The glazed Buddha light and the pitch-black demonic qi shifted and transformed repeatedly in an instant, ultimately overwhelmed by impurity. The entire mummy turned completely black, enveloped in a sinister glow, its murderous and bloodthirsty intent directly assailing the primordial soul, unleashing a terrifying and formidable demonic aura!
However, most of its energy was expended in resisting the Glazed Buddha Light, rendering it slightly less fearsome than before—appearing only marginally stronger than the Benevolent Sage Emperor.
Witnessing this transformation, Meng Qi and others realized that the situation could not be resolved peacefully. They all felt fear, heaviness, and trepidation, yet having experienced life-and-death situations before, they remained unflustered despite their fear and unpanicked despite their dread, making immediate and resolute decisions without hesitation.
Ruan Yushu spat a mouthful of refined blood onto the Qifeng Qin, causing the instrument to emit a hazy glow and float before her.
With a calm and focused expression, she slowly caressed the strings with both hands.
From the ninth heaven above, a clear, bright, and resonant cry rang out, piercing through the clouds, tearing apart the demonic qi, and splitting the Buddhist light, directly reaching the depths of the heart. Even if a hundred birds were singing together, they could hardly match one-tenth of its beauty, an indescribable sensation.
Just as the Buddhist light was suppressed and it was about to act, the mummy trembled, releasing threads of demonic qi that dissipated outward.
It froze in place, as if listening to the phoenix’s cry.
Meng Qi suppressed all fear, uneasiness, and dread, his heart calm like still water, reflecting the surroundings, before swinging his blade in a decisive slash.
He chose not to light the Azure Lamp before the Buddha, as this situation differed from the previous instance when he chanted scriptures to liberate the Arhats. At that time, the Buddha plaque of the Great Thunderclap Monastery remained intact, whereas the lamp was nearly destroyed, barely at the level of a novice entering the external realm. Although it could assist the Buddhist radiance, it seemed temporarily incapable of suppressing the demonic energy. It could only injure the evil first, alleviate some of the demonic influence, and then proceed accordingly.
At this moment, he forgot everything else, forgot the possible consequences, and even the undulating ground and twisted plants around the mummy vanished from his mental lake.
Because his full attention was focused on the evil spirit.
Riding on this qi traction and the presence of the evil, the dark ground, twisted plants, and everything around him were once again outlined in Meng Qi’s mental world, precise to the smallest detail, as clear as direct observation, yet with an indescribable peculiar sensation.
Under immense pressure, the rewards of past trials and tribulations transformed into Meng Qi’s own strength, advancing his martial cultivation to a new realm.
Boom—his innate Eighth Orifice silently opened. The brewing of life and the transformation of essence seemed to form a colossal wheel, spinning wildly, enabling his true qi and spirit to shatter past limitations and ascend to a higher realm!
With the Yin Orifice now open, another pathway for expelling internal impurities emerged, while vitality brewed amidst the filth, concealing the embryonic mysteries and the secrets of refining essence into qi—growing ever more akin to the natural world, profound and beyond words!
The heavens trembled eight times in an instant, like eight phantom slashes at lightning speed, with purple electricity surging forth, transforming into a frenzied dragon.
Suddenly, mist rose around, clouds gathered, and countless silver-white lightning bolts leaped within, with rolling thunder echoing deeply.
Boom!
A violent thunderclap sounded as Meng Qi unleashed his final slash, collapsing the airflow, with surrounding vitality, moisture, and lightning converging toward the blade!
Boom!
Blinding lightning flashed, thunderstorms raged, seemingly merging with Meng Qi’s blade momentum, while heavy rain poured down, splashing water mist.
Crackling, heavenly thunder coursed through the blade, countless bolts of lightning converging to form a dragon, entwined with violet electricity, nearly engulfing the heavens and the earth!
Tiny electric serpents darted about, shattering demonic energy, scattering Buddhist radiance, scorching the blackened earth, and causing the flora of the demon realm to instantly dissipate into smoke.
Boom!
The purple dragon surged forward, crushing the mummy with overwhelming force.
Slightly behind Meng Qi, Qi Zhengyan also unleashed the “Thousand Miles of Frozen Ice,” activating the Dragon-Patterned Crimson Gold Sword.
The surrounding temperature plummeted, the bitter cold oppressive, layer upon layer of black qi freezing, forming ice layers like translucent black gems.
