Chapter 262: 神殿战妖

This all happened very suddenly.

As the bone sword pierced Ming Lang’s body, he was gazing at the corpse of the feathered serpent, ensuring it was utterly lifeless and considering how to deal with it next, his guard momentarily down. It was this slight relaxation that prevented him from reacting to the sword from behind.

Even though he had anticipated conflicts among fellow disciples over treasures, severe injuries would be detected by the satchel, leading to immediate disqualification. Thus, he hadn't given it much thought.

A twisting pain, like a knife rending flesh, tore through his chest. The sword had accurately pierced his Qi Sea, shattering it and dispersing his spiritual power. This was a temporarily irreversible wound. Amidst Ming Lang's screams, the surging spiritual energy unleashed a mighty wind that blew in all directions.

“Junior brother, what are you doing?!” someone cried out sharply.

Ning Xiaoling shouted, “He’s not Qu Wu! Run!”

Ming Lang didn’t hesitate. He summoned his spirit, a golden-armored general he had rarely revealed before, but now he could no longer hold back. As the general’s dharma-form emerged from his body, an entirely black carp also leaped out. The carp looked as if it were painted with ink wash, and with a tremor of its body, space itself vibrated. This was Ming Lang's innate spirit.

In this moment of life and death, the general spirit, possessing him like an acquired spirit, along with the innate black carp spirit, surged forward, colliding with Qu Wu.

Qu Wu’s cultivation level hadn't reached a crushing height yet. He temporarily avoided the brunt of the attack, retracting his bone sword to parry Ming Lang's explosive assault. Layers of white scales condensed in the air before him, forming shields that absorbed all of Ming Lang's counterattack.

Ming Lang clutched his chest. Unable to tend to his injuries, he resorted to forceful methods to temporarily staunch the Qi Sea's leakage. He spun around swiftly, drawing his sword as he turned. Sword energy spewed forth, instantly expanding to fill most of the inner hall in the blink of an eye.

Qu Wu gave no quarter. He cleaved through the incoming currents of energy, then gathered strength and thrust his sword forward. The sword energy transformed into a giant white serpent, which opened its gaping maw and lunged at Ming Lang.

Between the two, the void collapsed. White and black light clashed and intertwined, and in the strong winds whipped up, the other disciples hastily retreated, forming protective formations for their safety.

One young girl, however, was terrified into stupor by everything that unfolded instantly. She stared at the white serpent, standing rooted to the spot, trembling, unable to move her feet.

Ning Xiaoling, possessing a chivalrous heart, rushed forward. Before the energy currents reached them, she grabbed the girl's waist, pulled her to the back, and instantly conjured a sword domain to shield them both.

After the sword energy's shockwave passed, the young girl finally came to her senses. Clinging to Ning Xiaoling's arm, she stammered, “Th-thank you…”

Ning Xiaoling glanced behind her, bit her lip lightly, and said, “A great kindness doesn't need thanks… Listen, help me watch over these things. They aren't spiritual treasures, but they're very important. Don't lose them! Do you hear me?!”

The young girl thought to herself, "Although I'm not very brave, I'm not stupid. This cloth bag is so bulky; how could it be a spiritual treasure?"

“Okay!” the young girl agreed.

Ning Xiaoling untied the hair tie, secured the large cloth bag tightly, and handed it to the girl.

The girl took the bag and gasped, “Oh my, why is it so heavy?”

“Just make sure you guard it well. Don't open it, and don't give it to anyone else, or I'll hit you, okay?” Ning Xiaoling instructed seriously.

Tugging at the large bag, the girl wondered, "Does this spiritual valley contain some precious mineral deposits? Everyone else is here to seek treasures, but you're here to mine… This junior sister truly has an unconventional approach."

She nodded.

Ning Xiaoling turned back around.

Behind her, the aftershocks of the collision had ceased.

Ming Lang was defeated, flung against the wall. The general and the black fish shattered together. His figure slowly slid down, falling into the feathered serpent's remains. Fortunately, the feathered serpent was truly dead, or he would have been swallowed instantly.

Qu Wu stood on the stone steps, wiping blood from the corner of his lips with a faint smile. Ming Lang was in the Purple Court realm, and he himself had just re-entered the Purple Court.

