The spirits of the sixteen Onmyoji formed sixteen soul flames around him. The crimson soul flames turned into skeletons, their mouths open and letting out silent hiss.
"The Soul Transformation Technique?" Ye Xingchen's eyes flashed with a cold light: "It uses essence, blood, and soul as a sacrifice to form a soul fire, which can make the person go mad and have a demonic heart. However, the consequence of doing so is that the sacrificer will never be reincarnated."
"You know, there's a lot." Shenwu Lingtai grinned. "I told you, we came here today with the determination to die."
He stretched out his right hand, and a huge scythe appeared in his hand. Then he slowly raised his head, and his pupils flashed as two eerie green will-o'-the-wisps replaced his eyes.
"Today, you must leave your head behind."
With a wave of his hand, sixteen soul flames flew towards Ye Xingchen, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.
With Chixiao in hand, Ye Xingchen unleashed a three-foot-long sword beam, heading straight for Shenwu Lingtai.
Si Qianyu, wielding two swords—one long and one short—of the Seven Tribulations Cloud Sword, charged forward.
Shenwu Lingtai's move has transcended the realm of martial arts, becoming akin to that of a ghost or god.
After all, this guy is the most outstanding Onmyoji of the Nine Chrysanthemums lineage, and he came with a fighting style of mutual destruction.
With a single finger, he locked onto one of the soul flames, while Si Qianyu thrust out two swords from the front and back. *Poof*... one of the soul flames vanished.
But the sixteen soul flames, ever-burning, rushed towards him one after another. Coupled with Shenwu Lingtai, who wielded the Grim Reaper's scythe and possessed a demonic heart, the outcome was uncertain for a time.
With a single sword strike, Ye Xingchen forced back the three entangled soul flames, creating distance between himself and his opponent.
"Hehe, do you feel that your power is not smooth?" Shenwu Lingtai chuckled.
"You set up a spirit-suppressing array on the mountain peak, blocking the flow of spiritual energy?" Ye Xingchen realized, "You are despicable and treacherous."
"As the ancient Chinese saying goes, all's fair in war." Shenwu Lingtai laughed heartily: "I know someone is dismantling the formation, but after they dismantle it, you will be dead."
"You should be glad this is the heart of the earth's veins, where you can't unleash the Thunderclap Sword, otherwise you definitely wouldn't be laughing right now," Ye Xingchen said with a smile.
“Every step has been calculated. Today, you just have to accept your fate.” Shenwu Lingtai laughed heartily.
With a swing of his giant scythe, dark energy surged forth as he fiercely attacked Ye Xingchen.
Meanwhile, the dozen or so soul flames relentlessly attacked Si Qianyu.
Si Qianyu's immortal body had not yet awakened, and she had only just entered the Heavenly Realm. Facing more than ten soul flames that were formed by the Yin-Yang Masters using their essence and blood as sacrifices, she was immediately in danger.
"Have you had enough fun?" Ye Xingchen sneered, unleashing his full power. The crimson mark between his brows enlarged once more, forming lines on his forehead.
With a clear shout, the Crimson Sky Sword in his hand unleashed a sword beam over ten feet long, sweeping towards the persistent soul fire.
Wherever the sword's edge struck, the soul flames let out a miserable cry before vanishing without a trace.
Shenwu Lingtian roared, and his chest suddenly split open, a demonic heart pounding wildly. A demonic shadow suddenly appeared behind him, a huge demon god like a giant, slashing at Ye Xingchen and Si Qianyu.
The most important thing about the Demon Heart is its influence on people's minds. Si Qianyu was slightly stunned. Her vision went black, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself in a garden.
A woman whose features resembled hers by about 70-80% was with a toddler.
A gentle voice sounded in her ear: "Yinyin, come here, come find your mother."
The scene that had appeared in my dreams countless times was now right before my eyes.
She knew that person was her mother.
When she was three years old, she was spotted by a spy from the Three Thousand Towers who was searching for her with exceptional talent. From then on, she was separated from her mother. Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye.
She shouldn't remember anything before she was three years old, but everything in front of her now is her experience.
Si Qianyu knelt on the ground, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Si Qianyu." Ye Xingchen held the Crimson Cloud sword and looked at Si Qianyu, whose will had collapsed. He was extremely anxious.
This is a demon in one's heart, capable of destroying one's Dao heart. If she cannot overcome this hurdle, her mental state will decline, and her immortal bones will be completely destroyed. In severe cases, she will lose all her cultivation and die.
Those little devils, after all these years, they've actually learned to play this trick too.
“Mom…” Si Qianyu stammered, tears streaming down her face. She murmured, “Are you… alright?”
As the phantom of the demon god approached, Ye Xingchen pulled her into his arms: "I promised you that I would find your family. You should believe me."
Si Qianyu suddenly raised her head and met Ye Xingchen's eyes, and she suddenly woke up.
At that moment, the phantom of the demon god arrived.
Ye Xingchen then freed his hands, raised the Crimson Cloud in his right hand, and let out a loud shout.
Crimson Sky unleashed a burst of sword light, piercing through the demon god's chest.
A tremendous roar erupted from the demon god's mouth, and as he dissipated, a heavy punch struck Ye Xingchen.
The powerful sword strike he had just unleashed had consumed most of Ye Xingchen's strength, leaving him no time to gather his energy for a second strike.
Bang... The enormous impact sent the two of them crashing off the cliff.
Below the cliff lies a millennia-old glacial lake.
"I'm sorry, it wasn't me. You should have won." As they fell, Si Qianyu hugged Ye Xingchen tightly.
"Don't talk nonsense. What's wrong with giving up everything for you?" Ye Xingchen laughed loudly, holding Si Qianyu in his arms, and the two of them plummeted into the icy lake.
Shenwu Lingtian was surrounded by rising black energy; he was now a half-demon.
With a flick of his right hand, the remaining six soul flames suddenly ignited, their power amplified by his demonic body.
A hoarse voice rang out: "Find them, and be sure to take their blood and their heads."
Below the cliff, in the icy lake.
Ye Xingchen carried Si Qianyu and struggled to get her ashore.
The temperature in the frozen lake is extremely low, but the water here is different from normal water, and it does not freeze all year round.
Si Qianyu was soaked to the bone, and with her mind corrupted by inner demons, her cultivation level had plummeted.
"Are you alright?" Ye Xingchen asked with concern.
Si Qianyu shook her head: "I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" Ye Xingchen said with a smile. "You're my woman, isn't it my duty to protect you?"
“I dragged you down. If it weren’t for my inner demons, you wouldn’t have lost because of protecting me.”
“Shenwu Ling has developed a demonic heart, and the sixteen Yin-Yang Masters sacrificed their soul blood to create soul fire, which will cause his strength to continuously evolve. I can withstand the demonic shadows he generates, but he will then generate a demonic body.”
Ye Xingchen said, "The Divine Martial Ling Tai, who possesses a demonic body, is beyond human capability, unless I formally enter the Formless Dust Realm of the Four Realms of Celestial Phenomena."
"Are you trying to comfort me?" Si Qianyu said quietly.
"No, your clothes are wet, so I'm building a fire to dry them off. Otherwise, it's not good for your health." Ye Xingchen stared wide-eyed at Si Qianyu, who was soaking wet.
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