243 - Elasia Saga

Outside the snowy mountain. Shui Liu Qing gazed at the Frost Flower Palace ruins, now sealed once more, and sighed helplessly. She had been so close, just a moment away, but it was still too late. The cold wind howled in the sky as thick snowflakes covered the entire mountaintop. The pines along the mountainside bent under the heavy white snow, as if the earth had been deliberately coated in a silvery layer. Steadying herself, Shui Liu Qing carefully surveyed the spatial fluctuations around her, attempting to break the seal on the Frost Flower Palace again. Even though she had only caught a quick glance, she understood that something major had transpired within. At this moment, she naturally wanted to go inside to help. Suddenly, from behind a cloud came the sound of something slicing through the sky, startling Shui Liu Qing into turning swiftly toward the horizon. A familiar spirit ship emerged from below, and the sight of it reflected in her eyes stopped her in her tracks. It was Fu Yan's spirit ship, unmistakably. There were two adult male figures standing on the ship, but Shui Liu Qing could see at a glance that Fu Yan was not among them. It seemed her earlier sense was correct—Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li were trapped within the Frost Flower Palace ruins. Quickly gathering her thoughts, Shui Liu Qing widened her eyes slightly, and without hesitation, she leapt onto the spirit ship. "Swish!" In the blink of an eye, she landed firmly on the ship, yet the defensive array aboard did not activate on its own. Seeing this, Yuan He and Yi Tu, who were on the ship, eyed Shui Liu Qing closely. Since the ship's defenses did not intervene, it suggested she was familiar with Fu Yan. Thus, they refrained from taking action against her. Without overthinking, Shui Liu Qing regarded the two and determined that they were likely under Fu Yan's command. Time was critical, so she didn't bother with lengthy explanations. Instead, she looked at them sternly and said, "Senior Sister Fu is trapped in the ruins; others will arrive soon. We must leave this place immediately." Having said that, Shui Liu Qing redirected her focus to quickly maneuvering the spirit ship away, silently distancing them from the snowy mountain. Fu Yan had indeed advised Yuan He and Yi Tu that a junior sister might come, so when they saw Shui Liu Qing, they understood and did not halt her actions. As the spirit ship sped away, Shui Liu Qing took one last look at the shrinking snowy mountain and finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. The sealing of the Frost Flower Palace ruins would undoubtedly draw people to the area. If they lingered, it would only attract unwanted attention, rendering them targets. They wouldn't be able to help Fu Yan and might even bring trouble upon themselves. With this in mind, Shui Liu Qing hastened to pilot the spirit ship away from the mountains. Her intuition proved accurate; not long after they departed, several figures flew in from the distance. "What was that commotion just now? What's happening here this time?" someone wondered aloud as they stabilized themselves in the air. Clearly, they remembered the last time the Frost Flower Palace ruins had emerged. "Has the Frost Flower Palace sealed itself again?" "Why has it suddenly closed up? The Frost Flower Palace turned to ruins long ago. Why do I feel there's more to this?" ... Inside the Frost Flower Palace's forbidden area. Fu Yan's gaze, along with those of her two companions, remained fixed on a head floating amid dense demonic energy. As soon as it rose, the flame within it extinguished. Leaving no room for the trio standing atop the mountain to react. "We're still one step behind. The wisp of demonic energy has already consumed the last of Xu Mo's power," Bai Yue Li said, eyes fixed on the head, her expression stern and serious. Things were not looking good. At her words, the other two glanced at each other, their expressions equally grave. "We need to find a way to contain it," Fu Yan said, gripping the hilt of her sword, her eyes locked on the weathered-looking head. Lu Xiao Wen seemed incredulous. "It's not... How did you encounter a demonic spirit?" His thoughts seemed to catch up. "Wait, if a demonic spirit has emerged, why is the continent silent?" "The true demonic spirit was suppressed