Chapter 125

The sword light and the firelight intermingled on the girl’s fair and delicate face, as if the dark almond-shaped eyes were filled with countless stars. With just a gentle curve, there were myriad sword intentions and tenderness flowing within, making people willingly indulge in them.

Liu Ying stared blankly, wondering why, at the beginning, she hadn’t chosen to approach Ning Ning?

“My water talismans are running out!”

Although they were sword cultivators, they also had some knowledge of talismans and spells. Xu Ye had used the water dragons countless times to extinguish the flames. However, the fire phoenix’s flames were endless, and as a result, they were quickly running out of resources.

The temperature in the Western Mountains was already scorching, and being burned recklessly by the fire phoenix, even the air and soil could be baked dry. Xu Ye was fighting desperately, and Pei Ji beside him was frowning tightly.

Not only was the Fire Phoenix’s offensive fierce, but its protective wings were also troublesome.

Unlike ordinary birds, this type of century-old beast had long been toughened, and its seemingly soft, red feathers actually formed a completely solid armor, completely enveloping it.

Pei Ji never fought with any fancy moves. Once he drew his sword, he just fought. However, after finally breaking through the flames and allowing the remaining sword energy to barely touch the Fire Phoenix’s body, the thin sword energy was unable to harm it in the slightest.

Most of the time, Ning Ning was swiftly dodging, occasionally using the Xinghen Sword to cut through the scorching and bloody wind coming at her, always keeping her eyes on the direction where the Fire Phoenix was.

She was observing.

This big bird was both offensive and defensive. If it only had those tough feathers, perhaps it could still be broken through with brute force. But now, with the raging flames surrounding it forming the most difficult shield to break through, they found it difficult to even approach, let alone draw their swords to determine the outcome.

—Then, what if they didn’t get close?

Ning Ning’s gaze slightly darkened. With a flicker of her figure, she agilely leaped onto a huge rock beside the Fire Phoenix. Just as the fire was being dispersed by Pei Ji, standing in this geographical position, she could clearly see the appearance of the flames when they were expelled by the Fire Phoenix.

That’s not right.

It’s not “spitting out flames,” but drawing the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth within its body to its mouth, creating a scorching white light, and then forcefully exhaling it outward.

She was previously troubled by the Fire Phoenix’s relentless attacks, but with such a simple solution… it would be much easier.

With Xu Ye running out of water talismans, he could only frantically slash away at the flames. As he glanced up, he saw Ning Ning leaping forward directly into the flames expelled by the Fire Phoenix.

He was scared out of his wits, afraid that this girl had been driven crazy by the heat. He shouted hoarsely, “Ning Ning, what are you doing?”

But Ning Ning just glanced at him quickly, her scattered black hair shrouding her eyes halfway, revealing lips tinged with a smile.

She actually chuckled aloud, her voice as clear as wind chimes colliding, completely incongruous with the surrounding scene. “To deal with fire, you can’t use water.”

Xu Ye was stunned for a moment.

Don’t use water to extinguish the fire, then what should they use?

Ning Ning didn’t say anything more because she was gradually getting closer to the surging tide of fire, finding it difficult to even breathe. She had used sound transmission to tell Pei Ji to retreat first. As a result, she was the only one left confronting the Fire Phoenix.

All the flames were coming towards her.

Almost as expected, now that the other enemies had retreated, the Fire Phoenix focused all its attention on the young girl not far away.

Moreover, she was standing directly against the firelight, so all it needed to do was exert a little force to burn her to ashes.

With a surge of killing intent in its blood-red pupils, the giant bird let out a long cry. Most of the flames surrounding it rose up, directly rushing towards the unmoving figure.

Ning Ning tightened her grip on the Xinghen Sword, silently counting down in her heart.

If the Fire Phoenix directly spewed flames from its mouth, it meant that it wasn’t afraid of fire and possessed strong fire-resistance properties. But if, like now, it was just quietly forming fireballs in mid-air, then there was a good chance it was afraid of being burned.

Since the Fire Phoenix’s flames were extremely toxic and violent, they were far from ordinary, and its feathers were impenetrable and extremely sturdy.

What would happen if these extremely poisonous flames collided with the most difficult-to-penetrate feathers?

Ning Ning held her breath, took out several talismans from her storage pouch, silently recited the incantations, and then, under the empowerment of several talismans, drew her sword. Wherever the sword light reached, the Xinghen Formation emerged.

To deal with fire, you couldn’t use water.

You had to use the wind.

In ancient times, Zhuge Kongming borrowed the east wind at the Battle of Red Cliffs. Now, lacking favorable conditions, she would use a bunch of wind talismans, a roaring fire wind, and a sword—

(T/N: Zhuge Kongming/Zhuge Liang was a famous advisor for Liu Bei of Liang. In the battle of the Red Cliff, which was a decisive naval battle in China and took place around 208–209 AD, Zhuge Liang decided to attack Cao Cao’s navy with fire after predicting that a special climatic condition would soon cause the winds to blow from the southeast—a direction to their advantage.)

To create wind herself.

“What is she…!”

Liu Ying endured the pain, her eyes wide open in the blazing firelight, staring intently at the faint figure not far away, her fingertips trembling involuntarily.

The wind roared across the land.

The girl’s long skirt fluttered loudly, and the long sword hummed like a dragon’s roar. After a crisp sound, it suddenly descended—

Instantly, the sword’s energy surged endlessly.

The snow-white sword shadows were filled with the color of stars, turning into a dazzling light like a torrential waterfall, even dimming the scorching sun above.

Ning Ning, standing in the center of the starry sky, had an exquisite appearance, and for the first time, a cold determination and sword intent appeared on her smiling face.

The fierce wind summoned by the talismans howled; the fiery wind stirred up by the Fire Phoenix swirled like a stream; but what was even more unstoppable was the sword wind descending beneath her long sword.

The mountains shook violently, the dragon’s roar echoed, and as the mighty flames were carried by the west wind, they roared like a dragon’s tail whipping—

Straight towards the Fire Phoenix’s vital spot!

=====

“Ah, ah, ah, no, no, no! Oh my, oh my, another disciple of our sect has been sent away.”

Outside the mystic mirror, a petite young woman sighed with regret on her face for a long time, drawing a light laugh from the woman beside her, Qu Feiqing.

“The disciples of the Beast Taming Sect are not good at actual combat to begin with, so it’s not a big deal if they lose.”