Chapter 66 My Ex-Love: Who is the Demon Clan Crown Princess?
Yu Jiangxuan was thoroughly enraged by Yin Simiao's words, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent: "You're courting death!" He conjured a blood-red light in his hand and aimed it straight at Yin Simiao's heart.
The attack came too fast; Yin Simiao was bound and unable to dodge, so Yu Jiangheng rushed over to try and block it for her.
However, before the attack could reach the two, a sharp sword aura pierced the air, precisely shattering the bloody light. Song Wenzhuo emerged from the shadows, his expression cold: "How dare you bully my disciple?"
“Song…Song Zongzhu,” Yu Jiangxuan said, both surprised and angry, “what are you doing here?”
Fu Yunshu, Yin Lisheng, and others also appeared, surrounding Yu Jiangxuan and the man in black robes.
However, Gu Zhinan's gaze remained fixed on the Mirror Moon Flower, his brows furrowed.
Just then, the man in black robes suddenly let out a soft exclamation, his gaze visibly momentarily pausing when it fell upon Gu Zhinan. Although he quickly regained his composure, this subtle change did not escape Fu Yunshu's notice, though he temporarily suppressed his doubts.
"Since you've all shown yourselves, then stay here as well." The black-robed man's voice was hoarse, his sleeves fluttering without wind, and the entire underwater magic array suddenly lit up with a dark red light. The array patterns seemed to come alive, twisting and writhing, emitting a nauseating stench of blood.
Upon seeing this, a hint of madness flashed in Yu Jiangxuan's eyes. They had already come this far, and there were so many senior experts here. If they didn't go all in, they might lose their lives today.
He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the magic circle: "Since the plan has been exposed, then let you all become nourishment for the Mirror Moon Flower!"
The magic array glowed brightly red, and countless blood-red tentacles emerged from the array's patterns, surging towards the crowd like a tide.
Yin Lisheng swept his Broken Abyss Sword, severing several tentacles, only to find that these tentacles turned into blood upon landing, and new tentacles immediately formed, endlessly regenerating.
The magic circle resembled a ferocious beast that had been fully awakened, its dark red light surging and spreading like a tidal wave. The blood-red tentacles grew denser, each strike carrying a corrosive, bloody demonic energy that stained the lake water above with an eerie dark red.
Chu Yu played his flute urgently, the sound waves turning into tangible ripples, barely deflecting the thick tentacles that were attacking Duan Xuan, but he himself was shaken so badly that his blood and qi surged.
Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan fought side by side, their swords flashing. Gu Zhinan's swordplay was ruthless and precise, targeting the weak points of the tentacles, while Song Wenzhuo's swordsmanship was smooth and long, protecting the two of them.
However, there were simply too many tentacles, and with Yu Jiangxuan and the man in black robes launching sneak attacks from time to time, the two gradually felt the pressure.
Yu Jiangheng and Yin Simiao stood back to back. Although they had escaped their predicament, their spiritual energy had been greatly depleted, and they could only barely protect themselves at this moment.
Yin Lisheng's sword flashed like lightning, severing several tentacles, but amidst the splattering blood, even more tentacles broke through the formation.
"Master, we can't kill all these evil things!"
Fu Yunshu's eyes turned cold, and the Cold Cry Sword rang out with a long, clear sound. Its sword energy spread outwards, instantly freezing the nearby tentacles, which were several feet long, into ice crystals.
He observed carefully and realized that these tentacles originated from a magic array, which was supported by the group of innocent cultivators above. He needed to find a way to sever the connection between the two.
Fu Yunshu's eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Wen Zhuo, Zhi Nan, you two find a way to protect the cultivators above. Li Sheng, come with me to break the formation."
Before the words were even finished, the Cold Cry Sword had already transformed into an ice dragon, carrying a bone-chilling cold as it hurtled straight towards the core of the magic array. Yin Lisheng followed closely behind, the golden light on the Broken Abyss Sword surging. The swordplay of the master and disciple, one forceful and the other gentle, coordinated perfectly.
However, the man in black robes would not sit idly by and wait for his death. He stood at the center of the formation, his hands forming a seal. The Mirror Moon Flower, which was suspended in mid-air, suddenly trembled. The crystalline luster flowing on the petals was tinged with wisps of black energy, and a strange sweet fragrance mixed with the smell of blood spread out.
Countless fine black runes drifted from the flower's center and merged into the crimson tentacles, instantly making the tentacles even more resilient and cunning.
Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan exchanged a glance and simultaneously leaped upwards. Gu Zhinan unleashed countless sword shadows, their sword energy as fine as silk, precisely severing the thin streams of spiritual energy connecting the cultivators to the magic array; Song Wenzhuo closed his eyes and cast a spell, a huge illusory blue lotus appearing behind him, with countless blue lotuses emerging from it, transforming into a barrier to protect the unconscious cultivators.
