Chapter 318: Battling The Domain Lord
Qi Ke Qing’s contact time with Ning Qi was too short, so her understanding of Ning Qi was not comprehensive.
But she could indirectly understand this Xuanzhen Domain Alliance Leader through the attitudes of the people around Ning Qi toward him.
Xuanzhen Domain had nearly thirty ordinary Upper Sects, and even more Minor Sects.
They unanimously pushed Ning Qi to be the Alliance Leader, which inevitably proved one thing: Ning Qi was absolutely more extraordinary than Qi Ke Qing had imagined.
She had carefully observed the Xuanzhen Domain Army; whenever anyone looked at Ning Qi, their eyes were full of deep reverence.
That reverence was completely from the heart, and Qi Ke Qing had seen the same look in the Fuyao Domain Army she led.
However, she could not achieve the same as Ning Qi.
In the Fuyao Domain Army, if one-third of the people could show her such heartfelt reverence, Qi Ke Qing would secretly rejoice.
What’s more, there were people like Si Kong Lan who chose to betray her at critical moments.
Therefore, during the telepathic communication with Elder Li, Qi Ke Qing firmly opposed his idea of exposing the Xuanzhen Domain Army.
She believed that a person like Ning Qi would never watch them fight alone on the side.
Sure enough, Ning Qi acted even earlier than Qi Ke Qing had thought.
At present, the Xuanzhen Domain Army on Ning Qi’s side had almost completely wiped out the Sea of Realms Fierce Beasts and Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect cultivators at the center node.
Its momentum was astonishing, causing even those currently battling to involuntarily stop and look toward Ning Qi.
Qi Ke Qing saw Ning Qi extend a massive five-colored giant hand, like the hand of a god, scooping into the sea of spells released by the Xuanzhen Domain Army.
That giant hand was indestructible, like a huge spoon, continuously scooping in the sea of spells.
In a short while, the giant hand glowing with five-colored light was withdrawn from the sea.
Ning Qi spread open the giant hand, revealing five Sea of Realms Fierce Beast Demon Kings of different appearances inside!
Those five Fierce Beast Demon Kings had been locked in fierce battle with the Venerables of Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect for a long time, and then suffered successive attacks from Ning Qi and others. At this moment, their auras were on the verge of collapse.
Fortunately, Ning Qi had scooped them up fast enough; they still had one last breath left.
They drooped their eyelids, looking at Ning Qi with a hint of gratitude in their eyes.
……
On the five-colored giant hand holding them, suddenly the five colors shone brightly, and in the blink of an eye, five small Five Elements Divine Chains condensed.
Before the five Demon Kings could even react, the five small Divine Chains were looped around their necks.
Ning Qi’s five-colored giant hand dissipated, leaving only the Five Elements Divine Chains in the void, binding the five Fierce Beast Demon Kings.
“You have only one chance to choose: submit or die!”
The cold words stabbed like knives toward the hearts of the five Demon Kings.
Tiger Leopard Wolf Lion Eagle, though their bodies were as huge as small mountains, at this moment they were like puppies, hanging in the void, unable to control their own life or death.
The Eagle Demon King had a pair of golden feathers on its forehead, which from afar looked like a pair of eyebrows.
It did not speak, merely turning its head to look at the other demons.
The Tiger Demon King had long fur, black and white interspersed, smooth and glossy; its back had two wings that flapped desperately, to no avail.
The Leopard King was entirely pitch black, with faint smoke emanating, as if it could fully merge into the void and darkness.
Its pair of gem-like leopard eyes flashed with golden light; its two huge claws scratched at Ning Qi’s Five Elements Divine Chain, only to be struck by a Divine Thunder, causing it to howl in pain.
The Lion King, even while hanging, exuded an imposing aura like a mountain, staring fixedly at Ning Qi without a word.
The final White Moon Wolf King had snow-white fur faintly shimmering with blue light, fangs sharp and menacing, occasionally opening its mouth as if to howl.
The five Demon Kings were trapped by the Five Elements Divine Chains, yet they completely ignored Ning Qi’s threat.
As Demon Kings, their freedom and dignity were priceless!
