8: Poisonous Demon Breaks the Barrier, Burning Blood and Destroying Each Other

"Hehehehe... Heaven helps me! A Profound Yin Maiden Body! And you, a medicinal slave embryo delivered right to my doorstep! Both are now in this old man's grasp!"

The Withered Old Man's hoarse, greedy, wild laughter, imbued with the terrifying demonic might of the Foundation Establishment stage, was like an invisible heavy hammer, fiercely striking Chen Feng's soul! Medicinal slave embryo! These four words were like poisoned ice picks, instantly freezing the joy of his recent breakthrough to Qi Refining Second Layer, leaving only bone-chilling cold and hair-raising dread!

Outside the stone chamber, that wisp of cold demonic consciousness, like a maggot clinging to bone, was greedily licking the stone chamber's barrier, trying to penetrate the sword qi blockade left by Su Wanzhao to completely lock onto him, this "unexpected delight"! And the clear but desperate sword cries from Su Wanzhao, along with the booming eruption of the old man's demonic flames, coming from the direction of Black Wind Cliff, were like death knells!

He couldn't wait any longer! Su Wanzhao was fighting for her life! Exposure was inevitable!

Chen Feng's eyes instantly erupted with a wolf-like ferocity! All fear was forcibly suppressed, replaced by a madness born of being pushed to the brink! He abruptly lowered his head, looking at his hands — in his palms, a wisp of spiritual power, dark as ink yet shimmering with a strange silver light and carrying traces of cold fiendish aura, slowly flowed like a living thing!

Qi Refining Second Layer! Poisonous Fiend Spiritual Power!

This was the power he had exchanged his life for! Though only at the second layer, the core of this power was a mutated Poisonous Fiend formed after the extreme poison of heart-corroding grass and the yin fiend of the earth veins were tempered a thousand times! Its inherent dominance and fierce corrosiveness far surpassed ordinary spiritual power!

"Break it!"

Chen Feng roared, no longer hesitating! He frantically poured the newly born, still thin but incredibly violent Poisonous Fiend Spiritual Power within him into his palms! The dark silver glow instantly intensified, the veins under the skin of his palms bulged, showing an ominous greenish-black color, and a destructive aura mixed with potent poison and chilling frost spread out!

"Open — for me!!!"

His palms, like two heavy war hammers, carried all his strength and all the nascent Poisonous Fiend Spiritual Power, slamming fiercely onto the light blue barrier at the stone chamber's entrance, which flowed with cool sword qi and sealed the exit!

Chhh — Chhh chhh chhh —!

The anticipated violent collision did not occur. The resilient sword qi barrier, capable of withstanding the full force of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator's attack, instantly made a fierce sound, like a red-hot iron plunged into ice water, upon contact with Chen Feng's Poisonous Fiend Spiritual Power!

The sword qi left by Su Wanzhao was pure, sharp, and carried the chill of banishing evil. However, Chen Feng's Poisonous Fiend Spiritual Power was a twisted mixture of potent poison and yin fiend, with an extremely bizarre nature! The dark silver glow was like the most greedy bone-eating maggots, frantically gnawing and polluting the light blue sword qi! The icy will contained within the sword qi was corroded and neutralized by the potent poison, and its resilient structure was permeated and disintegrated by the cold fiendish aura!

The light blue barrier visibly dimmed and became murky at a speed discernible to the naked eye, as if splashed with foul ink! Spiderweb-like cracks, accompanied by piercing "kaka" sounds, rapidly spread across the barrier!

"Break!"

Chen Feng's eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a beast-like roar, his palms erupting with power once more!

"Bang —!"

Like shattering glass! The resilient sword qi barrier could no longer withstand the bizarre erosion from both inside and out, combined with the brute force impact, and it exploded with a crash, turning into countless light blue specks with turbid black qi, scattering and completely disappearing!

The stone chamber's seal was broken!

Chen Feng's figure, like a fierce beast unleashed, surged out of the stone chamber, carrying a violent fiendish aura mixed with blood, ice, and potent poison! The icy mountain wind instantly rushed into his nose and mouth, but he paid no attention, his crimson eyes immediately locking onto the direction of Black Wind Cliff!

Within the mountain hollow, the hellish scene appeared even more grotesque under the bleak moonlight.

Su Wanzhao's figure appeared so small and fragile under the shadow of the colossal demonic claw that blotted out the sky. Her lips were stained with striking blood, the tiger's mouth of her sword-wielding right hand was split open, blood flowed down the hilt, staining the cold sword body. The vengeful spirit demonic flame that had invaded her body was like a maggot clinging to bone, frantically eroding her spiritual power and assailing her sea of consciousness, causing her vision to blacken in waves, making even standing difficult.

