Ming Qi, who had initially thought he'd struggle to escape, suddenly found himself in a different situation. Meng Ling's appearance had caused Mie Shen to lose interest in Ming Qi. Perhaps because Ming Qi was Meng Ling's friend, Mie Shen no longer had his eye on Ming Qi.
At this point, Ming Qi, much like Mie Shen, quietly awaited Meng Ling's decision.
After a moment's silence, Meng Ling finally gave her answer.
"I can't stay. This thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine is for him."
As Ming Qi stared in surprise, he saw Meng Ling point at him.
Ming Qi hadn't expected Meng Ling to not only reject Mie Shen's proposal but also say something that shocked him to the core.
This thousand-year-old crimson pearl vine holds immense benefits for all three present. Whoever obtains it will experience a significant boost in strength. As for Mie Shen not refining it directly, it's largely due to his desire to utilize its nourishing effect on his soul and stimulate its potential. As long as he remains here, he will be continuously nourished by the vine's precious spiritual energy.
Mie Shen's approach is undoubtedly the best, but perhaps only an ancient demon soldier like Mie Shen, with no appreciation for time, could have the fortitude to remain underground for millennia.
Mie Shen has ample time, as does Meng Ling. Of the three, only Ming Qi can't afford to waste it. He possesses only acquired cultivation, and his lifespan, in the eyes of ancient demon soldiers like Meng Ling and Mie Shen, would be a fleeting moment.
To directly remove the crimson pearl vine and refine it would undoubtedly be a tactic that kills the goose that lays the golden eggs. Yet, Meng Ling actually intends to leave this rare spiritual herb to Ming Qi.
Meng Ling's words struck at the most vulnerable part of Ming Qi's soul.
He looked at Meng Ling with hazy eyes, unsure what to say.
"Give it to him? Are you kidding?"
Mie Shen responded to Meng Ling's words with a tone of astonishment, completely skeptical.
"This is the Ten Thousand Years Crimson Pearl Vine. It's incomparable to any other spiritual herb!" Mie Shen reiterated the vine's preciousness.
Ming Qi suddenly realized that Meng Ling truly didn't know the wonder and rarity of the Ten Thousand Years Crimson Pearl Vine.
"I know," Meng Ling interrupted Mie Shen, dispelling the last remaining doubt in Ming Qi's mind.
Clearly, Meng Ling knew the rarity of the Ten Thousand Years Crimson Pearl Vine.
Then, Meng Ling added, "He risked his life to block the most powerful blow from an innate expert wielding a celestial weapon. Compared to that, what is a mere Crimson Pearl Vine?"
Innate expert? Celestial weapon? The most powerful blow?
Mie Shen remained expressionless. To him, these things were no match for ants. Although his current strength had faded like Meng Ling's memories, the aura of a powerful ancient demon warrior who roamed the end of antiquity, the arrogance of looking down upon the world and treating billions of lives as mere ants, remained deeply ingrained in his soul.
"How could a brat who hasn't even reached the Innate stage withstand the mightiest blow of a celestial weapon unleashed by an Innate powerhouse?"
Mie Shen naturally refused to believe it; such a thing was too unbelievable.
He thought it was a ridiculous excuse Meng Ling had made up to give Ming Qi the Crimson Pearl Vine.
"He did it, and succeeded."
Meng Ling's face remained expressionless as she lightly floated to the black stone platform where the thousand-year-old Crimson Pearl Vine rested.
Seeing Meng Ling actually take action, Mie Shen was startled. With a flash of his body, he quickly blocked Meng Ling's path.
"Xiao Ling, are you really planning to give him the Crimson Pearl Vine? Are you crazy?"
A look of disbelief crossed Mieshen's face. His body hadn't fully recovered yet, and he was currently in a state of half-real and half-virtual existence, but this didn't affect his combat capabilities at all.
As he stood in front of Meng Ling, Mieshen's hands gently waved, and nine small flags quickly flew up and inserted themselves around the Crimson Pearl Vine. Each flag shimmered with an eerie light, and these lights instantly connected together, forming a defensive formation.
Seeing Mieshen blocking her way, Meng Ling attacked without hesitation. A flash of bloody light pierced one of the nine flags.
"You are betraying Master Wushuang!"
Mieshen shouted angrily.
Meng Ling's hands remained still, but she snorted coldly, "Young Master Wushuang? After a hundred thousand years, even a god would be reduced to ashes."
Mieshen's expression had grown ferocious, his pale face growing even more terrifying. He sternly declared, "Young Master Wushuang is not dead. If you betray him, you will suffer eternal torment, a state of wanting to live but not being able to die. Little Ling, don't make the wrong move!"
Mieshen didn't attack again. The mysterious formation formed by the nine small flags offered incredible defense, and Meng Ling's powerful attack had no effect.
"Eternal torture? I don't know what eternal torture is!"
Meng Ling snorted coldly, her eyes instantly turning blood red, her long red hair fluttering. The next moment, countless blood-red edges intertwined to form a red smoke screen, charging towards the formation formed by the nine flags.
"Yellow Springs Blood Road!"
Mieshen's face was filled with shock, and after uttering these four words, he quickly moved.
