With the death of Protector Mo, Duan Feng, who was in the distance, finally collapsed and broke free.
Ming Qi glanced at him and was about to give chase when he saw Meng Ling, standing before him, gently wave her right hand towards Protector Mo's corpse on the ground. Several streams of blood flew out from it.
Then, Meng Ling's right hand curved and extended in the air, and the blood streams condensed into five more concentrated rays of blood. Four of them merged again, while the third soared into the air, shooting towards the fleeing Duan Feng.
Seeing this, Ming Qi knew Duan Feng was doomed. He simply turned his gaze away, quickly scanning Protector Mo before collecting a small package and immediately turning his attention to Zi Yue and Zi Yuan nearby.
The situation on Ziyuan's side wasn't particularly dire. It was obvious without even looking that this group relied on the presence of an innate cultivator to act with impunity. Now that Protector Mo and Duanfeng had both perished, only Ziyue remained with some fighting power, a major shift in power between the two sides.
Furthermore, Mingqi still had Mengling by his side. As for Mengling's strength, was she at the third or fifth level of the innate realm? Mingqi didn't know, but she was definitely far superior to Protector Mo.
Ziyue's heart sank to the bottom after watching Protector Mo's death. If she wasn't careful, she could be Duanfeng's next.
Knowing that further fighting would yield no results, Ziyue immediately retracted her weapon and leaped from the battle, taking a stand to the side with two of her men. She didn't choose to flee at this point, for she knew how terrifying the woman beside Mingqi, shrouded in blood and demonic energy, was.
Zi Yuan also sheathed her short blade. With a complicated look, she glanced at Ming Qi, who was approaching, then shouted to Zi Yue, who was standing beside her, "Sister, please turn back! I beg you!"
Her voice trembled slightly, as if she had completely forgotten that it was Zi Yue who had previously led the group in setting up the evil spirit-gathering array, intending to force her into a desperate situation.
Zi Yue's face was pale. The previous battle had consumed a tremendous amount of energy, and now that the battle was over, exhaustion immediately washed over her. However, when she heard Zi Yuan's words, her eyes remained firm.
"Turning back? Haha!"
Zi Yue scoffed, a sharp laugh escaping her throat, as if she had encountered something unbelievable.
"Can you turn back?"
After a few cold chuckles, Zi Yue suddenly gripped her weapon tightly.
"Silly sister, stop wishful thinking. Now that I've embarked on this path, there's no turning back!"
"Sister...!"
Zi Yuan's voice trembled. As she spoke, her eyes flickered, constantly glancing at Meng Ling, who stood beside Ming Qi.
She didn't know where this strange woman came from, but one thing was certain: she was a terrifying woman.
She was afraid this terrifying woman would kill Zi Yue.
However, Meng Ling remained silent. Aside from occasionally glancing at Ming Qi, she was busy toying with a blood ball in her palm, enjoying it endlessly.
As for Ming Qi, he wasn't in a rush to do anything. After all, Zi Yue and Zi Yuan had a special relationship, and he had no intention of interfering in family matters. He simply waited for an opportunity to return the Zi Yuan Feather to Zi Yuan before leaving and returning to the Biyou Sect.
At this moment, Ming Qi was just a bystander.
Seeing that no matter how hard Zi Yuan tried to persuade Zi Yue, she felt a surge of bitterness well up in her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes before she realized it. She stared blankly at Zi Yue, at a loss for words.
The situation remained deadlocked. Back in Qinglong Town, with Protector Mo and Duan Feng already dead, the control of the evil spirit gathering array had begun to crack. It was now gradually dissipating, and the resentful and murderous aura in the air began to dissipate. Qinglong Town began to return to its peaceful state.
However, the corpses scattered on the ground would never be reborn.
"Sister, you, go."
As if she had made a grave decision, Zi Yuan pondered for a long time before finally uttering a few words with difficulty.
She let Zi Yue go; it was the only thing she could do right now.
If she were asked to kill Zi Yue, she couldn't do it.
"Go?"
Hearing Zi Yuan's words, Zi Yue's face showed no trace of joy. Instead, she showed deep disdain, and then disappointment.
"You're letting me go? Haha!"
Zi Yue laughed shrilly, raising her weapon and pointing it at Zi Yuan. "You're still as cowardly and timid as before, and you show me mercy so easily. You really disappoint me!"
As she spoke, she suddenly moved, not to flee, but to swing her weapon at Zi Yuan.
The blade was sharp, with unwavering determination.
The last two female monks following her hesitated, but didn't slow down much as they also rushed forward.
"Sister, why? Why on earth is this happening?"
As the blades slashed past, Zi Yuan instinctively swung both blades to block.
But her actions at this moment were completely distracted, lacking any intimidating power. She merely moved her blades symbolically.
