25: Chapter 25 Collateral Damage

Luoxia Market seemed to be affected by the news of the Demonic Technique; the once bustling market was now sparse, with few people to be seen.

Yun Ming set up his stall for a long time, but no one came to buy anything, so he simply packed up.

He thought about wandering around; if there wasn't a suitable Pill Furnace, he would make do with the one in the Alchemy Room for now.

He was grumbling in his heart that Alchemy Peak was truly stingy; since he was already a First-Tier High Grade Alchemist, couldn't they just give him a Pill Furnace?

As he walked, Yun Ming suddenly felt the sky darken.

Many people looked up.

Without any warning or sound of thunder, a mass of ink-black clouds condensed almost instantly.

“Is it going to rain?” someone asked.

Before the words had even finished,

The black cloud, covering a radius of a hundred miles, suddenly solidified and transformed into a giant, pitch-black palm.

In the gaps between the fingers, countless vengeful souls and malicious ghosts shrieked and wailed. Just from hearing the sound, the low-level Cultivators beneath the palm were already vomiting blood and dying.

After solidifying, its five fingers curled slightly, carrying a terrifying Aura as if the heavens were falling, and slammed down ruthlessly toward Luoxia Market and those dumbstruck Cultivators.

“Run!!!” someone shouted, and the Cultivators in Luoxia Market immediately scattered like birds and beasts.

Yun Ming also cursed his bad luck. His Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation erupted with full force, and with his Five Elements Escape Technique at full power, his entire being turned into an afterimage.

Time seemed to stretch for an instant. Some people, knowing they couldn't escape, tried to activate their Magical Artifacts for a desperate last stand, but unfortunately, the spiritual light had just barely flickered on before being extinguished like a candle in the wind.

More people only had time to widen their terrified eyes before being swallowed by the giant black palm, becoming part of the vengeful souls within.

“Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!”

It wasn't just one sound, but a continuous series of dull, massive explosions.

The earth was like a giant drum being struck by a heavy hammer; it vibrated violently, arched up, and then shattered.

With the center of the palm as the origin, ripples began to spread across the ground, and all the houses and tiles were instantly crushed into powder.

Yun Ming luckily escaped, but was still sent flying by the aftershock. The moment the kui water spirit light shield touched the aftershock, it was punctured like a bubble, breaking without a sound.

Fortunately, the set of black flood dragon scale armor blocked most of the damage, so Yun Ming was not seriously injured.

However, his condition wasn't much better.

Swallowing several spring return pills in one go, Yun Ming cursed, “Damn it, I didn't check the almanac before leaving today. How does a Demonic Path Cultivator dare to cause trouble right under the nose of the Sunset Glow Sect?”

By now, the market had turned into a silent ruin, with only painful moans and the sound of crawling.

Before the dust had settled, a streak of black-red blood light fell from the top of the churning, filthy clouds, landing in the center of the market that had already become a giant crater, slowly solidifying.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark red embroidered demonic-patterned robe. His Face was gloomy, his eye sockets were sunken, and his pupils looked like a mass of living blood.

Standing with his hands behind his back, he radiated the pressure of the Golden Core Middle Stage.

This person was one of the nine Golden Core hall masters of the Heavenly Demon Hall, Hall Master Blood Shadow.

The moment Yun Ming realized this terrifying figure was in the Golden Core Realm, he planned to flee. However, everyone who had survived was locked down by his pressure; the slightest movement would result in instant death.

Yun Ming didn't dare to gamble. As long as the opponent had a moment of Divided Soul, he could use the Fuli Heaven-Concealing Record to escape unscathed. For now, he could only wait for that opportunity.

Blood Shadow’s gaze indifferently swept across the purgatory-like scene around him, his lips curling into a cruel arc.

Even after killing so many people, it was as if he had merely brushed dust off his sleeve.

“Sunset Glow Sect scum, you killed my Heavenly Demon Hall's deacon and harmed our Young Hall Master. Today, I shall first collect some interest.”

His voice wasn't loud, yet it was like an ice pick, clearly reaching the ears of everyone who had survived, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.

Almost the moment his voice fell, a shout filled with anger rang out: “Devil Head! How dare you!!!”

Along with the voice, a sword light as hot as the blazing sun tore through the sky and arrived in an instant!

