The centipede hovered in the air, diving down with tremendous force that crushed trees into splinters and flattened mountains into plains.
Si Zheng guided the magic gourd into the air and once again deployed his Three Layers Flowing Shadow Wall. He shouted, “Stand behind me!”
Hearing his words, the others didn’t hesitate.
The magic gourd clashed with the centipede briefly, but was swiftly knocked away. The colossal centipede’s head shattered the Three Layers Flowing Shadow Wall as if it were nothing.
Si Zheng stared at the charging centipede, his eyes widening. He had just activated his magic item and used two formidable puppetry techniques in quick succession, leaving him unable to harness any more Yin energy.
Seeing the centipede approaching rapidly, Zhang Tiannan stepped forward, crossing his arms, radiating dazzling golden light. This effect occurred when he concentrated all his inner energy into his arms. He intended to withstand the attack head-on!
Upon contact, the golden light on Zhang Tiannan’s arms dimmed rapidly, accompanied by the sound of bones breaking. However, the centipede’s speed didn’t falter.
“Get out of the way!” Zhang Tiannan roared hysterically.
The four people behind him hurriedly retreated. Zhang Tiannan gritted his teeth, his body like a bent bow, forcefully stepping on the centipede’s face with his right foot, using the reaction force to desperately retreat.
The centipede’s massive body resembled continuous mountains, swinging and chasing after the five individuals. In just a few breaths, the forest became a mess, completely different from its previous appearance.
Looking around, Qin Feng and the others wore grim expressions. Unbeknownst to them, the centipede had coiled itself into a circle, trapping them inside without an escape route.
The enormous insect head rose, overlooking the five people, but it didn’t immediately attack. It was waiting for the command from the man with the ghostly face.
“Dragon Protection Monument,” the centipede extended its palm.
“Dream on!” Yang He replied without hesitation.
The centipede said no more. It flipped its palm, and the gigantic centipede head descended upon the five people as if the sky itself was collapsing.
Faced with such a situation, even Si Zheng, the strongest among them, had no solution. He sighed bitterly, “I’ve been thoroughly tricked by your Leader.”
“I’m the one who should be complaining. After all, you’re the Chief of the Demon Slaying Department, sacrificing yourself for the country is your duty, while I’m just an ordinary citizen.” Qin Feng gazed at the ominous shadow covering the sky, mentally preparing for the worst.
Just then, Yang He suddenly said, “I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
A long wait? What was he talking about? Before Qin Feng could turn around, he felt a scorching heat behind him, accompanied by a clear and melodious cry.
It was the cry of a phoenix!
Surprised for just a moment, a fiery red flame swept into the air, crashing into the centipede’s head. The pitch-black night sky was instantly illuminated by a burst of fire. The colossal centipede was forcefully repelled by this strike!
The firelight was dazzling. In less than a moment, it transformed into a blazing fire phoenix, spreading its wings. Although smaller than the gigantic centipede, it was no less impressive!
The centipede reoriented its head and kept clashing with the fire phoenix, their sharp mouthparts opening and closing. The phoenix’s wings flapped, creating a fierce wind, and the flames surged.
Neither side yielded. Soon, they were entangled, emitting powerful energies, exploding into a fireworks-like display in the sky.
Qin Feng turned to see Yang He, his face pale, with a brilliant red feather floating in front of him.
“What is this?” Qin Feng asked.
“This is the True Manifestation Of Life Source left behind by the Red Flame Fire Phoenix—Red Phoenix Fire Feather,” Yang He explained laboriously.
Qin Feng was momentarily stunned. The Red Flame Fire Phoenix, a legendary seventh-tier demonic beast, had evaporated an entire ocean in an instant just to create a place for itself.
But what was this True Manifestation Of Life Source? He hadn’t read about it in any books. Could it be something similar to a Daoist treasure or a magical item?
Seeing Qin Feng’s confusion, Si Zheng explained, “All demonic creatures in the world must undergo a heavenly tribulation. Each time they pass a tribulation, it’s called advancing one tier of power.”
“The True Manifestation Of Life Source is a divine object that powerful beings leave behind when they transcend the sixth-tier tribulation or higher. By activating it through special means, one can harness a portion of the original owner’s power. It’s considered an incredibly rare item in the world.”
“I knew it couldn’t be possible for a mission as important and dangerous as this one to lack proper preparations from the higher-ups in Qiyuan City. They sent out two sixth-tier individuals to escort us. So, they had this ace up their sleeve all along,” Qin Feng thought to himself.
The True Manifestation Of Life Source left behind by the seventh-tier demonic beast, the Red Flame Fire Phoenix, might not be as terrifying as the seventh-tier’s power, but possessing the strength of the sixth-tier was already quite remarkable.
After all, according to what Yang He had mentioned earlier, the opponent had used the Insect Master’s technique of melding with worms, significantly diminishing their combat power.
Qin Feng looked up at the sky again. The battle had reached a white-hot intensity, and the Red Flame Fire Phoenix clearly had the upper hand. “Such a powerful thing, why wasn’t it brought out earlier?”
His tone was somewhat displeased. If it had been brought out earlier, Zhang Tiannan wouldn’t have suffered such serious injuries.
Yang He was pale, trembling all over, unable to utter a word.
Shi Ziming said gravely, “The innate true solution is not like a treasure. Its preciousness lies not only in its power but also in the fact that it can only be used once, and it’s a consumable item. Moreover, the activation methods for different innate true solutions vary. Some require blood energy, some require literary energy, some require Yin energy, and some even devour the user’s lifespan.”
“Could it be…” Qin Feng looked at Yang He, his displeasure fading, replaced by a look of admiration and sorrow.
This person actually used his lifespan to activate the innate true solution, just to give them a glimmer of hope. Such a fearless spirit…
At this moment, Shi Ziming added, “The Phoenix Feather of the Fire Phoenix requires Yin energy to activate. However, Yang He’s cultivation level is only at the sixth rank, and he can’t hold on for much longer. We need to think of another solution.”
If you don’t cultivate well at ordinary times, you will fall off the chain at critical moments!
The admiration in Qin Feng’s heart was completely gone.
Looking at the Fire Phoenix being suppressed by the centipedes for a moment, its flames dimmed significantly. Obviously, Yang He’s Yin energy was depleted, and he could no longer activate the Red Phoenix Fire Feather.
Bai Chong pointed his right hand in the air, and the enormous centipede thrust its body forward, instantly shattering the Fire Phoenix’s wings. The Fire Phoenix let out a mournful cry.
Puff!
Yang He was also seriously injured, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “I… can’t go on.”
As he spoke, the Red Phoenix Fire Feather burned inch by inch, vanishing into nothingness. Meanwhile, the enormous Fire Phoenix, which had been battling the centipede, turned into ashes in the flames.
The centipede roared, deafening, and the powerful airflow carved deep marks on the ground, like a sharp knife.
Shi Ziming gritted his teeth, using the puppetry technique once again to create a black wall. Although it blocked the strong airflow, the centipede’s body swayed, and the black wall shattered, sending Shi Ziming flying.
Qin Feng’s face was unsightly. At this point, three out of the five people were already injured and unable to fight anymore. The only remaining combat strength was himself and Miss Cang.
No, he couldn’t be considered combat strength. Qin Feng was very self-aware, so his face became even more grim.