Chapter 66: A Demonic Venerable’s Fury

Her knuckles cracked audibly, a sharp sound piercing the tense air.

“A Demonic… Demonic Venerable…”

Fen Yu’s face instantly blanched, becoming whiter than freshly fallen snow, as she recognized the newcomer.

As an ancient remnant, she naturally recognized the infamous, world-destroying demonic weapon: the Abyssal Slaughter Sword.

She knew, too, the sheer madness and unreasonableness of the sword’s master.

She simply could not fathom why the supreme venerable of the Infinite Demonic Domain would manifest in such a desolate, forgotten corner of the northern territory.

Even less could she comprehend her own misfortune, having inadvertently slammed into the cultivation world’s most formidable and deranged obstacle.

However, Ling Shuangjue granted her no time to ponder.

“Injuring her, you deserve death.”

Five words, cold, indifferent, devoid of any emotion.

The instant the words left her lips, her figure vanished from its spot.

A moment later, a streak of blood appeared behind Fen Yu without warning.

The Abyssal Slaughter Sword, imbued with the world-ending demonic might capable of severing karma itself, cleaved down upon her.

Fen Yu’s soul scattered in terror. She shrieked, and the flaming spear in her hand erupted with a brilliant azure glow as she desperately swung back to parry.

Clang—!!!

The clash of metal echoed through the heavens.

Fen Yu felt an irresistible, terrifying force surge through her spear. Her tiger’s mouth instantly split open, and she was sent rocketing backward like a kite with a snapped string, crashing violently to the ground.

“Pfft—”

A mouthful of scorching demonic blood sprayed into the air.

With a single strike, the disparity in their power was starkly revealed.

“You…”

Fen Yu was a mix of shock and fury. She had never imagined that, despite being a fellow Soul Transformation Realm cultivator—even if she had only just entered it—she couldn’t even withstand a single strike from her opponent.

Yet, Ling Shuangjue’s assault was relentless, following her like a shadow, affording her no chance to catch her breath.

The crimson sword light transformed into a rain of flowers, completely engulfing Fen Yu from all directions.

Each ‘petal’ was a deadly sword qi.

For a time, only the continuous clang of weapons and Fen Yu’s increasingly desperate roars and grunts filled the sky.

Shen Zhaoqing’s legs buckled, and she finally collapsed, sinking to the ground and gasping for air.

‘Safe…’

‘For now.’

She lowered her gaze to Yuange beside her. The golden wine mist continued to nourish her wounds; though it couldn’t fully heal them, it had at least stabilized her life.

‘That’s good.’

Shen Zhaoqing looked at Yuange, lying on the ground, and felt a pang of heartache, wanting to reach out and touch her.

“Take your hand away.”

Shen Zhaoqing paused, turning her head to look.

Gu Chang’an stood behind her, leaning on her Frostbright Sword, having approached at some unknown moment.

The Qingyun Sect’s foremost Sword Immortal was now deathly pale, a trace of blood clinging to her lips, clearly having paid a considerable price to break through the aftermath of the ‘Doomsday Skyfire.’

Yet, her eyes shone with an alarming intensity.

“What?” Shen Zhaoqing was startled.

“I said, take your hand off her,” Gu Chang’an repeated, enunciating each word distinctly.

Shen Zhaoqing: “…”

“She’s dying,” Shen Zhaoqing explained weakly. “I’m trying to save her.”

“Whether she lives or dies, what concern is it of yours?”

Gu Chang’an’s tone was as frigid as the millennia-old profound ice of the northern territory.

“You exhausted your spiritual energy for her, putting yourself in grave danger. If Ling Shuangjue hadn’t arrived just now, you would already be a charred corpse.”

“Shen Zhaoqing, do you even realize what you were doing?” By the end, her voice held a hint of uncontrollable terror.

She dared not imagine.

If Ling Shuangjue had been a moment late, if…

The consequences would have been enough to shatter her Dao heart, turning her into a demon on the spot.

“I…”

Shen Zhaoqing choked, silenced by the outburst. For a moment, she didn’t know how to refute.

