Ink-Clad Creator

At midnight, the silence of the desert was shattered by an eerie buzzing sound.

The sound came from extremely high places, as if the sky itself was groaning in pain. Li Xian was moving northeast as planned, the "Fragment of the Earth's Core" that Huang Yan had temporarily condensed in his arms emitting an alluring yellow light.

He suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky.

Something's not right...

The stars in the night sky began to twinkle and distort, like reflections in water being disturbed. Without warning, the aurora descended from the northern horizon—not the usual bluish-green, but a violent waterfall of light interwoven with crimson, dark purple, and pale white, instantly dyeing the entire desert in eerie, watery colors.

"Warning... High-intensity electromagnetic pulse detected..."

The Superman, hovering low in the air, suddenly trembled violently, its electronic voice crackling intermittently. Its indicator lights flashed wildly, blue smoke billowed from its fuselage, and then it plummeted straight down, crashing onto the sand with a "bang."

"Superman!" Li rushed over.

Almost simultaneously, the communication crystal in his arms cracked in two with a "crack." From behind the distant sand dunes, the faint neighing of warhorses and screams of people could be heard.

Inside the underground hub, Huang Yan suddenly opened his eyes, his face ashen white.

"It's here... faster than expected..." His voice trembled. "The Fury of Mars... the peak of the solar geomagnetic storm... everything that relies on precise energy loops... is going to suffer."

The Green Wood Token in Xiao Lingshan's hand vibrated violently. She tried to communicate with the token, but found that the originally smooth energy flow had become sluggish and chaotic. The little doll in Peng Shitao's medicine box suddenly stopped resonating, and the light on its surface dimmed.

"Senior, what is this?" Binglan steadied herself against the swaying rock wall.

"The sun... is enraged." Huang Yan smiled bitterly. "The power that destroyed the Heavenly Net three hundred years ago has descended once more. This time, who knows how much more it will destroy."

He looked in the direction Li Xian had left: "But for the plan... it might be a good thing."

Five miles to the northwest lies the Demonic Cult's camp.

The Heart-Eating Ancestor sat cross-legged before a ball of eerie green flames, slowly drawing black energy from the crown of a disciple's head with his withered fingers. The disciple convulsed, his eyes rolled back, but he couldn't utter a sound—his vocal cords had been "borrowed" by the Ancestor earlier.

"Ancestor."

Bingwei's voice came from behind the sand dunes, calm and undisturbed.

Seven disciples of the Demonic Sect instantly stood up, their eyes bloodshot as they stared at the newcomer. The Heart-Eating Ancestor slowly withdrew his hand, and the disciple who had been sucked out of breath collapsed limply to the ground, his fate unknown.

"A little medicine man from Linghan Palace?" The old ancestor narrowed his eyes. "What, abandoned by Li Xian, you've come to me begging for a way to survive?"

Bingwei walked to the edge of the firelight, took out the jade pendant from her bosom, and tossed it over.

The Heart-Eating Ancestor caught it mid-air. The jade pendant was warm and smooth, with clear energy imprints remaining on it—it was Li Xian's orange-gold aura, mixed with a trace of blood.

"He's injured?" The old ancestor stroked the jade pendant, a greedy glint in his eyes.

"Seriously injured." Bingwei's voice was low. "He and the Earth Sect's guardian forcibly broke the seal on the Earth's core, and suffered a backlash. He's currently hiding in the ancient oasis ruins in the northwest, on the verge of death. Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao are taking care of him, but they... got into an argument."

"dispute?"

"Xiao Lingshan wanted to use the Azure Wood Token to extract the remaining primordial energy from Li Xian's body to save herself. Peng Shitao refused, and the two fought." Bingwei spoke calmly, as if stating a fact. "I took advantage of the chaos to steal the jade pendant and escape. Ancestor, I only ask for one thing—to cure the Heart-Eating Gu in my body. In exchange, I will take you to the ruins; the Earth's Core and Li Xian are both yours."

The Heart-Eating Ancestor stared into her eyes, remaining silent for a long time.

