Chapter 2382: Nine-Eyed Blood Toad

"My companion and I originally came for Brother Xiao," Daoist Qingping replied with a smile. "Even without mentioning it, we had intended to impose on your cave dwelling for a few days."

After a moment's consideration, Han Li also nodded.

"Alright, it's settled then. Fellow Daoists, please follow me to the nearest combat arena. Our disciples will handle matters here," Xiao Ming said, a hint of joy appearing on his face as he glanced at the Blood Crane City guards who had begun appearing on all sides.

The old woman and Daoist Qingping naturally had no objections. After Han Li silently transmitted a few words to Zhu Guo'er and Old Ancestor Huashi, he likewise followed the three, flying towards a certain part of the city.

After Zhu Guo'er and Old Ancestor Huashi exchanged a glance, they silently left the area and quickly disappeared into the nearby streets.

Half an hour later, in the center of a circular structure a thousand feet in diameter, a layer of white light rose up. Within the mid-air space inside, Xiao Ming and the old woman stood facing each other from a distance.

On the viewing stands outside the light screen, Han Li and Daoist Qingping watched with calm expressions.

A moment later, after Xiao Ming exhaled lightly, he said, "First move," and suddenly opened his mouth. A beam of blood-red light shot out, and expanding with the wind, it transformed into a gigantic bone blade.

At the pointed tip of this weapon, several silver rings were embedded. As it swayed in the wind, they clanged ceaselessly.

After Xiao Ming grasped the large bone blade, he let out a low shout. With a sudden swing of his arm, he directly hurled the object in his hand towards the old woman.

With a whoosh.

As soon as the giant bone blade was unleashed, countless blood-red runes appeared on its surface. With a flash, it strangely traversed hundreds of feet, appearing directly in front of the old woman.

"Hmph, is that all you've got?"

The old woman let out a soft snort, seemingly with a hint of disdain, but in reality, she dared not be negligent in the slightest. With one hand, she swiftly made a motion above her head and drew out a seemingly ancient black wooden hairpin. She made a sweeping gesture downwards with it towards the oncoming bone blade. A clear cry rang out.

From the tip of the black wooden hairpin, a stream of black flames shot out. After a flicker, it wrapped around the bone blade and erupted with dazzling light.

An astonishing scene unfolded.

The bone blade, after being enveloped by the black flames for only a few moments, abruptly halted in mid-air and rapidly melted away at a visible pace.

"Second move!"

He then pointed a finger at the bone blade, which had nearly half melted into the void.

The several silver rings, still gleaming brightly despite the black flames, immediately trembled slightly. After blurring, they forcefully broke free from the enveloping black flames and vanished from their original spot.

The next moment, the old woman's expression changed. She suddenly twisted her body and transformed into a streak of green light, shooting upwards.

At her original position, a ripple appeared. Several silver rings materialized, and simultaneously contracted towards the center.

However, because the old woman had moved a step ahead, they naturally missed.

However, Xiao Ming continued to chant under his breath, continuously pointing his finger at the rings in the air.

With a 'boom', countless silver arcs appeared on the smooth surface of these rings, and amid flashes of lightning, they shot towards the old woman high in the air.

Upon seeing this, Lady Wanhua's expression darkened. She repeatedly waved the wooden hairpin in her hand downwards.

Black flames rolled downwards, but apart from slightly delaying the rings' momentum for a moment, they seemed to have little effect.

Although Lady Wanhua's figure continuously flickered through the void, these rings also continuously teleported, relentlessly pursuing her amidst the sounds of wind and thunder.

After dodging several times, the old woman's face finally showed impatience. She let out a sharp cry:

"Do you truly believe that relying on this exotic treasure can suppress my demonic flames? Old Freak Xiao, let me show you the true power of the Bone-Corroding Demonic Flames now."

No sooner had she spoken, the old woman threw the wooden hairpin in her hand. She opened her mouth and spewed a ball of vital energy onto it. At the same time, a black light flickered behind her, manifesting a phantom image of a black giant lion, over ten zhang tall.

This lion was enveloped in rolling black flames. As soon as it appeared, it exuded an alarming and eerie aura.

At this moment, the wooden hairpin emitted a burst of radiant light and directly transformed into a short sword. This sword was only about half a foot long, yet it emitted incredibly high temperatures, making the nearby void smell of burnt scorch, as if it had been ignited.

Seizing this opportunity, the rings flashed and reappeared above Lady Wanhua, descending fiercely upon her.

The black giant lion let out a low roar. It raised its head and spewed upwards, and a mass of black fire clouds surged into the sky, actually lifting the rings forcefully. Lady Wanhua, meanwhile, urged the short sword.

Instantly, after a clear cry from the treasure, it transformed into a streak of black light and flew into the black giant lion's wide-open mouth.

Then a cold smile appeared on the old woman's face as she rapidly formed hand seals with her ten fingers.

With a mighty boom.

The black flames on the black giant lion's body intensified, then its huge mouth rapidly opened, and it spat out a beam of black light towards the rings high in the air.

