Zhang Xiaofan saw the two of them fall into peril and immediately charged forward as well. The burly man took this in; his head turned slightly, and another streak of red light shot out, rushing toward Zhang Xiaofan.
Zhang Xiaofan had nowhere to retreat. Though he had seen what had happened to Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu, when the crisis was upon him he had no means to deal with it. He could only grit his teeth, summon up the fire poker, and meet it head-on.
In midair, the red light collided with the fire poker that gave off a faint dark-green glow. In the blink of an eye, the red light dispersed. Zhang Xiaofan only felt a great force come through the air; his body trembled, but otherwise he felt nothing unusual. He hurriedly looked at the fire poker, only to see that the pitch-black thing was just as it had always been, without the slightest red mark.
Though the fire poker was still just as ugly as ever, Zhang Xiaofan was overjoyed and quickly took a step forward. But the members of the Demon Sect in the distance were all startled and looked over one after another. The burly man gave a soft “Eh?” and another streak of red light shot from his huge eye.
The fire poker went forward to meet it. The green and red lights collided in the air, and after a moment, the red light dispersed. The fire poker trembled once but remained completely unharmed. Zhang Xiaofan’s heart settled. He thought to himself that although his fire poker was ugly, it was just as the saying went: the lowly have tough lives. It seemed this magical treasure was probably the same. His two senior brothers’ immortal swords were beautiful and noble, but they were not as sturdy as this lowly thing of his.
All sorts of jumbled thoughts flashed through his mind, but his feet did not stop. He slowly pressed toward the burly man. By now, the burly man’s previously relaxed expression had vanished without a trace. Most of his attention was fixed on Zhang Xiaofan, who had seemed the weakest of them all. Toward Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu, he merely sent out a red light every so often to block their advance; toward Zhang Xiaofan, however, he fired without pause, whoosh after whoosh.
Each time a streak of red light flashed past, Zhang Xiaofan was plainly straining, but that pitch-black staff simply did not suffer any harm. As for the fierce baleful aura carried by the red light, it seemed to have no effect on the youth either. Under everyone’s gaze, Zhang Xiaofan advanced step by step just like that.
In the blink of an eye, a faint sheen of sweat had appeared on the burly man’s forehead. In his heart, he could not understand it no matter how he thought. The “Red Demon Eye” that he had spent three hundred years of painstaking effort cultivating had wondrous effects even against the precious treasures of the immortal schools. Why was it powerless against this ordinary-looking fire poker?
In truth, how could he know? The Red Demon Eye was indeed extremely powerful. When its fierce, bloody baleful energy struck the immortal swords of Qi Hao and the others, it could truly defile their immortal aura and, using the sword bodies as a path, slowly force the evil energy into their bodies. From the beginning, he stood in an undefeated position. But Zhang Xiaofan’s ugly-looking fire poker was forged from the Demon Sect’s most vicious object of old, the “Blood-devouring Orb,” and the black rod of unknown origin from the secluded valley behind Big Bamboo Peak, fused together using Zhang Xiaofan’s own blood as the medium. If one spoke only of baleful energy, the “Blood-devouring Orb” alone surpassed that “Red Demon Eye” by who knew how many times, let alone the nameless black rod whose vicious aura was no less than the “Blood-devouring Orb’s.”
These two objects of great evil had fused into one and restrained each other, so their baleful aura instead became contained within. With Zhang Xiaofan’s blood essence also imbued inside, only Zhang Xiaofan could activate it. It was also because of this that it had deceived the elders and seniors of Qingyun Sect, allowing Zhang Xiaofan to make his way back from the gates of hell.
But at this moment, the burly man wished to use the Red Demon Eye’s red light to attack the fire poker; naturally, it returned without success. And this was still with Zhang Xiaofan young and ignorant, bearing a precious treasure without realizing it. If it had been that old ancestor of the Demon Sect from a thousand years ago, the Black-hearted Elder, then with the Blood-devouring Orb alone, a few casual waves would have sucked the burly man dry of blood and withered his flesh, leaving only a Red Demon Eye spinning on his corpse.
