Chapter 61: Survival from Desperate Situation (Part 1)
Chapter 61: Survival from Desperate Situation (Part 1)
In the dim morning light, the Golden Light Hall on the Zhaixing Peak of the Amaterasu Sect was shrouded in a solemn and murderous atmosphere. Two groups of people were facing each other in the hall, and the atmosphere was tense, like the oppressive quiet before the storm.
The leader of the Yinfeng Alliance stood tall, his dark robes billowing in the wind. His fingers slowly stroked the shimmering scales of the black snake on his wrist. The snake's tongue flickered in and out, making a hissing sound that added a touch of eeriness to the tense atmosphere. Beneath his black iron mask, his laughter, muffled like distant thunder, echoed through the hall. "Master of the Amaterasu Sect, look at the situation now. Nineteen of your sect's thirty-six spiritual veins have been destroyed. Even the garden where you raise spiritual beasts was just completely consumed by a fire." He paused, tilted his head slightly, and continued with a half-smile, "Master, you are so calm. Are you looking down on us? Or... is there something else?" The provocation was clear in his words.
The leader of the Amaterasu sect, Yi Bingqi, was dressed in a white robe as white as snow, but at this moment, his knuckles were white because he clenched his fists tightly. The sword energy around him was so strong that it seemed to be solid, carving deep grooves on the pillars of the temple, and debris fell down. His eyes were like torches, and he replied angrily: "Hmph, with your strength, you are not worthy of me asking other sects for help!" The voice was like a loud bell, making the ears of everyone in the hall buzz.
"Unworthy?" The leader of the Yinfeng Alliance suddenly threw his head back and burst into a wild laugh. His laughter died down, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes as he suddenly threw three shadow stones. Instantly, light and shadow flickered in the hall, clearly showing the elders of several nearby sects receiving the Yinfeng Alliance's secret letter. "Look, why has it been so long, and not even the nearest Jinxia Temple has sent a young disciple to help?"
Upon hearing this, Yi Bingqi remained impassive, yet his heart was already churning with emotion. He had anticipated that the major sects would adopt a wait-and-see approach to this conflict, but he hadn't expected them to be so resolute. Conversely, many of the Amaterasu sect's disciples were already showing signs of panic, whispering to each other, their hearts beginning to waver.
At that moment, a resounding explosion erupted outside the hall, and spiritual energy exploded in a blinding light. The Yinfeng League disciples who had tried to stop them flew everywhere like kites with their strings cut. Like a flash of white lightning, the Master of Floating Flower Peak burst into the hall, shrouded in a shimmering aura of icy cold. He was clutching a figure: Yan Haodong, the Master of Spirit Beast Peak. Yan Haodong's hair was disheveled, his face pale, his usual air of pride completely gone.
It turned out that just after rescuing his daughter and settling her down, the leader of Fuhua Peak received an urgent message from Yi Bingqi, informing him that the leader of Lingshou Peak had defected, presumably with many of his closest associates. Furthermore, he had even stolen the foundation of the sect's mountain-protecting formation. He immediately rushed back. Yan Haodong deserved his bad luck, having chosen the wrong location for the transaction with the Yinfeng Alliance. Just as he had agreed to terms with the other elders and was about to hand over the foundation, he was caught red-handed by the returning leader of Fuhua Peak.
The subsequent development of the situation was clear at a glance. The elder of the Yinfeng League was killed on the spot, and Yan Haodong was injured and captured. The leader of Fuhua Peak did not dare to delay and quickly handed the formation base to his daughter, asking her to restart the mountain protection formation to protect the sect.
Yi Bingqi's eyebrows arched, his gaze like lightning as he pierced Yan Haodong, who was slumped on the steps. "Yan Haodong, you're so cunning! For your own selfish gain, you've committed such a treasonous act. Tell me, what benefits did the Yinfeng Alliance promise you?"
Yan Haodong lowered his head, lips tightly pursed, pretending he hadn't heard. Yi Bingqi snorted coldly, then continued, "Hmph, I guess only the longevity elixir could tempt you. You've disdained the five- and ten-year longevity elixirs offered by my Amaterasu Sect. Surely the Yinfeng Alliance's promise is even more tempting? Fifty years? Or a hundred? Are you so easily throwing away centuries of friendship with your fellow disciples?"
"Master, please understand!" Yan Haodong looked up suddenly, as if a sore spot had been touched. His eyes were filled with madness, and seventy-two soul-devouring nails instantly flew out from his sleeves, flashing with dim light and exuding evil spirit. "Half of my body is already buried in the ground. I just want to linger on for a few more years..."
