Chapter 227 Jinling Cannot Cross (Fire Retrieval) "All along, we have..."
The north wind howled, and the fluttering snow fell indifferently at the cave entrance, but not a single wisp of it was blown into the cave.
This is indeed an extremely secluded paradise. The surrounding spiritual herbs emit a faint glow, and the rustling stream with floating ice flows by. The sharp light of precious jade is revealed on the cliff. With these two contrasts, the cave shines brightly for a moment.
In the center of this dazzling light, there grows an extremely special spiritual herb, as clear as ice and snow, and as luminous as glass. However, it is almost integrated with the surrounding snow. If it had not been watered by a pool of bright blood, it would probably never have been discovered.
Before the spirit herb stood an extremely tall figure. A thin crack appeared on his palm, and blood dripped from his fingertips, landing on the leaves of the spirit herb.
This person was none other than Ru Xian.
Not far to his right, a long snake covered in white feathers coiled up, almost as tall as half a hill.
A trench several meters long was torn open behind the long snake, and blood and flesh surged out in a frenzy, filling the air with a stench. The surrounding cliffs were broken, and many jade stones were broken on the ground, enough to give a glimpse into what kind of battle had taken place here.
The white-feathered serpent was almost completely devoid of life, but Ru Xian remained standing in place, not taking the spirit herb first.
The wound on his hand was not caused by the long snake, but by a demon from a thousand miles away in the capital.
Even at this moment, he was still staring intently at a certain point in the void, confronting the legendary esoteric saintess through the eyes of the clown.
Just moments before, he caught the arrow that was falling.
It was late at night in the demon capital, and the evening wind was desolate. Between the magic array that was about to close, a long arrow stood upright, actually opening an exit in the array.
As Bi Sheng looked at the golden-white figure before him, his gaze gradually became serious.
The fact that he still didn't use the "move" she had imagined meant that he still had reserves of strength and hadn't been driven to the brink by her arrow. He still possessed a powerful and formidable trump card.
"We have always underestimated you."
She gripped her longbow and uttered this nonsensical statement.
The boy behind her remained silent, but his gaze was unusually fixed on Ru Xian, full of inquiry.
Unfortunately, no matter what they said, the person in front of them seemed not to hear a word, only looking at them warily and unmoved.
Hearing this from a thousand miles away, Ru Xian actually laughed in anger.
"Let's do it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man flew out like a thunderbolt, his movements were no different from those of Ru Hai, but with an added sharpness.
When Bi Sheng and Bi Sheng clashed, Bi Sheng pointed their fingers down and struck the man's arm. The impact was as strong and hard as if they were striking gold and jade!
While the two were locked in combat, the boy named Asahi suddenly burst into the fray, running forward with unsteady, clumsy steps, and thrusting his dagger into a spot on Asahi's lower back, but there was no unexpected reaction.
He looked stunned, but the next moment, the idiot turned around and kicked him expressionlessly. Ah Cheng was hit and tumbled several meters on the roof tiles before finally coming to a stop.
Bi Sheng immediately raised his hand, and spiritual power surged out, swiftly rescuing the person. However, he was physically weak and was already somewhat dizzy when he got up.
He said in a hoarse voice, "Sir, he is not Ru Xian... We don't need to fight him, we must leave here immediately."
Upon hearing this, Bi Sheng immediately turned around and said sternly, "Then what are we waiting for? Subdue him! We must return to Jinling Ferry immediately!"
At this moment, she was more concerned about Lin Feiran, not because she was worried about what Lin Feiran had done at Jinling Ferry, but because she was worried that Lin Feiran would be seen and recognized by the Dao Lord...
Acheng stopped looking at "like hail" and turned to look at the great formation. She raised her hand, uttered a sentence in a low and indistinct voice, and then spoke.
【break】
In an instant, a crack appeared on the imposing and soon-to-close array. Then, like shattered ice, spiderweb patterns crawled across it, and pieces shattered, falling like stars in the rain.
【Certainly】
Ping An, Bi Qing, and Xuan Zhen, who were still moving, were abruptly stopped halfway. Many demon people stopped in surprise. Zhang Siwo held up the iron hammer and looked at the pale and fragile boy with a frustrated expression. Even Ru Xian stood still without moving.
But Acheng coughed even more violently, almost kneeling on the roof ridge, his back hunched over like a shrimp. The sound of his cough was very old, a hoarse sound that even the rainy night could not cover up. When he looked up again, there was even some blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
He has already uttered too many incantations today; if he utters one more, his body may collapse from the strain.
