Going Against the Current

"You forced me to reveal my Flame Heavenly Dao so I could kill you all?! Are you happy now?! Are you satisfied?!"

The Crimson Immortal's eyes were filled with rage and murderous intent. His entire body was surrounded by a flame halo with a diameter of a thousand meters. The raging flames burned fiercely, and even the air became fuel for its combustion.

Just feeling the raging flames and high temperature was enough to make Yu Xu, a mere ethereal immortal, tremble with fear.

"The Heavenly Dao of Flames!? The Crimson True Immortal... He actually possesses a Heavenly Dao!? He doesn't have a grotto-heaven, how could he possibly possess Heavenly Dao!?"

"I knew that Crimson Immortal must be fearless to jump out at this time... He actually has such fortuitous opportunity, this is dangerous!"

"So close! So close to him completing the cave heaven! Once he completes the cave heaven, and uses it to bear the Heavenly Dao... the Red Cloud Sect will leap to become a medium-sized power, and completely gain a foothold in the Flame River Dao!"

The Mahayana saints and enlightened immortals located far behind the battlefield were filled with anxiety.

Zi Ruyan immediately summoned a Dao artifact, which shone with mysterious light. Taking advantage of the wide-open cave, she could clearly see a body eight hundred meters tall, engulfed in raging flames, hidden deep within the cave.

Although the body was bathed in flames, it showed no signs of life.

"The Immortal Lord's corpse!"

Zi Ruyan quickly recognized what was going on. "When the most powerful immortals attempt to break through to the Boundless Profound Immortal realm, they often absorb the Heavenly Dao and the Cave Heaven entirely into their bodies, refining them as part of their immortal bodies. This process is extremely dangerous. The slightest accident can cause the Heavenly Dao to go berserk and the Cave Heaven to collapse. Once this happens, there is only one path awaiting the immortal master... This immortal master's immortal body obviously could not refine this Cave Heaven, and he died because the Cave Heaven collapsed..."

Then, something occurred to her. "It's the Divine Phoenix Immortal Lord! The Flame Heavenly Dao, and there's only one Immortal Lord who hasn't appeared in nearly a hundred years! That's the Divine Phoenix Immortal Lord! A hundred years ago, the Divine Phoenix Sect caused chaos in the south and was suppressed and killed by the Chi family, the overlord of the Southern Region. The Divine Phoenix Immortal Lord disappeared without a trace, along with the core of his cave heaven. I never imagined he would secretly go into seclusion to break through to the Boundless Profound Immortal realm!? However, he failed to break through to the Profound Immortal realm, and ultimately all of this fell on his successor, the Crimson True Immortal!?"

"No wonder Crimson Immortal allowed us to attack for six days... The Flame Heavenly Dao is not only immune to all Fire Element Divine Abilities, but it can also absorb fire-related power and convert it for its own use! We have actually been charging this Heavenly Dao for the past six days!?"

"Quickly! Send a message to the Heavenly Fire Sect to summon the 'Lightless' Heavenly Dao!"

Long Congyun, Dongming, and the others shouted.

"You don't have that chance anymore."

With a flick of his wrist, the Crimson Immortal conjured a phantom of flame resembling a phoenix.

This fiery phantom was originally only equivalent to the power of an ordinary great Divine Ability power, but as the power of the rings of fiery aura behind it was poured into it, the power of the fiery phoenix surged, directly manifesting into a fiery behemoth over a thousand meters tall, and from the illusory to the real, it seemed as if a real divine bird phoenix had descended to the world.

"Burn, my Heavenly Dance Phoenix!"

"Boom!"

Thunder roared!

Fengyulou Dongming directly wielded a divine sword, its blade crackling with lightning as it pierced the sky and exploded like a silver dragon onto a thousand-meter-tall fiery phoenix. The violent force caused flames to scatter from the phoenix's body, forming a raging fire on the ground.

But...

That's all.

This attack not only failed to shatter the Flame Phoenix, but it couldn't even pierce its body.

For a fire phoenix with a wingspan of a thousand meters and in its full energy form, it was at best a mere scratch.

"Chirp!"

The fiery phoenix let out a piercing cry, its massive body soaring into the air as it lunged at Dongming of the Wind and Rain Tower. The speed it displayed was incredibly fast, and the terrifying heat caused countless people to suffocate. Even the clouds in the sky seemed to be dyed red, as if the entire void was burning.

"Retreat! Retreat first!"

Upon seeing this, Zi Ruyan made a decisive move and immediately used her escape technique to get away.

Without her order, the other immortals had already scattered in all directions with great enthusiasm.

The immortals and saints who were cheering from the rear also fled for their lives.

However, the speed of the Flame Phoenix was clearly comparable to that of a Celestial Immortal. When it pounced, the Cave-Dwelling True Immortal, who was the first target, was burned to ashes without leaving a trace.

Immediately afterwards, the fiery phoenix rapidly split into eleven smaller phoenixes, which continued to attack the other eleven True Immortals. Furthermore, a large amount of flames that fell from the eleven fiery phoenixes transformed into firebirds that were also tens of meters long, screaming and whipping up high temperatures as they charged towards the fleeing Void Immortals and Saints like suicide drones.

If any of these firebirds were to collide with anyone, they would explode, releasing terrifying energy comparable to that of a great Divine Ability being.

For Void Immortals who are unlikely to possess defensive artifacts, facing such a Divine Ability attack is essentially tantamount to facing death.

Gu Jinlai, people have all been within the scope of fleeing.

"Daozi, go quickly!"

While shouting, Yu Xu instructed the other Void Immortals: "Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, form a battle formation to block the rear and assist the Daoist in his retreat."

The four Void Immortals frowned; in this life-or-death moment, they were tasked with covering the rear...

