Chapter 403: Igniting the Demonic Fire

The Wuji Sect's leader raised his sword and pointed upward; his spiritual sword transformed into a shimmering azure arc that soared into the sky. In a brief flash high above, the spiritual sword exuded an endless suction that swept away the surrounding malevolent wind, forming a vast void.

Soon after, the spiritual sword mysteriously vanished into thin air, leaving only a resonant humming that echoed through heaven and earth, and it even seemed to suppress the Malevolent Frost Wind.

Is this the most formidable technique of the Shadowless Sword?

Qin Sang looked upward and shifted his gaze, yet he saw nothing but emptiness in the void, with no trace of the spiritual sword’s true form, leaving him uncertain about its target.

At the same time the sect leader unleashed his sword, the other man in a black robe sprang into action.

He extended his palm with one hand, condensing vast amounts of spiritual power, and forcefully struck toward the black tortoise shell.

The phantom of the black tortoise trembled, and within it the black tortoise shell suddenly burst forth with a deep, black glow that instantaneously filled the entire phantom. In that moment, the black tortoise appeared to have been revived, resembling a truly ferocious beast.

A deep, resonant roar—no less impressive than the sword’s own hymn—echoed throughout the lands as the black tortoise lifted its head. Its enormous eyes burned with crimson fury as it glared at the Lightning-Devouring Falcon.

Clad entirely in black—with its shell resembling a chunk of dark iron—its massive form appeared extremely cumbersome yet proved extraordinarily agile. In a flash, it darted across the void to appear beside the Lightning-Devouring Falcon; then it opened its gaping, bloodstained maw and bit into the falcon’s right wing with its sharp fangs.

Shriek!

The Lightning-Devouring Falcon let out a shrill cry; the silver feathers on its long neck shimmered as lightning danced among them, eventually converging upon its wings.

Its vast wings were tinged with silver, transforming into a pair of colossal lightning wings.

Faced with the black tortoise’s sudden assault, the Lightning-Devouring Falcon did not yield—instead of dodging, it furiously flapped its wings toward the black tortoise.

Snap!

Its massive wings unfurled and merged with the raging thunderstorm, resembling two lightning whips that struck the black tortoise without fail.

The black tortoise howled in agony and came to an abrupt halt as a violent thunderstorm erupted within its body.

Seizing the moment, the Lightning-Devouring Falcon soared upward with its beak agape, expelling a colossal lightning pillar that caused the silver radiance on its body to suddenly fade.

For reasons unknown, the lightning pillar raced toward the void ahead.

Then the humming ceased abruptly, and the lightning pillar transformed into a square cage of lightning, imprisoning a spiritual sword within—it was none other than the sect leader's own sword!

Having his sword technique seen through by the Lightning-Devouring Falcon, the sect leader had no choice but to wield his spiritual sword to assault the lightning cage.

The might of the Lightning-Devouring Falcon was overwhelming—it even managed to block the attacks of two Spiritual Infant cultivators simultaneously.

The Lightning-Devouring Falcon had not yet ceased its assault; its eyes flashed as it suddenly fixed its gaze downward. Then, with a mighty shudder of its wings, its figure transformed into a bolt of lightning as it dashed away.

Bang!

Somehow, a figure had stealthily concealed himself nearby—it turned out to be the black-robed man.

He had moved silently in concealment, yet the Lightning-Devouring Falcon’s keen eyes of lightning exposed him, forcing him out with a sudden lightning maneuver.

The black-robed man was thrown backward in disarray, but the relentless falcon twisted through the lightning and continued its pursuit.

Unprepared for such ferocity, the black-robed man found himself in dire peril and was forced to retreat hastily.

Observing the worsening situation, the sect leader disregarded his own spiritual sword and hurried to rescue the black-robed man.

The two joined forces and, though they had momentarily blocked the Lightning-Devouring Falcon, they were ultimately forced to retreat.

The falcon bellowed a warning at the duo as its roar resounded across the battlefield.

Having narrowly avoided injury from the falcon, the black-robed man grew furious and muttered something to the sect leader before abruptly sitting cross-legged in the void.

High above, the black tortoise shell hung suspended; as the black-robed man shifted his seal formation, it split into two and then each half divided again into four...

