“You say their aura vanished completely. Could it be that the Kui Niu slew them?” Zuo Guangshu queried.

The Moon Zen Master cast him a meaningful glance. “Death, too, leaves its traces.”

Jiang Wang had indeed experienced this truth firsthand.

However, for Zuo Guangshu, who had not undergone many trials of life and death, understanding this concept was, understandably, a challenge, despite his keen intellect.

After a moment’s contemplation, Jiang Wang voiced his inquiry: “Zen Master, can you discern from the scene’s remnants who prevailed in the clash between the Kui Niu and that individual?”

The Moon Zen Master’s tone was even. “Victory and defeat depend on your definition. The Kui Niu clearly held the overwhelming advantage, yet that person successfully escaped.”

Qu Shunhua, equally curious, added, “I wonder what that person did to provoke such relentless pursuit from the Kui Niu?”

“Only that person would likely know,” replied the Moon Zen Master.

Jiang Wang silently analyzed the details reflected in the Red Makeup Mirror. A sense of familiarity pricked at him, yet solid evidence remained elusive.

In the midst of his thoughts, a potent feeling of crisis surged within his chest.

He was about to speak when the Moon Zen Master, one step ahead, cried out, “An unknown peril approaches! We must leave this place at once!”

Without hesitation, the group pivoted, following the Moon Zen Master towards the direction where the Kui Niu’s traces were faintest, fleeing with all speed.

All of them were Heaven’s Chosen of exceptional caliber. Even the youngest, Zuo Guangshu, merely lacked a breadth of life-and-death experience. After a brief interaction, a natural combat synergy had formed between them.

The Moon Zen Master led the way, Zuo Guangshu and Qu Shunhua flanked him to the left and right, and Jiang Wang held the rear, his sword at the ready.

Such a formation, even facing a Divine Manifestation level exotic beast like the Ying Fish, could likely hold its ground for several rounds.

And if their objective was purely evasion, their confidence was considerable.

Yet, this potent fighting unit halted after covering less than three *li*.

They had no choice but to stop.

Within their line of sight appeared a multitude of black-furred, canine exotic beasts.

Outwardly, they bore little resemblance to ordinary dogs, save for a subtle sheen on their fur, barely discernible without close inspection.

Even in their numbers, they didn’t appear particularly ferocious. However, their indifferent eyes sent a shiver down one’s spine.

It was clear that even with Qu Shunhua’s exceptional information gathering ability within the current Shan Hai Realm team, the Moon Zen Master had been unable to guide them away from this “hunt.”

This pack of exotic beasts possessed cunning.

Both the Moon Zen Master and Qu Shunhua adopted a posture of heightened alert, clearly aware of the origin of these beasts. Zuo Guangshu quietly cautioned Jiang Wang: “These are Huo Dou, also known as beasts of ill omen.”

The terror of an exotic beast labeled an “inauspicious beast” was readily imaginable.

But the most terrifying aspect was…

Their numbers were growing.

In the air, on the sea’s surface, even beneath the waves… they were everywhere, densely packed. They had approached unseen, gathered undetected, and now, revealing themselves in their entirety, they had completely encircled the four cultivators.

And continuously, new Huo Dou joined the fray.

This was a pack with strategy, with cooperation, adept at setting ambushes!

This fact, far more than their formidable combat strength and ferocious nature, instilled dread.

The Moon Zen Master extended a hand with a bronzed luster, pressing it forward.

Golden light flared, a fleeting apparition as if of the ultimate bliss world, and vanished.

A coiled figure within the golden light unfurled, transforming into a Guardian God General two *zhang* tall.

It descended with a boom!

This God General possessed a horse’s head and a human body, with a single horn atop its head.

Knotted muscles converged in the golden light’s shadow, and it wielded a fire-stirring staff, radiating an indescribable majesty.

It opened its maw and let out a roar, the sound resonating with wondrous rhyme through the air.

But there was no sound of blood flow, nor any sign of a divine soul’s presence.

Evidently, another mechanical puppet.

A Mechanical Tight That Luo!

A God of Music from Buddhist legend.

The sound of its roar held a sense of beauty, almost touching upon the Dao, in Jiang Wang’s ears.