But of all the people present, not a single one could have imagined such inconceivable things. The burly man was focusing on the enemy, yet still could not stop Zhang Xiaofan from slowly drawing closer step by step. At that moment, the sinister-looking young man who had been standing silently off to the side from the beginning suddenly sneered. “Nian Laoda, your Red Demon Eye looks impressive but is useless. You can’t even deal with a few Qingyun juniors. And to think you were scolding Wild Dog so harshly just now. In my opinion, you might as well hand over your position as sect master to me.”
The burly man and the young woman beside him both changed expression. The beautiful young woman was the first to frown and say, “Fellow Daoist Lin Feng, we are facing a powerful enemy right now. How can you still say such things?”
Lin Feng, his face full of evil air, glanced slantwise toward the people of Qingyun Sect. When his gaze fell upon Lu Xueqi, he looked an extra moment, then sneered, “These brats count as a powerful enemy? If so, what right does our Blood Refining Hall have to stand in the Holy Sect? What right do we have to speak of restoring the great undertaking founded a thousand years ago by Senior Black-hearted Elder?”
The burly man surnamed Nian shot a streak of red light at Zhang Xiaofan, temporarily halting his advance, then shouted angrily at Lin Feng, “What else can you do besides boast? Why don’t you come up and try?”
A strange smile spread across Lin Feng’s pale face. “Very well. I’ll make you thoroughly convinced.”
As he spoke, he drew a gold-traced fan from his robes and fanned himself with it.
Everyone from Qingyun Sect had heard their exchange and was even more wary of this young man, who was steeped in sinister air. But after waiting for quite a while, they saw only that the young man was slowly and leisurely waving his fan, looking extremely elegant, yet not moving an inch. All of them were stunned.
Could it be that this Lin Feng really only knew how to boast?
Nian Laoda was nearly driven half to death with anger by him and snapped, “Lin Feng, if you have no ability, then stand aside. I can deal with these Qingyun juniors myself. I don’t need you making sarcastic remarks from the side. You should take a look at what little skill you have!”
Lin Feng’s expression changed. He snorted coldly and said, “I originally did not wish to join hands with you; victory would be dishonorable. But if I do not show a few moves now, you may truly think I have deceived you.”
As he spoke, he casually tossed the gold-traced fan in his hand into the air. The entire fan emitted a faint golden light in midair, then with a swish opened wide.
Upon the gold-traced fan face, in meticulous brushwork, were painted a mountain, a river, and a great roc. The strokes were delicate, vivid, and lifelike.
Wind rose. Clouds surged. Thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed.
This place was deep underground, within an ancient cavern; such phenomena should never have appeared. Yet at that moment, before the eyes and ears of the four from Qingyun Sect, all these sights and sounds emerged. As they were still in shock, there suddenly came a tremendous boom. The precious fan trembled in midair, and after a moment, the great mountain in the painting actually moved out by force. Meeting the wind, it grew larger; amid rumbling sounds it became a hill a hundred zhang tall, nearly filling this vast space. Then, like Mount Tai bearing down from above, it pressed down toward the four from Qingyun Sect.
Zhang Xiaofan turned pale with fright. Seeing this enormous object bearing down overhead, he had no strength to resist it. How could he care about anything else? With all his strength he kicked off and flew backward. Watching the great mountain come crashing down, half his body was still beneath it and about to be crushed in two when someone suddenly tugged him by the back collar and forcibly pulled him out.
Zhang Xiaofan turned back and saw that it was Qi Hao who had saved his life. At this moment of life and death, an inexplicable bitterness suddenly welled up in his heart, but he still said softly, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Qi.”
How could Qi Hao have known what this boy was thinking? His face was grave, and he only nodded slightly. Just now he had been standing a little farther back and had retreated more quickly. Seeing Zhang Xiaofan right beside him, he had conveniently pulled him along.
But the enormous hill that had suddenly appeared before their eyes was troublesome to the extreme. The hill crashed down with a roar, and in an instant the ground shook violently, the stone walls trembled, and even the rocky dome more than a hundred zhang above rained down broken stones. Its power was so great that it made one’s heart tremble.