“Who… who exactly are you?” Ming Lang, his bloody hand resting on the serpent scales, struggled to rise. The tearing pain in his Qi Sea felt like a hand pressing down on his skull.

“It's the White Serpent,” Ning Xiaoling’s voice rang out.

She had already drawn the broken blade in her hand, its edge pointed directly at where Qu Wu stood.

The White Serpent?

The other disciples, hiding by the walls and pondering their next move, felt a chill of horror.

Qu Wu looked at Ning Xiaoling. He didn't rush to attack. Putting away his sword, he asked with a smile, “I'm curious, how did you figure that out?”

Ning Xiaoling stared at him, searching for weaknesses in his movements, and calmly explained, “When I passed by White Serpent Valley, I happened to hear a brief sound of fighting. But when I found the site, there was only a pool of blood. I searched around and only found a small fragment of a broken blade, nothing else. At the time, I guessed that a disciple had been attacked there, defeated in one blow, and then used their satchel to escape the Spiritual Valley… But I've just now realized that your broken sword and the one I picked up fit perfectly together. Given the cultivation you've displayed, it's impossible for you to have left White Serpent Divine Valley without a trace… You are the White Serpent's demon spirit. You took Qu Wu's broken sword and disguised yourself as him, but the satchel couldn't be disguised. Of course, what first made me suspicious was that when you killed that feathered serpent earlier, you kept vomiting blood. Your injuries weren't nearly that severe when you left the main hall, yet even though you were recuperating afterward, your injuries worsened.”

Ning Xiaoling spoke calmly.

The others listened, exchanging glances. They immediately recalled how the feathered serpent's attacks earlier had been erratic and chaotic, as if its brain had been devoured by a brain-eating worm. So, this feathered serpent had abandoned its own body and disguised itself as a young man! The true demon had been so close to them… A chill ran down everyone's spines.

Qu Wu looked at her, wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, and smiled faintly, “You're very clever. Are you saying all this to buy Ming Lang time to recover? Heh, don't dream. His injuries can't possibly heal in less than ten days to half a month… Ah, no, he'll recover tonight, because a corpse doesn't get injured.”

The blade in Ning Xiaoling's hand glowed red. She stared at Qu Wu and said coldly, “I still don't understand. Before, I only suspected you; even if I'd spoken out, you could have explained. Why suddenly attack and cause such destruction? Even if you are in the Purple Court realm, it wouldn't be difficult for the uncles and elders of the Ancient Spirit Sect to kill you.”

Qu Wu said, “Originally, I intended to keep up the disguise and find a way to escape once I left the Spiritual Valley, but…” He stared at Ning Xiaoling, his expression dark. “But you appeared.”

“Me?” Ning Xiaoling asked, puzzled.

Qu Wu looked at the broken blade in her hand, sighed, and said, “Sometimes I'm truly unsure which divine lord has taken pity on me, delivering all these opportunities to me in one go on the same day…”

Ning Xiaoling tightened her grip on the broken blade.

On the slender broken blade, a crimson glow shone like a lantern lit in the underworld.

Qu Wu looked at the blade's light, like a homesick person gazing at the moon. “Do you know what you hold in your hand?”

Ning Xiaoling shook her head gently. She knew this blade was of no ordinary origin.

Qu Wu began to laugh. His laughter no longer sounded human; it was more like the cries of a snake rattling its tail in the dark. “This is one of Lord Underworld King's personal swords… Shentu. Although it's incomplete, I'm still very grateful you pulled it out for me. With it… heh, no one will be able to find me, except for that woman.”

Qu Wu's sharp laughter made the great hall tremble. He looked at the feathered serpent's corpse lying on the ground, a sorrowful expression on his face. That was his past self. As long as he seized this broken blade, he could rewrite his own new legend.

This sharp laughter terrified the other four disciples to their core. One male disciple, unable to bear the oppressive feeling any longer, turned and ran towards the outside of the great hall. Some even directly gave up on the Spiritual Valley Grand Competition, opening their satchels, desperate to escape. Qu Wu didn't stop any of them. Because he knew that the Bridge of Helplessness was now a dead end. This palace was also hidden within a sea of ghostly mist, and all connections of the satchels to the outside had been severed completely. This was a sealed-off place; no one could escape.

