Chapter Eighteen: Ghostly Fire in the Night (Part 2)

Flames rose around me, and the women in fiery dresses conjured brilliant red flames, launching several fire arrows in my direction. I spun around, hastily summoning an ice lotus to form a shield that barely managed to deflect their attack.

Seeing Granny Sun's hand fall, another wave of meteoric fire rained down upon me. The magical power sustaining my shield was already thinning, and the barrier felt like a layer of rice paper, ready to shatter at any moment.

Strangely, my ice lotus, forged from millennia-old mystical ice, should not have feared fire. Yet today, it struggled against these spells from the Fiery Hall.

I looked up and saw the women moving in coordinated harmony, their positions evenly spaced. As they cast their spells, a red light emerged beneath their feet, forming the shape of flames that nearly engulfed them. They continued to channel their power into a large fireball above them, oblivious to their impending doom. Some had already melted into puddles of thick blood, dripping onto the ground.

Finally, the blinding fireball exploded, releasing a piercing screech as a blood-red flame surged toward me.

The fireball expanded as it fell, eventually spreading out like a fiery wall against my spiritual shield. I barely managed to hold off the sharp, molten wall, the ice lotus in my hand trembling with heat. A flaming feather brushed past my face, and when I reached to block it, the fire burned into my skin, leaving a searing red mark that sent sharp pains through my nerves.

The silhouette within the flames was blurred, but from the screeching cry, I could guess its nature.

A Vermilion Bird. One of the four ancient divine beasts, described in ancient texts as resembling a white crane with a crown of splendid feathers, its body engulfed in fierce flames, exuding an overwhelming aura of power that instilled terror in those who heard it. However, the Vermilion Bird was also known for its voracious appetite for human flesh and its extreme ferocity. Legends say that after a great battle with the four great spirit beasts, the Vermilion Birds suffered heavy losses, and even the survivors were tamed.

But what I faced now was not a divine beast but a manifestation of pure evil, created through sacrificial rituals that mimicked its form but failed to fully recreate it.

The vivid red in the sky felt blinding, like the extreme red color gushing from the stitched seams of a cold corpse, staining everything in sight.

These people had likely gone mad, willing to sacrifice everything, even their lives, to capture us. In other words, they were fanatical followers of destruction, fully aware of Yi'er's identity as a disciple of the Qiongyun Sect. Fearing intervention from our sect, they had planned from the start to leave no room for retreat, unaware that I would unexpectedly join this dangerous game.

To them, this high-stakes gamble was no gamble at all; they had long become soulless puppets controlled by others.

I looked with disdain at Granny Sun, who was leisurely combing her hair, and finally forced out some cold words. "The infamous Xinghuo Hall truly goes all out for us, ruthless and evil."

Granny Sun caught the implication in my words and shot me a contemptuous glance. "Little girl, don't underestimate yourself. Since you appeared here with Xin'er, it means you are also a disciple of the Qiongyun Sect. Now that one has escaped, I won't let you leave easily to report back."

She extended her ten fingers in front of her, blowing on them carefully before adding, "But don't worry. After I kill you, I'll send someone to fetch her so you can reunite in the afterlife. You won't be lonely on your journey."

"If you knew about this, why wait until now to act? Going to such lengths just to capture one person, aren't you afraid of being discovered and failing?" I asked, trying to stall while retracting the ice lotus into my hand.

"Do you really think I'm a fool? Since that little girl arrived, I've been keeping an eye on her. Just when I was about to act, you walked right into the trap." She spoke casually, completely unconcerned about whether Yi'er could escape. She whistled, then leisurely sipped her tea.

The whistle seemed to carry a spell, as a sharp, mournful screech echoed from the blood mass above, and it dived toward me with spread wings like a whirlwind.

The intense light of the flames revealed hook-like claws reaching for me. I dodged and hurled the ice lotus, leaving frosty trails that the agile creature easily avoided, shedding only a few burning orange feathers.

