Roar! A dragon’s roar shook the heavens.

At some point, the Jiao King had revealed his true form, manifesting the body of a mighty Jiao. The chains within the true devilish qi were tightly embedded in its body.

It had been a long time since the Jiao King was in such a miserable state. His body, famed for its overwhelming strength, was wounded so easily by Devil Qingzhu. Those chains were sharper than any sword. Dragon scales shattered and blood streamed down.

Boom! Golden light burst from the Jiao King’s entire body, his scales gleaming brilliantly as he resisted the surge of true devilish qi.

Some of the chains were blasted apart or sliced through by the golden radiance, but countless others swarmed forward like a plague that clung to bone, plunging into his flesh again.

The true devilish qi invaded, slicing through dragon scales. The Jiao King let out a low, agonized groan.

He was filled with humiliation. If Devil Qingzhu had not been so fast, he would never have been forced into such a desperate corner. Within a blink, he was driven to the brink of death. Furious, he launched a frenzied counterattack, manifesting the phantom of a golden dragon.

This was the Jiao Clan’s ancestral bloodline secret art, something Lingzhuzi and the others had witnessed before. But when the golden dragon phantom appeared, Devil Qingzhu’s blood-colored pupils remained utterly calm. His gaze was cold as frost. He clenched his five fingers.

Knowing he was no match, the Jiao King struggled with all his might while clutching the Heavenly Phoenix Feather in one dragon claw, desperately activating the treasure.

The blood-red crystalline wall was about to be pierced by flames.

Yet Devil Qingzhu was too fast. Before the golden dragon phantom could even fully form, it was shredded by the true devilish qi, shattered on the spot, fragmented to pieces.

Clack! Clack! The chains coiled tighter and tighter around the Jiao King. He twisted grotesquely, bones shifting out of place. His true essence stagnated, and the Heavenly Phoenix Feather dimmed.

The true devilish qi and chains surged like specters toward the claw gripping the Heavenly Phoenix Feather.

Devil Qingzhu had seen through his intention. He wanted the feather too.

Boom! A deafening explosion resounded. The dragon claw split open, flesh tearing, bones dislocating under an unnatural twist.

The Jiao King could no longer hold the treasure. The flames died out, and the Heavenly Phoenix Feather slipped free of its grasp.

In that instant, all eyes turned toward the feather. It became the focus of the entire battlefield.

The grand witch priest, Old Devil Fang, Devil Lord, and Lingzhuzi, four top-tier experts whose strength rivaled the Jiao King, rushed toward it at once.

With a graceful wave, Lingzhuzi’s fly-whisk transformed into a sky full of starlight, sealing off the surrounding space. It flowed like a galaxy, carrying a vast aura of a strong Dao Technique.

The Devil Lord’s true body merged into the Divine Lunar Ghostlight, surging like the waters of the Yellow Springs. From the left and right, he and Lingzhuzi simultaneously reached for the Heavenly Phoenix Feather.

From the grand witch priest’s body came peals of thunder. Her evasion light moved like lightning, faintly accompanied by the phantom of an azure silkworm that followed her closely, dyeing the lightning azure.

That azure silkworm was her life-bound insect gu, a kind of spiritual silkworm. Though not the legendary ancient divine silkworm of the Witch Race, it ranked among the top ten of the Witch Insect Register. It was called the Spring Lightning Silkworm.

The silkworm chirped softly. Bolts of lightning burst forth like threads spat from its mouth, their might equal to that of the Devil Lord and Lingzhuzi.

The least conspicuous of all was Old Devil Fang. He revealed no treasure, he merely transformed into a streak of yellow light as he lunged toward the Heavenly Phoenix Feather, yet his speed surpassed even the grand witch priest’s by a fraction.

The moment they all moved, their auras erupted like lightning, filling the entire space with radiant lights of every color.

Qin Sang and the two young cultivators huddled in a corner, trembling uncontrollably.

Both he and Bai remained silent, completely at a loss. The strength displayed by Devil Qingzhu and the ancient devil’s split soul was terrifying beyond words. Even if Devil Lord and the others joined forces wholeheartedly, it was uncertain whether they could win.

The sudden appearance of the Heavenly Phoenix Feather was uncertain in fortune or calamity. It had clearly sparked new ambitions in the hearts of all present.

Qin Sang’s face was tense as he watched the clash at the center of the field. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the high platform.

