The demonic lord's temptation like eroding poison, permeated the dead hall. That seemingly "generous" conditions—father liberated, living beings saved, trading one's sacrifice for peace—like meticulously woven spider web, winding around every Tang Xiaoqi's nerve, trying to drag him into compromise and abandonment's abyss.
His body trembled violently from extreme inner struggle. Sweat mixed with blood dripped from his temples. In his mind, Father Xu Zhan's painful face after a hundred years of torment, Aunt Su's final instructions before dissipation, the senior brothers and sisters' supporting figures, Qingxu Temple's morning bells evening drums, even memory of that purple cloud flower sea in Xuolan Manor... countless images flashed rapidly, colliding violently with the demonic lord's seductive whispers.
Surrendering the lotus seed truly could end all this?
End this endless fighting, end companions' pain, end father's torment of never being reborn?
A tremendous, suffocating exhaustion surged over him, as if the moment he nodded, all burdens would lift. The thought of compromise, like vines sprouting in darkness, quietly wound around his dao heart.
The demonic lord shadow floated silently, two darkness "eyes" flowing with coldness and waiting that saw through everything. It appreciated prey struggling at trap's edge, enjoyed this pleasure of playing with hope and despair. It was convinced, before absolute power and "rational" choice, this young, emotional "vessel" would ultimately make the "correct" decision.
However, just as the compromise thought was about to prevail—
Xiao Qi's mind exploded with another image!
That was Father Xu Zhan, on the night Xuolan Manor was destroyed, actively opening spiritual defenses, guiding demonic seed into his body, using himself as prison sealing lotus seed and demonic source—that resolute and tragic gaze! That gaze held no longing for liberation, only hope for his son's future, final protection of this heaven and earth!
"Brother Zhan... take Xiao Qi, go!"
"Can't go... its target is me, is 'it.'"
"Must never let it succeed!"
Father's hoarse yet firm voice seemed to echo across a hundred years of time, reverberating in his soul's depths!
Then came Aunt Su's final gaze, after her blood-soaked cries, dissipated in the demonic energy remnants, carrying endless regret and hope.
Was the teacher teaching "cultivate heart before dao" when he first introduced qi into his body.
Was Eldest Senior Brother's steady reliable silhouette, Third Senior Sister's sharp tongue with soft heart care, Second Senior Brother's childlike heart beneath jokes, Zhao Tiezhu's honest and sincere following, Mu Xue's understanding and support beneath her cold exterior.
Was all the people on this journey who fought and sacrificed for protection!
Did their sacrifices deserve him bowing to the demonic lord, trading for this built on compromise and deception, false "peace"?!
No!
The demonic lord's promise was nothing but lies! A demonic lord originating from the universe's dark side, with instinct to devour and destroy, how could it keep promises? Once he surrendered the lotus seed, losing his last reliance, father's divine soul would probably be thoroughly annihilated immediately, outside living beings absolutely couldn't survive! It would only become stronger, more unstoppable!
This "deal" was merely poison scheme eroding his fighting spirit! Was the demonic lord enjoying the devouring process!
He, Tang Xiaoqi, inheriting father's will to protect, bearing the World-Purifying Green Lotus's purification source, carrying countless people's hopes and sacrifices, how could he at this moment... bow?!
BOOM—!!!
An unprecedented clarity and steadfastness, like volcano erupting from his dao heart depths, burst forth! All confusion, struggle, exhaustion, instantly cleared away completely!
He sharply raised his head!
Those eyes originally bloodshot from struggle, now clear as cold abyss, sharp as blade edge, burning with something more pure, more unshakable than angry flames—the dao heart of protection!
He straightened his spine almost bent by pressure, like a divine sword tempered through thousands of blows, finally sharpened, pointing at that twisted demonic lord shadow!
"Demonic lord—"
Xiao Qi spoke. Voice no longer hoarse trembling, but steady, ice-cold, carrying power to cut through all hesitation, see through all illusion, echoing clearly in the hall!
"Put away your soul-deceiving tricks!"
His words like iron, ringing with authority:
"My father Xu Zhan, would rather fall eternally into demonic abyss, divine soul tormented for a hundred years, absolutely not bowing to you one bit! What he guarded wasn't his own liberation, but this heaven and earth's future, his son's... dao!"
"Aunt Su, all Qingxu Temple masters, countless fallen comrades... their sacrifices weren't for begging survival from you!"
"And I, Tang Xiaoqi, inheriting father's will, bearing the Green Lotus, walk this path of protecting mortals, purifying evil!"
His voice higher and higher, carrying declaration-like resolve:
"Came here, not for compromise, not for deals!"
"Only to—slay demons! Save father!"
"You want to devour the lotus seed, achieve perfect demonic body? Then step over my corpse, step over all my companions' bones! See whether your darkness-origin demonic source is more domineering, or this lotus seed nurtured by countless protector hearts... is more resolute!"
"Want the lotus seed? Come take it yourself!"
As these words fell, as if sensing his dao heart of protection that could not be broken, Xiao Qi's jade pendant burst forth with unprecedented brilliant cyan light!
HUMM—!
A pure, vast power containing the purification origin from the dawn of creation, autonomously bloomed from the pendant! The cyan light wasn't fierce yet carried supreme meaning of cleansing all things, returning to origin, forming a gentle yet resilient light pillar, centered on Xiao Qi, soaring to heaven!
Hiss hiss hiss—!
Where the cyan light passed, that demonic lord's pressure like substantial entity shrouding the entire hall, like meeting its nemesis, emitted ear-piercing dissolving sounds! That suffocating pressure instantly lightened!
Zhao Tiezhu felt his body lighten, nearly collapsing, quickly stabilized, eyes burst with wild joy and fighting spirit!
Liu Yun's suppressed sword qi became fierce again!
Mu Xue's staff's cold light recondensed!
Ao Qin's dragon pupils' golden light relit!
Second Senior Brother Luo Feng's soul body fluctuation also stabilized greatly!
The demonic lord's seductive whispers, before this pure purification light and steadfast dao heart, like ghosts exposed to sunlight, instantly dissipated!
The demonic lord shadow violently fluctuated. Those two darkness "eyes" revealed, for the first time, beyond sarcasm and control... a genuine surprise and... cold fury.
Its temptation, failed.
This "vessel" it viewed as an ant actually possessed such steadfast dao heart!
Negotiations broke down.
Only battle remains!