But as the golden light drew closer, Xuantian Sect’s cultivation had been completely exhausted. The entire person knelt on the ground, relying solely on willpower to maintain their current posture.
Dan Chenzi, as a close friend of Xuantian Sect, finally couldn’t hold back and shouted, "Hey! You fool! If you continue like this, you’ll die! How will you avenge your master if you’re dead?!"
The others present remained silent. Everyone knew exactly why Xuantian Sect was so desperate.
Li Qing looked at Xuantian Sect, whose entire body was on the verge of turning to ash in just a few moments, and couldn’t help but question himself. If Yu Huan were to die, could he go this far for her?
Before, he could have said yes without hesitation. But now... perhaps he still could...
Xuantian Sect felt as though he was about to die. In his daze, he saw his master clad in snow-white monk robes once again. He had faced the Blood Demon at his peak and knew that even if he reached the legendary realm of Ascension, he might not be a match. Now, perhaps it wasn’t so bad to join his master early.
To fall in love with one’s own master—this was an absolute taboo in the Righteous Dao. He had never dared to confront the feelings in his heart and didn’t know what his master truly thought. It was only under the Blood Demon’s assault that Xuantian Sect realized his love was not one-sided.
On the other hand, his master had delayed his Ascension for so long because of his burden. If one does not become an immortal or Buddha, they remain mortal. A thousand years later, all would be dust in the earth’s embrace.
Although he couldn’t personally avenge his master, watching his beloved wither away before his eyes might have been an even crueler torment for Xuantian Sect.
Just as Xuantian Sect’s consciousness was about to dissipate, a sudden cool sensation emanated from his chest, extinguishing the True Fire on his body in an instant. A crescent-shaped stone glowing with blue light wrapped around Xuantian Sect.
The blue stone seemed to have an attraction for the golden light. Originally approaching at a steady pace, the golden light suddenly accelerated, transforming into a golden beam that shot out from the stone wall and fused with the stone. The golden light and blue light flickered in the air, and after a moment of equilibrium, a crescent-shaped stone embedded with a circular one returned to Xuantian Sect’s embrace.
Xuantian Sect’s body, previously turned completely to charcoal, rapidly healed. However, the intense ordeal had greatly burdened his physical and mental state. His barely revived body collapsed again...
After examining him, Dan Chenzi was relieved to find that Xuantian Sect was no longer in mortal danger. He fed him a few elixirs before finally relaxing.
Bai Mei looked at Xuantian Sect, sighed, and said, "Though treasures are good, one should not covet them. Do not follow his example."
Then he fell silent as the blue light within continued to flicker.
The next to attempt was Dan Chenzi. Dan Chenzi, being more obedient to his master, gave a simple trial but stopped when there wasn’t any reaction from the blue light.
In the end, only Cheng An and his group were left. Yang Taizhen didn’t hold back, stepping forward decisively. She activated her new cultivation technique and injected her pure mana into the Dao Jade.
The blue light started to quiver under Yang Yuhuan’s mana, causing her to beam with joy as she accelerated her mana injection.
But the result was that the blue light remained completely unyielding, and yet Yang Yuhuan stubbornly refused to give up. Google seaʀᴄh novｅlfire.net
Suddenly, she was reminded of the Blood Demon’s words in the Illusion inside the Thousand Illusion Cave: "You are no match for Ah Yao." Something indescribable churned in her heart. *How am I inferior to some Demon Sect enchantress?*
Yang Yuhuan channeled the combined third and fourth volumes of the Nameless Heavenly Book into herself, unleashing a torrent of mana to pull at the blue light. The blue light wavered a few times but then stilled again.
Growing anxious, Yang Yuhuan began murmuring an incantation from the second volume of the Heavenly Book and then commanded the blue light with a sharp shout, "Come out!"
The previously dormant blue light suddenly burst into flickers. Treasure Hua, radiating an exuberant energy, bolted out. Scarlet cracks began spreading across the jade piece.
Standing silently behind, Bai Mei sensed the imminent danger and immediately shouted, "Girl, stop right now!"
But seeing herself on the verge of success, Yang Yuhuan ignored Bai Mei’s words and forced the last of her mana into the jade.
