Chapter 115: Blood Flash Technique

A streak of golden light plummeted into the city district, landing just yards from the three hidden observers. It was a Golden Geng Spirit Sword, falling like a bolt from the heavens. Upon impact, it struck a bronze bell hanging beneath a nearby eave, annihilating both the sword and the bell in a singular burst of light.

“That Senior truly possesses heaven-defying magic,” Zhang Shan whispered, his eyes filled with a desperate yearning. “To hold his own against two powerhouses and not give an inch… it’s incredible.”

Who wouldn’t want to be a mountain cultivator capable of moving mountains and parting seas? Who wouldn’t want to set foot upon the Great Dao of Longevity and exist for eternity? Zhang Shan’s words struck a chord with Yao Ning and Li Kui. The Senior’s strength was indeed transcendental; he handled the situation with such ease that he had struck down a demon in a single exchange.

The remaining opponent was clearly a practitioner of the demonic path. Though they didn’t understand how his aura had surged so violently—transforming him from a man into a pale, ghost-like monstrosity—they no longer doubted the Senior’s victory.

“Zhang Shan, Yao Ning, watch closely,” Li Kui urged. “Battles between high-level cultivators are rare. Observing this will be of immense benefit to our own cultivation.”

In the sky, the battle had reached a fever pitch.

“You think you can break my formation? Wishful thinking!” the Blood Blade Sect cultivator roared. He rode the wind like a gale, charging toward Li Meng with his Blood Shadow Saber raised high.

“Die!”

He unleashed a furious slash, and a crimson spiritual light erupted, manifesting into a bloody blade dozens of yards long that threatened to cleave the sky. Li Meng, however, ignored the incoming strike. He closed his eyes, his fingers weaving complex seals as his Divine Sense expanded, blanketing the entire West City District.

Suddenly, an endless stream of Golden Geng Spirit Swords rained down from the clouds—a golden meteor shower targeting the district below. As each bell shattered, the enormous crimson blade slammed into Li Meng’s golden barrier. The barrier rippled violently, but the demonic blade shattered into red mist upon impact.

Li Meng glanced at the approaching cultivator and flicked his sleeve. Another wave of golden swords surged downward.

“Kill!” the demonic cultivator howled, throwing his entire body into a suicidal charge against the shield. Gold and red energies collided, entangling and exploding outward in a blinding shockwave. The recoil sent the Blood Blade disciple tumbling back several hundred yards, while the golden barrier remained as unyielding as a mountain.

“Where is the core?” Li Meng muttered, his Divine Sense sweeping through every alley and cellar. The bells were merely conduits, not the source. “Found it.”

His gaze locked onto the local Magistrate’s Office. Standing before the entrance were two stone lions, part of a calculated arrangement. “One, two… nine… the Forty-Nine Grand Array. A grand gesture indeed.”

Li Meng’s hands moved in a blur. “Watch me break your world.”

Forty-nine spirit swords, each three yards long, condensed around him. “Go!”

With a flick of his wrist, the swords scattered like petals tossed by a celestial maiden, each streaking toward a specific coordinate in the city.

“No!” the Blood Blade cultivator screamed. He had never anticipated his Formation Cores would be exposed so easily. Within two breaths, golden light erupted across the district as the cores were systematically destroyed.

As the array collapsed, the demonic cultivator underwent a grisly reversal. His blood-red hair faded back to black, and his crimson skin paled. The Blood Fiend Spirit Devouring Array was gone, and without its support, he fell into a state of profound weakness.

“I must leave before the power vanishes entirely!” He glared venomously at Li Meng. “I will repay this humiliation a thousandfold!”

He turned to flee, riding the wind in a desperate retreat. Li Meng merely chuckled. “Fellow Daoist, you have no future left to speak of.”

A torrent of golden spirit swords surged after the fleeing man. Though a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator was fast, he could not outrun the swords. Within a mile, the fierce sword Qi was already nipping at his heels. Deathly pale and gasping for air, the demonic cultivator’s eyes turned feral.

“Old dog, I’ll remember your face!”

He bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of his essence blood. His body seemed to explode into a cloud of crimson mist, rocketing away with a speed that rivaled a Golden Core master. In the blink of an eye, he vanished beyond the horizon.

Li Meng watched the retreating blood-streak with a mix of annoyance and helplessness. “Lacking experience,” he sighed. “I should have killed him before dismantling the array. His escape arts are quite something.”

He flicked his sleeve, causing the remaining swords to dissipate. As the golden light retracted into his talismans, Li Meng’s face turned pale, and a bead of cold sweat rolled down his brow. Using the third-grade Divine Firmament Talisman had taken a heavy toll on his soul power. Had the battle lasted another ten breaths, the outcome might have been very different.

He looked down at the silent district. The array was broken, but the life force stolen from the mortals was gone. If left to rot, they would still die of a lingering, sickly decay.

“Forget it,” Li Meng whispered. “I’ll act as a true immortal for once.”

He descended gracefully toward the street in front of the tavern. As his feet touched the ground, three figures leaped from the rooftops and hurried to his side, cupping their hands in deep respect.

“Thank you, Senior,” Yao Ning said, her voice trembling slightly. “The Demon Suppression Office thanks you on behalf of all Lijiang City.”

Li Meng stroked his beard, his eyes sweeping over them. “The matter is not yet over. The array is broken, but the people are still hollowed out. Without intervention, they will be plagued by illness and die within days.”

The trio’s faces fell. Yao Ning stepped forward, bowing low. “Does Senior have a way to save them?”

Li Meng looked at her, a small smile playing on his lips. She was aloof, much like his Senior Sister Qu Rou, but she possessed a hidden warmth.