Inside the barrier, the sky grew darker.
Yun Xian used her teeth to tighten the cloth band on her left hand. It felt a little itchy, and she couldn't help scratching it. Blood immediately oozed out of the wound.
These were the result of being bitten by huge rats just now. No one had expected that there would be so many rats with blood-red eyes hiding in the river bank. When they surged over in layers, they were like a black tide. If they had not been rescued in time, the two disciples at the end would have died on the spot.
Now they changed positions, Xiao Wu and Yun Xian were in the front, Yun Lang and Su Chi were in the rear. Even so, they could only barely protect the lives of the disciples - now there was no one in the entire sect who was not injured.
This was already unbelievable. Even the Sword Sect had lost several disciples, not to mention those weaker sects, who were surrounded by ambushes and unable to defend themselves. Within half a day of being involved, they had lost at least a third of their troops.
A cold wind blew, stirring the grass. Qiao Lingshan looked toward the sky, rubbed her aching leg, and said, "In the Demon Cult's perception, is the world really this dark?"
Regardless of whether this world was created by monsters or Chi You, at least this is a barrier maintained by Chi You, so it is naturally the world in his eyes.
"There's a bitter wind and cold rain, the sky is dark and the ground is murky. The grass is dry, not to mention the flowers, and there are strange-looking monsters everywhere." It's rare to find a safe place to catch your breath. Yun Xian leaned against the boulder behind him and said, "Although I've never been to the Demon Cult, I guess it's like this there too."
Only a handful of people know Chi You's origins. Perhaps thousands of years ago, he could still distinguish the seasons and the mundane world of humankind, but the moment he swallowed the heart, he became "it," surrendering this ability that belonged to humanity.
Feng Ye put the zither away and sat down. The blood from his forehead stained his eyelids. He blinked twice with great effort and said, "I don't know what the situation is like outside now."
According to Taiping, it wasn't very good. The barrier was in chaos, not to mention the small, independent sects without a leader. I'm afraid we can only delay for a moment, and that's all we can do.
It makes sense that when times get to this point, all those grudges and hatreds that seemed like the sky was falling in the past become unimportant. After all, the sky is really about to fall, and there is no point in worrying about those things anymore.
The altar, once so distant, seemed to be drawing nearer. At first, shrouded in mist, its outline was only faintly discernible. Now, closer and clearer, it was terrifying. Blood-red formations covered the four stone walls, densely packed and layered. Evil blood flowed across their surfaces, making them seem alive, not as if painted on but rather inlaid.
Such a genius, if the Sword God had not noticed and taken action in time, she might have really subverted the entire Four Realms.
No, eat an apple and calm down. Yun Xian just put his hand in when he paused - he forgot that the storage ring was gone.
"We've come across many sects along the way, but we haven't encountered any of the three sects: Buddhism, Medicine, and Blacksmithing." There was movement over there, and he didn't know which side was fighting. Yun Xian's ears twitched, and he looked over there warily. The poisonous miasma covered the empty space. "Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case."
Taiping said, "Do you still have time to care about others? You don't have to worry too much about those bald donkeys in the Buddhist sect. The Miaoshou Sect has three masters, so there's no need to worry too much. The only thing you need to worry about is the Jianti Sect. Ji Rongxue is injured, and who knows if the Dao Sect will take advantage of the chaos to attack."
Ji Rongxue was injured, and no one knew to what extent. But now all means of communication had been cut off. No matter who it was, they could only guess and take things one step at a time.
Originally, everyone would stop and catch their breath and say a few words while walking, but now that they are stationed here, there are only the sounds of breathing and the rustling of people silently bandaging wounds. Everyone is trying their best to recover, and no one has spoken a word for a long time.
Forced to maintain composure, they rushed towards the end of the road, watching the number of people walking with them gradually decrease and disappear. How could they possibly calm down? Only four words could describe it: exhausting. But the arrow was on the string, and it had been released. Even though the road ahead was long and uncertain, no one dared to look back, or even to show a trace of anxiety, because everyone knew that once the first person gave up, there would be a second, and a third...
This is just a means.
Until now, Chiyou has not appeared.
The movement over there became stronger and stronger. Yun Xian stood up, took her sword, and looked at the poisonous fog rolling in from behind. Her sensitive hearing told her that there were some not-so-good buzzing sounds coming from there.
Su Chi suddenly said, "Let's go!"
Almost the moment he finished speaking, several monks with sullen faces rushed out, fear still in their eyes, as if they had seen something extremely terrifying. When they saw the Jiange group, they didn't even pause, but shouted hoarsely: "Go!!"
At this moment, this is the most humane thing to do.
