The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 135

Chapter 1: One Punch

“Not only has the Demon Phoenix returned, but Qingluan has also returned… Yu Shi, this coveted treasure, truly isn’t so easy to come by! And as expected of Qingluan, this pressure, this skill,

is truly exceptional!” He couldn’t quite describe the feeling within him, yet this cacophony of emotions was undoubtedly the perfect fuel.

As he muttered these words, a fire raged deep within his heart, spreading like wildfire, spreading through every corner of Li Xun’s body, especially his eye sockets, which felt as if they were doused in hot oil. The excruciating pain washed his entire vision blood red.

He lowered his head slightly, rubbing his broken shoulder while trying to erase all expression from his face.

He didn’t block out the pain, for he needed it to clear his mind. Through his blood-red vision, he carefully examined the jagged fractured surface of tendons and muscles.

Qingluan’s methods were brutal. The arm hadn’t been severed, but rather smashed down by Qingluan! Consequently, not only was the wound bleeding profusely, but the tendons and bones were severely damaged. Even with the finest intermittent spiritual ointment in this world, regaining his former agility would be difficult.

Of course, this was for an ordinary cultivator.

A strand of Li Xun’s spiritual consciousness had already connected with the fallen limb, their qi and blood connecting through a remote resonance. All he needed to do was activate the “Burning Blood to Strengthen the Body” technique, and they would merge and regenerate.

But he had to wait… and wait! Putting aside concerns about his status, the current strange situation alone was worth his time as a “waste man.”

Li Xun gritted his teeth, suppressing the surging blood within him. He shifted slightly backward, hiding his body in the blind spot of the two women’s sight, doing his best to minimize his presence.

Shang Shi was Gu Yin’s confidant; Qing Luan was Gu Yin’s right-hand man.

Even if the “right-hand man” and “confidant” weren’t working together, why was there such a tense confrontation from afar?

This atmosphere must be savored!

However, Shang Shi was wary. She glanced over, not noticing anything unusual in Li Xun’s demeanor, but only frowned and warned, “Isn’t sacrificing an arm enough?”

As she spoke, Qing Luan, not only catching Yu Shi in mid-air, turned and left.

Shang Shi was startled by this, and without caring about Li Xun’s reaction, she leaped forward and whispered, “Counselor…”

Qing Luan glanced back coldly. Even as a supreme demon, the mere pressure emanating from her eyes stifled Shang Shi.

But Shang Shi remained a man of unwavering resolve. After a brief pause, he bowed, saying, “This maidservant’s fifth sister is merely a humble servant. She is seriously injured and stained, and it falls to me to care for her. I

won’t stain the Councilor’s hands.” “It’s not your business to worry about whether I stain my hands or not. Withdraw!”

Qing Luan’s response was so overbearing that it instantly silenced Shang Shi’s next words.

Shang Shi still wanted to move, but Qing Luan’s gaze was fixed on her, like an invisible iron chain holding her still.

“There’s a problem indeed—a huge problem!”

Li Xun had a vague idea of what the problem was, but as the bloodshot in his eyes grew thicker, his thoughts seemed to be smeared with glue and stagnated.

Amidst the surging waves of blood, Li Xun’s eyes unconsciously fixed on Qingluan. Though the scene before him gradually blurred, the vibrant pulse of her life, comparable to the blazing sun in the sky, was more dazzling than any visual sight.

And the rich fragrance that permeated the air, also originating from Qingluan, tugged at his heartstrings. A sharp voice within him screamed, “Charge! Tear her apart! Blood! Blood!”

Li Xun groaned, his fingers on the severed shoulder suddenly tightening, the intense pain severing his delusional thoughts.

At that moment, Qingluan seemed to sense something and glanced in his direction, but then turned away in disgust, as if her eyes had been tainted.

Li Xun naturally noticed this. He exhaled and tried to purse his lips, but the corners of his mouth cracked instead. He paused, then released his hand from the wound, his body trembling slightly.

He sensed that Shui Dielan had clearly sensed the approaching crisis.

In the distant sky, the clash between Tianzhi and the demon phoenix resurfaced. Amidst the intense light, a hurricane roared across half the sky, sweeping across it. The surrounding air soared, its temperature seemingly igniting a person’s clothing.

Amidst the steadily rising whistle of the wind, Li Xun took a deep breath. The parched air from outside sizzled in his chest, sizzling his blood. He groaned softly, his head lowered as low as he could, amidst the sound that resembled a groan.

The tiny “Oath Gu” insect coursing through his veins began a miraculous vibration, echoing with its distant kin, transmitting a clear message through this channel.

Qingluan ignored the twists and turns of others’ minds, the turbulent currents that flowed through them had no effect on her. She glanced at Shang Shi, then waved her sleeves and departed.

