Mo Xuanli now lay on his back at the bottom of the pit, his body’s functions breaking down, muscles and spells alike unable to respond.
The others saw and tried to rush over, but it was already too late.
Looking up at the red light growing ever more blinding overhead, Mo Xuanli’s pupils constricted slightly.
Move! My legs—my spiritual power—move!
He refused to give up. He couldn’t die here. He had finally inherited a legacy, hadn’t even seen his master to tell him… he couldn’t…
The red light nearly filled his entire vision.
At that last critical moment, a sharp crackling rang out of nowhere, making his heart jolt.
Time slowed. Within the otherwise still space, a faint arc of pale blue lightning appeared.
Mo Xuanli’s eyes widened as the red before him was split apart by the arc of blue.
A resounding boom followed.
A black figure, its body almost entirely wreathed in lightning, flashed in like a thunderbolt and kicked the Kill Demon away just as he was about to bring his sword down.
“You said who’s going to die?!”
Mo Xuanli’s pupils reflected that figure above him, his mind going blank for a breath, then slowly filling with disappointment.
That wasn’t… his master. It was his junior uncle, Chu Fei, accelerated forward by his master’s power.
Of course… his master’s spiritual power was unstable—how could he risk himself like this?
The next moment, Mo Xuanli heard Three Bean’s roar. Turning his head, he saw his master not far away, freeing the others, his power plentiful, thunder roaring.
Master… was over there…
Of course he was! Did you expect him to appear right on time to save his disciple, like a hero saving a beauty, stirring everyone’s hearts? Cliché. Nothing but cliché.
Gu Baiqing slashed down a lesser demon with a single sword strike, while beneath him Three Bean howled furiously.
“Why didn’t you go save Xuanli? Xuanli’s in danger! He’s your disciple, why save others and not him?!”
“That’s the Kill Demon—the most skilled in combat. I haven’t struck in so long. Against him, I’m less useful than Junior Brother.” Gu Baiqing made up an excuse.
Heh. Don’t think that just because the situation is urgent, the scene all readers want to see will unfold—it won’t.
In the original text, the master’s timely rescue only deepened Mo Xuanli’s resolve for his designs. Such a dangerous development had to be skipped.
Even though the disciple now was no longer the demonized Mo Xuanli of before, Gu Baiqing still wouldn’t take it lightly. Saving his disciple—if it could be left to someone else, then let someone else do it.
And besides, he was certain Chu Fei could succeed, having even boosted him with speed, so it was steady enough.
By this time, the others had already pulled Mo Xuanli up.
“So it was Elder Chunyang—just now I thought it was your master!” Jingzhan exclaimed in shock at the fierce battle between Chu Fei and the Kill Demon above.
Mo Xuanli kept his gaze fixed on his master in the distance. At Jingzhan’s words, he hastily replied: “It was only because my master added lightning spells to Uncle, that he made it in time. That must have been my master’s quickest judgment to save me.”
Jingzhan, not knowing the truth, accepted this explanation.
Meanwhile, Gu Baiqing slaughtered his way clear, then moved to assist the entangled Xie Qingrong and Qian Yue, never once glancing back at his disciple. Three Bean was so furious he almost wanted to throw down this cold-blooded master altogether.
But Gu Baiqing didn’t think much of it. Since the boy was fine, what was the point of staring longingly at each other? In such a critical moment, what mattered was using every breath to wipe out the enemy.
With an Immortal Lord of Gu Baiqing’s level present, it only took a single move to instantly scatter the foes besieging Xie Qingrong and Qian Yue.
It was only then he discovered Qian Yue was tangled by a succubus—the most troublesome of opponents—while Xie Qingrong was bound by a puppet, its strings leading up into the shrouding black mist above.
That black mist, the place where demons had been pouring forth unceasingly, must also conceal the teleportation array. Gu Baiqing stared at it for a long while, but could not see through. In such conditions, he couldn’t strike rashly.
The battle was momentarily interrupted by Gu Baiqing and Chu Fei’s arrival, both sides dropping down into a wary standoff.
On this battlefield, the Kill Demon was the strongest combat force, with the rest of the demons under him. As for the other battlefields, who knew—but it was unlikely their strength surpassed this one. And with sects from all sides already arriving, the cultivation world seemed to be gaining the upper hand.
“Master.”
Gu Baiqing was still analyzing their advantages, thinking about how the plot should unfold next, when Mo Xuanli’s voice suddenly sounded beside him.
He turned his head to find Mo Xuanli had, at some point, moved to stand right by his side. In that moment of eye contact, every trace of emotion in Mo Xuanli’s gaze seemed to melt into one thing only—concern. That thick, familiar worry was all too recognizable: he was worried about Gu Baiqing’s unstable spiritual power.
That look made Gu Baiqing a little embarrassed. After all, as for how “full” his spiritual power was—that night had already been the answer.
He withdrew his gaze and, at least in words, asked: “Severely wounded?”
Mo Xuanli’s eyes lit up. “It’s nothing. I can fight side by side with Master.”