Gu Chang’an spoke the truth.

She had indeed acted impulsively.

But the thought of Yuange suffering this way because she saved her made Shen Zhaoqing feel that she had done nothing wrong.

“I owe her this,” Shen Zhaoqing said softly, her tone surprisingly resolute.

“You owe her?”

Gu Chang’an scoffed, as if she had heard the greatest joke, and curled her lips in self-mockery. She stepped forward, looking down at Shen Zhaoqing from above.

“Then what do you owe me?”

“In the Sect’s deliberation hall, I drew my sword for you, even threatening to ‘abandon my sword and fall into depravity.’ How will you repay that karma?”

“I brought you to the Qingyun Sect, kept you by my side, guarding you every step. Did you ever understand that intention?!”

A barrage of questions, each word piercing Shen Zhaoqing’s heart like a dagger.

Shen Zhaoqing was utterly bewildered. She opened her mouth, but not a single word escaped.

“But this isn’t what I wanted,” Shen Zhaoqing said, looking at Gu Chang’an, enunciating each word.

Boom!!! A thunderous roar interrupted their confrontation, preventing Gu Chang’an from hearing Shen Zhaoqing’s final words.

Above, the battle had finally reached its conclusion.

Accompanied by a shrill scream, a figure wreathed in azure flames plummeted from the sky like a meteor, carving a bottomless crater in the distant snow.

It was Fen Yu.

She was covered in blood, her aura extremely weak, and her Indestructible Spear had been severed in two, its spiritual essence completely lost.

Clearly, she had been defeated.

Utterly and completely.

A white figure slowly descended from the sky.

Ling Shuangjue held the Abyssal Slaughter Sword, a drop of crimson demonic blood slowly sliding down its tip.

Having dealt with the greatest threat, she turned, her emotionless crimson eyes gazing toward them.

Her gaze fell upon Gu Chang’an and Shen Zhaoqing, who were locked in confrontation.

It fell upon the Golden Crow hybrid still protected beneath Shen Zhaoqing.

The air, at this moment, completely solidified.

A new Shura field was on the verge of erupting!

Gu Chang’an felt the undisguised, biting killing intent. Instinctively, she took a step, shielding both Shen Zhaoqing and Yuange behind her.

She tightened her grip on the Frostbright Sword, its tip angled towards Ling Shuangjue, adopting a defensive stance.

“Ling Shuangjue, what do you intend?”

Ling Shuangjue did not reply.

Then, she slowly raised the Abyssal Slaughter Sword.

The sword’s tip pointed directly at… Gu Chang’an.

The meaning was unmistakable.

Gu Chang’an’s face instantly darkened.

The tension was palpable, ready to snap!

Just then, behind Ling Shuangjue, the space ravaged by her and Fen Yu’s battle ripples suddenly shimmered.

Immediately after, a figure stumbled out from the fractured spatial rift.

Yuanchao’s current state was even more wretched than Fen Yu’s. His chainmail was shattered, his face and body covered in deep, bone-visible wounds, clearly having paid a heavy price to forcefully charge through the energy乱流 in his escape.

The moment he appeared, he saw his sister lying on the ground, unconscious and seemingly lifeless.

A flicker of wild joy and venomous resentment flashed in his eyes.

‘What an opportunity!’

‘While these great figures of the immortal and demonic paths are mutually restrained, if only he… if only he could seize that human woman…’

‘He could…’

“Hand her over!”

Yuanchao roared like a madman, igniting the last vestiges of his demonic energy into a black streak of light, lunging directly behind them towards Shen Zhaoqing, who had the lowest cultivation and was the most unguarded person present.

This sudden turn of events caught everyone by surprise.

Both Gu Chang’an and Ling Shuangjue’s expressions changed almost simultaneously, watching as Yuanchao’s sharp claws, gleaming with an ominous black light, were about to grasp Shen Zhaoqing’s neck.

A blinding white sword light and a bloody red sword light, almost indistinguishable in speed, simultaneously struck towards Yuanchao from two different directions.

The distance was too close.