Yu Shi, tethered to her by an invisible leash, followed her.

Shang Shi couldn’t help but call out again, “Counselor!”

Qingluan simply snorted, showing no interest in speaking again.

However, just as she moved, someone a few dozen feet away suddenly shouted, “Whose garbage is this, dumped here? It’s all bloody and disgusting! Isn’t it disgusting?”

At this distance… Qingluan was startled and turned to look. Someone else was speaking from the other side, their tone resigned, “Your husband’s, throw it over here so I can catch it, will you?”

As the words left her eyes, she saw a black, severed limb soar into the air, about to fly over her head, its shower of foul blood nearly splashing onto her shoulder.

Qingluan’s eyes were cold and clear, and she didn’t show any resistance. A few feet away, a roar erupted from the air. The severed limb suddenly froze in mid-air, then was crushed to pieces by an invisible force. Fine fragments of bone and blood poured down like a torrential rain.

This was completely unexpected.

She had originally considered the severed limb an eyesore and was about to evaporate it, but she hadn’t expected this to happen. She knew someone was playing tricks, but the most urgent thing now was to avoid this filthy thing.

She moved with a casual movement, dodging dozens of feet without a trace of filth. But even before she stopped, she felt a stark difference.

Looking back, she saw the unconscious feather servant, completely frozen in place, sprayed with bloody mist. His face and body were covered in a gruesome sight, a sight so horrific that Qingluan, a master of cleanliness, would never touch him again.

“What a quick hand!”

Qingluan admitted, feeling the loss, but calmly shifting her gaze to the source of the voice, scrutinizing it carefully. She saw a graceful, elegant woman.

She wore a short, wide-sleeved gauze jacket, the sleeves woven from layers of light blue silk, creating a hazy, graceful look. Her skirt, a folded, woven gauze skirt, was embroidered with butterflies and adorned with pearls. A warm jade ring hung from her waist. Her attire was simple and elegant.

But her gaze shifted to the woman’s lips, and the light smear of icy blue lipstick gave her a completely different, rebellious quality.

Qingluan had seen this woman before.

Back then, when Gu Yin searched the world for a Blood Kiss of a different kind, it was this woman who came, collected the reward, and left. Thinking back on it, Gu Yin’s evaluation of her left a deep impression on Qing Luan.

“‘Ni Shui Gou’ Shui Die Lan?”

As the name slipped from her lips, Qing Luan suddenly remembered the Ghostly Shadow Devouring Sect, which was crucial to Gu Yin’s plans for the southwest. Lately, this female cultivator had been frequently implicated, and of course, someone else had appeared alongside her—wasn’t that the Taoist Hundred Ghosts who had just had her arm struck down?

Just as she was thinking about the nearby ghosts, a scream of “My arm!”

With a cry, the blood-soaked feather servant finally lost her hold and tumbled down from the sky.

Shang Shi, standing nearby, his expression changed slightly, seizing an opening and sprinting down to catch up.

Qing Luan’s brows knitted slightly, and just as she was about to move, she saw a faint sneer on Shui Dielan’s lips. As if sensing something, she froze.

The feather servant had fallen only fifty feet when Shang Shi dashed through the air to reach out and grab it.

Her fingertips touched the feather servant’s belt, and her eyes casually flickered across her face. She saw her fifth sister, with whom she had lived for thousands of years, sleepily with her eyes closed, her brows half-knitted, as if even in a dream, a tangle of confusion and sorrow.

Shang Shi sighed silently, his fingers slashing like swords, ready to sever the feather servant’s heart.

“From now on… you will be free!”

His fingers stabbed, but their touch was nothing.

A faint grayish-white mist instantly enveloped Yu Shi’s body, distorting and undulating under the bright light from afar, obscuring the internal changes.

Shang Shi reacted with remarkable speed, sensing the change in the situation. Her fingertips, her inner energy, shifted from restrained to outward, no longer concealing it. However, her force still missed.

Then, a flash of blood and a sweet, fishy smell filled her nostrils. A flash of foreboding seized her, and she abandoned Yu Shi’s movements, flying backward.

Just as she retreated a few feet, a thunderclap erupted before her nose, a surging current of air slashing across her face like a knife, blinding her. The force penetrated, shaking her bones.

She knew without even seeing, that someone was standing between her and Yu Shi, delivering this powerful punch.

“What a powerful punch! If it connects, I’ll be dead. Who is it?”

The thought was barely uttered before the fist had already left her. She endured the pain in her eyelids and opened them, then was startled. “Hundred Ghosts!”

Even without mentioning the strikingly different and violent methods, the mere presence of the Hundred Ghosts in this place had already confused Shang Shi.

