The woman in red was none other than the bride who had ridden the white crane that day-Lin Miaoyu.
Her gaze was urgent, her voice choked with tears. Clearly, the sudden turn of events had frightened her out of her wits.
"Xu An? You... how did you become like this? Stop!" Her voice trembled.
A trace of coldness flashed through Qing Chen's eyes. He turned a deaf ear to Lin Miaoyu's calls, his killing intent fully exposed.
He focused his mind, and the Demon Lotus Karmic Fire seemed to answer his will, its flames suddenly surging!
Streaks of scarlet shone through the pitch-black demon flames, as though the gates of hell had been flung open.
Though the Heaven Cicada Garment was tough, under the scorching third-revolution Demon Lotus Karmic Fire, it finally crackled beneath the unbearable strain, cracks spreading across it as its golden light dimmed.
Xu Buyan's expression changed drastically. He knew full well that this was a matter of life and death, leaving no room for the slightest hesitation.
He mustered his magic power and abruptly activated the three low-grade second-tier talismans in his hand.
The talismans instantly blazed with light, turning into three shields that shimmered with different lights and hastily blocked the space between him and the demon fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Demon Lotus Karmic Fire struck the shields in succession, producing deafening booms.
With every impact, a shield shattered, while the demon fire also seemed to meet some resistance, its advance slowing slightly.
Seizing this opportunity, Xu Buyan shot backward, rapidly widening the distance between himself and Qing Chen and escaping the Demon Lotus Karmic Fire's lock.
"You... just who are you?! Since when did the Condensed Jade Sect have another expert like you?" Xu Buyan panted, his voice carrying terror he could not