Soon after, Vice-General Huang assembled a squad of thirty soldiers to head for the oasis as reinforcements.
Naturally, the entire East Court Sword Team couldn't stay behind either. As teammates, they wouldn't abandon Ling Feng to fight alone!
The group set off at full speed. Gu Tengfeng summoned his demonic hound, Duke, enlarging the beast to keep pace with the desert drakes. Meanwhile, Mu Qianxue released her black cat, Ye Yi, riding alongside Xue Xiaolin.
The moment Ye Yi expanded in size, the surrounding drakes—even Duke—trembled in fear. Clearly, this black cat's bloodline was extraordinary.
The others, lacking spirit pets of their own, had to borrow desert drakes from the garrison or rely on their own two legs.
For example, Jiang Xiaofan, the "humanoid beast," charged forward with a massive sword, moving at a speed that rivaled that of the Desert Drake.
Above the eerie oasis.
Ling Feng remained unaware of the events back at camp. But he trusted Gong Cheng's intelligence and his own warnings to prevent any mishaps.
Right now, Despicable Donkey stood firm, blocking the path of the Blood Sword Heavenly Lord, Li Qingling. No matter how arrogant Li Qingling was, he couldn't ignore the Despicable Donkey's presence.
"Physician Jin, take General Sun to safety. Leave this to me."
Ling Feng glanced back at Jin Weide and the others. This battle was beyond their capabilities.
Jin Weide and the few military physicians, already terrified out of their wits, hastily carried the one-armed Sun Gongming to a nearby hill to tend to his wounds.
As for Ling Feng, he kept his distance. A battle between Emperor-level experts wasn't something he could interfere with yet.
Li Qingling tightened his grip on the demon sword, eyes blazing with cold fury. "Damnable black donkey! Last time, you ruined my plans. This time, I won't let you off so easily!"
Despicable Donkey bared his teeth in a wide grin. "Last time, you ran like a coward. Seems you still haven't learned your lesson!"
"Hmph!" Li Qingling brandished his sword with a roar. "Then I'll slaughter you first before claiming my Blood Soul!"
In an instant, demonic qi surged around him, countless grotesque tentacles lashing out towards Despicable Donkey.
This was a new technique—one he hadn't used in their last encounter. Clearly, his power had grown.
But Despicable Donkey wasn't lagging behind. After consuming that supreme god pill, while his cultivation level appeared unchanged, his strength had skyrocketed. His demonic essence now carried an innate dragon might.
"Check out this divine beast's Heaven-Flipping Hand Seal!"
Despicable Donkey swung his hoof, summoning a massive black claw that crushed the bloody tentacles to dust. Then, he blurred forward, engaging Li Qingling in close combat.
Close-quarters fighting was the donkey's specialty.
Once he got in range, few could withstand his relentless barrage.
"Giant Axe Chopping a Tree!"
"And finally—Crow Riding a Dragon!"
Fists rained down like a storm. No matter how Li Qingling slashed with his sword or unleashed demonic qi, he could only endure the beating, utterly overwhelmed.
Worst of all, the corrosive demon flames that had forced Sun Gongming to sever his own arm had no effect on the donkey. Unbeknownst to Li Qingling, the donkey's body was now covered in fine black dragon scales, rendering the flames harmless.
Li Qingling vomited blood and foam, hurled from the sky to the ground and back again, with the donkey teleporting after him like a shadow. Escape was impossible.
"Despicable Donkey's body arts are terrifying!"
Ling Feng watched with admiration. Unfortunately, having started cultivation late at eighteen, and with his own Eight Desolations Body Refinement Art favoring brute force over finesse, replicating the donkey's techniques was out of the question.
Even with his Eye of the Emperor, attempting those moves would tear his tendons apart.
The Seventy-Two Divine Donkey Techniques were beyond him.
But the little Qiongqi? Now there was a worthy successor.
"Hey, kid! Stop daydreaming!"
Despicable Donkey's voice echoed in Ling Feng's mind. "Grab the Blood Soul from that demon statue! It's a priceless treasure!"
"Huh?" Ling Feng blinked. "Aren't you about to finish Li Qingling off?"
"Not that easy. His body's no longer human—it regenerates no matter how much I smash him. This'll take a while. Secure the Blood Soul first before something goes wrong."
"What even is the Blood Soul? Why do you and Li Qingling value it so much?"
"That ties into a sect war from over a thousand years ago. I'll explain later. Just get it now! Hurry!"
The donkey's voice grew urgent. Distracted by the mental conversation, he'd left an opening—and Li Qingling's sword had found its mark.
Ling Feng didn't waste another second. His gaze locked onto the demon statue at the oasis's heart.
By then, the statue had absorbed all the vital essence from the three thousand soldiers. Its eyes glowed with eerie crimson light, brimming with energy.
Activating the Boundless Sword Steps, Ling Feng shot toward it, searching for the so-called Blood Soul.
But before he could get within thirty meters, the statue's eyes fired a blood-red beam straight at him.
Ling Feng's pupils contracted. He barely dodged by soaring upward with his wings of true qi. The beam grazed his soles before obliterating a hundred-meter-tall stone mountain behind him into dust.
He swallowed hard, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his forehead.
Had he been a split second slower, he'd have shared that mountain's fate!