Chapter 646: Great Victory Over the Fire Crow Formation

The tower ship sailed for over ten days, finally exiting Xuandu. Qin Mu looked back but still couldn't see the Heavenly Lord's full form, feeling a pang of regret.

Qin Mu looked at the distant sun. The tower ship was sailing along the sun's edge. Although the sun was millions of miles away, it appeared remarkably close.

Long solar prominences erupted from the sun, stretching for millions of miles. Some resembled bird wings, while others looked like round ears.

So close to the sun, Qin Mu even felt strange solar rays in the oncoming heatwave. They struck his body, causing intense pain, as if piercing through their very being.

The solar wind was incredibly hot. Gusts of solar wind blew at terrifying speeds. Qin Mu's heart stirred. He activated the Hegemon Body Three Elixirs Art, primarily using the solar wind and rays to refine his physical body. Various colors of Buddha light appeared behind his head, along with dragon forms. The Ancestral Dragon Eight Tones merged with the Buddha sounds.

This integrated dragon-Buddha cultivation method, combined with the power of the solar wind and rays, allowed for incredibly rapid progress.

"He simply won't cultivate my Heaven and Earth Heart Sage Art..." The First Ancestor Human Emperor looked disheartened.

Meanwhile, seeing this, Ling Yuxiu also activated the Ancestral Dragon Grand Profound Art, using the Ancestral Dragon Eight Tones to temper her body and withstand the power of the solar wind and rays. Ban Gungong, on the other hand, was activating the Flawless Fighting God Art to refine his physique.

Chi Xi adjusted the star map. Using the sun for navigation, the tower ship flew halfway around it. Then, Chi Xi raised the sails. The sails billowed out, filled by the solar wind and rays, and the tower ship instantly accelerated.

Qin Mu looked up to see that the sails were sewn from the skin of gods and demons. They were covered in many raised patterns. Solar rays struck them, unable to penetrate the thick skin of gods and demons. This allowed the ship to harness the rays' power, boosting its speed to the maximum.

Not only that, the tower ship was also flapping its wings, with streams of fire and light flowing beneath them. This propelled the tower ship to ever-increasing speeds!

Suddenly, a dozen or so streaks of fire appeared in the starry sky. The flames looked dim in the darkness, like faint red lines, heading towards the sun.

"Brother Chi Xi, what kind of god or demon could possibly catch up to your ship?" The First Ancestor Human Emperor asked suddenly, gazing at the red lines disappearing into the sun.

Chi Xi walked to the stern, looking into the distance. He said, "Many beings can still catch up to this ship, such as powerful foreign races like the Phoenixes, Dragons, and Vermilion Birds. Additionally, there are some gods and demons under the command of the Great Sun Star Lord. These gods and demons can use the sun for flight, making them incredibly fast."

The First Ancestor Human Emperor said, "Then, the approaching ones must be gods and demons under the Great Sun Star Lord. I just wonder if the Great Sun Star Lord himself is among them."

All eyes on Chi Xi's three heads were intently watching the red lines disappear into the sun. He saw those red lines speeding across the sun's surface. The terrifyingly powerful solar prominences actually seemed to make the red lines move even faster!

"The Great Sun Star Lord is not among them."

Chi Xi raised the Crimson Brightness Heaven Suppressing Tower, stating coldly, "If the Great Sun Star Lord were among these gods and demons, he would have already mobilized the sun's energy to bombard us!"

The two stood at the stern. As they watched the red lines accelerate, Chi Xi's expression grew tense, but the First Ancestor Human Emperor remained calm.

Suddenly, streaks of red shot out from the sun, heading directly for the tower ship.

"Be careful, everyone!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor shouted, "Hide inside the ship's tower and lock the doors and windows!"

Qin Mu hurriedly pulled Ling Yuxiu and rushed into the ship's internal structures. Ban Gungong followed, but before he could enter, Qin Mu had already shut the entrance.

Ban Gungong sneered. His body suddenly transformed into a black shadow, and he slipped through the door crack.

At this moment, more red lines were flying towards the sun. These red lines were streaks of flowing fire, each containing a god or demon. They plunged into the sun, and instantly began to fly at incredible speeds along its surface, their velocity truly astonishing!

