Chapter 82: My life is over!

Deep within the secret realm, a chilling wind suddenly arose, sending shivers down one's spine.

The Ice Flame Grass was still burning eerily, its blue flames casting a ghostly glow on everyone's faces.

The members of the Tianyan Sect, who had just been confronting the demonized black-robed leader, were now frozen in place, as if they were frozen by invisible ice.

A gigantic skeletal hand emerged from a crevice in the lakebed without warning. Its pale surface was shrouded in an intense, almost impenetrable, black-red aura of resentment, and an overwhelming, deathly chilling presence pressed down upon it, far surpassing the oppressive force of the demonized leader from before.

"I'm doomed..." Fang Li's legs were spinning, her teeth chattering. "This, this is the final boss appearing, right? And it's an indiscriminate group attack! Immortal Venerable, save me—!" Her mind was racing, wishing she could just die on the spot.

The system's electronic voice screamed in her head, almost cracking: [“High-energy reaction! Nascent Soul stage! It's a Nascent Soul stage demon! Run! Activate all escape talismans!”]

The giant skeletal hand, with its five fingers spread wide, first grabbed at the trembling demonized black-robed people to the side. Then, its massive skeletal fingers snapped shut, easily crushing the once arrogant demonized leader in its palm.

A sickeningly loud cracking sound of bones shattering erupted, splattering black blood everywhere. The leader didn't even have time to scream before he was crushed into a blurry mass of flesh and blood, then absorbed and devoured by the giant hand, leaving not even a trace behind.

Everyone's face turned deathly pale. The pressure from the Nascent Soul cultivator was like a solid mountain, pressing heavily on their shoulders, making the flow of spiritual energy extremely sluggish, and even lifting a finger became incredibly difficult.

Shen Yunzhou gripped his longsword tightly, the blade humming as the icy blue spiritual light struggled against the erosion of the black and red resentment. Veins bulged on his forehead as he tried to shield Fang Li behind him.

Xie Chen's fingertips flickered with spiritual light as he calculated all escape routes, only to find that the space was already subtly sealed off. Ji Qianqiu let out a low roar, his blood surging beneath his bronze skin, his muscles bulging, as he forcefully withstood the pressure, stepping forward to stand at the forefront.

The giant skeletal hand seemed to have finished its appetizer, and with a slight twist of its wrist bones, its hollow knuckles pointed in the direction where the Tianyan Sect members were located.

He hesitated for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, an even more greedy and violent intent locked onto Fang Li!

"Delicious..." A muffled howl echoed from the void rift. The giant hand abruptly changed direction, its five fingers tearing through the air with a suffocating aura of death and resentment, grabbing straight at Fang Li! Its speed was incredible!

"Fang Li!" Shen Yunzhou's eyes were bloodshot, and his icy sword intent erupted without reservation. A sword aura slashed towards the bone wrist, but it was corroded and shattered by the dense death energy the moment it made contact! The backlash hit him, his throat tasted sweet, blood spilled from the corner of his lips, and he was blasted away.

The golden array disc Xie Chen threw out unfolded into a huge light screen in the air, attempting to block it, but with a flick of Bai Gu's fingertip, the light screen shattered like brittle paper! The fragments bounced back and slammed into his chest, sending him flying and crashing heavily against the rock wall.

"Junior sister! Get out of the way!!" Ji Qianqiu roared, his fists bursting with dazzling energy as he slammed them against the grabbing finger bones! The fists and bones collided with a dull thud, and his thick arm twisted into an unnatural arc. He spat out blood and flew backward, struggling to get up after landing.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The three Foundation Establishment Peak prodigies exerted all their strength, yet they couldn't even slightly hinder the giant hand!

The shadow of death loomed over her completely. Fang Li felt as if all the air around her had been sucked away, and the icy, bone-chilling resentment almost froze her soul.

Within his dantian, the chaotic spiritual energy instinctively circulated wildly, forming a thin layer of hazy gray light on his body surface. However, in the face of the Nascent Soul Demon's might, it was as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind.