Knowing that he was not in good condition, Bi Sheng did not linger there any longer. She hurriedly stepped forward, grabbed A-Cheng by the back of his collar, and with a whistle, a blue bird flew in from the darkness. She leaped onto it, letting the rain and wind lift her veil, and quickly headed towards the gate.
As he was leaving, Acheng glanced back one last time. "Like a hailstone" remained frozen in the rain and did not chase after him.
He suddenly cracked a mocking laugh and said hoarsely, "It really is a fake."
The fool couldn't understand that expression, but Ru Xian saw it clearly. If he were in the Demon Capital, these people would never have escaped so easily today.
He shook off the blood on his hands and immediately used telepathy to contact Lin Feiran.
"They've left Yaodu. How are things on your end?"
A moment later, her voice came: "Almost there, but it's alright."
Ru Xian bent down and plucked the strange herb. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke: "I have found the herb. Shall I come find you now?"
"No need, I'll be done here soon, you take care of yourself." That was exactly what she replied.
Ru Xian sighed slightly, but still agreed. After disconnecting the telepathic message, he straightened up, looked at the mess on the ground, and thought to himself.
Although they had only been apart for a few days, it felt as if he hadn't seen Lin Feiran for a very, very long time.
After leaving the secret realm, he leaped up, paused for a moment, and then released the Yin-Yang Fish, heading towards Lin Feiran in the direction it indicated.
...
On the other side, Lin Feiran was still fighting alongside Li Changfeng.
She said in a deep voice, “Senior, the Holy Maiden of the Secret Sect has already left the Demon Capital and is heading this way. We don’t have much time left. I’ve already figured out the route. Count to three, then you stop them, and I’ll go and seize the Fire Seed!”
"Good!" Li Changfeng leaped up, laughing loudly. In an instant, sword shadows filled the area. "Junior, go in peace!"
"..."
Lin Feiran glanced at him, and under the cover of dozens or even hundreds of sword shadows, his feet suddenly shot up like lightning, appearing above the first floating ruined pavilion like a streak of purple-blue lightning in a dark room.
A moment later, the familiar suction appeared, drawing her figure into it and quickly moving her to another dilapidated pavilion dozens of meters away.
The shifting of power on the ruined pavilion was almost unstoppable; even a cultivator like Li Changfeng, who had reached the Free and Unfettered Realm, was powerless to resist it.
Once anyone steps onto it, they will only be constantly moved around and eventually sent back to the starting point.
After Lin Feiran used a special method to pinpoint the location of the fire, his problem became how to get there.
At that moment, numerous white figures were blocking the way; if a sword were slashed down, they would split into even more.
But it was through these accidental encounters that some white figures touched the ruined pavilion and were instantly transported away. After this happened many times, Lin Feiran began to glean some insights from it.
For example, a ruined pavilion can only be randomly transported to one of five other locations. At the moment of being moved and landed, different landing points will correspond to different positions.
There are indeed many ruined pavilions here, but not countless. Once enough locations have been identified, the rest can be calculated.
Lin Feiran had been mentally calculating since she set off. The moment she landed, she immediately spun around and retreated. After shifting three times, she indeed appeared in the other place she had expected, which made her even more confident.
White shadows kept approaching from all sides, but they were immediately dispersed by the sword shadows flying from Li Changfeng. A quarter of an hour later, Lin Feiran was indeed only three ruins away from the floating treasure box.
Li Changfeng watched from afar, and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
It's true that the new generation surpasses the old.
In such a desperate situation, the idea of using extreme cold to draw out a source of extreme heat, like fire, is already quite ingenious, but to come up with such a method of transfer in such a short time...
Even in more distant times, Lin Feiran was definitely one of the best.
Gradually, the white figures seemed to realize something and stopped attacking Li Changfeng, instead all surrounding Lin Feiran.
More and more white shadows gathered around one spot, enveloping it like a thin mist. Lin Feiran suddenly felt an indescribable chill, and even her body trembled involuntarily.
"Lin Feiran, did you succeed!" A hurried, soft voice came from the jade pendant at her waist. "Aoxue has stepped out of the magic array and gone into the main hall!"
At this crucial moment of shifting focus, Lin Feiran's calculations became increasingly meticulous, and she dared not be distracted to answer. Qingque did not hear her reply and dared not interrupt, but simply looked down through the window.