Ning Qi was unconcerned with their reaction, merely slightly crooking his finger.
In an instant, the Five Elements Divine Chains around the five Demon Kings’ necks contracted sharply, while simultaneously releasing arcs of Five Elements Divine Thunder, electrocuting them until their fur stood on end.
Even though the five Demon Kings still refused to submit, their bodies’ reactions made them howl miserably, but the Five Elements Divine Chains around their necks restricted their howls, making them faint and extremely muffled.
Ning Qi slightly turned his wrist, and immediately, the five Demon Kings’ heads turned as well, ultimately facing him.
“Still unwilling to submit?”
For these five Demon Kings who would rather die than yield, Ning Qi truly felt it would be a pity to kill them.
But he was not without methods.
Under his control, as the five Demon Kings were forced to look at him, Ning Qi’s eyes blinked instantly—Primordial Spirit Possession Technique!
His Primordial Spirit Power split into five strands, instantly shooting toward the foreheads of the five demons.
The five demons immediately froze, and all defiance in their eyes gradually faded.
They only felt as if a giant who opened the heavens and earth had appeared in their Primordial Spirits, instantly capturing them.
In that moment, they forgot who they were, forgot everything, wandering between life and death, souls extinguished, left only with endless darkness and loneliness.
Then, the darkness finally vanished, and they saw a beam of light again; in the light, each Great Demon regained its memory.
Ning Qi had already released the Five Elements Divine Chains from the five demons’ necks.
The five Demon Kings knelt one by one before him, all shouting: “Master!”
The Black Flood Dragon and Queen Bee Demon whom Ning Qi had previously subdued saw this scene, their hearts thundering like explosions.
Fortunately, they had chosen to submit to Ning Qi back then; otherwise, Ning Qi would probably have used this move against them too.
One wondered if these five Demon Kings were still the same Demon Kings as before?
As for the Xuanzhen Domain congregation, they were even more sincerely convinced.
From taking down the Sea of Realms Fierce Beasts and Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people to Ning Qi completely subduing the five Demon Kings, it sounded like it took a long time, but in fact, it was only a few breaths.
Ning Qi turned to Sword Ancestor and the Xuanzhen Domain congregation, saying: “You have no business here anymore; go help the Fuyao Domain people first.”
The congregation immediately responded: “Yes!”
They, who had already set up the attack Great Formation, uniformly turned direction and charged toward the remaining Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect cultivators.
“Kill!”
A single unified shout seemed to possess the power to overturn heaven and earth.
It spread far and wide, like heavenly drums beating, immediately causing the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect cultivators who were watching dumbfounded to change expressions in unison.
“Kill!”
Another stern killing sound rang out from beside them.
The Fuyao Domain Army led by Qi Ke Qing also shouted in unison, their wilted morale instantly surging!
It had to be said that they had previously treated the Xuanzhen Domain Army as opponents, comparing back and forth, naturally feeling dissatisfied.
But with the change in status, the other side instantly turned from opponents into allies supporting them, and the Fuyao Domain Army’s hearts were immediately tinged with the color of hope.
Everyone saw the chance of victory; with such helpers, they were naturally overjoyed.
As for the remaining Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect cultivators, they had previously held the upper hand against Qi Ke Qing and the others.
However, at this moment, seeing the two armies clamping down from front and back—especially the Xuanzhen Domain Army that had just wiped out the other half of them—they were utterly terrified.
For a moment, they felt there was no way to heaven or earth, unable to escape the word “death” no matter what.
They still maintained the Vermilion Bird formation; the massive Vermilion Bird divine form had a somewhat dimmed fiery glow emanating from its body.
Those forming the Vermilion Bird’s head were the strongest among them, and the one floating at the very peak was the leader of this army!
Seeing the situation was dire, he knew he must reassure the congregation.
Thus, he instantly telepathically communicated to everyone: “Everyone, don’t panic. I have crushed the token, summoning the Domain Lord to return.”
“Yes, we still have the invincible Domain Lord; everyone, calm down!” Someone below cooperated with his words.
“Domain Lord?”
