dust
Bai Ji's attack was a concentrated burst of power, surging with demonic energy, showing no mercy, and aimed straight for Bai Chuan's vital points!
Bai Chuan was still in a state of shock and heartache at the thought that Bai Ji had actually tried to kill him. When he came to his senses and hurriedly raised his hand to block, the sharp claws wrapped in thick black demonic energy were already close at hand!
As the shadow of death loomed over him, a flurry of images flashed through Bai Chuan's mind: his senior sister's recent heavy heart and the lingering worry on her brow; Yun Qian's uncharacteristic act of drawing numerous attack talismans; and her repeated admonitions to Bai Ji over the years to cultivate with a calm mind.
So that's how it is...
No wonder.
Is this the "destiny" that Master spoke of that cannot be defied?
Bai Chuan suddenly understood. He pursed his lips slightly, and a look of understanding mixed with sorrow and relief flashed in his eyes.
Since there is no way to avoid it, this calamity is destined to befall us.
Then there's no need to hide anymore.
He almost gave up resisting and closed his eyes.
At this critical moment!
A simple wooden sword pierced through the air, carrying an overwhelming and pure spiritual power, instantly transforming into a solid barrier of sword intent in front of Bai Chuan!
It's Yun Qian!
She finally arrived and protected Baichuan at the last moment!
However, with the power of his inner demons amplifying his abilities, Bai Ji's power surged far beyond what was ordinary. Although the wooden sword barrier hastily erected by Yun Qian blocked most of the attacks, a cunning and ruthless demonic energy, like a venomous snake, managed to find a gap and forcefully penetrate the barrier, slamming into Bai Ji's heart meridian!
"puff--!"
Bai Chuan was struck as if by a heavy blow. His body jolted violently, and he clutched his chest in pain. Blood gushed uncontrollably from his mouth, and his vision went black as he fell heavily backward.
Seeing Bai Chuan collapse to the ground, his aura instantly weakening, the inner demon controlling Bai Ji's body let out a disdainful sneer: "Hmph, this body is truly useless! It can't even withstand half of my power, let alone exert its full strength!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a heavy and domineering sword wind came crashing down on him!
Qin Wu held the divine sword, his eyes as cold as ice, staring intently at "Bai Ji," his voice filled with suppressed anger and heartache: "I don't care who you are! Get out of my senior brother's body!"
Bai Ji casually raised his hand, and his five fingers, shrouded in black energy, actually managed to grab the blade of Qin Wu's sword as it slashed down, producing a teeth-grinding scraping sound. A strange, sinister smile, completely different from Bai Ji's usual demeanor, appeared on his face, and his voice was hoarse: "Junior brother, what nonsense are you talking about? I... am your third senior brother."
"You're not!" Qin Wu's eyes instantly turned red. He roared, his spiritual power surging wildly within him, and his sword aura rose again as he fought against "Bai Ji".
In an instant, sword light and demonic energy clashed fiercely in the air, creating a series of explosions. The two figures flew about, exchanging dozens of blows in the blink of an eye.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yun Qian flew to Bai Chuan's side, helped him up, and generously poured her pure and gentle Nascent Soul stage spiritual energy into his body, carefully nourishing and repairing his severely damaged heart meridian.
The heart meridian is the foundation of a cultivator; once severely damaged, it is extremely difficult to fully recover. In the original book, Bai Chuan suffered a full-force attack from Bai Ji, shattering his heart meridian. Even though Bai Yan later exhausted all his spiritual power to repair it, he only managed to save his life. His cultivation never improved again, and he became a sickly person who could not live without spiritual medicine.
Today, although Yun Qian blocked most of the attacks in time, the demonic energy that pierced through the barrier still severely damaged Bai Chuan's heart meridian.
Fortunately, the injuries were less severe than the expected course of events. Perhaps... this is a glimmer of hope after the struggle?
However, the situation on the battlefield was far from optimistic. After being possessed by a demon, Bai Ji's cultivation level skyrocketed, and although Qin Wu gained the advantage of the divine sword, he gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
"clang--!"
Qin Wu swung his sword backhand, barely managing to block Bai Ji's heavy blow. He felt a tremendous force travel along the sword, causing his tiger's mouth to split open, his wrist to ache and go numb, and the sword almost slipped from his hand!
Just as he was about to give up, "Baiji" suddenly withdrew and retreated, no longer engaging him in combat.
Those crimson eyes coldly swept over Yun Qian and Qin Wu, and with a flicker of his figure, he was about to flee down the mountain!
He's leaving Cangmin Mountain!
"Third Senior Brother!" Qin Wu instinctively rushed forward, trying to stop him.
But another figure was faster than him!