In the main hall, Ao Xue stood tall, surrounded by bowing followers. Her face held an inscrutable look of suspicion and inquiry as she carefully examined her surroundings, seemingly searching for something.
Suddenly, the jade pendant at her waist lit up, and Fuyin's clear and urgent voice came from it.
"Aoxue, Lin Feiran has already broken into the main hall! Capture her immediately!"
The female cultivator standing there immediately changed her expression. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, saying, "The anomaly really did appear in the main hall. You're courting death!"
Qingque's heart was pounding like a drum, and this angry voice also reached Lin Feiran's ears.
She flipped over, calculating the distance in her mind, knocked away a white shadow, and landed at the last dilapidated pavilion. The moment Lin Feiran took the treasure box, a majestic female voice suddenly rang out.
"All members of the main hall, heed my command! The traitor Lin Feiran has infiltrated the sect. Now, close the hall and capture him alive!"
With a loud bang, fireworks exploded one after another outside the hall, accompanied by a booming thunder. These intense and distinct sounds, combined with the woman's voice, almost echoed throughout the main hall of the esoteric sect, shaking the very soul.
"Yes, Holy Maiden!" The followers responded excitedly, looking around frantically for Lin Feiran's figure.
At this moment, Lin Feiran pursed her lips and remained silent. She gripped the treasure box tightly, stopped calculating, and let the ruined pavilion send her back to the starting point.
The next moment, this small world suddenly loosened, and all the ruined pavilions collapsed and turned upside down. Sand and stones were overturned, and the wooden planks extending from their feet began to shrink. Under the darkness, something was squeezing inward. After the furthest ruined pavilion was worn away, only a few embers remained!
Lin Feiran glanced back, then together with Li Changfeng, opened the treasure box and peered inside.
Inside the box was a cold, gray pearl, about the size of a thumb, not round, but rather uneven like a rock.
Just as the two were wondering what was going on, a pale white flame suddenly appeared on the pearl, which quickly turned into a red flame. The flame was so intense that it could not be extinguished. The two managed to dodge to the side, and in an instant, the burning flame burned away all the white figures around them.
Seeing that the treasure box was about to be destroyed along with it, and amidst the sound of the surroundings gradually closing, Lin Feiran quickly took out the ice box he had obtained earlier, avoided the flames, and put the embers into it.
Li Changfeng hastily sheathed his sword, looked around at the desolate surroundings, and touched his nose: "It seems that I have no choice but to carve out a way out myself!"
He frowned and unleashed a sword strike. The already crumbling little world instantly cracked open with a long gash, revealing a sliver of pure white light—the white scroll he had seen upon entering.
The two leaped away, their sword shadows trailing behind them. Behind them, the sound of the ruined pavilion being swallowed up echoed. The invisible confinement around them drew closer and closer, and before it could completely close in, the two managed to fly out through a narrow gap.
However, within the painting, there is also a rotating magic array. The rooftops and mountains that were originally standing in front are now all dismantled and separated, turning into crisscrossing wooden tenons and mortises.
Just as Lin Feiran and his companion leaped into the air, the pair below had already joined together, locking together perfectly.
The teeth-grinding squeaking sounds were incessant, and the sounds coming from all directions were getting faster and faster, even threatening to catch up with them!
Lin Feiran ran with a heart full of fear, and Li Changfeng beside him also looked solemn. The two could only dodge and weave, but they didn't really have a direction, and for a moment they also looked a bit disheveled.
This was a small world constructed with arrays. Lin Feiran dodged and dodged while taking out an array plate to decipher it. The sounds of searching and searching from the outside kept coming from her waist. Under the repeated disturbances, she found it difficult to concentrate and even became a little flustered.
Her heart pounded, and behind her came a series of approaching, converging vibrations. She used almost all her concentration, even stopping her escape, focusing solely on using the power of the array plate to find the exit of this small world.
The next moment, the array plate finally rotated, and countless pairs of single eyes peered at her again from within this eerie painting, but an exit with extremely flowing spiritual energy also appeared in front of her!
Lin Feiran immediately braced herself against the closed spirit-made wooden tenon, flipped herself up, and started running wildly again. She tried her best to catch up with Li Changfeng's pace, leaving those shooting stars behind. The two of them worked together and finally broke through the realm!
A somber twilight had descended upon the mudflats and mirror-like lake, and the pattering rain could not extinguish the round lanterns floating on the lake.
