Chapter 121: The old enemy appears, the shadow of the previous life
The cave was dimly lit, radiating only the faint glow of the runes cast by Ye Li. Qin Yixuan sat cross-legged, eyes closed. The divine pattern on his forehead, now a pale golden color, flickered. The sacred aura lingering around him, though less intense than before, remained chaotic, like a suppressed ocean before a storm.
Ye Li stood by her side, one hand resting on her back. Pure, extremely cold spiritual energy, mixed with a trace of the Samsara Mirror's source power, carefully channeled the raging, conflicting energy currents within her body, like the most patient craftsman. Her face paled; forcibly intervening in a backlash of that magnitude was a tremendous burden for her.
Time slipped by, and the chaotic light of the sky, unique to the secret realm outside the cave, seemed to dim slightly. After an unknown amount of time, the restless golden light surrounding Qin Yixuan finally subsided, and the divine pattern on her forehead disappeared. Though her breath was weak, it had regained its composure. Her long eyelashes trembled a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes, a hint of fatigue and fear in them.
"How does it feel?" Ye Li withdrew her hand, her voice slightly hoarse.
"Much better... Just now, I almost lost control of myself." Qin Yixuan still felt a lingering fear, recalling the feeling of having her consciousness stripped away and filled with another, greater will. She still shuddered. "That altar...that ball of light, what exactly is it? Why does it have such a strong attraction and impact on my origin?"
Ye Li pondered for a moment before recounting her previous speculation: "The Secret Realm of Taichu, the origin of all things. The power within you is of an extremely high level, likely originating from ancient times, or even longer. The altar and the ball of light may be the core of some ancient inheritance or seal, originating from the same source as your power, thus creating a resonance. However, this resonance isn't entirely a good thing; it's more like... a test, or perhaps an awakening. If your resolve is weak and your foundation is unstable, you will be assimilated and lose yourself."
Qin Yixuan's expression grew solemn upon hearing this. She was well aware of the extraordinary power within her, but she also understood the profound causal connections that might lie behind this power. "It seems I must quickly improve my control over this source."
"Well, proceed step by step. Don't rush things." Ye Li nodded and took out a "Soul-Fixing Pill" that he had received as a reward from the Tianjiao Club and handed it to her. "Restore the loss of your spirit first."
Just as Qin Yixuan swallowed the elixir and prepared to regulate her breathing, Ye Li's expression suddenly changed, and he raised his hand to signal her to be silent. A rapid warning wave was emitted from the fragments of the Samsara Mirror in her sea of consciousness!
"Someone is approaching, there are quite a few of them, and their aura... is very strong, and carries an unpleasant chill." Ye Li lowered his voice, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, looking out through the hidden restrictions at the cave entrance.
Qin Yixuan also immediately restrained her breath and focused her mind. Sure enough, a moment later, several powerful spiritual senses swept through the cave like invisible tentacles. Although blocked by the restrictions, the coldness, deathly silence, and the sense of swallowing up all life within them made both of them feel a surge of fear.
This aura... was different from any monk they had encountered before, carrying with it an eternal evil and corruption.
"It's not a creature from the secret realm, it's a cultivator." Ye Li said solemnly, "And, they come with bad intentions."
Sure enough, a young man's voice, slightly feminine and with a hint of teasing, came from outside the cave: "Friends in there, why are you hiding? Although this 'Myriad Transformations Return to Origin Formation' is exquisite, it is not completely untraceable in our eyes. Do you want to come out on your own, or wait for us to 'invite' you out?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful spiritual pressure descended, covering the entire cave. The concealment restriction set up by Ye Li began to fluctuate violently and was about to collapse.
Ye Li and Qin Yixuan exchanged a glance, each seeing the determination in the other's eyes. There was no escape; the only option was to fight!
"Follow me closely," Ye Li whispered, the Mysterious Ice Sword already in hand. Qin Yixuan also tightened his grip on the sword, the Cang Hai Ming Yue Pearl hovering at his shoulder, ready to strike.
boom!