He suddenly raised his hand, and a black aura shot out from his sleeve, heading straight for Bingwei's face! Bingwei neither dodged nor avoided it, letting the black aura enter her brow—it was the Demonic Sect's "Mind-Reading Technique," capable of detecting lies and fear.

Time seemed to stand still.

Bingwei constructed a picture in her mind: Li Xian lay in a pool of blood, fragments of the Earth's core were scattered to the side, Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao were at each other's throats... These scenes were half real and half fake. She intertwined her real fear (fear of being abandoned) with the fictional plot to form a perfect brocade of lies.

Three breaths later, the black energy receded.

"What she said is true," the patriarch told his disciples, but a trace of doubt remained in his eyes. "However..."

He suddenly bit his fingertip, flicking out a drop of his blood. The blood bead transformed into a hideous ghost face in mid-air, lunging towards Bingwei!

"If you harbor any disloyal thoughts, this 'Soul-Devouring Blood Curse' will immediately activate, causing your soul to be scattered."

Bingwei calmly accepted the blood curse entering her body without even changing her expression.

"Now, lead the way."

Li Xianzheng was "escaping for his life" on the sandy sea to the northeast.

He deliberately slowed down, keeping the hoofbeats of his pursuers within audible range. The yellow light from the "fragment" in his arms flickered, simulating an unstable energy state—a little trick taught by Huang Yan, using subtle energy fluctuations to create the illusion of serious injury.

"General! Target spotted ahead!" The scout's voice came from behind.

Qin Xiao reined in his warhorse, the aurora reflecting off his golden armor with an eerie glow. He squinted at the staggering figure in the distance, gripping his halberd tightly.

"Something's not right," he whispered to his adjutant. "Eunuch Zhao said Li fled northwest, so why is he in the northeast? And... this aurora phenomenon is too strange."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sand in front of them suddenly exploded!

It wasn't Li who made the first move, but rather the geomagnetic storm that caused the ley lines to become disordered—a stream of fire erupted from the crack, and crimson magma solidified in the air into a bizarre sculpture.

Li Xian was "just" thrown over by the shockwave, and the "fragment" in his arms flew out of his hand and landed on the sand three zhang away, where it suddenly shone brightly!

"Fragments of the Earth's core!" the lieutenant exclaimed.

Qin Xiao's heart raced. If he could really obtain this item... but he forcibly suppressed his greed; his years of military service had kept him vigilant.

"Splitting up! You take ten men to flank from the left, I'll lead the rest to pursue from the front. If there's an ambush, signal immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

The cavalry split into two groups. Li Xian got up, grabbed the "fragments," and continued his escape, a slight smile playing on his lips—the division of forces meant the plan was half successful.

But what he didn't expect was that the effects of the geomagnetic storm were intensifying.

"Snap—!"

A "Qi-finding compass" in Qin Xiao's arms, used to detect energy fluctuations, suddenly shattered. Immediately afterward, the auxiliary runes embedded in all the cavalry armor dimmed—these runes, which could enhance defense and reduce weight, were now all ineffective.

The warhorses began to neigh restlessly, and the sand beneath their hooves became unusually soft.

"General, the sand is sinking!" a cavalryman shouted in terror.

Qin Xiao looked down and saw that the sand around him, within a radius of ten zhang, was slowly rotating, forming a miniature quicksand vortex!

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

But it was too late.

In the underground space, Huang Yan pressed his hands against the surface of the Earth's core, and blood began to seep from his seven orifices.

The ancient symbols on the rock face flickered wildly, and the energy output of the entire hub had reached a critical point. Xiao Lingshan sat cross-legged to his left, with the Green Wood Token floating in front of her. The token's surface revealed complex patterns she had never seen before—deep structures that had appeared after resonating with the earth's veins.

"Young lady... use your spiritual medium... guide the energy flow towards the eastern array eye..." Huang Yan's voice was hoarse and broken, "This old man... can't hold on much longer..."

Xiao Lingshan closed her eyes and focused all her attention on the Green Wood Token.