Suddenly, a loud bang rang out, and the two broke through a certain restriction, actually falling from the main hall in a whirl!
With a sudden splash, the two plunged into the clear pool in the hall, sending up a curtain of water that soaked the jade statue of the Dao Lord behind them.
When Lin Feiran stood up again, he looked around and remained silent for a moment.
The entire main hall was filled with members of the Secret Sect, and the leader was a female cultivator dressed in a long white dress, with a cold and beautiful face and two fluffy flames hanging from her ears.
Without a doubt, this must be Aoxue.
The two sides fell silent and faced each other, the splashing water droplets dripping from the jade statue, reflecting the figures of two against many.
Author's note: I had to go out today, so I only wrote this much. I'll definitely finish it tomorrow [crying emoji]
With a deafening roar, a thunderclap suddenly rolled across the sky, making the sunlight even more oppressive, and dark clouds loomed overhead.
The people who had gathered at the Mirror Lake on the mudflats were beating drums to celebrate the upcoming heavy rain. For a moment, the sound of the drums was deafening, even faintly drowning out the thunder.
Before long it was afternoon, and in the dark twilight, one round lantern after another gradually lit up. The people placed the lanterns on the shallows, and they floated away like scattered dragon pearls.
In the distant furnace room, effigies were scattered everywhere. One of them was looking out the window at the main hall. His mask had long been removed, and his gentle eyes were deep and thoughtful.
The fingertips tapped lightly on the window frame, but not with their usual composure; instead, there was a rare hint of restlessness.
The cacophony of drums and the sharp crackling of fireworks echoed between Mirror Lake and the dense forest, reaching into the gate as if to ripple through the brief tranquility.
However, this standoff did not last long. Almost as soon as the two of them regained their footing, Ao Xue immediately took several steps back and said coldly, "Make your move and capture them alive."
Lin Feiran and Li Changfeng stood with their swords in hand, secretly cursing their bad luck, but they had no choice but to raise their swords and advance, their palms forming hand seals as they plunged into another fierce battle.
But both of them knew that they had already exhausted too much physical strength and energy in that small world, and if they were to join this series of battles now, they would most likely be defeated.
Clearly, they weren't the only ones who knew; the female cultivator standing on high above, her eyes fixed on them, understood even better.
She wanted to use this opportunity to capture him alive.
Li Changfeng's heart sank slightly. As he raised his sword to block one of the men, he met Lin Feiran's gaze.
The two men were almost of the same mind at that moment.
Their purpose in coming here is to steal the fire and travel to the heart of the Northern Plains to burn away the eerie snow fog, so there is no need for them to linger here in battle.
The two looked at each other and nodded. Li Changfeng immediately spun around and slashed out with his sword. The crisscrossing sword energy spread forward like a net, and wherever the sword intent passed, it splashed out bursts of blood mist.
He swiftly moved forward, his gaze firm and focused, his sword pointing directly at Ao Xue on the outer edge. Just as he had said before, what a swordsman should do is not think, but draw his sword.
After taking aim, he leaped into the air, and streams of energy swirled around the blade, creating a powerful and unstoppable momentum. This was his Righteous Sword Technique, and although it wasn't his final move, it was more than enough for this moment.
With a single sword strike, countless wisps of wind quickly intertwined and attacked Aoxue.
This was a sword strike from a cultivator in the Free and Unfettered Realm, and Ao Xue naturally wouldn't underestimate it. She narrowed her eyes slightly, and a dark blue flame rose from her palm, quickly spinning out like a snake, whistling as it met the gust of wind!
However, at that moment, the sword did not go straight forward, but changed course midway and struck upward, cleaving an opening in the airtight main hall. Li Changfeng actually caught the fire snake and crashed heavily into the jade statue!
As everyone looked on in surprise, they saw an even more agile figure in black, moving like lightning, following the crack to the side. From a distance, it seemed to be only a step away.
Ao Xue remained unmoved. She raised her eyebrows, formed a hand seal, and the pom-poms hanging from her ears gradually ignited, turning into two white flames. Something seemed to be flowing in her clear eyes.
Two ancient zither notes were heard, and in an instant, the exit, which had been so close, disappeared into the distance at a speed that changed in an instant. The main hall also expanded several times over, and the roof seemed to reach the sky.
Lin Feiran, suspended in mid-air, looked like an ant compared to him.
