Chapter 99

In the valley, the sky and earth were covered by a surging sea of fire, and the scorching heat waves spread out, almost soaking through the clothes of those outside the valley.

Everyone looked at the valley with heavy expressions, silently waiting, hoping that the Eight-Pole Fire Array could smelt the Soul Devouring Beast to death and eliminate this menace.

Time passed minute by minute.

Gradually, with the strange hissing sounds from inside the valley, a strong negative aura began to be released, seeping out of the valley.

"The Fire of Departure not only smelts the Soul Devouring Beast, but in the process of smelting the soul, it first evaporates the negative mental energies," Liang Zhong said solemnly to everyone. "These negative mental energies can be considered a layer of defense for the Soul Devouring Beast. After evaporation, it will take some time to dissipate. You all need to be careful and not have evil thoughts, to avoid being influenced mentally."

Everyone nodded in understanding, calming their minds and clearing their thoughts.

"Is Qin Lie alright?" Liang Zhong walked over, looking at Qin Lie, who was tightly closed-eyed and trembling, and frowned. "At such a critical moment, he suddenly shows abnormal behavior, truly..."

Although he did not say it directly, everyone knew he had a hint of blame. The war generals of the Senluo Hall also snorted lightly.

At a critical moment, Qin Lie failed to trigger the heavenly thunder to descend and instead fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, which disappointed everyone.

"Fortunately, Gao Yu is here," a war general of the Senluo Hall muttered, looking up at Gao Yu, who was far away from the crowd. "If it weren't for this guy mysteriously leaving the valley, our chances of success would be greater."

The people of the Senluo Hall nodded in agreement, thinking that Gao Yu's eccentricity added uncertainty to the mission.

Gao Yu ignored them, standing far away with a gloomy face.

He only looked at Qin Lie.

No one could guess his thoughts or why he kept looking at Qin Lie, considering him a strange person and finding him hard to get along with.

A thin layer of negative aura quietly drifted out of the valley amidst the rolling flames.

Those with a calm mind and no evil thoughts felt uncomfortable and irritable in this negative aura, so everyone sat down, holding their breath and focusing their minds to resist it.

Nuo, Tu Ze, and Xiong Ba all closed their eyes, purifying their inner anger, and remained silent.

However, the group from the Shuibing Manor, including Yan Ziqian and Feng Kai, were still whispering to each other with a cold expression, their eyes occasionally flashing with a fierce light.

After a while, the fierce light in the eyes of several warriors from the Shuibing Manor grew even stronger, and even Yan Ziqian and Feng Kai's faces turned grim...

The people of the Senluo Hall did not pay attention to the Shuibing Manor, only looking at the burning valley, worried that the Soul Devouring Beast might not die.

After a while, the one-armed Yan Qingsong suddenly shouted fiercely. In the shock of the crowd, his eyes turned wild, and he madly rushed toward the nearest red stone pillar.

With his lead, Yan Ziqian, Feng Kai, and other warriors from the Shuibing Manor, as if their consciousness was controlled, also screamed and attacked the red stone pillars.

"Boom! Bang!"

These people disregarded the burning flames, attacking the stone pillars that formed the Eight-Pole Fire Array with all their might, regardless of life and death.

The red stone pillars, made of materials from the stone forest, were not particularly tough and had become very brittle due to the fire. Under the relentless attacks of Yan Ziqian and Feng Kai, two of the stone pillars began to crack.

As soon as the cracks appeared, the flames on the two stone pillars suddenly weakened.

The flame barrier covering the sky also lost much of its power, as if a small gap had appeared.

The Soul Devouring Beast's piercing roar became more rampant, and a stronger mental consciousness emerged from the valley, firmly controlling Yan Ziqian and the others.

Thus, Yan Ziqian and the others attacked the stone pillars even more recklessly.

"Damn!" Liang Zhong's face changed, and he quickly spat out the Green Moon, preparing to deal with Yan Ziqian and the others.

Xie Jingxuan's eyes also showed surprise. She looked at the sky inside the valley, seeing the surging flames shooting everywhere, immediately realizing that the concentrated smelting power of the Eight-Pole Fire Array had been reduced again.

From the howls of the Soul Devouring Beast, she could also detect a hint of excitement, which made her heart sink.

"Uncle Zhong, don't consider their status, kill them all," she said coldly, her eyes turning cold.

Liang Zhong's expression changed as he heard this, and he suddenly turned his head in the middle of his movement. "Miss, you mean?"

"Kill them all," Xie Jingxuan said indifferently. "You have already warned them to focus their minds and not harbor evil thoughts or anger, but they did not listen. They must have had murderous intentions from the beginning, otherwise, they would not have been so easily influenced. Their anger and murderous intentions are directed at us."

After a pause, Xie Jingxuan said calmly, "Perhaps, it could be you or me as well..."

"Miss, really?" Liang Zhong frowned.

"Kill them!" Xie Jingxuan shouted coldly.

Liang Zhong was suddenly shaken, then stopped and only released the Green Moon to fly out.

Like a crescent moon, it fell among Yan Ziqian, Feng Kai, and the other warriors from the Shuibing Manor, spinning skillfully, splattering blood, and sending heads flying.

Yan Ziqian and the others were killed one by one in the frenzy, their blood splattering the stone pillars in front of them.