At the mention of the Domain Lord, all Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect cultivators’ panicked minds instantly steadied, like a divine needle calming all raging giant waves.
A figure emerged in their hearts: the trump card cultivator from their Haoran Realm Spirit Bird Domain entering the War Domain this time.
“As long as we hold on a bit longer, the Domain Lord will rush back and save us!”
With those words, all Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect cultivators regained the belief to support their continued fighting.
The somewhat dimmed Vermilion Bird divine form instantly brightened, like dead wood meeting spring, coming alive a second time.
Qi Ke Qing and the others were closest to them, and the two sides clashed once more.
The Xuanzhen Domain Army also quickly arrived, releasing a round of attacks from afar, slashing toward the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect congregation.
This was the first cooperation between the two domain armies of Mountain Sea Realm; though unpolished, the effect was quite good.
The massive Vermilion Bird formed by the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect congregation shrank a full circle in the blink of an eye.
The cultivators forming its outer divine feathers fell from the void one after another like dumplings, perishing in flames.
The three sides continued battling; a few more rounds of attacks, and the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people would be annihilated.
This was still with the Xuanzhen Domain Army holding back some of their strength, mainly to avoid accidentally injuring the Fuyao Domain Army.
Thus, their attacks were no longer as sharp as when they took down the other half of Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect cultivators earlier.
That had been a surprise attack, calculated against the unprepared.
……
Ning Qi did not follow the army to join the fray.
He looked at the five Great Demon Kings before him, seeing their extreme weakness, and directly took out a small Rule Fragment, crushed it, while drawing in the spiritual energy of this place and injecting it into their bodies.
The five demons’ spirits instantly perked up, their auras quickly recovering.
Only then did Ning Qi speak: “I sensed earlier that the Node Bead was swallowed by you, right?”
The five demons glanced at each other, and the Lion Demon King said:
“Master, we finally emerged from the Sea of Realms, so when we encountered something as convenient to absorb as the Node Bead, we split it into five pieces and each swallowed one.”
Ning Qi was somewhat speechless; was this robbing food from the beasts’ mouths?
But what needed to be done still had to be done. He said: “Spit it out. Your method was too crude. Later, I’ll give you other things as compensation.”
Hearing this, the five demons no longer hesitated; they formed a circle in the void and then opened their mouths in unison.
Five fragments of the damaged Node Bead were spat out by them, each as large as a Medium Node’s Node Bead.
Once spat out, these fragments seemed to have a strange attractive force, instantly merging together!
Before Ning Qi and the five demons, a Node Bead as large as a winnowing basket immediately appeared.
It emitted a soft white light; due to its appearance, the spiritual energy in this territory danced like boiling water, surging once more.
This was Ning Qi’s first time seeing a Large Node’s Node Bead. With a wave of his hand, the large bead flew toward him.
Ning Qi cast the Universe in a Mustard Seed technique; by the time the bead reached him, it was only fist-sized, grasped in his hand.
Though its form had shrunk, the energy upon it was undiminished.
Just as Ning Qi was about to examine it closely, suddenly, heaven and earth changed color.
The entire void here, unbeknownst at what point, was dyed with a layer of red.
His white robe was also illuminated red, faintly feeling a warmth invading his body.
Glancing at the five Demon Kings, they looked baffled, craning their necks to find the source of the red.
The red continued to spread and radiate; above the sky, layered clouds suddenly formed, brilliant as morning glow.
Far away, the three sides still battling were also dyed red.
In this instant, the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect cultivators, halved again by the slaughter, all had red glows on their faces, even their pupils turning crimson.
Many shouted out.
“Domain Lord has returned!”
“Domain Lord, come save us!”
“Haha, you’re finished!”
Whether Qi Ke Qing and the others, or Sword Ancestor and the others, all looked baffled.
Domain Lord?
They had one too; was there any need for this?
Just as they thought this, they suddenly felt the red light shining on them carrying a force of a thousand jun, pressing their bodies down.
In contrast, the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect congregation seemed to have taken a tonic, suddenly full of vigor; their cultivations directly rose by thirty percent.
From within the red glow morning radiance faintly came a soul-shaking voice.