Shang Shi was certain that before she attacked, the Hundred Ghosts Taoist was still screaming in agony several miles away. In just half a breath, how could this guy be here? A clone technique?

Before she could comprehend, the man’s eyes swept over her face. Though half his body was covered in blood and an arm was missing, he spoke calmly, “Fellow Daoist, you’re too impatient. Since you’ve already made an enemy of this person, why bother trying to establish a relationship? It would be better for me to take them away and reunite them, which would be a meritorious deed… Tsk, Qingluan!”

The air behind him surged like rolling waves and clouds, completely destroying Li Xun’s calm demeanor. Even though he dodged in time, the aftermath of the wave rippling through his body disrupted his vital energy and blood. He barely managed to protect the feather servant beside him as he tumbled away.

The violent wind whipped Shang Shi’s cheek, causing a dull pain. She unconsciously reached out to gently stroke the wounds, only to brush against several tiny wounds, likely from the residual force of the Hundred Ghosts’ punches.

Unconcerned with her appearance, she casually wiped away the blood, only to recall Gu Yin’s solemn instructions: “Get things done, but don’t give Madam Yan a reason to upset me!”

Thinking about it now, she could only smile wryly.

If she couldn’t anger Madam Yan, she couldn’t openly antagonize the Hundred Ghosts. But if the matter involved the Feather Servant, it would in turn implicate the positions of the Demon Phoenix and Qing Luan. One misstep could turn the tables.

What was she supposed to do with this complex situation?

Before she could comprehend the situation, Qing Luan’s second wave of attacks had already pierced the air, seemingly unnoticed from over ten miles away. With a wave of her sleeve, a turbulent torrent of water poured down, its force unparalleled, yet it also unleashed a chilling force as sharp as a sword, overwhelming all opponents. It was Qing Luan’s renowned “Spiritual Seven Divine Strike”!

Li Xun let out a strange cry and shifted his form again. At the same time, he pressed his hand into the air, seemingly with little force, yet it sent shockwaves throughout the surrounding landscape. Surrounding mountains like Razor Peak even vibrated and trembled, as if

ready to collapse. With the sound, the very world itself seemed poised to collapse, its vital energy surging like a raging sea.

The Beiqi Mountains, one of the main veins of this world’s earth, housed countless energy points and spiritual veins. Li Xun had been trapping and accumulating earth energy with forbidden techniques for over twenty days, and his reserves were nearing the point of eruption. The sheer force of this small test was even greater than Li Xun had anticipated.

Qingluan’s distant strike sent the turbulent currents like a dragon and a dragon, but after a few twists and struggles within the raging currents, its momentum gradually weakened, finally dissolving into a stream of turbulent water. As it brushed past Li Xun’s side, it merely twitched its sleeve.

“What a magnificent force!”

This praise came from the water butterfly orchid.

As Qingluan attacked, she stood by, watching with utter delight as Li Xun, in a precarious situation, withstood the blow. She, watching with immense joy, clapped her hands and chuckled, “If you can achieve this without resorting to forbidden techniques, that’s real progress!”

She glared at him fiercely, but Li Xun only had that moment to spare.

Qingluan’s second strike was unsuccessful, but she didn’t pretend, instead delivering a decisive third strike. Simultaneously, her jade-white palm swung, striking at the water orchid.

Li Xun, unmindful of the water orchid, extended a single hand and struck with his fingers.

In an instant, all twelve forbidden techniques within a thirty-mile radius converged, connecting and rubbing against each other, clearing impurities from the concentrated earth energy. This reaction then spread in all directions, further clarifying the surrounding accumulated earth energy.

The twelve forbidden techniques were interconnected, their subtle transformations merging into one, the resulting transformations far more complex than those of a single forbidden technique. Yet, Li Xun was able to grasp the core of this tangled web of trillions of energies, extending it to the point where a single feather could move a hundred thousand mountains!

Initially, the impact was subtle, but as the forbidden technique deepened, the void around Li Xun seemed to silently collapse. A gray mist emanated from the cracked cavity with a hissing sound.

Qingluan’s distant strike was forceful, yet its impact felt ethereal and intangible, with no single target for impact. It felt as if it had touched upon some unfathomable element of nature, a strange reaction that terrified her, involuntarily diverting most of her attention.

Separately, Shui Dielan, taking advantage of this opening, smiled and spun around, effortlessly escaping Qingluan’s attack.

Qingluan glanced at her coldly, a green aura flashing across her face as she swung her hand back. Amidst the clanging sound, thunder echoed overhead, the powerful pressure pricking her scalp. Clearly, her playful attitude had thoroughly aroused Qingluan’s murderous intent.

