As Hua Danqing felt the burning flames, he also felt an unprecedented sense of danger.
"Holy crap! What kind of sword is that? It's so huge!"
Hua Danqing was already shocked by the sight of the massive sword flying towards him. Wei Dong, meanwhile, looked up and suddenly saw the tip of the massive sword rapidly growing in front of his forehead. He was stunned.
"Hide!"
Hua Danqing remained calm. After a moment of shock, he shouted loudly and swung the small Five Elements fan in his hand. The power of the five elements surged out: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth.
Wei Dong and Hua Danqing had been working together for a long time, so he naturally knew the danger they were facing. His reaction was just a little slow.
Hearing Hua Danqing's cry, Wei Dong suddenly twisted his body, activating his energy to release his inner energy, condensing it into armor. Simultaneously, he moved the huge square seal in his hand around and completely escaped. However, both Hua Danqing and Wei Dong were noticeably slower. Even with their utmost concentration, they would likely struggle to match the speed of Ming Qi and Mo Changli's combined magical powers.
Imagine the Yan brothers, at only the second level of the Xiantian realm, displaying such powerful combined magical powers. Now, with Ming Qi and Mo Changli at the third and second levels of the Xiantian realm respectively, the power they unleash is undoubtedly no less potent than that of the Poison Emperor.
The massive sword blade pierced through, sweeping Hua Danqing and Wei Dong backwards with lightning speed. The immense force practically propelled them towards the Xiantian cultivators behind them.
Bang!
The sound of flesh colliding was muffled as Hua Danqing and Wei Dong slammed directly into the Xiantian cultivators behind them. Their force showed no sign of weakening, continuing to push the group backwards.
As the combined magical powers unleashed, the entire outer void of mercenaries, including their leader, were instantly strung together like a candied haws stick.
The sound of flesh colliding was accompanied by intense screams.
Neither the innate nor the acquired cultivators were able to directly resist the combined magical power of Ming Qi and Mo Changli. The acquired cultivators at the rear were especially vulnerable, some of whom were even crushed to death by the intense impact.
That day outside Fengxian City, the combined magical power of Ming Qi and Mo Changli had been so powerful that even Zhao Qianhun, who was at the Celestial Realm, couldn't directly withstand it. Currently, the strongest beings in the void beyond the painting were Hua Danqing, at the fourth level of the Innate Controlling Weapon Realm, and Wei Dong, but both were in dire straits.
Wei Dong's reaction was slightly delayed, and his entire body was completely charred black, his features barely visible. He simply collapsed to the ground, his life or death uncertain.
As for Hua Danqing, he dodged relatively quickly, even throwing out his small Five Elements Fan at the critical moment to open the Five Elements Gate and block the attack, thus avoiding the same tragedy as Wei Dong. However, half of his body was now charred, leaving only the other half intact, struggling to get up.
The battle was over in a flash, leaving Su Yuan in disbelief. She wondered if the people in the Void Beyond the Painting were too weak, or if the people at her level were too powerful.
She knew full well that the key to this battle lay in the combined magical power of Ming Qi and Mo Changli. Unleashing this combined power would instantly crush all the people in the Void Beyond the Painting. This near-overwhelming power was unbelievable even for the experienced Su Yuan.
But the reality was that Hua Danqing, once confident of victory, was now completely defeated. Covered in dust and dirt, he turned and fled without a care in the world.
"The Small Five Elements Fan, that's quite a treasure."
Having completed the fusion of his magical powers, Ming Qi was now fiddling with the Small Five Elements Fan as he watched Hua Danqing fleeing into the distance.
"Should we give chase?"
Wei Silong approached, sword in hand, to consult Ming Qi.
"Forget it. Killing him won't do any good. Let's hurry on."
Most of the people in the Void Beyond the Painting had been killed or wounded, fleeing in panic. Hua Danqing had lost the magical weapon that had made him famous, and it would likely take him a long time to recover.
Returning to Kill Star City now would be a good idea, as it would deter the other mercenaries. Otherwise, these second-rate mercenary groups might pursue and harass him relentlessly.
Ming Qi was concerned about the actions of the five major mercenary groups in Kill Star City. If even one of them were deployed, the battle would definitely not be so simple. Encountering any of the five major mercenary groups would be a difficult battle.
"Alright, let's go!"
Ming Qi took one last look at the corpses on the battlefield before continuing on his way.
Perhaps because the devastating defeat at Huawai Void had served as a deterrent, no mercenary groups pursued them for the next few days, and the journey was relatively peaceful.
So, during his free time on the road, Ming Qi took the small Five Elements fan and carefully examined it.
But after examining it for a long time, Ming Qi couldn't discern much. He couldn't even discern the material of the small Five Elements fan. The ribs resembled white jade, yet it wasn't. The fan surface seemed to be the hide of some monster, yet it was incredibly soft and thin, even warm to the touch. He wondered what it was.
"Rumor has it that Hua Danqing's small Five Elements fan was found in a ruin, possibly a relic of a powerful individual."
