Chapter Seventeen: The Bloodflame of Rahu

Now, let us speak of the old demon of Bashan, Ba Liming. He summoned the divine manifestation of the Heavenly Demon Aspect, revealing the form of Heaven and Earth, his cultivation soaring to the mid-stage Earth Immortal. His demonic body was now so formidable that even the Five Fires could not harm him.

Qingxu was deeply astonished. As the chief disciple under the Jade Purity Sage of the Chan Sect, his insight was extraordinary; his understanding of the manifestation of Heaven and Earth was profound. This divine art was a secret method passed down by the Dao Ancestor Hongjun from the Purple Cloud Palace, unfathomably mysterious and containing immense fortune. Once invoked, it instantly attuned to the grand momentum of Heaven and Earth, granting unimaginable power.

From the words of the Primordial Heavenly Lord, Qingxu knew that at minimum, one needed to reach the initial stage of Heavenly Immortal to cultivate this manifestation. Yet Ba Liming was merely at the peak of the early Earth Immortal stage, and he could wield it!

“Could it be that Ba Liming’s manifestation surpasses even the methods of the Heavenly Sages themselves? How could such a thing be possible!” This thought shook Qingxu to his core.

While Qingxu’s mind was in turmoil, Ba Liming charged forth in fury.

Thunderous booms echoed endlessly. Demonic energy surged through the void, the sounds resounding without cease. The might of a mid-stage Earth Immortal was incomparable to an early-stage one; the difference between them was as vast as the gulf between Heaven and Earth.

“Die, you old ancestor!” Ba Liming struck with a fist, as if azure heavens collapsed and the sky fell—a force without equal.

The early Earth Immortal stage was self-cultivation; the mid-stage allowed one to borrow the force of Heaven itself. Human power has limits, but the might of Heaven and Earth is boundless—how could they be compared?

Facing Ba Liming’s assault, Qingxu felt there was no way to evade and thus met it head-on.

“I’ll risk it! Anyway, I have the Jade Purity Immortal Talisman!” he thought to himself. The talisman possessed three powers: teleportation, defense, and even the summoning of the Primordial clone.

It could withstand even an attack from a Grand Golden Immortal!

With no worries left, Qingxu hesitated no longer. His hands formed a sword seal, his lips reciting an incantation.

“Qingxu Sword Dao—One Flower, One World!”

“The Demon Core’s mind merged with flesh and bone? Unity of body and spirit?” Qingxu never imagined Ba Liming’s Heavenly Demon Aspect could be so defiant of the natural order.

“How dare you! Such a crude trick, and you dare strike at me?” Though Ba Liming roared and mocked, his heart was secretly startled. The ‘One Flower, One World’ technique was formidable; without the Heavenly Demon Aspect, he would surely have died.

“Bang!”

‘One Flower, One World’ was shattered by Ba Liming’s punch, for this sword technique was meant to counter the mind.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Boy, your skills are exhausted.” With a cold sneer, Ba Liming lunged forward.

Whoosh!

With a sound slicing through the void, the Xu Earth avatar soared upward, standing above the sea of flames. Golden lotus bloomed beneath his feet.

“To plant golden lotus amidst fire—profound secrets of mysterious fire can vanquish demons!”

“Heavenly Fire—Five Mystical Transformations!”

As early-stage Earth Immortal power surged, the sea of Five Fires suddenly underwent a change, rapidly spinning and merging together.

Heavenly Fire was the wrath of the heavens, dominating all ages, its divine might vast and overwhelming—demons and monsters all quaked in fear. True Heavenly Fire, let alone the Xu Earth avatar, even Qingxu himself could not wield; this was merely a pseudo-Heavenly Fire formed by harnessing the Five Fires, yet it still possessed powerful effects for exterminating demons and evil.

“Heavenly Fire?”

The appearance of the Xu Earth avatar was abrupt; by the time Ba Liming realized and tried to kill him, the chance had already passed.

Feeling the immense pressure of Heavenly Fire descending, terror spilled from Ba Liming’s mouth.

“You are cruel and heartless, slaughtering countless beings for your own selfish gain, burdened by immense karmic debt. Now, fate has brought you before me—Heaven wishes to use my hand to kill such a vicious fiend as yourself. Surrender, and perhaps you may still redeem yourself!” Qingxu declared loudly.

