A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 251 Seven Nights' Dilemma
The Demon Sage, seeing the two sword lights hurtling towards him, felt a chill. He waved his Demon Banner, enveloping himself in a chilling aura of the underworld. Just as he finished doing this, the sword lights arrived. With a clang, the billowing black aura was instantly cleaved open. The Demon Sage's expression remained unchanged. He channeled his magic power, and the Demon Banner flashed with a ghostly light. Several ghosts rushed out and charged at the incoming sword lights. The red, blue, and black lights intertwined and instantly canceled each other out. Just as the sword lights were extinguished, three other attacks followed closely behind.

At this moment, the evil spirit was transforming its magical power. It opened its mouth and spat out the black pearl, which emitted a bright light and enveloped the three attacks in succession. The pearl then slightly rotated and refined them completely.

After withstanding four attacks from the opponent, even the evil ghost with its Black Fiend Profound Thunder was quite strained. Before the golden light could make a move, the evil ghost waved its magic flag, and a dozen or so blue-faced, fanged skull ghost faces appeared on the flag. They suddenly howled and screamed, carrying a chilling ghostly aura, and attacked the three of them, including Mu Yang Zhenren.

At the same time, the evil spirit reached out and cut its palm, dripping blood onto the Black Pearl. With this help, the slightly dim light of the treasure instantly brightened. The evil spirit then opened its mouth and spat out several streams of primordial essence. The Black Pearl, like a sun in the sky, was covered with a sinister aura and contained a dark light. It spun around and its speed increased, shooting towards the golden light like lightning.

Seeing the approaching blue-faced ghosts, Master Muyang flicked his whisk, and fiery lotuses bloomed in the void, floating forward. When the blue-faced ghosts encountered them, they exploded as if in boiling oil. After losing several ghosts, the remaining ghosts hurriedly dodged. Just then, streaks of azure white sword light flew back and forth. The ghosts that had just dodged the fiery lotuses were instantly killed by the sword light. Before the remaining ghosts could make a move, they were swallowed up by a tall palace. In the blink of an eye, most of them had been lost. Only a few ghosts with sharp eyes took advantage of the alternation of attacks to suddenly attack the inner circle of the three.

"What a powerful and ferocious ghost."

Master Muyang's expression hardened slightly. He had clearly seen that these vengeful ghosts had all cultivated for over a hundred years. Although they had no physical form, their speed was incredibly fast, and their timing was also very precise.

"Fellow Daoists, please be careful. This vengeful ghost is somewhat different. If you cannot confirm its identity, do not act rashly. Take caution as the priority."

After speaking, Master Muyang looked at the three fierce ghosts that were attacking him. His eyes narrowed, and he moved quickly, instantly arriving next to one of the ghosts. With a blank expression, he swept his whisk, and bursts of intense light exploded on the ghost. The ghost let out a miserable howl and immediately dissipated into countless scattered wisps of air. Master Muyang swept his sleeve, and the remaining mist was instantly swept away.

Duan Jing and Yuan Ming each had two fierce ghosts attacking them. They couldn't figure out the ghosts' methods, so they attacked with seven parts offense and three parts defense. However, to their surprise, even though they attacked with seven parts offense, the ghosts were still screaming in pain and retreating repeatedly.

"Sect Master Yuan, something's wrong with this vengeful ghost. Why is it so weak?"

Duan Jing swung his sword and severed the arm of a vengeful ghost, then looked at Yuan Ming with a solemn expression.

"Lord Duan, evil spirits are cunning by nature, so we must not let our guard down!"

With two puppets protecting him, Yuan Ming unleashed a storm of wind and thunder, driving away not only the two evil spirits attacking him but also a vengeful ghost attacking Duan Jing, reducing it to a wisp of smoke. He barely managed to maintain his form.

Duan Jing nodded upon hearing this. His side already held an absolute advantage. As long as they proceeded steadily, they could gradually force the opponent into a dead end. Impulsive and hasty advances were not advisable.