The falling rain solidified into snow, flying everywhere like goose feathers, while a cold light, like a hornless dragon, rushed toward the mummy, freezing everything in its path.
Simultaneously, Zhao Heng acted, producing aXuanhuangsmall seal adorned with three five-clawed golden dragons, exuding nobility and solemnity, seemingly impervious to all evil.
As the seal activated, it expanded to the size of a millstone, the three golden dragons appearing lifelike, circling the seal, theirXuanhuangradiance sweeping outward, transforming the nearby blackened ground into brown, dispelling the taint.
Jiang Zhiwei acted half a beat later than them, expressionless, forgetting friends and enemies, victories and defeats, life and death, her sword striking without self.
The heavens and earth grew increasingly dim, contrasting with the peerless beauty of the sword light, capable of cleaving through all obstacles, countless dangers, the cycle of life and death, as well as both demonic aura and Buddha’s radiance—all yielding to the sword.
The sword qi rippled, the ground responding with a deep scar, plants flying upward, cleanly severed, a hill-sized boulder splitting directly!
They all exerted their utmost strength, deliberately coordinating their attacks in a clear sequence!
Meng Qi’s spirit was drained, blood streaming from his seven orifices, yet he couldn’t spare a moment to activate the Sacrificial Art. His mind was wholly concentrated on this slash and this demon!
The colossal and terrifying purple dragon struck the mummy, crackling sounds incessant, dispersing vast amounts of demonic energy.
Yet at this moment, the mummy had already shaken off the nine-heavenly Phoenix cry, its right hand forming a fist strike, seemingly mastering a certain rule, landing squarely on Meng Qi’s blade.
With this punch, the surroundings turned pitch black, as if all light was absorbed, rendering everything else invisible, countless twisted shadows emerging, rushing toward the purple thunder.
Boom!
The thunder exploded, Meng Qi flying backward, spitting blood, his body’s faint golden glow flickering and shattering before crashing heavily to the ground.
If the mummy had not just shaken off the influence of the qin’s melody and been unable to exert its full strength, this single punch alone could have sent Meng Qi’s right sword flying and shattered his bones.
With a crackling sound, a great deal of demonic energy dissipated, making it slightly more difficult to suppress the Buddha’s radiance.
The mummy showed no signs of injury, remaining completely pitch black, resembling a demon god.
The Frost Serpent struck, its icy chill freezing layers of demonic energy, encasing the mummy in ice.
The sword intent pierced through, nearly reaching its body.
Suddenly, the mummy raised its left hand, emitting a pitch-black aura that blocked the sword energy at the perfect moment.
Crack!
The sword energy shattered, the chilling intent grew stronger, yet the mummy’s palm remained completely unscathed!
With a creaking sound, the ice layer developed obvious cracks, while the Xuanhuang Seal, like a descending mountain peak, struck the mummy’s head directly.
Bang! Affected by the freezing and sword qi, the mummy failed to evade, its head’s ice layer cracking as it took the blow directly.
Xuanhuangradiance flared, the three golden dragons drilling into the mummy’s body.
Aaah! The mummy let out a piercing howl, a blood mark appearing on its forehead, streams of demonic qi erupting, tearing the golden dragons apart.
Amidst these fluctuations, the Buddha’s light grew stronger once more, though it had not yet fully regained its dominion.
Graceful as a startled swan, swift as a coiling dragon, a sword light capable of severing and piercing anything arrived, striking terror into the Yuan soul and locking onto the mummy’s forehead.
Suddenly, the mummy’s body turned transparent, transforming into countless black shadows that scattered in all directions. Only a few were struck by the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun Sword, vanishing into smoke.
Countless black shadows danced through the air, re-converging and fiercely lunging toward Zhao Heng.
Papapap! The sound of multiple objects shattering on Zhao Heng’s body echoed, emitting bright yellow or dark red lights that blocked the shadows outside.
The shadows were formidable, with various lights seemingly only able to hold them for an instant.
A prolonged dragon’s roar resounded, vast and majestic, shaking the Demon Realm as Ruan Yushu played the Langhuan Twelve Divine Sounds once more, her eyes dimming before she collapsed unconscious.
The surrounding demonic energy surged outward, seemingly recoiling from the dragon’s roar. The dark shadows froze momentarily, almost crouching in submission.
Meng Qi clenched his teeth, circulating the Sacrifice Technique, pushing his essence, qi, and spirit to their peak once again, fully activating the Flowing Fire in his left hand.