The next instant, another dark blue serpent lunged at him with its jaws blazing. As Lin Feiran drew his sword to defend himself, he realized the strangeness of the place and stopped trying to escape from the dome. Instead, he flipped down and began to dodge and weave across the towering wall that resembled a cliff.
Her figure was illuminated by the chasing flames, casting an extremely long shadow that stretched across the wall, almost blending into her dark robes.
With her current level of cultivation and physical strength, it would be quite a stretch for her to withstand an attack from a cultivator in the Free and Unfettered Realm.
Fortunately, Li Changfeng managed to escape the encirclement in time and catch up behind them. As the sword wind pierced through, the fire snake roared and split in two, crashing hard into the wall and shattering into scattered sparks that drifted down.
"What a strange technique! I've only ever heard of shrinking the earth to an inch, but I've never heard of expanding the earth to a vast wilderness." Li Changfeng's expression was solemn. "One sword can break ten thousand laws. If I can still use the last move of the Haoran Sword, I will definitely be able to carve out a way to survive today."
Lin Feiran and he quickly retreated, putting distance between themselves and the approaching cult members. Upon hearing this, he simply said, "But there are no 'what ifs' in this world, so there's no need to think about it too much."
She wiped the sweat dripping from her chin, her eyes darting around, trying to find a solution.
Ao Xue stood on the extremely high steps, looking down at them. Her two fingers, which were forming a hand seal, moved slightly, and the light in her eyes changed again. The main hall, which had been expanded several times over, was squeezed and shrank in an instant.
With two clanging sounds, the two who had already distanced themselves from the followers were now face-to-face with the first cultivator rushing towards them almost in the blink of an eye.
Li Changfeng exclaimed in surprise, immediately grabbed Lin Feiran's shoulder, and kicked him with the force of the kick, saying, "Good lad, you almost kissed him!"
The charging cultists were clearly very familiar with this tactic. Instead of trying to fight them, they raised their swords, hoping to use the force of the crushing and squeezing to make them collide with the blades.
The two immediately took flight on their swords, moving swiftly above the crowd like streaks of light, narrowly avoiding being riddled with holes.
Among the followers were also sword practitioners. They immediately mounted their flying swords and gave chase. The two of them sped through the high and narrow sky, their breathing becoming even deeper than before.
This was clearly not a solution. As Lin Feiran fled and hid, his mind raced. He immediately thought of the fire that had extinguished all the white figures and his conversation with the Seventh Sword. He made a decision in his mind.
The night before, the Seventh Sword, who was supposed to side with the esoteric sect, traded his position as the Fire Seed with her.
"I want you to destroy the main temple before you leave, by any means necessary. You can do it, can't you?"
He said so, and Lin Feiran agreed.
She had originally intended to do this, and had even planned to destroy the Four Pillars and destroy the esoteric sect before leaving. But now, with the situation changed, she had another idea.
Thinking of this, Lin Feiran immediately formed a hand seal to temporarily block the pursuing longsword. Seeing this, Li Changfeng also came to the rescue, taking on more of the attack.
By this point, he completely trusted Lin Feiran, this junior. Although she didn't say anything, she must have come up with another solution!
Lin Feiran took out an extremely cold ice box, opened it immediately, and revealed a pale gray, uneven pearl inside.
Fire.
At this moment, it remained in the box, and from a distance, it looked like a pile of embers after being burned.
As the two had hoped, the pale gray bead was simply placed inside, and did not emit a scorching flame as before.
Lin Feiran was a little surprised. She shook the box and even worried that the ice box was too strong, so she carefully took out the fire seed, but there was still no change.
With pursuers closing in from behind, Lin Feiran had no choice but to temporarily withdraw his weapon and draw his sword to defend himself.
Ao Xue, who was watching the battle, couldn't help but smile: "Why do you think we can only abandon such an indestructible and indelible treasure? A spiritual treasure born of nature, do you think everyone can control it? Don't dream. Today, if we can't take away the fire, your lives will be left behind!"
Lin Feiran was not discouraged by these words. Whether someone can do something or not is never up to others to decide.
"Senior, I don't know much about fire. You've known them longer than I have. Have you ever heard them explain how to use it?"
The fire seed is practically their only chance to break the deadlock. They've discussed it extensively before, though they haven't mentioned how to use it...
"Wait!" Li Changfeng suddenly remembered something and said urgently, "I remember now. When I was pulled in by Lao Zhang, I heard that mysterious Venerable say that although the fire is inextinguishable, it needs a fuse to ignite it, just like charcoal with embers."