However, even as Qingluan’s attention shifted, the void vibrated repeatedly, and shockwaves swept through the space, creating a subtle cacophony that gradually converged into a single, low-pitched, crescendoing sound like the heart-wrenching roar of a ferocious beast.

Qingluan’s brow furrowed slightly, finally sensing something amiss. With a slight shift in her shoulders, she suddenly transformed into a pale blue bolt of light, piercing the clouds and soaring forward.

For Qingluan, miles seemed like a fleeting moment. She had resolved to attack with all her might, eliminating these annoying ghosts first.

However, to Qingluan’s surprise, her sword strike, just a few feet from the ghosts, only struck a phantom.

Instantly, the ghost’s form shattered like foam, and the feathered attendant behind him vanished as well. The void he stood in had completely collapsed, leaving a terrifying void.

The opening in the void was truly bizarre, its contents difficult to discern with the n*ked eye.

Even Qingluan relied solely on her spiritual perception to detect this opening, which seemed to lead to another world.

If she hadn’t reacted in time, she would have fallen right in.

This felt like… the Yellow Springs’ haunted cave!

Not the path to the underworld!

In that instant, a pale, almost transparent, glow peeked out from the deep, bottomless void.

The fierce wind whipped through the sky, yet the flames continued to pulse with their own unique rhythm, unaffected.

It seemed as if the flames were a reflection of the vast space beyond the void, breathing in unimaginable energy.

Qingluan possessed a keen sense of perception, allowing her to gain greater information than ordinary people. Because of this, the ripples of distant space pounded her mind like a storm.

Deeply buried memories surged back at this moment, and Qingluan felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. Then, an uncontrollable surge of anger surged, causing a dull ache in her temples.

She suddenly pursed her lips and let out a long howl, releasing all her rage. With that howl, she thrust her finger through the air, directly at the pale flames.

This finger wasn’t meant to directly confront the flames or the mighty force behind them, but rather, with exquisite skill, it created another wave of vibrations to disrupt the natural rhythm of the flames’ pulsations.

The flames in the void suddenly trembled twice, and a subtle ripple echoed through the corresponding hollow. For a moment, it felt as if a million autumn cicadas chirped together, their shrill, high-pitched notes threatening to rip a person’s skull apart.

Qingluan’s face flashed with a cyan glow again, and she suddenly soared into the sky.

A ball of fire suddenly exploded beneath the dark sky. Perhaps its color was pale and monotonous, but wherever the light reached, the void spontaneously ignited, instantly engulfing a ten-mile radius, forcing Shang Shi, Shui Dielan, and the others to flee.

Then, further away, seven unrelated locations in the rocky terrain suddenly collapsed. The faint sound of explosions mingled with the blazing Yin Fire in the air, adding to its intensity.

Qingluan effortlessly flew out of the Yin Fire’s range. A sharp glance swept across the sky, quickly locating Li Xun’s position. Though her murderous intent was uncontrollable, she gave an incredulous compliment before striking: “Good!”

Of course it was good! Li Xun executed the “Ghost Road to the Netherworld,” a feat requiring the combined efforts of at least three True Person Realm masters, with only a few forbidden techniques to assist.

Had Qingluan not interrupted it in time, and once the “Ghost Road to the Netherworld” had unleashed its full power, the Nine Netherworld’s earthly energy would have wiped out every living being within a hundred miles of this realm, even Qingluan would

have been utterly humiliated. Qingluan, with her pride and arrogance, couldn’t help but praise such a master-level technique.

However, after the praise, her attack became ten times more ruthless.

If before, the celestial bird had merely lazily flapped its wings on the ground, now it fluttered, the air and clouds surging, the mountains and valleys echoing in unison.

Amid the groaning of the Northern Qi Mountains, Qingluan’s white palm flipped slightly, and a series of faint explosions echoed through the surrounding valleys and plains, causing Li Xun’s eyes to twitch.

That was the forbidden technique he had spent over twenty days crafting, and Qingluan destroyed it with a single palm. Who knew how she had detected it?

The forbidden technique collapsed, and the previously accumulated torrent of earth energy dissipated by 60 to 70 percent in an instant. This brutal method triggered a massive earthquake within a thousand miles. A small mountain a little further away cracked from its side, collapsing and collapsing with a terrifying force.

Li Xun had no chance to gather the scattered earth energy, for Qing Luan gave him no respite.

With a wave of her sleeves, a crisscrossing stream of azure light practically filled the night sky. Before Li Xun could even marvel at Qing Luan’s rare feint, a fierce gale blew towards him. He had no idea where Qing Luan was at this moment.

“Left!” Shui Dielan’s voice echoed through the fierce storm.

