The monstrous tree, once an unshakable terror, now lay cleaved in ruin.
Lu Xueqi, leaning weakly against the boulder, stared in disbelief.
Her clear eyes widened as she gazed upon Zhang Xiaofan.....this boy she thought she knew.
How could one of the same Jade Purity Ninth Level unleash power beyond even her own?
Even more startling.....his firestick, forged from the Bloodthirsty Pearl and the Soul-Snatching Rod, now reeked of malice.
After devouring tens of thousands of wandering souls, its power had grown terrifying.....so much so that it outshone even her Tianya Divine Sword, one of the Nine Heavens' divine weapons.
Was this still a man… or a demon?
Her heart trembled.
At that moment, Zhang Xiaofan exhaled heavily.
Even his breath carried a faint crimson hue, as if steeped in blood.
The aura around him seethed with evil. Yet, slowly, it faded.
The blood glow dimmed. His eyes returned from scarlet to their familiar black.
His once-feral face softened, once more that of an ordinary young man.
Lu Xueqi breathed out. "Xiaofan… did you suppress it?"
"Yes." Zhang Xiaofan's voice was calm now. He turned to her, his expression gentler. "
Naiqi, you were wounded by the demon tree's strangling vines. I'll heal you."
Before she could protest, he pressed his palms to her chest.
A surge of green spiritual light spread, warm and soft, mending her wounds.
Her heart leapt. His touch was domineering...decisive, leaving no room for refusal. Worried I'd reject him, so he didn't even ask… she thought, a faint blush touching her pale cheeks.
And yet, beneath the embarrassment, warmth bloomed deep within her chest.
Time seemed to still. His healing light flowed, knitting torn meridians, restoring her vitality.
Then....
A sudden glow interrupted. From the darkness, a green lotus drifted silently, its petals shimmering with eerie light.
Without warning, it erupted in brilliance, striking at them.
Buzz!
Before the attack could land, a golden light burst forth. The Six-Combination Mirror, hidden in Zhang Xiaofan's robes, leapt into the air, spinning above his head. The mirror's golden radiance blasted the green lotus away.
From the shadows came a laugh...light, mocking, and all too familiar.
"Ha… haha…"
Both Zhang Xiaofan and Lu Xueqi turned sharply.
A slender figure stepped gracefully from the cliffside darkness, her short green skirt swaying, revealing long, snow-white legs.
Her delicate waist arched as she placed her hands on her hips, eyes sparkling mischievously.
Bi Yao.
"It seems fate ties us together, Zhang Xiaofan," she said with a playful smile. "Everyone here comes for the Bleeding Cave's secrets. Tell me.....have you found it yet?"
Zhang Xiaofan's gaze sharpened, but he shook his head lightly. "Bleeding Cave? I don't know what you mean."
"Hmph!" Bi Yao pouted, eyes narrowing. "You righteous hypocrites are always good at pretending. But I won't let you two compete with me."
She turned her head. "Aunt You."
At her words, a figure appeared on the opposite cliff....a woman in a form-fitting black dress, her face veiled, yet her allure undeniable.
Snowy legs peeked through the slit of her long skirt, gleaming even in the darkness.
You Ji. One of the Ghost King Sect's Four Holy Envoys.
Her eyes, sultry yet cold, swept over Zhang Xiaofan and Lu Xueqi.
She raised a hand lazily. "Capture them. The Sect Master will decide their fate."
Seven streaks of yellow light shot toward them like falling stars.
"Six-Combination Mirror!"
Golden radiance blazed once more, blocking the attack.
You Ji tilted her head, eyes narrowing at the floating mirror. "So… this is the Six-Combination Mirror.
I've heard of it. A treasure of your Qingyun's ancestor Wu Fangzi.....capable of reflecting all attacks. With enough spiritual power, it is nearly invincible."
She smiled, stepping lightly down, every movement dripping with temptation. Even Wan Jianyi had once lost his mind to this woman's beauty.
Her charming eyes locked onto Zhang Xiaofan. "Unfortunately… you are only at the peak of Yuqing.
Your strength is far below mine. Against a Shangqing master like me, even with the Six-Combination Mirror, you cannot win."
Zhang Xiaofan's grip tightened on his firestick. His eyes no longer wavered.
"Then try."
The abyss shuddered with tension.
"Want to give it a try?"
Zhang Xiaofan's eyes locked onto You Ji. His gaze was sharp, steady, and full of hidden danger.
The blood-red firestick in his hand glimmered faintly in the gloom, like a weapon thirsting for battle.
But inside, he wasn't reckless. Even though he spoke with confidence, he knew better than to expose his true strength.....the realm of Shangqing....unless he had absolutely no choice.
The world of Zhu Xian was treacherous. Enemies lurked behind every shadow. One careless move could mean certain death.
Yes, he had revealed his realm once before....back in Qingyun Sect's Yuqing Hall.....but only a handful of people knew the truth. His master Tian Buyi, Daoist Daoxuan, and… Cangsong.
Tian Buyi would never betray him. Daoist Daoxuan was upright to the bone and wouldn't spread it.
But Cangsong… Cangsong was a traitor, already sold to the Demon Cult's Poison God.
If anyone leaked his secret, it would be that man.
But even then, the Poison God wouldn't bother telling the Ghost King.
The Demon Cult itself was fractured into rival factions, each eager to destroy the other.
Why would the Poison God hand such precious news to a potential enemy?
That meant You Ji.....the Ghost King's close aide.....knew nothing.
For now, that was his greatest advantage. His hidden realm was a card that could save his life.
Without it, Cangsong's ambush in Yuqing Palace would have killed him.
Even the seven-tailed centipede, had it landed, would have been his end.
So he had to hide, endure, and strike only at the right moment.
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