The space between the sky and ground was painted a fiery red!
The head which was the size of a washbowl was insufficient to swallow a person whole in one bite.
The Ning Jiao had bitten Wen Leyang. Its sharp and poisonous fangs had sliced open Wen Leyang’s scalp yet its large mouth had not clamped ferociously down as Wen Leyang had imagined. The Ning Jiao had only opened its mouth wide enough so that the fangs in its mouth would prick onto Wen Leyang’s body. The snake’s kiss which was supposed to tear and bite was instead like an undetonated bomb. It rippled with a boundless and tremendous force as it slammed heavily into Wen Leyang chest.
Wen Leyang swung his arms and legs as he hugged the Ning Jiao’s head and tumbled back. They were suddenly thrown dozens of meters away by a great force before finally falling heavily onto the ground. Everything in their path, including trees or rocks, had been pulverized by him and left a wide streak of mottled blood on the ground…
Wen Leyang bit the tip of his tongue firmly as he tried desperately to stop himself from passing out. The gigantic Ning Jiao’s head in his grasp felt heavy and lifeless. Its mouth was opened dully and it was only after a while that Wen Leyang realized with surprise that the only part left of the Ning Jiao was its head! Its dozens of meters long body lay far away and was thrashing about in agony with a spluttering sound. A gigantic, red-colored giant sword which was a few stories tall and wreathed in burning flames had stabbed diagonally into the ground between them!
The sword’s blade was engraved with four large words that were simple and plain – ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’!
The countless divine swords of the Kunlun Sect had flinched and dispersed off far away. The swords would occasionally make a low hum as if it was pleading in submission.
Wen Leyang almost could not believe the event which had taken place before his eyes. He was so stunned that when he tried to take out the medicinal powder to heal his injuries, he had taken out a stick of carrot instead…
The Little Supreme Leader Liu Zheng had fallen face-first onto the ground earlier. His face was almost squashed flat as he looked at the giant sword while sniggering foolishly. He could hardly conceal the excitement in his eyes.
The raging flames on the ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’ were swiftly extinguished. The red blade gradually dimmed and turned into the appearance that Wen Leyang had once encountered in the Gold-Consuming Lair. The blade stood straight yet was accompanied by a feeling of slight desolation and unwillingness, totally unlike its earlier arrogance and high-spirit.
Wen Leyang exerted a strength born out of desperation before he could manage to push away the huge snake head in his grasp. He then poured medicinal powder on his belly inattentively as he staggered towards the giant sword and Liu Zheng.
Even though he had not managed to witness the event, he could understand that the sudden ascension of the Molten Metal Fire Bell sword had decapitated the Ning Jiao’s neck which was made out of bronze skin and iron bones that even the Kunlun Sect’s thousand sword formation could not. It had saved Wen Leyang’s life in the nick of time.
Liu Zheng’s face had turned a sickly grey color but as he saw Wen Leyang coming towards him, he could not help but be exultant, “My divine method is successful, my divine method is successful!”
Wen Leyang thought that Liu Zheng had gone insane. He hastily mixed some calming and refreshing medicinal powder which he then flicked into Liu Zheng’s nostrils.
Liu Zheng was shocked, “What are you doing?”
Wen Leyang coughed but it did not mask the maniacal smile on his face, “Your divine method is successful?”
Liu Zheng immediately nodded joyously. He pointed at the ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’ behind him and said, “This divine sword had responded to my sword-control incantation! It had flown here right after the Kunlun Sect’s thousand swords and chopped off the Ning Jiao’s head…”
Wen Leyang figured out that Liu Zheng was under the assumption that he had summoned the Molten Metal Fire Bell. Wen Leyang then burst out laughing as he told Liu Zheng that this sword was not at all buried on the Kunlun Mountains. Instead, it was still hidden in the Gold-Consuming Lair.
Liu Zheng was still hanging on to his last strand of hope as he played the fool, “So, I was able to summon a divine sword from the Qilian Mountains?”
Wen Leyang gave him an evil stare and his reply was uncourteous this time, “Do you think that it’s fun to amuse yourself?”
Liu Zheng’s face was filled with a grimace, “So where had this sword come from? Did you summon it?” He understood as well that if this sword had been truly summoned by him, it must be a haunted blade but it would not be haunted by any ordinary ghost.
Wen Leyang shook his head but before he could speak, the Molten Metal Fire Bell suddenly started to vibrate in short bursts. The sound was as soft as a firefly’s vibrating wing and was imbued with a sense of heartfelt joy and freedom!
A large swarm of Kunlun divine swords immediately flew high up into the sky with a whooshing sound. It almost seemed as if the divine swords regarded the giant fire-colored sword before them as a mighty lord with unsurpassed battle achievements who was deeply admired yet sincerely feared by them.