If one could hear it frequently, it would presumably benefit the cultivation of the Dao through sound.

And in the ears of that pack of Huo Dou, this roar clearly held great authority and oppressive force. The group of Huo Dou directly in front of the Mechanical Tight That Luo recoiled several steps under the scolding sound.

But they quickly held their formation once more.

The cohesion of this entire pack could be likened to that of an elite army.

Clearly, within this group of Huo Dou, a king beast existed. This Huo Dou king must possess significant intelligence, firmly controlling the beast pack while also being extremely skilled in concealment.

At this moment, at least, Jiang Wang could not discern its hiding place.

While also appearing in packs, compared to the Yellow Shells Jiang Wang and Zuo Guangshu had previously encountered, this group of Huo Dou was undeniably far stronger, and the current situation was far more perilous.

Qu Shunhua formed a hand seal before her body.

Green flowing wind swirled around her. This whirlwind expanded in an instant, violently and fiercely spreading outwards.

In that moment, she, as noble and beautiful as she was, became the eye of the storm.

A terrifying tempest wrapped around and protected the four individuals, while simultaneously rampaging outwards towards the entire Huo Dou pack.

Within the surrounding storm,

Zuo Guangshu lifted both hands, instantly summoning nine water dragons that swam around the group.

Dragon roars echoed, immensely intimidating.

Only Jiang Wang remained still, holding the Red Makeup Mirror, his eyes tinged red. His priority was to locate the leader of this Huo Dou pack immediately.

The sheer number of Huo Dou was overwhelming; simply reacting was utterly insufficient. Only by eliminating the Huo Dou leader instantly would there be a possibility of escape.

Under Qu Shunhua’s control, the violent hurricane made initial contact with the Huo Dou pack. This was the team’s first offensive probe.

The terrifying truth was revealed—

The black fur of the Huo Dou was flattened by the hurricane like wild grass, clinging tightly to their skeletons, but the Huo Dou themselves remained utterly unmoving!

The peculiar, hidden sheen on their fur seemed to channel the power of the Huo Dou pack under some guiding will.

Allowing them to resist the storm.

They simply stared with cold eyes at their surrounded prey.

Qu Shunhua’s formidable First Grade Superior Dao technique had no discernible effect!

The Moon Zen Master immediately followed up with an attack.

The Mechanical Tight That Luo leaped directly into the Huo Dou pack without fear. Its fire-stirring staff almost shattered the air, effortlessly smashing the heads of several Huo Dou.

But not a single one of those dead Huo Dou let out a cry of pain. They all perished in the act of biting the Mechanical Tight That Luo.

And in the wake of blood and bone…

More and more frenzied Huo Dou pounced forward. In less than three breaths, the Mechanical Tight That Luo, over two *zhang* tall, was completely engulfed.

One could still see the golden light squeezed out by the Huo Dou pack, still hear the resonating rhyme, feel the wind generated by the swinging fire-stirring staff, a clear indication of the Mechanical Tight That Luo’s struggle—

But it was evidently incapable of any further action.

Zuo Guangshu manipulated the nine water dragons, also impacting in all directions. But they only managed to kill a few dozen Huo Dou before being torn apart, their forms dissolving back into water.

It was clearly evident that this pack of Huo Dou possessed a formidable ability to resist Dao techniques. Furthermore, they displayed such exquisite coordination and terrifying numbers… they were simply a nightmare for cultivators who relied on techniques!

The Moon Zen Master, shrouded in his gray robe, opened his mouth and chanted: “Ah, A, Xia, Sa, Ma, Ha!”

With each syllable uttered, the heavens and earth resonated.

This was the Six Paths Vajra Curse, a law curse for the universal salvation of all sentient beings.

The Mechanical Tight That Luo, trapped within the Huo Dou pack, saw its golden light surge violently several dozen *zhang*, almost overturning all the Huo Dou that covered it!

But it was immediately re-engulfed.

The sheer number of Huo Dou was overwhelming, densely packed, almost obscuring all sight.

They had appeared from nowhere, surrounding them in utter silence!

The Moon Zen Master’s urgent attempt to bolster the Mechanical Tight That Luo failed. He directly brought his palms together and looked up at the sky.

At this moment, the veil was swept open by the wind, revealing a solemn, bronze-tinged female face.