Without a second thought, Li Xun’s bottomless underworld ring violently plucked a wave of Yin energy from the Nine Netherworlds, igniting it instantly. He simultaneously raised his remaining arm and tried to deflect his body. At that moment, he was like a blazing fireball, half his body radiating intense heat.

As Shui Dielan had predicted, Qingluan’s attack struck from his left, the powerful wind pressure instantly extinguishing the burning Yin Fire. Then, a powerful force penetrated his body, without any surprising changes. Pure force overpowered the opponent, yet the momentum was unstoppable.

Although Li Xun had mastered the profound and subtle power of the Dark and Bright Yin Fire, he was still defeated. With a painful groan, his elbow struck his ribs, and he was sent flying.

At this moment, he naturally didn’t care about the feather servants. However, Qingluan seemed to be enraged, not even a glance at the nearby feather servants, and pursued Li Xun with a swift, empty slash.

Li Xun’s blood surged, and before he could catch his breath, the cold wind behind him pierced his body, and his soul was instantly shattered.

“Idiot!” Shui Dielan’s angry voice reached his ears again, this time from a distance. As soon as she spoke, Li Xun felt his neck tighten, and Shui Dielan grabbed him by the collar and flew away.

Behind him, Qingluan cried out, and some unknown transformation filled the sky with arrows, raining down like a torrential rain.

Shui Dielan, however, was incredibly calm and effortless, her figure darting across the vast sky, each movement eerily elusive.

Even Li Xun, who followed her, felt dizzy from the sight of her afterimages filling the sky.

Shui Dielan still had the energy to speak: “Qingluan’s methods are truly sharp. Her aura is unwavering, like a sword or a blade, unstoppable. There are only a handful of people in the world who dare to block her blows head-on. You actually used your arms to block it. Should I say you’re brave and fearless, or have you lost your mind?”

Li Xun was speechless, recalling the blow he had just received. If it weren’t for the subtle transformation of the Youming Yin Fire, which reached its peak, the timely use of the entangling and dissolving method, and his strong body, he would have been broken in two by now!

Just as

Li Xun was grumbling, Shui Dielan suddenly glanced back and smiled, “But being able to continue is truly remarkable!” Before he could even register the taste of it, his throat tightened as Shui Dielan flung him out. He passed through hundreds of lightning-fast energy arrows, soaring nearly a thousand feet before finally reaching his limit.

From this height, he had a clear view of the situation below.

He ignored the clash between Shui Dielan and Qingluan and focused solely on the now-unattended Feather Servant.

The subtle technique Li Xun had previously used on the Feather Servant was still taking effect, causing the Servant to remain suspended in mid-air, bobbing slightly with the surging air currents. Qingluan had clearly taken the Servant’s presence into account, having deliberately avoided that direction with her previous large-scale attack.

Meanwhile, Shang Shi, several miles away, felt somewhat awkward.

It was clear she longed to approach the Servant, but between them lay the battlefield where Qingluan and Shui Dielan were battling. If she made any move, Qingluan would undoubtedly punish her!

Understanding the current situation, Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief, a feeling forming within him.

Turning his head slightly, he saw several figures flying towards him from the tangled forests to the southwest. They appeared to be the Pluto Sect cultivators that Shui Die Lan had led away earlier.

According to Shui Die Lan’s report, these individuals were the two Spiritual Venerables, Yuan Ku and Yuan Jian, leading four Pluto Generals. However, one of

them had already been beheaded by Shui Die Lan. Their arrival further complicated the situation.

Li Xun vaguely saw them looking up at the sky. They must have been able to discern the identities of the people in the sky, perhaps feeling a bit apprehensive… and as the “landlords” of Beiqi Mountain, some of them were truly late in arriving!

His gaze slowly moved across the void above, effortlessly locating the newly formed water mirror. Imagine the awkwardness of the people behind the water mirror upon seeing his gesture.

Li Xun’s leisurely mood ended there. After a brief pause, Qing Luan’s cold gaze, like a shadow, locked onto him once again, showing no sign of letting him go.

Qingluan certainly wouldn’t give up, especially when faced with the suspect in that “case” from that year.

She exerted some effort to temporarily isolate herself from Shui Dielan’s distraction and was about to pursue her, but as she moved, a flash of blue light pierced her vision, causing her position and distance to shift slightly.

With a shudder, Qingluan turned sideways, met with a cold crescent-shaped beam of light.

“Going against the current?”

This was Shui Dielan’s first proactive attack. Qingluan immediately grasped its significance.

Even with her sharp perception, she couldn’t grasp Shui Dielan’s position. Her six senses were completely occupied by the “crescent,” and her function was sluggish.

