Chapter 885: Colorful Phoenixes Flying Together

Her consciousness drifted in and out. In Nian Yuexian's blurred vision, an indistinct face appeared. Despite her efforts, she couldn't make out the features clearly, but the resolute expression perfectly matched a scene from her memory.

In a daze, it was as if she had gone back decades.

At that time, someone else had also rescued her from danger in this manner, holding her in their arms. The warmth of that brief moment had left a longing that she hadn't forgotten for decades.

She gently reached out a hand to touch the indistinct face, as if she had truly returned to decades ago.

"Ugh..." A mouthful of bloody mist suddenly spurted out, splattering warm blood across her beautiful face. Nian Yuexian's pupils suddenly contracted.

The dream was broken.

Decades ago, after that person saved her, he unleashed a powerful massacre. Enemies she couldn't contend with were as fragile as paper in his hands; he was powerful enough to suppress an entire era.

Decades later, the person who saved her in a similar crisis was merely at the first level of the True Lake Realm.

With her other hand, the sword hilt, previously loosened, was suddenly gripped tight. She was about to activate her spiritual power, but agonizing pain surged from all over her body, making her let out a soft groan, and the strength she had just mustered largely dissipated.

"You seek death!" Wan Zhanggang roared, unleashing another punch. However, this punch was undoubtedly far less powerful than the previous one.

The previous punch had been prepared with full momentum; this time, it was a hurried strike.

Moreover, Nian Yuexian was severely injured, and he himself was also badly hurt. That formidable, sea-like sword array was not easy to charge through.

But it was enough. In his perception, Nian Yuexian had almost lost the ability to resist. As for this first-level True Lake Realm cultivator who had appeared out of nowhere, he certainly wouldn't be able to block this strike.

Even a hurried strike from a Divine Sea Realm cultivator was not something a True Lake Realm cultivator could withstand. However, the next moment, Wan Zhanggang witnessed a scene he would never forget.

The one hastily fleeing seemed to sense the danger behind him. He quickly turned, holding his long blade upright in front of him, and his spiritual power surged frantically into the blade.

The dark Panshan Blade ignited. The next instant, the fiery red spiritual power enveloping the Panshan Blade spread outwards like a living entity, twisting and transforming into countless yin-yang dualities, rapidly interlocking and outlining.

In the blink of an eye, a circular spirit pattern formed with the Panshan Blade at its center. The complexity of this spirit pattern surpassed even that of the void.

Having spent quite some time in the volcano of Cangyan Mountain on this trip, he had activated a total of six spirit patterns in addition to 'Mimic Might'. All of them were spirit patterns that required dozens of leaves to sustain.

It was akin to the saying: "Three years without business, but one good deal lasts three years."

He had carefully investigated the specific effects of all seven spirit patterns. However, because he had been with Ying Wuji and others during this period, he hadn't personally tested them.

But at this moment, the only means he could employ was one of those spirit patterns.

Moon Reversal!

This was the core spirit pattern of the counter-array. It could, to some extent, reflect enemy attacks, and was particularly effective against detached attacks like spell arts.

Used as a standalone spirit pattern, its effect was not as outstanding as when part of the counter-array, but it was still a means to overcome the strong with the weak.

Moreover, this time, to enhance the stability of the spirit pattern, he specifically used the Panshan Blade as a medium to cast Moon Reversal, so it shouldn't break upon impact.

The fist shadow, a mixture of vital essence and spiritual power, slammed into the spirit pattern. A violent, irresistible force swept over him. His heart leaped to his throat as his spiritual power surged wildly, pouring into Moon Reversal to maintain its stability.

The Panshan Blade emitted a strained sound. Fortunately, he had long ago sought Master Yu to elevate the Panshan Blade to the level of a Dharma Artifact; otherwise, under this single strike, the Panshan Blade might have shattered.

He felt as if he were standing before a tsunami capable of destroying everything. Under his tense gaze, the Moon Reversal spirit pattern did not shatter instantly.

This reassured him.

A spirit pattern that required dozens of leaves to sustain was indeed extraordinary. Furthermore, he could clearly perceive that as Wan Zhanggang's attack struck, the spirit pattern's effect rapidly came into play, and the reflected attack offset a portion of the fist shadow's power.

A brief instant felt like an eternity.

The Moon Reversal spirit pattern shattered!

The disparity in their strengths was too great. Although the Moon Reversal spirit pattern had produced miraculous effects, it couldn't truly turn the tide of danger. Fortunately, he had already anticipated this outcome and hastily constructed defensive spirit patterns in front of him. In the blink of an eye, three layers of defenses unfolded.

The defenses also couldn't block Wan Zhanggang's attack. By the time the defenses shattered, he was about to use his last life-saving measure when a long sword suddenly glowed, shattering the astonishingly powerful fist shadow.

He quickly looked down, only to see Nian Yuexian in his arms with hazy eyes. She clearly looked severely injured and on the verge of fainting.

That last sword strike was merely her instinctive counterattack.

This wouldn't work. Although he still had life-saving measures, they could only protect himself. Furthermore, his speed was far inferior to that of a Divine Sea Realm cultivator, so Nian Yuexian would surely die.