and exiled to Chaos Space by the Sword Immortal two thousand years ago. This is merely a wisp of its essence," Fu Yan explained briefly, glancing at him. Understanding dawned on Lu Xiao Wen. Had they encountered the real demonic spirit, they would have had no choice but to flee, as resistance would have been futile. Although challenging, the current situation wasn’t entirely hopeless. As the flame extinguished, the fleshless head began to regenerate. On closer inspection, fine veins and tendons were seen emerging across its surface. "This isn't good; it’s trying to reconstruct its body," Lu Xiao Wen recognized immediately, calling out loudly. His mind focused, Lu Xiao Wen's formidable psychic energy assailed the head before him, an invisible force slicing at it like countless blades. "Whoosh—" Yet in an instant, the surrounding demonic energy surged and divided—some gathering toward the head and others forming a protective barrier. The barrier resisted Lu Xiao Wen's psychic assault, the opposing forces neutralizing each other. Meanwhile, Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li exchanged a glance, nodding slightly. Fu Yan leapt into the air, a torrent of primeval energy surging from her, enveloping her in sword intent that seemed to originate from every direction. Without hesitation, Fu Yan unleashed her full power using the Linglong Sword technique, targeting the head's brow. Below, Bai Yue Li waved her hand, summoning the cry of a dragon that resonated throughout the vast forbidden area. A massive black dragon soared skyward, unleashing a breath of flames at the demonic head. The black dragon was none other than Fu Juan's true form. "Whoosh!" Fu Yan’s sword intent, intertwined with the dragon’s flame, spiraled towards the head with unavoidable speed. Clearly, the demonic entity had no intention of dodging. As an eye regrew within its hollow socket, it locked onto the attack. In a blink, the dragon flame sword intent exploded into a burst of fireworks that vanished almost as swiftly as they had appeared. Fu Yan: "..." Simultaneously, Bai Yue Li appeared behind the head, wasting no time in unleashing a powerful strike. With a tearing sound, Bai Yue Li's full-force attack seemed to warp and shatter the surrounding space, intimidating to behold. "Buzz—" This time, Bai Yue Li’s energy penetrated the head completely. The air shuddered, and potent magic scattered within, threatening to rip it apart. For a moment, their gazes were locked on it. The eye appeared tormented, a struggle evident within, yet a glimmer of excitement surfaced before long, followed by the sound of burgeoning flesh. Another eye appeared. Whether illusion or reality, Fu Yan and her companions sensed its power growing. Realizing the danger, Fu Yan shouted, "Senior Sister, get away; it can absorb your power..." Before she finished speaking, the head turned swiftly toward Bai Yue Li. As a practitioner of demonic arts, her power was inherently demonic. Rather than being repelled, the demonic entity was drawn to such power, viewing Bai Yue Li as an enticing source of nourishment. Bai Yue Li frowned, this unexpected turn catching them all off guard, but she had no time to dwell on it. As the head flew toward her, she quickly evaded with a nimble shift. "Roar!" With a dragon's cry, the giant black dragon landed beside Bai Yue Li, wrapping itself protectively around her, its body aflame with dragon fire that deterred the demonic entity from approaching. Relief washed over them at this sight. Immediately, Fu Yan and Lu Xiao Wen lunged forward again, attacking the head from either side, as the black dragon exhaled another burst of flames from behind. The three-pronged assault closed in on the head, now adorned with a mane of hair. Once more, the surrounding demonic aura converged upon it, but a massive explosion erupted mid-air, flames leaping skyward. This time, the demonic spirit was clearly severely injured by their combined assault. Its aura weakened significantly, and the speed of its regeneration visibly slowed. But before they could take heart, the demonic spirit's aura surged again as it absorbed the pervasive demonic energy around them. In moments, it had fully recovered. “……” Astonishment flitted through Lu Xiao Wen's eyes, and he remarked, "The demonic energy compressed over thousands of years by Xu Mo has all been