Her reaction was swift. Upon sensing something was amiss, she immediately cleared her spiritual core, simultaneously channeling her inner Qi to counteract it. Another long cry erupted, clearing the air. With this clearing sound, Qingluan brushed away the obstruction to her six senses, and with a flick of her fingertips, she triggered a detonation.

Although Qingluan handled the situation well, after only a single bout, she was forced to abandon her signature sharp attack and respond with a ranged shockwave, a move she ultimately lost.

Shui Dielan smiled softly at this, retreating while the shockwaves were still in play. But just as she was about to retreat, Li Xun’s voice suddenly rang out from above her head, “Watch out!”

Shui Dielan was startled for a moment before realizing the sudden disappearance. Even with her agility, she couldn’t completely avoid the attack.

The air around her suddenly froze, and her shoulders and back felt slightly numb. A sinister, evil aura seeped through her body. It wasn’t intense, but it felt like a thread, reaching directly into her internal organs. It even subtly hooked the wounds she’d been suppressing, forcing her qi and blood to surge, even causing them to relapse. Worst of all

, this delay was the moment Qingluan’s sword-like gaze darted across, locking onto her once more, preventing her from retreating.

“Ghost-Slaying Spear? How dare you, bastard, try to trick me!”

Shui Dielan felt as if she’d been slapped in the face. Her face burned, and she gritted her teeth, her heart brimming with murderous intent.

In reality, objective factors like her old injuries and Qingluan’s pressure played a large part in the attack, but her pride wouldn’t tolerate excuses!

Shui Dielan ignored Qingluan’s threats, coldly turning back and staring intently at the attacker, who hadn’t even had time to retreat. The attacker, a bachelor himself, saw he couldn’t escape, so he stood there, grinning coldly.

Shui Dielan wanted to applaud, “I’ve underestimated the Great Master Yuan Ku of the Pluto Sect before… Very good!”

Before she could finish her words, she vanished.

Yuan Ku, over ten miles away, his expression changed slightly, and he instinctively took a half step back, demonstrating the profound impression Shui Dielan’s speed had left on him.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Shui Dielan reappeared beside Li Xun, high in the sky. She tugged at his arm and launched herself into flight, clearly intending to escape.

Yuan Ku was embarrassed at first, then overjoyed. Wasn’t it this very moment that he risked his dignity to backstab someone? But before he could do anything, a piercing chill shot through his head, causing his body to freeze.

Qingluan groaned softly, then averted her gaze and returned her attention to Shui Dielan and the others.

She could already sense that Shui Dielan bore some old wounds. Deep down, she didn’t want to take advantage of her, but she absolutely couldn’t let that “Hundred Ghosts” go—her instincts told her he was inextricably linked to the conspiracy outside Songjing City!

Furthermore… he still harbored such wicked intentions!

Seeing the two of them arc through the air and turn back toward the Feathered Servant, Qingluan smiled without anger, transforming into a rainbow and giving chase.

Perhaps due to her injuries, Shui Dielan’s speed had slowed slightly. Qingluan quickly caught up to her, but didn’t attack immediately. Instead

, she spoke in a deep voice, “Were you there outside Songjing City seventy years ago?” Her tone wasn’t a question; it was clearly an accusation. Li Xun curled his lips imperceptibly and gently poked Shui Dielan’s palm with his pinky finger.

Shui Dielan understood and laughed heartily, “Fairy Qingluan, are you delirious? What’s the matter with Songjing or not? I…”

“None of your business!” Qingluan cut her off coldly, pointing her finger at Li Xun with a stern voice, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t admit it… No one I’ve identified will survive!”

Before she finished speaking, she crossed her sleeves, thunder and lightning surging through the void. A muffled explosion erupted, and the suspended feathered servant, propelled by the energy, strangely bounced upward, brushing past Li Xun’s outstretched fingertips and tumbling upward.

Li Xun cursed softly, and he and Shui Dielan turned to pursue. However, Qingluan was faster than them, soaring upward, outstripping them. With a flick of her sleeve, she drew the feathered servant around like a lasso, and with a gentle tug, she completely escaped their control.

Then, Qingluan swooped down, her five fingers spread wide. The swirling currents of air clashed with each other, a clanging sound echoing in the void.

Countless sharp icy auras crisscrossed around Li Xun and the other man, colliding with their protective energy, creating a continuous crackling sound.

Amidst the flickering lightning, Qingluan charged forward, engaging in close combat. A single, direct blow struck directly at the point where their limbs met.

This strike might have been minor, but it was swift as a flash, piercing the gap between their shoulders in a flash. With helplessness, the two men shook their hands and separated.

