The air burned crimson.
Demonic shrieks echoed across the vast Infernal Hall as the six cultivators of Qingling stood shoulder to shoulder, their spirits reignited, their Qi blazing like stars defying an eclipse.
This time, they did not defend.
They charged.
Feng Ruo moved first—her violet fire blazing to life, dancing along her arms like wild serpents. She spun, her sleeves laced in heat, and unleashed a cascade of flame from her palms.
"红莲狱火 · Red Lotus Hellfire!"
The firestorm surged forward, devouring three thread-bound demons. Their screeches vanished beneath the roar of combustion.
Behind her, Shui Lin's aura shimmered. He knelt and slammed a palm into the floor.
A tidal surge of glowing water burst from beneath, spiraling upward.
"水刃万影 · Ten Thousand Water Blades!"
Blades formed from liquid and light, swirling around him. With a flick of his fingers, they flew—each one a perfect execution. Demons were shredded mid-air, their blood sizzling into vapor.
To the left, Yue Chányīn danced like frost in motion. Her sword, cold as moonlight, flickered through air and shadow.
"冰凰断影斩 · Ice Phoenix Shadow Sever!"
An arc of snow-feathered sword Qi burst from her blade, freezing two leaping demons mid-strike, their bodies shattering as they crashed to the ground.
Huo Shan's bellow cracked stone.
He stood guard in front of the rear formation, his fists braced against the marble floor, a protective wall of hardened Qi glowing around his frame.
"大地灵壁 · Earth Spirit Bastion!"
The floor itself surged upward at his call, jagged spikes of rock forming a defensive line. Then he stomped once, and from the sides of the battlefield, stone lances erupted, impaling anything that crossed their path.
"碎峰逐影!" he roared.
The ground shattered beneath him as he leapt forward, using rock-forged footholds to catapult himself into a charging beast, pulverizing its skull with a glowing fist.
And then—
A cry. Not human. Not beast. Phoenix.
Su Feilí swept her spear in a burning arc, flames trailing behind her like feathers.
"炎凰破空刺 · Flame Phoenix Skypierce!"
She leapt through the air, spear in hand, trailing a fiery afterimage. Her body spun as she thrust downward, impaling a demon's core and detonating its essence in a blast of heat.
"More are coming!" she called out, landing beside Xuanye.
And he—
He stood calm, his blade drawn low.
A current of blue lightning danced across his knuckles.
His Spiritual Eye flickered to life, one iris glowing faintly with runes. He saw the demons not as shadows or beasts, but as structures of Qi—fragile threads glowing behind their cores.
"There." He moved like lightning.
"断灵闪!"
His body vanished and reappeared behind a tall, cloaked demon. One slash.
The creature froze. Then collapsed into ash.
Another demon lunged. Xuanye leapt forward, his blade pulsing.
"雷鸣剑魂 · Thunderclap Blade Soul!"
Each strike was thunder and light. Blue arcs crackled from his sword, lacing the floor with scorch marks. Demons shattered beneath his blade as if struck by the judgment of heaven itself.
Even among the six, it was Xuanye who burned brightest.
Each move was elegant—lethal—guided by instinct and ancient rhythm. He did not pause. His every breath danced between defiance and purpose.
Across the hall, upon her throne of blood, Mèi Xuán watched.
She had not moved.
Her serpentine tails flicked lazily behind her, red eyes blinking in unison.
But her gaze never left Xuanye.
Her voice slithered into the air, ancient and curious.
"这份剑意..."
She rose.
One hand placed upon the armrest. One foot on the first obsidian step.
"有趣."
A second step.
The temperature dropped.
The very threads of reality began to tremble.
Yue Chányīn gasped. Her breath condensed in the air.
A third step.
The light dimmed.
Xuanye's grip tightened on his blade.
A fourth step.
The entire battlefield felt her presence. Her murderous aura was not a wave—it was a tide, dragging the air itself into stillness. Her third eye remained sealed, her smile faint.
A fifth step.
Huo Shan fell to one knee.
"She's… too heavy…"
A sixth.
Feng Ruo stumbled, coughing blood.
Su Feilí ignited her Qi, flames flaring just to stay standing.
"Don't… give in," she growled.
Xuanye's knees trembled, but he stood.
Mèi Xuán reached the final step.
And stood still.
Her nine tails hovered behind her, silent. Her eyes flickered to Xuanye once more.
"Who are you… child of broken stars?"
The battlefield was silent.
And the real fight had just begun.
To be continued...