Everyone was as if they were facing a formidable enemy. They stood up immediately as per their training, without even looking back, and flew forward on their swords, going deeper into the jungle. However, Yun Xian did not leave. Aura gradually gathered on the sword, and it was held horizontally in front of him.
The next person who rushed out of the poisonous miasma seemed to be from two different sects from the previous one. Although there was blood on his body, there was no fatal injury. He could run and escape, but in just two breaths, Yun Xian watched helplessly as a living person turned into a corpse.
A massive demonic mosquito was pinned to the back of his dark head. Its long mouth needle pierced through his body from behind, and as it trembled, it instantly hollowed out not only his brain but also his entire body's internal organs and flesh.
The human skin hung limply on the ground, its legs and feet still in the posture of fleeing, like a frozen mural.
Yun Lang said solemnly, "Be careful. This thing is very difficult to deal with."
If there were only three or four, five or six, they would have been killed. However, what rushed out from the poisonous miasma was a black mass of demonic mosquitoes, each one satiated with flesh and blood, their bellies bulging, their gloomy eyes fixed on their prey below.
I don't know how many people died from them.
"Su Chi, you go first." Xiao Wu said, "My disciples are leaderless, and I'm afraid they'll get into some dangerous place again."
Su Chi did not move. He first glanced at Yun Xian, and when he saw Yun Xian nod slightly, he turned into light and left.
"Hmm?" Xiao Wu felt something was wrong: "He even glanced at you?... He's completely listening to you now. What's going on?"
"Ah, haha, mother, this kind of thing is not important. We'll talk about it later." Yun Xian's fingertips brushed the sword, and a fiery red light flashed. She looked at the rampant demon mosquito that was ready to attack at any time and said softly, "Now... watch me burn you with fire."
The next moment, flames shot up into the sky!
“…”
In this battle, the wound on Yun Xian's arm was torn open again, becoming three times more serious. There were many more wounds on his body, and blood was dripping.
Dragging my exhausted body, I looked at the altar in the sky and ran, without stopping for a moment.
She had no time to care about anything else. Only during this rush did she have the leisure to continue thinking hard.
The folding formation has been activated. It cannot be stopped unless Chi You is killed or Chi You's strength is weakened to the point where he can no longer maintain his power. Human power is limited, it is only a matter of time.
Every failure is a lesson learned. It will never show up until the very last moment...
After much calculation and reflection, Yun Xian had to admit that, just as he had said in the trial ground that day, attacking Jimo Shu was the easiest move to achieve. What a irony.
However, in this world, not everything needs to be considered whether it can be accomplished, but whether it can be done.
Thinking of this, Yun Xian reached out to touch the magic stone. Surprisingly, it was still there! She had been worried that she wouldn't be able to immediately sense the magic stone's changes, so she had kept it close to her body and had never put it in her storage ring. The magic stone was still flickering faintly, but the light was getting dimmer and dimmer.
Jimo Shu's original demonic energy is still gradually weakening, and her condition is very bad.
Yun Xian's rough palm gradually warmed the magic stone. She could hardly remember what Jimo Shuxiao looked like the last time she saw her. It must be very painful now.
If Chi You wanted to use Jimo Shu's body, he could have done so long ago. It's impossible for him to keep Jimo Shu until now out of some old friendship. The only explanation is that he's worried—his current form allows him to unleash his full potential. After all, Jimo Shu's cultivation is far inferior to Chi You's, and if he were to move, her abilities would be somewhat diminished. With such a suspicious nature, how could he allow himself this vulnerability?
The three were following the people from Jiange by following the sword marks left by Su Chi, but unexpectedly, a burst of chaotic piano sounds came from the distant snow-capped mountains!
The sword mark also ended here. Yun Xian's thoughts were interrupted, and he flew over, almost seeing black.
After overcoming this calamity, another one comes! This is not a challenge of wisdom and courage!
Between the continuous snow-capped mountains, Jiange and Qinfang met on a narrow road. It was called a narrow road because the canyon was so narrow that only two people could walk side by side. Moreover, the Qinfang disciples had to carry their guqins on their backs, making it even more difficult to move forward. The Qinfang Sect Master stood at the front, his face extremely grim.
If someone wants to leave, the guqin cannot be placed horizontally!
Qinfang had invested so much effort in training Qin Ya, and now she was seriously injured. The number of people seemed pitifully small. Meanwhile, on the narrow road, a huge boulder rolled towards the crowd, stirring up a cloud of dust and gravel. The sharp sword energy split the boulder into several pieces, which then fell to the ground, creating several deep pits!
Seeing Qin Ya trying to hold on despite her internal injuries, Yun Xian immediately said, "Stop!!!"
Qin Ya paused, looked up at her with a confused look.