The green flames flickering in the Withered Old Man's eyes were full of mockery and cruelty, as if he were enjoying the prey's final struggles. The gigantic demonic claw phantom exuded power that sealed space and demonic sounds that defiled the soul, descending with a despair-inducing might!

It was at this critical moment, a hair's breadth from life or death!

The last trace of light in Su Wanzhao's eyes suddenly extinguished, replaced by an absolute stillness that suggested burning everything to ashes, a mutual destruction! She pressed her left hand's conjoined fingers, wreathed in a wisp of extremely pure Profound Yin Qi, like a burning ice flame, fiercely onto her glabella!

"Profound Yin Secret Sword — Burning Blood!"

"Om —!"

An indescribable, extremely cold storm, as if originating from the Nine Nether Yellow Springs, erupted with Su Wanzhao at its center! The Profound Yin Qi emanating from her body was no longer a cool current, but instantly transformed into fiercely burning ice-blue flames! These flames had no temperature, only an absolute, soul-piercing chill and a tragic intensity that seemed to burn away one's very essence!

Her long hair danced wildly without wind, and her hair tips visibly became covered in a layer of frost! Her already fair skin was now so translucent that the veins beneath could be seen, and what flowed through those veins was no longer crimson blood, but burning ice-blue!

She was burning her essence blood! Burning her origin! Even... burning her lifespan!

A terrifying aura, far surpassing her Qi Refining peak stage, soared into the sky! This aura was cold, pure, and carried a sword intent that could destroy everything, actually tearing open a gap in the Withered Old Man's Foundation Establishment demonic might!

"Slash!"

Su Wanzhao's voice was hoarse, yet it was like Nine Nether ice scraping! The Autumn Water Longsword in her hand erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant ice-blue radiance! On the sword body, countless intricate, profound runes flowed as if alive! A sword qi, condensed to the extreme, an ice-blue sword aura that seemed capable of freezing time and space, burst forth from the sword tip!

This sword aura was no longer mere sword qi, but a materialized essence highly condensed from her burning origin essence blood and Profound Yin Sword Intent! Wherever it passed, the air was completely frozen, leaving a clear frosty trail! The gigantic demonic claw phantom, with its surging vengeful spirit demonic flames, upon contact with this ice-blue sword aura, shrieked tragically as if meeting its nemesis, instantly freezing, shattering, and turning into ethereal ice crystals!

"What?!" The Withered Old Man's sinister grin instantly froze, and for the first time, genuine horror appeared in his eyes! "Burning Blood Secret Art?! Madwoman! You dare to destroy your own dao foundation?!"

He felt a threat! A fatal threat! The extreme chill and destructive sword intent contained within that ice-blue sword aura were enough to severely wound or even kill him, a Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator with an unstable foundation!

He let out a strange cry, no longer daring to hold back, his withered hands swiftly formed seals, and he spat out a large mouthful of sticky, ink-like vital essence blood, exuding a strong foul odor! The essence blood transformed into a twisted skull rune in mid-air, instantly merging into the demonic qi surrounding him!

"Myriad Soul Bone Shield!"

"Roar —!"

The piercing screams of countless tormented vengeful spirits converged into a deafening sonic wave! A colossal bone shield, pieced together from countless pale white bones, covered in viscous foul blood, and burning with eerie green ghost flames, instantly materialized before him! On the bone shield, countless twisted faces of vengeful spirits struggled and wailed, exuding a nauseating evil aura and powerful defensive might!

The ice-blue sword aura and the Myriad Soul Bone Shield collided with a thunderous impact!

Boom —!!!

It was as if an iceberg had crashed into the gates of hell! A deafening, terrifying explosion echoed throughout the entire back mountain! Blinding light instantly illuminated half the night sky! A violent energy shockwave swept in all directions like a tsunami, instantly lifting and shredding shattered rocks, corpses, and withered trees in the mountain hollow!

The ice-blue cold tide and the foul demonic qi furiously eroded and annihilated each other! Ice crystals that froze everything and burning ghost flames intertwined, creating a scene of destruction!

"Crack! Crackle crackle!"

A dense, teeth-grinding sound of shattering rang out! The seemingly indestructible Myriad Soul Bone Shield began to show spiderweb-like cracks before Su Wanzhao's ultimate, mutually destructive sword strike, which burned her essence! The emerald ghost flames burning upon it rapidly dimmed, and countless vengeful spirit faces froze, shattered, and let out silent wails in the extreme cold!

