129 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Chapter 129: Rampaging Dragon Maiden Li Er Huai immediately cried out in pain. Without waiting for him to retaliate, Bai Fan swiftly closed in. A white sword suddenly flashed a bright light, transforming into an arrow that pierced through Li's chest. "Splash." No blood spilled out; instead, it was instantly crystallized by the biting cold. Even the Little Boy standing at a distance couldn't help but shiver, his teeth chattering as he hurried to activate his spiritual energy to protect himself. At that moment, Li Er Huai's expression drastically changed. Black mist swirled around his face, turning it pale, and his lips took on a bluish tinge. Astonishingly, the wound on his chest began to slowly heal. Startled, Bai Fan withdrew her sword and retreated swiftly, quickly retrieving her almost consumed white sword. Once back in her hand, she noticed the lower part of the sword had darkened slightly from the recent demonic corrosion. Seeing this, Bai Fan felt a pang of distress. This sword was no ordinary weapon. As she inspected the sword, Li Er Huai's injuries healed entirely, fueled by the surge of demonic energy. Could this truly be the Li Er Huai from the past, who hadn't even formed his golden core? He's gone into demonic transformation; what about Lian Sheng? Bai Fan couldn't help but worry at the thought. Taking advantage of the moment, Li Er Huai made the first move. With a shake of his single arm, the blood bead that had fallen was instantly drawn back, transforming into a bloodied hand. Clenching it into a fist, he launched it forward, vicious blood spikes protruding from the fist. Bai Fan was taken aback by the speed of the incoming fist, which was twice as fast as before. Before Bai Fan could draw her sword, the fist struck her shoulder with brutal force. She heard the crack of bone, and orange-yellow blood stained her robes. Li Er Huai paused, startled by the sight of Bai Fan's blood. The fragrance of the blood made his throat tighten, instilling a fierce hunger he couldn't quell. "Master Bai!" shouted the Little Boy in alarm. Bai Fan deftly evaded the second blow, frowning at her injured shoulder. Activating the techniques of her Draconic Transformation, the wound healed rapidly, though her face turned slightly pale. The second blow missed its target, and as Li Er Huai's form wavered, Bai Fan vanished from his sight only to reappear behind him. Her non-dominant hand transformed into a dragon claw, striking at Li Er Huai's back. The punch carried a blue light, exploding on impact with immense force, sending Li Er Huai hurtling down into a pit. Bai Fan's spiritual energy surged, her robes billowing like a falling comet as she dropped down, kicking Li Er Huai in the chest. Li Er Huai groaned, his body smashing into the ground, creating a deep crater. However, just then, Bai Fan felt the blood mist rise around her, as if her body was immobilized. A bloodied hand gripped her ankle tightly, threatening to break it. Bai Fan let out a powerful yell, causing Li Er Huai's ears to ring. White scales emerged on her limbs, and the technique of the Draconic Transformation reached its peak, a green light shining brightly. The Little Boy watched from afar, eyes wide in astonishment at Bai Fan's transformation, unable to speak from shock. Red and green energies collided and neutralized, gradually overpowering the red with the green. As Bai Fan's form reappeared, a loud "bang" resounded, her figure rising swiftly into the air. She dived back, punching downward. A phantom of a dragon's shadow condensed on her fist, charging at Li Er Huai. Yet, Li Er Huai suddenly shrank dramatically from a hulking giant into a gaunt figure, his skin hanging loosely. His hand enlarged several times, raised to meet the descending dragon. "Boom, boom, boom." Explosions and dragon roars erupted, Li Er Huai's back hunched, his hair turning white in an instant. The spiritual energy of the area trembled, and Bai Fan watched from above as the ground erupted in clouds of dust, the pit devoid of Li Er Huai. The Little Boy realized the demonic cultivator had fled, startled by his disappearance. As the dust settled, Bai Fan descended slowly, tripping slightly at the sight of the fresh blood on the ground. The Little Boy rushed to support her. "Are you alright, Master Bai?" Bai Fan shook her head. Just at that moment of collision between the dragon's phantom and the enemy, she envisioned an inferno, witnessing familiar figures slaughtered by the demonic hordes, even seeing the Qing Xu Sect's Old Sect Leader's final moments. Holding Bai Fan, the Little Boy could only recall her scaled limbs, but sensing her aura now confirmed she was a human cultivator. Perhaps her appearance was due to a particular technique. "Master Bai, this battlefield is chaotic. We should return quickly." Bai Fan's mind was filled with the grim fate of the Qing Xu Sect's destruction. To confirm her fears, she intended to visit the Qing Xu Sect herself. "I have matters to attend