ROAR!
The Three-headed Flame Hound threw its head back and roared furiously. That damned brat had appeared again! It yearned to flay the boy alive, roast him to perfection, and devour him whole! No—better yet, it would savor him slowly, reducing his flesh to a savory paste before swallowing him down.
Like the Thornstone Turtle before it, the Flame Hound possessed considerable spiritual intelligence. It knew full well this secret realm could only sustain a Zongshi-level power at most.
Yet here it stood, already at the realm's power limit. Were it not for the secret realm's restrictions on cultivation, it would never have remained merely a Zongshi-level beast.
Flames surged like a living sea, threatening to collapse the very space itself.
Now this brat dared command it?
Freedom?
What an intoxicating concept...
Especially when paired with the faint draconic aura emanating from the boy's eyes. The primal terror this presence inspired made the Flame Hound's three heads sway involuntarily, nearly compelling it to prostrate itself...
The three heads swayed in unison. It could settle accounts with this boy later, but...
Six fiery eyes locked onto Qin Li with murderous intent. How could it mistake this human scum?
"Scum! I never thought you'd dare show your face before me again!"
A deafening roar shook the heavens as the Three-headed Flame Hound bellowed. Three pillars of fire erupted from its heads, hurtling toward Qin Li.
The fiery columns brushed past Qin Yang's body, leaving him smelling the acrid scent of his own singed hair...
Qin Li's face paled with sudden realization—he'd forgotten this was the Flame Hound's territory! He'd provoked it countless times before, relying on the magical chains that bound the beast to dare such insolence...
The raging dragon of true qi abruptly changed course. If it had remained locked on Qin Yang, even if it could have killed him, the fire columns would have reduced Qin Li to ashes!
Boom!
The true qi dragon collided with the three fire pillars, transforming the sky into a sea of sparks that engulfed the area in flames.
In an instant, the dragon of true qi evaporated, its remnants swept away by the inferno. The resulting firestorm left Qin Li severely burned across his body.
Thud! Qin Li crashed to the ground, grievously injured. How could he possibly contend with the Three-headed Flame Hound with his current strength?
Qin Yang stared in awe. This Fire Dog was truly terrifyingly powerful! This was the true might of a Zongshi-level cultivator!
Qin Li glared fiercely at Qin Yang and roared, "Boy, this isn't over! Since you won't accept a swift end, I'll make you suffer when I catch you again. I'll torture you until you die a lingering death!"
With that, he turned to flee!
But how could Qin Yang let him escape?
"You old thief! Where do you think you're running?" Qin Yang charged after him.
Qin Li's pupils contracted. Instead of anger, he laughed. "Haha, you're courting death! Even wounded, I'm not something a Qi Sea Realm cultivator like you can handle!"
"Shocking Sword Finger!" Qin Li formed his fingers into a sword-like shape, extending true qi from his fingertips to create a three-foot blade of pure energy.
Qin Yang narrowed his eyes. The true Shocking Sword Finger technique allowed the true qi sword to be wielded as freely as a magical artifact. But Qin Li's version was clumsy, like trying to swing a sword in his hand - completely lacking in proper power.
"Shocking Sword Finger!" Qin Yang activated his Dragon Soaring Steps, using his agile movements to dart around Qin Li.
Weakened by his injuries, Qin Li could only swing his true qi sword wildly, completely missing Qin Yang.
The more he fought, the angrier Qin Li grew, his frustration mounting.
Slash!
Qin Yang's finger swept across, carving a horrifying gash across Qin Li's back. The wound cut deep to the bone, blood gushing forth in torrents.
A faint azure-white glow emanated from Qin Yang's fingertips. As a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Sea Realm, his true energy surged like an ocean. Channeling this power through his perfected Shocking Sword Finger technique, he condensed his true energy into a sword-like form.
In this moment of confrontation, Qin Yang's Shocking Sword Finger proved no less formidable than Qin Li's Zongshi Realm mastery!
Qin Li's heart seized with terror. If this boy remained alive, their thousand-year plan would crumble to dust! Worse still, he could see that Qin Yang's potential defied all natural limits!
Crazy Dragon Palm! Qin Li pushed beyond his limits, disregarding his worsening injuries to strike a killing blow!
Qin Yang's eyes flashed with recognition. He hadn't expected Qin Li to still possess the strength for the Crazy Dragon Palm! It seemed he'd have to use the Dragon's Might after all!
Just as he prepared to activate it, a searing heat engulfed his body. His blood burned like molten metal, threatening to evaporate his flesh entirely.
The intense heat reddened his vision. Before Qin Li could complete his palm strike, flames engulfed his body. In an instant, more than half of his form had been reduced to ashes.
Only the charred torso and a head twisted in terror remained, the body's blood burned away until it resembled a desiccated corpse.
This was the Three-headed Flame Hound's mercy - it had held back to avoid accidentally incinerating Qin Yang along with its target!
As the flames subsided, the abrupt temperature shift plunged Qin Yang into a living hell of extremes. Just moments ago, he'd been on the verge of combustion; now the sudden chill felt like plunging into an icebound cavern.
"Boy, I've saved your life twice!" The Three-headed Flame Hound glared at Qin Yang. "You promised me freedom if I killed him! Break that vow, and you'll share his fate!"
The beast's eyes burned with intensity.
Freedom - the word tasted sweeter than any nectar!
Moreover, it had tasted Qin Yang's ultimate weapon. Though the boy's strength paled in comparison, he posed a genuine threat!
A Zongshi Realm expert had been reduced to half-ash before Qin Yang's eyes. Wiping cold sweat from his brow, Qin Yang met the Three-headed Flame Hound's gaze. "Fear not, Fire Dog. My word stands as iron."
"ROAR!"
The Three-headed Flame Hound's thunderous bellow shook the air. "I am the Three-headed Flame Hound! Not some common Fire Dog!"
Qin Yang pursed his lips. What's the difference?
He slowly approached the Fire Dog. Both knew the truth - Qin Yang understood the creature's power could kill him instantly, while the Fire Dog recognized Qin Yang's ability to render it unconscious. Though tension hung thick in the air, they maintained an uneasy truce.
Examining the magical chains, Qin Yang formed his fingers into a sword-like gesture and unleashed the Shocking Sword Finger.
Clang!
The chains remained unharmed, not even a scratch appearing on their surface.
The Three-headed Flame Hound glared at Qin Yang. A single thought from it could reduce the man to ashes. "Boy, are you really trying to break chains with your fingers? No offense, but even if you reached the Zongshi Realm, this would be impossible!"
Qin Yang scratched his head awkwardly. In his haste to promise freedom, he hadn't fully considered the implications. Now he realized - he truly couldn't break these chains.
The Zongshi-level demonic beast was securely bound by unbreakable magical chains. How could a mere Qi Sea Realm cultivator like him possibly sever them?
Qin Yang had already prepared to unleash his dragon's might at any moment, but he still spoke, "Since I've given my word, I'll make good on it. It's just that I haven't figured out how yet..."
"Are you mocking me?" the Three-headed Flame Hound roared furiously.
"No, no!" Qin Yang waved his hands frantically. "I could have knocked you out again with my presence, but I didn't. I truly want to help you!"
The Three-headed Flame Hound stared at Qin Yang for a long moment before speaking, "Very well. If you're sincere, I do have a solution."
"What solution?" Qin Yang asked.
"There's another creature trapped in this secret realm - the Heaven Swallowing Beast. It devours everything, and these magical chains would be nothing more than a meal to it. If you can find it and bring it here, I could escape."