Wind, flowers, snow, moon — just as they were back then.
Bai Xuanling's gaze burned crimson, demonic energy surging like a tidal wave, yet her heart was exceptionally calm.
Calm to the point she found it almost unreal.
Perhaps it was because she had already lived through a moment like this in her youth.
Only back then, there wasn't much she could do.
But now, at this moment, she finally possessed the strength to say no.
A long rainbow pierced the sun, sword intent shaking the vast sky.
Qingming pierced through every obstacle before her, and Bai Xuanling's figure closed in directly on the celestial demon.
Perhaps it had been too long since she last held Qingming — when she first grasped it, she felt only unfamiliarity.
A sensation that was natural yet strange.
But Qingming was as enthusiastic as ever.
That day, Lu Xuan hadn't stopped her, hadn't even offered a word of persuasion.
Because that day, Bai Xuanling had gone to see Lu Xuan holding Qingming.
Bai Xuanling didn't know what sort of creature the celestial demon before her was — its name, its abilities, nothing of the sort — only that its expression was ferocious, seemingly taunting her.
The world said Bai Xuanling, the Living Yama, had a terrible temper and struck with ruthless cruelty.
They must have thought mockery could disrupt her composure and her movements.
In truth, none of it could.
Because she could no longer hear those noisy distractions.
What Bai Xuanling listened for was the resonance between herself and her sword, the voices of everything she had gained on her long climb upward.
Only by resonating with herself, by resonating with Qingming in her hand, could she perceive that sliver of her limit.
Qingming trembled and hummed.
One strike leveled mountains and scattered shadows, Dao essence flowing endlessly.
Bai Xuanling's figure was light and graceful, cyan light swirling around her, her gaze locked on every movement of the celestial demon across from her.
Towering blood energy surged toward her — with a single glance she could spot the flaws.
Her entire life seemed to have been born for the sake of slaughter.
Yet the reason that made her pause was also because of slaughter.
Bai Xuanling raised her hand and struck, spiritual power unleashing its full might without restraint.
Annihilation.
Raising her sword, the power reversed.
Annihilation.
Bai Xuanling's expression was indifferent as she pressed Qingming down.
Annihilation.
Bai Xuanling felt her body growing lighter and lighter, and the spiritual power that had nearly stagnated finally began to boil once more.
A Tribulation Transcendence battle of life and death was, in truth, extremely simple.
Just kill.
No matter what methods, no matter how bizarre.
If you get cut, you die.
Bai Xuanling's eyes were calm as she watched the celestial demon before her unleash every manner of technique, tearing through space and darting at extreme speed, its origin power taking form in countless attacks.
And the other celestial demons covering for it — but all of it was merely dazzling spectacle, flashy yet hollow.
Thunder, frost, and fire dyed the surroundings in every color.
Crimson pierced through it all — a red long sword shot toward her.
Bai Xuanling's gaze tracked it, following the sword's trajectory forward, and she extended Qingming — not to block that strike.
But to kill the demon wielding it.
That sword might take her life.
But… so what?
She had never feared death — she merely did her best to avoid it.
Bai Xuanling could feel the corners of her mouth curving into a smile as Qingming returned to silence.
A Tribulation Transcendence Great Perfection cultivator's spiritual power surged, Dao essence sweeping out from Qingming.
Every manner of technique in the surroundings was swept clean in an instant.
Revealing the truest picture.
The celestial demon charging with a sword of origin power.
And Bai Xuanling, holding Qingming, intent on taking that demon's life.
The celestial demon looked into Bai Xuanling's calm eyes, at that unwavering Qingming pressing forward, and understood her intention.
Its figure paused slightly, as if hesitating.
Bai Xuanling laughed inwardly — when facing life and death, those who hesitate have the greatest chance of dying.
That was her hard-won experience.
Bai Xuanling had thought these celestial demons wouldn't fear death.
At this position, with this spiritual sense lock, no amount of hesitation could let it escape.
Qingming became a streak of cyan light.
Piercing through.
