The crimson flames and the white sword light collided repeatedly, causing intense explosions one after another.
The city of Xuanjing below was affected and soon was engulfed in a sea of flames.
The fight between the two didn't last very long. Kou Hong was originally not as advanced in his cultivation as Dao Xuanzi, and he was already weakened by the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma, so he was quickly at a disadvantage.
Dao Xuanzi did not show mercy either; his swordsmanship became more fierce.
At this moment, the old voice echoed once again.
"Dao Xuanzi is fickle with a vengeful nature, if he wins, we will certainly end up dead. My fellow warriors, obey the order and assist Immortal Teacher Kou Hong in fighting against Dao Xuanzi!"
Kou Hong, hearing this, was immediately overjoyed.
He teleported away from Dao Xuanzi in a flash. Watching Dao Xuanzi getting overwhelmed by the incoming bullets, he triumphantly shouted: "Just as the saying goes, those who do evil shall perish by their own deeds. I never expected that Dao Xuanzi, who has always held himself high, would betray his own principles and suffer retribution!"
Initially, Dao Xuanzi was already annoyed by the tactics of this secret enemy. Hearing Kou Hong's words now, he was even more furious, to the point of nearly vomiting blood.
"You idiot!" he couldn't bear it anymore and yelled at Kou Hong.
"Great! Now that you have spoken your mind!" Kou Hong resisted fiercely, retorting, "You believe yourself to be smart, yet why do all, including the ordinary mortals that you painstakingly recruited, betray you? This is the result of your own cleverness leading to your downfall!"
Hearing this, Dao Xuanzi was speechless. He ignored this idiot and just let his sword light flash, reaping the lives of the mortal soldiers who dared to attack him.
However, these mortals were like locusts; no matter how many he killed, they just kept coming. They sprang up faster than he could strike them down.
Additionally, Dao Xuanzi had to remain cautious of the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma, and could only use long-range methods to kill them, which were quite energy-consuming. For a moment, the battlefield was in a strange state of deadlock.
Just then, that old voice reverberated again, lingering persistently.
"Immortal Teacher Kou Hong, our warriors are almost all dead or injured. After Dao Xuanzi massacres us all, do you really think you can escape unscathed? If you don't act now, when will you?" The voice was filled with urgency and even contained a hint of sobbing.
Kou Hong was reminded by the voice, and suddenly realized his situation.
Looking at Dao Xuanzi, his face turned solemn: "Indeed. Dao Xuanzi, we have been friends for a century. Although we have turned against each other because of the Golden Core Technique, we are both seeking immortality and, well, we each play to our strengths, there's nothing wrong with that. I will give you one last chance. If you give up the Golden Core Technique and retreat, I will not cause you trouble. Otherwise, I'm afraid only one of us will survive."
Dao Xuanzi let out a sigh, but did not speak a word. He simply raised his sword and confronted Kou Hong.
"So be it. In this recent period of fleeing, I have also come to comprehend a new Taoist Technique that would be perfect for sending you on your way!" Kou Hong said with a solemn expression.
He then drew a symbol with his hand: "Taoist Technique: Imprisoned Dragon!"
Dao Xuanzi's surroundings, in all four directions, suddenly had chains of fire appearing, vaguely forming an array, creating a massive cage, trapping him in the middle.
"Break for me!" Dao Xuanzi felt an immense pressure abruptly imposed on him and his expression was grave. He took a deep breath and a rusty iron sword's shadow faintly emerged behind him.
With the enhancement of the sword shadow, the sword light he emitted seemed to have obtained some kind of blessing. As it hit the fiery cage, the originally raging flames immediately fell into stillness and abruptly dimmed.
Kou Hong seemed well-prepared for this. He laughed loudly: "Dao Xuanzi, we have fought side by side countless times during our hundred years of friendship. Outsiders always say that my cultivation is far inferior to yours, and this indeed is the truth. However, cultivation is one thing, and fighting is another. If we were to genuinely face life and death, who will win and who will lose, it's still unknown!"
"Since it has come to this point, you shouldn't hold anything back anymore. Let me see whether your Taoist Mystic Sword is more powerful or my Taoist Technique is superior!"
In Kou Hong's eyes, unlimited fighting spirit erupted: "Taoist Technique: Devouring Dragon!"
The flames, which had dimmed, unexpectedly extinguished completely, whilst the complexion of Dao Xuanzi drastically changed along with the disappearance of the fiery cage.
It turned out that underneath the chains of fire which formed the cage, were hidden brown branches. They were like deadly snakes lying in ambush, waiting for the right moment to strike. Now that the flames were suddenly extinguished, they shot towards Dao Xuanzi with lightning speed. On their way, they kept growing and spreading wildly; in just a moment they formed a cluster of twisted creatures, preparing to devour Dao Xuanzi!
"Dao Xuanzi Giant Sword!" At the critical moment, Dao Xuanzi, though surprised, managed to keep his calm.
In the sky, the mysterious shadow of the giant rusty sword was fully revealed.
The Curled Dragon Branch paused as if it had come across its natural enemy. But immediately after, stimulated somehow, it rushed towards Dao Xuanzi even more fiercely.
Dao Xuanzi swung his sword, the shadow behind him also moved in unison.
The space in front of him solidified like the surface of water subjected to frigid air.
The twitching Curled Dragon Branch collided with the Giant Sword Dao Xuan but only managed to stand its ground for a moment before being thrown back.
The branches quickly transformed into shiny fragments, exploding. It seemed the ferocious Curled Dragon Branch was no match for the Taoist Mystic Sword!
The carefully prepared Taoist Technique was broken with a single strike. The Giant Sword's shadow was about to reach right in front of him, but Kou Hong did not dodge or avoid it, his eyes showing no fear.
"Taoist Technique: Transforming Dragon!"
On Kou Hong's loud shout, a small portion of the shattering Curled Dragon Branch fragments instantly came back to life.
They quickly came together, forming a brand new Curled Dragon Branch.
It was even deeper in color than the twisted creature from before, and on its tip, it had two protrusions, just like horns of a dragon!
The Curled Dragon Branch acted like a sharp sword, and without considering anything else, it thrust towards Dao Xuanzi, accompanied with a faint sound of a dragon chanting!
A glimmer of appreciation flashed in Dao Xuanzi's eyes, but the Giant Sword Dao Xuan didn't slow down at all.
A life-and-death struggle is a test of who is more decisive and ruthless!
The one who wins lives, the one who loses dies, that's all there is to it!
Just at this critical moment, that elderly voice, which kept reverberating over the city of Xuanjing, rang out again.
"Immortal Teacher Kou Hong, we will lend you our strength!"
Before he had finished speaking, numerous tails of flames had already screamed towards Dao Xuanzi from all directions, exploding into a rain of blood!
"Ah!" Caught off guard, Dao Xuanzi let out a miserable scream, and his momentum suddenly decreased.
The Taoist Mystic Shadow also started to dim, and the Curled Dragon Branch took advantage of the situation, going against the current, piercing through the frozen space to strike Dao Xuanzi!
The sword shadow produced by Dao Xuanzi, however, like a spent force, only managed to make Kou Hong cough up a few mouthfuls of fresh blood before it dissipated.
"Cough, cough..." Dao Xuanzi gave a bitter laugh, wanted to say something but could no longer speak.
In just a moment, under the devouring power of the Curled Dragon Branch, he turned into a skeleton!