One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Inside and outside the bamboo house, the chilling rustling sound grew denser than rain, carrying a pungent stench and malice that utterly shattered the deathly silence of the northern Myanmar night. Dozens of twisted, slender shadows, clinging to the ground and walls, like filth crawling out of the deepest nightmares, surrounded the cubicle where Nie Lingfeng and his companions were. Their greedy green eyes flickered erratically in the darkness, and a fine hissing sound, like the opening and closing of insect mouthparts, echoed in the narrow space, carrying a base, sacrilegious quality that could erode the mind.

These were not ordinary beasts, nor even common mutated creatures. Their aura shared a nauseating, twisted quality with the "Nammu Cave," the filth purified in the altar, and even the experimental subjects of the "Council." Only these were more "primitive," more "savage," as if mass-produced by some force or naturally spawned from polluted ley lines—the lowest form of "lackeys" and "sentinels." Their appearance in this seemingly ordinary border town was no accident!

Nie Lingfeng's eyes were icy cold. A single, intensely refined dark golden flame ignited at the tip of the ordinary dagger in his hand, shining like a star in the dim light. He didn't rush out rashly, but instead locked his senses onto each approaching shadow, calculating their speed, trajectory, and possible attack methods. The power of fusion surged within him, and the "Suppressing Mountain" scepter on his chest trembled heavily and majestically, as if instinctively disgusted and enraged by these "filthy" beings around him.

Next door, Wang Ye's "snoring" had completely ceased, replaced by an absolute, almost ethereal silence, as if the cubicle were utterly empty. But Nie Lingfeng could sense a strange "field," more subtle, more elusive, yet seemingly capable of reversing the universe and manipulating cause and effect, silently spreading and coalescing there. Wang Ye clearly didn't intend to act immediately; or rather, he wanted to assess the capabilities of these "uninvited guests," and also... to see what Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo were capable of now.

Just as the first slender, dark shadow, close to the ground, suddenly darted out from a hole in the bamboo floor like a venomous snake, its mouth filled with fine, sharp teeth and dripping with viscous black liquid, lunged at the ankle of the sleeping Chen Duo—

"Buzz!"

A slight yet exceptionally clear vibration in the air!

A warm, pure, deep golden-red flame halo, with edges shimmering like phoenix tail feathers, suddenly spread out from the center of Chen Duo's curled-up body without warning!

The halo expanded slowly, yet it carried an undeniable, all-purifying, and magnificent power! It was as if what was sleeping was not a young girl, but a miniature sun awakened, brimming with endless light and life force!

"hiss--!!!"

The black shadow that lunged into the air was the first to be struck head-on by the spreading halo of flames! Its twisted body, like a wax figure thrown into a furnace, emitted a shrill, agonizing scream, as if its very soul was being burned! The foul-smelling black liquid instantly vaporized, and its tough scales (if they could even be called scales) rapidly turned charred, carbonized, and disintegrated! With just a single contact, this hideous black shadow vanished completely into the golden-red flames, like a stain wiped away by an eraser, leaving not even a speck of ash behind!

The spreading aura of flames didn't stop; it continued to form a stable, burning golden ring of fire, about three meters in diameter, centered on Chen Duo, enveloping the compartment where Chen Duo and Nie Lingfeng were, as well as most of the wall! The ring of fire emitted a warm but not scorching temperature, instantly purifying and dispelling the musty smell, fishy stench, and the omnipresent malicious prying within the bamboo building! The pure and sacred aura of the flames formed a striking, even somewhat glaring, contrast with the surrounding filthy and dark environment!

Chen Duo is awake.

No, perhaps she wasn't fully "awakened." She was still curled up in the corner, hugging her panda plushie, her eyes tightly closed, a faint blush of sleep still lingering on her face. But the spreading golden-red flame aura, and the phoenix true fire flowing naturally around her—more concentrated, intense, and spiritual than ever before—all indicated that her body, her bloodline, her power, upon sensing the extreme malice and filth of the outside world, had spontaneously and instinctively entered a deeper state of defense and purification! This was a self-protective mechanism originating from the depths of her bloodline, almost a conditioned reflex, signifying that her control and harmony with her own phoenix power had reached a new, almost "instinctive awakening" level!

"Oh?" A barely audible hum of surprise came from next door from Wang Ye, followed by silence. He seemed quite interested in Chen Duo's sudden "outburst," but that was all; he still showed no intention of making a move.

The dark figures surging in from all directions like a tidal wave were met with an impenetrable wall of fire by Chen Duo's sudden, pure, and domineering aura of flame! The first dozen or so figures, upon contact with the ring of fire, followed the first one's fate, vanishing with mournful howls. The figures behind them immediately stirred, emitting even more agitated, angry, yet fearful hissing sounds, halting outside the ring of fire, no longer daring to approach. Their greedy green eyes were fixed on Chen Duo, who slept (or rather, was in a special state) at the center of the ring of fire, their gazes filled with a complex light of desire and apprehension. It was as if Chen Duo was both an unparalleled delicacy and a deadly poison to them.

