The old man, who claimed not to be a master, continued to lament his own fate. The three people currently locked in battle were all fighting with complete concentration and all their might, so no one paid him any mind.
Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu had slightly inferior cultivation bases, and the吞噬 (tūnshì - engulfing) properties of their lightning and gale were not particularly pronounced. Xi Renjun's cultivation, however, was clearly far superior to theirs, and the attribute of Youming Leng Huo (幽冥冷火 - Netherworld Cold Fire) that could burn anything made him even more formidable in this confrontation.
The lightning and gale were gradually suppressed and engulfed. The area occupied by the flames expanded. Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu, sharing a telepathic connection, immediately unleashed their Blood Demon Technique (血妖术 - Xuèyāo Shù).
Two ferocious, large demon heads appeared, opening their gaping maws to descend upon their opponents below.
Xi Renjun, positioned in the center, snorted coldly upon seeing his flame power being absorbed by the demon heads. He raised his hand and unleashed a stream of pure Youming Leng Huo. The azure flames instantly enveloped the demon heads, beginning to burn them.
Youming Leng Huo truly burned all things. Even the demon heads of the Blood Demon Technique began to recede at a visible rate under its scorching heat.
"We can't go on like this. Let's fight."
After transmitting this thought, Wan Lei made the first move.
Amidst the sea of lightning, he manifested his Sword Immortal Dharma Body (剑仙法身 - Jiànxiān Fǎshēn) and condensed twenty illusory Sword Immortal Dharma Bodies from the lightning. All of them charged towards Xi Renjun.
For others, this maneuver would be extremely troublesome, as they would be unable to distinguish which Dharma Body was the real Wan Lei.
However, for Xi Renjun, this problem did not exist.
No matter how many of you come, I will burn them all.
A torrent of flames erupted from Xi Renjun’s body once more, sweeping outwards.
Wan Lei's illusory Sword Immortal Dharma Bodies could not withstand it for long. Before they could even reach Xi Renjun, they were all consumed by flames.
It wasn't that Wan Lei was too weak or Xi Renjun too strong; it was merely the characteristic of Youming Leng Huo, which happened to counter Wan Lei's divine abilities.
In past battles against cultivators at the Mahayana stage, Wan Lei would employ all his tricks, from summoning winds to unleashing the Blood Demon Technique, wearing down his opponents until they were weakened before delivering the killing blow.
But the enemy before him was different. His ability to wear down and absorb energy was far superior to Wan Lei's. Wan Lei's strengths were also Xi Renjun's strengths, making it difficult for him to leverage his advantages against Xi Renjun’s weaknesses. His usual attrition tactics would no longer be effective.
Wan Lei, who also excelled at wearing down opponents, knew very well that the best way to deal with someone like himself was to kill them directly with swift and decisive action, without allowing them to wear him down.
In the past, Wan Lei would not have had the power to kill a Mahayana stage cultivator in one fell swoop. But now, he and Fang Xiaoyu had both broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, their combat power having increased dozens of times. Perhaps, they could attempt to kill him.
Sensing Wan Lei's intentions, Fang Xiaoyu also immediately activated his Sword Immortal Dharma Body and merged with Wan Lei.
However, this time, control was handed over to Fang Xiaoyu.
"Spring Rain Continuous!" (春雨连绵 - Chūnyǔ Liánmián)
The great sword in the hands of the Sword Immortal Dharma Body transformed into two soft swords, attacking Xi Renjun ceaselessly like gentle spring rain.
The sudden close-quarters combat from the enemy caught Xi Renjun off guard. While he was masterful in spells and flame manipulation, close-quarters combat was his weakness. Now, with his bare hands, he was forced to retreat repeatedly by Fang Xiaoyu.
"Midsummer Wind and Rain!" (仲夏风雨 - Zhòngxià Fēngyǔ)
After forcing the enemy back, Fang Xiaoyu’s offensive suddenly became sharper. His attacks were no longer primarily disruptive but aimed directly at the enemy’s vital points with every sword strike.
The combined Sword Immortal Dharma Body of the two could resist Xi Renjun's flame incineration, at least for a short time, preventing it from being burned away before reaching him, unlike the lightning Dharma Body.
"Autumn Wind Falling Leaves!" (秋风落叶 - Qiūfēng Luòyè)
Fang Xiaoyu retracted the continuous attacks from his twin swords, shifting to a more open and powerful style.
The previous second move had already inflicted numerous wounds on Xi Renjun. Even though he could absorb and consume the energy of others to replenish himself, he couldn't withstand such fierce attacks.
The grand, sweeping movements of Autumn Wind Falling Leaves made Xi Renjun even more uncomfortable. He was not adept at close combat and should have relied on his speed to create distance and engage in spell battles. However, he couldn't.
Firstly, the area was limited, and the space enveloped by the formation was only a few miles across.
Secondly, while his speed was fast, the combined Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu were no slower than him. If he knew he needed to create distance to turn the tide, how could Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu not know, and how could they allow him that opportunity?
"Wintry Cold Arrogant Snow!" (凛冬傲雪 - Lǐndōng Àoxuě)
Fang Xiaoyu's offensive suddenly halted. The previous three moves had established a crushing momentum, and the rhythm was firmly in his grasp. The enemy's strength was suppressed, he was increasingly injured, and his will to fight was broken.
At this moment, the final move was needed.
A single move to decide the victor!
The two soft swords in Fang Xiaoyu's hands suddenly became straight. The Sword Immortal Dharma Body raised the twin swords high, exuding a terrifying chill and condensing a sharp aura.
This sword strike was truly like the arrogant snow of winter, piercingly cold, chilling the bone and soul.
As this strike was about to land, Xi Renjun's pupils contracted sharply. He had a premonition that if he could not withstand this sword, he would surely die.
But fortunately, he was Xi Renjun.
The second master of the Xi family.
"Youming..."
Xi Renjun's pupils instantly became coated with a layer of azure. Flames spewed from his eyes, his mouth, his chest.
Before him, a bloom gradually materialized...
"Fire Lotus!" (火莲 - Huǒlián)
The Fire Lotus was not large, only about the size of a human head, but the terrifying aura it emitted sent shivers down one's spine.
Alas, there were no outsiders to comment on this battle. If someone had witnessed it and recorded it, this battle would undoubtedly spread throughout Great Jin and be forever etched in history.
The snow sword
was brought down.
The fire lotus
flew upwards.
This was a clash of swordsmanship and spells.
This was a collision of arrogant snow and flame.
Would the snow extinguish the fire, or would the fire melt the snow...
Boom!!!
Following a thunderous explosion, the terrifying power of the blast swept across the entire formation. The temporarily erected, rudimentary formation shattered instantly. The sea of lightning vanished, the Sword Immortal Dharma Body collapsed, and three figures were flung outwards.
Flames still burned on Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu. They were desperately trying to extinguish these flames, leaving them no time for anything else.
And Xi Renjun,
he stood up.
All three were injured, but Xi Renjun was more severely wounded, appearing as if he was on his last breath.
Yet, he stood up, while Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu did not.
This was the terrifying power of Youming Leng Huo.
Therefore, Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu were about to lose.
"Hehehehe... Hahahaha..."
Xi Renjun, this time, did not revert to his usual villainous habit of talking too much. Instead, he held a flame in his hand and staggered towards Wan Lei.
To cut the grass,
to eliminate the roots.
Suddenly,
"Bang!"
Xi Renjun's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Behind him stood the old man,
still holding a hoe in his hand.