"Pfft—!" The Withered Old Man was struck as if by a heavy hammer, his body shuddered violently, and he spat out a large mouthful of black blood. The green fire in his eyes pulsed wildly, and his aura instantly became sluggish! He stared intently at the bone shield, which was about to shatter, and the dazzling ice-blue Sword Aura of destruction behind it, his eyes filled with disbelief and heartache!

He had sacrificed his vital essence blood and used his ultimate Defensive Demonic Artifact, yet he was nearly breached and severely injured by a single sword strike from a junior in the Qi Refining stage! The power of the Blood-Burning Secret Sword of the Profound Yin Maiden Body was truly terrifying!

As for Su Wanzhao, after unleashing this world-shaking sword strike, the ice-blue flames burning around her, like a candle in the wind, suddenly dimmed! All color drained from her face, making her look transparent like glazed glass. Her body swayed, and she barely managed to stay upright by leaning on her longsword. A deep, bone-piercing weakness instantly overwhelmed her; the backlash from burning her blood surged like a tide, her vision kept blacking out, and her consciousness began to blur. This single strike had nearly drained her of everything!

Both sides were severely injured!

It was at this very moment—when the Withered Old Man was mentally reeling, shocked and furious, and Su Wanzhao was tottering on the brink of exhaustion!

A shadow, like a ghost, carrying thick bloody stench and violent Fiendish Energy, tore through the chaotic energy aftermath and the pervasive Ice-Shard Demonic Energy at a speed exceeding the limit of the Qi Refining stage, boldly rushing into the center of the fierce battlefield!

It was Chen Feng!

There was no hesitation or fear in his scarlet eyes, only a ferocious instinct and precise calculation forced out by the threat of death! His target was extremely clear—not the Withered Old Man, but the two Qi Refining stage Demon Cultivators who had narrowly survived Su Wanzhao's blood-burning strike and were now collapsed on the ground, barely breathing!

Strike while the iron is hot! Cut off his wings!

Chen Feng's figure moved like a hunting leopard, instantly appearing beside the closest Demon Cultivator! That cultivator had been rattled senseless by the previous battle's aftermath and terrified by the horrifying might of Su Wanzhao's blood-burning sword strike, leaving him no time to react!

"Die!"

Chen Feng roared lowly. His right fist, covered in dark silver light and emitting a highly poisonous Yin Fiend Aura, smashed straight toward the Demon Cultivator's head without any fancy moves! Where the punch wind passed, the air hissed as if being corroded!

"No..." The Demon Cultivator only managed to let out half a scream of terror.

Bang!!!

It was like a ripe watermelon being smashed by a heavy hammer! The fist, wrapped in dark silver light and carrying Chen Feng's immense physical strength from the Qi Refining Second Layer, along with the newly born, violent Poisonous Fiend Spiritual Power, shattered the thin Demonic Energy Shield that the cultivator had hastily condensed, slamming heavily into his temple!

Terrifying power erupted instantly! The Demon Cultivator's head was crushed as if run over by immense force, half of his skull exploding directly! Red, white, and fragments of bone and flesh blackened by the corrosive poisonous spiritual power scattered everywhere! The headless corpse twitched and fell, instantly killed!

One strike, one kill! Chen Feng did not stop. His right fist, covered in foul blood and minced flesh, swept horizontally with a sharp sound of tearing air, heading straight for the other Demon Cultivator who was struggling to stand up!

"How dare you, junior!" The Withered Old Man finally recovered from his shock. Seeing his subordinate being slaughtered so brutally, he immediately flew into a rage! Although he was severely wounded by Su Wanzhao's sword and most of his attention was tied up by the backlash of the Blood-Burning Secret Art, preventing him from launching a powerful attack immediately, his Foundation Establishment stage Spiritual Sense was still formidable! A mental impact, condensed like substance and containing Filthy Demonic Thoughts, shot towards Chen Feng's Sea of Consciousness like an invisible poisonous thorn! Simultaneously, he raised his withered claw, and a condensed Black Demonic Light, like a poisonous snake, shot towards Chen Feng's back!

A double strike! Mental and physical!

"Be careful!" The tottering Su Wanzhao saw this scene, forced up her last shred of clarity, and cried out in alarm! She knew how terrifying a Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator's mental attack was—enough to instantly destroy the mind of a Qi Refining cultivator!

