Netherworld Ghost Fire

“You insolent brat! How dare you act so arrogantly!” The Fire Crow Taoist roared in fury.

Gu Qingfeng’s actions had made it feel insulted—when had a mighty sixth-level Dragon Transformation demon ever been treated with such contempt?

“Die!”

With a flap of its wings, the Fire Crow Taoist shot forward, feet never touching the ground, its body steady as a ghost’s.

Still a dozen yards away, it suddenly raised its right claw—dark green and black, wreathed in black flames—emanating a terrifying, oppressive aura.

The power was scorching and savage!

As the distance closed, the massive black claw rapidly expanded, covering the space around Gu Qingfeng in an instant, stretching across a hundred yards. Black fire blazed like an overwhelming storm of burning clouds.

Feeling the sheer force behind the attack, Gu Qingfeng’s initial rage unexpectedly subsided, replaced by a faint thrill of excitement.

It wasn’t that his temper was fickle—it was hard to stay angry at a demon so eager to deliver him a generous gift.

A sixth-level Dragon Transformation strike, fueled by fury, might just be enough to push his intermediate-level Black Dragon Immortal Body to the next stage. After all, the current strength of his body was roughly equivalent to the first level of Dragon Transformation—facing a sixth-level attack would surely be a feast.

Though inwardly delighted, he still had to put on a show. Consider it practice for his acting skills.

With a swift motion, Gu Qingfeng swung his fist to meet the attack. The Black Dragon Immortal Body activated instantly, covering his fist in jet-black dragon scales. A terrifying aura erupted, accompanied by the phantom roar of a draconic beast.

BOOM!

The collision was like a meteor striking the earth—deafening shockwaves erupted, unleashing waves of destructive energy. For hundreds of yards around them, all plant life and stone were obliterated.

A vicious grin spread across the Fire Crow Taoist’s face—it could sense that the power behind Gu Qingfeng’s punch was laughably weak, incapable of resisting its might.

Yet in the next second, its smile froze.

Its eyes widened in shock as it stared at Gu Qingfeng, who stood completely unharmed, without so much as a scratch.

But Gu Qingfeng had no intention of letting it linger in disbelief.

“Feathered beast, take this punch from your king!”

Gu Qingfeng’s figure vanished—only to reappear behind the Fire Crow Taoist in a flash.

ROAR!

A draconic bellow thundered through the air.

The Fire Crow Taoist’s heart pounded.

Impossible! His speed and strength have increased! He’s now at the second level of Dragon Transformation—was he hiding his power before?!

Though the Fire Crow Taoist’s earlier attack hadn’t pushed the Black Dragon Immortal Body to the next stage, it had significantly boosted its attributes, filling at least a third of the progress bar toward the advanced level. That was why Gu Qingfeng’s strength had suddenly surged.

Without turning, the Fire Crow Taoist spread its wings, unleashing a barrage of black-flamed feathers like arrows to force Gu Qingfeng back.

Yet to its shock, Gu Qingfeng didn’t dodge. He charged straight through the storm of feathers, ignoring the metallic clangs as they struck his body.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

At the same time, the crisp chimes of a system notification rang incessantly.

[Host attacked by Fire Crow Taoist.]

[Defense +10,000 +10,000 +10,000…]

[Fire Resistance +1,000 +1,000 +1,000…]

Feeling the deadly wind at the back of its head, the Fire Crow Taoist’s pupils shrank. Instinctively, it jerked its head down, narrowly avoiding Gu Qingfeng’s punch.

Missing once didn’t deter Gu Qingfeng—he immediately pressed forward, his monstrous physique resembling that of a primordial beast as he unleashed a flurry of punches, enveloping the Fire Crow Taoist in a storm of attacks.

Though shaken by Gu Qingfeng’s absurd defense, the Fire Crow Taoist was still a sixth-level Dragon Transformation demon. Moreover, demonic physiques naturally surpassed those of humans—it was no slouch in close combat.

Its wings slashed through the air with hurricane force, countering Gu Qingfeng’s relentless assault.

Fists clashed against claws, sonic booms erupting with every exchange. Their movements blurred into afterimages, their battle spanning the sky as if countless versions of them were fighting at once.

Gradually, the fight intensified. A hundred-yard black dragon phantom materialized around Gu Qingfeng, each strike infused with draconic might.

Meanwhile, the Fire Crow Taoist’s presence swelled even greater—a thousand-yard black-feathered fire crow soared behind it, its attacks igniting the sky with flames.

On the surface, the Fire Crow Taoist seemed to hold an overwhelming advantage. Yet inwardly, its shock only grew.

How is this possible?! His strength keeps increasing—from the first level to now the third level of Dragon Transformation!

What kind of body is this?! Not only has he taken hundreds of my strikes without injury, but my flames don’t even affect him!

Damn it!

This brat is unnatural. I can’t keep this up.

While the Fire Crow Taoist reeled in horror, Gu Qingfeng only grew more exhilarated. The dragon phantom around him solidified further, its size expanding as the Black Dragon Immortal Body inched closer to the advanced stage.

Suddenly, the Fire Crow Taoist spread its wings wide, trading one last blow before using the recoil to disengage.

Putting distance between them, it stared at Gu Qingfeng, all traces of earlier disdain replaced by wariness and dread.

“Brat, I don’t know what trick you’re playing, but this ends now!”

With a furious roar, the Fire Crow Taoist’s demonic power surged. The black flames covering its body erupted into a towering inferno, soaring dozens of yards into the air like a blazing mountain.

Gu Qingfeng clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Fist against flesh is the romance of men. Hiding from a fight to spam skills? That’s just cowardly.”

His tone carried a hint of envy—after all, he lacked any flashy techniques.

The Single-Character Burning Sun Sword he usually used was too weak—fine against grandmasters, but against Dragon Transformation experts, it was little more than a tickle.

The only exception was the heaven-grade martial art, Cross-Shaped Netherworld Flame Sword, but without netherflames, he couldn’t even activate it.

At that moment, the Fire Crow Taoist’s flames underwent a bizarre transformation. The towering inferno suddenly condensed, collapsing into a terrifying black hole—like a solar flare, radiating endless, scorching heat. In an instant, the surrounding miles were engulfed in fire.

“Qin Rusong died to this move,” the Fire Crow Taoist sneered. “Enjoy.”

A thunderous cry echoed:

“Yang Begets Yin—Netherworld Ghostflame!”

As the words faded, the temperature plummeted. The raging flames vanished, replaced by a creeping layer of black ice that spread across the land.

In the blink of an eye, the ice sealed everything for miles.

Then—from the black hole—a single black lotus, sculpted from ice, bloomed. It pulsed with devastating energy as it drifted toward Gu Qingfeng.