Free Web NovelChapter 1598: Great Peng Demon Emperor
"Hiss..."
Ling Feng drew in a sharp breath. Frost clung to his temples, and a thin layer of ice had even formed across his skin.
Fortunately, his Chaotic Body was resilient. He had also prepared in advance and used Devouring Flame to protect himself. With a sudden shake, the ice covering his body cracked apart and fell to the ground.
Fairy Qingping, on the other hand, stood unharmed at the center of the frozen field, like an ice spirit given form.
A blur of black flashed past.
The Despicable Donkey returned after dealing with the hidden sentries. The moment it stepped into the freezing zone, it shuddered and could not help but praise, "That extraterrestrial ice crystal is truly formidable."
"Enough. Do not waste time."
Ling Feng quickly walked over to Fairy Qingping. When he saw how pale and weak she looked, his brows knit together.
"What happened to you?"
The Despicable Donkey bared its teeth.
"That crystal is her natal spirit item. She used it for you to detonate. Of course she will be weakened for a while. Her cultivation might even regress."
"Why did you not say that earlier?"
Ling Feng shot the donkey a sharp glare.
"You did not ask earlier."
The donkey snorted. Ling Feng had wanted it to draw the enemy's attention before. Now that Fairy Qingping had stepped forward, it had no intention of ruining that arrangement.
"It is fine. What matters is that we have eliminated those Blood Shadow Alliance disciples. Let us go down quickly."
Fairy Qingping pressed her lips together. Her breathing was unsteady, and she looked as though she could barely remain standing.
Ling Feng sighed. He bent down and lifted her onto his back again.
"Let us move."
With that, he rushed into the mine, moving silently as he descended deeper within.
There was no need to search for direction. Ling Feng already knew where they were being held.
Faint screams and cruel laughter drifted through the air ahead. A dim flicker of firelight illuminated twisted shadows that looked like clawing ghosts, savage and grotesque.
---
Deep within the mineral vein, inside a narrow stone cavern.
"Elder Longyue!"
A furious cry rang out as an elderly woman with white hair was sent flying back, blood spraying from her mouth.
At the cave entrance, Elder Longyue of the Illusory Moon Divine Hall stood at the front, barely holding a narrow passage.
When Saint Lady Hui Yue had been dispatched by the sect master to purge the Blood Shadow Alliance in Dongxianchuan, she had brought three high level elders from the Illusory Moon Divine Hall. They were Elder Cangyue, Elder Youyue, and Elder Longyue.
Elder Youyue had already died within the belly of a demonic beast.
Elder Cangyue had been knocked unconscious by Ling Feng, but at least she had escaped the Blood Shadow Alliance for the time being.
That left Elder Longyue as the last one still trapped beneath the mine.
Around her were many disciples and enshrined protectors of the Dongling Immortal Pool. They had been trapped here for ten days.
For those ten days, Elder Longyue had held the line with her life on the line, barely keeping the Blood Shadow Alliance at bay and buying time for the others to survive.
However, within the forbidden domain, even Great Emperors were reduced to ordinary mortals. With no food or water, their situation had grown increasingly dire.
More and more people had died from hunger and thirst. Even Elder Longyue was nearing the end of her strength.
She had endured wave after wave of attacks without rest or sustenance. Holding on for ten days had already pushed her to her limit.
"Do not worry about me. Hold the entrance!"
Blood still spilled from her lips as she shouted, ignoring her own injuries.
She was the final pillar supporting the disciples within the cave. Now that she had been gravely wounded, the only fate left for them seemed to be total annihilation.
Three early stage Great Emperor level enshrined protectors remained. Their bodies were covered in wounds, yet they gritted their teeth and stepped forward to block the entrance.
Corpses littered the ground both inside and outside the cave.
Beyond the entrance stood a great peng. Its eyes gleamed with a cruel, almost human intelligence. Its golden feathers stirred the air into violent gusts.
If Xu Xinghe had been present, he would have recognized it immediately. This was the flying demonic beast he had mentioned before, the Great Peng Demon Emperor.
"Hahaha. What is wrong, old woman? Finally reached your limit?"
The great peng spoke in human language, its voice filled with mockery.
Inside the cave, only forty or fifty people remained. Every one of them was covered in blood, their hair disheveled, their appearance a far cry from the composed elegance they once carried within the sect.
After ten days without food or water, most of them no longer had the strength to stand, let alone fight.
Many had already collapsed from hunger. Those still conscious leaned weakly against the stone walls, forcing their eyes open as they stared at the cave entrance in despair.
Now even their last source of hope, Elder Longyue, seemed on the verge of collapse.
Everyone understood that once she fell, only destruction awaited them.
A trace of sorrow flickered in Elder Longyue's eyes. She had held on until now, but her strength was nearly exhausted.