Li Xun flew backward to the left, and Qingluan followed him like a shadow. Shui Dielan, spinning behind her, barely paused, caught up, though still a step behind.

Qingluan’s expression was as calm as water, unwavering. She dared not underestimate the pressure from behind, yet she was 120% certain she could slay the man in front of her before Shui Dielan caught up!

With a single thought, a vast amount of energy channeled through every inch of her body, radiating from it as it rubbed against the air, a dazzling pale blue light. Seeing the ghosts across from him, their eyes narrowed involuntarily. Qing Luan sneered coldly, and

with a wave of her hand,

a chilling chill shuddered. A sharp howl echoed, and the ghosts, realizing they were inescapable, thrust themselves forward and charged forward, one arm clenched into a fist, charging straight at Qing Luan’s blade. Their eyes bloodshot, they seemed poised for a fight. For a moment, Qing Luan smiled, a rare smile, and whispered a final word: “How foolish!”

The blade and fist collided with surprisingly little sound. Then, with a brilliant pirouette, Qing Luan effortlessly spun, effortlessly avoiding the ghost’s forward punch and landing at his side and rear.

From this angle, Qing Luan’s sharp eyes could clearly see the ghost’s seemingly unstoppable fist retreat slightly, while another, noticeably larger, iron fist blocked the attack, its flesh and tendons protruding with a terrifying redness.

The ghost’s eyes widened to their limit, but the punch had been unreturned, and there was no chance of recovery. Qingluan’s other hand curved into a claw, thrusting forward. With a sharp tearing sound, half of Qingluan’s arm vanished into thin air, appearing to have been lost.

But then, countless deep blue lightning bolts leaped and flew, and Qingluan shouted, “Come out!”

As if performing a brilliant magic trick, with that cry, a powerful figure was flung out from behind the void.

Qingluan’s first glance revealed a pitch-black hooded robe cloaking the figure, making it difficult to distinguish them. But she had her own conclusion: “As expected…”

Before she could finish her words, she once again flung the burly man towards the charging Shui Dielan.

Despite Shui Dielan’s unparalleled escape techniques, she still slowed down a step to avoid the formidable force.

Without a second thought, Qingluan swung her hand and struck again, blood spurting forth amidst a scream. Baigui’s only remaining arm was ripped off, and he flung himself backward, twisting his bare shoulder. Qingluan raised an eyebrow, surprised that Baigui had managed to survive!

Unwilling to be blinded by the blood-soaked sky, she gave a faint smile, her gaze shifting to meet Shui Dielan’s icy gaze.

Their eyes met, and Qingluan suddenly felt the space before her distorted. The scenery directly in front of her shifted to the left in the blink of an eye—and it wasn’t just Shui Dielan’s movement. Even the shadows of the distant mountains shifted as far as she could see, making it seem as if she had turned halfway.

Her body and mind were in serious disharmony, and even Qingluan, with her powers, felt a momentary dizziness.

“Another illusion!”

Qingluan hadn’t expected to be tricked twice in a row. However, she was a great demon with a millennia of experience, possessing immense combat experience. With a single flash of divine power, her body was fixed in place in the air. Her true energy instantly radiated and surged, sweeping across a ten-foot radius.

By leveraging her true energy’s contact with external objects, she instantly determined the opponent’s position, and a single-handed thrust perfectly broke Shui Dielan’s attack.

“Only the Yidoumi Sect and the Never-Sleeping City in this world possess such mastery of illusion…”

Her thought was lost as she suddenly bent down. With a whistling sound, a fierce knife-hand strike whizzed past the back of her head. The residual force clashed with her protective true energy, creating a crackling sound.

The black-robed man, having missed his strike, instantly turned back and struck again. Furthermore, Shui Dielan’s gauze sleeves danced lightly, a crescent moon appearing and disappearing, a truly captivating sight.

The combined attack of these two masters perfectly sealed off the space within a fifty-meter radius around Qingluan. The intertwined energy hummed and vibrated, like thousands of invisible ropes, entwining her tightly.

Qingluan felt a sense

of déjà vu. “Same trick!” Even Qingluan herself was unaware of the intensity of her fury.

Amidst the surging fury, two narrow, sharp streams of azure light intersected and swirled in the void. Then, their wings spread wide, Qingluan soared upward like a divine bird flapping its wings, shattering any restraining ropes.

Below, Shui Dielan and the burly man instantly crossed positions, simultaneously slashing forward and attacking from both sides with perfect coordination.

From above, Qingluan coldly swept her sleeves across, unhesitatingly striking from either side. The tangling energy was sometimes sharp as a sword, sometimes blazing as fire, sometimes ethereal as a cloud. The sound of their intersecting energy was a mere muffled explosion, yet the radiating shockwaves were powerful enough to melt metal and dissolve flesh and bone.

