- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 234
After an intense battle, five of the nine heads of the giant python had been severed, and its massive body was covered in sword wounds. Realizing that the spiritual ganoderma was beyond its reach and that continuing the fight would cost it its thousand years of cultivation, the python spat out its demonic core.
At the cost of a hundred years of its cultivation, it managed to temporarily repel the Seven Sons of the Cloud’s flying swords and conjured a demonic cloud to make its escape.
“You think you can flee, demon? Form the Big Dipper Seven-Star Sword Formation!” Chu Yuxiang roared. He poured all the remaining true essence from his core into stabilizing the flying swords, forcing them back into action despite their prior disturbance.
He knew the importance of finishing off the evil entirely. If they allowed the nine-headed python to escape and return after recovering, the Lotus Fairy would be in grave danger, and how could they then accept her *Zengyuan Dan* as payment?
“Heavenly Pivot, Heavenly Jade, Heavenly Balance, Heavenly Power, Jade Cross, Open Sun, Shaking Light—Seven Stars to vanquish the demon!”
The other six cultivators also unleashed all of their remaining true essence, guiding their swords into the sky to form the Seven-Star Formation above the fleeing demonic cloud.
As the Big Dipper Sword Formation took shape, it drew upon the power of the stars. The seven flying swords began to glow brightly once again, shooting toward the nine-headed python in seven beams of light.
The python, terrified, spat out its demonic core again in desperation to defend itself. In the world of demons, there is no equivalent to the Nascent Soul or Primordial Spirit. All their true essence is eventually condensed into their demonic core, and for a demon with a thousand years of cultivation like the nine-headed python, this core was on par with a Nascent Soul cultivator’s.
With a deafening explosion, the light subsided. Ultimately, the Seven Sons’ Big Dipper Sword Formation proved stronger. The massive body of the nine-headed python was reduced to chunks of flesh, and its demonic core fell to the ground, dim and lifeless.
Meanwhile, the spiritual ganoderma, now fully transformed, took the form of a small child no bigger than a palm and gently landed on the ground.
The Lotus Fairy, reverting to her human form, rushed forward to cradle the tiny spirit child. Just as she was about to express her gratitude to the Seven Sons of the Cloud, a blood-red flash suddenly appeared behind her. It materialized into a middle-aged man, who struck her viciously on the back with a blood-soaked palm.
The Lotus Fairy was severely wounded by the strike and reverted to her original lotus form, while the spirit child ganoderma was sent flying.
“Hahaha! The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Today, both the spiritual ganoderma and the lotus are mine!” The middle-aged man laughed triumphantly. His hands formed massive blood-red palms, reaching out to grab the spirit ganoderma and the weakened Lotus Fairy.
He had been waiting, hidden, for this exact moment. With the python dead and the Seven Sons of the Cloud nearly drained of their true essence, there was no longer any threat.
Capturing both the transformed ganoderma and the thousand-year-old Lotus Fairy would greatly boost his power, giving him a real chance to reach the Earth Immortal stage.
Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to kill the Seven Sons of the Cloud. With the grand plan of his master, the Blood Demon, still years away, killing them now would provoke Emei’s elite cultivators to hunt him down.
However, capturing the Lotus Fairy and her spiritual ganoderma was within reach. With the support of his master, even the revered White-Browed Immortal wouldn’t have a reason to target him.
Just as his demonic blood palms were about to capture the ganoderma and Lotus Fairy, a massive surge of energy burst forth from behind him—an energy source he had barely noticed before, dismissing it as a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“Eight Gates Release—Death Gate!”
Leo body was now enveloped in the red dragon-shaped chakra of the *Eight Gates Technique*. He kicked ferociously toward the middle-aged demonic cultivator.
Leo had sensed someone lurking nearby long before, though he didn’t know what kind of technique the enemy had used to hide. He only knew that whoever it was would strike when everyone else was at their weakest and least prepared.
When the Seven Sons unleashed the Big Dipper Sword Formation to kill the python, Leo descended from his vantage point to the mountain top, ready to strike at any moment. The instant he saw the Lotus Fairy take a severe blow, he knew the attacker wasn’t at the Core Formation stage.
Without hesitation, he opened the final gate of the *Eight Gates Technique*, the Death Gate, and unleashed his most powerful technique—*Night Guy*—aiming a devastating kick at the enemy.
The mantis might have stalked the cicada, but the oriole hadn’t realized there was an unnoticed snake waiting to strike from the shadows.
“Blood Demon Disintegration!”
Caught off guard after his successful ambush, the demonic cultivator had been completely focused on capturing the Lotus Fairy and the ganoderma. He had no time to defend against Leo sudden attack and was forced to use a life-saving technique that would severely damage his own cultivation.
With a thunderous boom, Leo kick hit the demonic cultivator’s lower back, but instead of being destroyed like the Xuanyin Sect elder, the demonic cultivator dissolved into a cloud of blood mist and escaped. Hundreds of meters above, the mist reformed into his original body, though clearly weakened.
“As expected, not so easy to kill,” Leo muttered to himself. The fact that this demonic cultivator could seriously wound the Lotus Fairy meant he was likely at the Nascent Soul stage, though not at the Earth Immortal stage—if he were, he wouldn’t have needed to be so secretive.
Leo hadn’t expected his attack to kill the demonic cultivator outright. Given the unknown nature of his opponent’s techniques, Leo didn’t pursue the matter further. He immediately deactivated the *Eight Gates Technique*.
Although the perfected version of the Extremis Virus allowed him to survive opening the Death Gate, keeping it open for too long would still place an immense strain on his body. It was best to close it as soon as the attack was finished.
“Fairy, are you all right?” Leo asked.
A weak voice came from the lotus flower on the ground. “I was struck by his filthy blood. I can’t return to human form or use my magic for now.”
The Seven Sons of the Cloud, having regained their composure, swiftly flew over to stand beside Leo.
“Be careful. That’s Xue Shenzi of the Blood Demon Palace, a disciple of the Youquan Blood Demon. He’s at the mid-Nascent Soul stage,” Chu Yuxiang warned, glancing at the demonic cultivator in the sky.
Xue Shenzi glared down at Leo and the others, his eyes filled with malice. “I didn’t expect such a formidable opponent hiding among you. I don’t kill nameless cultivators. Tell me your name.”
“Hmph, I don’t hide my name. I am Li Qingfeng! If you’ve got the guts, come down here and let’s fight it out!” Leo taunted, putting on a facade of arrogance and mockery.
Leo hoped to provoke Xue Shenzi into coming down to engage him in close combat, where his *Eight Gates Technique* would be most effective.
But Xue Shenzi, a cunning cultivator with over 600 years of experience, wasn’t so easily tricked. He waved his hand dismissively. “A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator dares boast in front of me? Taste my *Blood River Technique*!”
Suddenly, a river of blood surged forth from Xue Shenzi’s body, rushing toward Leo and the others like a tidal wave.
Chu Yuxiang’s face turned grim. “The Blood Demon Palace cultivators don’t rely on magical treasures. They cultivate with tainted blood, which can defile magical items and dissolve flesh. Be careful, Brother Qingfeng.”
With that warning, he mustered what little true essence he had left and, alongside the other six, controlled his flying sword to block the approaching blood river.