His snow-white figure suddenly soared high into the sky, his ten fingers forming a chaotic, bizarre array of hand seals, striking them with lightning speed. Ming Qi saw only nine rays of light of varying colors flying toward the nine small flags. Then, to his astonishment, he saw the palm-sized flags instantly expand.
The flags swelled in the wind, swelling to over a man's height in a fraction of a second, completely obscuring the crimson vines on the black stone platform.
The blood-red light Meng Ling unleashed struck the swollen flags. Ming Qi felt the entire underground cavern tremble, as if it could collapse at any moment.
"You betrayed Young Master Wushuang..."
Mie Shen seemed to have given up on Meng Ling, even his tone had become calm. He hadn't expected Meng Ling to change so drastically. The Meng Ling he knew now was completely different. She had completely transformed.
"Shut up!"
Meng Ling shouted fiercely, her fingers flashing with blood. Countless dazzling droplets of blood flew out, splattering the entire dark cave into a world of blood.
Meng Ling's full-strength attack seemed to grow even more powerful. Ming Qi saw only a sky of blood, slicing and slicing like a blade, slicing through everything it encountered.
Amidst this blood-soaked sky, the shadow of the God-Slayer flickered and danced like a lone leaf in a gust of wind.
Meng Ling seemed to be completely aroused by her ferocity. Her eyes were blood-red like a ghost, and her entire form was as elusive and fleeting as a drop of blood, unpredictable. Her hands continuously formed seals, one complex and mysterious seal after another, and tiny red talismans began to rise in the air.
"Nine-Nine God-Slayers, Dragon-Slaying Seal!"
After enduring for a long time, the God-Slayer finally unleashed a fierce attack.
At the very moment Mie Shen roared, the nine large flags that had been protecting the crimson pearl vine suddenly shone brightly, soaring into the air and transforming into large square seals.
In a flash, the nine square seals swiftly descended upon Meng Ling.
The mysterious seals Meng Ling had been continuously forming finally revealed their power. Countless blood-colored talismans swirled in the air, constantly absorbing the surrounding blood light and rapidly merging.
As the talismans merged, several faint arcs of blood-colored light appeared in the air.
Meng Ling and Mie Shen constantly shifted positions in the air, rarely staying in one position for even a moment.
Crack!
In the dark cavern beneath the ground, a dull sound of thunder and lightning suddenly echoed.
Ming Qi was astonished to see that the blood-colored talismans Meng Ling had cast had condensed into dozens of fist-sized blood-red lightning balls!
"Yellow Springs Blood Thunder!"
Seeing dozens of blood-red lightning balls condensing in the air, Mie Shen's solemn voice rang out.
"I didn't expect your memories to fade, yet your cultivation technique remained!"
Mie Shen's voice grew cold and eerie. Meng Ling had now, at all costs, unleashed such a violent divine power as the Yellow Springs Blood Thunder. It was clear she was completely determined, leaving him no room for maneuver.
Boom!
Mie Shen's hands radiated several rays of light, merging directly into the nine Dragon Slaying Seals that had already descended upon Meng Ling. The nine seals collided once more, their radiance scattering like a truck's hull.
Ming Qi had already cautiously retreated into the passageway. In a battle of this intensity, even the slightest exposure would have been fatal or fatal.
Ming Qi felt a bit guilty at this point. Meng Ling was fighting frantically, completely for him, yet he, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened. However, Ming Qi wasn't a complete lunatic; he knew that even if he charged forward, he would be easily dispatched by the God-Slayer.
Not strong enough, not strong enough!
Ming Qi suddenly realized how weak he was, so weak that Meng Ling had to intervene even to snatch the treasure.
Boom!
Boom!
The deafening sound, coupled with the earth-shaking sensation, instantly reminded Ming Qi of the apocalypse.
The God-Slayer's nine Candle Dragon Seals finally collided with Meng Ling's Yellow Springs Blood Thunder. The earth-shaking tremor caused countless cave-ins around the dark cavern to collapse, as if the floodgates of a hidden river had been opened, sending torrents of surging water crashing down.
It's going to collapse!
Seeing the battle between the two men had already opened up several underground rivers above the cavern, the flood of water now completely crumbling the cavern. Ming Qi knew it was on the verge of collapse, poised to collapse at any moment.
Countless streams of water rushed down, forming curtains of water within the cavern.
Meng Ling and Mie Shen both stood on the black stone platform, a curtain of water between them, a straight line of water washing over the thousand-year-old crimson pearl vines below.
The blood-red sky had faded, and Meng Ling's face was as pale as paper.
Mie Shen's figure grew even more ethereal, as if it could be blown away by a gust of wind at any moment.
The two of them were silent for a long time before Mie Shen said, "You win. I'm leaving."
Mie Shen's figure began to float upward, his voice echoing: "I hope you're doing the right thing. After all, you've always been my favorite..."
Meng Ling was stunned, a trace of desolation crossing her pale face. Then, with a wry smile, she whispered, "My favorite? It's a pity he ruined everything for me..."
Mie Shen, floating in the air, suddenly paused. After a brief moment of shock, he continued to ascend, finally merging completely into the dark river.
Watching Mie Shen depart, Meng Ling uttered a whimper, her body rapidly slumping, and a faint blood-red light rose.
The blood-red light dissipated, and Meng Ling had transformed into her original Guqin form.