Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 723 - 707: Vermilion Bird Burning Heaven

"Be careful, it's about to use that move again. Stay alert!"

"Not good! It's a trick! Fellow Daoist Yao, quickly dodge!"

"Ah! Fellow Daoist Xu, save me!"

...

Exclamations and cries filled the sky above the Demon Realm.

Fifteen Nascent Soul cultivators were fighting against a demon beast with Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivation, yet they were being brutally overpowered by it.

This demon beast, possessed by a Holy Demon Split Soul from the True Demon Realm, seemed to have no weaknesses.

Its speed was incredibly fast, unparalleled in flight, and it could unleash teleportation-like techniques anytime, anywhere.

Moreover, its defense was extremely strong. Even when Zhouyang's [Qianyang True Flame] landed on it, it only barely scorched its skin before being extinguished.

But its most formidable aspect was its offensive capabilities. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

As Master Cyan Yang had said, even though it had Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, its innate realm advantage allowed it to easily harness the power of Heaven and Earth Laws. Each of its attacks was bolstered by the demonic energy of the Demon Realm, doubling its original power.

Faced with such an almost invulnerable and versatile opponent, even though the cultivators outnumbered it by more than tenfold, they still fell into an absolute disadvantage right from the start.

In less than half a quarter-hour of battle, three Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators had already perished, unable to even escape with their Nascent Souls.

At this moment, Zhouyang fully comprehended the feeling the cultivators of the Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm had when facing that [Heaven-Sundering True Demon].

"Fellow Daoist Xu, Fellow Daoist Guo, and Elder Qingyang, I must ask you to protect me and buy some time. I need time to activate this artifact!"

After the third Nascent Soul cultivator perished at the hands of the demon, Zhouyang's expression changed several times. Finally, he made a certain resolution, suddenly communicating his plan to a few strong teammates on the battlefield.

As soon as he finished speaking, a vermilion feather fan silently appeared in his hand, and his entire body started channeling magical power into the fan.

As his magical power flowed into it, the mysterious and profound law runes on the vermilion feather fan started lighting up and dancing. A colossal aura quickly emanated from the fan, as if a sleeping existence had been awakened.

Originally wanting to question his intentions, Xu Tianlin and Guo Huaiyang saw this and immediately closed their mouths, moving in both awe and delight to surround and carefully protect Zhouyang at the center.

"Oh, who would have thought a mere Lower Realm cultivator could possess a Tier Seven Immortal Artifact!"

In the sky, the massive black beast paused, watching Zhouyang's vermilion fan with surprise in its eyes, instantly recognizing its origin.

Then it quickly shook its head, grinning and saying, "But the effectiveness of an Immortal Artifact depends on who wields it. If it were in the hands of a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, my soul-possessed form would certainly have no chance. But you, a mere Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator, even with an Immortal Artifact in hand, how much of its power can you unleash?"

Despite saying this, it did not wait idly for Zhouyang to unleash the Immortal Artifact's power. Instead, it immediately launched an even more vicious attack.

After all, it was a genuine Immortal Artifact!

Even though it was confident that Zhouyang's cultivation, even with the Immortal Artifact, could not kill it, causing injury was still a real possibility.

And any injury would certainly delay its cultivation progress and introduce variables to its plans.

Xu Tianlin originally had slight doubts about the effectiveness of Zhouyang's methods, but seeing the black beast's assault growing even fiercer with Zhouyang as the primary target, all his doubts dissipated instantly.

If not feeling threatened, why would the black beast be so eager to interrupt Zhouyang's charging?

With this thought in mind, he, Guo Huaiyang, and Master Cyan Yang simultaneously unleashed their best tactics, using all their life-preserving trump cards to resolutely prevent the black beast from disrupting Zhouyang's preparation.

And Zhouyang, in order to quickly complete his charge and maximize the power of the [Vermilion Bird Fan], not only injected most of his magical power into it, but also channeled the power from his doppelganger into himself, then into the [Vermilion Bird Fan].

By absorbing most of the magical power from two Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators, even without substantial Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi due to being in the Demon Realm, Zhouyang successfully activated the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit within the [Vermilion Bird Fan].

A clear, resounding phoenix cry emerged from Zhouyang's hand. As he vigorously waved the vermilion fan forward, it instantly erupted with dazzling vermilion flames, transforming into a Vermilion Bird Firebird with tens of feet wingspan, appearing in mid-air.

Once formed, the thousand-foot vicinity was purged of demonic energy by the Vermilion Bird True Flame from its body.

