Diao Shou, believing the situation was under control, unleashed the Styx River once more to scour the Golden Lotus.
The Golden Lotus, already corroded once, now glowed dimly.
It could barely maintain its form and avoid reverting to a golden crown. If it were to be touched by the river water again, it would surely collapse. Thus, Diao Shou was brimming with confidence.
He imagined Ji Shiyou, engulfed by the river, already dead.
With no one left to bother him, all he had to do was break the Golden Lotus, and the treasure would be his.
After killing these people, he could return to report to his master.
However, Diao Shou might have never heard the saying, "Extreme joy begets sorrow."
Just as he was reveling in his triumph, the waves beneath his feet suddenly vanished.
He didn't react in time and stumbled.
His suspended body plunged headfirst into the Styx River.
Fortunately, he was the Styx River; the Styx River was him. He was unharmed.
But when he stood on the water's surface again, Diao Shou was no longer calm.
"You're unharmed?"
He saw Ji Shiyou, who had been enveloped by the river, standing in mid-air, completely unscathed.
Ji Shiyou sheathed his Moon Reflection Sword, crossed his arms, and calmly looked at him.
The river water that had surrounded Ji Shiyou had disappeared.
Not only that, but the wave he had sent towards the Golden Lotus earlier,
and the wave beneath his feet, had all vanished without a trace.
This astonished Diao Shou, for they had truly disappeared.
The Styx River water, even if dispersed or cut off, would never truly vanish.
It would always return to the Styx River, with no damage whatsoever.
But this time, he felt it.
The portion of the Styx River water he had used to attack Ji Shiyou and the Golden Lotus had all disappeared.
It hadn't returned to the Styx River, and the wave beneath his feet had also vanished without a trace, as if evaporated.
"Evaporated?"
Diao Shou exclaimed in shock, thinking of the reason for the river water's disappearance.
Ji Shiyou did not respond with words; he was too lazy to speak.
He simply extended his right hand, palm facing upwards.
A golden flame danced in his palm.
Though the flame was small, no larger than an egg,
it exuded an aura of absolute purity and dominance, filled with majesty.
Ji Shiyou flicked his finger, and the flame shot into the air.
It instantly grew to the size of a millstone, burning with golden flames.
The intense heat it emitted was scorching, and from afar, it looked like a second sun had appeared in the sky.
However, this sun was closer and hotter.
Inside the Golden Lotus, the people could no longer see the original sun.
The fire from Ji Shiyou's fireball was so dazzling that it eclipsed the sun's light.
"Golden Crow Transforms into Sun, Burn the River!"
Ji Shiyou roared, and from the golden fireball,
ten thousand rays of light shot out, illuminating the entire Styx River.
As the golden light touched the river water, a sizzling sound was heard.
The entire river turned into a boiling pot of oil.
The water level dropped rapidly, and half of the river disappeared in an instant.
"No! Why?
What kind of fire is this, so terrifying?"
Diao Shou, who was on the water's surface and transformed from the Styx River, found the river to be his very essence.
Now, with more than half of the river instantly evaporated by the mysterious golden fireball,
his body also weakened, and his cultivation was constantly declining.
What frightened him most was that he was the embodiment of the Styx River, with unparalleled corrosive power.
His physical defense was rarely matched in the world, yet his body could not withstand the golden light.
His once formidable body was like paper, instantly riddled with holes.
His clothes were tattered, revealing wounds that exposed bone all over his body.
The pain of being burned and the terror in his mind
forced him to hide in the water, howling incessantly.
Ji Shiyou stood in the air, calmly watching the Styx River whose water level was continuously dropping,
and Diao Shou, panicked within the river, his expression serene.
This fireball was called "Golden Crow Transforms into Sun," a higher realm of "Golden Crow Burns the Heavens."
His master, the Golden Crow Fairy, possessed the Golden Crow physique herself,
capable of emitting Golden Crow Fire at will, but he could not.
When he cultivated the Golden Crow Fire, he needed to condense a Golden Crow with sword energy.
Then, he would use the illusory Golden Crow to emit the Golden Crow Fire.
At most, he could only use "Golden Crow Burns the Heavens." He could not perform higher realms of Golden Crow Fire.
However, after his soul was repaired by the Moon Essence Pearl, his cultivation had increased by several levels.
Now, he no longer needed to condense the image of a Golden Crow beforehand.
He could summon the Golden Crow Fire at will,
and also use higher-level secret techniques, including this move, "Golden Crow Transforms into Sun."
When he was enveloped by the river water earlier, he had summoned the Golden Crow Fire and evaporated the surrounding river water.
Then, he evaporated the water waves surging towards the Golden Lotus and the wave beneath Diao Shou's feet,
causing Diao Shou to stumble and fall into the river.
Now, he used "Golden Crow Transforms into Sun" to evaporate the entire Styx River.
By destroying its true form, he would naturally kill Diao Shou.
All of this was done to please Mingyue.
Because the Spirit Devouring Whip had been destroyed by Diao Shou earlier, Mingyue had ordered him
to kill Diao Shou and avenge the Spirit Devouring Whip.
Although he hadn't responded at the time, he had taken it to heart.
He would definitely complete the task assigned by Mingyue.
With this thought, Ji Shiyou's mind stirred.
The sun formed by the Golden Crow Fire became even more intense.
The Styx River water was already at its bottom. If this continued,
the river water would be completely evaporated in no time, and Diao Shou would surely die.
Diao Shou, submerged in the river water, also realized this.
So, he gritted his teeth, enduring the severe pain in his body.
Under the immense pressure of "Golden Crow Transforms into Sun," he self-destructed.
This was not because he couldn't bear the pain and wanted to die. On the contrary, he was employing a demonic technique.
By shattering his body, he intended to merge with the Styx River.
This would temporarily restore the Styx River's power, allowing him to escape.
A rain of blood fell into the Styx River.
The blood and river water were both crimson, making them indistinguishable.
After merging, the river water surged.
Then, it rapidly contracted, shrinking into a small, crimson pool of water.
The pool, only the size of a tabletop, wriggled a few times.
It then flew into the air, escaping towards the horizon.
One of the characteristics of the Styx River was its elusive nature.
This was because it could travel thousands of miles in an instant, moving with extreme speed.
Otherwise, five hundred years ago, it would not have been able to evade the pursuit and interception of dozens of immortal sects
and tens of thousands of immortal disciples, remaining untraceable.
Today, to save his life, Diao Shou had to resort to his ultimate, hidden skill.
Seeing this, Ji Shiyou quickly controlled the fireball formed by the Golden Crow Fire to pursue.
Just then, a sword light flashed from the side, directly striking Ji Shiyou.
Ji Shiyou hadn't expected Diao Shou to have an accomplice.
In his haste, he controlled the fireball to defend.
Diao Shou was a demon master from the Heavenly Demon Valley. Those with him could be no good people.
Either demonic cultivators or fiends like the Five Elements Demon Lord, all deserving of death.
Therefore, Ji Shiyou showed no mercy, intending to subdue demons and eliminate monsters.
"Ji Shiyou, give me your life!"
The person on the flying sword shouted at Ji Shiyou.
Ji Shiyou was greatly alarmed, quickly controlling the fireball to return.
However, it was too late. The person had already collided with the fireball.
The flying sword was instantly melted by the high temperature, and the person on it also plummeted towards the ground.
Ji Shiyou cried out in his heart, "It's over!"