The crimson dragon formed from the streak of red light in the sky drew closer and closer to Qin Qingwan.
No one knew what this red dragon was or how it had emerged from within Baiwa City.
At the center of the formation, Qin Qingwan's feet were tightly bound by red chains, preventing her from taking even a single step away.
"What's happening here?" Xu Ming asked Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng, who stood beside him.
"We... we don't know either," Yu Wenxi replied anxiously, muttering to herself as her mind raced for answers.
This formation wasn't supposed to require a sacrifice, yet judging by the current situation, it was evident that the formation had taken Qin Qingwan as its offering.
"Don't stay here, leave quickly!" Qin Qingwan shouted at Xu Ming.
"You all go first." Xu Ming understood that he couldn't blame Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng.
Seeing their guilt-stricken and helpless expressions, he realized that they, too, had not anticipated such a situation. There was no reason to fault them.
"Brother Xu, you..."
Before Yu Wenxi could finish persuading him, Xu Ming had already stepped forward and entered the formation.
"Roar!"
At the same time, the crimson dragon lunged toward the formation!
Xu Ming assumed a fighting stance, intense martial qi swirling violently around him. His blood boiled within his veins as he activated a berserk state fueled by his life essence, surrounding himself in a blood-red aura like a fiery cloak.
"Xu Ming! Get out of here! Don't act recklessly!" Qin Qingwan called out anxiously.
Although she was touched that Xu Ming stood before her at such a dangerous moment, her emotions were conflicted.
After all, you're supposed to standing before He Qingqing, not Qin Qingwan! Could it be that after such a short time together, you're willing to risk your life for a woman already?
Fortunately, Xu Ming couldn't read minds.
Otherwise, faced with this kind of "romantic misunderstanding" during a life-and-death moment, he might have coughed up blood in frustration.
"Honkk!!!"
A large white goose flapped its wings and flew toward Xu Ming.
Being of the demon race, the goose had an innate sense of danger.
Its instincts screamed that if Xu Ming faced the crimson dragon head-on, he would undoubtedly be in mortal peril.
But the white goose couldn't leave this big fool behind!
As the crimson dragon drew nearer, Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng, filled with inner conflict, exchanged a glance before flying toward Xu Ming.
A kindness repaid a hundredfold—let alone the fact that Xu Ming had saved their lives before. This was far more than just a small favor!
However, just as they reached midair, a surge of red spiritual energy erupted, blasting the pair and the goose back to the ground!
The formation beneath Qin Qingwan's feet glowed even brighter, and the crimson dragon seemed to grow more ferocious, as though imbued with life.
"Xu Ming!"
Qin Qingwan desperately tried everything she could think of to protect Xu Ming, but her body, save for her neck, was completely immobilized. She couldn't even use the magical treasures in her storage pouch.
She could only watch helplessly as Xu Ming was about to be consumed by the crimson light.
Facing the crimson dragon formed from the light, Xu Ming furrowed his brows, realizing that things were not looking good for him.
But he didn't retreat a single step. Instead, he tightened his stance.
Mountain Shaking Fist—Shatter the Mountain!
With a powerful punch, Xu Ming sent a surge of intense martial qi colliding with the crimson dragon.
Xu Ming felt as though his body was on the verge of breaking apart. Both his physical form and spirit were teetering on the edge of collapse!
"Howl!"
At that moment, a hopping zombie darted toward Xu Ming.
When it was about ten meters away, the hopping zombie ripped the necklace from its neck and flung it in Xu Ming's direction.
The orb on the necklace pierced through the formation's barrier and crashed into the crimson light.
Just as Xu Ming felt he was about to perish, something crashed directly into him! Instinctively, he reached out to grab it.
However, the orb, like a drop of water, dissolved instantly and merged into his body.
---
In the Toad Temple, human cultivators and outsider demons clashed fiercely with the monks inside.
Though the monks of the Toad Temple were on par in cultivation with the intruders, the combined numbers of the human cultivators and the outsider demons far outmatched the monks.
What puzzled everyone was that each time someone—human or demon—died, their body would explode into a cluster of light, completely annihilated in both body and soul, leaving not even a drop of blood behind.
Gradually, the numerical advantage of the attackers pushed the monks into a losing position.
Half an hour later, as Xia Donghua's sword pierced through the heart of the Toad Temple's abbot, the last monk fell.
"Amitabha. Benefactors, may you tread carefully on your paths," the abbot said, hands pressed together in prayer, before closing his eyes.
As the sword was withdrawn from his chest, the abbot's body collapsed and scattered into countless points of light.
"Move!" Xia Donghua commanded gravely.
Though many lives had been lost in this assault on the Toad Temple, what did it matter? None of them were his.
What worried Xia Donghua was the toll the battle had taken on their strength. With so much energy expended, killing the toad demon they sought would likely prove even more difficult.
Xia Donghua and the White Snake Kingdom's prince, She Yu, each led their groups of humans and demons into the main hall.
Inside, candles flickered, their wavering flames casting shadows across the golden toad statue at the hall's center.
The toad, shaped to mimic a meditating Buddha, should have looked grotesquely out of place. Yet under the moonlight and the glow of the candles, it exuded an air of solemn majesty.
"Do you understand the law of cause and effect?" the five-meter-tall golden toad asked as it opened its eyes and gazed at them.
"Hand over the treasure! Surrender the path to the outside world, and I'll spare your life!" Xia Donghua said, pointing his sword at the golden toad.
"You want the treasure?" The golden toad smiled as it surveyed the crowd.
The White Snake Kingdom prince's eyes lit up. "That's right. Hand it to me, and I'll protect you. We're both demons; demons don't deceive each other."
"If that's the case, then I shall give it to you," the golden toad replied.
Raising its head, it spat toward the sky, releasing a blood-red demon core from its belly.
A fierce wind swept through the temple.
From every living resident of Baiwa City, a thread of blood essence rose from their bodies, spiraling around the demon core. The gathered blood essence formed a scarlet dragon that burst out of the temple.
Everyone looked up at the crimson dragon of blood essence.
The golden toad's voice echoed in their ears:
"This dragon is the treasure you seek. Before dawn, whoever claims it will become the master of Baiwa City."