However, facing this mental poisonous thorn capable of scattering the soul of an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, a trace of near-mad ferocity flashed in Chen Feng's eyes! He did not dodge, nor did he even try to defend against the demonic light aimed at his back! The moment the mental poisonous thorn pierced his Sea of Consciousness, the dark, latent power within his Sea of Consciousness—containing the Corpse Heart Grass Poison and Earth Fiend Will—seemed stimulated by the similar filth, surging up automatically!

"Ugh!" Chen Feng groaned. Black blood instantly seeped from his seven orifices, and the intense dizziness and tearing sensation made his vision go dark! But strangely, the impact of the filthy demonic thoughts was instinctively counteracted by the Poisonous Fiend Will in his Sea of Consciousness—which was equally filthy and chaotic, yet carried his own imprint—by more than half! Although the pain was excruciating, and his soul felt torn apart, his consciousness was miraculously not destroyed; instead, he maintained a strange clarity amidst the agony!

Doomed to death! Fighting poison with poison!

Using the instantaneous burst of power brought on by the intense pain, Chen Feng forcibly endured the mental impact that had pierced his Sea of Consciousness, and his charging speed increased instead of slowing down! His left fist, covered in dark silver light, struck the chest of the second Demon Cultivator with unwavering resolve!

Pfft!

The dark Poisonous Fiend Spiritual Power, like the sharpest drill bit, instantly broke through the cultivator's Protective Demonic Energy and violently pierced his chest! The Demon Cultivator's eyes bulged, and he spat out black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. A bowl-sized blood hole was blasted through his chest! The flesh and blood around the wound instantly turned a terrifying bluish-black, decaying and withering at a visible speed! The extreme poison and Yin Fiend power raged wildly within his body, instantly cutting off all life force!

The second Demon Cultivator was killed!

And at this moment, the Life-Taking Demonic Light shot by the Withered Old Man had already touched the clothes on Chen Feng's back! The aura of death was chillingly cold!

In this flash of lightning and flint!

A faint yet incredibly condensed Ice-Blue Sword Light, like a shooting star tearing through the night sky, arrived later but struck first, precisely hitting the demonic light!

"Clang!"

With a crisp sound! The sword light, unleashed by Su Wanzhao using her last trace of residual Spiritual Power and Sword Intent, failed to completely defeat the demonic light but managed to knock its trajectory slightly off course!

Puh!

The Black Demonic Light grazed Chen Feng's left shoulder blade and pierced through! It brought forth a spray of hot blood mixed with dark silver light! A cold, filthy demonic energy instantly invaded the wound, wreaking havoc!

Chen Feng staggered; the intense pain nearly made him fall, but he bit down on the tip of his tongue, using the even stronger agony to force himself steady! He suddenly turned his head, his scarlet eyes fixed on the Withered Old Man, revealing a savage grin mixed with excruciating pain, madness, and provocation on his face, which was covered in his own and his enemies' blood!

"Old bastard! Your dogs... are all dead!"

The Withered Old Man looked at the tragic sight of his two subordinates instantly killed, then saw Chen Feng's provocative savage grin and Su Wanzhao's faint, desperate sword light. An indescribable burst of fury and humiliation instantly overwhelmed his reason! He, a dignified Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator, had been played with, severely injured, and even had his subordinates slaughtered right in front of him by two Qi Refining juniors!

"Ahhh! You little bastard! This old man will Extract Soul and Refine Spirit! I'll turn you into the lowest kind of Medicine Slave! You will never reincarnate!" The Withered Old Man was like a madman. Ignoring his own injuries, he forcibly activated his Demonic Art, and Vengeful Spirit Demonic Flames ignited on his withered claws again. He lunged toward Chen Feng in a frenzy!

However, the moment his demonic energy erupted—

"Pfft—!"

His body suddenly stiffened, an extremely unnatural black aura surged onto his face, and he spat out a large stream of viscous black blood again. His aura plummeted once more, like a punctured balloon! Forcibly activating his Demonic Art had triggered the Extreme Cold Poison and destructive Sword Intent remaining in his body from Su Wanzhao's blood-burning strike! His injuries completely erupted!

A chance!

A sharp light burst forth from Chen Feng's eyes! He completely disregarded the profusely bleeding, demonic-energy-corroded wound on his left shoulder. His body, like a taut bowstring, used every ounce of strength to pounce toward the tottering, nearly unconscious Su Wanzhao!

"Run!!!"

His hoarse roar echoed throughout the bloody Mountain Hollow!