Then, without needing Zhouyang to command it, it automatically spread its wings and charged towards the black demon beast.

Roar!

The black demon beast roared, its mouth, resembling that of a wild boar, immediately spewing a pitch-black demon light at the Vermilion Bird Firebird.

This attack, known as [Annihilation Demon Light], was its strongest technique cultivated in this form, having reached the stage of Great Success and containing some power of laws within it.

At this moment, as the pitch-black demon light hit the Vermilion Bird Firebird, nearly half of its body was annihilated into nothingness.

However, the Vermilion Bird Firebird was formed from magical power, so even if its body was incomplete, it only resulted in a decrease in strength.

Soon, it fully collided with the black beast, exploding dramatically.

Rumble!

The sky-reaching flames turned the pitch-black night sky of this thousand-mile Demon Realm into daylight. Intense light and heat rose from the explosion center, incinerating the demonic energy within a hundred-mile radius.

Originally dark, the Demon Realm's sky unexpectedly revealed the long-lost blue sky.

This strike blasted a large hole in the Demon Realm's sky, allowing the external Heaven and Earth Laws to re-descend upon this demonic energy-infested, twisted region.

"What a great opportunity! Everyone, quickly leave from above!"

Xu Tianlin's eyes lit up. Without time to marvel at the power of Zhouyang's strike, he immediately shouted and dashed towards the large hole in the sky.

Under the twisted laws of the Demon Realm, unless they caused a collapse in a region's laws as Zhouyang did now, flying upward to escape the Demon Realm was impossible.

Yet this strike with the [Vermilion Bird Fan] provided them precisely this opportunity.

As long as they could leave the Demon Realm and break free from its law constraints, even if the black beast pursued them, it couldn't possibly unleash such an unbeatable might anymore.

And Zhouyang's reaction was even faster than his.

As the master of the [Vermilion Bird Fan], Zhouyang knew better than anyone the power of this immortal artifact.

Based on the strength the black beast had demonstrated earlier, he didn't think his blow would be enough to destroy it.

So when the sky of the Demon Realm was torn open to reveal the blue sky, he called Master Cyan Yang to rush up together.

At this moment, the shockwaves from the explosion had yet to dissipate. Even if others had the same reaction as him, they needed to cautiously avoid the shockwave's impact. They couldn't sweep it away as easily as he did with the help of the [Vermilion Bird Fan] in his hand.

Zhouyang was the first to charge out of the large hole created by the explosion, the joy of seeing daylight again making him want to let out a long howl.

But he restrained this impulse and continued to fly upward into the sky without stopping.

He knew in his heart that the power of the Demon Realm's laws would soon mend this hole, and if he didn't quickly leave the area before it closed, he risked being pulled back in.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, Fellow Daoist Cyan Yang, why not come aboard Xu's ship first? If we join forces, we have a better chance of returning safely!"

Though Xu Tianlin lagged a step behind when emerging, he quickly caught up with Zhouyang and Master Cyan Yang ahead, relying on his cultivation advantage, and extended an invitation to travel together.

After all, as an eighth-layer Nascent Soul cultivator, he was far from being a burden. Zhouyang and Master Cyan Yang agreed swiftly and boarded his flying ship.

Upon seeing Zhouyang and Cyan Yang board the ship, Xu Tianlin's face lit up with joy, and he immediately said, "Let's wait a bit longer for Fellow Daoist Guo and the others. Rest assured, even if that demon chases us out of the Demon Realm, we won't be as helpless as before!"

"Fellow Daoist Xu, it's your decision."

Zhouyang glanced at Guo Huaiyang and the others following behind, nodded slightly without objection.

Before long, Guo Huaiyang and three other mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators also broke free from the Demon Realm and boarded the waiting flying ship.

Just as Xu Tianlin was pondering whether to wait for more people, the black beast suddenly appeared beneath the sky.

Seeing this, the expressions of everyone on the flying ship changed drastically.

Without waiting for anyone to urge him, Xu Tianlin promptly activated the flying ship to swiftly leave the spot, soaring up into the Cyan Nether without looking back, escaping rapidly.

Everyone knew that the remaining six Nascent Soul cultivators who hadn't escaped were unlikely to survive.

If they lingered here, it would only result in more unnecessary sacrifices without aid.

The black beast had withstood even the attack with Zhouyang's Tier Seven Immortal Artifact without being killed or heavily injured; it wasn't something they could deal with.