The battle was at a stalemate. Although Fu Yunshu's side had more people, this was, after all, the enemy's carefully arranged formation home ground, and they gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
The crimson tentacles seemed endless, and the alluring fragrance of the Mirror Moon Flower further distracted them, causing everyone's spiritual energy to deplete rapidly. Fu Yunshu, still bearing old wounds, grew increasingly pale after the prolonged battle, a sight that filled Yin Lisheng with anxiety.
Just as Yin Lisheng steeled his heart, preparing to forcibly use something—
"Buzz—!"
A clear and melodious sword cry, as if coming from beyond the heavens, pierced through layers of blood and demonic energy and suddenly resounded throughout the bottom of the lake!
Immediately afterwards, a blinding golden light tore through the dark red lakebed, like the rising sun dispelling the gloom.
A figure broke through the water and landed steadily in front of the crowd.
—It was Ji Yuanbai.
Yin Lisheng silently lowered his hand, and Qiu Nan and Yan Shuangwan, who had come with Ji Yuanbai, walked over with concern.
Ji Yuanbai's gaze swept across the entire area with unwavering precision, finally settling on the black-robed figure at the center of the formation. His brows furrowed slightly before turning into a cold, knowing expression.
"It really is you." His voice was filled with disgust. "Pang Ren, the leader of the five great demon generals of the demon race."
Pang Ren's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, then he let out a low, hoarse laugh, like the friction of sand and gravel: "Ji Yuanbai... I underestimated you. You actually managed to find this place and even recognized me."
He slowly raised his hand and removed the hood that had always concealed his face.
Beneath the hood was not the monstrous, fanged creature one might expect, but rather a handsome man's face, though pale to the point of being almost transparent, with jet-black eyes and a few eerie black demonic runes spreading across his forehead.
Ji Yuanbai's appearance was like a boulder thrown into a stalemate, instantly creating ripples. He immediately joined the battle, helping Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan rescue the cultivators.
"Patriarch Ji!" Song Wenzhuo's spirits lifted, and the light of the illusory blue lotus in his hand shone even brighter, greatly reducing the pressure on the cultivators above.
Fu Yunshu also breathed a slight sigh of relief. He immediately transmitted his voice: "Patriarch Ji, find a way to destroy the formation."
"Understood." Ji Yuanbai's gaze swept over the eerie flower and the distorted array patterns below it. He raised his finger and gathered his energy, and a thin golden lightning bolt shot out from his fingertip, piercing an inconspicuous connection point in the array patterns like an embroidery needle.
At the same time, Fu Yunshu's Cold Weeping Sword technique changed. Instead of trying to freeze the tentacles over a large area, it condensed into an extremely thin and cold ice line, which, almost simultaneously with Ji Yuanbai's golden lightning, pierced towards another vital spot where the Mirror Moon Flower stem and the array energy converged.
Pang Ren's expression changed drastically. He did not expect that Ji Yuanbai would cooperate so well with Fu Yunshu as soon as he appeared, directly targeting the two weakest points of the formation.
He roared and his hands flew rapidly, demonic energy surging as he tried to control more blood-red tentacles to intercept them. At the same time, the Mirror Moon Flower shone brightly with black light, and countless strange fragrances seemed to materialize, surging out like locusts to resist the two deadly attacks.
However, just as he was distracted and the control of the formation showed a barely perceptible stagnation, Yin Lisheng, who had been waiting for the right moment, made his move!
This is the opportunity he's been waiting for!
The Broken Abyss Sword emitted a clear cry, and the restrained aura of the sword suddenly burst forth, transforming into hundreds of dense sword energies, which, like spring rain, sprinkled on the thin streams of spiritual energy connecting the unconscious cultivators above with the formation—those thin streams had been weakened by Gu Zhinan's sword energy, but had not yet been completely severed.
"Hiss hiss hiss—"
Amidst a series of soft thuds, dozens of thin streams of spiritual energy ceased to flow. Deprived of this continuous supply of pure spiritual energy, the entire crimson magic array suddenly darkened, the regeneration speed of the tentacles noticeably slowed, and its power diminished somewhat.
"Impressive." A hint of admiration flashed in Gu Zhinan's eyes. His hands continued to move, the sword light becoming increasingly sharp. Together with Yin Lisheng, he severed the remaining streams of spiritual energy one by one.
The situation is beginning to reverse!
"Damn it!" Pang Ren was both shocked and furious. His carefully crafted plan, using numerous cultivators as a "nurturing pool," had been completely shattered. The array's power had been greatly reduced, while the enemy had gained Ji Yuanbai as a powerful ally.
what to do?
His gaze swept over Gu Zhinan, and he remembered something. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and his voice took on a strange, seductive quality: "Peak Master Gu, take a closer look. Isn't that the 'Mirror Moon Flower' that you've been searching for for hundreds of years, suspended in the center?"