Ning Xiaoling felt as if she were back in Linhe City. But in Linhe City, her senior brother and Sister Xiang'er stood before her, offering a sense of security no matter how she looked at it. Now, to her right was Ming Lang, severely wounded and unable to fight, and behind her was the young girl trembling like a hamster behind the large cloth bag. The other three disciples were also so terrified that their souls shook, running around aimlessly, devoid of any fighting spirit. Unknowingly, when danger struck, she was already the one standing at the very front.

“I don't know what Shentu is, but it feels right in my hand, so I won't give it to you,” Ning Xiaoling said calmly. Inside her, the Qi Sea rotated, spiritual power surged, and sword intent along with Netherworld energy flowed throughout her body, a spectacular sight.

Qu Wu looked at her display of power without a trace of alarm. He knew this young girl's Longevity realm was quite impressive, but his Purple Court realm was also extraordinary.

The great hall suddenly grew vast.

The light intensified.

On the path they had taken, the Netherworld mist surged like water, completely surrounding them.

Ning Xiaoling caught a whiff of killing intent. She no longer hesitated. Retreating a step, her small body tensed like a drawn bow. With both hands gripping the blade, she slowly twisted her arms, drawing the blade to her right cheek. The light from the sword's edge illuminated her eyes with a dark red glow.

Qu Wu gripped his bone sword, his body effortlessly floating upwards.

The young girl, hiding behind the cloth bag, only saw a flash of light and shadow before her eyes.

Ning Xiaoling's body, taut like a leopard, suddenly launched forward. Her white robes and red glow blurred into a continuous afterimage. The blade, held at her right side, rotated and thrust forward. The tip cut through the air, and long, thin white streams of energy spread out in a spiral. Her body was like a thrown spear!

A strange glint flashed in Qu Wu's eyes, then instantly became calm. Though Shentu was an unparalleled blade, it was a pity this young girl hadn't yet mastered how to use it.

As Ning Xiaoling lunged forward, holding the broken blade Shentu, Qu Wu's figure suddenly moved, and the bone sword in his hand also swung out in continuous blurs. Qu Wu swung his sword, striking towards Ning Xiaoling's head. The bone sword's attack was fierce, forcing Ning Xiaoling to change her move mid-action. She swept her right hand, holding the sword outwards, colliding with the incoming bone sword. With a crisp clash, sparks flew.

Ning Xiaoling parried the bone sword. Though her hand was numb from the impact, she still used all her strength, gripping the blade and chopping it down towards Qu Wu's head. Shentu's slender blade sliced a blood-red arc through the air.

Qu Wu used his bone sword to parry mid-air, and simultaneously, a sharp blade slid silently from his left sleeve, thrusting towards Ning Xiaoling's lower abdomen.

Ning Xiaoling keenly sensed the danger. She flicked her wrist, shaking off the sword clinging to her blade's edge, and at the same time, her figure subtly retreated, avoiding the bone sword's thrust.

“You seem to have a familiar aura about you,” Qu Wu said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at where the sword fire had vanished.

Ning Xiaoling dodged an attack, her toes tapping the ground, shaking her robes to dissipate the force. She was entirely focused, constantly searching for the opponent's weaknesses, with no mind to speak.

As Qu Wu spoke, he swung his arm, bone sword in hand. The sword, like a boomerang shuriken, arced cleverly and fiercely through the air, striking towards Ning Xiaoling.

Ning Xiaoling held Shentu, drawing it to her front to block the incoming attack. The bone sword was parried again. She took a small step back.

Without time to rest, Qu Wu controlled the flying bone sword with one hand, while with the other, his figure flickered, executing a fluid chopping motion. In an instant, the two figures clashed again.

Ning Xiaoling opened her sword-eyes, holding her blade and parrying relentlessly left and right. All the moves she used were ones she had learned at the Heaven-Commanding Sword Sect. Although she had diligently practiced the Ancient Spirit Sect's spiritual arts and sword techniques, in true moments of life and death, she could only trust the sword moves taught by her master and senior brother.

