Chapter 541: The Pyre's Remains, A Bloody Frenzy

Chapter 541: The Pyre's Remains, A Bloody Frenzy

Chang Hai Gui stared at the finger bone, his mind wandering for a moment before he finally sighed. No wonder it felt familiar; his guess had turned out to be true.

"This is Pyre's remains," he said gravely. "Pyre was said to be a fire spirit, unparalleled in his understanding and power over the path of fire. He and Hongze didn't have any deep-seated hatred between them, but they would always argue and clash whenever they met."

"However, it never amounted to more than that," Chang Hai Gui continued. "Their disagreements, no matter how heated, would only lead to sparring matches, never deep-seated grudges. In fact, they were quite amiable towards each other. As Ta Cang said, water and fire are incompatible, and being a fire spirit and a water spirit respectively, they were destined for conflict."

Pyre, one of the Seven Lords of the Heavens and Earth, was the first to fall. And how he fell remained a mystery known only to the other six lords. Perhaps not even all of them were aware of the truth.

"It seems Pyre was ambushed," Chang Hai Gui mused. "This true spirit was one of his assailants, and it's highly likely that it's a spirit from the Unchanging Temple."

"Of the Seven Lords, Pyre's fire power was the most aggressive and violent," he continued. "The Unchanging Temple's decision to target him first may very well be related to that."

"This isn't the place where Pyre fell," Chang Hai Gui said, looking around. "If a battle had taken place here, Ta Cang and the others would have sensed it and come to his aid immediately."

He shook his head, a mix of emotions playing on his face. "Only Witch Demon and Ta Cang know where Pyre met his end and how it happened."

It was Witch Demon who had discovered Pyre's remains first, and he would surely have informed Ta Cang. Whether they shared this knowledge with the other four lords—Ming Yu, Ao Hong, Hong Ze, and Qing Ling—was uncertain.

"Even just a single finger bone is no ordinary treasure," said Fang Hao, stepping forward to claim the bone. "I shall take this; it will be quite useful. Our conflict with the Unchanging Temple is irreconcilable, and we will inevitably fight them. Using his bone to kill some of their followers will be a way to avenge him. Pyre would not object."

The finger bone contained the fire law and was a fire treasure of immense value.

"Using his bone to slay the enemies of the Unchanging Temple is something Pyre would definitely approve of," Chang Hai Gui said with a smile.

Fang Hao raised his hand, ready to cast a restriction to seal and capture the bone. Suddenly, a loud rumble filled the air as the bone erupted in flames.

The fire was fierce, and within it, one could sense a lingering anger—a remnant of Pyre's fury before his demise.

"Restrict!" Fang Hao's eyebrows furrowed, and he pointed a finger, casting a restriction to contain the flames.

Bang!

But the restriction was shattered by the bone's explosive fire, and the anger within it only intensified, as if driven by a determination to take everything down with it.

"Though it's not a remnant of his soul, it's a kind of fixation," said Jiang Buling with a sigh. "Pyre must have died with such anger and resentment that it seeped into his very bones. Perhaps he felt betrayed in those final moments."

He raised his hand, and with a gentle touch of his extreme soul power, the bone's anger began to subside.

"Fourth brother, I've soothed the anger within the bone," Jiang Buling said with a smile. "The method was simple—I just offered it vengeance."

"I understand," Fang Hao nodded. "This anger is actually beneficial. When we face the Unchanging Temple, this fury will enhance our power."

With a wave of his hand, he captured the bone. The anger within it would increase the ferocity of the flames by thirty percent.

"Let's go," he said.

With the finger bone, the only remnant of Pyre they had found in the giant mountain that was once a fallen true spirit, now in their possession, it was time to resume their search for Hong Ze's heaven and earth.

The four of them, along with the turtle, continued on their journey, while Fang Hao began refining the materials they had gathered and contemplating how to forge a flying boat.

Over the next two days, they encountered several true spirits, hunting them down as they went, but still, there was no sign of Hong Ze's heaven and earth.

"Could it be that Hong Ze's heaven and earth has truly been taken away?" Chang Hai Gui wondered aloud, his confidence starting to waver.

"The probability of that is high," Xu Yan said, unperturbed. "But we came to the Unchanging Realm to explore and gain experience, so let's continue on our path."

Chang Hai Gui looked around, deep in thought. "Perhaps we've been searching in the wrong direction. Hong Ze's heaven and earth may be located further away than I anticipated. Let's explore for one more day, and if we find nothing, we'll change course."

The expression on Cang Hai Gui's face changed as he let out a loud roar. A layer of bluish light surged forth, like rolling waves, forming a defensive barrier.

Xu Yan and his three martial brothers stared at the bloody light. The one approaching was a Small World Master, his body shimmering with bloody light and his strength formidable.