Qin Mu peered out from the window, straining to activate the Nine Heavens Eye Opening Art. With a single effort, he opened his Jade Cloud Heavenly Eye. He looked at the red lines chasing the tower ship, barely able to discern figures of burning gods radiating light within the flames, all with crimson wings.

As those gods flew closer, he could finally make out their features. These gods had black crow heads, their bodies wreathed in flowing fire and light. In their hands, they clutched large gourds, and their three-toed claws gripped bows!

"This speed... it's many times faster than Cripple Grandpa!"

Qin Mu was horrified. He quickly realized that the Fire Crow gods' speed wasn't inherently this extreme. Rather, in the vacuum of space, there was no air resistance. Combined with their secret techniques that allowed them to harness the sun's power for propulsion, their speed became truly terrifying.

If they were in a place like Yankang, even if these Fire Crows were faster than Cripple, they wouldn't be by much.

However, what was truly terrifying was their sheer numbers. Earlier, there were only a dozen or so, but now there were thousands of red lines about to plunge into the sun!

Clearly, these Fire Crow gods possessed unusual means of communication, alerting their companions. As a result, Fire Crow gods from nearby were continuously arriving.

The vanguard of a dozen or so Fire Crow gods were already very close to the tower ship. Before they were even within range for divine abilities, these Fire Crows grabbed arrows from their quivers, drew their longbows with three claws, and streaks of arrows transformed into luminous streams, shooting towards the tower ship!

With three legs and three claws, the Fire Crow gods drew and loosed arrows with unbelievable speed. Although there were only a dozen of them, each god instantly fired hundreds of arrows. In a flash, an arrow rain descended like a swarm of locusts!

At the stern, the god Chi Xi raised the Heaven Suppressing Tower. Brilliant light shone from within the tower, and divine weapons flew out one by one, blocking the myriad incoming arrows!

At this moment, those dozen or so Fire Crow gods all opened their vermilion gourds. Solar divine fire surged from within, howling as it rushed towards the tower ship, instantly engulfing the entire colossal tower ship!

Chi Xi roared, tossing the Heaven Suppressing Tower upwards. The Heaven Suppressing Tower instantly grew colossal, hovering above the tower ship. Beneath its eaves, large bells vibrated, clanging loudly, preventing the divine fire from the gourds from approaching the tower ship.

The dozen or so Fire Crow gods seized the opportunity to rush onto the tower ship. Suddenly, six divine blades flew out from the Heaven Suppressing Tower. Chi Xi, wielding divine blades, moved with incredible speed. In less than a single breath, he galloped once around the tower ship's deck, continuously swinging his blades. A dozen or so heads fell to the deck.

At this point, hundreds of Fire Crow gods flapped their wings and flew closer. Their arrows became incredibly dense, a rapid volley of clanging sounds. Chi Xi once again activated the Crimson Brightness Heaven Suppressing Tower, but many divine weapons were shot down, clattering onto the deck.

The Heaven Suppressing Tower's power was greatly diminished. Although this divine tower was a formidable palace-guarding treasure, Chi Ming lacked the sufficient cultivation to fully unleash its potential.

Hundreds of Fire Crow gods opened their gourds, unleashing howling divine fire. Behind them, thousands more Fire Crow gods were rapidly approaching.

The First Ancestor frowned. These Fire Crow gods were clearly employing wartime battle formations. Chi Xi, having only been an executioner during the Crimson Brightness era, had no battlefield experience, and evidently lacked experience dealing with such formations.

The First Ancestor himself was a battlefield deserter. Although he had learned methods to counter battle formations, he had never put them into practice, and thus had no practical experience.

Faced with the Fire Crow gods' battle formation assault, both men felt somewhat lost.

Flocks of Fire Crow gods flew in. They first unleashed a volley of arrows, then set the ship ablaze, overwhelming Chi Xi. He was unable to defend all sides at once. As he fended off the Fire Crow gods from one side, Fire Crow gods from another direction would rush in, attacking the tower ship's wings. Many more Fire Crow gods went to the ship's underside, grabbing the ship and flying backward, intending to drag it away.

Some Fire Crows also flew to the mast, tearing at the sails with all their might.

