People in the Imperial Music Bureau: The Storytelling Demon Child Nezha

Sensing the threat, the Dark Moon Apostle hastily deployed his full defense. However, faced with this attack imbued with the power of an ancient seal, his defenses were as flimsy as paper. The Dark Moon Blade was severed, and the Dark Moon Apostle's body was pierced through by the light.

"No!" The Dark Moon Apostle let out a furious roar of resentment as his body gradually dissipated.

Seeing the situation was dire, the men in black robes fled. Li Qiye did not pursue them; his body was swaying precariously from the excessive exertion of his strength.

Su Yuqing rushed forward and helped him up.

"I'm fine." Li Qiye forced a smile. "Now, it's time to seal the node core."

As the group stepped into the teleportation array, the scene before them shocked them.

A massive black vortex hovered in the air, and around it, three rifts were constantly expanding, with dark power surging out like a flood.

"This is it." Li Qiye gripped the Blade of Severance. "Everyone, take your positions according to the rules in the code."

Xuan Ying, Xuan Xing, and Xuan Yue stood at three different points, their tokens radiating light and resonating with the vortex. Su Yuqing's crimson vines coiled around the edge of the vortex, attempting to slow the outflow of dark power.

Li Qiye stood in the very center, embedding the three tokens into the grooves within the vortex. Instantly, the entire space began to tremble, and ancient sealing runes rose from the ground, weaving into a massive net of light in the air.

"With my life, I will reforge the seal!" Li Qiye mobilized his last bit of power and inserted the Boundary-Severing Blade into the center of the light net.

The light network gradually contracted, forcing the dark power back into the vortex. The rifts began to heal, and the black vortex slowly shrank. After a difficult effort, the seal was finally complete.

However, Li Qiye collapsed from exhaustion. Su Yuqing held him tightly, tears welling in her eyes.

"He's alright, he's just overexerted and needs time to recover," Xuan Ying comforted him. "Let's leave here first."

Under Su Yuqing's meticulous care, Li Qiye rested for seven days in the village next to the Ancient Tree of Life.

When he opened his eyes again, the dormant life force within his life core was revitalized, and the Blade of Severance trembled slightly beside his pillow, as if responding to its master's awakening.

Chapter 274 The Power of Pollution Purification

"You're finally awake." Su Yuqing's voice was choked with emotion as crimson vines gently wrapped around his wrist. "The Star Ring has been sensing a certain direction, and Xuan Ying said it might be related to the next seal rift."

Li Qiye propped himself up and sat up. In the distance, the Star Ring was emitting a faint blue light towards the northwest.

He looked up at the rolling dark clouds on the horizon, where faint crimson lightning could be seen flashing: "It seems the forces of darkness won't give us a chance to breathe."

Three days later, the group set off on their journey. The villages along the way were deserted, and strange black crops grew in the fields, turning to ashes upon contact.

Xuan Ying unfolded the Chaos Codex, and the yellowed pages automatically turned to a new record: "In the northwest there is an ancient city called Jin Yuan, the place where the priests of light once fell. The sealed rift is hidden in the core of the ancient city."

When they arrived at the ancient city of Jinyuan, the heavy city gates suddenly burst open, and the city was filled with a strong smell of sulfur.

Twisted stone statues stand on both sides of the street, their faces corroded into hollows, and they hold broken scepters in their hands.

"Watch out, these stone statues..." Before Xuan Ying could finish speaking, the nearest stone statue suddenly turned, its empty eye sockets glowing with a ghostly green light, and it swung its fist at Xuan Xing.

Li Qiye teleported to the scene, and the Blade of Severance unleashed a purifying light, shattering the stone statue into pieces.

However, the fragments did not dissipate; instead, they reassembled into more small stone statues, which surged forth like a tide.

"Their weakness lies between their eyebrows!" Su Yuqing's crimson vines transformed into thousands of fine needles, precisely piercing the core of the stone statue. The incantations on the vines ignited, completely purifying the statue.

The group continued deeper and arrived at a plaza. In the center of the plaza stood a huge altar, above which floated a crystal ball, sealing within which was a constantly struggling mass of black mist—the very embodiment of the rift.