She watched helplessly as the massive, cracked, and bloodstained finger bone descended upon her, the stench of decay assaulting her senses.

"My life is over!" she closed her eyes in despair. "Child! Let's be partners again in the next life..."

The system screamed in despair within her mind: "No—! Immortal Venerable One! Help me—!!!"

Outside the secret realm, before the water mirror where elders from various sects had gathered, all was deathly silent.

The previously blurry image in the water mirror suddenly distorted and shook violently, revealing this horrifying scene!

All the elders' expressions changed drastically, and they abruptly stood up from their seats!

Master Qingxuan's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Fang Li!

Hua Qianmei took a step back in fear, her face drained of all color!

Mu Changchun cried out in alarm, "Oh no! Those children are in danger!"

Shi Potian roared, his hair and beard standing on end: "Damn you little devil! How dare you lay such a cruel hand on a junior!"

Fang Zhengyan stood frozen in place, his lips trembling, seemingly unable to comprehend the horrifying scene before him that far exceeded the norm.

Yun Miaomiao trembled violently, her pupils constricted as she stared intently at the terrifying demonic claw reaching for Fang Li in the water mirror. But her gaze wasn't focused on the claw itself; instead, she frantically tried to pierce through the water mirror and look towards a direction in the void of the secret realm that couldn't be reflected.

She knew that the Celestial Venerable must be there. A storm raged within her, a mixture of extreme disgust for the demon and a twisted expectation: "No! Celestial Venerable! How can you tolerate such filthy and evil things, which desecrate the Heavenly Dao and defile the purity of music! Act now! Purify it! Crush it!" She projected her fanatical fantasies of "purity" and "supreme power" entirely onto the Celestial Venerable whom she had never truly understood.

Ye Wuyang, who had been sitting quietly on the flying boat, opened his eyes again.

Those calm, still eyes reflected everything that had happened in the secret realm.

His gaze pierced through layers of spatial barriers, locking onto the giant skeletal hand that exuded the same resentment and deathly aura.

The eternally unchanging sea of ​​clouds around him quietly came to a standstill, and the invisible sword intent of annihilation silently gathered at his fingertips.

The slightest lift of a finger was enough to cause a tremor in the most fundamental rules of the universe.

Just as the skeletal claws were about to touch her hair.

Buzz!

A thin layer of gray halo appeared around Fang Li without warning!

Upon closer inspection, countless tiny sword shadows were silently flowing within the halo, each carrying the sword intent of annihilating all things.

The giant skeletal hand gripped fiercely onto the halo of light!

*Screech!*

A deafening metallic clang suddenly erupted, accompanied by the mournful shrieks of countless vengeful spirits being purified and annihilated! Yet the thin layer of light remained motionless, as steady as a rock.

Immediately following, a vast and boundless sword intent of annihilation surged upwards from the tip of the claw!

Click... Click...

The giant claw's stark white bones began to crumble inch by inch, starting from its fingertips! The black and red resentment swirling around it shrieked like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun, before being swiftly annihilated into nothingness by the domineering sword intent.

From the depths of the fissure at the bottom of the lake came a roar of pain and rage, which shook the entire underground lake.

The giant claw recoiled as if burned, its speed so fast it left only a blur. It darted back into the crack, which quickly closed as if it had never existed.

The pervasive pressure from the Nascent Soul cultivator dissipated completely, like the receding tide.

The underground lake returned to its previous deathly stillness. Only the Ice Flame Grass remained, its eerie flames illuminating the faces of the survivors, still shaken by the ordeal.

Fang Li: "..."

She stood there, stunned, blinking repeatedly. She raised her hand to touch her neck; her head was still there. Then she looked down at herself; all four limbs were intact.

"What?!" Her mind went completely blank. "I'm not dead? What was that just now? Ultraman's light? No... that feeling..." The hazy light and the familiar sword shadows within it sent a jolt through her. "It's the Immortal Venerable! It must be the Immortal Venerable's backup plan! Ahhh! The Immortal Venerable is mighty! The Immortal Venerable is domineering! Immortal Venerable, I'm your dog!"

