The snowman's smile froze instantly, its snow-covered body suddenly crumbled, and a heart-wrenching scream came from the ground.
At the same time, the withered branches that had been entwining Shen Yunhao turned into black ash and scattered all over the ground.
Meanwhile, countless vines engulfed in blue flames burst forth from the snowdrifts in the distance—each vine's cross-section shimmering with icy sword energy.
"How is this possible! You actually—"
Before the hysterical curses could even finish, the sword light that had been chasing after them completely engulfed them, the entire snowfield trembled violently, and the Ghost Tree hidden underground was burned to ashes by the icy flames.
After doing all this, Shen Yunhao collapsed to the ground, panting heavily as he tried to calm himself down.
Mo Yan was stunned by the sudden turn of events, the purple soul fire still burning fiercely in mid-air, and she was momentarily at a loss...
"Hurry up and take it back! Is your natal soul fire really that fun?"
"..."
To everyone's surprise, the vibrant pale purple vine not only didn't retract, but instead reached out and poked Shen Yunhao on the forehead, knocking him off his feet!
"Hey! What are you doing? Are you crazy?!"
"Playing tricks on me...is it fun...?"
The girl's voice came through, broken and still filled with anger, "Since... you have the means... why... lie about people's concern..."
Shen Yunhao raised an eyebrow, grabbed the thin vine, and rubbed it in his palm.
"What? Can't I test you?"
"..."
The massive wisteria trembled slightly, and the thin vine slunk back into the main vine, closing the crack and disappearing.
"You...bastard! You...should be...caught and killed by that...dog! What...does it have to do with me!"
Shen Yunhao stood with his hands in his pockets, saying nothing, but smiling as he watched the giant purple vine gradually stabilize.
Perhaps because the Ghostwood Puppet had been killed, the dark red area on the main body of the giant vine suddenly receded a lot, with only the very top part still stubbornly resisting the invasion of the cold air.
The fading of the Netherfire Curse will naturally greatly reduce the pain suffered by Mo Yan.
As for why the sword strike was delayed until the very end, it certainly wasn't to test Mo Yan's "loyalty."
From the moment the snowman appeared, Shen Yunhao had been stalling for time.
One reason was to draw Guimu's attention to him, so that he wouldn't harm Moyan, who was resisting the Netherfire.
Secondly, they wanted to confirm the location of the Ghostwood Puppet's true form.
Because he only has this one sword, if he cannot completely eliminate the puppet that Gui Mu planted here, all that will be left for him and Mo Yan is an endless hell.
That snowman was definitely not the real body; Shen Yunhao could have guessed that from the beginning.
Even if he pulled out the crystal branch used to absorb souls from his heart, it would only be a pretense.
Using the illusion-dispelling effect of the fox's tail, Shen Yunhao searched for the puppet's true form from beginning to end.
This process is actually not simple.
Because the fox tail's effect is only to dispel illusions, while the snow on the ground is a real thing, Shen Yunhao, lacking divine sense, naturally has no way to detect it directly.
Fortunately, he possesses a heart as vast as the ocean.
This is a feature he unlocked after trying it out.
Previously, at the bottom of the sea, Han Haixin was able to directly help him condense a "pseudo-divine sense". So he wondered if he could also use the relatively rich water element power to spread his senses in this snowy place.
After several attempts, he finally succeeded.
Although it can't compare to the all-knowing feeling of being underwater, it's just enough to sense the spiritual energy fluctuations coming from beneath the snow.
Then, by using the power of the fox tail to filter out those magical illusions, the true source of spiritual energy is found, which is where the puppet's main body is located.
Even so, he could only guess the general direction, but he couldn't determine the exact location.
Fortunately, his gamble paid off. This sword intent from Nie Qingshuang, though only at the Spirit Void level, still managed to completely annihilate the ancient tree underground.
As for Mo Yan's feelings, Shen Yunhao had no doubts whatsoever.
Moreover, he could understand whatever choice Mo Yan made in the situation just now.
Refusing to hand over one's life soul means intending to die together; handing over one's life soul means taking a long-term view and making plans later. Either choice would not be harming him.
However, her decision to hand over the Soul Flame without hesitation in order to save him did touch Shen Yunhao for a moment.
"Alright! Let's hurry up and eliminate the last bit of the Netherfire Curse! If the Ghostwood Puppet is destroyed, there's no guarantee that it won't risk its life and come in person. If that happens, we'll really be done for."
"snort!"
The only response he received was a soft hum from the girl.
As her consciousness gradually stabilized, Mo Yan became increasingly dissatisfied with Shen Yunhao's behavior.
Shen Yunhao shook his head, about to say something, when another wild laugh echoed through the world.
"Hahaha! Very good! The sword intent of the Lord of Qingyou Palace has actually fallen into your hands, brat! This loss I suffered was not unjust!"
"!!!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunhao's face suddenly turned pale.
Could his words have truly come true? Is the real Ghost Tree nearby?
Mo Yan's complexion was not much better. She only had a trace of Netherfire left in her body, and she was still in a state of cultivation sealing!
If Guimu really comes, then everything is over!
"No! If Ghostwood were here, the Netherfire Curse would definitely launch a counterattack, instead of only having a last shred of strength left..."
Shen Yunhao frowned. "He's playing tricks!"
"Hahaha! Ignorant brat! Did you think I only set up a simple puppet here? Since you are so eager to die, then I will grant your wish and let you be a pair of dead lovers in hell!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yunhao immediately felt the entire snowfield tremble, as if an earthquake had occurred.
"So many years have passed, and how many people know why this island in the far north is called the Valley of the Polar Star! Because the real Valley of the Polar Star doesn't refer to this island, but to the abyss beneath your feet!"
"Sizzle sizzle!"
As the sound of ice breaking came, Shen Yunhao suddenly turned his head to look at Mo Yan.
The ice bridge above the abyss was found to be covered in cracks!
"Oh no, Wisteria, come quick!"
However, just as he finished speaking, the snow beneath his feet suddenly collapsed.
A faint suction force emanated from the abyss, and before Shen Yunhao could react, he was pulled by this force and plunged into the endless abyss!
On the ice bridge, the wisteria had just stretched out its vines to grab the shore when it saw this scene, and was immediately terrified!
Without the slightest hesitation, he released the vine, and the entire giant vine followed Shen Yunhao as it plummeted into the abyss.
Moments later, as the snow continued to collapse, the edge of the abyss expanded outward by more than ten meters.
Looking down from the sky at this moment, one can see that the crack is becoming increasingly dark, and its shape resembles a slowly opening eye.
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