Jian Lin picked up her spirit tablet and looked back. She saw the Demon Lord, his robes fluttering, standing before her with a long sword in hand, like a divine being descending from the heavens.
In that moment, Jian Lin was stunned.
Before she could speak, the Demon Lord moved. A powerful surge of spiritual energy was deflected, and Jian Lin rolled with the momentum to dodge it. Standing up, she peered inside. The scene could only be described as chaos.
A massive hole had been blasted open by the purplish-red seed, and red liquid was seeping out, dyeing the entire cave floor.
Thirteen blood vessels were either severed or loosened, hanging limply.
The formation on the cave ceiling had stopped spinning, flickering in and out of existence as if caught in a glitch.
The most chaotic element, of course, was the rampaging spiritual energy. It seemed to possess a consciousness, relentlessly pursuing the Demon Lord. The explosive sounds as it collided with his sword revealed its immense destructive power.
Jian Lin was bewildered, unsure of what had happened. Her gaze swept around, but she couldn't find Bai Xian.
Fearing Bai Xian was up to some scheme, she urgently asked the Demon Lord, "Lord Chong Yuan, where is Bai Xian?"
The Demon Lord blocked another spiritual energy attack. Seizing a brief respite, he replied, "He's still breaking the formation. I've drawn out the protective spiritual energy first. Be careful; if a second wave appears, it might target you."
Hearing this, Jian Lin immediately became vigilant, drawing a long sword and holding it firmly. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
She gripped her sword tightly, her focus sharpened to the extreme. Suddenly, the formation spirit appeared before her. Without a second thought, Jian Lin raised her sword and charged at it.
The formation spirit neither dodged nor flinched. The long sword passed through it without causing any damage.
It tilted its head curiously and said to Jian Lin, "Don't you know that kind of attack is ineffective against me?"
Jian Lin retracted her sword, equally perplexed. Why did this formation spirit seem so leisurely, not at all worried, when its lair was about to explode?
"I really don't know what kind of attack is effective against you. Why don't you tell me?" Jian Lin asked, as if addressing a fool.
The formation spirit drifted forward, its gaze fixed on Jian Lin's eyes, still questioning curiously, "Who exactly are you?"
Jian Lin raised the spirit tablet in her hand and showed it to the formation spirit. "This is me."
The formation spirit was silent for a moment, then let out a scornful laugh. In a wavering voice, it said, "Not fun. You're all annoying. I want you all to get out."
The last syllable of the formation spirit's words suddenly turned sharp. It accelerated its flight in mid-air and charged directly at the Demon Lord.
Jian Lin gasped, quickly following with her sword, and called out a warning, "Lord Chong Yuan, be careful!"
At the same time, the formation spirit hovered before the shattered seed, its face contorted in pain, letting out a piercing shriek.
A massive surge of spiritual energy erupted. Jian Lin dared not underestimate it. She immediately crouched down, covering her ears. The feeling of the spiritual energy piercing her skin was like being cut by countless small knives.
This time, Jian Lin was not careless. As the assault subsided slightly, she quickly looked up to assess her surroundings. To her surprise, the seed was repairing itself at a visible speed.
No wonder the formation spirit wasn't panicking; the damage was not a significant problem in its eyes.
The Demon Lord also noticed something was wrong. He flashed in front of Jian Lin and said softly, "Bai Xian hasn't come out yet. If he's caught by the formation spirit, I won't be able to save him."
"Don't worry, he'll have a way," Jian Lin said confidently. Her gaze then fell on the Demon Lord, and she asked with concern, "Lord Chong Yuan, are you injured?"
Before the Demon Lord could speak, another voice interjected weakly, "Could you two please mind the time and place? Help me first..."
Jian Lin followed the sound and saw Bai Xian half-stuck in the seed, on the verge of being re-enveloped and pulled back.
The Demon Lord leaped forward, sword in hand, but was tripped by the formation spirit halfway. Jian Lin immediately moved to cover him. She took a step forward, grabbed Bai Xian's arm, and tried to pull him out with her own strength, but it was useless.
Bai Xian was pale and weak, his complexion turning bluish. He had to offer her another suggestion, "Don't worry about me for now. Did you get your spirit tablet? It's a crucial link in the formation. Destroy that tablet quickly, and the formation will have a flaw, making things much easier."
"I got it. How do I destroy it?" Jian Lin asked urgently.
"With your purest power. You'll know what to do," Bai Xian replied.
Jian Lin let go and fell to the ground, not fully understanding Bai Xian's words. What was her purest power? How was she supposed to know what to do?
She looked around blankly. The formation spirit and the protective spiritual energy were still fighting the Demon Lord. Bai Xian was about to be swallowed by the giant seed. She reached out and touched the spirit tablet. The name on it was glaring.
Urgency and anger burned within her. She silently urged herself to calm down. Everything was interconnected. What was her purest power? There must have been a hint somewhere. What detail had she overlooked?
Suddenly, she had an epiphany. Jian Lin seemed to have found the answer.
She placed the spirit tablet on the ground and raised her sword, executing the first set of sword techniques she had learned at Guanlan Sect.
No matter how much she disliked or denied it, Xuanhe Zhenren of Guanlan Sect had been her mentor, teaching her her first sword techniques and cultivation methods. That was her purest power.