to elsewhere. If you are afraid, you may return early." The Little Boy hesitated, but he dared not face the consequences alone if the Primordial Lord interrogated him later. Quickly, he shook his head. "No, if you don't return, Master Bai, neither will I." Bai Fan regarded the stubborn Little Boy with a touch of helplessness. The two flew across the battlefield, witnessing the chaos below them. Bai Fan didn't consider herself powerful enough to play the hero, and thus refrained from joining the fray. However, her keen eyesight picked out a human among the cultivators and demons—a person fiercely battling a demon with a longspear, his voice hoarse from shouting. Despite lacking cultivation, the person was remarkably agile and held his ground against the demon. Initially, Bai Fan didn't wish to interfere, but upon seeing the familiar face, she recognized him—someone she'd met briefly, who offered her advice and shared dried meat with a stray dog. "It's him." Bai Fan felt an odd warmth, not wanting him to perish on the battlefield. She flew over, swiftly slaying the demon with a single strike. Men Zi, who had been fighting fiercely, was startled when the demon was suddenly slain. Expecting a more formidable monster, he saw instead a graceful figure with a Little Boy, and he muttered in awe, "A fairy!" Bai Fan noticed his dazed expression and smiled. His gaze was different from before; now, it gave her a slight sense of satisfaction. "Why is a mortal like you here?" "I want to slay demons and ensure peace." "And you hope to do this as a mortal? How long did it take you to fight off that little demon?" Men Zi looked embarrassed, having struggled with the demon for almost a day without inflicting the slightest harm, while exhausting himself considerably. "You should return. This is no place for a mortal." As Bai Fan turned to leave, Men Zi cried out, "Fairy, please take me as your disciple." She glanced back at him, a spark in her eye, but his meridians were clear—he had no spiritual roots, utterly mundane. "You lack affinity with immortality. Even if I took you as a disciple, you wouldn't be able to cultivate." "I don't mind," he proclaimed, determined. "If I strive, I will achieve it." Bai Fan found this unwavering spirit both exasperating and endearing. Without sensing spiritual energy, how could he possibly cultivate? However, Bai Fan had no shortage of ways to make the boy abandon his intentions. The priority was to get him to leave the area, so she casually said, "If you want to become my disciple, I have one condition. Make your way to the Qing Xu Sect within three days, and I'll consider accepting you." With that, Bai Fan glanced at the person kneeling before her, then turned and flew away with the Little Boy. On the way to the Qing Xu Sect, the Little Boy, standing behind Bai Fan, asked in confusion, "Master Bai, why did you agree to that? He's just an ordinary mortal." Bai Fan smiled, explaining to the Little Boy, "He doesn't even know where the Qing Xu Sect is, so how could he find it? Besides, it's unlikely he'll reach it in three days. It's just a way to get him to leave the battlefield sooner, so he doesn't die and get left there." "I see." Following the familiar path from her memory, Bai Fan finally found the Qing Xu Sect. From afar, the familiar peaks came into view, but as she flew closer, something seemed off. The foot of the mountain was not as bustling as it used to be, and the stone steps were empty. Could something have truly happened to the Qing Xu Sect? The thought left Bai Fan's mind blank. Could the Sect she had nurtured for over twenty years really be gone? A sense of urgency pushed her to fly faster. When she landed at the mountain gate, a suffocating pressure filled her chest. Countless skeletons lay by the roadside. Once warm and lively pavilions were now filled with the bodies of deceased disciples. The spiritual pool, where Bai Fan used to enjoy lying down, was piled with corpses, and scavenging animals were everywhere. The cultivation grounds of that year had turned into such a scene. With trembling hands, Bai Fan pushed open Lian Sheng's courtyard gate, finding no trace of anyone inside. Her heart clung to a sliver of hope, though she understood it was faint. When the demons invaded, surely all the disciples would have gone to defend the Sect. The most likely place for them to gather would be the Old Sect Leader’s main hall. Step by step, she approached and opened the door. A scent of decay invaded her senses. Several corpses lay inside, with the most recognizable being the Old Sect Leader, identified by a robe only he wore in the entire Sect. Another corpse beside him had decayed entirely away, leaving only bare, blackened bones, clearly indicating death by poison. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Thank you to the little angels who voted and nourished this story with nutrient solutions~ Thank you to the little angel who provided nourishment: NanBei 10 bottles; Deep gratitude for everyone's support—I'll continue my efforts!