“Who is harming my Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect disciples?”
Its voice seemed to ring in everyone’s heart.
Qi Ke Qing and the others finally changed color; was this the Domain Lord mentioned by the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect cultivators?
How was its ability somewhat similar to Spirit Realm Will?
Sword Ancestor and the others also frowned slightly; how could a Domain Lord have such great ability? They had never sensed it from the Alliance Leader.
In the Fuyao Domain Army led by Qi Ke Qing, many stopped their attacks, looking around with some alarm on their faces.
As for Qi Ke Qing, she remained unchanged, her attacks on the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect congregation never stopping.
Of course, while attacking, she also released her spiritual sense, yet could not find the source of the voice no matter what.
However, Qi Ke Qing saw the opposing Xuanzhen Domain Army; under Jian Jingjue’s lead, unlike Fuyao Domain’s side, not a single one stopped their attacks.
Not only did they not stop, their attacks became even denser; everyone panted silently, vowing to completely slaughter the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect congregation before the opposing Domain Lord appeared!
Seeing their focus, and glancing at her own side, Qi Ke Qing felt a twinge of shame.
She was not as good as Ning Qi at leading troops!
Even without Ning Qi’s command, the Xuanzhen Domain Army could seize the key points and not be affected by external factors.
Qi Ke Qing, spurred by shame to courage, immediately telepathically communicated to the Fuyao Domain congregation.
“Stop looking; kill the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people first, or else when their so-called Domain Lord arrives, our situation will only worsen!”
Those distracted ones finally came to their senses, mimicking the Xuanzhen Domain Army, and continued desperately attacking the remaining Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people!
“How bold; I will tear you to ten thousand pieces!”
A majestic voice rang in their ears again, seeming to draw closer.
But this time, no one paid it any mind.
The Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect congregation’s expressions grew even more fanatical; their Vermilion Bird divine form under the red glow morning radiance appeared even more divine.
However, the two domains’ cultivators ultimately outnumbered them, and their attacks were extremely methodical; the Vermilion Bird divine form was continuously hacked to pieces, with cultivators inside perishing in flames one after another.
……
Above the sky, the red glow morning radiance grew ever brighter; it not only enveloped this territory but also extended toward the distance.
A wind seemed to rise in the void; the congregation felt it like scorching summer heat, bringing fatigue to both body and spirit.
In their released spiritual senses, they sensed a beam of light shooting from the northeast direction.
Its speed was faster than lightning; just now a hundred miles away, in the blink of an eye it was nearby.
Because it had arrived nearby, the congregation could finally see a figure within.
It was a somewhat illusory and blurry figure, surrounded by endless firelight, charging thousands of miles.
“Domain Lord!”
“Domain Lord Chi Xiazi!”
The Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people shouted one after another.
Only now did the Mountain Sea Realm cultivators learn that this person’s name was Chi Xiazi.
Chi Xiazi returned from the northeast; the first place he passed was not the three battling factions, but the Large Node occupied by Ning Qi.
At this moment, even though Ning Qi had occupied this node, Chi Xiazi seemed not to glance at him, his illusory figure swept over the void straight toward the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect congregation.
No one was more important than Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people, of course; it also showed Chi Xiazi did not consider Ning Qi a threat at all.
After saving the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people, he could seize control of the Large Node from Ning Qi at any time.
Just as his figure flickered past Ning Qi’s side, a supremely indifferent voice came to his ear.
“Who allowed you to pass through here?”
Chi Xiazi originally did not want to bother with him; in his view, he could deal with this person later.
However, his forward-charging figure clearly halted; he felt a giant hand grab his collar, unable to move forward even an inch.
Chi Xiazi’s expression changed slightly; his wide sleeve robe shook backward, unleashing a surging solar-like firepower that melted the void and would melt whoever grabbed him.
However, he was too arrogant, and too hasty.
The one who could grab him was no accident, but inevitability!
That firepower sufficient to melt the void struck Ning Qi, yet Ning Qi did not even sway.
His white robe emitted a soft glow, completely absorbing all that firepower.
“Come back!”
Ning Qi’s five-colored giant hand grabbed Chi Xiazi and yanked fiercely.