Yang Mei’s expression changed drastically as he swung his whisk, pulling Xuantian Sect and Dan Chenzi out of harm’s way. Li Qing, realizing the danger as well, tried to shield both Jing An and Yang Yuhuan. However, Yang Yuhuan had nearly depleted her mana, Jing An was not agile, and the intelligence emanating from the Dao Jade hinted that the terrifying energy within was beyond anyone’s ability to withstand.
Gritting his teeth, Li Qing struck Jing An on the back with his palm, propelling him out of the cave, while he braced himself to shield Yang Yuhuan. A series of shattering sounds followed as the jade piece fractured, unleashing the destructive force of Nanming Lihuo. At that moment, Yang Yuhuan’s mind went blank—she was completely stunned. Her mana, drained entirely in the effort to draw forth the treasure, left her unable to use the Jade Bracelet.
Li Qing’s face hardened, and he swiftly formed hand seals, deploying all his protective magical treasures between them. Then, with a roar, he invoked, "Decree · Stop!"
The rampaging Nanming Lihuo, originally spiraling out of control, abruptly froze in midair. The anticipated explosion did not occur.
Sweating profusely, Li Qing realized he had gambled correctly. The divine skill he learned from the Thousand Illusion Cave’s ancestors indeed worked on the treasures they left behind.
Amidst the swirling Nanming Lihuo, something seemed to circle Li Qing twice before condensing. Finally, a blue-feathered Immortal Sword descended into Li Qing’s grasp.
As he held it, a wave of warmth coursed through his body, and he intuitively understood the sword’s name: Nanming Lihuo Sword.
Having narrowly escaped death, Li Qing felt deeply relieved, especially knowing he had saved his goddess. As the tension left his body, he collapsed to the ground, laughing as he said to Yang Yuhuan, "That scared me to death! I thought we were really going to die just now!"
Yet Yang Yuhuan had no sense of relief. She stared fixedly at the Nanming Lihuo Sword, her eyes filled with incredulity. *Why? Why is it like this?*
*I am obviously superior to Li Qing. I am the reincarnation of a fairy, the rightful protagonist. Why did the Immortal Artifact not choose me?*
Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Li Qing, noticing her gaze, instinctively extended the treasure sword to her. However, the sword possessed its own will; as Yang Yuhuan reached out, the blue light flared, emitting an intense heat that forced her to withdraw her hand reflexively.
Realizing that the sword had rejected her, Yang Yuhuan’s fury surged uncontrollably. She spat the words "broken sword" and stormed out of the cave. Seeing her anger, Li Qing hurriedly scrambled to his feet and chased after her.
Outside, Bai Mei, relieved to see the two emerge safely, sighed inwardly. *We haven’t even fought the Blood Demon yet, and this girl almost blew up all our high-end combat power. Is she an internal saboteur?*
But seeing Li Qing following closely, trying to placate her, Bai Mei stood silent. *Perhaps at his age, I truly don’t understand love?*
No matter the case, the Immortal Artifact had chosen its master. The Blood Demon, relying on his power alone, had no chance of triumph.
...
Elsewhere, the Blood Demon was hardly idle. That brief test of strength against Bai Mei had already revealed Bai Mei to be the greatest obstacle to his plan. He was now contemplating ways to resolve this hindrance.
While the Demon Dao fighters typically possessed stronger individual combat abilities than their Righteous Dao counterparts, their collective strength was weaker. This lifetime, though reborn as a mortal, the Blood Demon was the reincarnation of the Blood God’s son. After annihilating many sects, he had pored over countless texts, integrating the wisdom of Buddha, Dao, and Demon to create a cultivation method uniquely suited to himself, which he named the Blood God Scripture.
He was unsure why but couldn’t deny his unparalleled talent for controlling blood. Joining the Demon Sect had only deepened his understanding of blood through relentless slaughter. His mind seemed to harbor an infinite reservoir of knowledge on the subject, waiting to be unearthed.
The old Zhang Xiaofan might have deemed such knowledge evil and refused to study it. But the current Blood Demon held no such reservations—especially when those practicing the spells were a group of Demon Dao demons.