84: Chapter 84 Dying Before Dawn...

Surrounded?!

Qiu Rongzi flew into a rage instantly, the fire in his eyes unable to be suppressed: "How many people are on the other side?"

If there were few people, he could still handle it, but if dozens of Ninth-Turn Experts surrounded him at once, it would be extremely tricky, and...

He cast his gaze into the depths of the darkness.

The refinement of the Nether Prison Dragon was not yet complete. If external interference caused an error in the final fusion...

He might lose the chance to advance to a Totem because of it...

He absolutely could not be disturbed by anyone!

"Two... it seems like there are two..." the cultist said timidly.

He had never seen the Divine Envoy so angry before. In his eyes, the Divine Envoy's expression had always been calm regardless of what happened...

"Two?"

Hearing this, Qiu Rongzi immediately reined in his anger, staring at the cultist with an expression that was neither happy nor angry, but held a hint of surprise.

The atmosphere chilled to the freezing point...

Feeling the gazes coming from all around, the cultist felt a chill down his back, as if he had said something wrong...

He squeezed out a strained smile: "Maybe I saw wrong. There also seems to be a powerful flame divine bird and a large swarm of black Mosquito Beasts..."

"I'll be damned..." Qiu Rongzi was fuming. Just as he was about to deal with the cultist, a young face suddenly flashed through his mind. He froze, stopping his hand...

A flame divine bird and Mosquito Beasts?

Qiu Rongzi immediately remembered that young Beast Tamer who was currently in the limelight!

His growth rate was so rapid that Qiu Rongzi had wanted to kill him in Sakura Sun two days ago, but he hadn't succeeded due to several experts from the Dragon Kingdom who suddenly appeared...

Who would have thought that today, the kid would actually come knocking on his door!

A faint smile appeared on Qiu Rongzi's face, and his previous panic vanished. He walked straight toward the stone door...

When he passed by the cultist, the man didn't even dare to breathe, falling to his knees with a thud...

Qiu Rongzi ignored him completely, merely picking up the Bronze Compass, a Heaven-grade Treasure from the Kaiyang Divine Palace...

Combined with his status as a middle-stage Ninth Revolution Astrologer, erasing a Ninth-Turn Expert was no trouble at all. If used properly, he could even ambush an ordinary tenth turn!

Just a greenhorn, and a Beast Tamer at that—the easiest kind to kill...

Thinking of this, Qiu Rongzi suddenly relaxed.

Arriving at the entrance of the abyss, Qiu Rongzi saw a wave of crimson-gold flame on the horizon...

Peak Saint Spirit Grade, and there were two of them!

Qiu Rongzi's heart, which had just relaxed, tightened again!

Last time he saw him, there seemed to be only one Peak Saint Spirit, and its aura wasn't nearly as thick as this. These crimson-gold flowing flames...

It had clearly comprehended a Profound Truth!

"We meet again," Chu Ran said, standing atop the Flame Sky Sparrow's head, looking down at Qiu Rongzi with a cold smile.

Chu Ran had already guessed this before coming. Now that they actually met, he was indeed right!

If it weren't for the fact that this abyss was so unbearably foul-smelling—more nauseating than a cesspool—Chu Ran would have rushed down immediately...

"Have you thought it through today? You have great potential. If you choose to be a dog for my master now, I guarantee you will have a place in the Kaiyang Divine Territory in the future, and even have the chance to step into the God Realm and enter the Kaiyang Divine Palace!" Qiu Rongzi looked at Chu Ran and smiled.

"Which roadside is your master from? I don't care for it. I'm here to beat the dog today." Chu Ran sneered. "Did you really think I couldn't see what you're tinkering with?"

The Bronze Compass hovered in Qiu Rongzi's palm. The engravings of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches shimmered with a cold silver glow, and the light points of the Twenty-Eight Mansions flowed like crushed diamonds.

His cold expression froze; he had been discovered...

"Fine, I'm tired of pretending too..." he said coldly.

The moment he looked up, a wave of crimson-gold flame suddenly exploded across the sky!

The World-Burning Flame Sky Sparrow flapped its wings, its wingspan reaching ten zhang. Its feathers burned with source blazing flames, each one like molten crimson gold. Wherever the wingtips passed, the air distorted into transparent fire patterns.

The pressure, carrying the True Dragon Flame Might and Heavenly Fire, instantly poured down. The black rocks of the abyss cracked inch by inch. What gushed from the crevices wasn't lava, but ignited miasma, turning into blue-purple butterflies dancing in the sky...

"Heavenly Fire Burning the World!"

Chu Ran's shout, infused with spiritual power, pierced through the fire curtain. The World-Burning Flame Sky Sparrow raised its head and screeched. Its clear yet dragon-pressured cry made the compass needle hum and tremble wildly.