The black light was none other than the transformed black short sword. However, its surface was now covered with countless bizarre flame-like spiritual patterns. After a long cry, it transformed into an astonishing streak of light over ten zhang long, piercing through the fire clouds and flashing past the rings. With several crisp 'bangs'!

After the streak of light flashed past the rings, they were all sliced open from the middle and completely dissipated into scattered specks of spiritual light.

"Excellent method! This is indeed Fellow Daoist Wanhua's renowned treasure, the Dragon-Slaying Demonic Sword; it truly lives up to its reputation. Even my Mount Tai Rings couldn't withstand it. However, for my last move, I'll have to use some true divine abilities, so Fellow Daoist must be careful." Upon seeing this, Xiao Ming did not grow angry but rather pleased. After speaking the last, somewhat solemn sentence, he suddenly moved an arm and slammed his palm fiercely onto his Dantian area.

After a dull thud, countless streams of blood-red energy suddenly drilled out from Xiao Ming's body in thousands upon thousands of bursts, and immediately, a surging mist completely enveloped his figure.

Upon seeing this, the old woman's heart tightened, and her expression became a bit more serious. But at the same time, she urged her magic incantation, causing the black giant lion's phantom image behind her to solidify its aura, and its size instantly grew by a third compared to before.

A strange shriek suddenly emerged from the blood mist. Followed by several rumbling, heavy footsteps, something colossal faintly began to emerge from within.

When the surging blood mist completely parted, a colossal toad, resembling a small mountain, leaped out from it.

This toad was a hundred zhang tall, its body slick and gleaming like blood. Its back was covered with head-sized protrusions, yet paradoxically, the front of its head was covered with nine glistening golden demonic eyes, which gleamed with startling cold light.

"The Nine-Eyed Blood Toad! You actually refined the true blood of this ancient true spirit," the old woman gasped upon seeing this giant blood toad, her expression simultaneously turning extremely grim.

Outside the light screen, Daoist Qingping's expression also subtly changed upon seeing the Nine-Eyed Blood Toad appear.

However, upon seeing this, Han Li's eyes brightened, and a subtle, almost smiling expression appeared on his face.

He had naturally heard of the Nine-Eyed Blood Toad long ago. Even in some large auction houses, its true spirit essence blood would occasionally appear. However, unlike the true blood of other ancient true spirits, which was fiercely contested by many high-level cultivators, this blood was rarely desired by anyone, and there were even instances of it failing to sell.

The reason for this situation, ultimately, was that the Nine-Eyed Blood Toad's essence blood was incredibly poisonous. Even Grand Ascension cultivators, when refining this blood, would very likely be unable to withstand the toxic backlash from the essence blood. Cultivators of lower cultivation levels would instantly die upon even the slightest contact.

Under such circumstances, and with many other true spirit essence blood options available, it was natural that few Grand Ascension cultivators would be interested in this true spirit's blood.

Therefore, for this Grand Ascension cultivator of the Blood Bone Sect to dare take such a risk and actually succeed in refining the Nine-Eyed Blood Toad's true blood was truly an astonishing feat.

"Fellow Daoist Wanhua, this Golden Toad True Body of mine, since I refined it, this is the first time I've used it in combat against someone. You'll have to experience its true power for yourself." Xiao Ming's cold voice emanated from the giant toad's mouth. Then it suddenly opened its mouth, and with a sound that tore through the air, something indistinctly shot out from it.

The old woman opposite immediately let out a muffled groan. Her body suddenly trembled as if struck hard by something massive, and she stumbled back several steps before regaining her footing, both shocked and angry.

Before her, about a zhang away, a golden lump of flesh, the size of a head, was fiercely striking a lush green wooden shield.

Behind the lump of flesh was a blood-red fleshy pillar, as thick as a wrist, covered with countless bulging veins.

It turned out that the Nine-Eyed Blood Toad had just shot out its tongue, and with a bizarre speed that even the old woman's naked eyes couldn't perceive, it instantly reached her vicinity.

Had she not, for caution's sake, already secretly deployed the wooden shield in front of her, subtly concealing its presence, that last strike would have probably been irresistible.

Even so, Lady Wanhua appeared quite disheveled.

The old woman let out an angry roar. The black giant lion behind her opened its mouth, and a terrifying black streak of light shot out, fiercely sweeping towards the blood toad's tongue.

But at this moment, the thick blood toad's tongue merely twitched and then strangely vanished.

"Not good!"

Lady Wanhua was also a seasoned veteran who had risen step by step from lower cultivation levels to her current state. Upon seeing this situation, her expression immediately changed, and she twisted her body, about to use an escape art to instantly leave her spot.

But it was already too late!

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from high in the sky, and a massive black shadow instantly appeared above her, which was precisely the vanished Nine-Eyed Blood Toad.

As soon as this blood toad appeared, it suddenly extended a gigantic palm, slowly reaching downwards.

With a 'whoosh', a blood-red halo, ten zhang in diameter, appeared out of thin air on its palm and pressed down fiercely.