Chapter 722: Chapter 722

A circular mirror-shaped projection appeared above the black-armored man's head.

The illusory mirror spun rapidly before suddenly freezing in place, its surface aimed squarely at the Two-Headed Hou. Light shimmered across it.

"No large concentration of demonic qi... Seems like it wandered here on its own, drawn by the cold flame..."

The black-armored man relaxed slightly, retrieving the mirror projection. His aura surged violently for a moment. The consumption of energy from activating the mirror appeared to be immense, to the point even he found it hard to endure.

His tension completely faded. Now, he stared at the Two-Headed Hou with amused interest and sneered coldly. "A Two-Headed Hou? Haven’t seen one of those out here in a long time... Since you’ve come to me on your own, don’t bother trying to leave."

Before the words even finished, he stomped heavily on the surface of the sea, leaving behind overlapping afterimages as he shot forward at great speed.

With a flick of his arm, the tip of his black spear emitted streaks of dim light. In an instant, those streaks formed the vivid shape of a black phoenix, lifelike and dynamic.

The black phoenix let out a piercing cry. Long tail feathers trailed behind it as it dove from mid-air toward the Two-Headed Hou, its form elegant and graceful.

The Two-Headed Hou leaned forward slightly, both pairs of eyes flashing with ferocity as azure light flared wildly.

Two whirlwinds merged into one, and within them countless razor-sharp wind blades spun violently like a massive grinder.

Yet the black phoenix showed no fear and dove straight into the storm.

At that exact moment, it spread its wings wide. Its body grew indistinct, almost ethereal, and a black ring of light burst forth from within, expanding rapidly.

The black phoenix had nearly vanished, leaving behind only the enormous black ring.

The timing was perfect. The ring exploded precisely at the center of the windstorm.

Accompanied by thunderous booms, waves surged. The azure and black lights quickly fused, though it was clear the black light held the upper hand. It tore through the azure light effortlessly, wiping out the wind blades in a single sweep.

As the black light pierced through the storm and surged forward, the Two-Headed Hou’s eyes revealed a flash of alarm. With a powerful flap of its wind wings, it beat a hasty retreat.

Dodging the blow, the Two-Headed Hou cast a reluctant glance at the cold flame, then turned and fled.

The black-armored man snorted coldly, his speed exploding instantly.

The Two-Headed Hou’s figure flickered and suddenly split into six incredibly lifelike clones. Seven identical Two-Headed Hou illusions scattered in all directions, fleeing along separate paths.

Each one was agile and equally fast. Their movements looked entirely natural, and their auras were nearly indistinguishable, making it difficult to tell real from fake in a short time.

For a moment, the Two-Headed Hou could be seen escaping to the east, south, and north.

It was as if the black-armored man had stumbled into a nest of Two-Headed Hou.

Yet he remained unhurried. With a tremor of his black spear, it too split into seven copies.

Seven black spears hovered in front of him. With a sharp flick of his finger, they flew out precisely, targeting one Two-Headed Hou each.

Four of the targets were pierced through by the spear shadows and shattered instantly, proving to be illusions. However, the remaining three deftly evaded the strikes with uncanny agility.

The black-armored man had anticipated this, but what surprised him was that despite keeping a close watch on every movement, he still couldn’t determine which was the real Two-Headed Hou.

As the three remaining figures continued to flee into the distance, he frowned, then reached toward his waist and pulled out a bamboo tube as thick as an arm.

It was about a chi long, tender and fresh as if freshly cut.

Muttering under his breath, he activated the tube. The sound of rushing water came from within, and soon, a stream of liquid surged out. After a series of ripples, the water transformed into a flock of oddly shaped water birds.

With a tap of his finger, the flock split into three groups and shot toward their targets like arrows loosed from a bow.

The water birds exploded like shells around the Three-Headed Hou’s clones. One of the fleeing figures staggered as it failed to dodge in time, its body twisting unnaturally. The black-armored man immediately spotted the flaw.

With a cold smile, he charged straight toward the middle figure.

While the Two-Headed Hou fought to evade him, Qin Sang had silently crept closer beneath the sea’s surface, closing in on Cold Flame Island. Unnoticed by man or beast, he approached the Dongming Cold Flame itself. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novèlfire.net

Even underwater, he could already feel the violent aura radiating from the Dongming Cold Flame.

He looked upward. Above the shimmering surface, scattered patches of blue light sparkled faintly. Qin Sang selected one and swam up cautiously.

Having encountered the cold flame before, Qin Sang now understood its temperament. If he touched it with his true essence, the Dongming Cold Flame would surely erupt, and he would be exposed instantly.

Everything now depended on whether the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells could suppress it.

Qin Sang opened his palm and arranged the small Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions around him, drawing forth the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells.

To prevent the demonic flames from triggering the violent reaction of all the cold flames in the area, Qin Sang carefully concealed their aura. Raising his hand slightly, he guided the flames toward one specific Dongming Cold Flame.

He watched nervously, eyes fixed on the movements of the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells and the Dongming Cold Flame, ready to flee at any moment.

The Devilish Flames of Nine Hells crept closer and closer to the Dongming Cold Flame.

As if sensing something unusual, the Dongming Cold Flame suddenly began to flicker violently. This was an almost certain sign of imminent eruption. Seeing this, Qin Sang’s heart leapt into his throat.

When the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells surged near the Dongming Cold Flame, Qin Sang watched helplessly as the flickering intensified. A deep, concentrated blue light began radiating from the center of the flame. It had reached the critical point.

Qin Sang nearly gave up.

In a sudden flash, the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells wrapped tightly around the Dongming Cold Flame, unleashing an overwhelming aura that filled the surroundings.

The Dongming Cold Flame abruptly stopped its violent flickering. As if it had encountered something it deeply feared, it began to contract violently, the entire flame curling inward into a tight ball.

But the signs of an eruption had not fully disappeared. Though the Dongming Cold Flame showed fear toward the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells, Qin Sang could clearly sense that it had not truly submitted. The devilish flames only looked threatening on the surface. If the cold flame were to see through the illusion, it could explode at any time.

Realizing this, Qin Sang quickly channeled true essence into the Yan Luo Banners of Ten Directions, drawing out another wisp of the devilish flames.

With the addition of this second stream of demonic flames, the Dongming Cold Flame finally settled down, returning to a calm, seemingly harmless state.

"I actually suppressed it!"

Qin Sang finally let out a breath, his face filled with joy.

However, suppressing the Dongming Cold Flame didn’t necessarily mean he could take it away.

"To suppress just this single wisp took so much effort... Looks like with my current strength, it’s impossible to take more."

He gazed regretfully at the other Dongming Cold Flames. After a moment of silent deliberation, he slowly closed his palm. The Devilish Flames of Nine Hells clung to the surface of the targeted cold flames, guiding it down with care.

Staring at the spiritual flame before him, Qin Sang hesitated briefly, then reached out and gently cupped it in his hand.

His heart was filled with anxiety. He had experienced the cold flames' destructive power firsthand. Even the slightest contact had triggered violent eruptions. If it exploded in his hand now, the consequences would be unimaginable.

After securing the flame, Qin Sang did not immediately retreat. He left behind a few faint wisps of the Devilish Flames of Nine Hells before quietly withdrawing from the area.

The black-armored man’s strength had exceeded expectations, and the Two-Headed Hou was reaching its limit.