Even Qin Sang discerned that the black-robed man was preparing some complex and powerful technique—one that would not be completed in a short time. The Lightning-Devouring Falcon had surely sensed the looming danger as well, for it immediately flapped its wings and unleashed a wild thunderstorm.

The sect leader leapt forward to shield the black-robed man, withdrawing his spiritual sword and, with a swift motion across it, initiating a sword array to deflect the thunderstorm. Meanwhile, the black-robed man remained unmoved, seated cross-legged in quiet concentration.

For a moment, as the roles of attack and defense shifted, the sect leader unleashed a flurry of techniques and managed to hold the Lightning-Devouring Falcon at bay.

The battle unfolded on the distant horizon, where fierce winds and swirling snow obscured the view—Qin Sang could only glimpse a mere fragment of the epic conflict.

The black-robed man had captured Qin Sang’s attention; as he observed the ever-changing black tortoise shell before him, Qin Sang realized that the man was undoubtedly preparing a complex and potent maneuver.

It appeared they were not about to give up!

Upon witnessing the scene, Qin Sang’s heart stirred, and the thought that had just been extinguished blazed anew.

Seizing the opportunity without hesitation, he immediately acted.

He exerted every ounce of effort to retract his aura and discovered a crack beneath his feet. Shrinking his body, he squeezed into the fissure and tumbled into the icy cavern below. Along the edge of the ice mountain, cracks spread densely like a spider’s web; after the fierce battle, this place was on the brink of ruin.

Wind pillars concealed his aura while the ice mountain masked his form, ensuring he remained undetected.

The deep cave lay at the mountain’s foot, and Qin Sang descended along its winding passage deep into the earth before daring to approach the ice cave.

As the Malevolent Frost Wind drew ever nearer, his primordial spirit remained safe under the protection of the Jade Buddha; however, his physical body began to feel the biting cold. Soon, a piercing chill invaded him, nearly freezing him solid.

At that critical moment, he squeezed through another crack until he reached the edge of the deep cave.

The power of the Malevolent Frost Wind was terrifyingly formidable—if it had not been for the Jade Buddha guarding his primordial spirit, he would never have made it this far; the pervasive cold would have frozen his very soul.

Even though the most fearsome cold did not affect him directly, the frigid gusts wrought by the wind far exceeded the Crimson Core’s protective capacity.

Standing at the edge, Qin Sang felt every meridian in his body had stiffened. Squinting and leaning forward to inspect the interior, he saw nothing but a blinding white haze.

He had speculated that the nest of the Lightning-Devouring Falcon might lie deeper—or that nothing might be below—but he was mistaken.

Clutching the Crimson Core tightly in his right hand, he teetered on the verge of losing consciousness.

Without the Crimson Core, he would have been forced to retreat at this point; even if those two men and the demonic beast had not discovered him, he would soon have been frozen into an icy lump and met his end down here.

This Crimson Core, however, provided him with a glimmer of possibility.

Qin Sang channeled a thread of spiritual power into the Crimson Core. He knew that if he could ignite the demonic fire within it, he might harness its protection to shield his physical body—at least until the fire burned out.

However, due to the Crimson Core’s unique nature, once the demonic fire was kindled, it could never be halted; it would continue to burn until completely exhausted, ultimately destroying the Crimson Core.

Destroying this treasured artifact might yield nothing in return—a wasted opportunity.

Time was not on his side, and with the ever-changing tide of battle, he hesitated no longer. He decided to summon his spiritual power to trigger the demonic fire within the Crimson Core.

In an instant, chaotic demonic fire exploded into life, and the scene he had witnessed before replayed: the Crimson Core melted, its surface coursed with flowing flames.

Qin Sang struggled to contain the aura of the demonic fire, yet the Malevolent Frost Wind blocked his efforts—any aura surging forward was effortlessly dissipated by its chilling force.

Still, as he gripped the Crimson Core, his hands burned with searing heat even as his body gradually began to feel warmth. The demonic fire was indeed proving its worth.

However, as the demonic fire roared, the outer layer of the Crimson Core melted away, steadily diminishing in size.

Its endurance was limited. Without delay, Qin Sang took a decisive step, pressing himself against the icy wall as he plunged downward.

At the same time, he reactivated the Yan Luo Array of Ten Directions that he had just retracted. Ghostly banners swirled around him as, with one hand clutching the Crimson Core and the other tightly grasping the astra, he continued his descent.