released. In this environment, it can recover swiftly." Under this overwhelming demonic aura, unless they delivered a fatal blow, the spirit remained impervious. Realizing this problem, the group muttered curses under their breath. Fu Yan tightened her grip on her sword, her gaze suddenly shifting to the dense demonic energy surrounding them. An idea flashed through her mind. Since the demonic spirit restored its power by absorbing this energy, if they absorbed it first, they could eliminate the problem at its source. Eyeing the abundant demonic energy, Fu Yan swallowed hard. She quickly communicated her plan to Bai Yue Li and Lu Xiao Wen—since Bai Yue Li, being a practitioner of demonic arts, could also absorb the energy. They would focus on rapidly absorbing the surrounding demonic energy, leaving the task of keeping the demonic head occupied to Lu Xiao Wen and the Black Dragon. Upon hearing the plan, Lu Xiao Wen was left speechless: "..." For him, it seemed an unfair strategy; Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li would be cultivating, while he had to fend off the demonic head alone. Despite his grievances, it was their only viable option. Taking a deep breath, Lu Xiao Wen steeled himself and leapt into action, his formidable psychic power surging like a tidal wave toward the head. Though unable to inflict substantial damage, his relentless attacks kept it completely occupied, not allowing a single respite. Meanwhile, the Black Dragon released Bai Yue Li and flew over to aid Lu Xiao Wen. As the two confronted the head, the dragon intermittently unleashed torrents of flame. Fu Juan's human form was too weak to contribute significantly, necessitating the use of its dragon fire—a true flame feared by all demonic entities. Thus, the scene in the sky above the forbidden area was a strange balance: Lu Xiao Wen and the Black Dragon facing off against the head, neither side able to gain an advantage. "Senior Sister, let's begin. Absorb as much of the demonic energy as possible," Fu Yan urged Bai Yue Li. "Okay," Bai Yue Li replied, knowing time was of the essence. Without delay, she sat cross-legged in mid-air, starting her meditation. Fu Yan quickly propelled her internal energy waves, preparing to absorb the demonic energy for cultivation. It was the first time she'd been so eager to use demonic energy this way. For cultivators, there's usually a limit to the spiritual and demonic energy one can absorb in a single session. Uncertain of her own limits, Fu Yan made no reservations and closed her eyes, harnessing her power. “Boom! Boom!” Lu Xiao Wen and the demonic head clashed hundreds of times. If not for the Black Dragon, he might not have lasted; despite being reborn, he hadn't fully regained his peak strength. Draconic roars filled the air, riling the surrounding currents as the head completed its regrowth of flesh, while the fine veins of its neck started reconstructing. Time trickled by, and just as Lu Xiao Wen approached exhaustion, the head lunged at him. Luckily, the Black Dragon whisked him away with its tail. He barely had a moment to catch his breath when the all-encompassing demonic energy quivered, then surged violently toward a single direction. Stunned, he and the others followed its path with their eyes. The demonic energy converged fiercely on Fu Yan, the spectacle more intense than when the demonic head had absorbed energy. Fu Yan's body began to rise, and the demonic energy flooded into her like a waterfall, submerging all but her face, twisted in evident anguish. "What's happening?" Lu Xiao Wen watched Fu Yan, understanding something had gone wrong in her cultivation. The violent absorption posed a risk of losing herself to madness, or worse, losing consciousness entirely. No one noticed the demonic head also fixated on Fu Yan, its newly formed eyes filled with shock and even fear. In a split second, without a hint of hesitation, it turned to flee. Yet, an ever-increasing suction from Fu Yan halted its escape, stirring the heavens into a frenzy. Before it could move, it felt its power being forcibly drawn away, along with the surrounding demonic energy, toward Fu Yan. “Whoosh—” The demonic head found itself uncontrollably propelled towards Fu Yan, hovering in mid-air. At that moment, the demonic spirit could distinctly feel its power being siphoned off by Fu Yan.