As her movements quickened, Jian Lin seemed to hear Xuanhe Zhenren's teachings again: keep your wrist steady, sink your qi to your dantian, your gaze sharp, your sword heart upright, and wield your moves with the aura of being the best in the world.
"The best in the world," Jian Lin murmured the words, her sword energy sharp and fierce as she unleashed it, piercing through all obstacles, and with a single strike, cut the spirit tablet in half!
The spirit tablet split in two. The formation spirit let out a pained wail. It stopped harassing the Demon Lord and turned towards Jian Lin, shouting in fury, "Impossible! No one can destroy the formation! Who are you?"
Jian Lin sneered and shouted back, "Let me tell you who I am! I am your ancestor!"
"What impudent child dares to be so presumptuous at my Guanlan Sect!" a deep, middle-aged male voice boomed, carrying an irresistible pressure.
It was Yuan Shuo.
The ingrained fear from her original body's years of experience made Jian Lin flinch instinctively. Unwilling to concede, she straightened her back, facing her shadow and fear.
Yuan Shuo slowly emerged from the exit. After all these years, his appearance had not changed one bit. He remained cold and arrogant. Those unfamiliar with him would see him as dignified and ethereal, but those who knew him understood the cruelty in his expression.
Jian Lin tightly gripped her sword. She looked directly at Yuan Shuo and said fearlessly, "Long time no see, Yuan Shuo. As I said, I am your ancestor. Knowing you've created such a wicked formation, I've come specifically to cleanse the sect's discipline at Chiyan Peak."
Yuan Shuo's gaze was somber as he scanned the situation in the cave.
The formation spirit, seeing its savior arrive, stopped shrieking and attacking people, standing quietly beside Yuan Shuo.
The Demon Lord, seeing this, also sheathed his sword and positioned himself behind Jian Lin for protection. Bai Xian, however, seemed to have used some spell to disappear into the seed, perhaps to evade Yuan Shuo.
"Indeed, it is quite peculiar," Yuan Shuo said with a light laugh. "This is my formation. Those with profound cultivation will be trapped in the treasure chamber, believing it to be a place of riches. Only those who truly understand formations can break through various mechanisms and reach the formation's core."
Yuan Shuo paced back and forth, glancing at the seed in mid-air. He sighed and continued, "Recently, things have been rather unsettled. The formation has been frequently malfunctioning. I thought it was fate, but I didn't expect it to be man-made."
"Enough nonsense," Jian Lin said, raising her sword to point at him. She spoke half-truthfully, half-deceptively, "Whether it's fate or man-made, ultimately you have committed too many sins and invited retribution. Regardless, this formation will cease to exist today. If you know what's good for you, get out of here."
Yuan Shuo stopped pacing, his gaze chillingly arrogant. He glanced at Jian Lin and sneered, a look that the original Jian Lin hated and feared the most.
"So young, and all you can do is spew threats. You might have some luck on your side, but if you truly wish to act on behalf of heaven, then use your strength to convince me."
With old and new grievances piling up, and spurred by Yuan Shuo's words, Jian Lin could no longer restrain herself. She raised her sword and charged at Yuan Shuo.
This demon wearing human skin, who defied all laws and sacrificed thirteen fellow disciples, deserved to be killed. If she didn't, heaven would not forgive it.
Jian Lin attacked from above, but Yuan Shuo blocked her with just two fingers. He condescendingly commented, "You actually know Guanlan Sect's techniques. Unfortunately, your skill is lacking, your moves are unstable, and they possess no offensive power."
Yes, this was all she could achieve, and because of whom?
Without Yuan Shuo, she would have been the most glorious disciple of Chiyan Peak at Guanlan Sect, likely having achieved great success by now and enjoying a happy, fulfilling life on her travels.
"It's not just about the moves, it's also about the heart!"
Jian Lin sneered coldly and suddenly slashed backward without any discernible pattern. Yuan Shuo dodged, and Jian Lin casually scattered a hidden weapon, using poisonous powder to blind him.
Jian Lin did not linger for a fight. She glanced at the Demon Lord and was about to figure out how to call Bai Xian when the seed suddenly emitted another massive explosion.
This time, it was even more severe than the last.
The Demon Lord flew over to shield Jian Lin. In the hazy chaos, she felt a cool touch again. This deathly cold touch could only be Bai Xian.
She didn't know what happened, but Bai Xian pulled them, as if squeezing through a crowded passage. Jian Lin opened her eyes and suddenly heard a familiar, terrified question.
"You, who are you!"
Jian Lin opened her eyes and met Wen Mingyuan's surprised gaze, and Lin Zhi, who had fainted in his arms.
Jian Lin immediately jumped up and surveyed the surroundings. The familiar yet strange scene gave her a general guess.
"This is Yuan Shuo's training room!" Jian Lin whispered. "As expected, it's all connected! How did we end up here?"
The Demon Lord grabbed her wrist and urgently reminded her, "This place is not safe. We must quickly take your senior brother and sister and leave. Yuan Shuo will be here soon, and it will be difficult for us to escape him."
"Oh, right, right," Jian Lin quickly shifted her emotions and stepped forward to Wen Mingyuan, saying, "Quick, come with us!"