Chapter 880: Tear Xi'er

Buzzing… The Four Swords vibrated at a high frequency.

It hadn't felt such intense anger and murderous intent in a long time.

In the hands of its previous master, it had unleashed vengeance countless times, experiencing the true meaning of "fierceness"—an ultimate joy.

However, ever since falling into the hands of its current master, it had only been able to occasionally come out for a breath of air. This master was like a closed-off gourd, typically experiencing only carefree joy, rarely feeling extreme emotions like the profound anger it sensed now.

As a fierce sword, its true power could only be unleashed when the wielder's will perfectly aligned with the essence of "fierceness."

And now… It was almost there!

The Four Swords frantically channeled demonic energy into its host. Just a little more, and it could seize temporary control of this human, beginning to unleash its own pleasure.

At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou was on the verge of losing control. Normally, he would have noticed the abnormal behavior of The Four Swords and his own unusual state. However, his emotions, which had initially been only slightly out of control, were now completely unraveling as the demonic energy from The Four Swords seized the opportunity to infiltrate him.

It could be said that he was now not only battling his sanity. More importantly, he also had to resist the invasion of demonic energy! In such circumstances, confronting Elder Wuji, who was "one of his own," was inherently irrational. Yet, Xu Xiaoshou was completely unable to control his own pace. The Four Swords, as a fierce sword, had immense influence, and he simply wanted to follow his inner desires and unleash widespread destruction.

As he slowly walked towards Elder Wuji, raising the sword.

"Mmm..." Mu Zixi, cradled in his arms, suddenly whimpered, as if showing signs of waking. That sound directly awakened the only trace of clarity in Xu Xiaoshou's mind. He hastily put down The Four Swords, cupped Mu Zixi, and crouched down again.

"Junior Sister?" Xu Xiaoshou whispered, and the demonic energy in his eyes subtly began to recede.

The Four Swords let out an angry buzz, seemingly scolding its master for being disappointing. Yet, it was ultimately just a sword; although it could exploit vulnerabilities, it couldn't fully control the will of the fierce sword's successor, who had been designated by the previous master.

Xu Xiaoshou remained unaffected and carefully observed Junior Sister's condition. Mu Zixi did not wake up. After consuming the Holy Blood, it seemed to have only just now touched the core of her soul, causing slight physical reactions. However, this was merely a natural physiological response to the surge of the Holy Blood's immense power. Mu Zixi's consciousness had not truly awakened.

"Rustle..." In a short while, the winds howled across the land, and the vitality of countless plants, flowers, and insects nearby was drawn into Mu Zixi's body. Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up, thinking Junior Sister was about to recover using life force.

"Suck it, suck it all!" He even placed his finger into Mu Zixi's lips. Among those present, when it came to life force, no one could compare to his "Endless Life" technique. But Junior Sister did not open her mouth to bite, as she usually did when annoyed. She remained unresponsive.

"Suck!" Xu Xiaoshou grew anxious. He gently pinched Mu Zixi's chin and nudged it upward. Mu Zixi's canines were as sharp as ever; they were almost the only part of her that could pierce Xu Xiaoshou's defenses. With a prick, blood began to appear. Yet, there was no sensation of suction on his finger. The fresh blood simply dripped between Mu Zixi's lips. Then, the wound healed.

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. Mu Zixi's unusual absorption of ambient energy lasted only for a moment before stopping. Xu Xiaoshou's "perception" probed, and he discovered that inside her body, a vast amount of life force was now surging outwards, containing the power of the Holy Blood and the energy of the world. But more of it was Mu Zixi's own life force—derived from her continuous absorption during daily life. This portion of energy was the most immense!

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." In the blink of an eye, a vast amount of life force dissipated from Mu Zixi's body. That immense energy surged out in an instant, causing the life aura, which was invisible to the naked eye, to transform into clearly discernible mist. The life mist surged and filled the entire area, invigorating everyone's spirits.

Where Xu Xiaoshou was crouched, cradling Mu Zixi, a white sprout suddenly broke through the cracked earth. The tender sprout grew upwards, swaying precariously, eventually blooming into a white spider lily. The enchantingly beautiful spider lily gently swayed in the wind... In an instant, sanctity bloomed across the entire mountain and land. The white spider lilies, representing divine power, emitted an alluring fragrance, emanating an unknown divine energy that inspired pilgrim-like reverence in all who stood amidst the flower sea.

Everyone was startled by this sudden change. Yi blinked, snapping out of the mental illusion, and a storm raged in his heart.

"What kind of power was this?" For a split second, he seemed to sense an extremely faint trace of... Divine power?

"Impossible!" In Yi's eyes, an expression of incomprehension flashed. He couldn't comprehend how the little girl, who had completely fainted after he threw her, could unleash such magnificent power.

"Life-Devouring Wood Body?" "No, the power of the Ultimate Life Devil Body?" Yi was puzzled. Yet, even though he fundamentally misunderstood the various abilities of the Life-Devouring Wood Body and the Ultimate Life Devil Body. But divine power! How could such a thing be unleashed by mere spiritual or holy bodies?

"She..." Yi suddenly realized that things were once again exceeding his expectations. Abruptly, his gaze fixed on Mu Zixi's eyes, drawn to the closed eyelids from which black and white mists were still emanating. "What is this now?"

