The instant the azure and golden lights collided, the entire cavern shuddered violently.
The Azure Luan Wings on Xiao Yan's back beat, whipping up howling gusts. Golden flames covered his body like armor, and his heavy sword pointed straight at the Seven-Eyed Demon Snake King's head.
The Demon Snake King's seven differently colored eyes lit up at once. As its forked tongue flicked, a sickly sweet venom gushed out, instantly eating honeycomb-like holes into the obsidian floor wherever it passed.
"Watch out for its corrosive venom!"
Lin Xiu swept his staff urgently, condensing his blue soul power into three curtains of water before Xiao Yan.
The venom hissed against the water curtains, and the blue barriers dissolved at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Yun Yun moved like lightning, her azure Dou Qi forming several wind ropes that wound toward the snake's tail.
"Restrict its movements!"
Using the Azure Luan Wings' maneuverability, Xiao Yan dodged sideways, the Mysterious Yellow Flame blazing fiercely along his blade.
"Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record, second form: Flame Spirit Thrust!"
Golden flames condensed into a spiral, and his heavy sword pierced toward the Demon Snake King's left eye with a shrill rush of air.
That eye, burning with crimson flames, had the weakest defenses of all seven.
Clang!
The sword tip struck the membrane covering the snake's eye, yet the impact rang like metal striking metal.
The Demon Snake King roared in pain and violently swung its enormous head. A tremendous force hurled Xiao Yan backward, slamming him into the rock wall and making him cough up blood.
He wiped the blood from his lips, inwardly shocked.
Its scales are as hard as black iron. No wonder it can withstand attacks from Dou Ling experts head-on.
Two Demon Rat leaders seized the chance to pounce on Xiao Yan, only to be instantly slain by Yun Yun's wind blades. She swept to his side and channeled azure Dou Qi into his body. "Its seven eyes correspond to seven kinds of demonic flame. We have to break through them all at once to injure its true body!"
Before she finished speaking, the Demon Snake King spewed dark green flames from its mouth. Even the air twisted and burned wherever they passed.
Lin Xiu directed the other four Spirit Gatherers to form a defensive formation.
"Form the Spirit Rhinoceros Formation!"
Four streams of differently colored Dou Qi flowed into his staff, and his blue soul power transformed into an enormous turtle-shell shield.
The dark green flames struck the shield, instantly covering its surface with cracks. The four Spirit Gatherers grunted simultaneously, blood seeping from the corners of their mouths.
"Its demonic flames can contaminate Dou Qi!"
Lin Xiu's expression turned grave.
"We can withstand two more attacks at most!"
Xiao Yan drew a deep breath. His Azure Luan Wings beat again, carrying him through a strange arc in midair as he evaded the black lightning coming in rapid succession.
"Sect Master Yun, help me hold the other six eyes in check!"
"All right!"
Yun Yun danced her longsword through the air, transforming her azure Dou Qi into a skyful of sword shadows. Each one slashed precisely toward the Demon Snake King's eyes.
Her movements were agile and graceful. Like a streak of azure lightning, she darted around its head, successfully drawing most of its attention.
Xiao Yan seized that fleeting opportunity, perfectly merging the Mysterious Yellow Flame with the power of the Azure Luan Wings.
Golden flames flowed over the wings on his back, edging the Azure Luan Wings in brilliant gold.
"Burning Heaven Art Third Form: Flame Dragon Break!"
He infused the Dou Technique with the Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record's purification power. A golden fire dragon roared forth, faint azure wind patterns tracing its head.
The fire dragon struck the Demon Snake King's crimson eye with unerring precision. Golden flames clashed violently with crimson demonic flames, unleashing a deafening explosion.
The Demon Snake King howled in agony. The membrane over its crimson eye shattered inch by inch, exposing an eyeball filled with flowing, magma-like liquid.
"It worked!"
Delight surged through Xiao Yan. He was about to press his advantage when the Demon Snake King's other six eyes lit up together. Six differently colored demonic flames wove into an immense net, enveloping him and Yun Yun.
"This is bad!"
Xiao Yan hurriedly drove the Mysterious Yellow Flame to its limit, forming an enormous golden barrier.
The net of demonic flames descended. The shock wave from its collision with the golden barrier shook the entire cavern to the brink of collapse.
Stalactites rained down, crashing onto the obsidian floor with dull thuds.
Xiao Yan felt the Dou Qi inside him surge like raging seas, while cracks spread across his barrier.
"Xiao Yan!"
Yun Yun cried out anxiously. Her longsword erupted with unprecedented radiance, and her azure Dou Qi transformed into an enormous wind eagle that charged at the net of demonic flames.
The wind eagle let out a piercing, mournful cry as it collided with the demonic flames, then dissipated into the air. Still, it bought Xiao Yan a moment to breathe.
Xiao Yan took the chance to retreat and stood shoulder to shoulder with Yun Yun. They exchanged a glance, each seeing the gravity in the other's eyes.
The Demon Snake King's strength far exceeded their expectations. Its seven demonic flames, in particular, were not only immensely powerful but could also contaminate Dou Qi, preventing them from fully unleashing their strength.