What is the trigger?
She only mentioned it once: "Heart fire!"
This is a very ethereal thing. Those who cultivate the Tao tend to think of it as a mindset rather than a physical object. Without a physical object, how can one guide one's spiritual practice?
Lin Feiran shook his head. If the fire could not ignite on its own, how did that scorching flame come about?
There must be something she overlooked!
If it was a fire in her heart, what was she thinking at the time that led her to inadvertently become the trigger?
The two fought and retreated, and the battle was already very difficult. Lin Feiran had to divert his attention to think, which made it even more strenuous.
Ao Xue, who was not far away, gradually frowned. She was actually weighing things in her mind.
Among the Nine Swords, almost everyone knows that she only has the desire to become stronger and cultivate. Moreover, she is currently at a critical moment in her breakthrough. In order to advance from the Free and Unfettered Realm to the Divine Realm, in addition to comprehension, she also needs more abundant spiritual power than before to support her.
For this reason, she even voluntarily gave up the mission to go out and annihilate the spiritual veins to increase her merits, and chose to stay behind.
The two people before her, Li Changfeng and she, were both cultivators of the Free and Unfettered Realm, and Lin Feiran's cunning was equally not to be underestimated. Even though the two were currently putting up a fight, if they were to actually engage in combat, the losses would be considerable, potentially causing them to miss their breakthroughs...
But if they fail to stop her this time, the punishment they will face will be severe.
However, since she ascended to the Divine Realm, she had been preparing for this day for far too long, so long that she had almost forgotten why she had started cultivating in the first place.
Lin Feiran was deep in thought, and Ao Xue also had her eyes closed.
Suddenly, a gust of wind rushed up behind him. Lin Feiran didn't even have time to turn around and could only barely dodge it with his fighting instincts. When he turned around, he saw that cold yet bright face standing behind him.
Ao Xue held a drum whip in her hand, and the strange sound she had heard earlier was obviously coming from the silver bell on the drum whip.
She spun around, and the drum whip, which was only an arm's length long, suddenly flew out, making a loud jingling sound. It gave Lin Feiran almost no chance to dodge and struck her shoulder heavily!
Li Changfeng was entangled behind and couldn't catch up for the time being. Ao Xue wanted to take advantage of this gap to capture Lin Feiran with minimal spiritual power. However, she also underestimated how troublesome the girl in front of her was.
After silently taking the hit, Lin Feiran almost paused for a moment before spinning the Golden Wave Sword and swiftly blocking the second attack, thus receiving the blow.
Ao Xue clicked her tongue in amazement. With a flick of her wrist, the flying drum whip immediately wrapped around the Golden Wave Sword. Then, the pom-pom earrings she was wearing turned into two white flames again, one of which separated and burned along the drum whip.
The snow-white flames burned on the crimson blade, giving it a feeling of plum blossoms being tempered in cold snow. But the flames did not stop and wrapped around Lin Feiran's arm in an instant.
The sleeves adorned with array patterns were instantly engulfed, and the flames burned onto Lin Feiran's arm, causing an indescribable pain.
But Lin Feiran did not stop. She stared at the flame for a moment, then immediately looked at Ao Xue.
Seeing this, Li Changfeng, who was not far away, swung his sword and came over. A gust of wind blew out the flames, but at the same time, Ao Xue's third whip fell heavily.
"Lin Feiran, get out of the way!" Li Changfeng couldn't help but exclaim.
Bang.
A sound like bubbles bursting appeared, accompanied by a faint whisper. Underneath Lin Feiran's already somewhat tattered clothes, a faint light flowed, silently and powerfully receiving this fatal blow. Then, this blow actually appeared on Ao Xue!
As if it appeared out of thin air, before Ao Xue herself could even react, a bloodstain appeared on her chest and abdomen, and her clear eyes revealed an absurd disbelief.
She used five parts of her strength, and returned ten parts, breaking through her protective magic array almost instantly and knocking her back several meters, leaving her unable to get up for a short time!
Lin Feiran was also stunned on the spot, but she quickly realized that the faint light on her body and this strange phenomenon came from the unknown patterns that the hailstones had drawn on her back.
It has such power, no wonder he left so confidently.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Feiran turned over and stood up, collected his thoughts, and took out the fire seed again.
