Chapter 667 - 75 Heart Fire and Yang Energy Burn Endlessly
The Supreme Mysterious True Light had barely emerged, yet its immense and overwhelming force was already surging outward, vast and unrelenting. The spectating disciples of the Mingcang Sect were astonished, whispering among themselves in secret. They wondered which spell from their sect could possibly possess such grandeur and might.
Du De seemed to sense something was amiss as well. Naturally, he wouldn’t stand by and watch Zhang Yan unleash his techniques unimpeded. Pinching his fingers into a gesture, he shouted sharply, activating the Flying Flame Arrow Formation that encircled all directions. Instantly, thousands of Flying Rocket Qi bolts shot out like lightning, all aimed straight at Zhang Yan.
The flight of these blazing arrows was accompanied by piercing, shrill screams through the sky, leaving streaks of thick smoke in their wake. The spectacle was particularly fearsome.
Within the Zhao You Cave Mansion, Zhang Yan had always reserved some restraint whenever he utilized the Water Element True Light. But now, with the vast wilderness around him, he had no reason for such concerns.
Letting out a long shout, he unleashed the True Light without hesitation. The water-colored light screen immediately expanded to several hundred zhang in length. It seemed as though countless rivers and waves were surging within; translucent and brilliant, its flow gleamed like fireflies, pushing back the twilight and illuminating half the sky.
Facing the incoming storm of arrows that blotted out the heavens in dense formation, Zhang Yan wielded the Water Element True Light in a sweeping maneuver. In just a flicker, the countless flaming arrows disappeared into the boundless water current, vanishing without a trace as if stones had been cast into the sea.
However, as long as the Flying Flame Arrows were deployed on all sides, the arrow fire would keep coming endlessly. Zhang Yan cast a sidelong glance and let out another shout. Behind him, the water light surged with a deafening roar, as if reversing the flow of rivers and streams against the tide. In an instant, it enveloped the Flying Flame Arrows and swept them away into parts unknown.
Upon seeing the water-colored light screen obliterate all the Flying Flame Arrows, Du De furrowed his brows lightly. Pinching his fingers again, he attempted to recall the arrows, but found his connection to them severed. Snorting coldly, he flicked his sleeve dismissively and gave up the effort.
The Thousand-mile Flying Flame Arrows were crafted by Du De himself. Without his mana to drive them, they were of no use to anyone. Losing them was a trivial matter; at most, he could simply forge them anew. What puzzled him was the nature of the water screen Zhang Yan had employed—it was clearly no ordinary divine skill, able as it was to render the arrow formation completely ineffective.
His eyes flickered slightly as he raised a hand and gave it a slap, releasing dozens of clusters of luminous Clear Light flames into the air.
This fire was unlike ordinary Elixir Flame. Its brilliant glow was pristine and pure, the size of silver basins, resembling the reflection of the moon over water. Strangely cold in its oppressive chill, if the earlier Flying Flame Arrows were Yang Fire, then these flames were Yin Fire—so potent that even water could be burned away upon contact.
Yet when these clusters of Clear Fire fell onto the Water Element True Light, they resembled moths drawn to a flame. The water screen did not even waver. With a quick flicker, it swallowed up all the Yin Fire, leaving no trace, followed by an explosive surge in the water’s momentum, cascading a torrent of water light from above.
Seeing his Yin Fire futilely extinguished, Du De’s expression remained utterly composed. His snow-white plain robe fluttered in the wind as he tipped his head slightly back, retreating into the distance in a trail of smoke, stopping a hundred zhang away.
Chanting a low incantation, he reached toward his chest and summoned a mass of Fire Qi with an intangible grasp. Channeling his mana to urge it forward, the sound of muffled, brooding rumblings filled the air. Within moments, countless threads of fire ignited within a five-li radius, interlinking and weaving together, enshrouding the very heavens and earth.
Zhang Yan looked upward to see that every direction—above, below, left and right—was now covered by layer upon layer of fiery nets. A closer count revealed nine layers in total, with flames spreading out as far as the eye could see. Interwoven and crisscrossing, it seemed as if the sky itself was ablaze, even casting Ten Peaks Mountain in a glaring brightness akin to daylight.
Suddenly trapped within this fiery enclosure, Zhang Yan remained composed and steady, showing no signs of panic. Shaking his body once, he flew toward the first layer of the fire net, wielding the Water Element True Light as he dropped it forward without hesitation.
Strangely, as the water light passed through, the fire net remained unchanged, standing unmoved as if nothing had occurred.
Zhang Yan felt a subtle sense of surprise. Rather than attempting to force his way through, he halted his movements and began circling the area, pondering over this peculiar Refining Fire.
Watching the vast dominance of flames from atop the peak, Xiao Tang exclaimed in admiration, "Could this be the ’Fourfold Heart Fire Shield’? Brother Du shows keen strategy indeed. It seems the earlier Thousand-mile Flying Flame Arrow Formation was merely a ruse to distract Zhang Yan."
The "Fourfold Heart Fire Shield" was a strange treasure. When wielded, it was not visibly released but concealed within the heart itself. The fire within the shield was birthed directly from one’s inner spirit, capable of expanding or contracting, growing or shrinking, entirely at the wielder’s discretion. It could form nine-layered networks for trapping foes or defending against assaults. As long as the user of the artifact remained alive, the fire would not vanish.
However, while this Dharma Treasure was exceptionally effective at ensnaring opponents, summoning it for battle required nurturing it with heart blood drop by drop—a process that couldn’t be achieved in short order. Thus, other measures were needed to stall for time, allowing it to be deployed successfully.