Qian-Li Fire Serpents Burn Ten-Thousand Ghost Formation

Although Zhu Ying came from an extraordinary background, she was limited by her age and had never been particularly keen on cultivation. Her magical power had only completed one cycle of the heavens, and she had opened only a few acupoints of the second. Facing an evil-path elder as formidable as Sun Yougui, even with several inherited treasures, she had no confidence she could withstand him.

Yet she had never expected Wang Chong to have another fire serpent!

Little Bug was not one to show off. Held in Zhu Ying's embrace, he was deeply moved and released the second Qian-Li Fire Serpent to meet the Ghost-Soul Arrow.

Sun Yougui had not expected Wang Chong to possess seven Qian-Li Fire Serpents either. He had assumed Xiao Nan had obtained some treasure and bestowed one upon his disciple, which would already have been a vast kindness from a master.

He did not know that Xiao Nan had failed to pass the Qianli Heart-Refining Trial and had been too embarrassed to compete with his disciple for them. Thus, he had not received even one fire serpent, while all seven Qian-Li Fire Serpents had gone to Wang Chong.

Though the Ghost-Soul Arrow was an exceptionally formidable spell of the Heavenly Corpse Sect, how could it compare to the Primordial Sect's treasure that guarded the mountain?

The fire serpent coiled around the Ghost-Soul Arrow, reducing it to flying ash in an instant. Without pausing, it lunged at the three elders of the Heavenly Corpse Sect.

Sun Yougui's two junior brothers each released a flying fork wreathed in black vapor, and the two weapons tangled with the fire serpent in battle.

Though these two Heavenly Corpse Sect elders were less cultivated than Sun Yougui, the flying forks they had refined for protection represented centuries of painstaking effort. They had been forged from the essences of the five metals and tempered with all manner of spiritual medicines; they were no ordinary magical treasures.

Yet after the forks had fought the fire serpent for only a short while, both elders sensed something was wrong. They withdrew their forks together and shouted, "Senior Brother, go!"

These two flying forks had been painstakingly consecrated over centuries and were tightly linked to their minds. They had long sensed that if the battle continued, the fire serpent might destroy them. How could either man bear to lose them?

The flying forks could still hold out for a while, since they were fundamentally of the same kind as flying swords. But the Ten-Thousand Ghost Formation was filled with yin energy, and the fierce ghosts were even more heavily restrained by true fire. Sun Yougui did not dare urge the formation forward at all. Left with no choice, he followed his two junior brothers, fighting as they retreated beneath the fire serpent's pursuit.

Little Bug had not expected this fire serpent to be so powerful either. He did not dare chase too far, and from a distance recalled the fire serpent, watching the three Heavenly Corpse Sect elders retreat a full hundred li.

Zhu Ying exclaimed, "Brother Chong, how are your two fire serpents so powerful?"

Little Bug replied, "I heard Master say that only two sects in the world know how to refine Qianli true fire. One is the Five-Qi Qianli True Fire refined by Five Villages Abbey, the foremost mystic sect of the righteous path. The other is the Primordial Sect's Qianli Sevenfold-Mystery True Fire. These are essences of Qianli Sevenfold-Mystery True Fire, refined into several fire serpents."

Zhu Ying was slightly startled and cried, "It is actually this kind of true fire?"

"I heard Father King say that several kinds of true fire exist in the world, able to burn the heavens and boil the seas, their might boundless. Once refined, one could hold it and run rampant beneath heaven."

"This true fire can take the form of serpents. It is probably the equal of a cultivator with more than ten cycles of the heavens."

Looking from afar at the three Heavenly Corpse Sect elders, still prowling about a hundred li away, Zhu Ying came up with a bold idea. "Brother Chong, why don't we confront them head-on and scare them away?"

Little Bug jumped in fright. "What if we fail?"

Zhu Ying said, "Even if we do not charge at them, they will not leave. With them following behind us, sooner or later we will slip up. We might as well take the risk."

Hearing this, Little Bug pondered for a moment and felt that Zhu Ying was right. He formed a hand seal and sent out two fire serpents. One remained beside him as protection, while the other circled through the air. Its body swelled abruptly until it was more than ten zhang long, then flew toward the three Heavenly Corpse Sect elders.