She recalled why such intense flames had suddenly erupted in that small world; at that time, she was completely focused on only one word.
Only she could obtain the fire seed, only she had to protect the spiritual vein. All the hopes of everyone were pinned on her alone, which condensed in her heart a glimmer of hope for a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble.
Of all the flames of hope in the world, only hope remains undying. And this ember, forged from the embers, can only be ignited by hope.
An inextinguishable flame can only be ignited by an inextinguishable fire.
Lin Feiran flipped to her feet and rushed to Li Changfeng's side like lightning. She grabbed his shoulder, holding a cold gray pearl in her hand. Her eyes were fixed on Ao Xue as she stood up. With a light blow, a spark flew out.
The stars fell to the ground and spread like wildfire, instantly engulfing the area and burning it to ashes with an irresistible force!
The next moment, the scene before them vanished completely, like a scroll being burned, revealing an ancient and gray building.
This is still the main hall of the Tantric Buddhism.
Looking at everything before her, and thinking of the white figures that had been burned away, Lin Feiran suddenly understood, as if struck by a flash of inspiration.
The fire burned away this kind of magic constructed with spiritual power, this kind of illusion that blinds the eye to the truth. If you want to burn down the main hall, you have to do it again.
Without further hesitation, she and Li Changfeng worked together to create the shortest path. With a loud crash, the two of them burst through the top!
The sound almost stunned the nearby people who were celebrating, but the message also reached the distant furnace room.
The man stood by the window, his slightly raised eyes clearly reflecting a figure. Even though the sky was overcast, the dark, clear light of the figure was still evident.
He saw her burst through the roof, her clothes tattered, but her eyes still held an unwavering determination.
She pushed Li Changfeng away, spun around amidst a burst of fireworks, pointed forward, and, under the astonished and bewildered gazes of all the people, exhaled softly as if in sigh.
In an instant, golden-red flames shot into the sky, almost burning half the sky, and then quickly engulfed the entire main hall!
This grand hall, which had stood here for countless years, was thus engulfed in a sea of fire. The flames converged in one place, scorching the clear eyes of the person by the window.
He gazed into the distance, and after a short while, he chuckled softly, a chuckle that lingered for a long time.
He knew that Lin Feiran could definitely do it.
At the same time, Ao Xue could not hide the shock in her eyes. They had calculated that Lin Feiran would at most steal the fire seed and run away. How could they have imagined that she would actually turn around and destroy the secret sect!
She wanted to help, but this was the power of a spark, no longer an ordinary flame that she could extinguish.
She could almost imagine the punishment she would face.
Not only Ao Xue, but the expelled esoteric monks were also terrified, and even felt a surge of rage in their hearts. This was their holy temple, a place of worship, and they could not tolerate the thieves destroying it.
How dare you!
The calls for condemnation grew louder and louder, but Lin Feiran paid no heed. He turned around and was about to fly away on his sword with Li Changfeng, but the next moment, a huge suction force came from the Mirror Lake on the mudflats. The two of them swayed and fell down.
Before falling into the water, Lin Feiran saw an eye formed by swirling currents on the shallow surface of the water, just like the one she had seen on Dengyuntai before.
The eye moved here, stirring up a shallow wave that slapped all the people to the shore, then solidified into an invisible restraint that tightly sucked Lin Feiran and his companion into Mirror Lake.
With her spiritual energy drawn into the lake, Lin Feiran was unable to control her sword or use lightning magic to travel quickly. Seeing the esoteric Buddhist cultivators chasing after her in the water, she could only run wildly on foot with Li Changfeng.
Just as she had discovered earlier, she planned to rush to the Cloud Ascension Platform behind the esoteric sect, embark on the Path of Rebirth there, and use it to go to the Northern Plains!
Night had fallen, and the lake was like a mirror, reflecting the dark sky and the bright river lanterns. The shallow water barely reached their ankles, and Lin Feiran and his companion ran through it, splashing countless droplets of water, their shadows reflected on the lake.
Behind them came the cult followers, who hated Lin Feiran intensely. The ones at the front even stretched out their hands, which, from a distance, looked like a horde of corpses chasing after them, a truly terrifying sight.
Standing atop the tree, Ao Xue knew that the lake was absorbing spiritual energy, so she did not descend easily. Instead, she kept a close eye on Lin Feiran's figure, formed hand seals and arrays again, and in an instant, the already wide lake surface doubled in size, making both the Cloud Ascension Platform and the shore even more distant.