He was one of the Blood Masters of the Netherworld Realm.

"Blood Maniac?!"

Cang Hai Gui's eyes narrowed as he spoke.

Blood Maniac looked at Cang Hai Gui, then at Xu Yan and the others, deep in thought. Slowly, he raised his hand, and a blood blade appeared in his palm.

"Cang Hai Gui, so you're still alive," he said, sounding surprised. "And I see you've brought along Xu Yan and the others. Which one of you is Xu Yan, and which is Meng Chong? Even we in the Netherworld Realm have heard of your notoriety, Ta Cang."

Meng Chong scratched his head, a delighted expression on his face. "I never expected my name to reach as far as the Netherworld Realm."

Blood Maniac was clearly not here on friendly terms. With Meng Chong's current strength, he would be no match for a Small World Master.

However, with Cang Hai Gui, who was also a Small World Master, the four of them together were not afraid of Blood Maniac.

"If you're Meng Chong, then you must be Xu Yan."

Blood Maniac glared at Xu Yan and said coldly, "Now that we've met, it seems your luck has run out. You're fated to perish here!"

Blood Maniac's killing intent was palpable.

"Don't count on Cang Hai Gui to protect you. His defense is decent, but his offense and speed are lacking. You four will meet your end in this Unchanging Land!"

Blood Maniac raised his hand, and the bloody light reflected off the Unchanging Land. A massive blood blade appeared before him, exuding a chilling murderous aura.

Cang Hai Gui's expression turned solemn as he transmitted his voice, "Blood Maniac is not weak. Although I've recovered from my injuries, I'm still not at my peak condition from before. And he's right—I excel in defense, but my offense and speed are lacking.

"The fact that Blood Maniac is here makes me suspect that he's also after Hongze's heaven and earth. This suggests that Hongze's heaven and earth hasn't been taken by the Unchanging Temple. He must have guessed that we're here for the same reason.

"I'll do my best to withstand his attacks. When the opportunity arises, let's escape."

However, Xu Yan remained calm and said, "Old Turtle, you just focus on defense. Leave the attacking to us. Now that Blood Maniac has encountered us, it seems his luck has run out."

Cang Hai Gui was taken aback, staring at Xu Yan in surprise. "You want to kill him? Are you strong enough to slay a Small World Master now?"

How much had Xu Yan's strength grown in such a short time?

"Not quite, but it's difficult for a Small World Master to injure me as well. You just focus on defense without worry. Although you're slow, we aren't. We can always stay within your defensive range, and the task of attacking will be left to us brothers. It's a good opportunity to join forces and test our strength against a Small World Master."

Xu Yan had already reached the perfect stage of the Heaven and Earth Realm. Although he couldn't kill a Small World Master yet, it would be challenging for one to break through his Yin-Yang Undying Sword defense.

As for Meng Chong, Fang Hao, and Jiang Buling, they had all reached the great perfection stage of the Heaven and Earth Realm. With Cang Hai Gui taking care of the defense, they had nothing to fear from Blood Maniac's threats.

The combined efforts of the four martial brothers, each with their own unique martial art, made it possible for them to kill Blood Maniac.

Xu Yan's formidable sword art focused on offense, Meng Chong targeted Blood Maniac's physical body, Jiang Buling aimed for his soul, and Fang Hao used arrays to restrict, seal, interfere with, and confuse their opponent, finding their foe's weak spots.

"Then be careful!"

Cang Hai Gui nodded.

Xu Yan and his brothers had chosen to fight, indicating that they had some level of confidence.

Boom!

With a wave of Blood Maniac's hand, the massive blood blade slashed towards them. In an instant, he appeared beside Cang Hai Gui and attacked again, trying to bypass the turtle's defense and strike directly at Xu Yan and the others.

"Blood Maniac, you won't break through my defense so easily!"

Cang Hai Gui roared, and the back of his shell radiated a deep blue light. In the blink of an eye, his body transformed into a small mountain, the entire turtle becoming a colossal shield.

Xu Yan and his brothers hid behind Cang Hai Gui, their eyes fixed on Blood Maniac, ready for action.

"I know I can't break your defense, but you, a clumsy old turtle, thinking you can protect these people is just wishful thinking!"

Blood Maniac let out a cold laugh.

In the next moment, his figure flickered like blood shadows as he continuously attacked while looking for an opportunity to get closer, avoiding Cang Hai Gui's defense and targeting Xu Yan and the others.

However, what he didn't expect was that although Cang Hai Gui was slower than him, Xu Yan and the others were not. Every time he drew near, they would move their bodies, slipping back behind the turtle's defensive barrier and evading his attacks.

"This is interesting, but how long can you keep dodging?"