Amidst the flame waves, a hideous dragon shadow suddenly appeared. It was a phantom of a remnant soul triggered by the True Dragon Flame Might. With a swing of its head, dragon flames smashed toward Qiu Rongzi like a waterfall.

Facing the overwhelming flames, Qiu Rongzi tapped the compass rapidly with his fingertips, chanting a star incantation: "Star Compass Suppressing Evil!"

The Bronze Compass expanded violently, turning into an inverted Star Astral Barrier. The moment the silver glow collided with the crimson flames, a deafening roar erupted!

The starlight on the star-patterned barrier scraped against the flames like sharp blades, but it was scorched by the dragon flames, making a sizzling sound. Charred patterns quickly appeared on the surface of the barrier.

The Flame Sky Sparrow let out a sharp cry and suddenly folded its wings. A pale gold halo of Spiritual Breath Sharing spread from its body.

Dozens of flame pillars soared into the sky, and spiritual power surged into the Sky Sparrow's body like a tide.

Its feathers became even more dazzling. Within the dragon flames, purple-gold flame patterns snaked and moved. While it was brewing, it was also the killing move of Heavenly Fire Burning the World.

"Lì—"

The Sky Sparrow's wings snapped open, and Blazing Flame Fire Rain first poured down like a deluge. Falling onto the Star Astral Barrier, it instantly burned countless holes into it!

Immediately after, the rain-flames suddenly rose, turning into a sky full of heavenly fire. The purple-gold flames churned like a giant dragon, leaving pitch-black cracks in space wherever they passed.

Seeing this, Qiu Rongzi's gaze sharpened, and he flipped his wrist.

"Destiny Star Imprisoning Kill!"

A drop of essence blood flicked from his fingertip, landing on the constellation engravings of the compass.

The silver glow suddenly intensified, and a star chain, condensed as if solid, shot through the air, heading straight for Chu Ran's neck.

This was the killing move of a peak Astrologer!

The next moment.

"Holy Light Sanction!"

Lu Xiu channeled the holy power around his body into his palm, condensing a sharp-edged Cross Holy Seal. The sky seemed to break open with a holy light rift. A pure and overbearing pillar of light, carrying the intent of "Judgment," crashed down, locking onto Qiu Rongzi's killing move.

A Light Element Forbidden Technique from a Peak Eighth Turn!

Qiu Rongzi's killing move was instantly broken!

"Don't you dare harm my master!" Lu Xiu laughed.

...

How is this possible!

There's actually another Light Element expert?

Qiu Rongzi's face turned slightly pale. Light Element Professionals were the bane of all rule-based spells, and Astrologers were no exception...

The victory or defeat of top-tier experts often depends on a single thought!

He glanced down into the abyss...

The Nether Prison Dragon hadn't been completely refined yet. At this moment, it absolutely could not be disturbed!

To think he was pushed to such a state by someone from the lower realm!

Despite the immense unwillingness in his heart, Qiu Rongzi was forced to accept this fact.

"It seems I've met my match today..." Qiu Rongzi's face was pale, but his expression carried a hint of coldness. "However, someone must be buried with me!"

The silver glow of the compass dimmed slightly. He bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the center of the compass:

"Star Shift!"

The compass face spun rapidly, and the light points of the Twenty-Eight Mansions connected into a galaxy. A phantom of a star gate burst open behind him!

A treacherous rule decree suddenly appeared in the air!

In an instant, the starry sky turned dim!

Back when he was receiving the Nether Prison Dragon, Qiu Rongzi had inscribed a secret technique on the Starry Sky Plank Road that only the perception of a tenth turn expert could discover.

A forbidden skill to accelerate the expansion of the Starry Sky Rift!

"It's a bit of a pity to destroy such a Second-Tier Continent, but I really hope you can survive..." Qiu Rongzi laughed maniacally:

"Because when my master arrives, you will know what a true living hell is! Hahahaha!"

The next moment, the dragon flames swallowed him without mercy.

"Boom!"

A world-shattering explosion!

Amidst the filling smoke and dust, the World-Burning Flame Sky Sparrow's screech soared to the ninth heaven! Meanwhile, Qiu Rongzi's figure was completely swallowed by the sky-filling silver glow and crimson flames...

Qiu Rongzi was dead.

But Chu Ran didn't breathe a sigh of relief because of it. He turned his gaze toward the sky.

The Starry Sky Rift was opening, visible to the naked eye...

It was several times larger than the one that had appeared in the Dragon Kingdom!

Chu Ran could feel the countless pairs of greedy eyes peering through the rift!

At the same time, the deathly silent abyss suddenly began to tremble...

A shadow that blotted out the sun broke through the rock layer. A pair of vertical pupils burning with thunder and fire slowly opened, illuminating the entire abyss!

That was...

A dragon!

...