She "saw" it—centered on the hub, three thick, yellow energy streams, like earth dragons, traversed the ground, surging in the northeast, northwest, and southeast directions respectively. Each energy stream branched out into countless tributaries along its path, controlling the rise and fall of every stretch of quicksand within a radius of fifty miles.

However, the energy flow is extremely unstable, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and may collapse at any time.

"Shitao, help me!" she said through gritted teeth.

Peng Shitao placed her hand on Xiao Lingshan's back, infusing her with gentle, wood-based life force. This wasn't an attack, but nourishment—like a gardener tending to a seedling. Xiao Lingshan trembled, her senses instantly sharpening several times over!

She "grasped" the energy flow from the northeast and, using her medium form as a bridge, slowly infused the harmonizing power of the Azure Wood Token.

The rotational speed of the quicksand began to be controlled.

The ancient oasis ruins are actually just a few sections of half-buried walls and ruins surrounding a deep well that has long since dried up.

When Bingwei arrived with the Heart-Eating Ancestor and two disciples, there was indeed a figure lying by the well—with its back to them, motionless, its breath as faint as a wisp of smoke.

"Right there," Bingwei pointed to the figure.

The patriarch did not step forward. He shot out three streams of black energy from his sleeve, which transformed into skulls in the air and pounced on the figure from three directions.

This is the "Three Souls Probing the Way" technique from the Heart-Eating Great Art, which can both detect the real and the unreal, and instantly seize the soul.

Just as the skull was about to touch the figure, something unexpected happened!

"boom--!"

The figure suddenly exploded, transforming into countless orange-gold specks of light! The specks of light recombine in the air, forming a complex three-dimensional array that enveloped the three ancestors!

"You wretch!" the old ancestor roared, his withered claws reaching for Bingwei.

Bingwei was prepared; she drew her short blade, severing the incoming black energy, and retreated rapidly. But she underestimated the speed of a Divine Origin Realm cultivator—the ancestor closed in like a ghost in an instant, his other hand already reaching for her throat!

At the critical moment, a figure suddenly leaped out of the well.

The orange-gold sword light shone like the rising sun, illuminating half the night sky.

"clang--!"

Sword and claw clashed, the shockwave shattering the surrounding ruins. Li Xian stood there, sword in hand, the flame mark between his brows burning fiercely—he showed no signs of serious injury whatsoever.

"You...you're not injured?!" Old Ancestor Heart-Eating was both shocked and furious.

"It's just acting," Li Xian said calmly. "Since the patriarch is here, let him stay."

The old ancestor sneered: "You? Even if you weren't injured, you're only at the Heavenly Origin Realm, while I'm already at the Divine Origin Realm! The difference in realms is like heaven and earth—"

Before he could finish speaking, the sand beneath his feet suddenly collapsed!

It's not ordinary quicksand, but "Soul-Devouring Quicksand" that emits a yellow light—this is a killing move specially made by Huang Yan using the energy of the Earth's core, specifically designed to counter evil and sinister techniques!

"Aaaaaah—!"

The two disciples were the first to fall, their bodies rapidly dissolving in the yellow light, not even having a chance to utter a complete scream. The patriarch struggled frantically, but countless yellow light ropes emerged from the quicksand, binding his limbs and bones.

"The Earth Vein Sealing Array?!" The patriarch's face turned deathly pale. "This is a lost forbidden array of the Earth Sect! How could you—"

"That's what Senior Huang Yan taught me." Li Xian walked to the edge of the formation and looked at the old ancestor who was like a trapped beast. "He said that the righteous energy of the earth's veins is the most effective way to deal with demonic arts."

Within the formation, the patriarch felt his Yin energy being suppressed, melting away like ice and snow meeting the sun. A madness flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence—

"Since we're going to die anyway, let's die together! Blood Sacrifice - Explosion of Ten Thousand Gu!"