Zeng Shushu also retreated, but his face was full of astonishment. Stunned, he said, “The Mountain and River Fan! This is the signature magical treasure of Fengyue Laozu of Jieshi Mountain. How could it have fallen into this person’s hands?”
Everyone was startled. Zhang Xiaofan did not know much of it, but Qi Hao was well traveled. He knew that Fengyue Laozu was a famous cultivator who cultivated in seclusion on Jieshi Mountain in the east. His cultivation was profound, and he was quite renowned in the world of cultivation. In ordinary dealings, he stood somewhere between righteous and evil; he had committed no great evils and kept aloof from worldly strife, so neither the righteous path nor the evil path had ever provoked him. Who would have thought that this young man would possess Fengyue Laozu’s treasured magical item and appear among these fiends?
While everyone was still unsettled and suspicious, that great mountain rose ruthlessly into the air once more. No one knew just how great a level of magical power it took to lift such a colossal object.
Seeing that the stone wall was already behind them and there was nowhere left to retreat, while loose rocks fell like rain from the huge hill amid flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder, the people of Qingyun Sect grew anxious at this life-and-death moment. Qi Hao gritted his teeth and was about to step forward, intending to use the Six Harmonies Mirror to protect everyone and forcibly withstand this mountain with its weight of ten thousand jun. Suddenly, a blue shadow flashed, and Lu Xueqi appeared in front of the three of them. She let out a clear cry, and blue light surged. The divine sword “Tianya” unsheathed with a dragon’s cry, sending ten thousand streams of immortal aura straight up to the vaulted ceiling.
Thunder rumbled even more urgently above. The great mountain came down with an invincible force, directly over their heads, about to press the four into meat paste. Lu Xueqi’s face was frosty. Her long hair danced in the wild wind, as though she were an immortal maiden from the Nine Heavens. The blade of Tianya trembled slightly, as if sensing its master’s will. Like an enraged dragon leaping into the heavens, it shot upward. Ten thousand rays of blue light instantly illuminated the entire vast cavern, merging into one in the air, and with one sword strike, it slashed toward the great mountain!
“Clang!”
Sand flew, stones scattered, and the gale howled. Everyone stared into the air, only to see enormous currents of air, almost like tangible things, surging violently in all directions. Lu Xueqi was in midair, the blood draining instantly from her face, and her entire body was sent straight into the stone wall by the tremendous backlash.
But after the great mountain was struck heavily by that pillar of blue light, its descending momentum halted. It trembled several times in midair, and after a deafening boom, it actually shrank back. In moments, amid flying sand and rolling stones, the entire mountain vanished into nothing and reappeared within the Mountain and River Fan.
Lin Feng, that sinister-faced young man, glanced at the Mountain and River Fan, and his brows immediately furrowed. On the painting, the great mountain that had originally stood majestic and imposing now had an enormous crack running from its peak down to its waist. The once harmonious fan face looked as though it had been disfigured, appearing somewhat stiff and unnatural.
On Qingyun Sect’s side, the divine sword Tianya flew back as though it had a spirit. Lu Xueqi slid down from the stone wall. The moment she landed, her feet softened, and she nearly sat down on the ground. Fortunately, the others had already come over. Zhang Xiaofan saw it and reached out to support her.
Lu Xueqi breathed heavily, but her nature was proud and unyielding. She was about to push Zhang Xiaofan away, yet halfway through lifting her hand, she suddenly felt warmth at the corner of her lips. A line of blood had flowed out.
Bright red blood flowed over her skin, which was like congealed jade. Red and white set against each other, it was an astonishing beauty that shook the heart.
Zhang Xiaofan was stunned for a moment. Then he heard Lin Feng in the distance pointing and cursing angrily, “You wretched woman! How dare you damage my magical treasure! Even if you died ten times, it would not be enough to pay for it!” As he spoke, this man steeped in evil air had already risen into the air. The Mountain and River Fan flickered with golden light, quite at odds with his sinister aura, yet it still opened and closed in the air as he charged swiftly over.