“To seal it, we must find the sacred relic left behind by the Priest of Light.” Li Qiye sensed the fluctuations in the crystal ball. “But the aura here… there is another force watching.”

Suddenly, the ground cracked open, and countless skeletal hands burst forth from the earth.

These skeletal hands dragged skeletons dressed in tattered priestly robes, their scepters topped with black gems and exuding an evil aura.

"They are corrupted priests of light!" Xuan Yue exclaimed. "Their power will corrupt the purifying power!"

Li Qiye's Blade of Severance clashed with the Skeleton Priest's Scepter, and the golden light was absorbed by the black gem.

He immediately changed his strategy, mobilizing the power of the Heart of Life, and emerald green life patterns appeared on the blade.

As the Blade of Severance struck again, the Skeleton Priest let out a shrill scream as his body began to disintegrate.

In the heat of battle, a white figure emerged from behind the altar.

It was a woman dressed in a white robe, her face veiled, holding a book that emitted a soft glow in her hands.

"Outsiders, do you think you can pass the test with brute force?" The woman's voice was as cold as frost. "Only by answering Jin Yuan's three questions can you obtain the sacred object."

Su Yuqing warily stepped in front of Li Qiye: "Who are you? Why are you guarding the Dark Rift?"

The woman gently opened the book, and countless glowing characters floated from between the pages: "I am the guardian of the Abyss of Ashes. This place is both a prison and a place of trial. If you answer incorrectly, you will be trapped here forever."

Li Qiye stepped forward, his gaze firm: "Please speak."

"First question: Light or darkness, which is the true origin of the world?"

Chapter 275 Restraint

This question silenced everyone. Xuan Ying was about to speak, but Li Qiye raised his hand to stop her.

He gripped the Blade of the Boundary, feeling the resonance between the life force within his life core and the Star Ring: "Light and darkness are two sides of the same coin. Only through balance can they endure."

The keeper nodded slightly, and the ancient text shone brightly: "Second question: If the price of sealing away darkness is the sacrifice of a loved one, what would you choose?"

Su Yuqing's body stiffened noticeably, and the crimson vines tightened involuntarily.

Li Qiye turned to look at her, his eyes full of tenderness: "I will find a third path, one that protects both the world and the people who are important to me."

Because true protection is never a black-and-white choice.

A soft laugh came from beneath the veil of the keeper of secrets, and the tome slowly flew to Li Qiye's side: "Final question: When you yourself are corrupted by darkness, how will you deal with it?"

Li Qiye grasped the ancient book and felt the surging power of light within it.

He recalled the moment he confronted the man in black robes in the Netherworld Tower, and the belief he held in his heart whenever he was on the verge of despair: "My heart is light, and even in darkness, I can become a spark that illuminates the way forward."

As soon as the words were spoken, the tome transformed into a pillar of light and shot into the sky. From the depths of the altar came the sound of mechanisms turning, and a scepter inlaid with seven-colored gems slowly rose up—the sacred relic of the Priest of Light, the "Dawn Scepter".

However, just as Li Qiye reached out to touch the scepter, the sky suddenly cracked open with an even larger fissure.

A giant claw covered in scales emerged, and the figure of the man in black robes appeared.

The leader, clad in black, held a bone bow with a jet-black arrow nocked on the bowstring; the arrowhead gleamed with a chilling, eerie blue light.

The giant claw slammed down, creating a huge crater in the plaza. The man in black robes drew his bow and nocked an arrow; the whistling sound of the arrow piercing the air sent chills down everyone's spine.

Li Qiye instinctively raised the Dawn Scepter to block. The moment the arrow struck the scepter, the seven-colored light and the dark blue evil energy collided violently, and the resulting shockwave sent everyone flying several feet away.

"Watch out! That arrow contains the corrosive power of the abyss!" Xuan Ying struggled to his feet, the characters (ahae) on the codex flashing violently. "It must be destroyed before the poison spreads!"

Li Qiye could clearly feel the Dawn Scepter trembling, and the gems on the scepter were dimming at a visible speed.

