The sword's edge flashed with brilliance.
Spiritual energy surged like crashing waves, rushing toward Gu Xueyi.
Although Yan Haiyao had succumbed to demonic influence due to cultivating "Thousand Changes," his true qi remained incomparably pure. One after another, silver waves and snowy tides materialized, surging toward Gu Baiyi's position.
It was the first move of The Moon in the Sea—Washing in Waves.
This strike embodied pure sword intent, formidable and tangible.
Gu Xueyi knew she couldn't block it. She could only tap the ground lightly and use Phantom Flowers, Hidden Moon .
In an instant, the winds cleared, and the moon shone bright. The raging waves crashed down, but they only shattered the massive boulders of Yunxian Cave.
Yan Haiyao was slightly surprised and asked, "Why, despite being so deeply tainted by demonic energy, can you still wield Phantom Flowers, Hidden Moon from the Huanhua Palace?"
After stabilizing herself, Gu Xueyi sneered. "Senior, you have already fallen into madness. Why are you still able to use the pristine Washing in Waves?"
Yan Haiyao raised the Cangming Sword once more, shaking his head. "Though I stand in purgatory, I have never truly fallen to darkness."
Ji Rong watched Yan Haiyao, covered in blood, and was utterly shaken.
She had seen shameless people before, but never anyone this shameless.
After a brief pause, Yan Haiyao chuckled. "However, when it comes to Phantom Flowers, Hidden Moon , I may be even more familiar with it than you."
As he finished speaking, he took a slight step, and in the next instant, he was behind Gu Baiyi.
Then, he raised the Cangming Sword and thrust it toward her chest.
Yan Haiyao moved too fast. Gu Xueyi had no time to dodge. In that split second, she couldn't react and could only brace for impact.
Just as the Cangming Sword was about to pierce through her, another blade, gleaming with cold light, blocked it.
The one holding the sword was Ji Rong, her robes billowing, her expression calm.
Yet Yan Haiyao's sword intent was unstoppable.
The overwhelming pressure forced Ji Rong to cough up blood. The Qinghe Sword, unable to withstand the surge of true qi, was knocked from her grasp.
Yan Haiyao showed no mercy. His blade descended once more.
The sword sliced into Ji Rong's wrist with such force that it nearly severed her entire hand.
The cold steel cut through flesh and seemed to strike bone.
Blood gushed from the wound, and her hand immediately went limp.
Ji Rong's fingers trembled and spasmed, the pain so excruciating that her face turned deathly pale. She instinctively clutched her wound, but she couldn't stop the blood from pouring out.
Blood trickled down the arc of the Cangming Sword, dripping onto Yan Haiyao's hand.
He could have severed Ji Rong's left hand entirely, but the sight of the blood jade bracelet on her wrist made him pause.
Yan Haiyao withdrew his sword slightly and asked, "You're wearing Gong Yu's bracelet. Are you a disciple of the Wanjian Sect?"
Ji Rong, drenched in cold sweat from the pain, had no mind to answer.
The reason she had just leapt forward and blocked Yan Haiyao's strike was twofold: first, to repay Gu Xueyi for shielding her from the falling boulder before; second, because if the protagonist died, she'd be doomed too. But she hadn't expected the price for her interference to be this steep.
Damn. This really fucking hurts.
However, as Gu Xueyi saw Ji Rong's wounded wrist, a chilling murderous intent surged across her face.
She raised the Hanshui Sword and slashed at Yan Haiyao three times in rapid succession.
Within Yunxian Cave, the blade absorbed the surrounding blood energy and ignited with dark flames.
As the blade descended, phantom red lotuses bloomed in the air, and a raging inferno threatened to consume Yan Haiyao's entire being.
This sword technique was created by the previous Demon Lord, Chu Changli—
The eleventh form of the Heavenly Demon Scroll—Three Paths to the Forgotten River.
As the sword intent surged toward him, Yan Haiyao did not dodge.
He stared at the blood that had dripped onto his palm, feeling an immense force surging within his body.
That force was mending his shattered meridians, allowing him to break through his seal and be reborn anew.
Yan Haiyao threw his head back and laughed, almost to the point of tears, for this moment, he had waited far too long.
He remained motionless, allowing the infernal flames to engulf him, burning his flesh. Then, he lifted a jade flute to his lips and began to play Jinse.