Sword and blade clashed rapidly, sparks blossoming in clusters with each impact. Ning Xiaoling held her breath, channeling nearly all her vital energy and spirit. Relying on her sword-eyes and instincts, she intercepted Qu Wu's sword attacks. Blades clashed, resonating wildly, and Ning Xiaoling continuously retreated amidst the chaotic sparks, her shadow on the wall appearing somewhat faltering.

Qu Wu chased her, revealing a greedy smile. He cried out wildly, “It's this aura… this very aura! You actually possess the scattered authority of the Underworld King… So pure! No wonder you were able to obtain this broken blade…”

Qu Wu's voice was grating and sharp. Ning Xiaoling was too busy defending to even hear clearly; only a few piercing syllables cut through like knives, making her eardrums ache.

The difference in their cultivation levels was vast. Even using every possible means, Ning Xiaoling could only temporarily suppress him. Qu Wu responded unhurriedly; as soon as she showed even a slight decline, a tempest of blows would follow immediately.

The sound of clashing metal resounded endlessly. Finally, a tiny gap was cleaved through Ning Xiaoling's tightly guarded blade-wind. Qu Wu cut in with his sword, its flat side striking Ning Xiaoling's shoulder, directly sending her flying.

Ning Xiaoling's right shoulder throbbed with severe pain, and she almost lost her grip on the blade.

“What a pity, what a pity,” Qu Wu said, looking at her and smiling as he thrust his sword forward. “You bear unimaginable great fortune, but unfortunately, you cannot keep this fortune; it will only serve to elevate me!”

Ning Xiaoling's sword moves had been exhausted in the continuous clashes. If she used them again, they would surely be easily countered. Yet, in this life-or-death situation, her nerves were taut, and she couldn't recall anything else in her mind.

Qu Wu's body floated up, like a feathered serpent gracefully dancing in the air. During the hundreds of years he was suppressed in White Serpent Valley, he expended immense willpower and endured endless pain to finally separate his divine consciousness from his body, transforming into an independent demon spirit. Though this body was far from as powerful as the feathered serpent's scale-covered form, it was flexible enough to traverse the Netherworld at will.

Qu Wu pressed on, little by little, draining her strength, just as these human disciples had done to his true body… wearing down its power, stripping its scales and cutting its flesh, brutally torturing it. Of course, he didn't have much time. After all, the Ancient Spirit Sect had a few monsters. If they discovered the commotion here, all his efforts would be in vain. He had to quickly kill Ning Xiaoling, absorb the fragments of authority, seize the Shentu blade, and escape into the Yellow Springs ley line, following it to freedom.

The young girl behind the cloth bag opened her satchel, only to find she couldn't leave. A feeling of despair surged within her. She listened to the sharp clashing of blades, covered her ears tightly, and stealthily peeked out, glancing at Ning Xiaoling. This junior sister was indeed formidable. Even with such a vast difference in their cultivation levels, she still managed to contend with him using various strange sword techniques and movement styles.

But everyone could see that Ning Xiaoling's death was only a matter of time. They also knew that if this junior sister were killed, they would be next. Yet, surrounded by the Netherworld mist, they couldn't muster the courage to resist.

Ning Xiaoling's body was once again sent flying by the furious sword wind. She stumbled upon landing, blood seeping from the back of her white dress. Her wrist was numb from the shock.

Qu Wu smiled calmly as the bone sword cut through the wind and descended.

Squeak!

A white light flashed past, striking towards Qu Wu's front.

“An innate spirit?” Qu Wu's expression shifted slightly. Reacting, he swung his sword horizontally at the innate spirit's trajectory of sneak attack.

The snow fox leaped and dodged in the air, stepping onto the blade, using its momentum to push off and lash its claws towards his eyes. Qu Wu's face changed. This wasn't a shift in expression, but a transformation from a human face to a snake face. Iron-hard scales instantly covered his cheeks. The snow fox's sharp claws failed to pierce the scales. Qu Wu then seized it, crushed it, and it dissolved into flecks of spiritual energy, flying back into Ning Xiaoling's Purple Court.

Ning Xiaoling also felt deeply sorry for her innate spirit. Ever since it was nurtured, it had never encountered a normal opponent it could actually defeat. Although this innate spirit bought her some time, it also caused her a backlash and did nothing to change the overall situation.