There was still no movement from Yiyi and Amber. There wasn't enough time; they probably hadn't reached their designated positions yet, and relying on them for rescue was unrealistic.

Now, he truly had to take desperate measures.

"My Lady, do not resist!" Seeing Wan Zhanggang about to pounce again, he hardened his resolve, reached out, and grabbed one of Nian Yuexian's hands. The next instant, their fingers interlocked, and with a fierce gleam from the Panshan Blade, he stabbed.

The dazed Nian Yuexian didn't know what was happening, but her powerful perception sensed the urgency and sincerity of his emotions. So, despite an instinctive repulsion, she didn't prevent him from doing it.

A sharp pain shot through the back of her hand as the Panshan Blade pierced through their interlocked hands.

Blood gushed out, mixing together. As his thoughts moved, the gushing blood transformed into a crimson glow. Like a living entity, it clung to the backs of their hands, rapidly forming a small spirit pattern.

If the patterns of the spirit patterns were combined, they looked almost identical to the tattoo pattern he had previously received from his master, both in the shape of a pair of wings.

But at this moment, these two wings appeared separately on the backs of their hands. The wing on his hand was the left, and the wing on Nian Yuexian's hand was the right. Phoenixes Soaring in Pairs!

Spirit patterns came in many types. Besides common spirit patterns like Guard and Sharpness, there were also divine patterns, like Charm, which required mental power to activate.

If strictly classified, Phoenixes Soaring in Pairs should belong to the category of blood patterns among spirit patterns, as it needed to be activated with blood.

The Blood-Stained Spirit Pattern, which he had used several times before, could also be considered a type of blood pattern.

There was also another spirit pattern corresponding to Phoenixes Soaring in Pairs.

Shared Understanding.

Phoenixes Soaring in Pairs was a blood pattern, and Shared Understanding was a divine pattern. Neither was an ordinary spirit pattern; they were two of the seven new spirit patterns activated this time.

They could be cast separately or simultaneously. They were arguably the two most peculiar spirit patterns obtained from the talent tree, and they seemed to combine perfectly.

Shared Understanding could allow two people to communicate telepathically. The requirements for casting it were stricter than for Phoenixes Soaring in Pairs, as it required absolute trust between them. Once successfully cast, there would be no secrets between them.

If Shared Understanding allowed two people's minds to connect, then Phoenixes Soaring in Pairs targeted their physical bodies. For the two people branded by the spirit pattern, everything about their physical bodies was shared!

The moment this spirit pattern was successfully constructed, he clearly perceived the terrifying foundation of the woman in his arms and more deeply felt the severity of her injuries.

It was more severe than she appeared on the surface.

In an instant, he felt tightness in his chest and shortness of breath; his already injured body's wounds suddenly became much more severe.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind assailed them. It was Wan Zhanggang, who, seeing that he hadn't killed Nian Yuexian, pounced again, unleashing a punch from close range.

He raised his blade and struck. Under this strike, Wan Zhanggang looked as if he had seen a ghost, because the power unleashed by that blade was simply not something a first-level True Lake Realm cultivator could exert.

The moment blade and fist collided, Wan Zhanggang was forced back. A crisp sound came from the Panshan Blade; the blade of this long weapon, which had accompanied him since the third level of the Spirit Stream Realm, actually developed several visible cracks.

The blade vibrated; he feared that one more strike would cause the Panshan Blade to shatter completely.

Not only that, but the flesh on his blade-wielding right arm also burst open, and blood spurted out.

Leveraging the power of Phoenixes Soaring in Pairs, he had unleashed a strike beyond his own cultivation level. His physical body couldn't endure it, so he naturally had to pay a price.

Wan Zhanggang was forced back, but another ghost cultivator had already attacked from the side.

Among the two ghost cultivators, one had just been severely injured by Nian Yuexian and had almost lost his combat ability, but the other still had the strength to fight.

With blade in hand, his sharp gaze caught the elusive figure of the ghost cultivator. He endured various discomforts and channeled spiritual power into the Panshan Blade.

The dark long blade hummed, as if bidding its master a final farewell. "I'll do it!" a clear, cold voice suddenly rang out beside him.

He looked down, meeting Nian Yuexian's clear eyes. The light in her eyes appeared extremely complex, because in that brief moment, she had undergone an experience that even she, a Divine Sea Realm cultivator, couldn't comprehend.

She knew that he was proficient in spirit patterns.

But in her understanding, no matter how proficient one was in the path of spirit patterns, being merely a True Lake Realm cultivator, how profound could the spirit patterns unleashed be?

Until the appearance of Phoenixes Soaring in Pairs.

The moment the spirit pattern was successfully outlined, he could clearly perceive her injuries, and she also perceived an unimaginably vast life force within his body!

She couldn't imagine that the life force contained within a first-level True Lake Realm cultivator could be so immense. In her perception, it was as if a sun was hidden within his body. The light and heat continuously emanating from that sun were the flowing life force.

At this very moment, under the effect of Phoenixes Soaring in Pairs, that vast life force was continuously pouring into her body, allowing her, whose consciousness had been somewhat blurred, to regain a bit of strength.