It was not beautiful, nor could it be called ugly.

It was very normal, very ordinary, and possessed a kind of solemnity that inspired shame.

A voice declared: “I am of the Buddha’s time, I shall execute all demons!”

Boom! Rumble!

There was no lightning in the sky, but a booming sound like thunder rang out.

Ten thousand golden lights, as if tearing apart the celestial dome, descended from the heavens. A massive god wheel, several hundred *zhang* in diameter, like a mountain, heavily smashed into the Huo Dou pack.

A Dao technique, the Eight Treasures Execute Magic Law!

This was one of its treasures, suppressing with the god wheel.

A vast void appeared within the densely packed Huo Dou pack.

For a moment, the dead and injured were countless.

This equal prestige… this was a Super Grade level Dao technique!

As Xi Yue An’s senior disciple, the Moon Zen Master had always displayed puppet techniques mingled with ink, seemingly rooted in Mohist power. This was his first true display of combat power solely belonging to the Buddhist sect.

It was indeed extraordinary.

But it also… only went so far.

The number of Huo Dou was simply too vast, too many. Even in the farther distances, endless Huo Dou continued to rush forward, as if all the Huo Dou in the entire Shan Hai Realm had converged here.

The void created by the Eight Treasures Execute Magic Law was instantly filled.

Countless Huo Dou even surged into the sky, biting towards the dazzling golden light, actually blocking the remaining attack of the Eight Treasures Execute Magic Law in the air!

Huo Dou corpses continuously rained down.

However, not a single cry of pain from a Huo Dou was heard, nor was a single Huo Dou seen to retreat.

They were like the most elite iron army. Fresh blood and death only made them more frenzied, more ferocious.

Regardless of death, injury, or charge, they remained silent, yet their determination to inflict pain was palpable.

These were…

Beasts of ill omen?

For a time, black, pressing Huo Dou pounced from all sides, in all eight directions—

Even Heaven’s Chosen as formidable as the Buddhist sect’s, the descendant of a Great Chu Duke, and Great Qi’s foremost Heaven’s Chosen, seemed like flickering candles in the wind, capable of being extinguished by a mere breath in this nearly boundless black tide.

But Heaven’s Chosen always possessed overwhelming strength; none would surrender meekly before these exotic beasts.

The sea waves churned.

The entire sea domain seemed to tremble.

A majestic Li Dragon, pulling a lavish war chariot, manifested before the world. Zuo Guangshu revealed his River God body, standing upon this River God Divine Chariot topped with green lotuses.

Covered in battle armor, his battle robe fluttering, his hands spread wide, as if embracing this expanse of ocean.

Boom! Rumble!

Centered around the four cultivators, a barrier of water instantly rose in a circle.

Within the barrier, water currents sliced like knives, cutting frantically.

This section of the sea, now under his control, built a thick and ferocious city wall!

Permitting no external enemy to invade!

But in the very next moment…

Splash! La! La!

This city wall of water instantly suffered myriad attacks, scattering back into the sea in an instant.

Countless Huo Dou perished beneath this terrifying wall of water, their corpses falling into the sea.

But even more Huo Dou surged closer.

Qu Shunhua stood to Zuo Guangshu’s left, her moth eyebrows and red lips, her beautiful clothes and luxurious dress. After her hurricane Dao technique proved ineffective, she had silently observed the battlefield for a long time. Suddenly, her body radiated brilliant light.

As if endless light shone within her.

That resplendent light enveloped her, gradually condensing into the massive, exquisitely dressed silhouette of a beautiful woman—

Though a silhouette, it possessed substance and a powerful momentum.

She was beautiful, majestic, powerful, and sacred.

Her heart held compassion, yet she practiced majesty.

Precisely, the Divine Ability, Heavenly Maiden!

“Cloud thinks of clothes, flower thinks of appearance, spring wind brushes the railing, dew flowers are thick. If not seen on the peaks of the jade mountains, then meet under the moonlight at Yao Terrace!”

Not merely a mortal beauty, but a divine ability’s celestial creation.

Qu Shunhua herself closed her eyes slightly, suspended within the Heavenly Maiden’s heart.

It was impossible to distinguish if she reflected this Heavenly Maiden, or if this Heavenly Maiden depicted her.

