Chapter Ninety-Eight: A Web Like Heaven’s Net, Rain Like Needles

"Loose Immortal Qinghong?" Song Shaoming was using his demonic sound technique to drive several people toward the abyss when suddenly, twenty-four bright moons rose in the sky. Frowning, he immediately recognized the newcomer. "I heard you made quite a splash at the Lingwei Immortal Mansion. What, looking to stir up trouble with me?"

Immortal melodies drifted from the bright moon, followed by a clear, resonant laugh: "When I crossed paths with Excellency Zheng Qiong at the Immortal Mansion, we were evenly matched. I have been burning with curiosity about the other half of the Demonic Sect's Twin Pillars. I hope Brother Song will enlighten me." Qinghong appeared in the air, wearing a fish-tail crown and robes of crimson silk. He held a Green Cloud Banner, channeling the essence of the clouds to protect himself.

"Qinghong." Song Shaoming silently pressed his palms together, then drew a demonic blade forged from blood from his palms.

"Go inside and take them away. I will hold him off," Song Shaoming instructed his junior brother before leaping into the clouds to engage Qinghong.

Water clouds and Qinghong, the brilliance of the sun, moon, and stars. A vast sea of blood, the sinister gloom of demonic energy. As both men channeled their Dao fruits, two distinct phenomena manifested in the sky—one immortal, one demonic; one righteous, one evil. The righteous side was filled with starlight, the sun and moon shining in unison. The evil side was rampant with demonic intent, exuding a chilling aura.

The two clashing Dao fruits transformed into one another. From time to time, blood would turn into pure water, and the light of the sun, moon, and stars would morph into treasure-lotus thrones within the sea of blood.

"No wonder the Sect Leader always says this generation favors the path of water, as if it were the ultimate good. First, there was Zheng Qiong of the Yinming Sect cultivating the River of the Underworld, and now these two mastering the Sea of Blood and the Three-Light Divine Water. If there is a true successor to the Supreme Path, they must be within the Wuwei School, holding the heart of water." An Earth Immortal from the Taiyuan Palace watched from the shadows. Both men manipulated blood and cloud light, and for the most part, it all related to the path of water.

"Qinghong has truly grasped the essence of the Supreme Path; the Three-Light Divine Water is the perfect weapon in his hands."

With the Azure Tide Pearl and the Three-Light Divine Water, he made a gesture, and the water currents from the pearl wove into a fishing net, casting it over Song Shaoming. Within the net, dense bolts of Ice Soul Extinction Divine Thunder bombarded the sea of blood.

This thunder technique suppressed life force, and the blood in the Sea of Blood was entirely composed of condensed vital essence. In a sense, Qinghong’s thunder technique was the perfect counter to the arts of the Sea of Blood.

He easily encompassed the heavens and earth, drawing the entire Sea of Blood into the range of his Xuanming fishing net.

However, Song Shaoming’s reaction was not slow. As the water net descended, he immediately produced a dark golden lotus leaf and tossed it upward. The blood beneath his feet swirled, and the demonic energy gathered onto the lotus leaf above his head, fusing to form a golden shield like a bell, resisting the water net.

"Change!" Qinghong clapped his hands in the air. The silver threads of the water net transformed into water snakes, their tongues flickering, coiling around the golden bell shield. The twenty-four pearls shone in unison.

With a loud bang, the entire shield was crushed by the water pressure, and the net reformed, binding Song Shaoming.

"This technique is quite remarkable." The Taiyuan Palace observer made a mental note to prepare for future encounters between Du Yue, other sect members, and Qinghong.

Possessing the experience of his past life and guided by Lady Chen, Qinghong did not follow the standard, rigid methods of other immortals or demons. He created spells effortlessly, shaping them according to his will and using his Dao fruit to command water vapor to manifest as various immortal arts.

Thus, after the fishing net was initially blocked, he transformed it twice more, turning it into a net once again to capture his opponent.

***

As the fishing net tightened around him, Song Shaoming struggled twice, then suddenly went completely still.

"Huh?" A chill crept down Qinghong's back. Sensing danger, he launched a counterattack, swinging the Green Cloud Demon-Subduing Banner behind him, but Song Shaoming had already thrust his demonic blade forward.

"A Blood Puppet substitute from the Sea of Blood?" The "Song Shaoming" that the Earth Immortal saw Qinghong grab dissolved into a pool of blood, while the real Song Shaoming appeared behind him, wounding Qinghong with his blade.

Though Qinghong had defended himself in time, the sharp blade still sliced into his ribs, causing him to stumble forward.

