Chapter 90: The Severing Strike and the Soul-Devouring Plague

Gu Chang’an held her breath, her concentration absolute, high above the ground.

To the west of Qingzhou, near Black Wind Fortress, at a spiritual vein node, the sword net in that area suddenly began to flicker violently.

The majestic sword qi forming the net seemed to encounter a terrifying nemesis there, twisting and deforming, even emitting a mournful wail under the unbearable strain.

Mid-air, Gu Chang’an’s face abruptly paled, and she let out a muffled groan.

Her gaze instantly sharpened like a blade, fixed intently on that direction.

‘The source…’

She realized it then: that was the epicenter of the plague. This pestilence wasn’t merely an invisible entity; it possessed a core, a root!

If that point could be severed, the plague would be utterly vanquished.

She harbored no hesitation.

A look of fierce resolve flashed in Gu Chang’an’s eyes. She forcibly suppressed the surging qi and blood within her body, pouring every last remnant of her spiritual power, without reservation, into the Frostbright Sword.

“Sever!”

A clear cry, sharp and resonant, echoed through the heavens and earth.

The majestic sword net, spanning the entire sky above Qingzhou, blazed with renewed brilliance. At that very moment, all its power converged upon the contaminated spiritual vein node.

Ten thousand streams of sword qi condensed into a colossal, sky-piercing greatsword, a hundred zhang long and solid as reality. It descended with supreme authority, capable of severing all karma and purifying all defilement, ruthlessly cleaving towards that spiritual脉 node.

This single strike seemed poised to split the heavens and earth asunder.

However, just as the titanic greatsword was about to descend, a pitch-black, inky mist abruptly surged skyward from the deepest part of that spiritual vein node.

This black mist was utterly different from the invisible plague that preceded it. It was saturated with venom, madness, greed, and a desire to destroy—all the most negative emotions in the world. It was like the deepest filth of the Nine Netherworld, an unforgivable original sin beneath the Heavenly Dao.

It transformed into a terrifying, monstrous ghostly claw that neither evaded nor dodged, instead reaching up to fiercely grasp the majestic greatsword descending from the heavens.

“Boom—!”

A cataclysmic roar, beyond all description, tore through the sky.

White sword light and black demonic energy collided, eroded, and annihilated each other in a frenzy of destruction!

One half of the entire sky was illuminated by sacred white light, while the other was swallowed by malevolent darkness.

A terrifying energy storm surged outwards in all directions from the point of impact. The Qingyun Sect’s mountain-protecting array was instantly activated, shaking violently and emitting an overwhelmed hum.

“Pfft—!”

Mid-air, the unyielding, snow-white figure trembled violently.

A shocking mouthful of fresh blood erupted from her lips.

The Frostbright Sword in her hand let out a mournful cry, its light instantly dimming.

The majestic sword net, which had enshrouded the entire Qingzhou, also shattered like a phantom that had lost its support, breaking into countless fragments of light and vanishing into thin air.

The white figure could no longer maintain her aerial suspension, plummeting helplessly from the high heavens.

“Senior Sister!”

“Senior Sister Gu!”

The mountaintop instantly erupted into chaos. Countless figures shot into the sky, scrambling to fly towards the falling silhouette.

Shen Zhaoqing’s pupils, at this moment, constricted to the most dangerous pinpricks.

She saw that familiar white form, like a withered fallen leaf, growing closer and faster in her vision.

Before anyone else could react, her body had already moved, preceding her rational thought.

She had even forgotten that she was merely a Qi Induction Realm novice, forgotten that she couldn’t fly at all.

She simply instinctively poured all her strength into rushing towards that direction.

Ultimately, it was a Void Return Realm elder, who was closest, who flew up in time, catching Gu Chang’an steadily in their embrace just as she was about to hit the ground.

“Quick! Send her back to the quiet room! Notify the Sect Master!”

“This child’s injuries haven’t healed, and she encountered such a plague. To be able to use spiritual power was already pushing herself; now she ignored advice and used such a move.”

The elder’s voice was distorted, holding Gu Chang’an, whose breath was like a gossamer thread and whose divine soul aura was so faint it was almost dissipating.

The chaotic crowd swarmed around them, escorting the unconscious Gu Chang’an in a frantic rush towards the depths of the sect.

Only a scene of wreckage remained before the Calm Heart Hall.