Just as Duan Jing swung his sword to kill another vengeful ghost, a sudden change occurred. Duan Jing was horrified to find that his white jade arrow was covered with a faint layer of black mist that lingered for a long time. Even when he used his magic to activate it, he still could not unleash the sword light. At this moment, the three vengeful ghosts that were besieging Yuan Ming not far away grinned ferociously, abandoned their attack on Yuan Ming, and disappeared like a wisp of green smoke. When they reappeared, they had formed a triangular formation, trapping Duan Jing inside.

A thick black mist obscured the sun, a chilling ghostly atmosphere permeated the soul, and eerie lights and sinister sounds filled the air, leaving Duan Jing terrified. When the three malevolent ghosts merged and transformed into a handsome young man, Duan Jing's fear reached its peak.

"Seven nights!"

Before Duan Jing could react, "Seven Nights" moved swiftly, a flash of sword light emanating from his body. In the blink of an eye, a streak of emerald sword light struck Duan Jing's protective shield. With a crack, the shield shattered, and the sword light continued its momentum, piercing right through him. Duan Jing looked on in astonishment, staring down at the bloody hole in his chest. He gave a bitter smile, his breath rapidly declining. Seeing this, Seven Nights grinned maliciously, opened his mouth, and inhaled. Wisps of bloody energy flew out from Duan Jing's body and landed in Seven Nights' mouth.

Just as "Seven Nights" was frantically absorbing Duan Jing's blood essence, the surrounding black mist suddenly surged, and then bright light shone from the sky, shining directly on the dying Duan Jing. Duan Jing, who had already resigned himself to death, saw the golden light descending from the sky and immediately felt relieved. He forced himself to mobilize his magic power and launched a combined attack from within and without. At the same time, two sword lights and a ball of blazing light attacked from the outside. A shocking explosion rang out, and the Seven Nights ghost hurriedly dodged. Although it did not hit the magic body, the formation could not withstand the attack and immediately exploded.

While the Seven Nights Demon was still unsteady on its feet, a pillar of white light descended from the sky. The Seven Nights Demon had nowhere to dodge and was grazed by the white light. Wisps of smoke immediately rose from its body. Before it could catch its breath, golden talismans enveloped it from all directions. When they got close, they transformed into several chains in mid-air and twisted them around the Seven Nights Demon, instantly knocking it back to its original form.

"So it's the Three Nether Stones. No wonder it has such power."

Jin Guang nodded to Mu Yang Zhenren, who then came to Duan Jing's side to heal him. Meanwhile, Jin Guang stared at the black stone floating in mid-air before him, suddenly realizing what was happening.

The Three Nether Stones are an extremely rare and wondrous stone. With prolonged refinement, three clones can be created. If a master can imbue them with their spirit and will, they can unleash three times the power of their master. Duan Jing suffered a great loss just now. If he hadn't been rescued in time, he might have been sucked dry.

"The evil spirit is dead. Under the bright and upright heaven and earth, how could such an evil creature remain!"

With a flick of his finger, a golden light flashed, and the Three Nether Stones were instantly blasted to pieces. The remaining debris was instantly refined by the golden light, leaving no trace.

Just after Jin Guang finished doing this, Master Mu Yang also stood up. Duan Jing opened his eyes and thanked Master Mu Yang and the other person. Master Mu Yang nodded first, then shook his head and sighed. Yuan Ming, supporting Duan Jing, looked at him with sympathy.

"Lord Duan, your Dao foundation has been damaged by the Nether Qi, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing this, Duan Jing gave a bitter smile. "I am already lucky to have survived, how could I dare to ask for more?" With Yuan Ming's help, Duan Jing walked to Jin Guang's side and bowed solemnly to him.

"Thank you, Sect Master Jin Guang."

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang waved his hand, glanced at Duan Jing, and said, "Mountain Lord Duan, please return to the main hall to heal your injuries first. Leave the rest to us."

Knowing he couldn't help, Duan Jing thanked them and exchanged a few more words with the three. Then, a flash of light appeared in the sky, enveloping Duan Jing. When the light dissipated, Duan Jing had vanished without a trace.