His right hand remained numb, forcing him to attack with his sword.
At the same time, he still did not choose the Green Lamp Before the Buddha, as the demonic aura still held a stronger advantage, with only Zhao Heng’s Xuanhuang Seal managing partial dissipation.
A streak of fire soared into the sky, the sword intent pure, breathtakingly beautiful, devoid of flourish, embodying the essence of sword principles, with no flames rising around, the heat highly restrained.
The blade pierced through the dazed shadow, as dark flames erupted from its feet—invasive and relentless—while a golden-yellow fire, bearing the might of a celestial dragon, descended from its forehead.
The flames continued to burn the demonic energy relentlessly, growing ever stronger and more intense.
At that very moment, pitch-black demonic flames burst forth from the mummy like a raging tidal wave, instantly engulfing both the yin flames and the flames of the Eightfold Celestial Dragons.
Then, it dissolved into shadows once more, scattering in all directions and narrowly escaping Qi Zhengyan’s second attempt at “Frozen Wilderness.” One of the shadows struck Zhao Heng, draining a significant portion of his life force and leaving him gravely injured and unconscious.
Zhao Heng possessed numerous secret treasures and supreme techniques, but precisely because of this, he became the primary target of this Outer Realm-level demonic entity, exhausting all his resources just to barely survive.
The disparity in strength between the two sides was evident!
Seeing Ruan Yushu and Zhao Heng unconscious, witnessing Qi Zhengyan’s depleted essence, qi, and spirit as he swayed unsteadily, and finding himself reduced to ordinary combat strength—unable to unleash any more Exterior moves—Meng Qi couldn’t help but feel despair welling up in his heart.
Only Zhiwei still had the strength for one final strike, yet the demon had split into numerous shadows, impossible to lock onto, making it difficult to strike its “vital point”!
The “little glutton” was unconscious, none of them could hit him, while a single strike from him could take any of their lives—how could they continue fighting?
This was the most desperate battle Meng Qi had ever faced. Even when confronting Benbo’erba, his team still had the strength to fight to the death!
He was not someone who lost his fighting spirit upon feeling despair, instead possessing a fearless and reckless spirit.
“Death is just a sky-high gamble; if you live, you’ll survive for thousands of years! Even in death, I’ll drag this fellow down with me!”
What else could be used?
Sacrificing life and death to use the Body Sacrifice Technique once more, and ignite the Green Lamp Before the Buddha?
Ah, the wooden carving from Master Lu—I wonder if it can “frighten” away the evil spirits and create an opportunity for Zhiwei!
As soon as the thought arose, Meng Qi suddenly felt the surrounding airflow solidify, sensing an eerie change.
Looking in astonishment, he saw Jiang Zhiwei standing solemnly and resolutely in place, her vaguely visible figure appearing in the half-air above, as if her Yuan soul had left her body.
Resolute, decisive, and unwavering, a sudden feeling surged within Meng Qi’s heart.
Jiang Zhiwei’s physical body swung the sword, while her Yuan soul figure in the half-air rapidly burned, also unleashing a sword strike of pure intent.
The wind halted in midair, the rain froze in the sky, and the demonic aura ceased its churning—everything fell into utter silence.
The surroundings appeared to lose all color, with black and white sharply contrasted. The scattered shadows of the demon resembled mosquitoes trapped in amber, frozen motionless.
Meng Qi’s thoughts slowed, a voice echoing in his heart:
“No!”
This was the Twenty-Third Sword—the sword of heart, soul, primordial spirit, and sword intent. With a single strike, all senses vanished, and all things froze, unstoppable. When mastered, its power could rival that of “The Heavenly Emperor Treads Upon Time”!
It was an outdoor shooting technique, not surpassing the “Sword Leaves No Trace,” but in specific situations, it proved more effective than “Sword Leaves No Trace”—not stronger, just more suitable!
However, this sword required burning the Yuan soul, nearly abandoning one’s life to execute. It was a brilliant light of life!
Zhiwei… the Chicken-Slaying Sword God… Meng Qi’s heart was in turmoil, emotions surging, indescribable.
It’s alright! Using Sword Twenty-Three wouldn’t directly lead to death. As long as they acted quickly—blowing up the passage and returning to the plaza—with the Lord of the Six Paths of Reincarnation there, they could definitely save her!
He kept reassuring himself.
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