The blood mist transformed into eerie runes and exploded, releasing countless hair-thin Gu worms from the center of the runes, swarming towards Li Xian! This was a forbidden technique of mutual destruction; once the Gu worms got close, they would detonate all the energy within the host's body!

Li Xian's expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to activate his orange-gold energy to protect himself, Huang Yan's hoarse shout suddenly came from outside the formation:

"Earth's Veins - Suppressing Evil!"

A thunderous roar came from the depths of the earth, and five thick yellow beams of light burst forth from the sand, converging in the air to form a giant hand covering half an acre, which slammed down!

"boom--!!!"

The giant hand slammed the Heart-Eating Ancestor and all the Gu worms into the ground! The sand trembled, forming a giant pit ten feet deep. At the bottom of the pit, the Ancestor's body was twisted like a tattered sack, his breath completely gone, with only a wisp of black smoke rising and being purified by the earth's energy.

The Demonic Cult Elder, the Heart-Eating Ancestor, is dead.

The light gradually faded. Li Xian leaned on his sword, panting. This seemingly effortless strike had actually consumed nearly half of his orange-gold energy. Bingwei rushed over to support him: "You…"

"I'm fine." Li Xian looked at the deep pit. "His disciples who stayed at the camp..."

"All cleared." Huang Yan's illusory figure appeared at the edge of the pit, even more transparent than before. "The northwest array eye is complete. Now... it's time to deal with the other two."

Ten miles to the southeast.

Eunuch Zhao huddled behind a giant rock, his face ashen. The communication talisman in his hand had just burned out, and the three communication crystals in his arms had all shattered—the solar magnetic storm had destroyed all long-distance communication methods, and he was now truly alone.

No, there were also five eunuchs and ten cavalrymen, but they were all trembling with fear, even more so than him.

"My lord... let's go back..." a young eunuch pleaded, his voice trembling with tears. "This desert is incredibly ominous. That aurora just now... it was a bad omen!"

"Shut up!" Eunuch Zhao shouted shrilly, but his voice was trembling.

He regretted it. Why did he personally chase after them into the desert? Why didn't he wait for the main army to surround them? Now, he was lost, communication was cut off, and he couldn't even tell which way was which.

Just then, a crack suddenly appeared in the sand ahead, and a soft yellow light shone through from the ground!

Grandpa Zhao's eyes widened—from the crack, a fist-sized yellow crystal slowly rose, shaped like an icosahedron! The crystal's surface shimmered with iridescent light, and its interior shimmered with a liquid-like halo, breathtakingly beautiful.

"The heart of the earth... fragments?" he murmured to himself.

The crystal hovered for a moment, then suddenly drifted in a certain direction at a slow speed, as if it were leading the way.

Greed overcame fear. Eunuch Zhao suddenly stood up: "Keep up! Quickly, keep up!"

He led fifteen men in a stumbling chase, completely unaware that the sand beneath their feet was becoming increasingly soft, and with each step they sank deeper into the sand.

The crystal drifted over a sand dune and disappeared behind. Eunuch Zhao rushed to the top of the dune, only to be stunned—

On the other side of the dunes lay a vast plain of shifting sands. The crystal floated in the center of the plain, spinning silently. Around the plain, the sand undulated like waves, as if it were breathing with life.

"Father, Father...this place is not right..." a cavalryman said in a trembling voice.

Eunuch Zhao also felt a pang of fear, but the crystal was so close. He gritted his teeth: "Send two men to fetch it!"

Two cavalrymen, steeling themselves, spurred their horses down the sand dune. The moment their horses touched the quicksand plain, a sudden and unexpected event occurred!

"Hissing!"

The warhorse neighed in agony, its hooves thrashing wildly, yet it sank at a visible speed! In less than three breaths, both man and horse were swallowed by the quicksand, and the sand returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

The others were terrified. Eunuch Zhao turned to flee, only to find his path blocked by quicksand—the sand dune they had been on had become an isolated island!

"A trap...it's a trap!" he screamed in agony.

