Ye Huohuo's spiritual energy had been scattered by the previous attack, and she was already at her limit, barely able to remain half-crouched.
Her spiritual energy was depleted, and her strength was completely exhausted. She was only holding on by sheer will. Seeing that she couldn't possibly counter Miao Feng's next attack, she charged forward, meeting the mass of dark malevolent energy. Her body was instantly enveloped in a brilliant golden light, making her appear as a being of pure light.
"Funeral Dissolution Great Technique?" Miao Feng exclaimed in surprise. She hadn't expected Ye Huohuo to be so ruthless as to use the Funeral Dissolution Great Technique, a method that instantly amplified spiritual energy by burning one's own soul consciousness. This was different from ordinary death.
Normal death meant the body perished, but the soul remained, allowing for reincarnation and a new life. However, for someone who had used the Funeral Dissolution Great Technique, their soul consciousness was incinerated during its use. This meant that a person who died this way had no soul; their soul scattered, and they vanished completely from the world.
Precisely because of its immense price, its power was also formidable. Yet, it was rarely used, as few people wished for their souls to be scattered.
"Since you won't spare us, neither will you leave!" Ye Huohuo said with a cold laugh from within the golden light. She glanced back, "This is all I can do."
The excruciating pain of her soul being torn apart wracked Ye Huohuo's consciousness. The pain of the soul was far more intense than physical pain; every inch of her soul felt as if it were being sliced by countless blades, a suffering a million times worse than Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts). Ye Huohuo felt an urge to cry out, but her throat was so dry that no sound could escape. She couldn't even shed a tear.
Ye Huohuo gave a bitter laugh in her heart. Scattering her soul was fine; she wouldn't have to bother with the mortal world anymore. Apart from her family's revenge yet to be enacted, there seemed to be nothing else to regret.
No one noticed the red thread on Ye Huohuo's right wrist flashing as it was also being burned by her soul consciousness, seemingly about to break at any moment.
With a wave of her hand, Ye Huohuo dispersed the dark energy and lunged at Miao Feng. Her intention was clear: to embrace her and die together. If Miao Feng died, Lu Yao and Zuo Qingya would be safe.
Miao Feng knew she couldn't withstand Ye Huohuo's ultimate attack, which came at the cost of her own life. She didn't dodge. Instead, she took out the green-striped snake from her pocket, looked at it affectionately, and then flung it into a corner as far away as possible.
When she turned back, her gaze had become resolute. "Little girl, I admire you for going this far for your friends. I will use my strongest move to counter yours, as a final send-off."
As Miao Feng spoke, she struck out her right palm, meeting Ye Huohuo's. Her palm was completely covered in a thick, inky black mist that could no longer be called mist; it was a viscous liquid, like black petroleum flowing in the air.
"This is Filth Water, capable of melting everything in the world. Everything will become its nourishment, absorbed and become a part of it, including your soul. I grant you another form of life," Miao Feng said as the Filth Water in her hand swirled faster and faster, like water about to boil.
All of Ye Huohuo's golden light converged onto her right hand, which blazed with a light several times brighter. "Whatever your reasons, indiscriminate killing is your crime. Today, I shall take you on behalf of heaven!"
She thought of everything the girl in the blood-stained ghost form had endured in life, and then of how many others had been manipulated by Miao Feng. Her resolve now extended beyond saving just Lu Yao and the other. She wanted to avenge the souls wrongfully slain by Miao Feng.
The two palms drew closer and closer. The moment they touched, it would be a fight to the death. Both were prepared to die, their eyes filled with grim determination.
At this critical juncture, an ice blade suddenly plunged straight down from above, piercing the gap between their palms just before they touched. The ice blade, over two meters long, embedded itself deeply into the ground, instantly forming an ice wall between Ye Huohuo and Miao Feng. The chilling aura seemed capable of shattering or freezing anything, and a powerful outward force from its impact forcefully separated the two, who were on the verge of colliding.
Miao Feng was forced back several steps by this move. The Filth Water that had wrapped around her right palm was now frozen into a black ring adorning her wrist.
Ye Huohuo fared worse; she was flung backward by the sheer force of the impact.
Just as she was about to hit the wall, a snowy white sleeve flashed, gently enveloping her and pulling her into an embrace.
Simultaneously, a slender finger emerged from the sleeve and lightly brushed over several vital pressure points on her body with a movement like a dancing butterfly. The pain of Ye Huohuo's soul being torn by blades instantly eased significantly, and her splitting consciousness stopped fragmenting.
It was as if a piece of paper, torn halfway, had been stopped. Although the tear remained, it would no longer completely rip apart, meaning Ye Huohuo would not immediately suffer soul scattering. However, her consciousness was still fractured, and without recovery, her death was only a matter of time.
Ye Huohuo finally mustered the strength to lift her eyelids and look up. "Little Martial Uncle!" Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Zuo Qingya's brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes on Ye Huohuo filled with a surge of anger, regret, and even some indescribable emotion.
"Fool, do you think the Funeral Dissolution Great Technique is something to be used lightly? If anything happened to you, how could I face your master? You..." His Adam's apple bobbed, but the rest of the words caught in his throat.
Zuo Qingya, the most promising disciple of the Maoshan Sect, had joined at the age of three and achieved minor success by ten. He was the one most likely to reach the pinnacle of cultivation and achieve immortality within the Maoshan Sect. He was the treasure of the entire sect, protected very well since childhood. Although he had experience in capturing ghosts and subduing demons, due to his own powerful abilities and the fact that he rarely faced danger, this was his first time facing a life-or-death crisis. Thus, despite his great strength, his practical combat experience was limited.
He had clearly underestimated his opponent just now, allowing himself to be exploited and knocked unconscious with a single blow, his meridians also sealed. While the opponent's strength was a factor, he also bore responsibility for his improper handling of the situation. Having never tasted defeat before, he had been saved by his junior disciple, and by using the Funeral Dissolution Great Technique at that. By any measure, he felt he owed Ye Huohuo an immense debt of gratitude.
Looking at Ye Huohuo in his arms, covered in blood, barely breathing, with her soul consciousness even split in half, Zuo Qingya, who had never shed a tear for anyone, felt his eyes sting and a throbbing pain in his chest. His throat felt as if something were blocking it, preventing him from uttering a single word.
Ye Huohuo had no strength left, like a boneless shrimp. Her entire weight was supported by Zuo Qingya's arm. Her head lolled to one side, and she weakly lifted her eyelids, the light in her eyes slowly fading.
Her dry lips parted slightly, as if saying something, but no sound emerged. Zuo Qingya couldn't discern what she was trying to convey.
"Audacious!"
At that moment, a thunderous voice echoed through the air, making the entire room seem to vibrate. Miao Feng was directly forced to spit out a mouthful of blood, staggering and nearly falling.
"Who?"
Strangely, while the voice struck Miao Feng and caused internal injuries, Ye Huohuo felt her spirits lift, and her entire body felt considerably more comfortable.
"Him?"