234 - Elasia Saga

In an instant, a profound silence enveloped the entire mountain peak. All eyes were focused on the figure descending the mountain, sword in hand. Mu Shaohong appeared quite disheveled, his clothing torn in places, with wounds that blurred the lines between flesh and blood. Shreds of his clothing clung to his injuries, giving him a frightening appearance. His once handsome face was marked with several gashes, and his long hair fluttered wildly in the wind, making him look like a demon straight from hell. Grasped in Mu Shaohong’s hand was the spirit sword, seen by Fu Yan and Bai Yueling in their memory illusion, known for subduing demon spirits. Even from a distance, Fu Yan and her companions could distinctly sense the overwhelming sword aura emanating from the weapon—a formidable pressure that surged towards them. While Fu Yan and Bai Yueling could withstand this pressure with their strength, Yuan He and Yi Tu, who were only at the Transformation stage, struggled visibly, feeling their legs weaken as if they might plummet from the sky at any moment. "How is this possible? Mu Shaohong's abilities don't even match our master’s, his storage ring is gone, with no treasures for protection. How did he come out of there?" Yi Tu stared at Mu Shaohong atop the flying peak, his scalp tingling in disbelief, given the lethal sword blades within they had witnessed before. Yuan He, however, sensed something, muttering quietly after a prolonged silence, "The sword in his hand... it's an immortal weapon." And not just an ordinary one. Both Yuan He and Yi Tu had no clue about the origin of the blade, assuming Mu Shaohong found fortune atop the mountain despite the incredulity of it all. Fu Yan was similarly puzzled. The sword energy storm conceived from the talents of a sword immortal was impassable, even for Bai Yueling with her demonic power. How Mu Shaohong, only newly ascended to a grand mastery stage swordsman, survived and seized the sword spirit’s power was a baffling ordeal. Moreover, Fu Yan noticed she could no longer sense her Binding Immortal Rope, likely destroyed by the sword energy storm. Mu Shaohong's lifeless gaze landed on them, and almost mechanically, he raised the spirit sword and swung it towards their group without any flourish. With a sweeping "whoosh," a terrifying blade energy sliced through the air towards them. Instinctively, Fu Yan and her companions swiftly scattered to dodge, barely avoiding the strike. Witnessing the spatial tear left in its wake, Yi Tu swallowed hard. But it didn’t end there. From above, an emotionless Mu Shaohong swung again, sending multiple blades at them. In a flash, Bai Yueling stepped forward, her demonic aura surging upward, blocking the incoming assault. Since it wasn’t a true strike from the sword immortal, Bai Yueling had enough power to repel one or two such blades. Simultaneously, Fu Yan launched her mental force towards Mu Shaohong, yet before reaching him, she felt an invisible force obstructing them. Wait, something isn't right… Suddenly, Fu Yan widened her eyes with a revelation, exclaiming, "Shijie… he isn't Mu Shaohong." Everything fell into place. Mu Shaohong had clearly succumbed inside the sword energy storm, and the other two Mu family Grand Masters had evidently fallen within. Yet at the brink of death, Mu Shaohong was possessed by something else, leading him to draw the sword spirit used to suppress it—hence the current situation. "Does that mean Mu Shaohong was possessed by the sword’s master?" Yi Tu muttered in confusion, failing to comprehend the severity but unwilling to disturb the forefront duo, whispering to Yuan He instead. Yuan He, staring ahead, didn’t respond. Fu Yan couldn’t delay any longer; she retrieved her mental energy, her mind flashing with a realization as she conveyed her thoughts to Bai Yueling. "It’s a demon spirit." The next instant, Fu Yan and Bai Yueling simultaneously voiced their suspicion, exchanging troubled looks. In this secret realm, apart from them, the sword immortal had perished when he merged with his blade. Only the demon spirit and Yuan Yun remained; the latter, even if possessing remnants of consciousness, wouldn’t dare touch the sword. There was no doubt—it was the demon spirit utilizing Mu Shaohong to breach its suppression. Though restrained before its formation, the demon spirit, after two millennia, managed to exploit a tiny fissure, capable of leaking a sliver of essence to control one Mu Shaohong. An overwhelming sense of despair washed over them. With the sword drawn, the suppressive power could soon dissolve. Would the demon spirit truly be reborn into the world? Despite its suppressed state over two