"Pay attention! How can you be even worse than you were when you were a child!"
Zi Yue suddenly shouted, and the broken sword in her right hand ripped open, leaving a deep wound on Zi Yuan's left arm.
"When I was little?..."
Zi Yuan's eyes remained hazy, as if her memory had been drawn away again.
Unsurprisingly, two more wounds appeared on her body.
Zi Yuan clearly remembered her childhood, often sparring with her sister. Both sisters were incredibly serious, and Zi Yuan, with her exceptional talent, often managed to defeat her sister.
And every time Zi Yuan defeated her sister, Zi Yue never got angry. Instead, she praised her with encouragement.
Suddenly recalling her childhood, Zi Yuan suddenly realized that during that period, she had made steady progress under her sister's guidance, never arrogant or lazy.
At this thought, a pang of pain suddenly lingered in her heart.
Things had changed. Now she was still facing her sister, but the sister in her heart had long since changed, becoming someone she didn't even recognize.
Could it really be that her serious illness, years of isolation from the world, had completely distanced her from her sister? Or was it her current weakness that had caused her sister heartache?
Zi Yuan couldn't comprehend, couldn't understand. But no matter how many thoughts swirled through her mind, the fact that Zi Yue and she were facing each other to the death was unchangeable!
No matter how much pain Zi Yuan felt at this moment, Zi Yue's blade seemed as cold as ever.
Swish, swish, swish!
The rhythm of the blade suddenly accelerated again. Frantic Zi Yue seemed to have forgotten everything. With determination in her eyes, she was like a lone wolf, launching a reckless and ferocious attack.
"If you don't fight back, you'll die!"
Zi Yue spoke coldly, her hands never stopping. In the blink of an eye, Zi Yuan's body was stained with several more wounds. While these wounds weren't fatal, they looked bloody and shocking.
"Sister!..."
Finally, Zi Yuan cried out tremblingly, her eyes, already blurred by tears, finally revealing a sharp edge as she danced with the two blades in her hands.
In the distance, Ming Qi sighed helplessly.
"Making the next decision is truly difficult."
Sisters fighting each other, no matter the reason, always end tragically.
At first, Ming Qi wanted to intervene, but when he saw the infinite determination gleaming in Zi Yue's eyes, he held back. Even if he intervened, even if he could prevent this one, it would surely happen again. Perhaps this was their fate.
Amidst the flashing of swords and sabers, the two flower-like girls were caught in the midst of it all. Was it fate, or luck? No one could say for sure.
This battle didn't last long. With Zi Yue's sigh of relief and Zi Yuan's exclamation, everything seemed to be coming to an end.
Zi Yue's hand held the blade, less than two inches from Zi Yuan's throat, while Zi Yuan's short blade had already pierced Zi Yue's chest deeply.
Ming Qi saw clearly that, judging purely from the perspective of the battle, it wasn't Zi Yue who perished, but Zi Yuan.
However, at the moment the two girls simultaneously thrust their blades, Zi Yue suddenly ceased all movement.
At this moment, Ming Qi's mind suddenly became crystal clear. Zi Yue was definitely trying to fulfill something! And she was risking her life!
Was it just to make Zi Yuan put away her cowardice and pity?
Dang!
The blade in Zi Yue's hand slipped silently, and then the two female monks following her raised their weapons and slashed at their throats.
Ming Qi suddenly felt tears welling in the corners of his eyes, and he felt a deep sense of discomfort.
It was an uncomfortable, unpleasant feeling, like a lump in his throat, yet it also made his heart tremble.
Yes, he was cold-blooded, lonely, and ruthless, but at this moment, his heart truly trembled.
Not only for Zi Yue, but also for the two female monks who had sacrificed their lives without hesitation.
Zi Yuan, trembling, held Zi Yue's limp body in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Flowers bloom with splendor, yet fall with pain.
Zi Yue's face was pale, devoid of color. Her eyes gazed upon Zi Yuan, and at that moment, only love filled her.
"It's time... for you to grow up..."
She uttered these words with difficulty, as if exhausting all her strength.
Zi Yuan burst into tears, nodding repeatedly at Zi Yue's words.
Suddenly, Zi Yue's body shook, and a layer of black aura enveloped her exposed skin. From her hands to her neck to her face, the black aura permeated, transforming into an inky black in a flash.
"Not good!"
Ming Qi's heart skipped a beat, a terrifying thought flashing through his mind.
"Zi Yuan, get out of the way!"
It was too late to get there, but Ming Qi still flew out immediately, shouting.
At the same moment, Zi Yue, enveloped by the black aura, uttered two words with difficulty: "Hurry!... Go!..."
Bang!
A dark, thick blood mist exploded, and Zi Yuan's body was lifted abruptly into the air by a line of blood!
At the most crucial moment, Meng Ling took action.