Qiao Lingshan excitedly said, "Sect Master! Senior! Yun Xian!!! You're back!! Are you not hurt?!"
"I'm injured! It hurts!!" Yun Xian said, "Don't use the piano music, it's too loud, and the sound waves will overlap, which is likely to cause an avalanche!"
"I know!" Feng Ye said, "But isn't your voice too loud now?!"
Yun Xian: "How can you hear me if I don't speak loudly?!"
This narrow path is the only way to cross the snowy mountain. The mountain dome almost pierces the top of the barrier, making it impossible to fly over. This path is clearly a trap, so there is no choice but to bite the bullet and continue down.
At this point, there was no way Qinfang would pick a fight with Jiange. Furthermore, the two sects had been friends for so long, and they had to maintain respect. The disciples of both sects were familiar with each other, holding hands and carefully navigating the narrow path together. When boulders rolled down, Su Chi and Yun Xian silently dispatched them with their sword energy, then used their qins to block the remaining rocks.
Several of the strings were broken, and the master of the Qinfang said, "My Qin..."
"It's such a long time, and you're still worried about Qin." Xiao Wu said, "Let me show you my sword."
The leader of the Qinfang sect stretched his head to take a look. Xiao Wu's sword had already been pierced eighteen times, and he immediately felt much more relaxed.
Finally, they passed the narrow road without any danger, and faced a vast expanse of desolate snowfield. The whiteness everywhere was extremely uncomfortable to look at, and for a moment, no one took the first step.
Yun Xian picked up a stone and threw it over, but there was no movement.
Hearing footsteps behind them, everyone suddenly turned around and saw the third sect - the Sword Sect.
This was a rather delicate situation. But no matter what, the only thing to do now was to keep moving forward. Stopping for even a moment would be a waste. Liu Chang snorted coldly, and the three sects rushed forward almost simultaneously.
No one expected that someone would step on a certain spot and be immediately swallowed up by the lake, freezing instantly and dead!
The seemingly docile white snow beneath his feet suddenly cracked, revealing the icy lake hidden underneath. There was a scream, and chaos broke out in an instant!
As soon as Yun Xian's hand touched the lake water, she felt a chill running up to her fingertips, and she was almost unable to bend or stretch. She used her spiritual power to resist, and tried her best to float her body, exposing her head and face. However, she did not immediately struggle to get out of the icy lake. Instead, she stretched out her hand with all her strength, picked up the nearest person, and threw him to the distant shore!
Her cultivation level allows her to float in this icy lake for a few breaths, but others cannot.
There were people floating in the lake everywhere. True death was silent, falling to the bottom of the lake like a stone. Yun Xian no longer had time to care which sect these people were from. No matter whether it was the Sword Sect or the Qinfang, as long as she could get there, she would save them!
Xiao Wu's voice rang out overhead: "Come to me!!!"
Liu Xin said: "Go to the shore!!"
At first, she could still hear the sound, but it grew increasingly faint. Yun Xian choked on her saliva, her tongue nearly freezing off. She thought, half asleep, that she had never learned to swim... Could it be that she was born with the ability to doggy paddle?
A strong hand lifted the tip of his toes. Su Chi's hand and the lake water were almost as cold as ice. Yun Xian was lifted out of the water. His expression finally cleared up a bit, and then he heard Taiping's scream: "Hurry up and get on! There are only a dozen people left!"
It released fire spiritual energy without reservation, wrapping Yun Xian's body.
Indeed, only a few people were floating on the lake. Yun Xian glanced sideways and unexpectedly spotted Zhong Changyao. In the face of life and death, his expression finally revealed itself—a member of the Sword Sect, near death, clutched tightly at the hem of his clothes. He glared at the man with anger, forcibly wrenching his trembling hand free, stepped on his back, and attempted to leverage it to move forward.
The man looked desperate and was about to sink to the bottom of the lake when he felt someone grab the skin on the back of his neck, and his body floated in the air and was thrown heavily to the shore.
Zhong Changyao's expression changed. Without any time to delay, he struggled to move towards the shore. Yun Xian was right beside him, but in the icy lake, his heart suddenly sank.
Yun Xian's voice was faint, but still clear:
"Does having a storybook make you feel superior? No one in the four realms is as noble as you. People who die one after another are just passersby who can be reborn the next day. After all, no matter how many times they die, it's not you who dies."
Zhong Changyao's eyes widened.
Why did she know...how did she know?!
"I know what you're planning. As a villain, you've lived long enough." Yun Xian exhaled in fear, but still looked at him indifferently. "Believe it or not, even if I have to die, you'll be the first to die."