The three men slowed down under the shockwaves, though Shui Dielan’s old injuries had a greater impact.

Sensing the energy, Qingluan’s attack was concentrated on that side, and soon she began to struggle. Just as she was about to withdraw the “heart knot” within her body, it vibrated.

Shui Die Lan was momentarily stunned, then bit her lip and muttered a curse, “Heartless…”

She didn’t have time to think. Under the catastrophic impact of Qingluan Mountain, she had already wavered, and the price of remaining steady would be tenfold.

In an instant, the color drained from Shui Die Lan’s face, even the blue lipstick was dulled. But her eyes, instantly stained with a deep blue ink, seemed to be infused with it.

Qingluan, turning sideways, happened to witness this strange scene. Like Li Xun before her, she was inevitably stunned. With her knowledge, she realized what this change signified almost instantly, “How could this be…”

Her relentless forward momentum finally paused.

The burly man behind her reacted like lightning, a ferocious aura erupting from his throat. With a roar, he unleashed a powerful punch, his fierceness reaching its peak.

A gust of wind blew from behind her, and Qingluan shuddered, instantly snapping back to life. But her frustrated energy was hard to muster. The dazzling blue eyes ahead only added to her turmoil. Helpless, she could only swerve sideways, taking advantage of the aftermath of the three-way attack.

“Hiss!”

A long, venomous snake-like sound echoed in her ears, lashing out like a whip through the air, sending a chill down her

spine. Qingluan abruptly turned her gaze, only to be met with a pair of blood-red eyes. Even her sharp eyes couldn’t fathom what lay beyond the thick, bloody atmosphere.

Unable to conceal her surprise, she cried out, “Hundred Ghosts!”

Before the words had faded, the distance between them had shrunk to the limit Qingluan could endure. With a low shout, she barely had time to free her hands, and a burst of powerful energy erupted from her protective Qi. The intense clashing energy ignited the air, emitting a dazzling azure light.

At that moment, the attacks of the two powerful enemies behind her roared down like a mountain.

Without hesitation, Qingluan made a split-second choice. She half-turned, focusing all her energy on the combined attack of the powerful opponents. As for the other person, if their head could break through the barrier of her protective Qi, she could still distract them.

The second impact arrived as expected. Qingluan’s face paled slightly, yet she withstood the onslaught steadily.

However, she failed to notice the faint scarlet etched beneath the azure light, a small scar left on the azure barrier, which instantly expanded into a jarring hole. A

crackling sound echoed, and Qingluan turned back in shock to see a fist, still stained with blood, burst through the barrier, striking directly at her face.

As if possessed by a force, Qingluan’s gaze missed the growing fist, only to catch sight of the blood-red eyes and the morbidly contorted face behind it. At that moment, a fleeting image flashed through her mind—

the Feather Servant, bloodstained, Shang Servant, his halberd pointed, ready to strike. Hundreds of ghosts, oblivious to the distance, materialized like a ghost, unleashing a ferocious and domineering blow unlike their usual…

“Blood Shadow Demon Body… Blood Clone?”

Instantly, she understood much, and simultaneously, her remarkable self-reactions formed a second line of defense. Azure light rippled like water, using the exquisitely refined technique of transforming energy to neutralize the domineering punch.

Qingluan’s hand had reached her chest. With a moment’s buffer of protective energy, she could deliver a thunderous counterattack, crushing the hundreds of ghosts to ash.

However, at the moment of impact, Qingluan’s expression suddenly changed.

That wasn’t a fist, but a sword!

The sharp, penetrating sword intent and fist blade merged perfectly, piercing the surface with a single point, defeating the clever with a clumsy touch. In a trance, it felt like a peerless divine sword, whistling through the air.

Qingluan’s protective energy, like a thin layer of paper, shattered with a sharp tearing sound.

The bloodstained iron fist shot forward without a pause, colliding with Qingluan’s cheek.

A heart-pounding, trembling sound echoed as four sturdy finger bones snapped in unison. Simultaneously, Qingluan’s delicate, graceful features twisted slightly under the immense pressure, transforming into a deeply bizarre expression.

At that moment, Li Xun roared fiercely. The resounding sound, combined with the excruciating pain of shattered finger bones, echoed endlessly through the night sky.

“Old man… return the favor!”

Amidst the dull crash, Qingluan flew back like a sharp arrow, twice as fast as it had come. It traced a flawless arc through the night sky, plunging deeply into the permafrost that had accumulated for millennia at the summit of Razor Peak.

The ten directions and three realms seemed to have ceased to utter a sound, leaving only the slow, shrill wheezing of Li Xun’s bellows.