But Gu Baiqing didn’t listen. Whether to prevent unexpected plot developments, or because of the youth’s staggering posture just now, he simply issued a command to Three Bean:
“Watch him.”
Three Bean instantly abandoned his master with delight, bounding over to Mo Xuanli.
Mo Xuanli’s heart warmed. He stroked the creature that had come close, but quietly drew another iron sword from his storage pouch, preparing to fight shoulder to shoulder with his master.
Yet at this moment, there was no need for juniors like them to lift a hand. Gu Baiqing and Chu Fei stood forward side by side, one wielding a sword blazing with blue light, the other a blade of pure black. Together, their sword intents slashed out—thunder paired with wind blades, wrapped in overwhelming killing force—cleaving into the demons before them.
Their combined strike could nearly shatter mountains and rivers. Ordinary demonic creatures were annihilated in an instant, unable to dodge at all; even stronger demons, though managing to avoid lethal blows, suffered grievous injuries.
Only the Kill Demon, and the girl and succubus behind him, remained barely unscathed.
Facing two Tribulation-stage cultivators, the three demons’ faces twisted. Just then, the formation above suddenly lit up, its light seeping from the black mist.
The three froze in shock, then immediately abandoned the battlefield and withdrew. That glow was like a signal to retreat, summoning the demons in the secret realm to leave.
Although Gu Baiqing’s early entrance might have put the demons at a disadvantage, still—this retreat was too hasty.
He didn’t dare relax. Chu Fei, however, charged forward without hesitation: “You wounded our sect’s disciples and think you can leave? Leave your life behind!”
Seeing Chu Fei pursue the Kill Demon, Gu Baiqing couldn’t be bothered to interfere. Instead he hurriedly warned the others: “Don’t relax, everyone, be careful—”
Before he finished, a drizzle of black rain drifted down from the array above. The first giant beast struck by the raindrops let out an enraged roar. Soon, more and more beasts bellowed in fury.
Gu Baiqing instantly realized: this was the demons’ last move. They had beast-demons capable of controlling spirit beasts. Though the control lasted only briefly, it was enough to cause tremendous havoc for the cultivators inside the secret realm.
“Ah, it hurts!” Three Bean suddenly rolled on the ground, his fur seared as if by the black rain.
Gu Baiqing immediately forced him back into cat form and stored him in his pouch.
Outside the cavern, the spirit beasts that had just been repelled now went mad again, launching another assault—this time even fiercer, joined by many more beasts.
The scene overlapped with the original text, making Gu Baiqing uneasy. He couldn’t help glancing at the retreating demons and at Qian Yue, who was locked in combat with beasts nearby. Though what he’d seen through the water mirror suggested Mo Xuanli wouldn’t attack Qian Yue again… Three Bean was useless now, Chu Fei had run off, and in the end Gu Baiqing still told Mo Xuanli at his side:
“Stay by me.”
Mo Xuanli’s expression shifted, moved—he thought his master was worried for him. But he wasn’t so weak; if the enemy was beasts, he could fight them.
Just as everyone thought the danger now lay only with the raging spirit beasts, a sudden cry came from behind.
It was He Zixiao’s voice—but the one in trouble wasn’t He Zixiao.
Behind Qian Yue, a light appeared out of nowhere. Somehow, a talisman had been hidden in the robes on his back. A hand, fingers sheathed in golden claw covers, thrust out from the light, seizing Qian Yue before he could react and dragging him inside.
Everyone was horrified, but Mo Xuanli reacted instantly. Being closest, he lunged and grabbed hold of Qian Yue’s robe.
He was… saving Qian Yue.
By the time Gu Baiqing tried to reach out, it was already too late—Mo Xuanli too had been pulled into the light.
Without pausing to think, Gu Baiqing activated the master-disciple bond, sensing immediately that they were above.
Looking up, he saw: the succubus who had fled earlier was holding Qian Yue hostage, while Mo Xuanli clung tightly to Qian Yue’s robe, suspended in midair. As demons lunged at him, he was forced to fend them off with one hand while gripping Qian Yue with the other.
The sight made Gu Baiqing’s heartbeat race—
It was just like the original text’s description, except for one thing: the Kill Demon was missing.
In the original, Qian Yue was captured; Mo Xuanli pretended to rescue him, but in the clash used the Kill Demon to “accidentally” kill Qian Yue, while feigning he himself had been injured by the succubus. What exactly the succubus did, no one knew. But with Mo Xuanli’s act, the original master had been deceived.
Now, however, with the Kill Demon tangled by Chu Fei, that accidental condition didn’t exist. Which meant Mo Xuanli was truly trying to save Qian Yue—someone who endangered his very existence.
Gu Baiqing’s heart stirred. In a flash, like thunder, he shot into the sky, splitting apart the demons around with one stroke, just about to close in—when two enormous bird-shaped spirit beasts, controlled by beast-demons, swooped to block him.
Thanks to Gu Baiqing’s long-distance support, Mo Xuanli finally seized an opening and struck toward the succubus above.