Qu Wu spun with his twin blades and lunged. Ning Xiaoling was continuously knocked back, accumulating many new wounds on her body.

Just as Qu Wu was about to deliver a fatal blow, from the direction of the feathered serpent's corpse, a sword, like a grey thread, pierced towards his temple. Ming Lang, pressing his brow, struggled to rise and launched this sword.

Qu Wu used his scaled hand to catch the sword, his figure momentarily pausing. Ning Xiaoling stepped back, barely dodging the descending sword strike.

“Not dead yet?” Qu Wu crushed the flying sword, staring at Ming Lang, and spoke coldly.

Meanwhile, Ning Xiaoling ran towards the cloth bag.

“Wha—what are you doing?! Don't lead him over here!” the young girl cried out in alarm, thinking, "It's over. This junior sister's stance definitely means she's going to drag me down with her."

Ning Xiaoling stopped beside her. “Move aside,” she said.

The young girl was only too eager to oblige and dutifully moved out of the way.

Qu Wu looked at her, frowning slightly.

Ning Xiaoling took a deep breath, suppressing her injuries, and said, “You forced my hand.”

Qu Wu asked curiously, “You have a trump card?”

Ning Xiaoling pulled off the string tying the cloth bag. Not to mention Qu Wu, even the dying Ming Lang was startled.

The cloth bag opened, revealing it was crammed with a miscellaneous assortment of spiritual treasures. The young girl beside her stared dumbfounded.

Ning Xiaoling grabbed the precious spiritual treasures, and without a second thought, swung them all forward. These were shared assets with her senior brother; her heart twisted with pain as she threw them. Her sorrow and indignation transformed into strength in her hands, and the spiritual treasures rained down like shooting stars. Many of these spiritual treasures were inherently offensive. They unleashed their might: sword energy, formations, sword locks, roaring explosions, surging chaotic currents, a kaleidoscope of colors… They attacked Qu Wu one after another, like angry birds.

“You… you are…” A senior brother, watching the spiritual treasures flying everywhere, recognized her identity. “You're Ning Xiaoling?!”

Ning Xiaoling nodded, saying, “What are you waiting for?! Attack together, or we'll all die…”

Ning Xiaoling's reputation was currently second only to Ming Lang's. Now their leader had fallen, but their second-in-command was still full of life… This news gave them an inexplicable courage. The disciples thought, "A sword strike awaits us whether we expose ourselves or hide," and with that, they mustered their courage, drew their swords, and charged forward.

Meanwhile, the young girl beside Ning Xiaoling secretly ran towards Ming Lang. She wasn't stupid; she knew that only by healing Ming Lang's injuries could there be any hope of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

Ming Lang, however, weakly shook his head. His condition was deteriorating rapidly; he wouldn't be able to unleash more than a few more sword strikes before completely losing consciousness. The youthful vigor and grand ambitions of over ten years of cultivation were about to turn to naught. He felt a profound sense of powerlessness and despair.

On the other side, Ning Xiaoling's bulky bag was getting emptier and emptier. The spiritual treasures she had painstakingly collected all day were almost used up… Apart from keeping the Eye of Fate-Peering with her to predict fortune and misfortune, she hurled all other spiritual treasures, regardless of their rank, with equal force.

The last item, a Netherworld Life Lock, was thrown. The Netherworld Lock expanded into a massive shadow in the air. The shadow had four wings on its back like a demon, and it clawed at Qu Wu with sharp talons. Qu Wu simply sliced horizontally and vertically with his twin swords, cutting the Netherworld Life Lock in half.

The young girl tending to Ming Lang was both startled and terrified. She mustered her courage, grabbed the Soul-Summoning Banner, and rushed towards Qu Wu, shouting. The girl waved the banner. Within the great hall, an eerie wind began to stir. All the specters who had died there reawakened and converged towards the center of the great hall.

“No!” Ning Xiaoling cried out urgently, trying to stop it. But her shouts were drowned out by the wails of ghosts.

Qu Wu laughed. His face transformed into that of the White Serpent. His snake maw stretched to its widest, absorbing everything. Far from harming him, the specters became his nourishment instead. Qu Wu's only remaining injuries also began to heal. He became even more powerful. Who could kill him now?