"Soul-devouring nails! How dare you touch such an evil artifact!" Yi Bingqi roared, and with a swipe of his sword, his sword energy blazed like a rainbow, instantly knocking all the Soul-devouring nails off. Taking advantage of the chaos, Yan Haodong rolled and crawled, hiding behind the leader of the Yinfeng Alliance.
The moment the leader of the Yinfeng Alliance saw the leader of Floating Flower Peak emerge, his aura suddenly changed, like a volcano about to erupt. The surging rage threatened to engulf him whole. His face beneath the mask was twisted and horrified with rage: "Waste! A bunch of waste! I swore before that the formation would trap him for at least three days, and now, after such a short time, he's out, ruining my plans!"
****
The rising sun pierced the clouds, casting strands of golden light, gently caressing the earth, attempting to dispel the world's gloom. Yet, within the Amaterasu sect, a scene of devastation remained. The morning mist thickened, the pungent smell of blood and burnt matter blending together. Beneath their feet, the ground was littered with shattered stone and jade, the remains of former pavilions, towers, carved beams, and painted buildings. In the distance, the intermittent cries of dying cranes drifted in, like mournful music, playing the sect's tragic song.
Bu Xingjin, clad in black, wielding the Blood River Knife, sprinted through the ruins. The hem of his robe brushed the charred earth, stirring up a cloud of dust. The stench of blood and the remnants of unburned spiritual energy filled his face, choking him and making him cough. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the Blood River Knife. The dark red lines winding across the blade seemed to come alive, even more fiery than usual, as if sensing its owner's turbulent emotions.
Floating Flower Peak was already within reach. From the mountainside, black fog rose like a giant python, swirling wildly and enveloping the entire mountainside. The flags of the Yinfeng League loomed in the mist, rustling and rustling, exuding a chilling chill. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the area was treacherous.
Bu Xingjin was terribly anxious, about to make a hand gesture and charge into the dangerous area when a gentle breeze suddenly brushed past his ears, like the gentlest whisper of spring. Simultaneously, a delicate, fresh fragrance of flowers and plants quietly arrived, in stark contrast to the surrounding murderous aura, like a touch of tranquility found in this chaotic world.
He looked closely and saw a seven-colored pansy lightly leap onto his left shoulder. Though half its petals were missing, it still emitted a faint glow. It was the flower spirit that lived on Floating Flower Peak. This flower spirit had a low level of cultivation and usually only frolicked among the flowers. But now that it had appeared here, it must have something important to tell him.
"Follow me..." A thin and weak voice sounded in his ears, like catkins in the wind, soft and ethereal. If you don't concentrate and listen carefully, it would be difficult to catch.
Bu Xingjin understood the hint and, following Qisejin's lead, ran all the way to the western slope of Fuhua Peak. Not far from the mountainside shrouded in black fog, a black, scorched earth came into view, like a scar on the earth. In the center of this scorched earth, a spiritual spring gurgled, like the earth's tears of despair.
Zhao Siwen had already arrived. He knelt on one knee, his posture tense, like a cheetah poised for action. In his palm, he carefully held another dying pansy. The petals were dull and lifeless, the spiritual energy emanating from them extremely weak. Seeing Bu Xingjin approach, his face lit up with joy, and he shouted, "Brother Bu, come here! This way!" His voice pierced the mist, eager and hopeful.
Bu Xingjin swiftly advanced, approaching Zhao Siwen. Zhao Siwen's brow furrowed, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, his eyes filled with anxiety. "The spirit core has been corroded by demonic energy." He waved his hands, his spiritual energy transforming into fine threads, like a spring silkworm spinning silk, gently wrapping around the dying flower essence. "It must be purified with pure plant spiritual energy, otherwise its life will be in jeopardy."
Upon hearing this, Bu Xingjin instinctively reached into his arms. There lay the jade leaf Qing Yan had given him. Suddenly, it felt hot, as if sensing approaching danger. The situation was dire, and he had no time to investigate. He had just crouched down, ready to transfer his own plant spiritual energy to the poor pansy, when a piercing chill suddenly struck him from behind, like an ice knife in the cold of December, piercing his back.
"Be careful!" Zhao Siwen had been paying attention to the movements around him. Seeing this, he exclaimed. At the same time, a sharp sound of breaking through the air was heard, like an arrow leaving a bow.
Bu Xingjin reacted incredibly quickly, spinning in an instant and swinging the Blood River Knife horizontally in an attempt to block. However, the opponent, a Nascent Soul cultivator, exerted a powerful pressure like a mountain, causing his knuckles to burst open, and blood instantly stained the hilt red. The moment the Blood River Knife flew out of his hand, the jade leaf in his arms, summoned by some force, transformed into a streak of green light and sank into the ground like a meteor chasing the moon.