The fireball seemed determined, gathering its strength for another dive, its beak aimed directly at my head. I cast a spell, throwing a petal from the ice lotus upward. It landed perfectly into its gaping beak.

Seizing the moment, I drew the serpentine dagger from my waist and hurled it at the fireball. With a flurry of spells, I released the cold energy locked within the ice lotus, transforming it into a chain of ice that ensnared the fireball. In no time, frost encased the fierce flames completely.

This method proved effective. The Nine Nether Cold Spring Incantation from the "Frost Condensation Technique," given by the Grand Immortal, couldn't trap a true Vermilion Bird, but it was more than enough to deal with this half-baked vengeful spirit.

I barely had time to catch my breath before feeling a sharp itch on my arm. Looking down, I noticed a small black wound the size of a fingernail.

Amidst the grating laughter, I looked up to see Granny Sun carefully trimming her nails with a blade, the black energy emanating from her fingertips indicating she had launched a malevolent attack at me.

This technique was subtle and insidious, a despicable tactic.

Knowing I couldn't make a rash move, I devised a plan to lure Granny Sun down.

"Out of real moves, now resorting to cheap tricks? Laughable. The Xinghuo Hall's true abilities are unseen; all I see are underhanded tactics like outnumbering and ambushing. Truly despicable," I taunted, feigning anger while secretly casting a spell to control the spread of the poison. Granny Sun finally lost her patience, shouting angrily as she grabbed a red whip and attacked.

I chuckled lightly, the ice lotus floating at my fingertips. With a flick, it emitted an icy blue light that deflected the whip strike.

Spinning gracefully, the petals danced between my fingers and flew towards her with a swift "whoosh." Several dark red cuts appeared on her body, eliciting sharp screams.

"You wretched girl, you do have some skills. Let's see how long you can keep boasting," Granny Sun snarled, her face contorting like wrinkled paper, baring her yellowed teeth in a painful grimace. "Surrender now, and I might spare you to become my master's favorite. Otherwise, I'll burn you to ashes." The women in fiery dresses surrounded me, ready to attack on her command.

They didn't care about this place, willing to burn it down if necessary. If they intended to kill me with fire, many innocent lives would be endangered.

I couldn't act recklessly; I had to take out the leader with a single strike.

With a plan forming in my mind, I shouted, "Keep dreaming!" and lunged at her. As she swung her whip, I leaned back, using the momentum to crash into the Eight Immortals table and feign unconsciousness.

"You wretched girl, thought you could flutter around like a moth? Serves you right. This saves me a lot of trouble. You, go upstairs and keep an eye on those girls. Don't let any of them escape," she ordered, her voice growing distant as footsteps approached.

I felt a sharp pain as my scalp was yanked, hot breath like a dog's panting blowing on my face, causing an itch.

Was this supposed to be soul extraction? It felt strange. Unable to bear it, I opened my eyes to see her already twisted face wrinkling further. Disgusted, I reversed my grip and summoned an ice dagger, pressing it against her neck.

"You dared to feign death to deceive me!" she spat.

"So what? All's fair in war," I retorted, forcing her towards the hidden exit. "This is bad for you, isn't it?"

Though defiant, she had no choice but to comply. As we reached the sealed icy entrance, sharp projectiles whistled down at my feet.

With a swift motion, I cut a deep gash in her neck. "Don't try anything, or I'll sever her head right now."

But the women, like they hadn't heard, launched several fire blades at us. I deflected them with the ice lotus, shattering the icy seal over the hidden path.

"You're a failure as a leader," I taunted, pressing the blade harder against her neck. Observing the others, I realized they moved mechanically, like puppets.

These weren't living beings. From their suicidal tactics earlier, it was clear they didn't value their lives or others', acting as cold, ruthless automatons.

"Fine, if she means nothing to you, I'll kill her. But first, I'll cut off her ear. Catch it!" I knew they wouldn't listen, but I threatened Granny Sun anyway, letting the blade graze her earlobe. In a flash, I struck her, then leaped into the hidden passage.