As the flames roared, his eyeballs were incinerated, leaving only hollow sockets. The stench of burning flesh filled the air as his hair and clothes turned to ash.
Yet, his expression remained serene, his eyes filled with a sorrowful compassion as he played the melody.
Amidst the sea of karmic flames, Yan Haiyao's appearance changed rapidly, becoming visibly younger.
His skin regained its youthful smoothness, and no longer was he shackled by his former constraints. He rose slowly from the fire, eyeless yet shedding two streaks of bloody tears.
Lowering the jade flute, he pressed his hands together and uttered a single word—
"Kill."
A storm of sword energy descended upon them.
Words carried the power of law, only those at the Infinite Realm could achieve such a feat.
The gap in cultivation was far too great. Ji Rong couldn't move at all.
Blood continued to trickle from her wrist as she frantically called for the system within her consciousness, only to find it eerily silent, as if it were dead.
Damn this useless system! It always crashes at the crucial moment. What's the point of having it at all?
Countless sword shadows filled her vision.
Gu Xueyi remained calm, stepping forward to shield Ji Rong behind her.
Ji Rong froze, staring at the figure standing before her.
That figure was slender and frail, her back still wrapped in bloodstained ice gauze. Yet, as countless sword auras surged forward, she resolutely raised her sword, meeting the terrifying killing intent head-on.
Ji Rong knew the heroine had been designed to be immortal, but in that fleeting moment, another thought surfaced—
But she can still feel pain.
Gu Xueyi, however, wasn't thinking that much.
As the sword shadows cut into her skin, a glimmer of satisfaction flashed through her eyes.
Ji Rong had just taken a sword strike for that fool. There was no way she would owe Ji Rong a favor. If it had to be repaid, she would use that fool's body to settle the debt. Only then would things be even.
Just as a sword mark was carved across Gu Xueyi's face, a figure suddenly leaped into the air. Hands forming a seal, they conjured a massive umbrella-shaped barrier, blocking the flaming sword shadows.
Ji Rong stared in shock at the one who had created the barrier. With frost-laced lashes and flowing dark hair, the person before her was none other than Wu Yan.
That little fox was this powerful?
Yan Haiyao's sword strike was immensely powerful. Even though Wu Yan had absorbed the essence of the Evernight Flower, her cultivation was still far from matching an Infinite Realm expert. The barrier she had erected could only protect them for so long.
As cracks formed in the umbrella-like shield, the shattering light fragments transformed into countless Evernight Flowers, drifting down like a rain of blood.
Ji Rong watched the flowers fall, and a sudden image surfaced in her mind.
A woman dressed in snowy white lay in a pool of blood, gazing at the drifting winter plum blossoms.
Then, the woman smiled.
She thought back to the sect's initiation ceremony years ago, the first time she met that person. It had also rained like this that day.
For some reason, Ji Rong realized she could hear the original host's thoughts.
But before she could dwell on it, a searing pain suddenly tore through her chest, as if her heart were being gouged out. She collapsed to the ground, her vision filled with the crimson rain of plum blossoms.
If this were an illusion, the pain felt far too real.
The sword shadows continued their relentless assault on the barrier.
Wu Yan's face was deathly pale, blood trickling from the corner of her lips as she struggled to hold her ground.
Yan Haiyao stood above the sea of blood, watching everything unfold.
Then, he uttered a single word: "Break."
In an instant, the barrier shattered.
Wu Yan crumpled to the ground, reverting to her fox form, weakly watching as the sword energy surged toward her.
She never thought she would die even sooner than the other foxes of Xishan.
Sword shadows, like a blizzard, fell upon a figure clad in violet, blooming into vivid red flowers upon contact.
Ji Rong watched as Gu Xueyi turned around, blood streaming down her face and body, yet she still smiled as she met Ji Rong's gaze.
"I've repaid what I owed you on that fool's behalf. From now on, we're still enemies."
With that, Gu Xueyi collapsed into Ji Rong's arms.
The sword energy surged forward, aiming straight for Ji Rong's throat. Holding the wounded woman in her arms, Ji Rong's hands were soaked in blood.
She lifted her head and faced the thousand phantom swords descending upon her.
Yet, to her surprise, as death loomed closer, she felt no fear.
If the heroine wasn't afraid of dying, then why the hell should she be?