The barrier at the cave entrance was finally forcibly broken, and dazzling light poured in. Two figures flashed and appeared outside the cave.
Outside the cave, seven figures stood in a semicircle, surrounding them. The leader was a young man in a dark purple brocade robe. His features were handsome, almost eerie, and his complexion was pale. A pair of narrow eyes gleamed with a venomous glint, and a faint sneer curled around his lips. His cultivation had surprisingly reached the Great Perfection of the Yuandan Realm, and he was only one step away from entering the realm of supernatural powers!
The six people behind him also had a cold and powerful aura. They were at least in the late Yuandan stage. They wore the same dark purple clothes with a strange, distorted eye pattern embroidered on their cuffs, which seemed to be made of shadows.
The moment she saw this pattern, Ye Li's pupils suddenly contracted! Her heart felt as if it was being gripped by an invisible hand. A deep, unforgettable hatred and coldness from the depths of her soul almost broke through her rationality!
This pattern! She couldn't mistake it! It was the symbol of "Dark Eyes," the core faction under Xuan Cong, one of the traitors in his previous life! Xuan Cong, that seemingly gentle yet scheming traitor, master of manipulating people and plotting schemes! Did he actually have descendants or a legacy? And had he even appeared in this Primordial Secret Realm?!
The scenes of her past life flooded into her mind like a tide: Xuan Cong's hypocritical smile, the hidden trick he quietly laid at the critical moment of her cultivation, the determined look in his eyes when he was conspiring with Ling Hao and Mo Shang... Endless anger and murderous intent surged in Ye Li's chest. She dug her nails deep into her palms, barely maintaining her calm on the surface, but the cold air emanating from her body suddenly became sharp and biting, and a layer of white frost condensed on the glass ground under her feet.
Qin Yixuan keenly sensed Ye Li's violent emotional fluctuations. It was a kind of hatred and violence that she had never felt before in Ye Li, almost tangible. She glanced at Ye Li with concern and gently squeezed her hand.
Ye Li felt the warmth coming from her palm, took a deep breath, and forced down the surging murderous intent. Now was not the time to act impulsively. The opponent's strength was unknown, and there was a high possibility that he was related to a great enemy from a previous life. He had to be cautious.
The purple-robed man didn't seem to notice Ye Li's momentary loss of composure, or perhaps he didn't care. His eyes swept over Ye Li and Qin Yixuan with interest, and when he sensed Qin Yixuan's unique sacred aura, which had not yet completely subsided, a hint of greed and surprise flashed in his eyes that was difficult to conceal.
"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect to meet two such stunningly beautiful ladies, both blessed with special origins, in this secret realm." The purple-robed man clapped his hands and chuckled softly, his voice still as gentle as ever. "My name is 'Youming', from 'Antong'. What are your names, ladies?"
"Dark pupil?" Ye Li's voice was cold, without any emotion. "I've never heard of it."
The man calling himself Youming remained unmoved, his smile deepening. "Don't worry, you'll all remember it soon. That sacred aura just now...was emitted by this girl in white, right? Such a pure and ancient essence is truly coveted. If I offer it to my master, it will surely be a great achievement."
The frivolous tone in his words and his attitude of treating people as objects made Qin Yixuan frown, and a trace of disgust flashed in her eyes.
Ye Li grasped the key message in his words—"my master"? Could it be that Xuan Cong was not dead? Or did this "dark pupil" have a new owner?
"You're sneaking around like that, and you're planning to take advantage of us?" Ye Li sneered, and the cold air on the Xuanbing Sword surged. "If you want the origin, come and get it yourself."
You Ming's narrow eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing across them: "Since you two won't accept my toast, don't blame me for not being gentle with women."
He waved his hand gently. "Capture them alive. Especially the one in white. Her origin is extremely important to my Lord."
"Yes! Young Master!"