Upon hearing Qingxu’s words, Ba Liming’s face darkened, veins bulging, murderous intent surging from every pore.

Pseudo-Heavenly Fire: No path to Heaven!

Qingxu Sword Dao: No door to Earth!

Under Qingxu’s divine arts, Ba Liming’s manifestation could neither reach the heavens above nor penetrate the earth below—merely an empty shell.

Fortunately, Ba Liming’s cultivation had not yet reached the Heavenly Immortal stage. Otherwise, his manifestation would have been truly terrifying!

“External incarnation? Second primordial spirit? Boy, you are cunning and sly, but you are far from defeating me!” Ba Liming sneered coldly.

“Ancient Divine Art—Rahula’s Bloodflame Divine Light!”

Rahula?

Qingxu was stunned, his mind unable to express the shock in words. Who was Rahula? An ancient mighty one, equal to Hongjun himself!

“It is said that Rahula and Hongjun vied for dominance over Heaven and Earth, and were forsaken by the Dao of Heaven, perishing utterly. How could his divine art appear in the hands of a mere Earth Immortal demon cultivator?” This was far too bizarre, leaving Qingxu unsettled for a long time.

Indeed, it was a true ancient divine art. Once Rahula’s Bloodflame Divine Light was unleashed, Ba Liming’s demonic blood flowed in reverse, consuming half of his vital demon blood in an instant.

A black-red radiance shot from Ba Liming’s crown. Just a glance made the eyes sting, as if every organ and bone were plunged into searing flames.

A three-inch-tall blood-black flame hovered three yards above Ba Liming’s head, radiating thousands of beams of black-red light; ancient aura spread everywhere—this was Rahula’s Bloodflame Divine Light.

This divine light was one of Rahula’s supreme magic arts from ages past, exceedingly vicious and terrifying. Once the bloodflame touched the body, it clung like maggots to the bone, feeding on the enemy’s blood. In the ancient wilderness, countless innate mighties perished under this technique, reduced to mere ashes, pitiful beyond compare.

From deep within, extreme terror surged forth; even gazing upon the divine light caused injury. Should the bloodflame envelop the body—

Not daring to underestimate it, Qingxu hurriedly retrieved the Xu Earth Apricot Banner and activated the Jade Purity Immortal Talisman’s defensive art. A mantle of faint, clear light shielded him.

It could withstand the strike of a Grand Golden Immortal—its defensive power was unimaginably strong.

Rahula’s Bloodflame Divine Light was powerful indeed, but compared to the defense of the Jade Purity Immortal Talisman, it fell far short.

“Overestimating yourself! Under my divine arts, all must turn to ashes. Die!” Ba Liming, seeing Qingxu’s defensive shield, scoffed disdainfully. He was supremely confident in his own powers, convinced that nothing in the world could withstand them.

Whoosh!

The bloodflame spread, three inches swelling into hundreds of meters, hurtling toward Qingxu with blinding speed, leaving afterimages in its wake.

Black-red light pierced the nine heavens; the sea of Five Fires vanished in an instant. The Azure Sword let out a mournful cry, its brilliance dimmed as it fell into Qingxu’s hand.

Without even clashing, two spiritual treasures were already gravely injured!

“What fortune has this old demon of Bashan encountered? To possess such ancient magic!”

Boom!

The bloodflame struck the Jade Purity shield. Instantly, the void collapsed, blood-red, dark, and clear lights intertwined, hurricanes roared, tearing the heavens asunder with tremendous force. It appeared that even Earth Immortal cultivators entering this storm would barely survive.

Ba Liming’s heart was full of resentment: “If only it were those treasures and the Ten Killing Sword—what bad luck! Not only did I gain nothing, I lost my own treasures; truly, he benefited. If I could capture his soul, I would surely torment him!”

As he mused thus, he suddenly saw the Xu Earth avatar was still completely unharmed, and was immediately shocked.

The second primordial spirit’s survival was connected to the main body; if the main body died, the second spirit would dissipate. Conversely, if the second spirit was destroyed, the main body would suffer heavy injury.

“How is this possible? Under the assault of Rahula’s Bloodflame Divine Light, how could it not perish?” he muttered in disbelief.