At this moment, Bai Xuanling unleashed her full power without restraint.
Cyan light filled the sky, splashing like ink across a painting.
The celestial demon's form was shattered more than half, slammed into the ground, crimson origin power spraying out as if to adorn the cyan light that already outshone the sun itself.
Bai Xuanling did not pursue — instead her figure darted backward swiftly, putting distance between them. Xu Linglong drew her bow taut, and the origin arrow she fired still tracked unerringly toward Bai Xuanling.
Qingming left her hand, shrouded in cyan light, rushing to intercept the origin arrow.
Bai Xuanling didn't look down — instead she simply raised her hand and pulled the origin sword that had pierced through her left shoulder out, then crushed it with brute force. The origin sword shattered into crimson fragments and dissipated.
The pain in her left shoulder felt strangely nostalgic.
Aside from Chu Xingchen's pills, it had truly been a very long time since she'd felt anything like it.
Bai Xuanling's gaze swept across to Xu Linglong, who had been firing origin arrows at her, and she raised her hand — Qingming returned to her grasp.
She glanced sideways at Qingming and noticed it had turned somewhat red.
Was celestial demon blood red too?
Bai Xuanling looked again and finally realized.
It was her own spiritual energy that had turned red — at this moment, her overflowing spiritual power blended cyan and crimson together.
Earlier, Bai Xuanling had assumed it was the celestial demon's origin power clashing with her own spiritual force.
Of course — Qingming was the spiritual treasure Bai Xuanling had poured her heart into forging; how could it be stained by blood?
Bai Xuanling's figure didn't hesitate — she shot straight toward Xu Linglong.
Her form darted through the air, cyan and crimson leaving only fleeting afterimages.
Xu Linglong retreated with extreme decisiveness at the sight, her expression seeming to carry a hint of delight.
Bai Xuanling's figure halted once more, Qingming reversing to strike down the origin power sweeping toward her, and she glanced sideways again.
There she saw a celestial demon glaring at her with a provocative look, its mouth seemingly still forming words.
Silent noise was still noise.
Bai Xuanling's brow furrowed — she was about to surge forward and crush the creature when she realized she'd forgotten something.
Instinctively she looked back, toward the place where the earth had been smashed open and underground water was surging to fill the crater, and only then remembered she'd forgotten to finish the job.
The celestial demon there had long since vanished without a trace.
Bai Xuanling took two deep breaths before realizing her grip on Qingming was trembling slightly.
Her expression slowly calmed as she began to recall and adjust to the situation.
But then.
A voice surged from the depths of her heart, striking straight to her core.
["Sister, you can't even hold your sword steady — how can you protect me?"]
Bai Xuanling instinctively tightened her grip on Qingming, her gaze lifting, and everything before her eyes began to turn red.
Just like all those years ago.
Only now she could hold her sword — and she could protect her too.
Bai Xuanling sent Qingming flying, eclipsing the morning glow.
Cyan light seemed to descend from the heavens, shooting straight toward the provocative celestial demon.
Bai Xuanling was about to launch herself forward — she'd kill this enemy first and worry about the rest later.
But then, Bai Xuanling's body went rigid — her arm had been grabbed.
In a life-and-death moment, to be seized without warning was the same as being dead.
Bai Xuanling's gaze turned fierce as she looked back — was she truly incapable of anything?
Turning her head, what met Bai Xuanling's eyes was the face of a young, handsome man.
Qingming had already left her hand — without a moment's hesitation, Bai Xuanling threw a punch straight at him.
Wanban transformed into a white shield, blocking the direct strike.
But the penetrating force of a Tribulation Transcendence Great Perfection still made Chu Xingchen cough up blood heavily.
Chu Xingchen still held Bai Xuanling's hand tight and shouted:
"Bai Xuanling! Do you only care about the dead? What about the living?"
Bai Xuanling had already raised her hand again — hearing those words, her figure suddenly froze.
At this moment, the only one who could get close to her without being detected.
Was no Tribulation Transcendence Great Perfection cultivator.
But only the person she trusted most in the world.
[
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