Da Mao looked at Su Xi before him, unwilling to revert to his former self. Without hesitation, he charged at her, intending to eliminate Su Xi, this troublesome presence, in one fell swoop.
As he neared Su Xi, his entire body became engulfed in blazing flames, turning him into a human torch.
He and the Sun True Fire were of the same origin, possessing the same energy. Though the flames on his body were not as potent as the Sun True Fire, they were not far off.
Moreover, he knew clearly that the Sun True Fire, being the most vigorous and yang flame, would be impossible for Su Xi to control, even if it hadn't fully developed sentience.
Su Xi had somehow gained control of the Sun True Fire. However, as long as he continuously replenished its energy, Su Xi would surely falter and eventually meet a tragic end.
The Fire Spirit Pearl was a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth. Now that it had gained sentience, it was naturally quite formidable.
His line of thought was undeniably sound, even perfectly correct.
With Su Xi's current cultivation alone, she indeed couldn't hold out for much longer.
Yet, Da Mao had overlooked a more crucial detail: Su Xi was not alone; she had allies.
"Ancestor, what should I do now?" The power of the Sun True Fire was too immense. Though her cultivation of the Heavenly Talisman was profound, she could not fully control such energy.
If this energy were to collapse entirely, she would undoubtedly suffer a backlash and turn into useless ashes.
True Master Tiangang had also not anticipated the potency of the Sun True Fire, and the situation had somewhat exceeded his expectations, causing a hint of solemnity to surface on his face.
If he were not in a soul form, dealing with this Sun True Fire would be a simple matter. However, as a mere soul, he could not come into contact with the Sun True Fire.
Any contact would cause his soul form to be incinerated by the flames.
This was not a matter of power, but of the rules of heaven and earth.
Just as True Master Tiangang was consumed by anxiety, he suddenly recalled the Meteor God Iron Su Xi had obtained earlier.
He had found that Meteor God Iron to be quite extraordinary when he first saw it. However, he hadn't figured out how to use it at the time, so he had instructed Su Xi to keep it.
Now, in this critical juncture, it seemed to be the perfect solution.
"Quickly, bring out that piece of iron from before," True Master Tiangang declared decisively once he had made up his mind.
Upon hearing True Master Tiangang's words, Su Xi immediately produced the divine artifact she had completed.
In her haste, she had completely forgotten about this treasure.
True Master Tiangang's eyes gleamed with a different light as he saw that Su Xi had forged the divine iron into a peerless sword, realizing he had underestimated his young disciple.
Unaware of True Master Tiangang's thoughts, Su Xi was already at her limit, desperate to contain the Sun True Fire, which was teetering on the brink of becoming uncontrollable.
"Go!"
With a flick of her wrist, Su Xi forcefully guided the Sun True Fire from her talisman into the Meteor God Sword.
*Hum~*
As the Sun True Fire was sealed within the sword, a humming sound immediately echoed. The sword body vibrated incessantly, emitting waves of red light.
Clearly, the Sun True Fire, one of the three true fires, was unwilling to be bound.
However, the sword crafted from Meteor God Iron was no ordinary artifact. No matter how the Sun True Fire struggled, it remained firmly trapped within the Meteor God Iron, unable to move.
Seeing that the Sun True Fire had been temporarily subdued, Su Xi let out a sigh of relief, having narrowly avoided becoming roasted pork.
Before she could even wipe the sweat from her brow, True Master Tiangang's voice warned, "It's not time to relax yet. If you don't seal the Sun True Fire properly, it will eventually escape."
Although he was without a physical body, his knowledge remained undiminished.
While the Meteor God Sword was extraordinary, it could not contain the Sun True Fire indefinitely. Sooner or later, the Sun True Fire would break free, and Su Xi would be in grave danger.
"Seal it?" Su Xi's befuddled eyes met True Master Tiangang's. This was a technique far too difficult for her.
(T_T)
Seeing Su Xi's expression, True Master Tiangang already knew she was incapable.
He let out a helpless sigh, wondering why his disciple always did such perplexing things.
However, he also understood the immense danger if the Sun True Fire were to escape, so he said, "Do exactly as I say."
"Yes." Su Xi nodded solemnly, holding the brush she had condensed from the five elements.
This was a matter of her life, so she would not be careless.
"With the brush as the soul, the connection unbroken. Above, the Five Elements; below, connecting to the heavens..."
Following True Master Tiangang's instructions, Su Xi slowly began to draw on the blade of the sword forged from Meteor God Iron. As a golden light flashed, the previously trembling sword body instantly calmed down.
A peculiar pattern suddenly appeared on the sword.
Su Xi gently touched these intricate patterns and felt a wave of warmth emanate from her hand. A sharp killing intent instantly spread, accompanied by an aura of world-destroying ferocity.
Though she knew nothing of swordsmanship, she could feel the immense power emanating from the blade.
If used in combat, it would surely rival those from Shu Mountain.
As Su Xi fully sealed the Sun True Fire, a look of despair crossed Da Mao's face.
Everything had happened too quickly; he hadn't even had time to retract his technique.
He had spent millions of years condensing the Sun True Fire. Before he could unleash its full might, Su Xi had taken it.
He felt as if he were about to vomit blood from the anguish.
(╥﹏╥)
If it weren't for his pride, Da Mao would have been weeping uncontrollably.
"I will kill you."
With all hope lost, Da Mao descended into complete madness.
Using himself as a catalyst, he charged directly at Su Xi, intending to burn her to death with his own flames. Though his flames were not as fierce as the Sun True Fire, they were still beyond the resistance of ordinary individuals.
Seeing Da Mao charging towards her, Su Xi picked up the sword before her, a smile gracing her lips.
It was fortunate that someone had come forward to help her test her newly forged sword.
With this thought, Su Xi eagerly raised the sword and slashed at Da Mao.
Without the protection of the Sun True Fire, Da Mao was merely a bead with sentience.
He possessed power, but the threat he posed was not insurmountable. With a little caution, the situation would not escalate into a major problem.
*Whoosh!*
As Su Xi moved her hand, the Meteor God Sword emitted a red light, flying out with incredible speed. Wherever the red light passed, the earth turned scorched.
Even though the Meteor God Sword had not yet been infused with a sword soul, its power had been significantly enhanced by the addition of the Sun True Fire.
*Boom.*
Da Mao was directly struck by the sword energy and sent flying backward.
*Crack!*
Da Mao fell to the ground, his skin melting inch by inch, like snow encountering warm sunlight.
"No..."
Da Mao let out a roar of unwillingness before collapsing helplessly on the ground.
As he fell, his skin gradually disappeared. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a red pearl.
Flames constantly flowed from the Fire Spirit Pearl as it floated in the air, emitting a faint red glow, with occasional bursts of brilliance.
Su Xi's eyes lit up upon seeing the Fire Spirit Pearl appear.
After so much effort, she had finally obtained the Fire Spirit Pearl.
She reached out, intending to summon the Fire Spirit Pearl to her.
However, before she could retrieve it, the Fire Spirit Pearl suddenly flew off in another direction.
This sudden turn of events instantly alerted her, and she urgently pursued the Fire Spirit Pearl.
Someone dared to snatch what was rightfully hers, and she would not tolerate it.