A promise worth a thousand pieces of gold amidst a sea of soldiers.
The closer you get to the source of the Qingtian River, the heavier and suffocating the air pressure becomes.
The once clear sky here became abnormally chaotic, with leaden-gray clouds hanging low, seemingly within reach. Within the clouds, lightning crackled and thunder rumbled, yet strangely, not a single drop of rain fell. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth became violently turbulent, like boiling water, making it difficult even for ordinary cultivators to steadily absorb it. On the earth, vegetation withered and flourished at a visible pace, as if time itself had been accelerated countless times, presenting a bizarre scene of impending doom.
At the heart of this restless world, the majestic and continuous source mountain range is now surrounded and occupied by a dense multitude of figures.
Righteous cultivators from the Qingyun Sect, Tianjian Sect, and Xuanxin Sect occupied the eastern mountains, their battle flags waving and their treasures gleaming in the sky. Their battle formations exuded a chilling aura of righteousness, completely out of place amidst the chaos of this world. Meanwhile, the demonic forces, led by Wanhun Valley and Yinsha Sect, entrenched themselves in the western valleys, their demonic energy churning, ghostly wails echoing, and various eerie magical artifacts emitting ominous glows. Numerous demon tribes were scattered throughout the northern forests, their demonic energy rampant, their massive true forms appearing and disappearing, their bloodthirsty gazes sweeping across the entire area.
The three forces stood in a tripartite balance, their auras intertwined, mutually wary, and all eyeing the very heart of the mountain range with predatory intent. There lay a vast, mirror-like lake, its waters not clear, but rather a deep, dark abyss that seemed to swallow all light. Above the lake, space itself was slightly distorted, revealing faint, crack-like black fissures that emanated a terrifying aura that sent shivers down one's spine. There lay the true source of the Heavenly River, the very "valve" through which the power of "Return to Nothingness" first manifested!
Su Qingqing stood at the forefront of the Qingyun Sect's formation, her white robes fluttering in the chaotic spiritual energy. Her face remained beautiful, but her eyes were icy cold, carrying an almost obsessive determination. She gazed at the dark lake, her hand tightly clutching a white jade pendant that bore a slight resemblance in appearance to the Dream-Tracing Jade, but possessed a completely different aura—a secret treasure passed down through generations of the Su family, used to sense and, to a certain extent, influence the "valve."
"Fellow Daoists!" Su Qingqing's voice, amplified by spiritual power, resounded clearly in all directions, "The calamity of the Heavenly River is imminent! The demon Xie Yunzhi and his accomplices will surely appear here, intending to break the seal, release evil creatures, and destroy all living beings! We, the righteous ones, should set aside our past grievances today, join forces to slay this fiend, and protect the human world!"
Her voice was inflammatory, immediately drawing a chorus of agreement and cheers from the righteous camp.
The demonic and monster factions watched coldly, some scoffing, others eager to fight. Their goal was clear—to seize the treasures amidst the chaos, or to get a bigger share of the spoils.
Just as the various forces were on the verge of conflict, and the atmosphere reached its most tense point—
"They're here!"
Someone shouted, and everyone's eyes instantly turned to the south!
In the chaotic, hilly area on the outskirts, a thin, blue-clad figure, carrying a person with a weak breath on her back, was walking steadily towards the core area. Her steps were slow, even somewhat unsteady, her body covered in mud and dried, blackened blood, her face pale, and her breathing rapid; she was clearly at her last gasp.
However, this seemingly fragile figure, the moment she appeared, seemed to possess an invisible force that instantly silenced the originally noisy scene!
All eyes—greedy, murderous, scrutinizing, and curious—were focused on her and the man on her back, who was meditating with his eyes closed and his face ashen.
Xie Yunzhi! Mo Xiaoyu!
They really came! Surrounded by heroes from all over the world, in a desperate situation with ambushes on all sides, they actually made it here!
"Stop them!"
"Kill Xie Yunzhi!"
"Capture that witch!"
After a brief silence, an even more frenzied clamor erupted! Dozens of cultivators from various sects, like sharks smelling blood, rushed forward with bloodshot eyes! The light of magical artifacts and the brilliance of spells intertwined to form a net of death, enveloping the two isolated and helpless figures!