The sword light faded, revealing a grey-robed old man with disheveled hair and eyes spitting fire. It was none other than the Sword Peak Elder guarding Luoxia Market, Daoist Jian Xia!

He hadn't expected that while he was Cultivating for just a short while, someone would come knocking on his door and launch a surprise attack right in front of him, causing heavy losses to Luoxia Market.

Wasn't this just slapping his Face!

Without any nonsense, Daoist Jian Xia’s hair and beard bristled. He pointed a finger, and the ancient longsword at his waist boldly unsheathed, turning into a golden rainbow like a silk ribbon, carrying an Aura that could sever rivers and split mountains as it pierced straight toward Hall Master Blood Shadow.

Before the sword even arrived, the sharp Sword Qi had already plowed a trench into the ground.

Hall Master Blood Shadow snorted coldly. Without dodging, he raised his hand, and dark red Spiritual Qi gathered frantically, condensing into a constantly rotating black lightning ball.

He slammed it out against the golden sword rainbow.

“Clang!!!”

The golden sword rainbow and the dark red lightning ball collided violently. The erupting light scattered the clouds in the sky, and the terrifying explosion once again blew away the ruins for a hundred miles around.

Both figures shook simultaneously and retreated. Circles of ripples exploded in the Void Realm beneath their feet, and in just an instant, they collided again.

Yun Ming looked up, unable to see their figures clearly; there was dazzling light everywhere.

“Damn it, you're in a fight, how can you be so distracted? Why are you still staring at us small fry?” Yun Ming wanted to take the chance to slip away, but found that they were currently being watched not only by Blood Shadow but also by Daoist Jian Xia.

Clearly, Blood Shadow wanted to use them as hostages. How many of these hostages lived concerned the Sunset Glow Sect's Face.

Besides that reason, Daoist Jian Xia was also worried that another person with ulterior motives might sneak into the Sect. The matter of the Demonic Technique was just about to be resolved, and he didn't want any further complications.

It was just a pity for small fry like Yun Ming.

“Old man Jian Xia, quite a temper you have.” Hall Master Blood Shadow stuck out his scarlet tongue and licked his lips, the blood in his eyes seemingly boiling. “Pity, today your Luoxia Market will be wiped off the map!”

“Hmph, wishful thinking!” Daoist Jian Xia roared. He slammed his hands together, his internal spiritual power boiling. The golden sword light split from one into three, then into nine, until eighty-one brilliant sword lights hung behind him, forming a Killing Intent-filled 'Golden Rainbow Void-Rending Sword Array'.

“Today I shall surely slay you!”

“With just you?” Hall Master Blood Shadow laughed wildly. His figure suddenly exploded, turning into nine blood shadows that were hard to distinguish between real and illusory. They lunged at Daoist Jian Xia from different directions, each blood shadow extending ghost-claw-like fingers. From the fingertips flickered 'Blood-Transforming Demonic Light' which could foul Magic Treasures and corrode flesh.

Daoist Jian Xia’s sword seal changed. The eighty-one light swords moved as easily as his own arms, crisscrossing and slaughtering, locked in combat with the nine blood shadows.

The battle quickly reached a fever pitch, moving from above the ruins to the nearby mountains.

Gradually, both sides were filled with true fury, wanting to slay the other right there.

“Ten Thousand Souls Heaven Devourer!” Seeing that enough time had passed and he couldn't win quickly, Hall Master Blood Shadow let out a sharp shriek. The nine blood shadows suddenly merged into one. He raised both hands high, and boundless vengeful souls and malicious ghosts poured out from his body. Amidst ghostly wails and wolf-like howls, they condensed into a giant vortex behind him.

It smashed down toward Daoist Jian Xia and the hundred-fathom mountain peak beneath him! The power was so great that it caused the heavens and earth to change color and the wild winds to howl.

Daoist Jian Xia’s pupils constricted as he felt the terror of this strike.

With a great roar, all the light swords instantly retracted and fused with his main Flying Sword. His entire being seemed to transform into a giant sword that stood between heaven and earth. Golden light soared into the sky, carrying an indomitable sword intent as it boldly met that ghost black hole that swallowed everything!

“Golden Rainbow Piercing the Sun, Strike!!”

The most brilliant golden light and the deepest blood-black Devilish Qi collided violently in mid-air!