CHAPTER 174: CHAPTER 172: TURNING POINT_1

The Sea Clan soldiers turned, exerting their full strength as they flew toward the shoreline. The intense heat flowing from the Void caused them immense suffering, their skin stinging painfully.

"Burning Sky Fire!"

As a battlefield veteran, Bai Qi naturally wouldn’t let the Sea Clan soldiers escape. He manipulated the Vermilion Bird Army’s soul, releasing countless fireballs and sealing off all escape routes through the Void. The Sea Clan soldiers at the forefront were instantly incinerated by the flames descending from the sky, turning into Voidness, not even ashes remaining.

The Sea Clan soldiers further back witnessed this and dared not advance. They broke away in other directions, transforming into streaks of light and moving with extreme speed.

They were fast, but Bai Qi was faster!

The Vermilion Bird Army’s soul moved as if sentient, weaving through the Void, cutting off all the Sea Clan soldiers’ retreat paths.

"Damn it!"

The Sea Emperor’s dark blue face turned somewhat blacker. He scanned his surroundings; a sea of fire was everywhere. The air was thick with a nauseating burnt smell.

"Sea God’s Power, Flood the World!"

He raised the golden trident above his head, his hands a blur of motion. A colossal, indistinct phantom appeared behind him, wearing an imperial crown and a blue royal robe, emanating a terrifying aura. Behind this phantom lay a boundless ocean, stretching beyond sight, churning endlessly within the Void.

Under the extreme heat of the Vermilion Bird’s fire, the seawater continuously evaporated, turning into mist that gathered into massive clouds. This resulted in a torrential downpour, creating a miraculous scene of water and fire coexisting. Anywhere else, this beautiful scene would attract countless people’s attention. But now, it was a scene of death!

"My Vermilion Bird’s fire is no ordinary mortal fire!"

A look of disdain crossed Bai Qi’s cold face. With a wave of his hands, the Vermilion Bird Army’s soul unleashed even more terrifying flames, now a blood-red color.

Seawater evaporated! The Sea God’s phantasmal form behind the Sea Emperor dimmed and lost its radiance, unable to withstand the Vermilion Bird’s fire.

Why was the Four Divine Beasts Army Formation so terrifying?

Mainly because summoning the army souls of the Four Divine Beasts could simulate their attacks. Upon reaching full cultivation, one could even summon soul projections of the Four Divine Beasts from the endless sea of time and space. The Vermilion Bird’s fire was one of the most potent flames in existence; evaporating ordinary seawater was as easy as lifting a finger. Only Divine Weak Water could match the Vermilion Bird’s fire, a power the formation itself could not replicate.

"Such a strong flame!"

The Sea Emperor’s brow furrowed deeply as he began to contemplate a strategy to repel the enemy. Bai Qi may not be as strong as Zhao Yun, but he’s far more troublesome. If this continues, the army will be in grave danger. Right now, the army’s safety primarily depended on him unleashing his Sea God Aspect and summoning seawater. If all the seawater evaporated, everything would end.

"Vermilion Bird’s Fire, Sword of Fire!"

Bai Qi stood amidst the sea of fire, his eyes glinting fiercely. The war sword in his hand transformed into a sword of fire, slashing down at the Sea Emperor.

"Not good!"

The Sea Emperor’s pupils contracted sharply. He gripped his golden trident and thrust it forward, creating a blue-gold water dragon, shimmering and thousands of zhang long, looking mighty and impressive.

RUMBLE!

The tremendous sound reverberated between heaven and earth.

The water dragon, magnificent with Shenwu, was split in two by the Sword Qi and dissolved into countless droplets.

PFF!

The Sea Emperor coughed up a mouthful of blood, his moist blue skin beginning to dry out.

The seawater was rapidly evaporating! The protected Sea Clan soldiers were exposed, screaming miserably as they spontaneously combusted, turning into human fireballs.

***

"Die!"