The Earth Immortal of Taiyuan Palace twitched his fingers but ultimately did not intervene. *He has the Dragon-Whisker Fan; how could he die so easily?*

Having landed a blow, Song Shaoming swung his blade to strike again.

At that moment, Qinghong gave a strange smile: "My good sir, do you think I don't know the art of substitution?" Qinghong’s entire body exploded into a spray of water, and soft, persistent threads of water coiled around Song Shaoming once more, trapping him in a water prison while Qinghong turned his attention to those in the cave.

Qinghong flicked his finger, and a wisp of cloud-like magical power shot into the cave, striking the demonic creature that had been feeding on blood.

"No!" Song Shaoming’s junior brother’s face changed. Before he could react, there was a loud "pop," and the demonic creature’s skull shattered, splattering blood across the faces of Yuan Chuping and the others.

Seeing the situation turn dire, he scooped up the remaining four people and transformed into a streak of blood-red light to escape.

Qinghong intended to pursue, but the demonic blade inside the water prison behind him turned into a blood-serpent, piercing through the prison and aiming for his throat.

This blood-serpent contained the demonic essence of the Sea of Blood; even with his cultivation of the Three-Light Divine Water, Qinghong dared not let it get too close. He waved his hand, scattering a layer of Three-Light Divine Water, and a lotus flower flashed beneath his feet, transporting him several yards away.

"Cloud-Walking and Rain-Making." He cast his divine ability once more. The sky filled with water vapor, and wind and rain began to fall. As the weather changed, countless threads of water became his weapons.

A thousand thunders became swords, wind became shields, ten thousand raindrops became needles, and mist became armor. The dense barrage of attacks prevented Song Shaoming from launching his own.

Although these attacks were dense, the power of each individual strike was not great. Song Shaoming raised the lotus leaf again, using it as a canopy above his head. After his fellow sect member escaped, he said, "Qinghong, do you really intend to fight me to the death?"

When the Xuan and Yuan sects clashed in daily life, even someone as righteous as Qin Wu would not fight Song Shaoming to the bitter end. The usual practice of the Xuan Sect was to disrupt the Demonic Sect's evil deeds and ruin their plans. If they could kill, they would; if not, they would try again later. Unless there was a deep-seated blood feud, the immortals truly had no leisure to chase someone across thousands of miles.

All grudges would be settled when the great Immortal-Demonic tribulation arrived.

***

Now that Qinghong had interfered, Song Shaoming had let his fellow sect member leave while he remained to cover the retreat, clearly conceding that Qinghong would rescue these children. His junior brother was also clever, leaving the children behind to distract Qinghong.

"You should know that you cannot keep me here!"

Those immortals and demons who had grasped the "One-Yuan Extreme Number" had all firmly stepped into the Divine Form realm. Their Dao fruits communicated with heaven and earth, and their fortune was vast and undiminished; killing such a person was far too difficult. Since the legends of the Four Great Sacred Lands had emerged, it had never been heard of that a successor of a Sacred Land died at the hands of another.

Qinghong recalled his treasure pearls. Song Shaoming mimicked his earlier gesture, pointing a finger toward the cave: "Are you here to save people, or to keep fighting me?"

Qinghong tossed the Azure Tide Pearl up and down, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. Suddenly, he smiled: "Very well. Have a safe journey, Excellency. I hope no accidents befall you on the way."

"That is none of your concern." Song Shaoming twisted his body and transformed into a cloud of blood, fleeing away.

Holding the Green Cloud Demon-Subduing Banner, Qinghong watched the demonic trail vanish and took a step back. He shook the banner, using the green clouds to pull the children out of the cave.

Just then, from beneath one of the children, several dark red poison needles suddenly shot toward Qinghong.

"Such petty tricks, only fit to be laughed at." He watched as the needles flew toward him, but they were dissolved by the Three-Light Divine Water above his head the moment they got close.

Song Shaoming watched from afar. Seeing that his scheme had been perfectly foiled, he had no choice but to give up for now: "So be it. The future is long; there is no need to rush this moment."

"Senior Brother." At that moment, his fellow sect member arrived with Yuan Chuping and the others to regroup.

"Take the people and leave first. We cannot perform the initiation rite here. Go to the Blood Sea Demon Pool in Jin'ao City later. I will give you the key; find someone to capture a few more children to continue." As he spoke, Song Shaoming tossed over a jade pendant.

"And what about you, Senior Brother?"

"I am out looking for materials to refine weapons. I will wander around for a bit. If you find a boy born in the Year, Month, Day, and Hour of the Yang, help me dig out his heart; I will need it for my training later."

Yuan Chuping felt a tremor in his heart. The casual manner in which he spoke of such things sent a chill through his soul.