Embers of Sword

Chapter 534 Dao Yu
After confirming the location of the end of the second level of the secret tomb, Xie Xuanyi rushed to the Holy Hall as quickly as possible... This maze was extremely complicated, and even with the array diagram as a guide, it still took a lot of effort. In the end, Xie Xuanyi's divine sense saw the shocking scene of Ye Zu using "Burning Flower" from afar. This sword was powerful enough, but unfortunately, Bai Gui and the other two received Lu Yuzhen's gift and survived.

Now, Ye Zu, Zhou, Da Chu, and the others have all burned to ashes.

The three White Ghosts were also on their last breath.

Fortunately.

I finally made it.

"Brother Zhou, I'm sorry... I'm a little late."

Xie Xuanyi came to Zhou's side.

The sword energy roared, carrying a deep-seated ailment.

Xie Xuanyi led the white-clad warrior back several dozen feet, landing in front of Da Chu's camp.

"..."

Zhou's expression was complicated.

In fact, from the moment Ye Zu formed his own formation and began talking with Xie Zhen, Zhou had sensed something strange... but for the sake of the overall situation, he did not immediately ask.

At this moment, when he looked at Xie Zhen again, the more he looked at him, the more he saw the person who disappeared ten years ago.

Eyebrows, eyes, expression, temperament.

Although it is covered by "the faces of all living beings", upon closer inspection, it is no different from what it was back then.

Thinking about it for a long time.

Zhou finally spoke through telepathy, asking the question that had been buried deep in his heart: "Where have you been for the past ten years...?"

A whole decade.

Countless cultivators from Da Chu went to the North Sea in search of the chronic illness, but all returned empty-handed.

If Xie Xuanyi didn't die, where did he go for the past ten years?
"I……"

Xie Xuanyi fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Ten years ago.

Zhou had promised to fight him, but due to the upheaval in the Moon Concealment Realm, that promise was broken. Xie Xuanyi heard that the Martial Sect had sent many disciples to the North Sea to search for him. There were very few people in the world who hoped he would survive, but Zhou was probably one of those few.

They say life is like a dream.

For Xie Xuanyi, those ten "dead" years were like a dream.

It sank into the North Sea and plunged into darkness.

Opening my eyes, after waking from a dream, I was ushered in my second life.

He seemed to have been to many places, yet he hadn't actually been anywhere.

A brief silence fell between the two.

Zhou spoke in a daze, "I can't believe you're really still alive..."

He fought Xie Xuanyi eleven times and was defeated eleven times.

In order to defeat this opponent, Zhou secluded himself to study the flaws in the Great Sui Sword Technique, pondering day and night, to the point that the "inner demon" of his tribulation of questioning his heart appeared in the form of Xie Xuanyi.

The most painful thing in the world.

It wasn't eleven battles and eleven defeats.

However, just as Zhou had adjusted his condition and was preparing to make his twelfth challenge in his prime, Xie Xuanyi left forever.

Thereafter.

This guy can only appear in the form of an "inner demon".

Everyone in the Great Chu Imperial City believed that Zhou Yi would definitely become a Yang God...

But Zhou doesn't think so.

His "inner struggle" is forever incomplete.

Unless Xie Xuanyi comes back to life and fights him again, this thorn will never be removed.

How is this possible?

However, fate is always so absurd.

Looking at the black-clad figure in front of him, Zhou felt a mix of emotions, but couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly.

During my lifetime.

He actually saw Xie Xuanyi.

Unfortunately.

In order to kill the Three Saints of Southern Xinjiang, he had already ignited the divine fire, but failed to break through to the Yang God realm. What awaited him next was the shattering of his major apertures and the backlash from the Great Dao.

"Brother Zhou..."

Xie Xuanyi suddenly said, "We still have a fight to fight. After this matter is over, I will ask you for advice."

After saying that, he reached out and patted Zhou on the shoulder.

The vapor from the Fountain of Immortality was diluted by the Dao of Life, transforming into pure white vitality, which was slowly sent out.

Zhou paused for a moment.

Pure white water vapor travels through the meridians.

The shattered orifice, under this vibrant and moist environment, miraculously stopped cracking.

What kind of magical power is this?
"...the realm of life?"

Zhou spoke subconsciously, then immediately realized something was wrong.

No.

This was something that someone at the Life Path Realm could not accomplish... The price of failing to break through to the Yang God Realm was extremely high; at best, one would fall from their current realm, and at worst, be stuck at the Yin God Realm for life. As a martial artist, forcibly overstepping his current realm and fighting the Three Saints to the death, he should have tasted the most severe "backlash." However, under the transfer of this radiant life force, the tendency for his physical body to crack was abruptly stopped.

Zhou's pupils constricted.

He suddenly thought of something.

Fountain of immortality.

Xie Xuanyi chuckled softly and said, "Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise... Although the Great Aperture Divine Fire has been extinguished, with Brother Zhou's good fortune, if you take good care of your injuries, you will definitely have another chance to break through in the future."

The two looked at each other.

The thought that Zhou Xinhu had been holding onto was confirmed by the latter's calm gaze.