In the distance, Nian Laoda had already stopped releasing red light. That “Red Demon Eye” had also returned to normal, and he stood where he was. The beautiful young woman beside him took a step forward, glanced at Lu Xueqi of Qingyun Sect, and said in a low voice, “Did you see clearly?”
Nian Laoda’s expression was solemn. “It is Tianya!”
The young woman snorted. “Who would have thought such a divine object would fall into the hands of this junior!”
Nian Laoda looked at Lin Feng, who was now fighting the people of Qingyun Sect, and said, “The divine sword Tianya is a divine weapon of the Nine Heavens. Back then, the founder of our Blood Refining Hall, Black-hearted Elder, was defeated beneath this sword. Today, no matter what, we must seize this divine sword!”
The beautiful young woman nodded. “Then Lin Feng…”
Nian Laoda sneered. “That boy relies on having some kinship with Fengyue Laozu and has always thought himself above everyone. If not for the fact that we are in need of manpower right now, I would never have tolerated him this long. Let him take the lead first. You and I will watch for the right moment and strike to seize the divine sword.”
The young woman nodded and focused her gaze on the field.
Each time the “Mountain and River Fan” was waved, a violent gale rose, sweeping falling stones toward the four from Qingyun Sect. But whenever it came close, Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu blocked it. Just now, when the great mountain suddenly rose, everyone had been caught off guard and had been nearly helpless. Now, however, the extraordinary cultivation of these two was revealed.
Qi Hao need not be mentioned. His Frost Immortal Sword flashed with white light, withstanding wave after wave of wild wind. Zeng Shushu, standing on the other side, only now revealed his true ability. Under Qi Hao’s cover, the “Xuanyuan” immortal sword, radiating a faint purple glow, flashed with purple light and repeatedly slipped through gaps in the gale like a venomous snake. Lin Feng was nearly wounded by the purple light when he was careless for just a moment and had no choice but to deal with it attentively. For a time, the three of them fought to a standstill, neither side able to gain the upper hand.
Zhang Xiaofan stood at the rear, still supporting Lu Xueqi, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Qi Hao and the others’ contest. Seeing Qi Hao move freely and naturally, using his immortal sword with superb mastery, and seeing that his use of Daoist immortal arts was far beyond anything Zhang Xiaofan could manage, he could not help but feel some admiration. All along, Zhang Xiaofan had only cultivated the basic methods of Taiji Xuanqing Dao. It was only before descending the mountain that Su Ru had hastily taught him some practical Daoist techniques, so naturally he could not compare with Qi Hao.
Just as he was watching intently, he suddenly felt his arm lighten. Lu Xueqi, after resting for a while and recovering a little spirit, had stood on her own and left his support.
Zhang Xiaofan looked at her face, which had once been as moist and fair as jade but was now pale, and could not help asking, “Are you all right, Senior Sister Lu?”
Lu Xueqi glanced at him, raised a hand to wipe away the blood at her lips, and shook her head, but did not speak.
Ever since Zhang Xiaofan had come to know this frost-like beauty, he had long since become familiar with her manner. Naturally, he did not press further. Moreover, he had always felt some awe toward this beautiful woman, so he turned his face back toward the field.
Unexpectedly, the moment he turned his head, he suddenly heard Lu Xueqi cry out in alarm. Shocked, he looked back and saw that from within the stone wall behind where he and Lu Xueqi were standing, a black rope had suddenly emerged. With incredible speed, it bound Lu Xueqi’s hands to her sides, leaving her unable to move. A moment later, a woman’s figure emerged from within the stone wall—it was precisely the beautiful young woman who had been standing in the distance just now.
She giggled and said, “Little sister, you’re so beautiful that even I feel pity for you. This ‘Immortal-binding Rope’ is something your elder sister prepared especially for righteous-path immortals like you!”
Zhang Xiaofan saw pain appear on Lu Xueqi’s face. Looking again, he saw that the “Immortal-binding Rope” had already sunk deeply into her flesh in just a moment. The agony was easy to imagine. But before he could react, a whistle sounded in the air. Nian Laoda swooped down from above, reaching for the divine sword “Tianya” on Lu Xueqi’s back.
