Zanxing looked at him in horror. “Are you crazy?”
Offering himself to the Xiao Yuan Pearl, letting it refine him, was just like the artisan Chai Sang from the treasure trove long ago. He sacrificed his soul to the longsword, becoming a slave to the Wuyou Sword, never able to free himself even in death.
If he offered himself to the Xiao Yuan Pearl, one day, Gui Yansheng would be consumed by it.
This wasn’t just a matter of harming the enemy while suffering some losses. This was exchanging life for life.
“That’s right,” Gui Yansheng laughed. “I’ve always been a madman.”
He no longer had anything or anyone he cared about in this world. Though he had once painstakingly searched for the Xiao Yuan Pearl, intending to destroy Heishi City, deep down he still harbored a faint hope of finding Xiao Chun. But now, the Two-Life Buddha Wheel was destroyed, and the dead would never return. He had no more attachments, his heart was utterly desolate, and the only thing he wanted was to drag the entire world down with him.
This was his only wish—fairness, and release.
“They’re all destined to die. Why bother with unnecessary steps?” Gui Yansheng’s tone was gentle. “Isn’t the destruction of the Three Realms a good thing? Dying in this flood is their fated end.”
Gu Baiying coldly replied, “If you want to die, go die by yourself. Don’t drag others into it.” As soon as the words left her mouth, the massive black shadow beside Gui Yansheng solidified further, lunging fiercely at Zanxing.
The swirling energy stirred by spiritual energy created a vortex in the air, and a dense surge of energy descended from above. That massive shadow seemed to have its own intelligence, and it struck toward Zanxing with a palm.
Both Zanxing and Gu Baiying thrust out their spiritual weapons sharply.
The green light from the staff and the silver tip of the spear moved like dragons, firmly blocking the descending giant palm. Within the solidified palm, countless eerie and tormented faces suddenly appeared. Among them, Zanxing even saw Ziluo’s figure.
Her heart trembled, and the demonic energy in the palm grew heavier, pressing her down several inches. In the black wilderness, a crack suddenly appeared in the earth, and those fighting near the giant pit with the remnant souls were shocked.
“Zanxing!” Bu Jiang exclaimed in alarm.
Gu Baiying’s expression turned grim. With a fierce wind, the silver spear shattered everything in its path, scattering the solid black mist into the air. The young man stood straight, countless silver-white snowflakes swirling in front of him, and the long spear with its red tassel shone with an unstoppable sharpness.
Blood slowly trickled from the corner of Gui Yansheng’s mouth. He wiped it away with his fingers indifferently and sneered, “Is that all?”
More scars appeared on his face and body, deeper than before. Blood gushed out from all over his body, nearly staining him entirely red.
Yet the scattered black mist quickly solidified once again.
Gui Yansheng looked at Gu Baiying and chuckled softly. “You’re deeply infatuated with her, always shielding her no matter the situation. What’s the point?” He suddenly leaned closer, his tone laced with deep mockery. “Don’t forget, she’s of the Demon Clan, and you are Human.”
“So what?” Gu Baiying replied with an emotionless face. “Whether she’s human or demon makes no difference to me.”
These words seemed to enrage Gui Yansheng. The light in his golden eyes grew darker, and his expression turned icy cold. “Utterly ridiculous! Since you care for her so much, I’ll send her off, and you can watch her die right before your eyes!”
The black shadow beside Gui Yansheng suddenly rose in height, as dark figures surged endlessly from his body, as if he had become a vessel for the remnant souls. The black mist poured out like a vast river, covering everything in sight, surging toward Zanxing.
The heavens and earth trembled violently!
Debris flew everywhere as a brilliant light suddenly burst from the long staff in Zanxing’s hand. A blue begonia bloomed on her forehead, radiating a dazzling light. The silver spear and green staff joined forces, and the two beams of light locked in a deadlock with the massive shadow. Yet, they were still pushed back, inch by inch.
On the battlefield, the remnant souls became even more frenzied. A snow-white paper umbrella opened and closed like a ravenous maw, greedily reaping the souls of the living around them.
Suddenly, darkness engulfed the surroundings.
Gui Yansheng burst into eerie laughter, his voice filled with an unsettling tone. “Yang Zanxing, do you know why, after possessing the Xiao Yuan Pearl for so long, you were never able to refine it? Do you know why, even now, after refining it, you still can’t unleash its full power?”
Zanxing gripped her staff tightly, her entire body tense, not daring to relax even for a moment. The oppressive force from the giant shadow grew stronger and stronger, filled with chaotic and violent killing intent.
“Because the Xiao Yuan Pearl was originally formed from an ancient demonic stone—it’s an inherently evil object. It craves human blood and souls for nourishment. You refuse to feed it anything, so how can it ever obey you?” His voice carried an insidious charm. “You want to play the savior of the world, pretending to be a noble hero, but you don’t even dare to kill anyone. You’re destined to be devoured and die at my hands!”
Suddenly, a burst of black mist exploded from his body, as if he had been consumed by flames. Pus and blood flowed from his body, merging with the black mist that crawled out continuously.
Ssshh—
A faint cracking sound came from nearby. A thin fissure suddenly appeared on Gu Baiying’s Xiu Gu Spear.
“Not good!” Shaoyang Zhenren’s eyes flickered as he noticed the change. Ignoring the remnant souls in front of him, he turned and tried to rush over.
A thunderous roar echoed through the heavens and earth.
Within the black mist, countless sharp shrieks pierced the air, as if the most excruciating suffering in the world belonged to the source of these cries. The shrieks intertwined like fine threads, gathering into a single beam and transforming into the shape of a sharp blade. It slashed through the sky, through the rivers, and severed all ties of love and hate within the mortal realm, heading straight for Zanxing.
Mimi let out a roaring cry, its lion’s voice so powerful it seemed to split the stones and shatter the clouds, but the sound was abruptly cut off when it met the black mist. The crack on Gu Baiying’s Xiu Gu Spear deepened and suddenly, the spear was flung out of his grasp. Zanxing felt the shrill noise drilling into her mind, and the flower-like cascade that blossomed before the Wuyou Staff was shattered by the piercing sound.
Just as she thought she would be torn apart by this screech, a gentle red current suddenly flowed through her spiritual core, causing the violent black mist rushing at her to halt momentarily.
“Junior Sister Zanxing!” Tian Fangfang shouted in panic, watching as the black mist enveloped Zanxing completely, making her vanish from sight.
“Zanxing…” Bu Jiang’s heart sank.
“Zanxing!” Gu Baiying clenched his spear and prepared to charge into the black mist.
At that moment, a tremendous burst of light erupted from where Zanxing had been.
The light was like countless green arrows, piercing through the oppressive darkness. The black mist retreated like a receding tide, and a giant shadow of a green staff formed in the sky, colliding with the black blade.
The staff and blade clashed—
An overwhelming surge of spiritual power swept through the surroundings like a tidal wave. The black blade shattered into black dust. The golden-eyed youth was flung back, crashing into the distant gray cliff.
Zanxing stood, holding her long staff, the blue begonia on her forehead glowing with radiant light.
Standing amidst the dissipating gray mist, she looked coldly at Gui Yansheng and spoke calmly, “Who says it needs the blood and souls of the living to be nourished?”
Gui Yansheng gritted his teeth. “You—”
Zanxing raised her brow slightly. “You clearly haven’t read the Peerless Heart Sutra.”