Seeing Ming Qi repeatedly examining the small Five Elements fan, Wei Silong told him everything he knew about Hua Danqing and the small Five Elements fan.
Although he couldn't fully understand the details of the small Five Elements Fan, Ming Qi had mastered its basic operation. It seemed to contain some mysterious substance that could manipulate the five elements regardless of the material.
Over the past few days, Ming Qi had only mastered and been able to utilize one magical power: the Five Elements Gate that Hua Danqing had previously used. From this gate, he summoned the spirits of the five elements to aid him in battle.
Three days later, the group reached the banks of the Canglan River.
The spring sunshine reflected in the vast, misty waters, creating a shimmering scene that was truly beautiful.
"How do we get across?"
Su Yuan asked Ming Qi, his eyes scanning the surrounding crowd.
Su Yuan could easily steer the flying sword across, and she had witnessed Ming Qi's mysterious soaring ability. Crossing the Canglan River was no problem for her, but what about the others?
Ming Qi smiled and looked at Wei Silong, clearly waiting for her suggestion. Celestials possessed powerful soaring abilities, and now it all depended on whether he and Mo Changli were willing to reveal their identities and perform the soaring divine power to cross the river.
Wei Silong, noticing Ming Qi's gaze, immediately understood his intention. After a moment's contemplation, he said, "We can certainly cross. Su Yuan, just bring your employer."
Su Yuan was slightly surprised by Wei Silong's words. It went without saying that Ming Qi had taken the White Tiger, and the young boy, their employer, was handed over to her. The intention was clear: the two of them would find a way to cross the river on their own.
However, Su Yuan didn't question the situation. He immediately activated his flying sword and took off with the boy.
Ming Qi also called over Dabai, channeling his energy into his hands. With a domineering gesture, he lifted Dabai by the neck and unleashed his Vermillion Bird wings, swiftly soaring into the air.
Mo Changli and Wei Silong exchanged a glance, then waved their hands before them. A golden portal appeared, a golden bridge spanning the other side of the river.
They didn't use the Celestial Clan's soaring magical power, but instead employed the Golden Bridge of the Heavens.
Having just taken to the air with Dabai in tow, Ming Qi quickly activated the Supreme Diagram to amplify his aura, bringing the entire surroundings, both heaven and earth, within his spiritual awareness.
"Hmm?"
Standing high in the air, Ming Qi didn't immediately choose to cross. The moment his spiritual awareness emanated, he suddenly sensed something strange: a faint aura rippling at the riverbed. The aura was so faint that if he hadn't been so close, and the amplifying effect of the Supreme Diagram wasn't present, he might not have been able to detect it at all.
Instantly, a sense of crisis surged.
"Su Yuan, come back!"
Without time to dwell, Ming Qi shouted, then swiftly retreated and landed, his movements seamless. Su Yuan, who had already flown some distance, suddenly heard Ming Qi's shout and immediately knew something was amiss. Seeing they had advanced less than a third of the way across the river, Su Yuan decisively chose to turn back.
However, just as she swung her flying sword around, mobilizing her energy to quickly return, the river below erupted in unprecedented, monstrous waves.
The waves rolled like a raging sea dragon, sending spray tens of meters high.
The previously calm river surface was now completely seething.
Flying back to shore, Ming Qi dropped Dabai to the ground, then turned and soared directly over the river. Simultaneously, he extended his ten fingers, releasing ten fire thunderbolts.
The situation was now clear: someone was lurking at the bottom of the river, and they were experts.
With a flick of his finger, the fire thunders flew out, colliding with the splashing waves with a hissing sound. Countless plumes of green smoke rose, and suddenly the entire river surface was as if covered in fog.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Amidst the mist, Ming Qi saw nine figures rising from the water, wielding azure spears, charging like meteors towards Su Yuan, who was rapidly returning to the sky.
The nine spears were charged with immense power, resembling nine giant dragons.
"Phoenix Dances in the Nine Heavens!"
Aloft, Ming Qi, without a second thought, immediately activated the most powerful divine power within the Suzaku Burning Heaven Sutra. A long, piercing cry of the Vermillion Bird was heard from the sky, and the flames swirling behind Ming Qi instantly transformed into countless divine feathers. These feathers flew out like arrows, mingled with a roar of blazing flames, charging forward.
Mo Changli and Wei Silong, who had just stepped onto the Golden Bridge of the Heavens on the shore, reacted immediately. Stepping into the air, they instantly crossed the bridge and landed above the river.
Longsword in hand, Wei Silong swiftly unleashed a Cross-shaped Heaven-shaking Strike. Beside him, Mo Changli's head held a small golden sun, and his golden halberd shone brightly, his ultimate magical power, Heroic Domination of the World, following closely behind.
Faced with attacks from all sides, the nine figures ignored them. The moment they emerged from the water, the nine spear shadows rapidly expanded and merged into one, ultimately transforming into a massive, savage water dragon.