However, these corrupted and twisted dark creatures clearly lacked intelligence, possessing only the most primal instincts of hunting and destruction. A brief hesitation and fear were quickly overwhelmed by a stronger greed and the potential "driving force" behind them. More shadowy figures emerged from the darkness, no longer blindly charging, but beginning to swiftly move along the outer edge of the ring of fire, searching for possible weak points, or attempting to attack from above or behind the walls. Simultaneously, some shadowy figures began spewing foul-smelling black slime from their mouthparts, or releasing invisible mental shockwaves, attempting to corrode, pollute, and disrupt the seemingly indestructible ring of fire.

The aura of flames burned steadily, unconsciously maintained by Chen Duo, isolating all attacks. However, Nie Lingfeng could sense that the Phoenix True Fire within Chen Duo was being consumed at a steady pace. This passive, instinctive defense, while powerful, was clearly unsustainable, especially against such a large number of enemies.

Can't wait any longer!

"Duoduo, that's enough. Leave the rest to me," Nie Lingfeng said softly, his voice low but carrying a strange, soothing power that penetrated deep into Chen Duo's consciousness. At the same time, he took a step forward, deliberately stepping out of the warm, golden-red ring of fire's protective range!

This step is like a signal.

Outside the ring of fire, the restless, pacing shadows, like sharks smelling blood, instantly boiled over! The seven or eight closest shadows hissed excitedly, and from all angles, like black lightning, they pounced on Nie Lingfeng, who had "voluntarily delivered himself to their doorstep," with frenzied ferocity! A stench filled the air, and sharp teeth and claws intertwined to form a deadly net!

"Well done!"

A fierce glint flashed in Nie Lingfeng's eyes. Without dodging or avoiding, the newfound power within him, a fusion of the majesty of the Qilin and the agility of the Phoenix, erupted with a roar! He didn't use his dagger. To deal with these numerous, fast-moving, but not particularly strong individually defensive "filthy" creatures, area-of-effect purification and suppression were far more efficient!

"The True Form of the Qilin—Earthly Fire and Bright Light!"

He held his hands in a fist, then suddenly parted and closed them to the sides! A condensed, blazing, majestic dark golden flame, carrying the will of purification and suppression, erupted like volcanic lava, spreading outwards in a spherical shape from his body! This flame was not the pure, warm golden-red of Chen Duo's, but rather more profound and domineering, carrying the majesty of the earth and an inviolable holiness! Wherever the flame passed, the air crackled and popped, and the foul air inside the bamboo building was instantly evaporated and purified!

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!"

The seven or eight dark figures at the forefront, like moths to a flame, plunged headlong into the erupting dark golden flames! A chorus of agonizing screams erupted, only to be abruptly silenced! Faced with the domineering purifying power of the Qilin True Fire, they were destroyed even more thoroughly than Chen Duo's Phoenix True Fire, almost instantly vaporized! They had no chance to resist whatsoever!

However, even more shadowy figures surged forward! They seemed utterly enraged, or perhaps driven by some unseen force, no longer showing any fear. Like a tidal wave, they surged forth from the darkness, frantically attacking Nie Lingfeng! Their numbers far exceeded previous estimates, almost filling the entire cramped space of the bamboo building! Foul-smelling black liquid sprayed like raindrops, and invisible spiritual howls overlapped, creating a chaotic impact!

Nie Lingfeng moved with lightning speed, weaving and shifting within the confined space, pushing the "Wind God's Movement" technique to its limit. The dark golden Qilin True Fire sometimes transformed into sharp, flaming blades in his palm, sweeping across the area; sometimes into condensed flaming arrows, precisely targeting and killing; and sometimes into a protective vortex of fire, burning and purifying the incoming black liquid and spiritual impact! His attacks were efficient, precise, and carried an overwhelming force! These corrupted dark creatures, before his flames imbued with the majesty of the Qilin, were like natural enemies, turning to ashes in droves!

But there were simply too many of them! And they seemed endless, pouring out from every crack and every dark corner of the bamboo house! Nie Lingfeng's energy expenditure increased rapidly, and fine beads of sweat began to seep from his forehead. The "Zhenyue" scepter on his chest trembled even more violently, as if urging him on, or... warning him of something.

Just then—

"Tsk, this is never going to end."

Next door, Wang Ye's signature lazy yet slightly impatient voice finally rang out, clearly piercing through the howls of the shadowy figure and the sound of burning flames.

"Old Nie, are you even capable? You're having such a hard time dealing with a few small fry? It's making me sleepy just watching."

Before the words were finished—