"We can't keep this up. We're burning through too much Dou Qi."
Yun Yun spoke softly, a trace of exhaustion in her voice. Xiao Yan nodded.
"We have to find its weakness, or sooner or later, it'll wear us down to death here."
His gaze swept over the Demon Snake King's enormous body, searching for an opening.
Just then, Lin Xiu suddenly shouted.
"The colors of its seven eyes change with its demonic flames! Crimson corresponds to fire, blue to ice, green to deadly poison... perhaps every color has an attribute that counters it!"
Xiao Yan's eyes brightened. Of course-all things nurtured and countered one another. Since the Demon Snake King's seven eyes corresponded to seven demonic flames, each had to possess its own weakness.
"Sect Master Yun, you specialize in wind Dou Qi. Try attacking that blue eye!"
Xiao Yan spoke, and Yun Yun immediately understood. With a sweep of her longsword, she infused a trace of icy cold into her azure Dou Qi and slashed at the Demon Snake King's blue eye. The demonic flame within it thrashed violently, and a defiant hiss rang out. It had clearly been countered.
"It's working!"
Xiao Yan was overjoyed.
"Chairman Lin Xiu, attack the purple eye with your soul power. It might be able to counter its illusions!"
Lin Xiu did as instructed, condensing his blue soul power into a spear that thrust precisely toward the Demon Snake King's purple eye.
The demonic flame in the purple eye twisted, and the Demon Snake King howled in pain. Having its illusions broken had clearly dealt it a considerable blow.
Xiao Yan seized the opportunity to attack again.
He drove the Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record's purification power to its utmost, making the Mysterious Yellow Flame even purer and more brilliant.
"Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record, third form: Flame Spirit Purification!"
The golden flames transformed into an enormous pillar of light that shot straight toward the Demon Snake King's head.
The pillar pierced through layer after layer of demonic flames and struck the center of its forehead. Golden light spread rapidly, melting the black Demonic Qi like ice and snow wherever it passed. The Demon Snake King let out an utterly agonized howl. Its enormous body thrashed violently, smashing the cavern walls into fragments.
"Now!"
Xiao Yan roared. His Azure Luan Wings unleashed unprecedented speed, carrying him like a golden meteor as his heavy sword aimed straight at the purified patch on the Demon Snake King's forehead. It was the weakest point in its defenses, and his final chance.
Clang!
The heavy sword stabbed fiercely into the Demon Snake King's forehead with a dull, thunderous crash. Xiao Yan's arm went numb, yet his sword had penetrated barely an inch. Its scales were simply too hard. Even weakened by purification power, they remained difficult to breach.
The Demon Snake King flew into an utter rage. All seven eyes erupted with dazzling light, and its seven demonic flames converged into an enormous energy sphere within its mouth. The sphere radiated an aura capable of destroying heaven and earth. The entire cavern shook violently, as though it could collapse at any moment.
"Get out of the way!"
Lin Xiu and Yun Yun cried out together. Both could feel the terrifying power contained within that energy sphere.
Yet Xiao Yan did not retreat. He knew that if he dodged now, all their previous efforts would come to nothing. He poured every last wisp of Dou Qi into his heavy sword, once again perfectly merging the power of the Mysterious Yellow Flame and the Azure Luan Wings.
"Flame Wings Demon-Breaking Slash!"
Xiao Yan unleashed a long cry, spreading the Azure Luan Wings on his back to their fullest extent. Golden flames and azure wind power condensed into an enormous sword radiance along his blade. Carrying that radiance, he charged without hesitation toward the energy sphere in the Demon Snake King's mouth.
The azure-and-gold sword radiance collided with the sphere formed from seven demonic flames. Time seemed to freeze. Then an earth-shattering explosion resounded throughout the Otherworldly Demon Lair, and an enormous shock wave completely destroyed the cavern. Xiao Yan, Yun Yun, Lin Xiu, and the others were hurled away by the blast and slammed heavily onto the ground.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes. Every bone in his body felt as though it had come apart, and the pain was unbearable.
The Mysterious Yellow Flame had grown extremely dim, and his Azure Luan Wings had vanished. He struggled to rise, only to discover that his body would not obey him.
"Xiao Yan, how are you?"
Yun Yun's voice came from nearby, tinged with concern and weakness.
Xiao Yan turned to look. Yun Yun was also seriously injured, her face pale and traces of blood lingering at her lips. Lin Xiu and the other four Spirit Gatherers lay unconscious on the ground, their conditions unknown.
Forcing himself upright, he surveyed their surroundings. The cavern had become a field of ruins, littered with broken rocks and scattered bones. The Demon Snake King's enormous body lay nearby. Its seven eyes had lost their luster; it was clearly dead. Yet its body still twitched faintly, and the Demonic Qi it emitted remained extremely dense.
Xiao Yan let out a breath of relief, his taut nerves finally relaxing.
They had finally won this bloody battle. But he had paid a terrible price, exhausting his Dou Qi and suffering severe injuries.
Though the Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record and the Azure Luan Wings were immensely powerful, their consumption of Dou Qi far exceeded his expectations, and they had faced a grueling test in this battle.