High above Blue Sea City, Yue Fei’s spear moved with grand, sweeping motions, unleashing blasts of spear energy that struck like a torrential storm, dazzling all who watched.

Wanli Hai fought while anxiously watching the battlefield. A large number of Qunxian Sect disciples were being slaughtered by the Bei Wei Army, blood flowing in rivers. This caused him great distress! These disciples were the elite of the Qunxian Sect; if too many were sacrificed, the Sect would face a critical gap in up-and-coming talent.

AAAH!

The dying screams of the Qunxian Sect disciples sounded like demonic incantations in Wanli Hai’s ears, causing his movements to slow by a fraction.

"You dare to be distracted while battling me?" In a daze, Wanli Hai heard Yue Fei’s voice again.

The next instant, he felt a searing pain in his shoulder blade. A long spear had pierced his body, its terrifying spear aura rampaging within him, tearing at his internal organs.

"Immortal Sword Style!"

Wanli Hai endured the pain, waving his war sword to shake off the long spear. The action tore off a large chunk of his flesh, revealing the stark white bone. Blood flowed like a waterfall, dyeing his robe red. "Retreat!"

Without hesitation, Wanli Hai ordered a retreat. Injured, he was even less of a match for Yue Fei. Staying any longer would likely mean the annihilation of his entire army.

The Qunxian Sect disciples began to withdraw, but they couldn’t shake off the Bei Wei Army, and their death toll continued to rise.

"Qunxian Myriad Swords!"

Wanli Hai gritted his teeth, dragging his injured body toward Blue Sea City. Countless streams of Sword Qi floated around him; if they fell, the entire city would be destroyed. He was gambling that Yue Fei would save the Blue Sea Tribe.

"Defend the city!" Yue Fei’s brow furrowed slightly, and he decisively ordered. Between annihilating the Qunxian Sect disciples and protecting the people of Blue Sea City, he unhesitatingly chose the people. As a soldier, his duty was to protect his country and its citizens.

"Go!" Wanli Hai shouted. Countless streams of Sword Qi flew towards the city as he turned and fled.

In an instant, the entirety of Blue Sea City was covered in Sword Qi. The clear, ringing hum of the swords filled the air, striking terror into the hearts of the city’s inhabitants.

BOOM! At the critical moment, Yue Fei led the Bei Wei Army, appearing in mid-air above the city. They blocked the overwhelming Sword Qi, successfully saving all the city’s people.

When the aftershocks dissipated, Yue Fei looked around and saw that the Qunxian Sect’s main army had already fled far away. He didn’t order a pursuit; he understood the principle of not chasing a desperate enemy.

In this battle, killing sixty thousand enemy soldiers was enough!

Outside the city, the corpses of sixty thousand Qunxian Sect disciples lay silently on the ground.

***

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

Within the world of fire, the Sea Emperor’s eyes were nearly splitting from their sockets. He frantically channeled all his Spiritual Energy to resist the terrifying Vermilion Bird’s fire, urging his army to retreat without a backward glance.

"Charge!"

"Charge out of this sea of fire, and we can survive!"

The Sea Clan soldiers knew that staying meant certain death. They overcame their fear and charged towards the edge of the inferno.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...

The first wave of Sea Clan soldiers was entirely consumed by flames. Without pause, the second wave rushed forward, trampling over the burning bodies of their kinsmen, racing towards the hope of survival.

After sacrificing over a hundred thousand lives, some Sea Clan soldiers finally broke free from the sea of fire.

About an hour later, the Sea Emperor could hold on no longer. He withdrew his Spiritual Energy, tore open the Void, and fled into the distance.

Bai Qi didn’t try to stop him. A Saint King-level powerhouse intent on escaping was not someone his current strength could prevent.

"The Sea Clan should be feeling the pain now!"

He looked at the charred bodies littering the ground, a faint smile touching his lips, then flew towards the city.

Both cities were completely secure!