How could Zhang Xiaofan allow him to act recklessly? The “fire poker” rose into the air and lunged straight at Nian Laoda. Seeing that strange black short staff again, Nian Laoda could not help feeling wary. His body tilted, and he forcibly stopped himself, landing on the ground.
At the front, Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu heard the noise and turned back to look. Their faces changed drastically, and they were about to turn back to rescue them. But when Lin Feng saw the two make a move, he thought that if he allowed them to come and go as they pleased, would he not lose all face in front of Nian Laoda? At once, the Mountain and River Fan roared into wind, each gust tighter and fiercer than the last. For the moment, Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu were unable to break free.
Zhang Xiaofan temporarily forced Nian Laoda back and hesitated no longer. Turning slightly, he sent the fire poker rushing toward the beautiful young woman. Unexpectedly, the young woman merely smiled lightly and flicked the rope in her hand. Lu Xueqi’s entire body was involuntarily pulled sideways, blocking in front of her.
Zhang Xiaofan was greatly alarmed and nearly failed to stop his momentum. He halted abruptly, and the fire poker stopped only three inches before Lu Xueqi, almost tinting her jade-like face a dark blue-green.
Before Zhang Xiaofan could even catch his breath, two more sounds of wind suddenly rose behind him. Anxious, Zhang Xiaofan threw himself forward and only then dodged them in a sorry state. Turning back, he saw that Wild Dog Daoist and the tall Liu Gao had taken advantage of the chaos to charge up as well. As for Nian Laoda, eager to seize the treasure, he actually disregarded his status and rushed over too.
Zhang Xiaofan fought one against three and immediately fell into a bitter struggle. If not for Nian Laoda’s wariness of the fire poker, and if not for Wild Dog and Liu Gao having seen the terrifying sight of the fire poker sucking blood in the darkness earlier, causing fear in their hearts and making them dare not strike too fiercely, Zhang Xiaofan would already have been defeated.
Even so, after only a few exchanges, under the pincer attack of three magical treasures in the sky, Zhang Xiaofan was already beset with danger. And the most troublesome thing was yet another matter: the beautiful young woman standing off to the side seemed to be watching, but whenever Zhang Xiaofan intended to counterattack, she would shake her arm and throw Lu Xueqi into the way. Zhang Xiaofan could only hold back, his hands and feet tied. In moments, he suffered setback after setback and looked about to be wounded by the three fiends.
Under the Immortal-binding Rope, Lu Xueqi struggled with all her strength, but it was of no use. Seeing the young woman behind her smile smugly, and seeing Zhang Xiaofan in the field repeatedly fall into danger because he was afraid of hurting her, Lu Xueqi’s face grew even paler. Her heart and mind surged violently; sweetness rose in her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. It splashed across her clothes in bright red drops, shocking to behold.
Zhang Xiaofan heard the sound and looked over. Thinking that Lu Xueqi had been injured by the “Immortal-binding Rope,” he was greatly alarmed and could no longer care about so much. Black energy abruptly surged from the fire poker, and it shot like lightning toward the beautiful young woman.
The young woman had not expected Zhang Xiaofan to disregard his own safety and suddenly launch an attack. For a moment, she was unprepared. Seeing the fire poker rush right before her eyes, she hurriedly shot into the air and only narrowly avoided it.
But at the same time, Zhang Xiaofan’s back was left completely exposed. Nian Laoda’s Red Demon Eye shot out a streak of red light, while Wild Dog Daoist’s fang-shaped magical treasure and Liu Gao’s yellow flying sword struck Zhang Xiaofan’s back together.
Zhang Xiaofan’s vision went black, and he nearly fainted. After excruciating pain swept through his entire body, almost everything went numb. His whole person flew straight forward. In midair, blood had already gushed from his mouth like a spring.
Lu Xueqi saw it all. Her pearly teeth bit deeply into her lip. Suddenly, she felt the Immortal-binding Rope on her body loosen slightly. The beautiful young woman had been distracted by Zhang Xiaofan and had temporarily forgotten to control the rope.