millennia, the demon’s remaining power was not to be underestimated. "Boom!" Suddenly, the mountain quaked violently. Within moments, a torrent of demonic energy erupted like a volcano from the mountaintop. A massive black hand emerged from the mountainside, replicating the scene seen in the memory illusion. "What the… what is that?" Yi Tu gasped at the black hand, his voice trembling with horror. Seeing the imminent emergence of the demon spirit, Fu Yan’s heart was heavy with dread, yet she forced herself to remain calm. The demon spirit was undoubtedly weakened, its catastrophic might notably diminished, leaving room for resolution. With her path clear, Fu Yan turned to Bai Yueling urgently, "Shijie, there’s no time; we must first eliminate Mu Shaohong." Controlled by a mere essence of the demon spirit, Fu Yan and Bai Yueling together could suppress—or even kill—him. With determination, Fu Yan leapt forward, casting a set of elite spirit swords around her, splitting into countless sword shadows, her true essence bursting forth in a torrent. The skies above the secret realm filled with the clamor of swords, as Fu Yan took command of her Star Sword, the sword formation spinning into motion. Unhesitatingly, Bai Yueling descended alongside her, transforming her demonic energy into a colossal python, ready to devour mountains and rivers. Although ignorant of their foe's true nature, Yi Tu and Yuan He combined their full strength, striving to offer assistance. Their sights returned to Mu Shaohong, as Fu Yan, sparing no moment, directed a torrent of blades towards him, entangled by the massive sword flow. Against such terrifying power, the entire realm quaked under the strain. "Boom!" In the subsequent moment, the myriad swords engulfed Mu Shaohong entirely, leaving him no room to counter. Fu Yan knew her assault severed his retreat, yet it was Bai Yueling’s demonic attack that purged the demon essence from him. Regardless, they succeeded. Clang—— The sword of many talents finally slipped free from his grasp, and as it did, a figure emerged, resembling the talented one by a notable degree. This figure, sword in hand, paid no heed to anything else and ascended the mountain peak, ruthlessly piercing the black hand. Seeing the sword bearer, Fu Yan barely had time to react before Bai Yueling’s voice echoed beside her, "It’s the sword spirit." Having nurtured a sword spirit, the enchanted blade of the many-talented sword immortal perfectly embodied his intent. It seemed the sword spirit was to fulfill the talented sword immortal's will, standing against the emerging demon spirit. Indeed, the sword spirit quickly engaged in battle against the demon’s aura. Although less powerful than the talented one, the demon spirit was exceedingly weakened—merely a shadow of its former self. Observing, Fu Yan prepared to assist, only to see a surge of sword energy pierce the sky, rending the realm’s ceiling and causing space to collapse. Realizing the implication, Fu Yan swiftly halted, "No, he plans to annihilate the demon spirit, collapsing this realm entirely." With the secret realm collapsing, space would cease to exist. "Hurry, we must leave!" Bai Yueling urged, seizing Fu Yan’s hand and ascending rapidly. Yi Tu and Yuan He, seeing them depart, hurriedly followed suit. "Boom!" In less than a breath, the space within the secret realm began to collapse abruptly. The surrounding mountains slowly crumbled, and the entrance below was affected, making the space tumultuous. There was no time left; the exit was about to completely disintegrate... Realizing this, Fu Yan quickly grabbed Bai Yueling, her mental power forming an invisible hand to seize Yi Tu and Yuan He as well. Then, she activated their miraculous acceleration. In an instant, the four of them transformed into a beam of light, darting towards the exit. Inside, countless spatial blades flew towards them, but Bai Yueling deflected them with a wave of her hand. "Buzz—" Outside the ancient grove, a white light flashed, and Fu Yan and her companions narrowly escaped the collapsing secret realm at the last moment. The demon spirit's realm thus ceased to exist. As they gazed at the tree hollow behind them, now restored to its original state, both Fu Yan and Bai Yueling exhaled in relief. The potential catastrophe that the demon’s emergence might have brought was now averted. This journey had truly been a narrow escape from death. "Shijie, are you alright?" Fu Yan asked Bai Yueling anxiously. She shook her head, indicating she was fine. A gentle breeze swept through the forest, lifting a strand of green hair on Fu Yan’s shoulder unnoticed by anyone. A single strand lay quietly among the rest of her long hair.