He ascended to the sky, rapidly forming the Bagua Liuhe Jue with his hands. As he spread his arms, the wind whipped his robes, and starlight burst forth.
A blinding disc of light expanded infinitely, descending upon the heads of the ice-fire twin-headed dragon. The next moment, sword light rained down like a shower, piercing fiercely.
The ice-fire twin-headed dragon was trapped within the concentrated attack range. Its center of gravity locked, it was unable to evade and could only brace itself against the surrounding attacks to withstand this onslaught. The sword light flayed its flesh, leaving it looking battered, but the ice-fire twin-headed dragon was no low-level demonic beast. Its thick hide meant the damage was only superficial.
In pain, it split its two heads, twisting like ropes. Opening its cavernous maw and revealing its venomous fangs, it unleashed a torrent of icy mist and blazing flames towards Liu Jiang Fusheng, who hovered in the sky.
Liu Jiang Fusheng's eyes flickered. He glanced towards Gu Junshi's direction, and though it seemed like a swift movement, he hesitated for a moment before retreating…
Gu Junshi had been worried that her fight with the Human Emperor might endanger her little darling, so she had set up a barrier of light to confine the attack range.
However, during their confrontation, the Human Emperor seemed to sense a familiar aura from her and ceased his attack.
He cloaked himself in dark energy and rapidly closed in. A chilling, corpse-like fragrance emanated from him.
Much like a predator pinning its prey's neck with its claws, he shot out a row of rib-like bones, trapping her before him and denying her any chance to retreat.
Then… he leaned closer and sniffed.
Gu Junshi lowered her gaze.
The action was rather like a dog identifying someone by scent.
The Human Emperor's fierce, dark pupils held a hint of confusion.
She… carried his scent.
*Mmm—*
Gu Junshi suddenly heard a familiar muffled sound of pain. She abruptly turned her head, only to see her little darling caught in a chase with the ice-fire twin-headed dragon. It unleashed a potent surge of ice and fire spiritual energy, engulfing him with no escape.
Her expression tensed. Without further thought, she kicked the unsuspecting Human Emperor away, snapped the ribs blocking her path, and instantly flashed towards them.
This female corpse was not her true body, and it could not unleash her full strength.
After struggling to reach them, the ice mist and flames struck simultaneously with formidable force. She raised a black mist barrier with one palm and pulled her little darling to her side, shielding him.
The ice-fire twin-headed dragon was thoroughly enraged. Its twin heads opened their gaping maws, instantly draining the surrounding air. Energy waves gathered in their throats, and the fused ice and fire coalesced into a highly destructive torrent that they sprayed towards them.
*Roar—*
*Crack—*
The barrier shattered. Gu Junshi immediately infused her arm with death qi. A phantom transformed into a massive, ferocious "black python" that shot out. The opposing forces collided, ice freezing and fire scorching, a blinding flash of black and white light filling the view—
The "black python" swallowed the explosive torrent into its belly, but at the same time, her entire arm was disabled in the blast.
Her little darling felt the intense spiritual explosion. The ice-fire twin-headed dragon slammed into the wall amidst the impact, its rocky horns chipping and falling onto it. He, however, touched her empty arm and stared, speechless.
Gone…
"I am a corpse."
She stated it plainly.
A cold finger gently brushed away a tear from his reddened, delicate eye. He looked up.
She said softly, "I was already dead."
Therefore, there was no need for sorrow.
Liu Jiang Fusheng trembled.
A wave of heat surged in his heart, almost scorching his chest.
He extended his arm, summoning a celestial sword radiating flowing light. He wielded it like the refined light of the moon, entering a profound and mysterious state.
His mind was now focused on one thought: he would make that demonic beast pay for the loss of the female corpse's arm!
Spiritual energy continuously poured into his body, climbing steadily. This scene clearly indicated… he was about to break through.
Gu Junshi paused, somewhat puzzled.
Why did he break through so suddenly?
According to the original plot, he broke through in his fury after the third female lead was severely injured by the ice-fire twin-headed dragon.
But the problem was, it was her, this female corpse, who was injured now… This female corpse had no connection with him, yet she seemed to have inadvertently shouldered the third female lead's mission.
Gu Junshi truly felt that the deviation between the original plot and reality was quite significant, but it should… be alright.
Liu Jiang Fusheng was re-enacting the Bagua Liuhe Jue, and a powerful aura burst from within him.
The celestial sword replaced the flowing starlight sword. It split into over a dozen swords, brilliant white light filling their bodies. Dazzling radiance shot out, slicing through the dragon's body. This time, however, it wasn't a mere superficial cut, but a dissection, bone and flesh stripped, blood flowing.
The ice-fire twin-headed dragon let out pained, "hissing" cries, thrashing wildly in the pool. Its poisonous blood spilled into the water, mingling with it. The ice pool melted from the dragon's blood, while the flame pool boiled and bubbled.
The ice-fire twin-headed dragon writhed its torn body, struggling to rise. Cold killing intent blazed in its pupils, directed straight at Liu Jiang Fusheng.
A cluster of fire suddenly appeared at the empty position of Gu Junshi's arm. This flame was unlike any spiritual fire of any rank; it was a blue flame bordered with black and red, like a dangerous species formed from mixed powers.
She had reforged a new "arm" with low-grade Netherfire.
A vast amount of death qi surged from Gu Junshi, causing the Human Emperor's ferocity to momentarily falter. It was an invisible attraction, drawing him to her, to be very, very close.
Gu Junshi saw that the objective of this trial had been met; her little darling's state of mind and sword techniques had broken through, and he could pass.
Seizing the opportunity while the ice-fire twin-headed dragon was weakened, she dug out its inner core.
A demonic beast without its inner core was undoubtedly finished. With a "thump," it crashed heavily into the pool. The two-tiered pool, once separated by ice and lava, now merged due to the dragon's poisonous blood, the water a chaotic, reddish hue.
Suddenly, Gu Junshi seemed to recall something and instinctively turned to warn them: "Don't touch—"
"Ah…"
The water splashed by the ice-fire twin-headed dragon as it fell into the pool. Ziying, who was hiding by the stone platform, was unable to dodge, and some of it landed on the back of her neck.
Liu Jiang Fusheng furrowed his brows, looking at a few drops that had splashed onto the back of his hand.
"Don't touch what?" he asked innocently, looking up.
The water in the merged pool was no longer ice and lava. It didn't hurt to touch it, but strangely, it seemed alive and quickly integrated into the skin.
She had warned them too late. The principle behind it was bizarre and complex, but in essence, this ice-flame pool had become a pool of poison due to the ice-fire twin-headed dragon's blood.
Gu Junshi: "…"
They didn't follow the plot points that were supposed to happen, but they were still following the clichéd plot of being poisoned by "Yin Chi Yang Du."