The merged form of Ye Nu and Gou Xin plummeted into the depths of the Jiuyou crevice. A surge of subterranean fire engulfed them, and in an instant, the figure embodying both good and evil vanished without a trace.
Everything had happened too quickly, too suddenly. When Qiao San rushed forward to save her, he could only grasp a fluttering black scarf—the very one he had once tied around Ye Nu’s head, and later removed with his own hands.
The Jiuyou infernal flames danced like serpents. Qiao San forced himself to halt at the edge of the abyss, staring at the unstoppable blaze while tightening his grip on the silk scarf. In that fleeting moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind, and the agony of decision nearly drove the tough rogue to cry out in despair.
Life and emotion had become enemies in that instant, reason constantly clashing with passion.
“Husband, don’t go down there, don’t…”
Gui Ji’s urgent plea gripped Qiao San’s heart and soul. His thoughts shifted, his eyes closed, and finally, he withdrew the foot he had half-stepped forward.
“Brother, look…” Ying Long stepped forward beside Qiao San, pointing into the crevice with an expression of astonishment.
Startled and hopeful, Qiao San’s heart leapt. He turned around eagerly, but aside from the raging sea of flames, there was absolutely nothing—no miracle in sight.
“Big brother, you saw…”
His question ended abruptly in a scream of shock. Suddenly, Ying Long turned traitor, slamming a heavy palm into Qiao San’s back. Though the rogue’s powers were formidable, he had never expected betrayal. Taken completely off guard, he stumbled forward just a single step—but that was enough to send him tumbling into the abyss.
The moment he hit the depths of the crevice, chilling winds from Jiuyou wrapped around Qiao San’s feet. Flames roared in celebration, sweeping toward him hungrily, allowing no chance of escape.
“Hahaha! Bold Qiao San, die!”
Still struggling desperately, Qiao San was met with Ying Long’s sinister grin as the latter, without hesitation, flung himself downward, embracing Qiao San and dragging him deeper into the chasm.
The flames surged, distorting Qiao San’s furious roar: “Damn it! Chi Ya—it’s you again, you damned bastard!”
“Husband—”
“Holy Lord—”
For a moment, the island of infernal fire was filled with shrieks. Some of the women fainted, others rushed toward the crevice, all acting purely on instinct. Fortunately, Hu Hou, worthy of her title as one of the Four Demon Kings, quickly restrained Gui Ji and held onto Nu Mei, while commanding her trembling daughters to manage the chaos.
“Our master possesses the Ten-Yang Body; he will surely return safely!”
Though Hu Hou spoke with absolute conviction, deep in her heart, she was just as anxious and fearful as anyone else, her heart pounding like a drum.
The demon generals who had narrowly escaped the disaster scattered in panic, except for Yu Shan Princess, who remained calm and composed. The death of Peng Mo Wang seemed to have no effect on her at all. She continued to inhale the red clouds left behind from Gou Xin’s self-destruction, indifferent to the chaos unfolding around her.
“A sigh of regret drifted silently through the floating clouds, as three shadowy figures hidden within the clouds watched the entire spectacle unfold in silence.”
“Husband, the daughter of the Primordial Heavens was merely a misunderstanding after all. Now that Gou Xin is dead, and the Ten-Yang Body is surely doomed to be consumed by the Jiuyou flames, what shall we do next?” Draped in celestial ribbons, tall and graceful, the speaker was none other than the pure and sacred Taiyuan Yü Nu.
Before the majestic Yuanshi Tian Wang could speak, Xuan Nu, whose cultivation had recently reached a breakthrough, quietly stepped forward from behind her two masters. The icy fairy, barefoot and clad in dark robes, bowed slightly and said, “Master, with your power, you should be able to move freely within the infernal flames. Why not retrieve the Ten-Yang Pearl and bring it back to Heaven?”
Yuanshi Tian Wang did not respond directly. Instead, he lifted his gaze toward the direction of Xiniu He Zhou, letting out a vague sigh toward the distant celestial realm. After a moment’s contemplation, he said solemnly, “Ah, do you really think it would be a good thing to hand the Ten-Yang Pearl over to the Queen Mother? The Three Great Sages once said that balance must be maintained in Heaven and Earth. No one—be they gods or demons—should be allowed to disrupt it!”
“Ahh!” A soft exclamation escaped Taiyuan’s lips. After many years of marriage, this was the first time she had heard such words from Yuanshi. A realization dawned upon her holy heart, and she murmured unconsciously, “No wonder the Sages disregarded Heaven’s opposition and insisted on bestowing the Eternal Life Sutra upon us for cultivation back then!”
Yuanshi Tian Wang gave his wife a knowing glance, then gently said to Xuan Nu, “Xuan’er, forget what I just said—it will only hinder your cultivation. Well then, let’s return to the celestial palace and report our mission.”
A cloud drifted away leisurely, quickly vanishing from the darkened battlefield.
The Jiuyou crevice was bottomless. Mid-fall, a protruding boulder offered Qiao San a brief foothold, but the pursuing flames gave him no time to rest.
Ying Long’s body and Chi Ya’s soul quickly turned to ashes. Before vanishing into oblivion, the vengeful ghost still managed to leave behind a sinister laugh, causing even Heaven and Earth to sigh in lament. Gou Xin’s cunning and cruelty truly ran deep. Despite her immense power, she had prepared such a deadly contingency.
“Damn it, this time I’m really done for!”
His signature curse echoed around him. Though Qiao San had reached the strength of a Golden Demon, he had already been gravely wounded by Gou Xin. Now facing the infernal flames, all he could do was watch in terror as his body began to melt away mysteriously.
Darkness filled his vision, and in an instant, the Ten-Yang Body transformed into a wisp of clear smoke. Then, a crimson divine pearl rose amidst the flames. But no matter how hard it tried, it could not escape the infernal blaze. Its radiance dimmed visibly with each passing moment.
Just as Qiao San had feared, the Ten-Yang Pearl had reappeared—but he would not be reborn!
Thousands of miles away, in the village of Liu Mang.
As she was embroidering, Qing Niang suddenly withdrew her hand, staring at the blood welling from her fingertip. An ominous premonition gripped her heart, turning the gentle beauty into a motionless statue. Even when the frantic figure of Twelve rushed in, she did not avert her gaze from the distant horizon.
On the island of flames, the women’s hope finally crumbled. The merged Tian Hu spoke with trembling voice: “Mother, let’s go down and save the Holy Lord!”
“Sigh…” Beneath her thin veil, Hu Hou’s half-naked form had lost all its seductive charm. A veteran of countless trials, the fox demoness sighed heavily: “Our powers are insufficient—we would turn to ashes the moment we descend. Our master still has the Shu Ling and the Immortal Phoenix to summon. He will surely survive.”
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