Immediately, the wide-robed Chi Xiazi was like clothes being flipped inside out by someone washing them by the riverbank.
He was directly pulled back, and in no dignified manner, as if slammed against a great wall in the void!
Whoosh!
The three battling factions were utterly shocked by this scene!
Qi Ke Qing and the Fuyao Domain cultivators had their mouths agape, jaws nearly dropping to the ground.
The Xuanzhen Domain congregation was slightly better; they already had full confidence in Ning Qi.
It was just Chi Xiazi’s appearance that gave them a trace of worry.
After all, his arrival was too terrifying, and he was the Domain Lord of Haoran Realm Spirit Bird Domain, while Ning Qi had never displayed power like Chi Xiazi’s.
Thus, their instinctive judgment was that Chi Xiazi’s strength seemed much stronger than Ning Qi, this Domain Lord.
As for the remaining Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people, their blood-pumped excitement from the Domain Lord’s return froze on their faces, one by one as if petrified.
In their minds, once the Domain Lord returned, he would instantly slaughter all Mountain Sea Realm cultivators present.
They knew full well how terrifying the Domain Lord’s abilities were.
But now…
Their only hope, the strongest Domain Lord, had been yanked back by that indifferent guy opposite, like tossing a ruffian with an over-the-shoulder throw!
One could imagine how collapsed the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect congregation’s mentality was!
As long as the battle was not over, it would continue.
Qi Ke Qing and Sword Ancestor, seeing Ning Qi intercept Chi Xiazi, instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
They decided to first completely annihilate the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people!
As for Chi Xiazi, leave him to Ning Qi.
While continuing to attack the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people, they released their spiritual senses to observe Ning Qi’s battle.
At the same time, a thought suddenly emerged in their minds.
Ning Qi had chosen to attack the node cultivators earlier, then sent them to help Fuyao Domain people, leaving himself there alone.
Could it be that from the start, he was waiting for the opposing Domain Lord to appear?
……
Ning Qi’s five-colored giant hand lifted Chi Xiazi again; Chi Xiazi’s rage burned like incinerating heaven, a terrifying force surging from his body, suddenly snapping Ning Qi’s five-colored giant hand.
He stared at Ning Qi, angrily saying: “Who are you?”
Ning Qi indifferently said: “Xuanzhen Domain Lord Ning Qi!”
Chi Xiazi: “!!!”
Hearing this, Chi Xiazi’s heart shook slightly, but he also felt somewhat better.
No wonder Ning Qi could intercept him; it turned out he was also a Domain Lord!
If he had been so easily held back by some nameless cultivator, where would Chi Xiazi put his face?
Chi Xiazi carefully sensed the power on Ning Qi, and could not help but feel a trace of doubt.
Why did Ning Qi lack the domain power like his that could radiate for ten thousand miles?
Ning Qi’s domain power was extremely faint; not to mention radiating ten thousand miles, it probably could not even radiate his own body.
Or had Ning Qi reached the realm of wielding the heavy as if light, freely restraining, achieving the most with the least domain power?
Thoughts raced in Chi Xiazi’s mind; what he wanted most was still to go rescue the Vermilion Bird Immortal Sect people.
Suddenly, Chi Xiazi’s figure flickered, birthing five figures from the original spot.
Four figures bypassed Ning Qi, attacking the three battling factions from various angles, while one charged at Ning Qi.
Who knew, Ning Qi seemed to have long anticipated his idea; around him, several figures also split off, intercepting and killing toward those four clones of Chi Xiazi a step ahead.
What frustrated Chi Xiazi was that the figures Ning Qi split off were not Ning Qi, but several powerful divine beasts.
Suan Ni, Bi An, Ya Zi, Ba Xia…
Each divine beast was like its true body descending, their auras far more terrifying than the indifferent Ning Qi.
The divine beasts struck with terrifying Origin killing moves; in an instant, they clashed with Chi Xiazi’s clones.
Soon, heedless of their own lives, they mutually perished with the four clones of Chi Xiazi.
Thus, in the field, only Ning Qi and Chi Xiazi’s Main Body remained.