Yun Qian soared into the air like a wisp of smoke, her fingertips almost touching the hem of Bai Ji's fluttering clothes. But in that instant, she abruptly stopped, abruptly halting her momentum, and spun back to Bai Chuan's side.
Qin Wu also stopped and did not give chase. He gripped his sword tightly, his cold face expressionless, only his eyes, fixed on the direction where Bai Ji had disappeared, revealed unfathomable pain and reluctance.
Bai Chuan was seriously injured and unconscious, his life hanging by a thread, and Yun Qian dared not leave. As for Qin Wu, even if he wanted to stop him, he was no match for Bai Ji at this moment, and chasing after him would be futile.
They could only watch helplessly as that familiar yet unfamiliar figure, shrouded in demonic energy, disappeared beyond the border of Cangmin Mountain, disappearing into the boundless darkness below.
Watching everything unfold according to the trajectory of that "book," Yun Qian's face remained expressionless, eerily calm. Her heart, however, was in turmoil:
Is this a book that has already been written, or a real world?
If it were a book, would this destiny truly be unchangeable?
If this were a real world, would fate truly be unshakeable?
As an outstanding police officer from the 21st century who firmly believes that human will can overcome nature, Yun Qian has never believed in the idea that "fate is determined by heaven"!
She gazed intently in the direction where Bai Ji had disappeared, as if trying to see through the night sky. Then, she lowered her head and reached down to tighten the Qiankun bag at her waist, which was filled with her painstakingly crafted talismans. Her movements were slow but resolute.
Leaving the range of the protective array of Cangmin Mountain, Bai Ji, or rather, the consciousness that controlled this body, staggered and fell somewhat disheveled into a deep forest.
The dense demonic energy surrounding him visibly thinned and became much more disordered. At the same time, his face suddenly turned ashen white, as if all the blood and energy in his body had been drained in an instant, and his body involuntarily convulsed slightly.
"Cough..." Bai Ji raised his hand, wiped away a trace of dark blood from the corner of his lips, casually found a sturdy tree, and slowly sat down against the trunk.
Qin Wu and Yun Qian failed to seriously injure him. His current weakness was purely due to the fact that Bai Ji's original body's foundation and meridians were far from sufficient to withstand the excessively violent and powerful force of the inner demon for an extended period, resulting in rejection and backlash.
He, or rather, Bai Ji's remaining consciousness, raised his head and looked through the gaps in the intertwined branches at the still-cold moon in the sky. At this moment, the crimson in his eyes had faded considerably, revealing an almost cruel clarity.
Once again, he was homeless.
This time, however, it was a choice he made himself.
Bai Ji leaned quietly against the tree, not saying a word, calmly gazing up at the moon as it gradually sank in the west, its light slowly swallowed by the faint morning light rising in the east.
The warm morning sun finally rose, its soft light filtering through the forest mist and dappling his body, but it brought no warmth whatsoever.
Bai Ji struggled and staggered to his feet. As he moved, a thick stack of neatly folded yellow talismans slipped from his slightly open robe and scattered on the leaf-strewn ground.
He looked down.
Hundreds of exquisitely drawn talismans lay quietly among the withered leaves. The yellow paper, the cinnabar patterns, the flowing spiritual light… he knew every stroke intimately. It was the unique brushwork of his senior sister, Yun Qian, imbued with her pure spiritual power and… her silent concern.
At this moment, the string in Bai Ji's heart that had been taut all night, supporting him to complete this cruel choice, snapped!
The silence that had suppressed him all night was shattered completely. A tremendous sense of sorrow and indescribable complex emotions overwhelmed him like a burst dam. He slowly squatted down, his hands trembling as he reached out and carefully picked up the talismans, one by one, pressing them tightly to his chest.
Scalding tears finally welled up uncontrollably and spilled out one after another, falling onto the talismans that carried her senior sister's hard work, leaving small damp marks.
Following the original story, after leaving Cangmin Mountain, Bai Ji, having initially suppressed the backlash from his inner demons, had nowhere to go but to flee into the Demon Realm. The Demon Realm was a place of survival of the fittest, fraught with peril. There, he endured brutal battles and devouring, his hands stained with blood, before finally ascending to the position of Demon Realm overlord, stepping over the corpses of countless demons.
The talismans Yun Qian drew might not be particularly powerful for him, who might later find himself at the center of the demon realm's vortex. But the intention to "prepare for any eventuality," the struggle of trying to light a glimmer of light for him even knowing he might fall into darkness, was heavier than any divine weapon.
She couldn't bear to see him suffer, and she tried to defy fate.
But in the end... it seems she still failed.
Faced with that vast, cold, and seemingly unshakeable destiny, are their efforts and struggles truly as insignificant and powerless as dust?
This question weighed heavily on Bai Ji's heart, and also on the minds of everyone who knew the trajectory of fate.
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