Zhong Changyao's eyes were filled with murderous intent, his fingers flexed, but before he could make a move, he watched Yun Xian sink step by step. The corner of his mouth twitched, and just as he was about to sneer, footsteps sounded, and a shadow fell over his head, drowning him in an overwhelming force.
The thick brown lion hair scattered in the lake water in an instant. The biting temperature could not hinder the owner's actions at all. The brown lion's graceful muscle lines were stretching and agitating vigorously. It rushed to Yun Xian like an arrow, stirring up countless splashes of water.
The lioness's powerful paw pads clasped her back, gently pulling her up. Yun Xian sat on the lion's back, shook off the water droplets on her face, lowered her eyes to look into the brown lion's smiling eyes, and said, "Miss, my snot bubbles are frozen..."
Ji Rongxue didn't even look back. With one swipe of his tail, he pulled Zhong Changyao back to the bottom of the lake. Then, he wrapped his arm around Yun Xian's back and said, "Sorry. I miscalculated. I thought it was just right."
Su Chi was stepped on twice by claws for no reason. His hair was wet and he was a little confused: "..."
You can just sit on his back.
The wind and snow of the Body Strengthening Sect can refine people, but the effect of this icy lake on the beasts is minimal. With an order, countless powerful beasts crossed over and rolled those who were still struggling on the lake back to the shore.
Ji Rongxue stepped onto the land and regained her human form. The lake water dripped onto the ground bit by bit. Her dark red pupils reflected the boundless wind and snow. She said solemnly, "I said, it won't take three years."
"..." Yun Xian looked at her body covered with injuries, big and small, and said with a headache: "This shouldn't be a good thing."
"It's called, there are gains and losses." Ji Rongxue curled the corners of his lips slightly and said, "Let's go."
Everyone stood up again, and after crossing the snowy field, the altar seemed to be right before their eyes.
Yun Xian took a step forward, but suddenly thought of something.
If it was said that Heaven had chosen her, it must have given her that storybook from the beginning. Then why did Jimo Shu also have a copy?
Clearly, two people were chosen in the beginning. But why did she have to kill Jimo Shu in the trial ground?
A very dark place.
Mei Yanliu came to deliver the last batch of magic stones. Her palms were full of cold sweat. She gritted her teeth and quickly set up a formation.
Jimo Shu on the stone platform moved slightly, and the sound of chains was heard.
Mei Yanliu picked up the fluorescent bead, and the small area suddenly lit up. However, Jimo Shu did not react at all. She just stared at the door and said, "You're here?"
Mei Yanliu's heart ached. The Saint was no longer visible.
Atop the stone platform, layer upon layer of formations bound her. If she had harbored any illusions at first, they were now completely shattered. Even the formations meant to prevent self-destruction were being bound. Who couldn't understand what the leader was trying to do?!
Who can be blamed for the demonic energy being so weak? Who would want to live like this? It's like this now, and it truly lives up to this saying. Neither can I live, nor can I die!
"Magic Stone, absorb it." Mei Yanliu handed it over and said in the calmest tone, "That group of people really fought fiercely. Almost half of them should be dead by now."
The barrier created by this formation wasn't originally set by the leader herself. The monster had originally intended to destroy the four realms, placing those it favored within this barrier. She would then become the king of this realm—but unfortunately, now everything had been sacrificed to someone else.
Jimo Shu stretched out her hand and crushed the magic stone. The evil energy flowed into her body, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea.
"Once we reach the altar, the leader will be able to capture them all in one fell swoop." Mei Yanliu went to check the formation and whispered, "Yun Xian... is fine."
Jimo Shu said: "Well. I don't think she will be in trouble."
Mei Yanliu said, "Saint, I'm very scared."
"..." Jimo Shu had no experience in comforting others, so she said stiffly, "There's nothing to be afraid of."
Her lips, once vibrant, had turned pale and haggard. Mei Yanliu could no longer bear it and sent a message as quickly as possible, "Saintess, let's go!"
"Niu Baiye and I found an opportunity, and that's when... I wanted you to leave. Leave here." Mei Yanliu said dryly, "It doesn't matter where you go now. It doesn't matter. Go find whoever you want. This is the last time!"
Jimo Shu finally tilted her head towards her in surprise.
Mei Yanliu had never seen such an expression on the Saint's face. She and the Bull Demon had always followed Jimo Shu as her subordinates, from the Demon Cult to the Four-Way War, never separated. Jimo Shu's expressions were varied, but most of them were not good. She was often angry, fierce, and full of resentment...wasn't that how all demons are? Even now, with this gentle smile, Mei Yanliu couldn't figure out where she had learned it from, or who she was using it on.
Although only for a moment.
"Thank you very much." Jimo Shu said, "But I must stay until the last moment."
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