"The evil dragon, the asura, the evil ghost, and Bi Qing are all dead. Only Lie Mingzi and Qi Ye remain. Everyone, let's go kill Lie Mingzi first, and then go help Senior Brother Gu Xu."

Both Mu Yang Zhenren and Yuan Ming nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Jin Guang gave an order to Qinglong and Zhuque. After bowing to the three, the two disappeared in a flash of cloud light. Just as the evil spirit died, Qi Ye sensed it. The light of his sword, Yi Xi, shone brightly, scattering a large expanse of azure sword light that traversed the sky, dividing yin and yang. Seeing this, Gu Xu spun his sword and drew a line with his fingers. Clusters of azure lightning bolts accurately struck the sword light. The two forces collided and immediately scattered.

"Gu Xu's skill is so formidable; he never showed his true abilities before."

Qi Ye's face was very ugly. Several hours had passed since the battle began, and the more he fought with Gu Xu, the more terrifying Gu Xu seemed to be. It could be said that the battle was always in the hands of this opponent. No matter how much he increased his power, Gu Xu could always easily withstand it.

Just now, he used two supernatural powers in succession, but Gu Xu broke them with two talismans. Now he has few backup plans left.

"With the death of Evil Ghost and Bi Qing, Lie Mingzi is also in grave danger. Since we cannot defeat Gu Xu, we might as well take this opportunity to retreat. The Seven Fiends of the Heavenly Demon will arrive in two hours, and the trend of the rising demonic power is irreversible. Perhaps if we hold on until then, there will be a turning point."

Qi Ye's mind raced as he watched Gu Xu's sword light slash towards him. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he sheathed his sword. He then summoned the green snail and unleashed his magic power. The crimson sword light struck the snail, but it was neutralized by a gentle force. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qi Ye quickly retreated, creating several clones in succession as he fled in all directions.

Gu Xu calmly watched Qi Ye and his clones flee, his eyes flashing slightly. Then, his figure moved instantly, and in the blink of an eye, he was already half a zhang away from Qi Ye's main body. When Qi Ye saw Gu Xu following closely behind, and that his clones were also killed, his heart sank. He moved faster and faster, once again putting distance between himself and Gu Xu.

Qi Ye fought and retreated, and Gu Xu did not intend to take his life, following him at a leisurely pace. At the same time, Lie Mingzi was also forced into a sorry state by Fang Kong, the leader of the Wan Jian Sect, and Gu Wenshao, the leader of the Tian Hai Sect. Although Lie Mingzi had cultivated for a long time and his magic power was profound, he was still not fully recovered. Tian Yun Zhenren also restrained his escape light from the side, making him restricted at every turn.

With Fang Kong's sharp swordsmanship and Gu Wenshao's profound water-based martial arts, Lie Mingzi had several of his divine abilities broken in a single battle, and even his Nine Yang Heavenly Flame Diagram was summoned.

The Netherfire once again forced back the Wave-Throwing Shuttle. Lie Mingzi took the opportunity to swallow a pill, which slightly replenished his magic power. However, this was only a drop in the bucket for him. Several auras had just disappeared, and Bi Qing's death in particular had caused him to lose his composure and almost be struck by the Myriad Peaks Sword released by Fang Kong.

"The tide has turned, and the Holy Dynasty's elite forces have been almost entirely wiped out. With only the Holy Emperor facing Gu Xu and those righteous experts, it is certain that he will die. Unless a demon descends to earth, today's battle will be the end of the demonic path."

At this moment, Lie Mingzi was actually quite calm. He had done his duty in the end. Even if he retreated now, the Holy Lord wouldn't be able to say anything. However, as one of the top experts in the demonic path, he was also very concerned about his reputation. Moreover, most importantly, even if he managed to escape from this battle, unless he fled overseas, he would eventually be besieged by the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect in the Central Plains.

It would be better to fight to the death. Having come to this point, he would never retreat. Looking at the clear water flowing around him, he channeled his magic power, and the Nine Yang Heavenly Flame Diagram shone brightly again, with clusters of blazing flames drifting outwards, forming a fire net.