The six Dark Eyes members behind him shouted in unison, their bodies swaying, instantly forming a strange battle formation. A thick, inky shadow force emanated from them, weaving into a massive black spider web that enveloped Ye Li and Qin Yixuan! That shadow web not only contained a powerful binding force, but also emitted a malevolent aura that corroded spiritual energy and corrupted the soul!
"Be careful, there's something strange about this shadow power!" Qin Yixuan shouted delicately, and the Canghai Mingyue Pearl shone brightly. The soft and pure light of the mysterious water spread out like a spring of purification, colliding with the shadow spider web, making a "hissing" corrosion sound, temporarily resisting its falling momentum.
Ye Li chose the most drastic breakthrough! She knew that the longer she tangled with these forces that were suspected to be related to her enemies in her previous life, the more variables would arise!
"The universe is gone, and thousands of miles of ice are frozen!"
Her figure was like a disillusioned cold star, instantly breaking through the blockade of shadow power and appearing in front of a Dark Pupil member! The Mysterious Ice Sword, with a chilling chill that could freeze the soul, pierced his forehead!
The dark pupil member obviously didn't expect Ye Li's speed to be so fast, and he hastily condensed a shadow shield to resist!
Snap!
The shadow shield shattered like paper beneath the Xuanbing Sword! The tip of the sword pierced his forehead unhindered! Extremely cold sword energy erupted instantly, freezing his head and the soul within it, shattering it!
Kill with one blow!
However, what was strange was that after the dark pupil member died, his body quickly turned into a ball of pure shadow energy, which was absorbed by other members of the battle formation, making the power of the shadow spider web seem to be even stronger!
"Hmph, you have some skills. No wonder you're so arrogant." A hint of surprise flashed across Youming's eyes, then turned cold and stern. "But under my 'Shadow Soul Devouring Formation', your struggle is in vain! Your spiritual power, your soul, will become our nourishment!"
The shadow spider web pressed down again and began to rotate, generating a powerful suction force, madly devouring the spiritual energy within the range, even Qin Yixuan's Xuanshui brilliance was extracted and devoured by it!
Ye Li felt his spiritual energy draining away at an accelerated rate. This formation was indeed strange!
"Yixuan, help me break the formation!" Ye Li said in a voice transmission.
Qin Yixuan understood and used all her strength to activate the Cang Hai Ming Yue Pearl and the Buddha's rosary. The azure divine light and the peaceful Buddha's light intertwined, resisting the swallowing of the shadow spider web and creating an opportunity for Ye Li.
Ye Li closed her eyes, and the fragments of the Samsara Mirror shone brightly in her sea of consciousness. The "Eye of Origin" was activated! She wanted to find the core and flaws of this strange formation!
From that mysterious perspective, the trajectory of energy flow in the formation, the source of shadow power, and the fragile connection points between the six dark-eyed members constructed through shadow energy were all clearly presented "in front of her eyes"!
Found it!
Ye Li suddenly opened her eyes, and a flash of golden light flashed in them! She no longer attacked a single target, but instead locked her sights on the most critical nodes connecting the energy of the six people!
"Star Silence—The cycle of reincarnation is extinguished!"
She infused a trace of the Samsara Mirror's original power into her sword moves, and the Mysterious Ice Sword radiated a seemingly ordinary, yet grayish light that seemed to sever the causal connection! The sword light didn't pierce directly, but seemed to possess a life of its own, tracing several strange arcs through the air, slashing at those invisible energy nodes with uncanny precision!
Chichichi--!
Sounds like snapping strings echoed one after another! The shadow web, which had been seamlessly integrated, suddenly froze, then violently twisted and disintegrated! The six Dark Eye members simultaneously groaned, their auras instantly becoming disordered, and the formation was forcibly broken!
"What?! You can actually see through my Shadow Soul Devouring Formation?!" You Ming's face finally changed drastically, and he looked at Ye Li with a look of astonishment and doubt. This formation was a secret of the organization, with infinite power, and how could it be broken so easily by a woman in the middle stage of Yuan Dan?