Lu Xueqi let out a clear cry. Within the limited space, her hands bent and extended repeatedly, forming an orchid-finger incantation. The divine sword Tianya abruptly unsheathed on its own. Blue light swept across the sky, and with two cracking sounds, it immediately forced the Immortal-binding Rope open by a circle. But beneath the divine edge of Tianya, that seemingly ordinary “Immortal-binding Rope” was unexpectedly tough beyond measure and could not be cut through, though it hissed and sizzled.
The young woman cherished her treasure and was also frightened by Tianya’s divine might. She hurriedly withdrew the Immortal-binding Rope. Once Lu Xueqi regained her freedom, though her body still ached, she immediately rose into the air and caught Zhang Xiaofan’s flying body.
Only, before the two of them had any chance to breathe, Nian Laoda and the other two had already followed close behind.
Tianya flashed with blue light and flew back in front of Lu Xueqi to protect its master. But Lu Xueqi’s face was as pale as paper, and even her own body swayed unsteadily.
At that moment, a sharp whoosh suddenly came from the distance. Along with a cry of pain, Lin Feng shouted furiously, “Qingyun juniors, how dare you injure me! Behold my magical treasure!”
“Rumble—”
The sound rang through every corner of the enormous cavern.
While everyone was still stunned, Nian Laoda suddenly halted his charge and opened his mouth to shout, “Brother Lin, don’t—”
Before he finished speaking, everyone felt the mountain shake and the ground tremble beneath their feet. Looking again at Lin Feng’s hand, they saw that the great river in the Mountain and River Fan had vanished from the painting.
“Crash!” With a deafening roar, the flat ground beneath everyone cracked open. In an instant, a massive column of water shot up from deep underground. The force was so enormous that even huge boulders were blasted into the air. Only the giant stone ahead, carved with the three characters “Abyss of the Dead,” remained completely unmoved.
The four from Qingyun Sect were hurled in all directions by the tremendous force. Lu Xueqi’s hand loosened. In that instant, she suddenly felt as though her heart had also sunk.
Zhang Xiaofan’s blood-streaked body drifted lightly outward. Ahead of him was that mysterious, dark abyss!
From midair, she looked deeply toward him. In just that instant, it was as though scenes from the past flashed one by one through her heart.
On Tongtian Peak of Qingyun Mountain, the youth who had blushed while looking at her during the drawing of lots;
During that match, amid thunder, lightning, and raging wind, the gaze that had suddenly softened;
And just now, the person who had spat blood for her and risked everything to rush over and save her!
A huge boulder smashed down overhead. Lu Xueqi clenched her teeth, her face cold. Using the last bit of her strength, she reached out and pushed off against the boulder, changing the direction of her body and flying toward Zhang Xiaofan.
Stones fell like rain, and water dragons raged ferociously, yet all of it seemed as though it were at the edge of the sky. The divine sword Tianya emitted a faint blue light and followed after its master.
Dodging several tumbling stones, Lu Xueqi caught up to Zhang Xiaofan and seized his hand. She was just about to pull him back when she felt the last trace of strength within her body leave her as well.
“Has she come to save me?” Zhang Xiaofan saw Lu Xueqi before his gradually blurring eyes and murmured the thought in his heart. Suddenly, he realized that he and Lu Xueqi had already flown past the giant stone that emitted brilliant light and was carved with the three great characters “Abyss of the Dead,” and had fallen over the abyss.
Then they fell downward.
Lu Xueqi seemed to lose consciousness. She closed her eyes, her body tilting to the side. Looking at her fair face now, there seemed even to be a trace of relief upon it.
Before Zhang Xiaofan fell into the bottomless abyss beneath him, into what seemed eternal darkness, in the final moment when he remained within the light, he faintly heard the sound of a Buddhist invocation. Then golden light shone.
The next moment, he sank into darkness.
Boundless darkness, as though eternal. Even the woman so close beside him—he could not see the slightest bit of her.
Only, in the last moment before he lost consciousness, he still knew that Lu Xueqi’s hand and his were still clasped together.
Very tightly, very tightly.
He even faintly felt that at this moment, that hand was so icy, so cold.
Endless darkness swallowed everything.