He mobilized all the power within his life core, simultaneously infusing the scepter with the light of purification, the power of life, and the radiance of stars. The Dawn Scepter erupted with dazzling light, transforming into a blade of light that slashed towards the arrow.

The arrows exploded with a deafening roar, and the black-robed figures seized the opportunity to launch a group attack. Dozens of black energy beams fell like meteors, and Su Yuqing's blood-red vines, which had woven a giant shield, were corroded with countless holes the moment they came into contact with the energy beams.

Xuan Yue and Xuan Xing joined forces to release a star and moon light barrier, barely managing to withstand a wave of attacks.

"This can't go on!" Li Qiye saw the guardian drawing a mysterious array behind the altar. "Xuanying, go and help the guardian complete the array! The rest of you, come with me and hold off the man in black!"

Xuan Ying nodded, transforming into a phantom and disappearing into the depths of the altar. Li Qiye waved the Dawn Scepter, and the gem at the top of the scepter lit up again, releasing light blasts that tracked the man in black robes.

Su Yuqing used herself as bait, deliberately exposing her blood-red vines to lure the man in black robes into Li Qiye's attack range.

As the battle raged, the giant claw attacked again. Li Qiye looked up and saw that the giant claw was holding a black sphere in its palm. The surface of the sphere was covered with strange runes, which were the new rift that was about to form.

Chapter 276 Stop Him

"We must stop it from coalescing!" Li Qiye plunged the Dawn Scepter into the ground, and the light emanating from the scepter formed a pillar that shot straight towards the giant claw. However, the arrow shot by the black-robed man struck again, interrupting the power of the pillar of light.

At the critical moment, the guardian completed the formation.

The ancient array emitted a dazzling light, deflecting all the black-robed man's arrows. Taking advantage of the moment, Xuan Ying threw the Chaos Codex at Li Qiye. The codex unfurled in the air, transforming into a golden barrier.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Qiye mobilized the power of three divine artifacts: the light of the Dawn Scepter, the laws of the Chaos Codex, and the vitality of the Heart of Life. Ancient sealing runes appeared around his body, and the Blade of the Boundary merged with the Dawn Scepter to form a giant lightsaber.

"Break!" Li Qiye leaped into the air, his lightsaber slashing at the giant claw. The giant claw roared deafeningly, and the black sphere began to disintegrate under the purifying power of the lightsaber. Seeing the situation was dire, the black-robed figures all summoned their natal magic weapons, attempting to stop Li Qiye.

Su Yuqing's crimson vines suddenly swelled, binding the black-robed man's magical artifact. Her Heavenly Evil Bloodline power surged wildly, her face turning ashen: "Li Qiye, hurry! I can't hold on much longer!"

Li Qiye channeled all his power into the lightsaber, its light illuminating the entire ancient city. With a deafening roar, the giant claw was severed, and the black sphere vanished completely. The black-robed man let out a desperate roar, turning into black smoke and fleeing in all directions.

After the battle, Li Qiye collapsed weakly to his knees. The Dawn Scepter reverted to its normal form, and the Codex and the Heart of Life fell silent. The Guardian approached him, a relieved smile appearing beneath his veil: "You have passed the final test."

She raised her hand and a crystal box rose from beneath the altar, inside which lay a badge that shimmered with a faint light—the key item to unlock the next seal.

"The next seal is located in the Eternal Night Forest, the lair of dark creatures." The guardian handed the badge to Li Qiye. "When darkness completely envelops the forest, only by collecting all four artifacts can the core of the seal be found."

Li Qiye gripped the badge tightly, feeling the heavy responsibility it contained. He looked at Su Yuqing, who was using blood-red vines to heal the injured Xuan Yue.

"No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, we will not back down." Li Qiye stood up, his eyes as firm as iron, "because behind us is the light of the entire world."

0 ······Requesting flowers 0 ····

Deep within the Evernight Forest, a pair of crimson eyes watched all this unfold. Twisted characters appeared on a tree trunk: "The day the Four Sacred Treasures return to their rightful place will be the day the Abyss King awakens..."

Thick, inky fog blanketed the edge of the Eternal Night Forest. The moment Li Qiye stepped inside, his star ring emitted a piercing alarm. The darkness here was unlike anything he had experienced before; it possessed a strong corrosive quality, and every breath felt like swallowing sharp blades.