Blood Maniac was unconcerned. It was only to be expected that the infamous freaks of Ta Cang would have some tricks up their sleeves.

Xu Yan's body was surrounded by the Yin-Yang Undying Sword, constantly revolving, as he stood outside of Cang Hai Gui's defensive range, directly facing Blood Maniac.

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, Meng Chong transformed into a golden giant, his golden armor emanating divine waves, resembling a true god.

The power of his physical body surged wildly.

Fang Hao slapped his soldier box, and one divine artifact after another flew out, scattering across the battlefield. He then stomped his foot, and an extraordinary formation appeared, encompassing the entire battlefield.

In that moment, the area of the Unchanging Land where they stood transformed into a formidable force, converging like a deep pond or swamp.

Hum!

A faint glow appeared on Jiang Buling's body, as if he were enveloped in a soul armor. He held the ultimate soul soldier in his hand, continuously gathering extreme killing power.

Blood Maniac's expression turned solemn, and his heart trembled as he witnessed the martial arts displayed by Xu Yan and the others. Only then did he truly understand why the Blood Kings and Blood Princes were so shocked by Xu Yan and Meng Chong's strength.

"What kind of martial arts are these?"

Blood Maniac's heart grew heavy. Whether it was Xu Yan's sword art, Meng Chong's divine aura, Fang Hao's extraordinary formation, or Jiang Buling's extreme soul art, they were all beyond his understanding. These were martial arts he had never heard of before.

"Are these the remnants of Ta Cang's legacy?"

At this moment, Blood Maniac's desire to kill Xu Yan and the others intensified.

"Xu Yan, Meng Chong, and the other two must be Ta Cang's backup plan, seeds left behind for future revenge!"

Just based on the martial arts displayed by Xu Yan and his companions, Blood Maniac believed that any one of them, once they reached the Realm Lord realm, would be an opponent he couldn't afford to underestimate.

This showed just how powerful the martial arts they cultivated were.

It implied that any one of them, once they became the ruler of the heavens and earth, would likely possess strength comparable to, or even surpassing, Ta Cang in his prime?

That would be equivalent to facing four Ta Cangs at once; how could the Unchanging Temple possibly stand against them?

"Do you really think you can rebel with just the four of you?"

Blood Maniac was shocked, but he feigned indifference and scorn.

"Die!"

As Blood Maniac spoke, the massive blood blade in his hand slashed towards Xu Yan.

At the same time, his blood shadow surged, transforming into rolling blood waves. A formidable aura surged forth, and blood blades appeared in the waves, exuding a chilling killing intent as they attacked from all directions.

"Be careful!"

Chang Hai Gui warned, and the deep blue glow on his turtle back surged, turning into rolling waves of the Canghai, forming a shield to defend against the incoming blood blades.

Hum!

Xu Yan lifted his hand, and sword energy surged, filling the air with sword intent. A huge, icy sword light took form, and this sword seemed to possess a kind of sacred aura.

The sharpness of the killing intent faded, and one couldn't sense any murderous aura from this sword. Instead, it exuded a sacred aura, as if it were a holy divine sword rather than a weapon of slaughter.

"Old Turtle, get closer to him!"

Xu Yan said solemnly.

"Getting too close might expose our weaknesses," Cang Hai Gui hesitated.

"Don't worry, give him this opportunity and let's see if he can withstand our combined attack. You find the right moment to turn your defense into offense and restrain him."

Xu Yan said indifferently.

"Alright!"

Cang Hai Gui thought about it. Xu Yan and the others were the true disciples of that master, so they must have some trump cards up their sleeves.

So, Cang Hai Gui began to bear the brunt of Blood Maniac's attacks as he slowly moved closer.

A cold smile appeared on Blood Maniac's lips, and he slowed down his attacks, allowing Cang Hai Gui to approach. He looked at Xu Yan and the others, a faint smile flashing in his eyes.

These young and arrogant disciples wanted to take a chance to strike him, thinking that their combined efforts could injure or even kill him?

How naive!

He was a Small World Master, so how could he be easily killed?

Since they dared to attack him, he would gladly return the favor and help them find their own path to death!

Blood Maniac was well aware of their intentions, but he didn't mind. Instead, he went along with their plan.

Xu Yan's expression remained indifferent, not bothering to conceal his intentions, giving Blood Maniac a chance to strike. It would all depend on who laughed last.

"Arrogance and underestimating your enemy will come at a cost," Xu Yan thought with a cold smile. Blood Maniac was overconfident in his strength as a Small World Master, and although Cang Hai Gui excelled in defense but lacked offense and speed, he believed he could ignore the combined might of Xu Yan and his brothers. He thought he could easily withstand their attacks and even take the opportunity to strike back, but he didn't know that even as a Small World Master, he couldn't block a joint attack from the four of them.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end