There, the blood coffin and sword qi were still colliding, indistinguishable from each other. The residual shockwaves formed a violent storm that none dared approach.

While observing the situation through the Sky Eyes, Qin Sang sent his spiritual consciousness into the Thousand-Jin Ring. He retrieved the ghostly seal Su Nu had given him, hoping to find something, anything, that might save his life.

The Jade Liquid of Three Radiances could heal wounds, but here, where a single mistake meant utter annihilation; it would hardly help.

Qin Sang noticed the lotus seed he had obtained from Old Devil Mou. It was translucent, as though carved from pure crystal. After Old Devil Mou’s death, only this object had remained.

Qin Sang recalled that it had been hidden within the Dongming Cold Flame. Whatever it was, it had to be extraordinary, for even while gravely wounded, Old Devil Mou had refused to abandon it.

After obtaining the lotus seed, Qin Sang had intended to examine it carefully, but the Nine Phoenix King’s sudden attack had interrupted him.

"I remember there was a secret technique within it..."

Before the Nine Phoenix King’s pursuit, he had only managed a brief glance.

"It’s called Fire Seed Golden Lotus. It seems to be an exceptional fire-controlling secret technique that can subdue unowned spiritual flames, refine a fire seed within the upper dantian, and temper the primordial spirit. Cultivating this art greatly enhances spiritual consciousness. No wonder Old Devil Mou’s spiritual consciousness surpassed others of his level and could escape death so many times. This lotus seed is like the bone flute, serving as the vessel of the secret technique. It can also assist in cultivating it, increasing the chance of success. There’s still a mark left by Old Devil Mou inside, but since he’s already dead, refining it shouldn't be hard as long as there's enough time....

"As for the ghostly seal..."

***

The Heavenly Phoenix Feather fell. The Jiao King almost exploded in rage. Yet the power that Devil Qingzhu displayed filled him with utter despair.

The Devil Lord and the others had already rushed forward, their gazes locking simultaneously onto the Heavenly Phoenix Feather. However, a streak of azure light reached it even before them.

The Devil-Suppressing Stele, having just saved the Black Tortoise Nine-Life Black Tortoise, did not pause for a moment before racing to seize the Heavenly Phoenix Feather.

But someone was faster still.

Whoosh! The true devilish qi surged and swept up the Heavenly Phoenix Feather.

While suppressing the Jiao King’s desperate resistance, a trace of mockery flickered in Devil Qingzhu’s blood-red eyes. He intended to capture the Heavenly Phoenix Feather and completely destroy everyone’s final hope.

Hum! Fairy Nangui and the elder unleashed the full power of the Devil-Suppressing Stele. The true devilish qi boiled violently, sizzling and hissing.

The Devil-Suppressing Stele was a treasure specifically designed to restrain the ancient devil. Its azure light tore through the devilish qi like a blade through rotten wood and transformed into a sharp edge that slashed toward Devil Qingzhu.

Yet there was not the slightest fear on Devil Qingzhu’s face. With a sweep of his arm, countless waves of true devilish qi rolled forth, layering upon each other like curtains, endlessly colliding against the azure light to wear it down.

Even the Devil-Suppressing Stele could not force Devil Qingzhu back. The Heavenly Phoenix Feather was about to fall into his grasp.

Suddenly, his blood-colored pupils flickered violently. He shouted in shock and fury, "You dare!"

The aura around Devil Qingzhu’s body trembled. The true devilish qi suddenly became unstable.

Inside him, the true soul of Qingzhu had not been completely devoured. It had merged with the sword soul and fused into the fragment of the spiritual sword. Sheltered by this treasure, it was still holding on with difficulty and, at this critical moment, poured all its strength into disturbing Devil Qingzhu’s control.

Now’s our chance! Everyone was shouting in their hearts, eyes flashing with joy and disbelief.

They could not comprehend how Qingzhu had managed such resistance against such overwhelming power, but none of them would miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Boom! The Devil-Suppressing Stele burst through the devilish qi.

The Nine-Life Black Tortoise leapt ahead of everyone else, snatching the Heavenly Phoenix Feather into its grasp, then retreated swiftly under Fairy Nangui’s protection.

The difference in strength was far too great. Qingzhu’s resistance was crushed in an instant by the devilish soul.

The Jiao King also tried to seize the moment to escape, roaring madly as he struggled and snapped one chain after another.