The entire Yue Mountain was shaking.
From the Buddha Tower, a relentless, scorching wind swept out, carrying the heat of fire. Wherever it passed, it left only a void of death.
“He’s going to destroy this mountain!” Gu Baiying’s brows sharpened, and he charged forward with his spear. “Stop him!”
Zanxing, gritting her teeth against the searing pain in her heart, gripped the Wuyou Staff tightly and gave chase. The staff’s wind howled as the thick demonic energy surged like a dark green abyss, crashing towards Gui Yansheng.
The golden-eyed youth’s eyes flashed with a bloody and fierce aura. He sneered, “Even a pure-blooded Heavenly Demon is nothing special!” The Asura Umbrella snapped open, and countless fierce Asura demons immediately poured out from it. Those whose souls were devoured by the Asura Umbrella remained trapped within, to be used at his will.
This umbrella had consumed tens of thousands of souls, these countless people were his ultimate weapons.
The fierce spirits climbed onto the magical tools of everyone amidst the dark mist. Meng Ying slashed through an Asura in front of her with her sword, coldly stating, “Demonic and evil path.”
“I am a demon, what’s wrong with being demonic and evil?” Gui Yansheng glared at Zanxing, his Asura Umbrella’s pointed demonic energy swirling as he attacked her relentlessly. “Even though I am a demon, I have to mix with sect disciples and pretend to be benevolent. What’s wrong with that? If people hurt me, I retaliate. There is no reason in this world that lowly status should mean being destined to be slaughtered!”
Zanxing’s brows furrowed as she blocked the attacking umbrella tips with her staff. The Wuyou Staff’s green lotuses bloomed fiercely, preventing the Asura Umbrella from advancing any further. Zanxing said, “If you want revenge for those who wronged you, it’s understandable. But what about the innocent? What wrong did Ziluo do? She had no enmity with you. Why did she have to die under your Asura Umbrella?”
The gentle and kind Ziluo, who had once welcomed Zanxing into the sect on the mountain, was no longer there. Zanxing would never forget seeing her spirit on the Asura Umbrella—pale and listless, a stark contrast to the vibrant, lively sister she once was.
“Why take out your anger on innocent people?”
“What innocent people!” Gui Yansheng laughed harshly. “Everyone is born guilty in this world. If she’s useless, she deserves to die. And you—” His gaze grew more frenzied. “—are also destined to die under my Asura Umbrella!”
“Young Princess——” At this moment, a call echoed through the hall. A green figure darted into the chamber, Xiao Shuang and the remaining demon clan members rushing in. They had waited outside the tower for a long time, until the Two-Life Buddha Wheel shattered and the Xie Zhi statue turned to dust. With the tower’s restrictions lifted and the commotion from above, they immediately came to assist.
A white skull suddenly opened its mouth, releasing a series of sharp, piercing laughs as it flew toward Gui Yansheng. The Skeleton Woman called out, “Young Princess, we’re here to help you!”
The battle in the hall grew fiercer.
Countless Asuras cried and fled within the hall. What was originally a Buddha Tower now resembled a realm of ghosts. Mu Cengxiao gathered his energy at the tip of the God-Slaying Blade and struck down at the black mist before him. A blinding golden light flashed, and the fleeing Asuras were instantly obliterated.
Tian Fangfang raised her broad axe, and a fire-colored flood dragon coiled out from the blade, immediately spouting intense flames that incinerated the black mist in front of them.
Meng Ying’s Moon Soul Sword glowed with a silvery radiance, and as she swung the sword, the black mist was enveloped by the moonlight.
The young man charging toward Gui Yansheng, with his silver spear like a snowy long blade, stirred up a tremendous surge of magic power, as if trying to shred the eerie paper umbrella to pieces.
Zanxing followed closely, her green staff and the silver spear creating a strong wind. The crimson flowers intertwined with shattered snow, the magic and elemental powers blending seamlessly together. The flower and snow swirled with the wind, turning the scene into a chilling spectacle.
The two of them, with one spear and one staff, charged straight at Gui Yansheng, forcing him to retreat step by step. The young man with golden eyes grew more intense, and suddenly, he let out a loud roar. A heavy surge of magic energy exploded from him, silently spreading out, and a vibrant color suddenly appeared on the Asura Umbrella.
