"Senior Brother Wu will definitely win!"
"Senior Brother Wu is mighty!"
Seeing Wu Hongfei gaining a significant advantage, the remaining dozen or so members of the Blood Refining Sect shouted excitedly.
Lin Haoming had never seen Fa Yuan beaten so badly before, and he also secretly sighed at Wu Hongfei's profound foundation. He hadn't even used his strongest moves when fighting Fa Yuan before.
Of course, if Fa Yuan transformed to the third stage, even if Wu Hongfei certainly couldn't win now, the key was that Fa Yuan didn't have that ability.
Just as Lin Haoming thought this...
Being relentlessly attacked and barely able to retaliate, Fa Yuan seemed enraged.
With a roar, his body crackled and popped as he grew even larger, transforming into a towering giant over ten feet tall in a very short time.
Seeing Fa Yuan transform again, Lin Haoming was surprised. Looking closely at Fa Yuan, although he looked the same as before, his expression seemed to be one of extreme pain.
Wu Hongfei was terrified by Fa Yuan's second transformation. Knowing the power Fa Yuan gained after his second transformation, he immediately abandoned his previous onslaught, retreating to within ten feet of Fa Yuan and beginning to use his flying sword to harass Fa Yuan's seemingly vulnerable eyes and groin.
Before his injury, after the second transformation, although his size increased, his speed also increased significantly. But now, while his size had changed, his speed had completely vanished.
It wasn't that Fa Yuan didn't want to instantly reach Wu Hongfei, but rather that his body couldn't keep up.
Wu Hongfei remained vigilant towards Fa Yuan, but while Fa Yuan had the will, his body couldn't keep up, barely managing to parry Wu Hongfei's flying sword attacks.
In just a short while, Wu Hongfei discerned Fa Yuan's problem, realizing that Lin Hao's earlier claim that Fa Yuan was injured was indeed true.
This boosted his confidence, and he wielded the flying sword with even greater precision.
This fierce battle quickly lasted a quarter of an hour.
Fa Yuan only defended against the flying sword attacks, never launching a single offensive. It was clear to everyone that once Fa Yuan exhausted himself, defeat would be inevitable.
"Fa Yuan, if you're going to force this, then let it go!" Having dragged on for so long, Fa Kong finally spoke up.
He knew Fa Yuan's background. If this guy perished here, even if he returned with top-grade spirit stones, he would likely face punishment. At this moment, he was more anxious than anyone else.
Fa Yuan had never lost to someone of the same cultivation level before, and he was unwilling to accept defeat.
Fa Kong's words ignited his arrogance. He immediately patted his storage pouch, and a palm-sized bronze mirror appeared in his hand.
Fa Yuan spat out a mouthful of blood essence into the mirror, which then flashed with a bloody light and flew into the air.
This was the first time Fa Yuan had used a magical artifact besides his Buddhist prayer beads, surprising everyone, including Wu Hongfei.
While everyone was astonished, Fa Yuan then repeatedly pounded his chest and spat out two more mouthfuls of blood essence, spraying them directly onto the bronze mirror.
This blood essence was the blood essence stored in the human heart; each person could only condense a small amount. Losing too much could cause even a cultivator to fall seriously ill, or even experience a regression in cultivation.
Fa Yuan's sudden outpouring of so much blood essence astonished even Hu Xiangzhen.
Previously, when she herself activated the full power of the talisman, the amount of blood she spat out was less than half of what Fa Yuan had expelled. Even so, it significantly damaged her aura. Fa Yuan's actions were utterly insane.
Knowing his madness, fear flickered in Wu Hongfei's eyes. He didn't know what Fa Yuan was planning to do.
Just as everyone stared at the bronze mirror, holding their breath, they saw Fa Yuan point a finger at it. The mirror immediately turned downwards, emitting a soft light.
The light seemed gentle, but when it shone on him, Wu Hongfei felt a heavy weight pressing down on him.
This feeling terrified Wu Hongfei.
But even as he was astonished, Fa Yuan moved.
Although his movements were still somewhat sluggish, Fa Yuan was clearly unaffected by the bronze mirror's light, while he himself found it increasingly difficult to move.
"I surrender!"
Just as Fa Yuan reached Wu Hongfei, the sluggish Wu Hongfei immediately shouted. Hearing his cry, Fa Yuan didn't stop; he threw out both fists at him simultaneously.
Wu Hongfei, seeing this, also threw out both fists.
With a crisp crack, Wu Hongfei was sent flying backward. The bones in both arms, from the force of the blows, broke and pierced through the flesh, protruding completely. His hands were unrecognizable.
Wu Hongfei's fate was extremely tragic, but his desperate last stand, though destroying his hands, at least saved his life.
Lin Haoming, seeing this, felt a pang of regret, as did Fa Yuan. Even if he wanted to continue the pursuit, Qiao Chun and the others wouldn't give up.
Having lost the chance to kill Wu Hongfei, Fayuan didn't dwell on the matter any longer. He turned to Hu Xiangzhen and said with a smile, "Zhenzhen, it's your turn. Come! Let this humble monk help you pass on!"
Hu Xiangzhen looked at Fayuan, whose face had become somewhat ferocious due to his second transformation, and her own face turned deathly pale.
She had already recognized the bronze mirror; it was a top-grade magic artifact. Normally, only Foundation Establishment stage cultivators could unleash the full power of such artifacts. Qi Refining stage disciples could only unleash a small amount of power, and it consumed a lot of mana, making it less powerful than using a high-grade magic artifact directly.
To truly unleash the power of a top-grade magic artifact, a Qi Refining stage cultivator could only do so by using their essence blood, like Fayuan had done. However, the essence blood he spat out had already damaged his foundation, so even Hu Xiangzhen, most people would never do such a thing.
Of course, Hu Xiangzhen didn't step forward despite Fayuan's call. Although she knew Fayuan couldn't hold out for long, she didn't know how long he could.
"Heh heh, Zhenzhen, are you afraid to step forward? Don't worry, this humble monk will risk his life to help you pass on!" Fayuan sneered.
Hearing Fayuan's words, Hu Xiangzhen felt a chill run through her body. She felt as if she were being watched by a venomous snake.
At this moment, Qiao Chun ordered someone to treat Wu Hongfei's injuries and urged, "Fairy Hu, if you don't step forward, we'll consider it a forfeit from Tianjian Mountain!"
"Even if you want me to fight, Fayuan, shouldn't you put away your magical artifact first?" Hu Xiangzhen retorted.
Fayuan smiled and pointed at the bronze mirror, which immediately returned to his hand.
Seeing Fa Yuan put away his magical artifact, Hu Xiangzhen was overjoyed. She truly believed that once he put it away, he wouldn't be able to use it again. If he used it on her again, it would completely damage her Dao foundation, leaving her with no hope of recovery.
Fa Yuan looked at Hu Xiangzhen as she walked out, then glanced at the others and asked, "Can we begin?"
"Of course!" Without the bronze mirror's help, Hu Xiangzhen felt she actually had a chance to kill Fa Yuan. She let out a delicate shout, and a row of storage bags and several ribbons fluttered around her. Surrounded by the flying ribbons, Hu Xiangzhen truly resembled a fairy descending to earth.
But at that moment, everyone only saw Fa Yuan cough up blood directly at the bronze mirror, then toss it away, sending it flying back into the air. The novel *The Scoundrel of the Demonic Sect* will have more fresh content on its official WeChat platform, along with a 100% chance to win a prize! Open WeChat now, click the "+" sign in the upper right corner, "Add Friends," search for the official account "qdread," and follow it! Hurry up!