Beautiful and exquisite, mutually illuminating.

“Where is it?” she asked.

The Moon Zen Master casually drew a line, golden light flashing outwards, circling a large area.

Like Jiang Wang, she too had been constantly searching for the Huo Dou leader’s position, but the opponent was exceedingly cunning, never showing its face. Even she could only pinpoint an approximate range.

At this moment, Qu Shunhua’s eyes suddenly opened, and the colossal Heavenly Maiden also opened its eyes. The light in its eyes was like a river, full of glory.

The silhouette instantly condensed into substance.

As if cast in gold, as if condensed from light.

Sacred and inviolable.

The Heavenly Maiden divided its hands, each holding a slender sword, and leaped directly into the Huo Dou pack with agile and graceful movements.

This Heavenly Maiden reached a height of over seven *zhang*, and its slender swords were also massive, three *zhang* in length.

The body size of the Huo Dou, however, was no larger than that of an ordinary canine.

In comparison, they appeared so weak.

The Heavenly Maiden charged into the Huo Dou pack like a giant impacting a group of puppies.

With two crosswise slashes of its slender swords, two massive trenches were carved out within the Huo Dou pack, the dead and injured countless.

In that moment, the Heavenly Maiden seemed like a god.

Qu Shunhua, controlling this Heavenly Maiden silhouette, plunged into the Huo Dou pack!

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Almost all the Huo Dou roared simultaneously in fury.

This was the first sound they had uttered since the open battle began, clearly indicating that Qu Shunhua had indeed found the location of the Huo Dou king beast!

But at the same time, the Huo Dou attacking Qu Shunhua clearly became more agile, their cooperation more exquisite. One by one, they bit and tore at the Heavenly Maiden’s glorious light.

As Qu Shunhua, in this instance, manipulated the Heavenly Maiden to unleash a sword strike, killing and injuring a multitude, the next moment, densely packed Huo Dou pounced forward, biting relentlessly at the sword’s edge.

Sword energy roared out, decomposing them.

Immediately, new Huo Dou bit at the sword’s edge.

In less than five breaths, the resplendent, golden-lighted, sacred Heavenly Maiden was already being climbed and bitten by black-furred Huo Dou.

It was on the verge of following the same fate as the Mechanical Tight That Luo—after the Six Paths Golden Light Curse was bitten apart, the Mechanical Tight That Luo had already been completely torn to shreds by the Huo Dou pack.

Just at this critical moment, a flash of green clothes!

Jiang Wang stepped upon green clouds, five divine abilities shimmering around his body, walking leisurely through the dense Huo Dou pack.

That Huo Dou king beast was indeed cunning. Under the command of its emergency, it had also mingled its roar with the collective angry roars of the Huo Dou pack.

But under the immortal state of Dao comprehension through sound, myriad sounds converged and bowed!

Its sound was no exception.

Thus, clear and distinct, it pointed out the position of the Huo Dou king beast to Jiang Wang.

Therefore, Jiang Wang’s Celestial Mansion opened, he stepped upon the immortal technique of green clouds and arrived, one sword, Old General Late Sunset, slicing through life and death, going straight towards the ordinary-looking Huo Dou king beast amidst the pack.

This king beast, indistinguishable in appearance from other Huo Dou, before the tip of the sword neared, flashed out a claw with lightning speed, actually meeting Jiang Wang’s strike like an absolute world blade master!

It saw that it could no longer hide and thus no longer concealed itself. Its body shape violently increased, reaching about one *zhang* two in length, far exceeding the size of its kind. The tip of its tail flicked, dividing into three forks.

And at the same moment—

A flower of flame blossomed in the high sky.

As if describing a beginning.

Within the brilliant firelight, countless flame flowers drifted down.

Those flame flowers, filling the entire view, gathered in one place.

Piling high buildings, burning flying eaves, scorching corridor pillars, burning pedestrians…

Gathering everything.

Everything lifelike.

Everything majestic and boundless.

Everyone, all the Huo Dou, couldn’t help but look up.

Drawn by its beauty, drawn by its majesty.

That was a colossal, burning city, as if falling from the nine heavens, seemingly coming to destroy the world.

It was, Flame Flower Burn City!