“Senior Sister.” Shen Zhaoqing anxiously wanted to step forward, but then she abruptly paused, as if remembering something, and looked up at the moon-white figure standing silently not far away.

Bai Zhileng’s face still bore that sorrowful, compassionate expression, but in the depths of those autumn-water eyes, which always held a gentle smile, Shen Zhaoqing distinctly saw a hint of amusement that couldn’t be concealed.

“Everyone, please calm yourselves.”

Shen Zhaoqing snapped back to reality.

Bai Zhileng stood there quietly, like the only unmoving reef in this raging tempest. Her moon-white immortal robe fluttered gently in the wind, her face displaying a perfectly measured blend of compassion and gravity. Her autumn-water eyes, usually alight with smiles, were now veiled with a mist, reflecting profound sympathy for the common people and admiration for Gu Chang’an’s self-sacrificing act.

‘Heh.’ Shen Zhaoqing looked at her, only this single word remaining in her heart.

“Immortal Gu has offered her body to the sword, forcibly sealing the spiritual source, and her divine soul has suffered severe damage. She must not be disturbed further,” Bai Zhileng’s voice rose a few octaves. “Immediately transport Immortal to the quietest room with the most abundant spiritual energy. All disciples, step back.”

Perhaps it was her status, but the chaotic crowd was indeed subdued by her presence. Several elders hurriedly escorted the unconscious Gu Chang’an, rushing as if their lives depended on it toward the vital spiritual vein in the deeper reaches of the sect.

As the crowd dispersed, only a scene of wreckage and the pungent smell of blood remained before the Calm Heart Hall.

“Junior Sister Zhaoqing.”

Bai Zhileng walked up to Shen Zhaoqing, her gaze gently lowered to Shen Zhaoqing’s pale face. Her voice was full of tender pity, “You must have been terrified.”

Shen Zhaoqing said nothing, merely raising her eyes to look at her coldly.

The chill from the Illusion-Shattering Demonic Eye in her chest was almost freezing her heart solid, frantically screaming, telling her that the gentle-looking woman before her was ten thousand times more dangerous than the demonic claw that had emerged from the earth just moments ago.

“Immortal Gu was too impulsive,” Bai Zhileng sighed. “The root of this plague is far more terrifying than we imagined.”

She paused, scanning the Qingyun Sect disciples around her whose faces were etched with bewilderment and fear, having just survived the catastrophe. Her gaze finally settled on the Sect Master, Xuanweizi, who had rushed over.

“Sect Master.”

Bai Zhileng bowed slightly to Xuanweizi, her expression growing unprecedentedly solemn.

“This junior has something to say, though I am unsure if I should speak it.”

Xuanweizi was disheveled at this moment, his former immortal demeanor completely gone. His most favored disciple was on the brink of death. “Holy Maiden, speak freely.” His voice was severely hoarse.

Bai Zhileng took a deep breath, as if having made a profound decision.

“I have investigated this plague.”

All eyes instantly converged upon her.

“It is not an abnormal demonic or poisonous qi, but a contamination at the level of法则.”

Bai Zhileng spoke each word clearly, every syllable striking the hearts of the onlookers.

“Law… contamination?” Xuanweizi’s pupils constricted.

“Precisely.” Bai Zhileng nodded, her expression solemn. “During the ancient demonic war, a powerful entity fell. Its unyielding resentment merged with fragmented demonic法则 and sank deep into the earth’s脉 for ten thousand years, never dissipating. Now, it has been inexplicably stirred, transforming into this ‘Soul-Devouring Plague.’ It does not corrode a cultivator’s spiritual power or physical body, but rather the connection between a cultivator’s divine soul and the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Once this connection is severed, the divine soul becomes a rootless duckweed, slowly withering within an empty shell until it disperses.”

This unprecedented explanation perfectly clarified why even Golden Core cultivators couldn’t escape it, and why everyone died so bizarrely.

“This… this… something at the level of法则, how… how can we resolve it?”

Indeed, if they had never even heard of it, how could they hope to resolve it?

The faint flicker of hope that had just ignited was instantly replaced by an even deeper despair.“Conventional elixirs and spells are indeed useless,” Bai Zhileng stated. “To untie the knot, one must be the one who tied it. To counter contamination at the law level, only a power that likewise touches upon the origin of laws can prevail.”

As she spoke, her gaze slowly fell upon Shen Zhaoqing.

It was coming.

The fox’s tail was about to be revealed.

Shen Zhaoqing watched her, unblinking.