Xu Zhan's figure was swallowed by the black vortex, along with the brief moment of clarity, the grief that came with it, and the solemn entrustment of his final words-all vanishing into the battlefield's sky. All that remained was Tang Xiaoqi, unconscious among the ruins, and the disciples of Qingxu Temple, who, after a deathly silence, felt an even more frantic surge of despair and rage rising in their hearts.
However, the expected, even more devastating strike from the Demon Lord-fuelled by frustration at his disrupted plans-did not come immediately.
High above in the heavens, the demonic shadow, formed from coalescing demonic energy and continuously twisting and changing, after forcibly recalling Xu Zhan, did not immediately launch an attack on those below. Its abyss-like eyes first swept coldly over the unconscious Xiaoqi below, seemingly weighing something, with a hint of... hesitation?
Xu Zhan's sudden loss of control, and the unexpected bloodline resonance and brief lucidity triggered by that jade pendant, had evidently disrupted some of its plans. Forcefully controlling a puppet with a self-aware, struggling consciousness, and one connected by blood to the 'Purification Source' container, was not without its costs and risks. Especially before a certain crucial ritual, any unstable factor could lead to complications.
Immediately after, the Demon Lord's shadow turned its gaze toward the mountain protection formation of Qingxu Temple, which, though battered, had temporarily stabilized after True Person Xuan Lin's sacrifice, and toward the disciples of Qingxu Temple at the mountain gate plaza-wounded and bloodied, yet with red-rimmed eyes, like wounded beasts staring fixedly at the sky, ready to pounce and tear at any moment.
The resistance will of these 'worms' exceeded the ordinary. Especially that boy named Tang Xiaoqi, whose strange power within his body, and the mutation Xu Zhan experienced because of him, all indicated uncontrollability.
Furthermore, several concealed yet powerful spiritual energy fluctuations from the horizon also caught the Demon Lord's attention. Those were auras from other righteous sect forces. Though still distant, they were clearly approaching rapidly. The distress signal sent out by Qingxu Temple had not fallen on deaf ears.
Continuing the assault might still flatten Qingxu Temple, but the price to pay, and the chain reactions it might trigger, needed to be reassessed. Especially in the current moment where both the 'Source Seed' and the crucial 'container' had shown unexpected fluctuations.
All these considerations swirled rapidly within the ancient and cunning will of the Demon Lord.
"Hmph!"
In the end, a coldcold snort, imbued with indignation, unwillingness, yet also a hint of assessing the situation, like winter thunder, once again thundered in the minds of every living creature, shaking many souls to their core.
"For now... I will let you ants live a few more days."
The Demon Lord's shadow spoke in a hoarse, low voice, carrying undisguised killing intent.
"When my divine cultivation reaches completion, I shall come to collect your lives, and... those things that rightfully belong to me!"
As the words fell, the massive demonic shadow began to slowly dissipate, transforming back into churning demonic energy. Like an ebbing tide, it contracted and vanished toward the direction of the Black Wind Mountains.
At the same time, on the battlefield below, all the demonic cultivators and monsters from Shadow Serpent Pavilion, as if receiving a unified command, suddenly ceased their assault!
They did not panic, did not scatter in disarray. Instead, they displayed astonishing discipline. Like the tide that rushed in, the demonic wave now began to retreat in an equally orderly fashion. High-ranked demonic cultivators covered the retreat, while low-ranked monsters and demon beasts, like a dark tide, quickly disengaged and withdrew toward the outskirts of Qingxu Temple.
They abandoned some heavily wounded comrades who could not move, even actively detonating some demonic energy traps used to obstruct pursuit, creating small-scale chaos and explosions. However, their main force's retreat was resolute and swift.
This sudden change left all the surviving disciples of Qingxu Temple, who had just fought a bloody battle, dumbfounded.
A moment ago, they were engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat, and in the next moment, the enemy retreated like a receding tide?
"They... retreated?"
"The demonic cultivators... withdrew?"
"We... held?"
The bewilderment of surviving catastrophe replaced the previous frenzy and despair. Many disciples leaned on their weapons, looking blankly at the enemy retreating like a dark tide, at the gradually dissipating demonic pressure and energy in the sky, momentarily at a loss what to do.
The taut nerves suddenly relaxed, followed by an overwhelming wave of exhaustion and pain. Disciples continuously collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion or severe injuries, letting out cries of pain. More people turned their gaze toward the mountain of corpses, searching for familiar fellow disciples, only to find most were already cold bodies.
Grief, like a delayed cold front, instantly swept through the hearts of the survivors.
Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng and Third Sister Liu Yun, supporting each other, walked to the unconscious Xiaoqi's side. Mu Qingfeng felt for Xiaoqi's breath-faint to the extreme, but still a thread of life remained. He immediately took out healing pills, carefully fed them into Xiaoqi's mouth, and used spiritual energy to protect his heart pulse.
Liu Yun stood guard with her sword, alert to the direction the demonic cultivators retreated, guarding against this being an enemy stratagem.
High in the heavens, Temple Head Xuan Xuan True Person also slowly descended to the front of the mountain gate. His face was pale, his qi disordered, and his Taoist robe stained with large patches of blood. Clearly, his battle with the masked elder had also been extremely arduous. He gazed at the retreating demonic tide, his eyes showing no joy, only endless heaviness and desolation.
Had they held?
Perhaps.
But the price was too heavy. Junior Brother Xuan Lin self-destructed to become a star, countless disciples' blood stained the mountain gate, the sect buildings were mostly destroyed, and the mountain protection formation's foundation was damaged. Qingxu Temple had suffered a severe blow to its vitality.
Moreover, the demonic cultivators had not been defeated and retreated, but withdrew voluntarily. This meant the crisis was far from over, and a bigger storm might be brewing.
"Treat the wounded, count the casualties, reinforce the remnants of the formation." The Temple Head's voice carried undeniable exhaustion, yet remained steady as he issued commands. "Remain vigilant against the demonic cultivators returning."
The remaining disciples began to act, supporting the wounded, collecting fallen comrades' remains, and extinguishing the flames still burning. The devastated Qingxu Temple was filled with heavy blood and sorrow, and a fragile state like a vessel in a storm.
The demonic cultivators' retreat brought a moment of respite, yet left behind a scarred landscape and deeper unease. Everyone understood this was not an ending, but a bloody beginning of a long war.
And Tang Xiaoqi, unconscious, frowned deeply, seeming to still experience endless pain and struggle in his dreams. His father's gaze, mixed with blood and tears, and the entrustment about the 'Soul-Control Jade' had become a nightmare he could not escape, and a mission he must carry.