Chapter 51 — The Black Stone Cave

In the clearing, the onlookers furrowed their brows. Seeing that the bewitching woman, surrounded as she was, had produced this strange magical artifact, most of them guessed she meant to fight like a cornered beast, and each at once steeled themselves in wary readiness. Only Shi Tou let out a great shout, sent the Demon-Breaking Staff wheeling into the air, and charged forward.

Behind him, Zhang Qingyue had no time even to cry "Careful!" before he saw the three-tailed fox demon cast one glance from her long, slender, bewitching eyes at Shi Tou's great onrushing bulk, then take hold of the red tassels on either side of the jade ring with both hands, lift it slowly, and raise it before her face.

The jade ring turned gently, as if it were reflecting her countenance.

The moonlight was cold and pale, falling upon the Mystic Fire Mirror. Somehow, the ancient flame totem engraved upon it seemed at this moment to come alive, vivid and lifelike, as though it were truly burning.

Shi Tou leaped into the air, the Demon-Breaking Staff roaring as it split the wind, and he bellowed, "Die, foul demon!"

At that very instant, at the center of the Mystic Fire Mirror, where the flame totem sat, the dark red hue suddenly transformed in a flash into a brilliant, almost translucent crimson, as though in the blink of an eye the flame totem had been scorched white-hot by the fire of the nine heavens.

And that flame totem had already become a blazing inferno.

With the bewitching woman at its center, a formless wave of searing heat burst outward with a great whoosh. Save for the few feet of ground beneath her feet, every plant and tree within thirty feet around was in an instant scorched brown—yet for some reason not a single spark appeared, and nothing caught fire.

Zhang Qingyue and Bili exchanged a look of dismay, never having imagined that the three-tailed fox demon could hold such a peerlessly powerful artifact. Shi Tou, still hurtling through the air at her, saw it too; astonished as he was by the artifact's might, he showed not the slightest fear. His right hand seized at the empty air, and the great fanged club blazing with golden light was in his grasp, growing longer as it met the wind, screaming shrilly through the air as it wheeled in a circle and came crashing straight down upon the three-tailed fox demon's head.

The club was still in midair, yet already sand flew and stones skipped along the ground, and the three-tailed fox demon's frail, delicate body looked as though it would be blown away by that fierce wind. But she only smiled coldly. Her fingers hooked about the red tassels, her body tilting slightly, she took aim at the onrushing Shi Tou.

The burning Mystic Fire Mirror was mirrored in her soft, bewitching eyes, like two heaps of wrathful flame.

"Boom!"

In the tremendous roar, from the flame totem at the center of the Mystic Fire Mirror there shot suddenly a fiery dragon, claws bared and fangs gnashing, its momentum earth-shaking, its whole body wreathed in roaring flames, till it lit more than half the forest bright as day.

Shi Tou was greatly startled. The fiery dragon swelled rapidly: fresh from the Mystic Fire Mirror it had been no more than a streak of flame, but by the time it reached him even its head alone was as large as two men, and the searing heat that rushed at his face made him half suspect he stood inside a roaring furnace.

Seen from below, from where Zhang Qingyue stood, Shi Tou, caught in the charge of that gigantic fiery dragon, had not even exchanged a blow before the black front of his sideburns had turned withered and yellow—one could well imagine what he was facing.

Yet Shi Tou showed no fear, startled but not flustered. Under the urging of his own magic power, the Demon-Breaking Staff blazed with an even brighter golden light, and he brought it crashing down upon the onrushing dragon's head.

The fiery dragon roared in midair, and from its pair of enormous dragon eyes two jets of wrathful flame truly spurted forth. Its blazing maw gaped wide with a boom and clamped its teeth upon the descending fanged club.

A halo of mingled gold and crimson spread rapidly outward from the point where they met, accompanied by pealing thunder. In an instant Shi Tou felt the Demon-Breaking Staff in his hands grow so hot he could scarcely hold it. In his alarm he summoned all his divine strength and wrenched the staff free of the dragon's jaws.

The fiery dragon wheeled through the sky, roaring without cease, then suddenly opened its great mouth and belched a thick column of fire straight at Shi Tou.

Shi Tou gave a great shout, gripped the staff with both hands in a spell sign, and held the Demon-Breaking Staff across his body. Golden radiance flickered as a wall of light rose up and blocked the fire column—but his body was driven helplessly backward by the tremendous force.

Seeing Shi Tou at a disadvantage and in danger, Zhang Qingyue at once sprang into action. The Dark Iron Staff rose soundlessly and shot at the fiery dragon from the side. But the dragon seemed to possess a spirit of its own; without so much as a glance it turned its head, glared with its enormous eyes, opened its maw, and with a thunderous roar sent another thick column of fire rushing forth.

Caught off guard, Zhang Qingyue saw the flames come on like a mountain, like the overturning sea, impossible to avoid. Gritting his teeth, he channeled his magic power; the Dark Iron Staff glowed with a blue light as he met the assault head-on and held the fire column at bay.

Just then the three-tailed fox demon gave a long laugh, soared into the air, and with the Mystic Fire Mirror glittering in her hand, charged straight at the two of them. Zhang Qingyue and Shi Tou, locked in struggle with the fiery dragon, were both aghast at the sight; even Bili, standing behind the three-tailed fox demon, was greatly startled. In her urgency she gave a clear cry, leaped up, and with the jade-like fingers of her right hand flexing and extending, the Heartbreak Flower dissolved into countless petals that filled the sky and flew straight at the three-tailed fox demon's back.

And where no eye could see, Bili's left hand stole quietly to her waist and closed about the little golden bell.

The three-tailed fox demon seemed to know the power of the Heartbreak Flower and dared not meet it head-on; she twisted aside and dodged. Bili did not pursue, but darted to Zhang Qingyue's side and stood hovering in the air beside him.

Zhang Qingyue looked up at her. Bili's eyes shifted, and it happened that she was looking at him as well.

For some reason, Zhang Qingyue at once turned his head away again.

The fiery dragon still paraded its might in midair, but the three-tailed fox demon, the moment Bili rushed past, did not hesitate in the least. She stretched out a hand and beckoned; the Mystic Fire Mirror flew back into her grasp, and her whole body turned into a streak of white light that vanished into the darkness deep within the forest.

Zhang Qingyue and the other two were all taken aback for a moment.

In the distance, Zhou Yixuan let out a long breath and said, "Just as well, just as well. It seems this three-tailed fox demon's cultivation is not deep enough after all; she cannot unleash the Mystic Fire Mirror's full power and can only give these youngsters a fright. Otherwise, with the Mystic Fire Mirror's might, these few would be in real danger."

Xiaowan, at his side, said unconvinced, "How do you know her cultivation isn't deep enough? I saw her take on three alone and never once fall at a disadvantage."

Zhou Yixuan glared at her. "What do you know? The Mystic Fire Mirror is an ancient divine artifact of peerless power. Legend has it that at its mightiest it can summon the fiery dragons of the eight wilds and burn all things in the world to ash. If so, would it not have burned these cocky youngsters to less than dust?"