"Sect Leader Fang, Lie Mingzi has exhausted all his tricks. Why don't we lend a hand?"

Gu Wenshao gently waved his folding fan, looking at Lie Mingzi who was constantly surrounded by the surging water, and said to Fang Kong beside him.

"feasible."

Just as the two were about to make their move, three streaks of light suddenly flew in from not far away. The two were startled at first, but after a moment of recognition, they looked at each other and smiled.

At this moment, Lie Mingzi also noticed the arrival of Jin Guang and the others. His heart sank. He was already struggling to deal with the two people. With the addition of these three, it would definitely be a dead end. Thinking of this, Lie Mingzi made a decision. He shouted and took advantage of the fact that the five people had not yet gathered together. He immediately detonated three Mingyang. Rolling Ming fire drifted back and forth, breaking through the water flow around him and revealing a passage.

Fang Kong and Gu Wenshao relaxed, but were caught off guard by the backlash of the Dark Yang Qi, which caused their blood and qi to churn. To avoid further impact, they retreated and dodged. However, their movement left an opening in the formation. Lie Mingzi transformed into a flame and, following the guidance of the Two Realms Pearl, attempted to reunite with Qi Ye.

To prevent anyone from chasing him, Lie Mingzi unleashed his magic power, a flash of crimson light around him, and three clones remained to block the enemy while he himself fled swiftly.

Jin Guang looked at the scene before him, his eyes flashing with sternness. He reached out and summoned a treasure mirror, shining it into the sunlight. The reflection showed that the three clones in front of him were frozen in place. However, it was only for a moment. Knowing that there was no chance of survival, the three clones detonated themselves and threw dozens of thunder beads in their hands, which were mixed with Xuan Sha Gang Thunder.

However, upon seeing this, Jin Guang pointed his fingers upwards, and the twin swords in the sky were immediately drawn down in beams of sword light, slashing at the thunder pearls. The ordinary thunder pearls were destroyed in one strike, but the several Xuan Sha Gang Thunders were completely unharmed and attacked the five people.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming stepped forward and nodded to the golden light. The latter understood, transformed into a beam of light, turned the magic mirror to determine the direction, and then transformed into a beam of light to chase after Lie Mingzi.

Seeing the Xuan Sha Gang Lei hurtling towards him, Yuan Ming reached out and took out the Twelve-Layered Sword. With a turn of his magic power, he directly activated all the restrictions. After the Gang Lei was absorbed, the Twelve-Layered Sword flashed with lightning one after another, and the commotion grew louder and louder, showing signs of instability. Yuan Ming's forehead was covered in sweat, and his face turned pale in an instant.

Upon seeing this, Mu Yang Zhenren, Fang Kong, and Gu Wenshao immediately poured their magic power into Yuan Ming's body. With this help, the latter continuously manipulated the magic weapon to refine the Qi Thunder. After a long time, the Twelve Palaces slowly returned to calm.

"The Twelve-Layered Tower only weakens the explosive force of the Thunderclap; most of its power remains sealed and can only be gradually resolved afterward. This item is no longer usable in the short term."

Upon hearing this, Master Muyang said, "The situation is clear. Now that Lie Mingzi is being targeted by Sect Master Jin Guang, the outcome is self-evident. As for Qi Ye, he has also been blocked by Daoist Gu Xu, and his situation is probably not good either. The demonic path has suffered a great defeat in today's battle, and the idea of ​​the Heavenly Demon descending to the mortal realm is just empty talk. Everyone, this battle has reached its final stage, and we must not give up halfway. Once Qi Ye is eliminated, peace and tranquility in the mortal world will be just around the corner!"

Fang Kong and the others agreed upon hearing this. After discussing it for a while, they used the cloud light array to quickly arrive at the place where Qi Ye and Gu Xu were fighting.

"What a terrifying attack!"

They saw that half of the void in front of them had been shattered, and streaks of sword light flew about, their chilling aura and murderous intent sending shivers down their spines.

(End of this chapter)