Nuo, Xiong Ba, Tu Ze, and Zhuo Qian opened their eyes at this moment, looking at the Shuibing Manor warriors who had been instantly eliminated, their faces pale, and their eyes unnatural.

"A gap has appeared in the valley, and the evil mental will of the Soul Devouring Beast has already controlled Yan Ziqian and the others," Xie Jingxuan said coldly. "They have been enslaved by the Soul Devouring Beast. If they live, they will become enemies against us, making us more passive."

After a pause, she added, "Anyone among you who is controlled by the mental will of the Soul Devouring Beast will meet the same fate."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill in their hearts, quickly guarding their minds to avoid being influenced by negative emotions.

"Miss, can it be repaired?" Liang Zhong asked in a deep voice.

Xie Jingxuan shook her head. "Let's wait a bit longer."

"Alright," Liang Zhong nodded.

The roars of the Soul Devouring Beast echoed from the valley, making everyone's hearts tremble. Xie Jingxuan and Liang Zhong listened carefully for a while, their expressions becoming increasingly grim.

After a quarter of an hour, Xie Jingxuan suddenly said, "It has failed. Prepare to withdraw. We can't handle this Soul Devouring Beast anymore."

"Understood," Liang Zhong said, his face showing fear. "We can no longer stop the Soul Devouring Beast from breaking through its stage. While it needs time to break through, everyone must immediately leave this stone forest. After leaving, return to your cities as quickly as possible and inform your elders to evacuate all the people in the cities!"

"What will happen?" the little bird from the Shuiyue Sect asked timidly.

"If the Soul Devouring Beast successfully breaks through its stage, it can directly devour those with weak souls. It will start with nearby cities. Ice Rock City, Red Flame City, and Shuiyue City will be its first targets. These three cities will face the most terrifying situation," Liang Zhong sighed. "We will immediately return to the Senluo Hall and have other experts dispatched to handle it, but it might not be in time. By the time they arrive, the Soul Devouring Beast might have already broken through and gone to one of the three cities, with disastrous consequences..."

Listening to his explanation, everyone seemed to see the scene of a great calamity, their faces turning ashen.

"With our strength, we can no longer stop the Soul Devouring Beast. We must leave immediately. We will lead the way, and the spirit beast groups are not to be feared. Everyone, evacuate immediately!" Xie Jingxuan said coldly.

Everyone prepared in extreme fear, ready to rush out of the stone forest and bring the worst news back to their respective cities.

Xie Jingxuan and Liang Zhong mounted the Xuanming Beast, and they instructed the war generals of the Senluo Hall to have their unicorns carry the others.

"Let's help Qin Lie onto the horse first," Zhuo Qian called out, reaching out to support Qin Lie's arm to help him onto the horse.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

As soon as her arm touched Qin Lie's arm, a violent thunderous sound suddenly came from Qin Lie's body, and a fierce bolt of lightning appeared on his neck, like a green spiritual snake.

"Ah!" Zhuo Qian screamed.

Everyone heard her scream and looked at her, as well as Qin Lie beside her...

"Hisss! Hisss! Hisss!"

One by one, green lightning bolts, like vine-like spiritual snakes, wriggled out of Qin Lie's body, wrapping around his entire body, making him look extremely strange.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Deafening thunderous explosions continuously echoed from his body, making everyone's eardrums vibrate.

The area outside the valley, which had been sunny earlier, suddenly became overcast, and a heavy, oppressive feeling quietly descended.

"The sky has darkened," Kang Zhi said, looking up.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A massive, dazzling bolt of lightning, like a dragon, tore through the sky, accompanied by a thunderous sound that seemed to herald the end of the world, suddenly shooting down from the depths of the clouds.

The terrifying thunder and the writhing dragon-like lightning made everyone's hearts tremble, their faces showing shock.

"The sun was so intense just now, how did it suddenly start thundering and lightning?" Xiong Ba from the Red Flame Sect scratched his head, looking at the sky in confusion. "It looks like a heavy rainstorm is coming. What strange weather..."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The violent thunder grew even more intense, making everyone's bodies shake. Terrifying bolts of lightning, like pillars of heaven, connected the sky and earth.

The thick, long lightning bolts, like chains wielded by deities, danced wildly in the sky, terrifying everyone!

"Miss, this, this is..." Liang Zhong called out, his voice faltering.

His eyes were fixed on Qin Lie.

"Yes, he has triggered the descent of the thunder. This is... completely beyond my expectations," Xie Jingxuan's bright eyes shone, looking deeply at Qin Lie. "If the Eight-Pole Fire Array could be combined with this sky-filling thunder and lightning, smelting the Soul Devouring Beast would be easy."

"Yes!" Liang Zhong became excited, rushing to Qin Lie's side and shouting, "Qin Lie, can you hear me? If you can, do you have a way to guide the lightning into the valley?"

"I'll go in directly."

Surprisingly, Qin Lie suddenly stood up, his body crackling with lightning and thunder. His eyes, now open, seemed to have countless lightning snakes darting within them.

Under the disbelieving gazes of everyone, he suddenly walked toward the valley where the Soul Devouring Beast was located. As he moved, the sky-filling lightning and thunder grew even more violent, strangely following his movements.

Like a shadow.

...

PS: Another chapter at 6 PM.

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