"Youngster, you are truly loyal and righteous." The elder of the Yinfeng League appeared. He was hunched over, his face withered, and his claws were like dead branches, yet they carried a strong, fishy smell. He went straight for Bu Xingjin's dantian, muttering to himself, "It's a pity that it's all in vain. Today, you will all die..."
At this critical moment, the ground suddenly shook violently, as if a dragon were turning over. A streak of emerald light, like a bamboo shoot emerging from the earth, burst forth with vibrant vitality, instantly entangling the Yinfeng League elder.
Upon closer inspection, it was a humanoid figure shaped from a verdant green aura. It bore a striking resemblance to Qing Yan, though its form seemed slightly ethereal, like a reflection in water. The figure raised its hand, seemingly transcending time and space, and steadily caught the falling Blood River Knife.
"Qing Yan?" Bu Xingjin stared at the shadowy figure, eyes filled with surprise and confusion. As if knowing his thoughts, the shadowy figure tossed the Blood River Knife back to him. The lingering warmth on the hilt felt like an electric current, instantly spreading through his body. That temperature was identical to the warmth Qing Yan had felt on the back of his hand when he'd been teaching him swordsmanship; familiar and reassuring.
"Xun position!" Qing Yan's shout was like a thunder, interrupting Bu Xingjin's trance.
Bu Xingjin came back to his senses instantly, and like a conditioned reflex, he turned around and punched. His spiritual power surged like a tide, carrying the surrounding gravel and bombarding the northeast corner like a cannonball.
This punch, gathering all his strength, struck the Yinfeng League elder squarely in the center of his back. Although a great realm separated the two, this full-strength blow was like a sledgehammer hitting an iron plate, and the elder must have felt it very badly.
The elder of the Yinfeng League felt pain and turned back to glare. Even if he could withstand Qing Yan's attack, he would still wave his sleeves angrily at Bu Xingjin. From his sleeves, countless tiny bone nails swarmed like bees leaving a nest, flying towards Bu Xingjin with a sharp whistling sound.
However, just when the bone nails were three inches away from his throat, they hit an invisible wall and stopped abruptly - Qing Yan teleported in front of Bu Xingjin, using his body as a shield, and all the bone nails were nailed into his slightly transparent body.
The next moment, the spiritual light in Qing Yan's hand surged, radiant like the rising sun. The bone nails, once controlled by the Yinfeng League elder, suddenly flew towards the Yinfeng League elder like lost lambs, defying their master's will. With fierce force, the nails tore through the protective aura of the Nascent Soul cultivator.
"Explode!" Zhao Siwen seized the opportunity and, like a gambler who was betting everything, threw out twelve explosive fire talismans.
Instantly, the flames raged like a roaring fire dragon, revealing the scarlet Soul Control Bell at the elder's waist. This Soul Control Bell was Zhao Siwen's target. He had witnessed the spirits of many plant spirits on Fuhua Peak being sucked into it, and his heart was filled with grief and indignation.
"Bu Xingjin, quickly grab the Soul Controlling Bell!" Zhao Siwen shouted with all his strength, his voice like a huge bell, resounding all around.
Upon hearing this, Bu Xingjin, without hesitation, tapped the ground with his toes and soared into the air like a soaring roc. He raised the Blood River Knife high in his hand, its light flashing like a bolt of lightning as it slashed towards the red cord of the bell. Just as the Blood River Knife was about to touch the cord, the Yinfeng League elder, like a trapped beast, suddenly cracked his withered face with spiderweb-like blood streaks, and a foul-smelling black mist erupted from his throat, like the breath of a demon.
"Beware of the corpse poison!" Qing Yan's shadow instantly solidified, as if about to step from illusion into reality. Several green leaves flew out of his sleeves, forming a green shield to block the black fog. The green leaves made a teeth-grinding sizzling sound as they corroded, and in an instant they turned to charcoal.
Zhao Siwen seized the opportunity and bit his fingertip without hesitation, using the blood as ink. Like a calligrapher, he wrote in the air: "The Mysterious Sect of Heaven and Earth, the Root of All Qi——"
Instantly, the golden and red talismans entangled the elder's arms like ethereal chains, and Bu Xingjin seized the opportunity to sever the red cords with his sword. The instant the Soul Control Bell fell to the ground, it broke free of some kind of restraint. Countless points of brilliant white light emanated from the cracks in the bell's body, gathering in the sky to form a dazzling galaxy, like the Milky Way on a summer night—a breathtaking sight.
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