However, seeing that the Crimson Immortal's killing move was heading towards the eleven Immortals, they still obeyed the order, set up an array, and when they sensed the firebirds attacking, they activated their sword Divine Ability and divine powers, with sword light crisscrossing, shredding the firebirds in mid-air.

However, these firebirds were numerous, and the power they contained was comparable to that of a 500,000-ton nuclear bomb. Under the heavy bombardment, even the four Void Immortals found it difficult to withstand.

Especially behind those firebirds, hundreds of figures were flying through the air on swords, relentlessly pursuing and killing them...

Yes, flying on a sword.

Even Mahayana Saints are reluctant to use swords lightly under normal circumstances, to avoid needlessly consuming their true essence, but in such a fierce battle...

To be precise, at the crucial moment of looting corpses and seizing spoils, one after another Mahayana and Void Returning cultivators, led by the Void Immortals, charged in on their swords.

More than a dozen people were eyeing the group that Gu Jinlai.

"Does the Heavenly Fire Sect have no backup plan at all?"

Seeing things turn out this way, Gu Jinlai was speechless. He was still thinking about whether he could gain any advantage.

"There might be a backup plan, but the Flame Heavenly Dao is a type of Heavenly Dao that amplifies combat power. Even if the master of this Heavenly Dao is dead, after the Crimson True Immortal activates it, his combat power will still be amplified to the level of a Heavenly Immortal... No, he already has the foundation of a Supreme True Immortal. With the amplification of the Flame Heavenly Dao, he may be able to unleash the combat power of a high-level Heavenly Immortal, or even a top-level Heavenly Immortal. Even if the Heavenly Fire Sect has a backup plan, it will be of no use."

As Yu Xu spoke, his expression grew increasingly grim as he watched the endless stream of firebirds swarming towards them. "This won't do. Our strength will soon be exhausted by these firebirds, and when those dozen or so Red Cloud Sect disciples catch up, we'll be doomed."

"A true immortal is rushing back?"

At this moment, it seemed that Gu Jinlai had realized something.

Of the eleven True Immortals who scattered in a panic, five had already been caught and killed, but four others actually turned around and headed towards Baihe City with True Immortal Yanliu.

"They want to destroy the Immortal Lord's corpse! The Red Cloud Sect's cave heaven is not yet fully built and cannot contain the Flame Heavenly Dao at all. As long as the Immortal Lord's corpse is destroyed, the Flame Heavenly Dao will dissipate on its own without its vessel."

Yu Xu immediately saw through Yan Liu Zhenxian and the others' plan, and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.

These four immortals were determined to fight to the death.

But the next second, Crimson Immortal returned directly, abandoning the pursuit of the other three Immortals. He unleashed a raging inferno like a tsunami, heading straight for the four Immortals led by Flame Flow Immortal. Wherever the flames went, they burned the sky and boiled the sea. The sky within a radius of hundreds of miles was completely ignited and turned into flames.

"It's over now. If Zi Ruyan, Long Congyun, and Yun Zhen were to fight to the death with the Crimson True Immortal, and if they had some trump cards up their sleeves to deplete some of the Flame Heavenly Dao's power, there might still be hope. After all, the Crimson Cloud Sect doesn't have a cave heaven to support it, and the Flame Heavenly Dao is like a rootless duckweed. Even if he used a special method to nurture the Flame Heavenly Dao inside the corpse of the Divine Phoenix Immortal Master, once it's activated, it can't be sealed back. It's essentially a one-time killing move..."

Upon seeing this, Yu Xu's face turned deathly pale. "But right now, only four True Immortals have chosen to go against the current... It's simply impossible to exhaust the power within the Flame Heavenly Dao..."

"Daozi, given the current situation, it's best for us to escape separately. We've already transcended the tribulation and become immortals, making us a bigger target and attracting the attention of those Dao Proving Realm cultivators in the Red Cloud Sect. But you're just Mahayana Saint, so be careful. You might not be targeted. Even if you are, as long as it's not an immortal who makes a move, with the two Dao artifacts you possess, your chances of escaping are much greater than if we all retreat together."

At this moment, Elder Qinglong, who was in charge of the sword formation, suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, Yu Xu quickly realized that the elders Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise were planning to flee on their own.

"Then let's scatter and escape."

This Gu Jinlai.

"Daozi..."

"The elders are right. If we scatter and escape, our chances of survival will be greater. After all, the number of disciples in the Red Cloud Sect is limited. If I'm lucky, I might be able to leave White River City safely."

Gu Jinlai waved his hand, and after speaking, as if afraid that Yu Xu would not comply, he strode forward. "I will go first, and we will meet again in the Creation Sect."

Several Void Immortal Elders felt somewhat guilty upon witnessing this scene.

However, when faced with life and death, they lacked the resolve to risk their lives for a Mahayana saint.

Even the Gu Jinlai brother of the sect leader Jiang Yujian is no exception.

After all, Ye Yan Zhenxian is still the one truly in charge of the Creation Sect.

"Let's go."

Thinking this, the four illusory immortals quickly dispersed.

On the other side, Gu Jinlai, having become one with his sword, flew thousands of miles outwards on his sword. Seemingly worried about running out of strength, he landed directly upon sensing a mountain forest stretching for hundreds of miles.

When he reappeared, his figure and appearance had changed slightly.

However, unlike before when he was far from the battlefield of Baihe City, he now accelerated and headed straight for Baihe City.

"The Heavenly Dao is the essence of the power system in the Xuanxian Realm. I wonder if the cave I opened up within my body can bear this fiery Heavenly Dao."

With this thought in mind, Gu Jinlai no longer concealed his aura. He unleashed the Thunder Dragon Transformation Technique, and with a deafening roar, he was like a bolt of lightning, tearing through the sky and striking towards Baihe City at dozens of times the speed of sound.