hand was about to seize the thunderfire demon-suppressing cauldron—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Threeblue sword lights pierced through the air from the southern horizon!

Where the sword lights passed, they left ablue trail in the Void Realm that lingered for a long time.

The first sword severed Black Lotus Ancestor's giant hand shadow.

The second sword forced back Black Prison Lotus Venerable.

The third sword hovered in the air above Luoxia City, transforming into ablue giant sword a hundred zhang long, its tip pointing directly at Black Lotus Ancestor.

"Black Lotus old ghost, what skill is there in bullying juniors?"

An aged voice came from the south.

Three figures arrived stepping on clouds, all in green robes with white hair, their auras clearly all at the Late Golden Core Stage!

The three Elders of the Qinglan Sect had arrived!

The leading old man held ablue jade ruler; he was the one who had just struck with the sword—the Qinglan Sect's Law Enforcement Elder, Qing Yunzi.

Black Lotus Ancestor narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Qing Yunzi... Is the Qinglan Sect truly going to interfere?"

"City Lord Lin is our sect's ally."

Qing Yunzi's voice was calm, "To move against him is to move against the Qinglan Sect."

"Good, good."

Black Lotus Ancestor said two "good"s in a row, the killing intent around himSoaring.

"Then today, I will destroy your Qinglan Sect along with him."

He formed hand seals. The hundred-zhang black lotus shadow behind him completely solidified. The lotus petals slowly rotated; with each rotation, another black crack appeared in the Void Realm.

That was a sign that even space could not withstand his full power eruption!

The true might of a Nascent Soul was now fully displayed!

Qing Yunzi's expression turned grave. He looked back at Lin Yue.

"City Lord Lin, this beast is truly enraged. The three of us can join forces to set up the 'Qinglan Three Talents Formation' to trap him for a while, but you need to find a way to break the situation quickly—although the Thunderfire Formation is strong, the controller's cultivation is insufficient. It can hold for at most half a shichen."

Half a shichen.

Lin Yue nodded heavily.

"That's enough."

He looked toward the city square.

Although the thunderfire demon-suppressing cauldron was not damaged in the previous strike, the light on its body had dimmed by thirty percent.

They must end the battle quickly.

And the key to breaking the situation... His gaze fell toward the depths of the wasteland outside the city.

There, where the two black lotuses had taken root before Black Lotus Ancestor descended.

Under the lotus platforms, there must be a temporary Spatial Passage connecting to the Central Region.

If they could destroy the passage... "Lin Yan."

Lin Yue transmitted his voice, "Follow me out of the city. Target—the Spatial Node under the lotus platforms."

"Yes!"

Two figures silently slipped out from another side of the city wall, disappearing into the shadows of the wasteland.

And in the sky, the Qinglan Three Talents Formation and the hundred-zhang black lotus collided with aboom impact!

Thunderfire, Qinglan, Black Lotus.

Three forces vied, life and death hanging by a thread.

The real battle had only just begun.