November 15, the hour of the Snake.
The Dragon Tooth Flying Boat hovered above the Demon Cave’s entrance, its thirty-some-zhang-long hull suspended ominously in midair, casting a murderous aura over the scene below. The dragon head at the bow seemed even fiercer than usual.
Li Weimin, who had been waiting for some time, abruptly stood up. He scanned the surroundings, calming his heart and spirit.
Surrounding him was a dense expanse of gray smoke clouds. Each cluster was marked by a towering banner, and there were thirty-six in total.
This was not an array but rather a Dharma Treasure crafted for him by an elder of his sect—the "Corpse Smoke Resonant Banner." The banners were divided into one main banner, held by him, and thirty-six vice banners.
Truth be told, this treasure was only half-refined and thus couldn’t be used offensively for combat yet. However, it was more than sufficient for defense.
Li Weimin figured today wouldn’t be a decisive battle with the Mingcang Sect cultivators. There was no need to fight to the death—all that mattered was stalling for time until his elder brother Li Weide returned. Once that happened, dealing with them would be effortless.
"Still, it wouldn’t hurt to test the strength of these Mingcang Sect cultivators."
Li Weimin glanced upward, sensing his side was lacking momentum. With a wave of his hand, he signaled two nearby cultivators to probe the enemy.
The two Blood Essence Sect cultivators immediately performed a spell, and faint specter-like figures materialized above their heads. These apparitions had facial features resembling a True Master but with bodies that wavered like mist and were faintly shrouded in a pungent, bloody aura.
This was a Blood Essence they had refined by sacrificing Devils with their Divine Souls. Normally, they could be unleashed to harm foes or consume their Essence Blood Yuan Qi to replenish their own vitality.
Urging them forward, the two Blood Essences transformed into streaks of crimson light, darting toward the Dragon Tooth Flying Boat.
Zhang Yan stood on the third-floor balcony of the Flying Boat, where the view offered a clear sight of the Demon Cave’s entrance below.
Thick and turbid Qi engulfed the area, obscured by clusters of gray-white smoke that entirely concealed the scene ahead.
It was evident this was the handiwork of the Blood Essence Sect disciples.
Zhang Yan’s gaze flicked toward the two approaching Blood Essences. Curiously, their trajectory seemed to lead directly toward Fang Zhen.
As he observed their flight path, the corners of Zhang Yan’s mouth curled into a cold smile. He extended a finger, sending a streak of blue light flying toward the target.
Noticing the anomaly, Fang Zhen sneered coldly. He didn’t bother to look further and instead casually raised the Five Fire Divine Weapon Circle in his hand, giving it a slight wave. Two fireballs immediately shot toward the Blood Essences. With a sharp "whoosh" sound, the Blood Essences were reduced to ashes in an instant.
Witnessing this, Li Weimin mentally marveled at the power of the Five Fire Divine Weapon Circle. Yet just as his thoughts settled, he noticed a sudden streak of blue light flash into his smoky formation. In a blur, the head of a disciple beside him was struck off cleanly. A sword ball briefly hovered in midair before retracting to its origin.
"Impressive—truly impressive."
Sweat trickled down Li Weimin’s back. No wonder his elder brother had warned him to be cautious—his own inattentiveness had already cost him a disciple. If it were a direct confrontation, without his brother here, he truly wouldn’t be able to stop them.
Zhang Yan retrieved the sword ball, taking a distant look at the dense smoke clouds and the banners arranged around them. Reflecting for a moment, he stepped over to Xie Zongyuan’s side and said, "Brother Xie, it seems the Xuan Guang Practitioner is not present here. We can attack freely."
Xie Zongyuan’s spirits lifted. "Oh? How can you tell?"
Zhang Yan chuckled softly and said, "If the Xuan Guang Practitioner were here, there’d be no need for such defensive posturing."
This was a battle between cultivators, not the clash of armies. A single high-level cultivator would be enough to overwhelm them. There would be no need for such redundant layers of defense in that case.
"Makes sense!" Xie Zongyuan turned to Fang Zhen, cupped his hands, and remarked, "These smoke clouds seem peculiar. Senior Brother Fang, we’ll need your Five Fire Divine Weapon Circle to clear the way."
Fang Zhen snorted, stepped confidently to the bow of the boat, and swept his robe sleeve with bravado. "You’ll guard me!"
Without waiting for a reply, he raised the Five Fire Divine Weapon Circle and recited a mantra under his breath. The circle began rotating in midair, as clusters of purple flames emerged along its golden edges. The flames grew in volume steadily. However, as Fang Zhen’s expression gradually showed strain, nearing his limit, he bellowed loudly, "Go!"
In an instant, torrents of fire rained down like a storm upon the smoke clouds below.
The banners on the ground emitted a strange buzzing sound. Each one, animated without wind, rose up to block the flames. As soon as the fire clashed with the banners, explosive cracks echoed sharply across the field. Seven to eight banners were obliterated in an instant, dissipating into trails of green smoke. With each destroyed banner, a corresponding cluster of smoke clouds dissolved into the air.