Translator: AnubisTL
"Did it work?!" Li Qing couldn't help but ask aloud.
The Profound Yellow True Flame responded in a low voice, "It won't be that easy. Even the Heavenly Monarch only managed to activate this sealing formation after a fierce battle."
"Due to the urgency, the Heavenly Monarch didn't even have time to name it."
The Formless Saint Ancestor showed no trace of panic, merely observing the Crimson Radiance Hall, the Profound Yellow True Flame, and the Fire Spirit Pearl at the bottom of the magma with keen interest.
He allowed the crimson patterns to weave around him, locking his movements, without offering the slightest resistance.
"Ah, I see. These lingering dao patterns require this hall and two extreme fire elements to activate."
"A spirit fire that has developed spiritual intelligence barely qualifies, but the quality of that Fire Spirit Pearl below seems somewhat lacking."
"If the one who created this sealing formation were here to oversee it personally, and if the Fire Spirit Pearl's spirituality were complete, today might have been quite troublesome."
"But alas, as things stand, this sealing formation won't be able to contain me."
As his words faded, the Formless Saint Ancestor's body suddenly twisted violently.
From beneath his gray robes, streams of pitch-black primordial demonic qi erupted.
These primordial demonic qi effortlessly pierced through the sealing formation surrounding him, then spread out to completely envelop it.
Li Qing's pupils constricted sharply as he witnessed this.
It was the first time he had seen the Formless Saint Ancestor employ ancient demonic methods. Until now, the latter had relied solely on divine abilities and cultivation techniques stolen from Nascent Soul cultivators to fight him.
"Breaking this sealing formation won't be so easy!" the Profound Yellow True Flame declared, drawing upon Li Qing's mana.
Boom!
Tens of thousands of embers exploded across the sky, cascading down like a meteor shower of flames.
Li Qing didn't remain idle. Ignoring the drain on his mana, he focused on preventing the Formless Saint Ancestor's attack.
He formed a magical seal with his hands, and the two remaining spirit fires within his body erupted.
Boom! Boom!
The Netherworld Cold Fire and the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame!
Having been nourished by Li Qing's true essence for so long, these two heavenly spirit fires had grown far more formidable than before.
Three spiritual flames of distinct colors streaked across the sky, their terrifying power cascading down to completely vaporize the primordial demonic qi that had been surging upward.
The sealing formation remained intact, unbroken by the Formless Saint Ancestor. The two sides were locked in a bizarre tug-of-war, a stalemate that hung in the air.
But Li Qing felt a growing sense of unease. The sheer density of primordial demonic qi within the Formless Saint Ancestor far exceeded his expectations.
Throughout their confrontation, the Formless Saint Ancestor had never even deployed his own techniques, undoubtedly conserving a vast reservoir of primordial demonic qi within his body.
In contrast, Li Qing had endured countless trials, single-handedly battling his way across thousands of miles. No matter how abundant his mana might be, it had its limits.
With such immense expenditure, he stood no chance of outlasting the Formless Saint Ancestor in a battle of attrition.
"If only the Heavenly Monarch were still here..." The Profound Yellow True Flame recognized the critical situation, understanding that this stalemate could only be maintained for a short time.
Once Li Qing's magical power was exhausted, their doom would be sealed.
They needed a breakthrough, a way to break this stalemate!
Li Qing remained silent, his expression grave. His mind raced, desperately searching for a solution.
"If this stalemate continues, it's undoubtedly a dead end."
"What can I do? What options do I have left?"
A direct confrontation?
That would be suicide. Even great powers at the divine transformation stage, wielding spirit treasures, couldn't defeat the Formless Saint Ancestor's dao body. How could he possibly stand a chance?
"This is too difficult. Just a dao body at the nascent soul realm, yet it possesses such overwhelming combat power..." Li Qing couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
The Profound Yellow True Flame spoke up, "This is a forbidden existence standing at the pinnacle of the Great Dao. Without a true Immortal appearing, no one can claim absolute certainty of victory."