The system was also frantically displaying messages in her mind, its electronic voice excitedly splitting its arms: [“Holy crap! Did you see that! Host! Did you see that! Immortal Venerable brand talisman! Automatically triggered! Invincible defense! And it even has damage reflection! Awesome PLUS! Explosive! This is definitely the treatment of a personal disciple! A biological child! No doubt about it! Waaaaah, the Immortal Venerable is too reliable!!”]

On the other side, the three people who had been thrown back struggled to their feet.

Shen Yunzhou leaned on his sword, wiping the blood from his lips. His cold face remained expressionless, but when he looked at Fang Li's unharmed figure, only a deep sense of relief and an indescribable shock remained in the depths of his eyes.

That desolate sword intent... he actually left such a powerful protective mark on Fang Li.

Xie Chen clutched his chest, his face pale. He slowly straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, his fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly. His gaze fell on Fang Li, his gentle eyes churning with emotion before finally settling into a deep, dark expression.

Ji Qianqiu was the most disheveled. One of his arms hung awkwardly at his sides, and blood still clung to the corner of his mouth. But he ignored his injuries and scrambled to his feet, rushing towards Fang Li. His large, round eyes scanned her from head to toe three times: "Fang Li! Are you alright? You scared the hell out of me! What the hell was that thing?! A Nascent Soul stage demon even came out! Thank goodness... thank goodness you're alright!" His voice was loud and clear, filled with lingering fear and joy.

Outside the secret realm, before the water mirror.

The deathly silence lasted for a full three breaths.

Immediately, an uproar arose.

"That was... sword intent?!" Master Qingxuan gasped for breath, plopping back into his chair, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. He then slapped his thigh and burst into laughter, "Good! Good! I knew it! With my senior brother watching over me, my good disciple will definitely be alright! Hahaha!"

Although separated by the water mirror, that wisp of annihilating sword intent still made all the elders' minds tremble and they could hardly control themselves.

Hua Qianmei's expression shifted rapidly, her initial fear now replaced by deep apprehension. The Night Immortal Venerable… was actually protecting that little girl to this extent?

Mu Changchun breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest: "Fortunately...fortunately, we had the protection of the Immortal Venerable. However...the Soul Devouring Sect was actually able to send a Nascent Soul stage demon into the secret realm. This matter is no small thing."

Shi Potian was still shocked by the power of that sword intent, muttering, "Damn... is this the power of a Celestial Venerable? He can even chop that ghost hand to pieces across a secret realm?"

Fang Zhengyan stared, speechless for a long time. The sense of annihilation within that sword intent was completely different from the "rites" pursued by his academy, yet equally vast and powerful, causing a tremendous shock to his mind.

Yun Miaomiao's face was as pale as paper.

The moment Ye Wuyang's sword intent appeared, her eyes burst forth with an extreme brilliance—an almost devout ecstasy! The Immortal Venerable has made his move! He truly does not tolerate defilement or blasphemy! She was so excited that she trembled all over, as if she herself had made the move.

But the next second, when she saw that the sword intent was so "gently" protecting an "ordinary" Yi Xing Peak disciple, and even severely injuring the demon, her ecstasy instantly froze, shattering into countless cold fragments.

Why?

Why square pear?

That sword intent was so powerful, so supreme, it should have been used to cleanse all evil in the world and to maintain the purity of the laws of heaven... How could it be used to protect a mere Foundation Establishment stage female disciple so "meticulously"?

What merit or ability does she possess?

Yun Miaomiao clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging into her palms. A tremendous sense of loss and confusion entwined her heart like a poisonous vine, followed by an uncontrollable jealousy and a trace of blasphemous anger.

She worshipped the existence of that supreme power, yet she could not understand, much less accept, why he would cast his gaze upon such an "ordinary" girl.

This was completely different from the "celestial being" she had imagined. Her faith began to waver, giving rise to distorted shadows.