Panting, Li Changfeng pulled out his mustard seed bag, poured out a neighing celestial horse, and forcefully threw Lin Feiran onto it.
"Let's go first! I'll hold them off for now!"
Lin Feiran pulled on the reins, glanced back, and then steered her celestial horse swiftly across Mirror Lake. From afar, one could see her holding a torch high, galloping through the night. Suddenly, a huge cloud of flames erupted from her hand, blown away by the wind, and burned away.
The flames fell onto the lake surface, creating a situation where fire above and water below, seemingly incompatible, which was particularly striking in the night!
With the magic of expanding the land into a field broken, the distance between Lin Feiran and the Cloud Ascension Platform began to shrink again. Among the followers gathered on the shore, someone took out a bow and arrow. After several whistling sounds, a long arrow came flying through the wind!
Lin Feiran dodged the arrow, but the celestial horse could not escape its fate. After rearing up and neighing, it died under the arrow.
Lin Feiran leaped onto her horse and saw the swirling single eye gradually moving toward her. Without a moment's hesitation, she used almost all her strength to tightly grasp the flame and gallop forward!
But she had lost too much strength and was already feeling weak. Just then, a small, thin figure appeared on the distant shore and waved to her.
Lin Feiran looked closely and saw that it was Wang Po, the one who was despised and considered crazy.
Holding up the long bench she had been carving for many days, her voice hoarse yet resounding, she exclaimed with delight, "I knew it! It's you! Riding a dragon! Come with me, let's ride the dragon away!"
After saying this, Wang Po actually put on the cloak made of that scrap of cloth and rode a wooden bench into the lake.
The wooden bench made a clumsy clattering sound on the mirror-like lake, like a child playing, and she rode it slowly forward.
"Go back!" Lin Feiran shouted, but she didn't have time to persuade the old woman to leave, so she could only bury her head and step forward.
A roar that nearly deafened the eardrums was heard. The dragon that the bench had transformed into ignored the water that was draining spiritual energy and flew over with incredible speed, even faster than the strange one-eyed creature!
It circled around Lin Feiran's side, suddenly hoisted her onto its back, stepped into the swirling current amidst the blazing flames, and soared into the air. In a few breaths, it landed at the Cloud Ascension Platform. With each step of its long claws, an extremely long, invisible path, glowing faintly, appeared before its eyes.
This is the path to the afterlife that our ancestors built with all their resources.
Lin Feiran crouched on the indistinct painted dragon. As Ao Xue and her ilk flew after her, and even as a purple figure appeared in the distance, it let out a roar and carried her away at breakneck speed!
With a clang, Aoxue was stopped by Li Changfeng's sword. The Holy Maiden, who had just arrived, tried to give chase, but the Path to Rebirth had already vanished into thin air.
She stood still, her anger barely contained, but even then, she still looked back.
Amidst the thick smoke of the main hall, a more peculiar cloud of mist drifted, swirling like a human eye. But unlike the others, it had a pupil, as if someone were looking through it.
This gaze silently looks toward the path to rebirth, as if it is still looking through this place at that vanished figure.
Bi Sheng slowly clenched her hands, her eyes cold and desolate. This time, she did not stop, but led her people to chase after them.
Since they've come here to steal fire, it's obvious where they're going.
...
On the path to rebirth, Lin Feiran was unaware of the battle situation behind him and only focused on moving forward.
This painted dragon was extremely fast. Although its form gradually faded, before disappearing, it looked back and sent Lin Feiran to the heart of the Northern Plains before vanishing completely.
Deep in the heart of the land, snow fell heavily. Nearby were the encampments of the esoteric Buddhist sect. Several patrolling members passed by and, upon seeing Lin Feiran, immediately looked on with suspicion and prepared to approach him for questioning.
But Lin Feiran didn't pay attention. Instead, he looked behind him and saw a faint purple light rising in the night sky. It was the figure of the Holy Maiden.
Without further hesitation, she rushed forward and knocked the man down with lightning speed. Then she spun around to the vast expanse of white fog, raised the torch, and blew out her third breath of the day.
In an instant, flames blazed across the sky, and from a distance, it looked like a scene from a raging inferno.
A colossal object hanging upside down.
This is the origin of the eerie snow clouds, which the people of Beiyuan call a punishment from heaven.
Author's Note: PS: I just found out today that this book is about a niche subject, which surprised me, but it was so enjoyable to write...
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