Zanxing’s face went pale instantly.
Gui Yansheng was drawing on the power of the Xiao Yuan Pearl!
The Asura had already been using the Ten Thousand Ghosts Asura Path, which inflicted self-damage to gain power. Now, forcibly summoning the Xiao Yuan Pearl would make him endure even more excruciating pain, affecting Zanxing as well.
“I’ve been waiting for this!” In an instant, Gu Baiying’s figure was already close to Gui Yansheng. His eyes were cold as he lifted the silver spear high. A brilliant silver light shot from the spear’s tip, roaring toward Gui Yansheng’s chest!
Weapon Spirit? Zanxing was stunned. Had Gu Baiying actually developed a spirit for the Xiu Gu Spear?
Gui Yansheng had not expected the weapon spirit. Above the spear, a massive snow-bright silhouette seemed to form from the essence of battle intent born of the heavens, piercing through Gui Yansheng’s chest in an instant.
A black pearl was forced out.
The pearl was about the size of an eyeball, with a flickering black flame burning within it—it was the Xiao Yuan Pearl.
Zanxing’s eyes narrowed as she leaped into the air, reaching out to seize the floating Xiao Yuan Pearl. The Asura Umbrella lunged at Zanxing, forcing her to dodge to the side. Gui Yansheng rushed toward the pearl, but behind him, the silver spear descended like a dragon, striking heavily.
The spear’s wind was as heavy as a mountain. Gui Yansheng’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly shifted his position, and the crimson spirit in the Xiu Gu spear pierced through the floating pearl.
With a crack, the Xiao Yuan Pearl split into two halves.
Zanxing and Gui Yansheng both looked up at the Xiao Yuan Pearl. The two halves seemed to have their own will as they flew toward them and vanished into their hearts in an instant.
A tearing sensation surged from their chests, as if their hearts were being shredded by the pearls. Zanxing suddenly bent over in pain.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Baiying stopped in his tracks and looked back at her.
Behind him, the golden light from the Asura Umbrella was rushing toward his back. Gui Yansheng’s eyes were filled with twisted hatred as he shouted, “Die—”
“Watch out!”
The golden tip of the umbrella pierced through the woman’s chest. The immense power of the demonic energy overturned her body, shattering the flower windows of the Buddhist pagoda, and she fell straight from the pagoda’s peak.
Her hand remained in the position as if she had just pushed away Gu Baiying, but the blue demonic energy slowly dissipated from her chest, mingling with vibrant blood. Like a silent, withered butterfly, she fluttered down from the flowery branch.
“Young Princess—”
The small green bell at his waist suddenly erupted with a series of intense jingles, and the youth abruptly looked down. The bell, which had been silent since he wore it, now rang sharply and piercingly, as if someone was using a sharp sword to cut into his heart.
In a daze, he seemed to hear a fine drizzle falling, with a bright fire burning in the cave, and someone speaking in his ear: “In human relationships, there are only meetings and separations. There are more separations than meetings. That is how life is.”
The cool evening breeze on the Duluo Platform quickly turned into deep snow covering the earth. Two names were written side by side in the snow, intimate and fitting. She had said: “A promise must be kept not only in the snow but also in the heart. Martial Uncle, you must remember my words.”
What promise? What had she said?
The sound of the bell shattered the long night abruptly, tearing a hole in it. A gentle breeze slowly seeped in, and shadows of two people fell onto the blue stone.
“Martial Uncle, you should guide me more often. When I’ve perfected my staff technique, you’ll also be proud.”
“Among the Taiyan Sect, your illusions are the best. Martial Uncle, can you teach me?”
“Martial Uncle, do you have something you want to say to me?”
“Martial Uncle—”
The woman’s clear voice lingered in his ear, and the stars scattered across the sky. In the heavy night, someone stood before him, looking into his eyes with a serious expression, and said: “Gu Baiying, I want to change my fate and yours as well.”
Bang—
The small green bell at his waist, unable to withstand the intense shaking, suddenly shattered in mid-air.
The youth suddenly raised his gaze.
“Yang Zanxing!”
END OF ARC: BUDDHA TOWER