Chapter 2053: Exchange of Answers

He knew exactly what Qingyang intended to do: self-destruct her primordial spirit. A cornered immortal, overwhelmed by fury and despair, would resort to this ultimate move to take their enemy down with them.

After the Wood King Cauldron was destroyed, Qingyang knew all was lost and that she had no other choice. To Liu Qingdao, Qingyang was just shy of being an immortal, and with two centuries of cultivation as her foundation, the power of her self-detonating primordial spirit would surely be formidable.

Regardless of what Helian Chuan did behind him, Liu Qingdao immediately unleashed his protective aura and magic artifacts. Two energy shields spun continuously in front of him, and at the same time, he brought his left index and middle fingers together, sending a blue-red sword aura directly at Qingyang. The best way to counter a primordial spirit's self-detonation is not to simply defend and evade, but to launch a powerful offense, suppressing the force of the incoming attack from one's own direction. Of course, that's assuming there's enough time.

However, Liu Qingdao soon realized his efforts were in vain. The light emanating from Qingyang's body flashed only twice before disappearing; the expected violent self-detonation did not occur. She herself looked bewildered, not understanding what had happened.

Just then, the blue-red sword aura passed through her chest, carrying her straight into the tree trunk behind her. With a thud, leaves scattered everywhere, like a shower of green rain. A sword aura is an intangible sword energy that dissipates after hitting its target. Qingyang slid slowly down the tree trunk until she was seated. But she was still alive, though her breathing was ragged and her face was pale.

"Guardian Qingyang, you've been defeated," Helian Chuan said, stepping forward slowly until they were six feet apart. Qingyang glanced at him and coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.

"What happened? Why did the primordial spirit self-detonation fail?" A ridiculous thought flashed through Qingyang's mind: Could she have recited the wrong incantation? No, impossible.

As one stood and the other sat, he looked down at the former Grand Preceptor of Beijia, casually pulling off the cloak from his back and throwing it into the air. After the giant tree had grown, the Blood Demon transformed back into the cloak and returned to him. Now, thrown out again, it resignedly transformed into a mass of blood mist, enveloping the people around them. It formed a blood mist barrier, preventing Qingyang's escape. Although Qingyang looked half-dead, who knew what final tricks the old woman might have? Helian Chuan still had to treat her with the utmost caution. Liu Qingdao stood by, providing support, to prevent the Beijia contingent from trying to reclaim her.

"Palace Master!" Yuan Xuan and the others did rush to the base of the tree, extremely anxious, but they were hesitant to act for fear of harming her. Qingyang pressed one hand against the tree trunk behind her, glanced at him, and only said three words: "Go! Hurry!" She was beyond saving, but the full account of this battle should be reported to the Emperor. Yuan Xuan looked up at her, said "As you command," then sprang up and quickly left with the Green Guards, soon disappearing into the vast forest.

Half an incense stick later, a large contingent of people also arrived in a hurry from a distance. Luo Xie arrived with the Dragon God Army! The massive forest fire was clearly visible in the dark night. Furthermore, the giant tree, a hundred zhang tall, stood out prominently in the forest, impossible to ignore.

Xutuo also emerged from the branches and leaves at this moment, trotted over to Liu Qingdao, and immediately said: "True Immortal Xiaoyang was chased away by me."

The Wood King Cauldron was shattered, Qingyang was captured, and the Dragon God Army had arrived. Not to mention Liu Qingdao, the great immortal of the Illusion Sect, was also present. In contrast, on Beijia's side, both divine descenders had been eliminated, Grand Serpent Pan Qing had been decapitated, and True Immortal Xiaoyang's own two attendants had died on the spot. All was lost for them. Seeing this, with no hope of killing Helian Xiao, he quietly retreated amidst the chaos. Xutuo might have been able to defeat him, but it was difficult to prevent an immortal from escaping, especially since Xiaoyang was known for his agility.

Liu Qingdao then said to Dong Rui, "Your wind pouch can absorb the forest fire." The fire needed to be extinguished promptly, otherwise it would spread further and further, eventually rendering even the wind pouch ineffective. Dong Rui listened, took out the pouch, mumbled a few words, then untied its opening, and tossed it into the air. The object floated up on its own, five zhang above the ground, then whistled as it sucked away all the flames within a hundred zhang radius! The scorched forest floor began to emit wisps of green smoke.

Qingyang had two bloody cuts on her forehead, wounds from the halberd's wind earlier. Now, blood slowly trickled down, adding a chilling grimness to her face. Xutuo snorted twice. "The old woman really has some tricks," he said, "but too bad, you still lost!"

Even after the battle, it was still quite shaken. Such high-frequency, fast-paced combat had truly been long absent. Especially since the enemy experts' focus was actually on Helian Chuan, it didn't know how that fellow had managed to endure it. If Helian Chuan had been even slightly less decisive, they would have met a different fate, and Qingyang would have succeeded. It was covered in wounds and should have quickly descended the tree. But how could it miss Helian Chuan and Qingyang's conversation? Liu Qingdao looked at it and shook his head, taking out wound medicine and beginning to treat its injuries. This troublesome junior brother.

"To the victor go the spoils, hmm," Qingyang said, her indifferent voice holding a hint of sarcasm. She then asked Helian Chuan, "Where did you get that seed that resembles both a Juluo tree and a Dao-seeking tree?"

Helian Chuan smiled faintly. "Who's asking whom now?" he retorted. Who was the victor, and who the vanquished? Now Qingyang had to look up at him. "What do you want to ask me?" she said.

"Still the same old question," Helian Chuan whispered, leaning down. "On the day Dragon City fell, how exactly did General Hong die?"

Qingyang was slightly surprised, then let out a laugh. Five years ago, when Helian Xiao caused a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace, she and Hundred Battles Celestial went to apprehend him. Helian Xiao used the 'Cicada Shedding Its Shell' stratagem, specifically luring her to an island, and before disappearing, he had emphasized this very question. Nearly two thousand days had passed, and he still held onto the desire for an answer.

She suddenly coughed a few times, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. "We ask each other questions, we exchange answers. How about it?" she proposed.

Helian Chuan was accommodating, knowing that torturing her would not yield an answer. "Alright, you answer first."

Qingyang took a shallow breath and then held it; her lungs were like a broken bellows, each breath bringing unbearable pain. "Actually, you could say you've already avenged General Hong. The one who delivered the final blow to her was Miaozhan Celestial!" Qingyang said slowly. "On that day, not only were Beijia immortals involved, but also four Heavenly Gods descended to the mortal realm using immortal bodies. It was Hundred Battles Celestial and Miaozhan Celestial who, assisting Jialou Celestial, activated the Boundless Heavenly Thunder Annihilation Array, finally defeating General Hong. Thousands of thunderbolts descended from the sky; the scene was so grand and spectacular that no one could look directly at it."

Although Helian Chuan's face was expressionless, she could sense his surging rage. What was his relationship with General Hong?

"But—" Qingyang looked at Helian Chuan and said, "This outcome is controversial, not just within Beijia, but even among the Heavenly Gods."

Helian Chuan subconsciously held his breath. "What controversy?" he asked.

"The Heavenly Thunder Annihilation Array conclu—" Qingyang couldn't draw a breath and choked on blood. "After it concluded," she managed, "only General Hong's helmet and battle armor were left in the array, both charred black."