Upon hearing this, Song Wenzhuo's eyes trembled, and Gu Zhinan's body shuddered almost imperceptibly. His gaze was fixed on the strange flower, which shimmered with light but was now tainted by demonic energy. Centuries of obsession, countless searches, traversing mountains and rivers, braving perilous situations—wasn't it all for this?
Mirror Moon Flower, Mirror Moon Flower… This name has become his only and greatest inner demon for the past few centuries. Now, it is right before his eyes, within reach.
Seeing this, Pang Ren's lips curled into a confident smile as he continued to whisper, his voice like a venomous snake slithering into Gu Zhinan's ears: "I know you've been searching for the Mirror Moon Flower. For it, you've paid a heavy price, even at the cost of drifting apart from your former fellow disciples." He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over Song Wenzhuo, who was wholeheartedly protecting the cultivators and whose sword energy was surging, his words carrying a hidden meaning.
"You've sacrificed so much, and now, the opportunity is right before you. If you lend me a hand, I will offer you this Mirror Moon Flower with both hands once it's done. At that time, you will know everything you want to know, find what you've lost, and make up for what you regret... How about it?"
Temptation, naked and deadly.
Gu Zhinan's knuckles turned slightly white as he gripped the sword. Fragments of memories churned in his mind—the cold cave, the blurry figure, and... the endless bewilderment and emptiness that remained, something that had troubled him for centuries.
The Mirror Moon Flower is the key to unlocking all these mysteries. He has been searching for it for so long that it has almost become an instinct.
However, just as that desire, which was almost overwhelming reason, was about to burst forth, other images emerged even more clearly before her eyes—
It was Song Wenzhuo, the one on the back mountain of Qingyuan Sect, who always had a stern face but would silently prepare all the healing pills for him; it was the main peak's gate that was always open whenever he returned from his outings, no matter how late; it was Song Wenzhuo, who, upon learning that his old injuries had flared up, did not hesitate to expend his own cultivation to straighten his spiritual meridians, until his face turned pale with exhaustion; it was Song Wenzhuo, who quietly stayed by his side when he was irritable and furious due to amnesia, enduring all his bad temper, but never leaving him...
Also, there was Song Wenzhuo in the Blood Maple Forest, who lowered his head and choked up, stubbornly refusing to let him see.
It's not that he "drifted further and further away," but rather that he kept chasing after illusory things while ignoring the most real and warm support around him.
For hundreds of years, he has been searching for that elusive obsession, and he has given up too much. Now, he does not want to betray the burning, real emotions he holds in his hands and hurt the person who has already been unknowingly engraved into his life.
Gu Zhinan closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, all the confusion and struggle in his eyes had subsided, turning into a clear, cold pool that clearly reflected Song Wenzhuo's tall and focused back not far away.
He slowly raised the longsword in his hand, the tip of the sword pointing directly at Pang Ren without the slightest hesitation. His voice was calm and undisturbed, yet each word was clear, carrying the resolute determination to sever past obsessions: "The Mirror Moon Flower... is indeed what I seek."
A glint of joy flashed in Pang Ren's eyes.
“However,” Gu Zhinan’s tone suddenly sharpened, “compared to it, I now cherish the sword in my hand and the people around me more.”
He turned his head, his gaze meeting Song Wenzhuo's as he looked back. In that instant, without a word, Song Wenzhuo's tense expression visibly relaxed, and a faint yet genuine smile appeared in his eyes, like the first melting of snow.
The last bit of dust in Gu Zhinan's heart settled at this moment. It turned out that, since some time ago, his obsession with finding the Mirror Moon Flower had long been replaced by another, deeper and warmer emotion.
He may never know the depth of his love and hate during his amnesia that led to the tragedy that lasted for centuries, but at this moment, he knew perfectly well—he loved Song Wenzhuo. This love needed no proof from memory; it was already ingrained in his very being.
The cultivators in the water bubbles gradually woke up, and Lu Yanci arrived with Qin Lingyue and others to meet them.
Surrounded by so many righteous cultivators, Pang Ren turned his gaze to an inconspicuous corner.
"Your Highness, it seems you have entrusted yourself to the wrong person. Our Crown Princess is a heartless and ungrateful person. You went to great lengths to abandon the demon clan and disguise yourself as a young boy to come to Qingyuan Sect, just to reunite with him. Now it seems that he has already found a new love."
There, Qiu Nan stood quietly in the shadows, his expression unreadable.
Qiu Nan, Nan Qiu, Yan Nan Qiu.
Prince Yan Nanqiu of the Demon Clan.
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Author's Note: I wonder if anyone guessed it? Actually, if you consider my habit of giving my master aliases, it's quite easy to guess, right? [Facepalm peeking]
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