Both Liu Zheng and Wen Leyang were simultaneously startled. They staggered about as they attempted to retreat but they soon realized that ‘You’ve Got Me’ was curling its body and joyously crawling onto the giant sword. The giant sword continued to vibrate softly as if everything it had done had been for the sake of this bug.
‘You’ve Got Me’ crawled with a rather swift motion but in a zig-zag manner. Occasionally, it would spin around, confused and disoriented. It crawled for a long while before finally crawling onto the sword’s handle. It then raised its plump body high and chirped at Wen Leyang desperately, almost like it was calling for Wen Leyang to look over quickly.
After it managed to attract the spectator’s attention, its body then shivered once vigorously. ‘You’ve Got Me’ started to tremble rapidly, almost as if it was being electrocuted. The speed of its movements could triumph over the best belly dancer in the desert but its motions appeared clumsy and amusing.
Just as ‘You’ve Got Me’ was showing its belly dance to Wen Leyang, the Molten Metal Fire Bell hastily made a crisp and pleased cry all of a sudden. The gigantic sword’s blade followed ‘You’ve Got Me’ as they both started trembling rapidly. The bug and the sword were dancing together in unison!
The Kunlun divine swords which were floating silently in the sky suddenly fled like a flock of foolish quails who had just noticed an approaching falcon. They started to fly and scurry about in a messy array as they repeatedly gave out sorrowful wails which sounded like they were begging for mercy!
The sword which was named the Molten Metal Fire Bell stands tall in the world. As its one cry echoed between the mountains and the rivers, the Kunlun Sect’s thousand swords dared not compete against its prestige!
As for the bug which was named ‘You’ve Got Me’… it was just a plump bug which had belly-danced in drunkenness…
Wen Leyang and the Little Supreme Leader Liu Zheng were staring straight at the bug until it lost itself to the power of alcohol. It then tumbled down from the sword’s hilt head first and lay on the ground, sound asleep. With an intense long howl, the giant sword also stopped its trembling!
At this moment, none of them had noticed that at an extremely far distance where the sky and the land converged, a fiery red-colored fissure was secretly crawling onto the arched roof of the empty sky!
Wen Leyang and the Little Supreme Leader Liu Zheng turned around rigidly. They looked at each other before Liu Zheng stuttered as he pointed at the bug, “The sword… had been summoned by it?”
Wen Leyang wanted to nod but he was feeling baffled as well. He cocked his head to one side and swayed twice, “In… in the Gold-Consuming Lair, ‘You’ve Got Me’ and the Molten Metal Fire Bell had been like… close friends.”
In the Gold-Consuming Lair, ‘You’ve Got Me’ had not followed Wen Leyang when he entered the stone forest. After Zhui Zi had fled and Wen Leyang had emerged from the stone forest, ‘You’ve Got Me’ had already started rubbing against the giant sword intimately. It was such an intimate and affectionate action that it was hard to watch. As Wen Leyang and the rest were leaving, ‘You’ve Got Me’ would turn around every other step while the Molten Metal Fire too was crying out in long bursts of sound…
The Little Supreme Leader Liu Zheng coughed before he abruptly straightened his body. He stared deeply at Wen Leyang and his tone of speaking was solemn as he diverted the topic of conversation, “I had used my talismans to guide my full power earlier. Even the vitality power which defends me and condenses my primordial spirit was completely used up by me. I’ve become a good-for-nothing person from this day onward. I’ll have to wait until my esteemed teacher has recovered. He then has to use his great supernatural power to help me rebuild my foundation before I can engage in cultivation all over again!” As he said that, he stopped for a moment before he suddenly shouted, “The descendants of Tuo Xie are known for clearly distinguishing kindness and hatred, I have something to ask of you!”
Wen Leyang had rarely seen Liu Zheng being so decent so he hastily shook the fear in his mind off and nodded at Liu Zheng earnestly. He blurted out two words in a resolute and decisive manner, “Ask away!”
Liu Zheng inhaled a deep breath and looked as if he was very determined before he suddenly returned to his prior mischievous expression, “Is it okay for you to gift me the bug? After all, I’d saved you and all I ask for is the bug. I will still save you the next time…”
Wen Leyang did not speak. He immediately scurried in front of the Molten Metal Fire Bell and picked ‘You’ve Got Me’ up before stuffing it back into his chest pocket. He laughed loudly, “I’ll save you the next time then, don’t you dare to imagine that this bug could be yours. Do you even know what it likes to eat and you’re already wanting to keep it as a pet?”