"Even if it's just a dao body, it's still the dao body of the Demon Realm Saint Ancestor."
Hearing these words, Li Qing's pressure doubled, his thoughts spiraling into chaos.
Defeating such an opponent at the same cultivation level seemed utterly impossible.
Time continued to trickle away. Li Qing's mana reserves dwindled steadily, approaching their limit.
Although a late-stage nascent soul cultivator's mana was as vast as the sea, it was by no means truly limitless.
Li Qing forced himself to remain calm, desperately searching for a countermeasure. His mind raced, sparks of inspiration igniting and fading in rapid succession.
From beginning to end, he meticulously reviewed every resource at his disposal, retaining only what might prove useful while discarding the rest.
As he systematically eliminated options, his mana reserves dwindled to near exhaustion. He would soon have to resort to the Blood-Burning Secret Art to extract true essence.
At that very moment, he had just dismissed the crescent-shaped Jade Pendant—the mysterious artifact used to open the Soul Nurturing Secret Realm—assuming it was useless.
But then, a spark of insight suddenly ignited in his mind.
"Move! We can't waste any more time here. This is a dead end!" Li Qing declared, rising abruptly to his feet.
He flipped his right hand, revealing a dark purple Thunderfire Core clutched between each finger.
"What's your plan?" the Profound Yellow True Flame inquired.
Li Qing didn't answer. Instead, he retrieved the Crimson Radiance Hall and then gathered the three heavenly spirit fires.
As for the Fire Spirit Pearl at the bottom of the magma sea, he temporarily dismissed it from his mind. After all, its spirituality had been severely damaged; losing it was no great loss.
His own life was the priority now!
Without the support of the Crimson Radiance Hall and the heavenly spirit fire, and with Li Qing's magical power cut off, the sealing formation within the magma world completely dimmed, losing its effectiveness.
The Formless Saint Ancestor's dao body effortlessly broke free.
"So, you're giving up? I can't decide whether to call you wise or just boring."
Li Qing didn't linger. He flicked the four Thunderfire Cores held between his fingers directly into the magma sea.
Before the explosions could erupt, he had already dashed through the stone gate, racing toward the surface.
The instant his figure vanished, terrifying energy waves detonated.
The four Thunderfire Cores, refined with Violet Void Divine Lightning, possessed absurdly destructive power.
When they exploded simultaneously, the entire magma sea boiled over!
Boom!
As the terrifying energy surged outward, the volcanic cluster above Fire Cliff Cave erupted in unison.
Blazing magma spewed from the craters, shooting skyward!
The entire sky was shrouded in thick, black smoke—a spectacle rarely witnessed even once in ten thousand years.
Li Qing had no time to appreciate the spectacle. He knew all too well how terrifying the Formless Saint Ancestor was. Four Thunderfire Cores detonating within the magma sea would never be enough to harm him.
This time, he flew toward the former location of the Heavenly River Sect.
There lay the entrance to the Soul Nurturing Secret Realm, the only glimmer of hope he could think of.
Meanwhile, the Formless Saint Ancestor, having directly weathered the cataclysmic explosion, dispelled the thunderfire swirling around him.
"Let's see how many more of those Immortal-Slaying Pearl-like trinkets you have," he mused, brushing off his sleeves. His gaze swept across the churning magma sea as he shook his head. "Being careless isn't a good habit."
As his words faded, the magma sea abruptly calmed.
The molten rock parted, revealing a crimson spirit pearl, its glow dimming, which floated into the Formless Saint Ancestor's hand.
"This brat certainly has quite the collection of treasures. In such a short time, he's already acquired two of this world's five elements spirit pearls," the Formless Saint Ancestor chuckled, twirling the pearls in his palm before tracking Li Qing's qi mechanism.
His patience remained unshaken. He didn't mind prolonging the game, eager to see how Li Qing would continue to struggle.
(End of the Chapter)
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