196: The Red Lanterns were destroyed.

The Red Lantern F Fang Master's face became extremely ugly. He knew best that the effects of the blood yin pellet would last for fifteen minutes at most, after which he would fall into a state of extreme weakness. "No! I don't need fifteen minutes! I'll have you all dead right now!"

He frantically circulated his power, and the blood-colored palm pressed down once more!

"Crack... Crack..."

The cracks on the Qi shield increased, and it trembled slightly, but the formation remained perfectly steady. Xia Ya's arm muscles tensed, and the flowing cloud inner armor rippled again, neutralizing the layers of cold, sinister energy that seeped through the shield. The deck beneath her feet cracked, yet her posture remained as steady as a rock.

"Break for me! Break! Break!" The F Fang Master roared like a madman, unleashing three consecutive heavy strikes!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three violent impacts followed; the light of the Black Tortoise Qi Shield flickered unsteadily, but it never shattered! Xia Ya's face paled further, and blood seeped from the webs of her hands. Qin Feng and Ji Ruxue also had blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, but they were not seriously injured. Xiao Chun's Myriad Medicine Body operated at full capacity, its medicinal mist maintaining a steady healing effect.

Ten breaths, fifty breaths, a hundred breaths... time slipped away in the stalemate.

Cold sweat seeped from the F Fang Master's forehead. He could feel the power of the blood yin pellet fading rapidly; that strength, which approached the Martial Emperor level, was like sand in an hourglass, irreversibly declining!

"No... it's impossible for it to be this fast..." Panic welled up in his heart. According to the ancient records, the blood yin pellet should maintain its Peak state for at least fifteen minutes, yet not even a third of that time had passed!

He did not know that the Black Tortoise Shield Formation of the Four Symbols Battle Array inherently possessed the property of suppressing and wearing down sinister energy. Combined with the life-force purification of Xiao Chun's Myriad Medicine Body, it was a natural counter to power triggered by sinister external forces like the blood yin pellet!

Two hundred breaths, three hundred breaths... the faces of the vengeful spirits on the blood-colored palm began to blur and dissipate, and the palm itself dimmed and shrank at a pace visible to the naked eye!

"Now!" A sharp light burst from Qin Feng's eyes. "Formation Shift — White Tiger Dominates the Kill!"

The Black Tortoise Qi Shield suddenly dissipated. Xia Ya withdrew slightly but maintained her defensive stance. Qin Feng and Ji Ruxue shot out from the left and right sides like arrows released from a bow!

By now, the F Fang Master's power had fallen back to the level of an early Half-step Martial Emperor. Furthermore, his blood and Qi were churning due to the pellet's backlash, making his reactions half a beat slower!

"Finger Sword Among Flowers — Cloud Piercer!"

"Moon Shadow — Soul Sever!"

One sword and one dagger, one light and one dark, carrying the killing intent accumulated by the Four Symbols Formation, perfectly blocked all of the F Fang Master's paths of retreat!

"No—!" The F Fang Master roared in terror, struggling to swing his palm to block.

"Puchi!"

The ink plum sword pierced his chest, and the purple moon dagger slit his throat.

The F Fang Master's body stiffened, his eyes filled with resentment and disbelief. He looked down at the wounds on his chest and throat, opened his mouth to speak, but only blood gushed out. Then he collapsed backward, his breath ceasing.

His corpse shriveled rapidly as the backlash from the blood yin pellet drained every bit of his essence.

The lake breeze blew past, dispersing some of the scent of blood.

Qin Feng sheathed his sword; his breathing was slightly uneven, but his injuries were not heavy. Ji Ruxue returned her dagger to its sheath; her face was slightly pale, but she only had light injuries. Xia Ya lowered her great shield and stretched her numb arms; the wounds on her hands had already begun to heal under Xiao Chun's medicinal mist. Xiao Chun stowed her yan luo umbrella and let out a long sigh of relief.

All four had only consumed a significant amount of True Qi and suffered minor injuries; with the help of Medicinal Pills and the Myriad Medicine Body, they would soon recover.

"This Black Tortoise Shield Formation, combined with the force-deflecting effect of the flowing cloud inner armor, is indeed powerful," Xia Ya marveled as she looked at the cracks on her great shield.

"The purification power of the Myriad Medicine Body also played a major role, significantly shortening the duration of his medicine's effects," Qin Feng nodded. "If not for that, the sinister power of the blood yin pellet would have been much harder to deal with."

Ji Ruxue had already turned around, coldly looking at the other two overturned pleasure boats. "The remaining enemies haven't been cleared."

Before her voice finished, her figure had already streaked out like a faint shadow. The glint of the purple moon dagger flashed in the morning mist; wherever she passed, the remaining Red Lantern Workshop Disciples fell one after another. Simultaneously, she precisely severed the chains of the various cages, releasing the imprisoned women.

Qin Feng took out the water repelling pearl and quickly rescued the women who were struggling in the water after the boat had overturned.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the other two overturned pleasure boats also fell silent.

When Ji Ruxue returned, she was followed by over eighty women who looked terrified yet could not hide their joy at being rescued. Most were thinly dressed and shivering in the morning breeze.

"All settled," Ji Ruxue said concisely.

Qin Feng nodded and looked toward the east. The horizon was already showing a pale white, and the first light of dawn was appearing.

"Take them ashore first and find a place to settle them," Qin Feng said. "Xia Ya's injuries need some attention, and we also need to recover our True Qi. Then... we continue south."

The mission for the Molten Core Secret Realm was still waiting for them.

The four took the rescued women onto a small boat and sailed toward the shore. Looking back, the three Red Lantern Boats had completely sunk, symbolizing the end of this evil organization.

The Red Lantern Workshop, which had plagued Yunmeng City for over a decade, was uprooted in a single night by four passing youths.

And their journey would continue.