The god Chi Xi was truly frantic, shouting, "Fellow Daoist, this is the Fire Crow formation! I can't break it alone; quickly come to my aid!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor was also at a loss. He had never encountered such a scene before.

The army of thousands of Fire Crows made him feel that no matter which direction he defended, he couldn't prevent the tower ship's destruction!

Qin Mu, with the window open, shouted, "First Ancestor, use the Heaven and Earth Seal, the 'Heaven and Earth Spin, but Heart Unchanging' technique!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor instantly grasped the meaning. He crossed his hands, and the Heaven and Earth Seal erupted. Immediately, space warped. As his seal art activated, the colossal tower ship became its own miniature universe. At times, the sky was below the earth, and at others, the earth was above the sky. The Fire Crows, originally moving at incredible speeds that made them impossible to pinpoint for attack, now found their bodies and space disoriented, tumbling everywhere. Batch after batch of Fire Crows spun endlessly, flung far away from the tower ship.

The god Chi Xi was also thrown around, disoriented. He quickly clung to the mast, his heart filled with terror.

Qin Mu shouted, "Get to the mast!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor leaped up, landing on the mast, standing on one leg.

Qin Mu's voice came from inside the tower: "Sun Circling Mid-Heaven, Flowing for Eternity!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor immediately performed this Heaven and Earth Seal technique. Instantly, space began to spin. Countless Fire Crow gods on the ship were caught by the power of his seal art, flapping wildly in mid-air. Many Fire Crow gods tried to grab onto anything to stabilize themselves, but were immediately torn away by a terrifying force. Strange cawing cries filled the air.

Around the First Ancestor Human Emperor, a torrent of Fire Crows formed, spinning wildly around him.

"What's next?" The First Ancestor Human Emperor asked loudly.

Qin Mu's voice came: "Heaven Collapses, Earth Sinks, Sorrowful Autumn Phoenix!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor immediately performed this seal. Instantly, the sky seemed to tear and the earth to crack. A terrifying force field rapidly collapsed towards his palm. The Fire Crow gods, previously flying everywhere, were drawn by his palm force, crashing together in mid-air with loud thumps, forming a large sphere.

"Eight Trigrams of Qiankun Create Pure Land, Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, and the Five Elements Firmly Set." Qin Mu's voice came from inside the tower.

Without hesitation, the First Ancestor Human Emperor unleashed two seal techniques, two seals and four palm strikes. Two Eight Trigrams Heaven and Earth diagrams pressed the spherical mass of over a thousand Fire Crow gods into the center. Immediately, earth, water, wind, and fire erupted. The Five Elements' power surged, breaking the bones and snapping the tendons of countless Fire Crow gods. Their bodies were shattered, crushed, minced, and incinerated. Then, a gust of Xun wind blew, turning the over thousand Fire Crow gods into ashes, which were swept away behind the ship.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor was stunned, somewhat disbelieving. "I broke the formation?"

At this moment, screams from Ling Yuxiu and Ban Gungong echoed from inside the tower. The First Ancestor Human Emperor's heart leaped. He hastily leaped down, only to see a Fire Crow god had escaped his Heaven and Earth Seal and slipped through the tower's window.

Just now, Qin Mu had instructed him on breaking the formation, which had opened the windows. This Fire Crow god must have seized the chance to slip inside the tower, intending to attack Qin Mu and the others!

The First Ancestor Human Emperor frantically rushed towards the tower. Before he could even reach the window, two streaks of blood-red light suddenly burst forth from inside the tower, carrying an incredibly terrifying murderous aura. The First Ancestor's hair stood on end, and he hastily retreated. He watched as the two streaks of blood light crisscrossed and sliced, and the Fire Crow god inside the tower was instantly decapitated!

Qin Mu stood there, holding the box, dumbfounded. He seemed still in shock at the power of the God Slaying Profound Blade.

The First Ancestor hastily rushed in, fumbling all over Qin Mu. He anxiously asked, "Did it backfire on you? Did it cut off your head?"

He was terrified, and tremblingly raised a finger, wanting to flick Qin Mu's head. But he feared that even a light touch might cause Qin Mu's head to fall from his neck.

Suddenly, Qin Mu slapped his hand away, exclaiming in admiration, "What a powerful box, and what a powerful blade!"