...... .. ...

"Everyone, stay alert. The laws of space here have been distorted." Xuan Ying unfolded the codex, only to find that the text on the pages was constantly changing. "We may be trapped in an illusion."

Before she could finish speaking, Su Yuqing's pupils suddenly contracted. Her crimson vines grew uncontrollably and wildly, wrapping around her body. "Don't touch me! This isn't real!" she struggled desperately, veins bulging on her forehead.

Li Qiye immediately mobilized the power of the Heart of Life, and a warm green light enveloped Su Yuqing.

Under the power of purification, the crimson vines gradually calmed down, revealing black spiders hidden in the mist—these spiders' fangs could plunge people into the most terrifying illusions.

Chapter 277 The Key Has Been Found

"Their weakness is in their abdomen!" Li Qiye swung the Boundary-Severing Blade, a flash of golden light, and the spiders exploded. But even more spiders crawled out from the cracks in the tree, their numbers seemingly endless.

Xuanxing suddenly pointed to the sky and exclaimed, "Look! The moon has turned black!"

Everyone looked up and saw that the originally bright moon had been swallowed by a cloud of black mist, turning into a black moon that emitted an ominous light.

The dark power in the forest surged instantly, the trees began to twist and deform, their branches turned into sharp bone spurs, and black mud gushed from the ground.

"The black moon hangs high, eternal night descends." A hoarse voice echoed from all directions. "You think you can seal the abyss with just a few divine artifacts? How naive."

The figures in black robes reappeared, this time numbering in the hundreds, each wrapped in chains of dark energy.

The leader, a man in black robes, removed his hood, revealing a scarred face with a flickering black flame in his left eye.

"I am the Witch God, the messenger of the Abyss King." The Witch God toyed with the chains in his hand. "The artifacts you have collected are just what you need to offer as sacrifices to my lord."

Li Qiye gripped the Dawn Scepter tightly, and the gem at the top of the scepter lit up again: "If you want the divine artifact, you'll have to get past me first!"

The moment the battle erupted, Li Qiye charged towards the Witch God. The Blade of Severance clashed with the chains, sending countless sparks flying.

The power of the sorcerer god far exceeded imagination; every attack carried the power to tear through space.

Li Qiye constantly changed his moves, while simultaneously mobilizing the power of the laws of the Codex to form a defensive barrier around his body.

On the other side, Su Yuqing led Xuan Ying and others to fight against the black-robed group.

Crimson vines intertwined with the dark chains of the black-robed man, Xuanxing's scepter released scorching starlight, while Xuanyue used moonlight to freeze the enemy's movements.

However, there were simply too many black-robed men, and their attacks gradually became more difficult.

"This won't do! We must find the core of the forest!" Xuan Ying shouted.

Li Qiye suddenly noticed that every time the black moon flickered, the black-robed man's power would increase by one point.

He turned to look at Su Yuqing, and the two nodded in unison. Su Yuqing's crimson vines suddenly surged, binding the witch god's chains and creating an opportunity for Li Qiye.

Li Qiye simultaneously raised the Dawn Scepter, the Chaos Codex, and the Heart of Life, the three powers merging in his hands to form a massive sphere of light. He leaped into the air and hurled the sphere of light at the Black Moon.

"boom!"

A violent explosion resounded through the forest, shattering the Black Moon into countless black fragments that fell to the ground.

The men in black robes let out painful screams as their power dissipated with the shattering of the black moon.

The witch god roared in anger, swinging out chains that wrapped around Li Qiye's ankles and dragged him toward the abyss fissure beneath the earth.

"Li Qiye!" Su Yuqing rushed forward without hesitation, her crimson vines transforming into ropes that bound Li Qiye's hands. Xuan Ying and the others also launched their attacks, attempting to stop the Witch God.

As Li Qiye plummeted, he suddenly felt a strong vibration emanating from the Star Ring. Looking down, he saw a faint light shimmering deep within the crack—the aura of the fourth divine artifact.

"Su Yuqing, let go! I can sense the location of the artifact!" Li Qiye shouted.