He took several healing pills from his Storage Ring and swallowed them with difficulty.
The pills dissolved as soon as they entered his mouth. A warm current slowly flowed through his body, easing some of his pain.
He looked at Yun Yun and handed her several pills.
"You should hurry and treat your injuries too."
Yun Yun accepted the pills and gave Xiao Yan a grateful look. After swallowing them, she began circulating her energy to heal.
Xiao Yan leaned against a rock and closed his eyes to rest, working to restore his Dou Qi.
He knew that stronger enemies awaited them deeper within the Otherworldly Demon Lair. He had to regain his strength as quickly as possible.
Half an hour later, Lin Xiu and the other four Spirit Gatherers woke one after another.
At the sight of the dead Demon Snake King, disbelief crossed their faces, only to be replaced by profound exhaustion and lingering fear.
Lin Xiu approached Xiao Yan. Seeing his pale face, he asked with concern, "Xiao Yan, are you all right?"
Xiao Yan shook his head.
"I'm fine. I just need some rest. How is everyone?"
Lin Xiu sighed.
"They're all seriously injured and will need time to recuperate. We owe this battle to you. Otherwise, we probably would've all died here."
Xiao Yan smiled without saying anything.
He knew this victory had come from everyone's combined efforts. They could not have managed it without a single one of them.
He looked at the Demon Snake King's corpse, his brow furrowing again.
"Although the Demon Snake King is dead, the Demonic Qi it's emitting is still very dense. We shouldn't stay here long. We need to leave as soon as possible and find somewhere safe to heal."
Lin Xiu nodded.
"You're right. I'll check the Jade Slip and see if there's a safe place nearby."
He took out the Jade Slip and infused it with a wisp of Dou Qi.
The Jade Slip glowed pale green, displaying the surrounding terrain and energy fluctuations.
"There's a natural stone chamber ten li ahead. Its energy fluctuations are fairly stable. It should serve as a temporary place to recover."
Lin Xiu pointed to a dot of light on the Jade Slip as he spoke. Xiao Yan rose. Though his body still ached, he could just about walk.
He supported Yun Yun while Lin Xiu roused the other four Spirit Gatherers. Supporting one another, the group headed toward the natural stone chamber.
Along the way, they carefully avoided any potential dangers.
After their bloody battle with the Demon Snake King, they no longer dared to be the slightest bit careless. Dense Demonic Qi filled the air, constantly eroding their bodies and leaving them even more exhausted in their weakened state.
After walking for roughly two hours, they finally reached the natural stone chamber.
The chamber was small but very dry. Several faintly glowing demonic crystals embedded in its walls barely illuminated the interior. Lin Xiu immediately set up a simple defensive formation to prevent other magical beasts or Otherworldly Demons from discovering them.
Once inside, everyone immediately sat cross-legged and began circulating their energy to heal.
Xiao Yan took out his few remaining precious pills and distributed them among the others. He swallowed one himself, then closed his eyes and circulated the Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record, drawing in the sparse spiritual energy around him to restore his Dou Qi.
The Mysterious Yellow Flame flowed slowly through his body. Though extremely weak, it still worked tirelessly to purify the Demonic Qi that had invaded him.
As he circulated the Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record, the surrounding spiritual energy streamed continuously into his body, nourishing his damaged meridians and Dou Qi vortex.
Xiao Yan could feel that this bloody battle had deepened his understanding of both the Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record and the Azure Luan Wings.
Although they had faced a grueling test in battle, it had also allowed him to truly grasp the essence of these two powerful techniques.
His Dou Qi cultivation realm had not risen, but the purity and quality of his Dou Qi had improved significantly.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes.
He felt that seventy or eighty percent of his Dou Qi had recovered, and his injuries hurt much less.
The Mysterious Yellow Flame shone brilliantly once more, and he could form the Azure Luan Wings again.
He stood and stretched his muscles and joints, producing a series of cracks and pops.
He looked around. Yun Yun, Lin Xiu, and the others were still healing with their eyes closed, but their complexions had improved considerably.
Faint roars of magical beasts came from outside, but the defensive formation held them back, preventing them from entering the chamber.
Xiao Yan walked to the entrance and peered outside through the defensive formation's light barrier.
The Demonic Qi deeper within the Otherworldly Demon Lair had grown denser. Countless eyes seemed to be watching them from the darkness.
Xiao Yan knew their adventure was far from over.
Killing the Seven-Eyed Demon Snake King was only the beginning. Greater challenges still awaited them. Yet he felt no fear, only a fierce fighting spirit.
He tightened his grip on his heavy sword, the Mysterious Yellow Flame dancing in his palm.
With the two powerful techniques, the Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record and the Azure Luan Wings, at his disposal, he was confident he could face any challenge.
He turned toward his recovering companions, determination flashing in his eyes. Once everyone regained their strength, they would venture deeper into the Otherworldly Demon Lair, uncover the secrets of the source of the Otherworldly Demon, and complete the task Chairman Fa Ma had entrusted to them.
Outside the stone chamber, the sky gradually darkened. Nights in the Otherworldly Demon Lair were even more dangerous.
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