"……it is good."

The white-clad martial artist took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and began to digest the precious life force that had been sent into his meridians.

Xie Xuanyi did not delay and took a step forward, arriving before the Red Leaf Throne.

"Senior Ye."

Xie Xuanyi looked at the withered, almost burnt-out, aged figure sitting on the throne.

The old man raised his trembling arm and firmly grasped the hand of the young man in black.

"You came."

Ye Zu smiled with satisfaction.

He witnessed Lu Yuzhen's methods within the white paper barrier.

If the false saints of the Southern Frontier who entered the Secret Tomb obtained the Fountain of Immortality... then "Burning Flower" might not be able to kill them.

In this situation.

He needs someone to deliver the real "final blow" for him.

In Ye Zu's plan, the choice for this "final sword" was between Zhou and Xie Zhen... The reason for choosing this place to fight was that the Great Dao Stele enshrined in the Holy Temple was right in front of them. No matter how bad the situation was, with the aptitude of these two, either of them could become the key figure to victory if they stepped into the Holy Temple and seized the secret tomb's fortune.

Fortunately, the situation wasn't that bad.

"You have worked hard."

Xie Xuanyi spoke gently and lightly took the old man's hand.

A pure white aura was sent out...

"Don't waste your energy. Your 'Path of Life' can't save me..."

Ye Zu sensed the familiar aura, shook his head, and subconsciously wanted to refuse.

next moment.

The old man's expression became complicated.

"Ok?"

Ye Zu raised an eyebrow, a strange light flashing in his cloudy eyes.

He stared at the young man in disbelief.

This time, the life force he received was different from before. His depleted meridians were effectively nourished, and his broken blood and qi were being repaired at an extremely slow pace.

This is... the Fountain of Immortality?!
"It's just a little bit of water vapor."

Xie Xuanyi felt somewhat guilty: "This moisture probably can't help you repair the damage to your Great Dao, but it can at least stop the pain for now."

The "fountain of immortality" within his body is currently too small.

They are still far from being comparable to Lu Yuzhen.

Although the Fountain of Immortality is a divine object, it is not entirely omnipotent.

Ye Zu's cultivation level was too high, and his Dao injuries were too deep. Even if Xie Xuanyi offered the "Fountain of Immortality," he couldn't heal these terrible Dao injuries that had spread for a hundred years... In front of a top cultivator at this level, Xie Xuanyi's Fountain of Immortality was still too weak. The only thing he could do was help Ye Zu hold onto his last breath. Ye Zu had just unleashed the "Burning Flower" sword strike with the intention of certain death.

This sword strike ended.

His life came to an end.

But at this moment... Xie Xuanyi's faint "immortal spring vapor" took effect.

"you……"

Ye Zu lay on the throne, his expression dazed, but gradually he came to his senses.

In fact, he never understood why Zhao Chunyang was able to hold back and not go to Beihai to rescue him ten years ago.

Only at this moment did he fully understand.

If Xie Xuanyi had the "Fountain of Immortality" on him ten years ago.

Then everything makes sense.

The old man gave a complicated smile, muttering to himself with a low, self-deprecating tone, "So being blinded by a single leaf... isn't it just me, but the whole world..."

Accompanied by the diffusion of pure white water vapor.

Ye Zu's aura, which had reached its extreme of decay, stopped declining.

The old man's face was pale, but he had regained some vitality.

Seeing this, Xie Xuanyi breathed a slight sigh of relief. His biggest worry was that the "Fountain of Immortality" would not be able to save Ye Zu. After all, the way of life and death cannot be defied. Although the Fountain of Immortality is a powerful divine object, it can at most "forcefully prolong life" and cannot truly "change something from nothing to something".

Fortunately, the moisture worked.

Xie Xuanyi stood up, raised his sleeve and waved it, forming a hand seal with his Martial Arts Divine Embryo.

"Crash-"

Where the golden sword energy had passed, the dome cracked, and the Dao of Life transformed into a rain of blessings, falling upon the heads of the Da Chu people. After a series of fierce battles, all the Da Chu cultivators were severely injured, and now, as this rain of life fell, its radiant energy filled the space between heaven and earth.

Xie Xuanyi's "Life Dao Realm" is not as good as the vapor from the Undying Spring, which can bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, but it is enough to heal the vast majority of injuries.

All of a sudden.

The morale of the Da Chu people has rebounded.

This rain of life falls upon the secret tomb, except for the small area locked by the sword energy of the red leaves.

There, countless dark auras grew and intertwined.

The three pseudo-saints, now nothing but withered shells, clung to life, wanting to leave the barren land encircled by the red leaf sword energy and draw upon the sweet rain of life.

Xie Xuanyi did not give them that chance.

The gift of water vapor and the bestowal of rain actually took only a dozen breaths.

Xie Xuanyi quickly returned to the battlefield.

He stared indifferently at the ground beneath him.

Although these three looked disheveled at the moment, their strength was extremely formidable.

If we do not suffer a great calamity.

Even if only one person appears, it is not someone I can currently handle or defend against.

but……

The three of them had exhausted their "Fountain of Immortality" and were now left with only their last breath.

