434 - Senior Sister Is on Top
Tang Muxi gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. In the next moment, she drew the bone sword, which, after being nourished by her own blood, turned from pure white to an enchanting, sinister crimson, like pulsating petals radiating a bewitching and eerie beauty. As if sensing its owner's wrath, its aura became immensely oppressive. Though she stood alone with just her sword, she seemed to carry the momentum of a thousand soldiers, elevating her battle spirit to a fearsome level. Chao E's duplicate fixed its gaze on the crimson sword, feeling his very soul ensnared. He sensed the danger instinctively and was about to launch an attack. However, before he could move, a voice rang out: "Stop!" In an instant, a domineering and bizarre power surged from all directions, like countless chains, ensnaring his limbs tightly, rendering him immobile. This force, unseen and untouchable, was undeniably formidable. Chao E's duplicate, having strength nearly identical to his original, with peak-level cultivation, found himself completely unable to resist! Stunned, the duplicate raised his head, only to see black flames spreading out before him. Black flames? He froze, eyes wide in disbelief, only to realize that his soul fire had been pierced by the sinister blood sword. "Die." Tang Muxi slowly sheathed her sword, her face indifferent and unmoved, but her eyes filled with hatred. As the red blade retracted, the chilling soul fire shuddered and shattered within moments. It contained the hundred-year lifespan of a ghost emperor, which transformed into pure soul power upon its demise, exploding violently along with the lifeless body. With the death of the duplicate, Chao E's main body was also affected, as though his soul was torn apart, causing him to spit out a mouthful of dark blood. Across from him, Wen Dai seized the opportunity, clawing at him repeatedly, rending his flesh and drawing torrents of blood. Chao E, unable to withstand the onslaught, suffered severe injuries and had no choice but to invoke the Wanying Seal, using the frigid ghost fire to alleviate some of the burden. "Yin Sheng! Blood sacrifice!" The secret technique could only be used once. The blood sacrifice of the bone sword had already killed one of his duplicates. Now entangled with Wen Dai, he found himself unable to break free and had to urge for action. Yin Sheng, aware of the urgency, saw Tang Muxi rushing with the blood-red bone sword while the throne had yet to form. He immediately used the Sheji Diagram to cast another formation, attempting to trap her within an illusion. This method was a desperate, spur-of-the-moment idea, but it proved extremely effective. After all, the Sheji Diagram was a divine artifact, specialized in illusion formations, capable of deceiving reality. At this moment, it activated, swallowing Tang Muxi into the painting. Yin Sheng was overjoyed, recalling the ghost emperor's words, knowing that forming the throne required immense power. With gritted resolve, he slashed his wrist, offering blood in sacrifice. Thick blood dripped into the painting, like a powerful elixir, causing the lotus water throne to rapidly manifest! Yin Sheng remained vigilant, closely watching, unwilling to become the throne’s nourishment. As he noticed his power rapidly depleting, he ceased the blood supply immediately. But unbeknownst to him, Chao E had long anticipated this. As soon as Yin Sheng hesitated, Chao E swiftly moved, tearing through space with the Wanying Seal, appearing unannounced behind him and striking towards his heart. The action was too sudden. Yin Sheng, weakened from blood loss, sensed it but was too exhausted to dodge. A sharp sound was heard, followed by crimson blood spraying out, staining the painting. "You! ..." Yin Sheng widened his eyes in disbelief as he saw the attack. Chao E curved his lips: "The grace of the Demon Emperor, Chao will never forget." Chapter 248 Negotiating with a tiger is akin to drinking poison to quench thirst. Long ago, when Chao E proposed an alliance to scheme for immortality, Yin Sheng suspected he would eventually turn traitor. Thus, whether consolidating the army or acquiring the Sheji Diagram, he took charge personally. On the surface, he appeared fully committed, but in reality, he kept both tightly under his control. Today's expedition included over twenty thousand soldiers, most of whom were his subordinates, and the demonic forces had not yet collapsed. Yin Sheng believed that even with Chao E's sinister intentions, he wouldn’t dare act treacherously at this moment. Yet, he miscalculated. Someone who dared to separate his own soul fire would stop at nothing. Yin Sheng’s eyes bulged in anger, blood spurting from his chest like a breached dam, spilling profusely. He felt his power rapidly fading, his life force draining away, filled with wrath and astonishment. "Dare you!" With that shout, in a last burst of energy, he struck toward his own chest with lightning speed. A sharp sound, and flesh tore apart. In the next moment, a supreme battle spear, pulsing with demonic energy, pierced through Yin Sheng’s chest into Chao E's heart. This self-destructive move, designed to trade a thousand enemy wounds at the cost of eight hundred self-injuries, left Yin Sheng with almost no life force. Yet Yin Sheng was indifferent. Doomed to die today, he thought it better to drag someone down with him. If he couldn't achieve immortality, he certainly wouldn't let anyone else. "Ugh..." Chao E spat out a mouthful of blood, looking down at the battle spear crushing his heart, coughing a few times, and said, "Demon Emperor, was that necessary? Could you not have let Chao succeed?" His primal soul fire was already fragile. Now struck by a divine artifact, it was as precarious as a candle in the wind. Yin Sheng, losing too much blood, consciousness fading fast, held the spear tightly even in death, wishing to devour the person behind him. He died believing that the shattered soul fire would bring Chao E down with him. But reality was never so simple. Since Chao E had acted, he had made complete preparations. Dominant demonic energy surged into the soul fire. As the black flames were about to collapse, a greenish-blue talisman appeared suddenly. The talisman, inscribed with mysterious runes, exuded a ghostly chill, like a deep and serene spring, spreading boundless righteousness once it appeared. The talisman floated at Chao E's heart, its surface shimmering with rippling patterns. In the next moment, it spat out a mass of black flames, merging into Chao E's heart. When the second soul fire returned, the original soul fire shattered at that exact moment. But Chao E did not perish; instead, he seemed reborn, regaining boundless power.