Now, they could only use the chance while it pursued the six Nascent Soul cultivators to escape as far as possible, to preserve the lives of the remaining ones.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

An echo of explosions reached from a distance, and on the flying ship, Zhouyang and the other cultivators turned back to look at the dark Demon Realm, their expressions deeply complex.

They didn't even have to think to understand that the explosions they heard from so far away must be the Nascent Soul cultivators detonating their Nascent Souls.

Given the power of the black beast, the self-detonation of several early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators posed little threat to it.

Those Nascent Soul cultivators self-detonated more to avoid having their Nascent Souls fall into its hands and used as resources to enhance its cultivation.

But self-detonating Nascent Souls required immense courage, and ultimately, among the six individuals, Zhouyang and the others only heard three explosions.

The fate of the remaining three was unknown to them, and they didn't wish to contemplate it.

However, they were certain that with those six blocking the beast, they successfully escaped with their lives.

The black beast likely also knew that without the support of the Demon Realm, it was unrealistic to capture Zhouyang and the others in one fell swoop.

...

On a deserted Ice Peak, a cyan flying ship suddenly descended, and seven figures flew out from it.

These seven were none other than Zhouyang and his party, who miraculously escaped with their lives from the Demon Realm and traveled for half a month continuously.

The successive battles that day and the half-month-long flight, even Xu Tianlin, an eighth-layer Nascent Soul cultivator, felt quite exhausted.

Thus, after confirming no one was pursuing, they all agreed to rest here for a while.

As the group alighted from the flying ship, Xu Tianlin put it away, and each sat cross-legged in the icy snow, either meditating to adjust their breath or taking spirit pills to refine their medicinal effects.

In the earlier battle with the black beast, several cultivators, Xu Tianlin included, were struck by its attacks and carried some demonic qi within them. At that urgent time, they only suppressed it with their own magical power, with no time to remove it.

Now, assured of being out of danger, they wouldn't let this hidden threat remain.

After several days of rest, the cultivators gradually recovered from their meditation.

Ironically, it was Xu Tianlin, with the highest cultivation, who was the last to recover.

Waking from his meditation and seeing the others had recovered, he took a deep breath and suddenly rose to give a bow to them, saying, "This time, Fellow Daoist Yao and eight others fell in the Demon Realm, and Xu is deeply responsible. I am unworthy to lead you further. Upon our safe return, I will relinquish my post and volunteer to fight on the front lines to atone for my sins!"

His actions clearly took everyone by surprise, and the cultivators stood frozen for a moment.

After a while, Guo Huaiyang hurriedly stepped forward to support him, saying, "Fellow Daoist Xu, no need to do this. Our expedition to the Demon Realm was a collective decision, even Fellow Daoist Nie and the others agreed. If there is any blame, it lies with all of us, not just you!"

Master Cyan Yang also hastened to advise, "Fellow Daoist Guo speaks rightly. The loss of Fellow Daoist Yao and others in the Demon Realm was due to an enemy beyond our capacity, and not related to Fellow Daoist Xu; no blame can be placed on you!"

"Fellow Daoist Xu's actions throughout the journey speak for themselves; even in the final moments of fleeing, he didn't choose to abandon us. Just for that, I, Cultivator Wen, cannot agree to blame Fellow Daoist Xu!"

The Beiting Continent cultivation realm's Cultivator Wen, the only surviving one among the Beiting's four Nascent Soul cultivators this time, was grateful to Xu Tianlin for pulling him onto the ship for escape in the last moments, and did not hesitate to vouch for his savior.

But Xu Tianlin seemed determined, ignoring their attempts to dissuade him and shook his head resolutely, "I appreciate your goodwill, but with eight Nascent Soul cultivators, including Fellow Daoist Yao, fallen, I, as the leader, can't remain indifferent."

"If Fellow Daoist Xu truly wishes to take responsibility for the plight of Fellow Daoist Yao and the others, the time to retreat is not now. Since they all perished under the same demon, only by leading us to slay that demon can you truly avenge them and honor their sacrifices!"

Zhouyang spoke, staring directly into Xu Tianlin's eyes, his tone solemn, "Running away doesn't solve problems. If I were you, I would be thinking of how to persuade those Tribulation Crossing True Immortals to help avenge them!"

Xu Tianlin's face froze, his expression shifting complexly for a moment, then nodded heavily to Zhouyang, "Fellow Daoist Zhou's words are wise. I understand what I must do!"