By now Qian Yue seemed bound by some spell, completely unable to move, his eyes wide as he could only watch Mo Xuanli fighting desperately to save him.
But they were already at a perilous height. Behind the succubus, the formation shrouded in black mist yawned open. Beams of light within condensed into lines that latched onto the succubus like ropes, tightening fast to drag her into the mist.
Mo Xuanli understood—he had to save Qian Yue before he was pulled into the black mist, or else…
He tried to activate the Void Spirit Space, but his spiritual power was nearly exhausted—he couldn’t trigger it. All he could do was fight head-on. But with Qian Yue right beside him, any large-scale spell risked harming him as well.
“Attack!” Qian Yue suddenly spoke, as if sensing Mo Xuanli’s hesitation.
Mo Xuanli’s eyes shifted; he and Qian Yue reached a tacit understanding and were about to strike when suddenly a wave of pink smoke seeped out from the succubus’s body. It passed straight through Qian Yue and surged toward Mo Xuanli.
Gu Baiqing had just slain a beast; when he saw this, his face darkened instantly. No longer caring about other dangers, he charged forward.
Qian Yue saw the smoke pass through his body—he knew the spell had no effect on him, but on Mo Xuanli… Qian Yue couldn’t bear the thought of someone being hurt to save him. He also felt part of his body already touched by the black mist, an invisible force tugging at him. Even if Mo Xuanli wasn’t affected by the succubus’s magic, he still couldn’t save him.
At the very least… he mustn’t drag Mo Xuanli down.
Qian Yue forced himself past his internal injuries, broke through the spell restraining him, and with a sudden motion tore away the kasaya Mo Xuanli was holding onto.
In that instant, Mo Xuanli dropped—and the pink smoke followed him down.
Gu Baiqing dove to catch him.
The next moment… Qian Yue was dragged into the formation by the succubus, while Mo Xuanli, wrapped in pink smoke, fainted and fell straight into Gu Baiqing’s arms.
Gu Baiqing’s heart jolted. He was one step too late. Looking up, he could no longer sense Qian Yue’s presence—he had been taken.
At the same time, a roar from Nan Zhi came from below. The demon girl had used the same trick, setting up talismans below without them noticing. A circle of light appeared, her hand reached through, and only Yun Yue and He Jing, who had been hiding near Yun Yue, were close enough.
Both were dragged inside.
Li Xiuran and Xie Qingrong still had some strength. Seeing what had happened to Mo Xuanli, they instantly realized the same must be happening above.
They rushed upward—only to be met with a rain of gu insects. Forced to parry with their swords, they dodged frantically. The demon girl was just about to gloat when killing intent surged from behind her.
She raised He Jing in her hand to block. Her opponent swerved aside, but the backlash knocked He Jing down, and Xie Qingrong caught him.
The one who appeared behind the demon girl was Chu Fei.
Chu Fei struck again, nearly cleaving her in two. She barely managed to dodge, fleeing toward the black mist—only to have her path cut off by a strike of supreme sword intent. Her arm was injured, and Yun Yue fell, barely rescued by Li Xiuran.
At that moment, arcs of lightning filled the air. When they noticed, the secret realm sky was already heavy with dark clouds. Not far away, Gu Baiqing was cradling Mo Xuanli with one arm while wielding Morning Snow with the other, gathering both spiritual and electric power.
It was Lightning Kill!
The strike was aimed directly at the surge of demonic energy bursting from the formation. As the demonic energy erupted, the black mist shrank back like a receding tide—it was truly retreating. But was this their last desperate strike before withdrawing?
The demonic aura was terrifying, as if it appeared from nothing.
And then everyone felt it: an invisible force pressing them down. Even sword-flight couldn’t resist. The demonic energy hadn’t fully spread yet, and already it was crushing them like this. If it flooded the entire secret realm, the consequences would be disastrous.
Gu Baiqing bore that crushing force, holding Mo Xuanli close while drawing on spiritual power to make one final gamble.
Lightning Kill burst forth, blinding light lancing toward the center of the demonic aura, the very heart of the black mist formation. But before it struck, the black mist dissolved completely, the demons vanishing. Only the black core left behind from the eruption remained. Lightning Kill struck it squarely, shattering it in an instant. Storm winds roared as demonic energy weakened under the lightning’s purification, yet the aftershocks still blasted through the realm like a hurricane.
Gu Baiqing thought the aftermath wouldn’t trouble him much.
But at that critical moment of concentration, the Mo Xuanli in his arms suddenly let out a low, unbearable moan.
Before Gu Baiqing could react, Mo Xuanli clung to him with a burning body and bit hard into his neck.
The hot, stinging sensation made Gu Baiqing shudder, his spiritual power scattering. The backlash struck at once, slamming him and Mo Xuanli both into the ground, crashing into an empty underground ruin.
When Gu Baiqing regained clarity and opened his eyes, he found Mo Xuanli above him, red-eyed, pinning him down like a beast seizing its prey.
Those usually tender eyes now burned only with raw, male desire, fixed unrelentingly on him.
【Demonization Value +1】
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