The tasks then become much simpler.

Xie Xuanyi held his breath and unleashed his natal flying sword. In an instant, countless sword energies surged forth from the sword energy cave, replacing the previous "Burning Flowers" and transforming into a torrential rain of annihilation.

Rumble, rumble!

Xie Xuanyi unleashed his Martial Divine Embryo, single-handedly drawing the three pseudo-saints into his Dao Domain!
"Xie Xuanyi! I'm going to kill you!"

The Joyful Zen Master roared in anguish and raised his hands in a desperate last stand.

A sharp, soul-piercing voice fell into the heart lake—

Xie Xuanyi let out a muffled groan.

This soul-piercing sound severely damaged his heart lake, but the Undying Spring was still there. With a wisp of water vapor evaporating, the wound from the soul-piercing sound healed at an extremely fast speed!

Realizing something was wrong, Bai Gui and Mo Daoren immediately attacked together!
Even with their combined efforts, the attack was still ineffective.

With the "Dao Domain" firmly closed, Xie Xuanyi forcefully suppressed the divine embryo above the heads of the three pseudo-saints, using his own physical body to withstand all the attacks—

If it were any other Yin spirit, it would have bled from all seven orifices and its physical body would have shattered long ago.

But Xie Xuanyi is different from all the Yin spirits.

He possesses a martial arts prodigy and an immortal spring—

As long as there is a breath left, the Fountain of Immortality can be reborn, one begets two, two begets three!

A surge of vitality welled up from his acupoints.

The rain of life fell upon the people of Da Chu, healing their injuries!
The rain of annihilation fell upon the heads of the three pseudo-saints, annihilating them!

The lingering illness unleashed countless sword energies, cascading down like a waterfall. Although this scene could not compare to "Burning Flower," it was still extremely shocking. This was an unfair duel. Xie Xuanyi, in his "Yin God" form, forcibly killed three Southern Border Saints. This fighting style was completely unreasonable. The black-clad figure sitting atop the sword energy peak remained as majestic as a mountain and as immovable as a bell, despite being impacted by countless energies.

The martial arts divine embryo was almost destroyed, but it was restored to its original state in the next moment.

This is Xie Xuanyi's "fighting style".

The White Demon has an immortal spring.

He has too.

Trading one life for another... it's simply a matter of who has more lives!

"Boom, boom, boom."

The sword energy roared from the top of the sky, lasting for ten breaths.

One hundred breaths.

Two hundred breaths.

The path to destruction remains relentlessly forceful.

The small area shrouded by the rain gradually lost its sound, eventually becoming deathly silent.

The Joyful Zen Master was the first to die and perish in this life-or-death battle.

She was afflicted with a chronic illness that pierced her chest, and she was destined to die soon.

When she was on her last breath, the White Demon suddenly attacked, getting close and biting off half of her flesh.

The heretical practitioners in southern Xinjiang never show any mercy.

The evil arts of the Yinshan cultivators can devour "flesh and blood" to replenish their bodies.

The White Ghost wanted to devour the Joyful Zen Master to restore its life force, which was a good idea, but it was in vain at this moment... After being cut down by "Burning Flower", the three pseudo-saint bodies had long lost their life force essence. The White Ghost lay on the Joyful Zen Master's shoulder, gnawing on the flesh bit by bit, but the life force it absorbed could only "linger on" in the rain of annihilation.

Mo Daoren was both angry and saddened as he watched this scene.

He knew that if the White Demon was currently devouring the Joyful Zen Master, he would be next.

Despite the excruciating pain, Mo Daoren wanted to strike ahead of time and kill Bai Gui.

But at this moment, this body has reached its limit.

soon……

The white ghost then lay on top of the ink-wielding Taoist and continued to gnaw at him.

He is indeed a remarkable person.

In the dark, cannibalistic land of southern Xinjiang, to reach the summit, one must learn to eat people...

The White Demon chewed on the flesh and blood with all his might, staring intently at the dark sword light hanging from the sky. He absorbed every bit of the pseudo-saint's remnant body's life force, waiting for a chance to turn the tables.

In my past life.

He always manages to get such an opportunity.

But this time... he didn't wait.

Xie Xuanyi is different from Ye Zu; he has strength and skill.

He would not stop the rain of annihilation until he was certain that all three pseudo-saints had been annihilated.

Hundreds of breaths passed.

The white demon, its flesh and blood devoured, remained in a tilted-back posture as it faced annihilation. Its body was riddled with holes by the sword energy, and its soul and spirit shattered and dissipated.

The rain of destruction continued for a while before gradually stopping.

The war ended.

Xie Xuanyi still maintained his peak state of "vigorous blood and qi", and only the last and weakest wisp of the immortal spring water vapor in his dantian remained.

The three false saints were annihilated one after another.

The small space where the three were huddled together was completely pierced by the sword energy, turning into a pitch-black circular area with a diameter of ten feet.

A dense aura of annihilation filled this circular domain—

The lingering illness hung high, emanating chilling sword energy.

It severs both the soul and destiny.

(End of this chapter)