In the center of the shifting sands, the crystal shone brightly. Huang Yan's voice came from underground, ancient and solemn:

"Greed blinds your hearts, leading you to your own demise. This place will be your final resting place."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire sand dune began to spin, forming a giant vortex. Zhao Gonggong and the others lost their footing and plunged into the quicksand, their screams swallowed by the sand.

The eye of the northeast formation, an illusionary sea of ​​sand.

The deputy general, leading ten cavalrymen, had pursued the "illusion of Li Xian" for twenty miles into the desert. When they finally surrounded the "figure," the illusion suddenly vanished, turning into a wisp of yellow smoke.

"We've fallen into a trap!" the leading lieutenant exclaimed in alarm. "Retreat!"

But it was too late.

A yellow light curtain rose simultaneously from the surrounding sand, forming a sealed barrier. The sand began to liquefy, turning into molten lava—not real lava, but a high-temperature fluid simulated by the earth's ley lines!

"Aaaaaah—!"

Screams echoed throughout the air. The cavalrymen, men and horses alike, struggled in the "magma," their armor melting and flesh charred. In less than ten breaths, all eleven men were wiped out, leaving not even ashes behind.

The light curtain dissipated, and the sandy land returned to calm. Huang Yan's phantom appeared in the air, watching this scene with a look of sorrow in his eyes.

"I committed atrocities... but I had no choice."

His body was as transparent as glass, and could disappear at any moment.

The eye of the northeastern battle formation lies on a plain of shifting sands.

Qin Xiao and ten cavalrymen were trapped in a rapidly spinning vortex of quicksand, sinking deeper and deeper. Their warhorses had long been swallowed up, and the soldiers struggled frantically, but to no avail.

"General... save me..." A cavalryman stretched his hand out of the sand, only to have it swallowed up.

Qin Xiao planted his halberd into the ground, barely managing to steady himself, but the quicksand had already reached his chest. He looked up at the sky; the aurora continued to dance wildly, as if mocking the powerlessness of mortals.

Just as he was about to give up, an orange-gold rope descended from the sky and wrapped around his wrist.

"pay close attention!"

It was Li Xian's voice. Qin Xiao looked up and saw Li Xian standing at the edge of the sandpit, gripping the rope with one hand, veins bulging on his forehead. Behind him, Xiao Lingshan, Peng Shitao, and Bing Wei were desperately pulling on the rope, while at the other end—Bing Lan was on guard not far away.

"Why did you save me?" Qin Xiao gritted his teeth.

"Because you have more principles than Eunuch Zhao." Li Xian pulled upwards forcefully, his voice squeezed out through clenched teeth, "General Qin, I understand that the court wants to kill me. But I don't want to die at the hands of someone as upright as you."

Qin Xiao was stunned. He used the pull to leap out of the quicksand and landed on solid ground, covered in yellow sand and looking utterly disheveled.

"You...you're not going to kill me?"

"Go back and tell the Emperor." Li Xian loosened the ropes, panting, "The Creation Saint Sect doesn't want to be enemies with the court, but it's not afraid to be either. If you push them any further, they won't show any mercy next time."

He paused, then added, "Eunuch Zhao is dead. You can shift the blame to him—say he was greedy for merit and acted rashly, getting stuck in quicksand, and you couldn't rescue him in time. That way, you can at least keep your official position."

Qin Xiao remained silent for a long time before clasping his hands in a fist and saying, "I will remember your kindness today. But public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters. If we meet on the battlefield in the future, I will still show no mercy."

"That would be best," Li said with a smile.

Qin Xiao gave him a deep look, then turned and left. Of the ten cavalrymen, only three survived, disappearing behind the sand dunes with him.

From the southeastern core of the formation, the last explosion was heard, followed by silence.

The illusory image of Huangyan flickered in the air, fading to almost no trace.

"It's over..." he murmured, "The three pursuing forces... are all wiped out..."

Before the words were finished, the phantom image vanished completely.

Inside the underground hub, the seated figure collapsed face up, lifeless.

The Earth's core fell from mid-air, and with a "crack," the first crack appeared on its surface.

(End of Chapter 52)