Liu Zheng still refused to give up as he opened his mouth in preparation to speak. Suddenly, the Kunlun divine swords which had been patrolling constantly in the sky made a sharp warning howl!
Liu Zheng’s expression changed, he no longer cared about the Molten Metal Fire Bell as he roared loudly at Wen Leyang, “The Yin soldiers are here!”
Above the horizon, gusts of ghastly pale winds were blowing!
The mountains and rivers behind Wen Leyang were lush and verdant while others were ferocious and malevolent. Regardless of the pattern, everything was filled with the vibrant color of life. However, the sky and land before their eyes had turned into a boundlessly ashen scenery. There was not a bit of color nor a strand of vitality! Where the Yin Army had passed, there was only deathly stillness and lifelessness, turning everything into a suffocating white color.
Liu Zheng was thinking of something to say when he suddenly could not even inhale a breath. His eyeballs rolled back as he fell down stiffly. Wen Leyang hastily stretched out his hand to hold him but he had not forgotten that he was also severely injured and exhausted. The Poison of Life and Death in his body was a chaotic mess right now and the both of them hugged into a ball as they fell heavily onto the ground together.
Based on Liu Zheng’s cultivation base and supernatural power, a situation where he suddenly could not even manage to inhale a breath before he was knocked unconscious was a very rare one! However, he had somehow managed to get knocked out at this critical moment, it was a total knock out.
‘You’ve Got Me’ was sleeping even more soundly than ever. Wen Leyang almost wanted to bite it but regardless of how he tried to wake it, it still would not wake up. If he had hoped that it would summon the Molten Metal Fire Bell again to resist the Yin army’s soldiers, he would probably have to wait until the next morning for that to happen.
Not long after, the Yin Army charged into Wen Leyang’s telegnosis ability in a flash! Their giant banner blotted out the sky and covered the sun as thousands of war horses neighed accompanied by loud beats from the war drums. They were densely-arranged and packed against one another. The endless army stretched out to the horizon and charged forward as if completely unaffected by lethargy. Every place on the ground was entirely conquered by a mighty and formidable torrent summoned from the Netherworld. This torrent continuously annihilated all the places within the painting witchcraft’s landscape! Consecutive Art of Witchcraft’s prohibition spells was triggered by the invasion. It destroyed thousands of soldiers from the Yin Army each time but the effect was like scooping water with a fork. It offered no resistance to the Yin Army; it was incapable of delaying the enemy even for a moment!
A familiar roar echoed from between the mountain range behind them, “The Yin Army’s formation is too imposing. Every one, flee to the North! Painting Town’s witchcraft spell will fight this group of wretched souls to the death on Python Mountain!”
There was long mountain range which resembled a giant python that was extending its body and raising its hissing head from afar.
Leyang Tian knows that his witchcraft spell alone was incapable of stopping the Yin Army. He was preparing to shrink the power of his witchcraft spell and make a final attempt to stop the enemy at Python Mountain.
As Wen Leyang heard Leyang Tian’s instructions, the smile on his face slowly turned hideous. He was severely injured and the Poison of Life and Death in his body was scattered about in a mess. There was no way for the poison to converge and condense which means that he would not be able to carry Liu Zheng on his back to flee like he had done earlier.
He did not even have the strength to crawl into a grave right now, let alone Python Mountain which at the edge of his vision. Wen Leyang risked his life and dragged Liu Zheng to his side. The dark, brass-colored Poison Stream was scattered around in front of him but it no longer circulated in a focused manner. The poison lay in two puddles, one to the East and one to the West of him. Wen Leyang then released the two Mo Ya copper ants strenuously. They had recovered well so they should be able to disperse a lot of Metal Poison Stream now. The two ants jumped out and looked into the distance where the Yin Army was converging on them like a swarm of bees. The antennae on their heads immediately pricked up in fear. Each ant then whistled once before burrowing back into Wen Leyang’s bag insistently, they were totally uncourteous.
The Yin Army was drawing closer and closer. Wen Leyang could already sense the gloomy deathly intent that was brewing and rippling in the air. He was afraid that in less than a few minutes, he would be swallowed whole by the soldiers of the Yin Army.
The Molten Metal Fire Bell too seemed to have fallen into a deep and sound sleep along with ‘You’ve Got Me’. Its gigantic blade did not budge at all while on the contrary, the Kunlun divine swords in the sky were shaking in a more and more distressed manner. Wen Leyang was not skilled in using the sword-control gesture so he could not conduct the swords. Still, he could not help but look up at the long swords and yelled, “Protect the master… Taoism… Taoism code?”
After he had finished speaking, the swooshing sound of sonic boom erupted with a bang. The thousands of divine swords from Kunlun Sect hummed in unison before turning around and clearing out completely!