Rong Jiaojiao released her divine sense to investigate, but it was repelled by a cold, sinister force. She frowned slightly: "My divine sense can't penetrate it..."
"Let me do it." Zi Ling jumped to the ground, her little paws pressing on the barrier, and purple spirit fire spread along the barrier.
Soon, a gap appeared in the barrier, large enough for one person to pass through.
The two men and the mink stealthily sneaked into the church.
The interior space is much larger than the exterior, and the original chapel has been transformed into a bizarre ritual site.
A huge pentagram was drawn on the ground in blood, with corpses placed at each corner, and an unconscious girl lying on the central stone platform.
"A fusion ritual!" Zhao Yuntian's expression changed drastically. "They're preparing to fuse with the Soul-Devouring Demon Seed to cultivate a powerful demonic puppet."
The two people and the beast attacked simultaneously. Rong Jiaojiao's Lingyuan Sword drew a sharp silver light, and the sword energy shot straight towards the black altar in the center of the pentagram array like a startled swan.
Zi Ling transformed into a bolt of purple lightning, lunging at the nearest corpse, her sharp claws tearing apart the writhing black tentacles.
Zhao Yuntian swiftly formed hand seals, and a golden light cascaded down like a waterfall, instantly enveloping the entire pentagram array.
The blood-red light and golden light within the formation clashed fiercely, emitting a piercing hiss, as if they were vying for dominance over this space.
"Who is it?!" A hoarse and sinister voice came from the shadows, tinged with impatience and anger.
The center of the altar suddenly twisted, as if torn apart by some invisible force.
A figure draped in a black robe slowly emerged. His face was covered with strange black patterns, his eyes were blood red like burning flames, and he was surrounded by a heavy aura of bloodlust, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
"A possessed demonic spirit!" Zhao Yuntian's pupils contracted, his voice tinged with wariness. "Be careful, he's at least a Celestial Master!"
The man in black robes grinned and raised his hand. Suddenly, all the corpses in the pentagram array stood up, their empty eye sockets glowing with a blood-red light, as if they had been awakened by some evil force.
"Die!" Rong Jiaojiao shouted, and the Lingyuan Sword burst out with dazzling silver light, transforming into dozens of sword energies that slashed towards the corpse puppets.
The sword energy sliced through the air like lightning, instantly cleaving several corpse puppets in two.
Zi Ling's body swelled up, transforming into a three-meter-tall purple giant sable. Two beams of golden light shot out from her golden pupils, piercing directly between the eyebrows of the two corpse puppets.
Its movements were swift and precise, like a hunter from hell.
Zhao Yuntian clashed with the man in black robes, golden light and black energy colliding violently, causing the entire church to tremble. Cracks spread across the walls, as if the church were about to collapse at any moment.
"Hahaha... You've come at the perfect time!" The man in black robes laughed wildly, his voice tinged with madness. "Perfect for using your life essence to complete the final ritual!"
With a wave of his hands, thick aura of bloodlust enveloped the girl in the altar.
The unconscious girl suddenly opened her eyes, which were bloodshot, and let out a shrill scream, as if she were controlled by some evil force.
"Oh no! The demonic seed is about to awaken!" Zhao Yuntian shouted. "Rong Jiaojiao, stop it!"
Rong Jiaojiao leaped into the air, her Lingyuan Sword piercing straight into the altar.
Just as the sword tip was about to touch the girl, a dark shadow flashed by, and her wrist was grabbed by a cold hand.
"Little girl, are you in such a hurry to die?" The man in black robes appeared in front of her at some point, his other hand reaching straight for her heart.
At the critical moment, Zi Ling suddenly shoved the man in black aside.
Taking advantage of the moment, Rong Jiaojiao severed the connection between the girl and the altar with a single sword strike, the sword energy cutting through the black thread like a sharp blade.
"You're courting death!" the black-robed man roared in fury, his bloodthirsty aura surging.
The entire church began to tremble and crumble, and countless black tentacles emerged from the ground, as if to devour everything.
"Nine Heavens Thunder!" Zhao Yuntian made hand seals, and thick bolts of purple lightning descended from the sky, striking the black-robed man and forcing him to retreat repeatedly.
Rong Jiaojiao took the opportunity to pick up the unconscious girl, while Zi Ling swallowed the Soul-Devouring Demon Seed that had already fused with the altar.
The man in black robes let out a shrill scream, "Bastard, that's mine..."
After swallowing the demon seed, Zi Ling's purple fur stood on end, and her eyes shone with golden light.
It rolled on the ground in agony, its body twisting and deforming. It transmitted its voice to Rong Jiaojiao: "Master, I can't help you anymore. Please put me into the little secret realm first."
"Ziling!" Rong Jiaojiao called out anxiously, her voice full of worry.
After storing it in the small secret realm, I sent it a telepathic message: "Purple Spirit, how about I give it to you?"
Zi Ling replied, "Master, I'm fine, but refining this demonic seed will take some time."
"Alright, you can refine it with peace of mind."
While she and Zi Ling were exchanging a few words, Zhao Yuntian seized the opportunity and beheaded the man in black robes with a single sword stroke.
However, the head was still grinning after it hit the ground, and the demon spirit also separated from the body and prepared to escape, but was blocked by the barrier that Zhao Yuntian had set up earlier.
The human and the demon spirit fought fiercely together. Rong Jiaojiao set up a circle of Soul Burning Talismans to protect her head, determined not to give the demon spirit a chance to possess her.
Zhao Yuntian's sword flashed like lightning, its golden light tracing dazzling paths in the darkness.
His swordsmanship was incredibly fierce, each strike carrying powerful Daoist magic, as if it could completely tear the demonic spirit apart.
The demon spirit let out a mournful wail, its body forced to retreat continuously by Zhao Yuntian's sword light.
However, the demon's form was unusually strange; it twisted and deformed in the air, as if it could recombine at any moment.
Zhao Yuntian's eyes were fierce, and his hands quickly formed hand seals. Golden runes flew out from his palms, instantly forming a huge golden array in the air.
The formation shimmered with dazzling light, containing boundless power.
"Minor Demon Sealing Array!" Zhao Yuntian shouted, and the golden array instantly enveloped the demon spirit.
The demon spirit let out a miserable scream as its body was bound by the light of the array and it could not move.
Just as the demon spirit was about to be gradually annihilated, it suddenly let out a mournful howl, and its body instantly erupted with a powerful aura of bloodlust.
This bloodthirsty aura surged towards Zhao Yuntian like a tidal wave, attempting to engulf him.
Zhao Yuntian's eyes narrowed, and his hand seals changed rapidly. Golden rays of light flew out from between his fingers, instantly forming golden barriers that blocked the bloodthirsty aura.
"Thorn!" Zhao Yuntian shouted, and his sword light burst forth again. Golden sword energy fell like raindrops, instantly piercing through the demon spirit's body.
The demon spirit let out a shrill scream as its body was torn apart by the sword energy, turning into wisps of black smoke that dissipated into the air.
Its spirit was enveloped by Zhao Yuntian's Soul-Destroying Talisman and slowly dissipated into the world.
Zhao Yuntian breathed a sigh of relief. He sheathed his sword, turned to look at Rong Jiaojiao, and only felt relieved when he saw that she had protected him.
Rong Jiaojiao removed the Soul-Burning Talisman and asked, "Senior, are you injured?"
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