Sun Yougui was furious beyond measure. If not for the Heavenly Corpse Sect's arts being especially restrained by true fire, how could we be humiliated by this junior?

He and his two junior brothers controlled the Ten-Thousand Ghost Formation and exchanged blows from afar. After the Qian-Li Fire Serpents had burned away several dozen fierce ghosts, they had no choice but to retreat step by step, using unorthodox spells to bombard their enemies from afar.

Fortunately, Little Bug had already stationed a fire serpent beside himself for protection. Every spell launched by the three Heavenly Corpse Sect elders was swept up by the Qian-Li Fire Serpent and completely dispersed.

Sun Yougui and his two junior brothers battled the Qian-Li Fire Serpents viciously for half a shichen before they could no longer care about saving face. They drove the dark clouds and withdrew from the battle.

Little Bug did not dare pursue them either. Once Sun Yougui and the others had fled far away, he recalled the fire serpents and left with Zhu Ying in another direction.

After flying more than a hundred li, the two followed Zhu Ying's suggestion and switched to the newly refined Soaring-Cloud Technique. They joined their two masses of cloud qi together and slowly searched for the way back.

Though the fire serpents flew swiftly, they were far too conspicuous.

After switching to the Soaring-Cloud Technique, their magical powers were linked together, barely enough to support a half-cloud, half-mist formation. Several li above the ground, they flew slowly onward.

Little Bug silently thought, The Soaring-Cloud Technique Teacher taught me is inferior to the cloud art on the Celestial Stele. When I have time, I should try the cloud art from the Celestial Stele and refine more cloud essence.

Though Zhu Ying did not know the way either, after flying for a while, they descended near inhabited places and asked for directions several times. Gradually, they found their bearings again.

After several days of travel, the two finally circled back to the pool.

Zhu Ying led Little Bug beneath the water, but Zhu Xiong, her second brother, and Lu Xuansheng had still not returned. Nor did they see their master, Xiao Nan. After discussing it, they decided to wait there for a while.

Over the past few days, Little Bug had taken the time to use the cloud art on the Celestial Stele to refine a considerable amount of the cloud essence Xiao Nan had shattered. This cloud art differed from the Five-Terrace Sect's Soaring-Cloud Technique, and even from the cloud arts of every other school and sect.

Other cloud arts refined cloud qi into a single mass to ride for flight. Only the cloud art on the Celestial Stele refined cloud qi together with the body itself. When not in use, it was stored in the pores all over the body. When used, it was released, wreathed around the entire body in clouds and mist. One's body became like a flying bird or swimming fish, able to soar into the sky and dive into the earth without deliberate control.

After cultivating for several days, Little Bug suddenly had a realization. This cloud art seems meant for spell battles. Other cloud arts are only for traveling. When fighting, Teacher Xiao Nan never uses this cloud art; he always controls his flying sword, becoming one with sword and body. But this cloud art merges with body techniques and does not hinder the use of spells. It can even be used in battle.

Little Bug found studying the Celestial Stele's cloud art deeply fascinating. Without realizing it, he had consecrated more than half of the cloud essence.

Though Zhu Ying worried about her second brother, Little Bug's company kept her from being so anxious. Yet Zhu Xiong, Lu Xuansheng, and Xiao Nan never returned, and she gradually grew impatient.

One day, Zhu Ying said to Wang Chong, "The academy is not far from here. Why don't we go back and leave a note? If Teacher comes by, he will know where to find us."

Little Bug also missed the academy somewhat. Although he felt they were safer beneath the pool, inside Little Dragon King Zhu Xiong's palace, he did not think a trip back would pose any danger.

He agreed, and the two quietly left the pool again. Riding the Soaring-Cloud Technique, they returned to Egret Academy in less than half a day.

Little Bug still wanted to finish his studies so that he could take the provincial examination. After the two went to Xiao Nan's thatched cottage and left a letter, he pulled Zhu Ying back to the academy.

Yet neither Wang Chong nor Zhu Ying had expected that, from a distance, they would see a deep pit in the center of Egret Academy. The academy was silent, without a single person in sight.