Faced with this ferocious attack, powerful enough to instantly tear any Golden Core cultivator to shreds, Mo Xiaoyu stopped. She didn't look at the charging enemies, but simply turned her head slightly and whispered to the person on her back:
Are you ready?
Xie Yunzhi slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were still bloodshot, but as deep as the dark lake before him. There was no fear or anger in them, only an extreme calmness and determination that reflected the entire battlefield.
He gave a soft "hmm".
The next moment, Mo Xiaoyu moved!
She didn't retreat or dodge, but instead used all her strength to carry Xie Yunzhi on her back, like a moth drawn to a flame, and charged headlong into that storm of death!
At the same time, Xie Yunzhi's right hand, which had been hanging down, suddenly rose! The Zhan Yuan Sword, which he had been holding tightly in his hand, erupted with a long-dormant, earth-shattering dragon roar! A golden sword aura, condensed to its extreme and seemingly capable of cleaving the heavens and earth, swept out from him like a primordial beast awakening!
"boom--!!!"
The sword energy collided violently with the barrage of attacks! A deafening roar, louder than thunder, erupted! The violent energy shockwave spread out in a ring, instantly turning the dozen or so cultivators at the forefront, along with their magical artifacts, into a cloud of blood mist! The cultivators behind were also thrown off balance by the immense force!
The power of a single sword strike is truly astounding!
Everyone was stunned by this sudden and unexpected counterattack! They were shocked to discover that Xie Yunzhi, who seemed to be on the verge of death, could still unleash such terrifying power!
However, forcibly unleashing a sword strike beyond his body's limits came at a tremendous cost. Xie Yunzhi coughed up a mouthful of dark red blood, some of which even contained fragments of internal organs! His aura deflated rapidly like a punctured balloon, his hand gripping the sword trembled violently, almost unable to lift it. The light on the Zhan Yuan Sword also dimmed quickly.
"He's not going to make it! Hurry up and get him!"
"He's at his last gasp, kill him!"
After a brief moment of shock, an even more frenzied attack ensued! More and more people surged forward like a tidal wave!
Carrying the heavily injured Xie Yunzhi on her back, Mo Xiaoyu struggled to weave and parry through the crowd. Her Qinggang sword was already broken, and she could only rely on her agility and the faint starlight power drawn from her palms to maneuver. Blood continued to gush from her newly opened wounds, her vision began to blur, and her strength was nearly exhausted.
Just as she parried a sneak attack of sword energy, she was struck in the back by another insidious palm strike, causing her to cough up blood and stumble forward—
A long-awaited, jet-black chain from a Nascent Soul cultivator in the demonic path, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, silently bypassed all obstacles and aimed directly at Xie Yunzhi's unsuspecting back! This attack was ruthless and cunning, seizing the perfect opportunity when Mo Xiaoyu was injured and Xie Yunzhi was exhausted, so fast that no one could react at all!
"No--!"
Mo Xiaoyu's pupils shrank drastically, and she let out a heart-wrenching scream. She tried to turn around to block it, but it was too late!
At the critical moment!
Xie Yunzhi, who was lying on her back, suddenly broke free from her back with his last bit of strength, using his broken body as the strongest shield to protect her from behind!
"Pfft—!"
The pitch-black chains, imbued with terrifying corrosive and annihilating power, pierced through his chest instantly without any resistance!
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Mo Xiaoyu turned around and saw the chain spikes dripping with thick black blood protruding from Xie Yunzhi's chest, as well as his last look at her as he slowly fell down.
That glance held no pain, no resentment, only endless tenderness, a profound longing, and… a sense of relief. His lips moved slightly, his breath faint yet crystal clear, reaching her shattered consciousness:
"Little fish...live on...see...the world after I'm reborn..."
Before he could finish speaking, the last glimmer of light in his eyes, like a candle flickering in the wind, was extinguished completely. His hand, which had been tightly gripping the Zhan Yuan sword, also loosened its hold helplessly.
"Clouds stop—!!!"
In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, it seemed as if only Mo Xiaoyu's heart-wrenching, piercing cry remained, echoing through the clouds.
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