"Not only can I break the formation, I can also take your life!" Ye Li's killing intent was complete. Now that she had confirmed they were an enemy force, she would not let them go! She moved again, charging straight at Youming! Qin Yixuan followed suit, sword light raining down, covering the other five Dark Eyes members who were already in disarray.
Seeing Ye Li charging at him, You Ming's eyes flashed with venom. He quickly formed seals with his hands, and the shadowy power around him surged, condensing behind him into a massive, blurry demonic figure, seemingly composed of countless wailing souls in agony!
"Dark Pupil Secret Technique - Ten Thousand Souls Devouring Heart!"
The demonic shadow let out a silent roar, and a terrifying shockwave targeting the soul swept towards Ye Li like a tsunami! This was a vicious technique that directly attacked the soul!
If it were an ordinary Yuan Dan cultivator, this attack would probably immediately cause severe damage to his soul, or even directly devour him. But Ye Li had the Samsara Mirror in his sea of consciousness!
Facing the soul attack, the Samsara Mirror only shook slightly, emitting a circle of soft and steady light, which blocked all the terrifying shock waves, and even purified and absorbed the resentment and negative emotions in it!
"How is this possible?!" You Ming was horrified. His trump card was ineffective against the opponent?
Just as he lost consciousness, Ye Li's sword had already arrived! The icy tip of the sword rapidly enlarged in his pupils!
At the critical moment of life and death, You Ming suddenly bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood. A jade pendant on his body suddenly shattered, and a powerful space wave instantly enveloped him!
"Ye Li, right? I'll remember you! And the woman beside you who possesses the essence of the goddess! You can't escape! My Lord will surely descend, and when that time comes, everything you have will return to nothingness! The Eclipse Realm will eventually..."
puff!
A flash of sword light passed by, and Youming's figure was cut at the last moment before the teleportation was completed. One arm flew up with a spurt of blood, but he eventually turned into a black light and disappeared on the spot. Only a roar filled with resentment and a kind of fanatical faith remained, echoing in the air.
Meanwhile, Qin Yixuan, relying on her immense strength and treasures, slew the five Dark Eye members who had lost their formation's support. Similarly, their bodies transformed into pure shadow energy, eventually dissipating into the air, leaving no trace.
The battle was over and the valley returned to dead silence. Only the lingering cold air and the faint smell of blood in the air proved the danger just now.
Ye Li stood there, sword in hand, her face gloomy. You Ming's last words echoed in her mind like a curse.
"Dark Eyes"... "My Lord"... "Eclipse Realm"...
These words, taken together, pointed to a truth she was most reluctant to face—the betrayer from her previous life might still be alive and operating in secret, carrying out a terrifying plan called "Eclipse World"! And Qin Yixuan's goddess essence seemed to be one of their targets!
Qin Yixuan walked over to Ye Li, looked at her solemn expression, and asked softly, "Ye Li, do you know them? That pattern, and their last words..."
Ye Li was silent for a long time before slowly raising her head and looking at the chaotic sky of the secret realm. There was an unprecedented coldness and determination in her eyes.
"They... are enemies. Enemies who will persevere until death." Her voice was low, carrying a hint of suppressed murderous intent. "I don't know much about the Eclipse Realm and the master behind it. But I know for sure that it's a massive conspiracy capable of subverting the entire spirit world."
She turned to look at Qin Yixuan with a complicated look in her eyes. "And you, Yixuan, your goddess origin, may also be a key link in this conspiracy. We... have been dragged into it."
Qin Yixuan held her hand, his eyes clear and firm: "No matter who the enemy is, no matter how big the conspiracy is, we will face it together."
Feeling the power coming from her palm, the coldness in Ye Li's heart melted slightly. Yes, she was no longer alone. The vengeance of a past life, the enemy of this life, no matter how difficult the road ahead, she would work together with those around her to cut through all the fog!
This sudden encounter, like uncovering the tip of a huge iceberg, made Ye Li clearly realize that the peaceful days might be coming to an end. A storm sweeping across the entire spirit world was quietly brewing. And she and Qin Yixuan were already at the center of the storm.
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