Elder Wuji, standing amidst the white spider lily sea, also appeared somewhat bewildered. Unlike Yi, he had been to Void Island and had closer contact with the highest level of power—divine power! And now, the little girl he had abandoned, after a brief coma, was indeed emanating a wisp of that divine power. It wasn't an illusion! It was genuine divine power!

Though it was just a faint wisp, Elder Wuji was someone who had witnessed such power before! "What have I done..." At that moment, Elder Wuji was filled with profound regret. He finally realized that Mu Zixi's status was unique. Perhaps, like Xu Xiaoshou, this little girl was also someone secretly groomed by Eight Venerables. And now, because of a personal vendetta, he had disrupted Eight Venerables' plan, even if only slightly?

"This is madness!" "Why did no one tell me, this Elder, that this person was so important!" "If only..." Elder Wuji's face turned pale. His thoughts froze, and his lips fumbled for words, wanting to say something, or do something to compensate. But he found that at this moment, he couldn't even discern anything about the little girl's transformation, let alone take action.

On the other side. Xu Xiaoshou, being the closest, suddenly felt a surge of clarity the moment the divine power bloomed. The demonic energy in his body was completely suppressed, and his eyes regained their lucidity.

"Whale fall?" As he gazed at the unusually beautiful sea of spider lilies, for some reason, that term popped into his mind. "When a whale falls, all things live." Wasn't this precisely such a scene now? Mu Zixi had yet to awaken, but the power emanating from her body had already transformed the mountains and fields into a sea of flowers, and birds and beasts chirped with extreme joy.

But... What about Junior Sister? Junior Sister mustn't be lost!

"Didn't they say that the Holy Blood of the Cinder-Radiant lineage was like a divine blessing, capable of instantly healing wounds of any severity?" Xu Xiaoshou was anxious. He had already given her the Holy Blood. Yet, according to his "perception," most of the Holy Blood's power had accumulated within Mu Zixi's body without any healing effect.

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted. With a clear mind, he discovered the true profound mystery within Mu Zixi's body. She wasn't injured at all! Or rather, the injuries on Mu Zixi's surface and inside had actually been healed by the Holy Blood's power much earlier; she simply hadn't awakened yet. And this had consumed less than one ten-millionth of the Holy Blood's energy.

The last time Xu Xiaoshou was able to exhaust the power of a drop of Holy Blood was because he had activated a Saint Avatar. Only Holy Blood combined with a Saint Avatar could perfectly balance input and output. But now, Mu Zixi's body had no energy output, only input. If it weren't for the Holy Blood of the Cinder-Radiant lineage being specially processed to have no side effects, its violent power might have completely destroyed her vitality.

"No injuries..." "And this strange divine power..." Xu Xiaoshou murmured to himself, seemingly realizing something, and his pupils trembled. He looked towards Mu Zixi's eyes. Previously, with his emotions out of control, he couldn't notice such details, but now, calm, he finally found something abnormal.

In this world filled with the white divine power of the spider lily sea, everything should have been purified by sanctity. Yet, from Mu Zixi's right eye, incongruous black demonic energy was still drifting out. That demonic energy... It wasn't like the fierce demonic energy of The Four Swords, which primarily represented murderous power. On the contrary, it was profoundly sinister and wicked, utterly obscure and dark. That was true demonic energy!

"Divine-Demonic Eyes?" Xu Xiaoshou's head buzzed. He thought of another voice within Mu Zixi's body. Was that... Junior Sister's second personality? Could it be...

"Ugh!" Just then, Mu Zixi suddenly let out a pained groan, interrupting Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts. Although all the powers within her body weren't colliding, she seemed to be enduring some kind of pain; her small face crumpled, and her body gradually trembled. "Clack, clack..." Her teeth chattered. "Er-er..." She groaned in pain. And then.

"Ahhh!!!" With shrill cries of agony, Mu Zixi's entire body arched upward, her form floating in mid-air without external support. "Ugh-ahhh..." Within the sacred sea of spider lilies, unbearable screams echoed.

Xu Xiaoshou was completely flustered. He had no idea what was happening to Junior Sister. And just as the painful cries reached their peak, Mu Zixi's body, arched in mid-air, suddenly stopped trembling.

"Buzz!" Her eyes snapped open, and the black and white pupils within them spun rapidly, emanating endless black and white mist. The divine power in the world stagnated. The black demonic energy, representing ultimate yin and evil, ultimate obscurity and darkness, began to surge. And with a spark, it began to consume and invade the divine power like a raging wildfire.

"Hiss!" On the ground, the first spider lily to bloom was instantly tainted black by the invading demonic energy. Then came the second, the third...

"No!" Xu Xiaoshou was closest and the first to suffer the demonic energy's invasion. His eyes turned crimson again, but he shook his head incessantly, seemingly realizing something. He reached out, wanting to stop everything that might happen next to Mu Zixi. But the out-of-control emotions that had just been suppressed by the divine power resurfaced like a tidal wave as the demonic energy entered his body. Xu Xiaoshou's consciousness wavered, nearly shattering from the impact, but he managed to hold on.

"Buzz!" The Four Swords trembled, then flew back into Xu Xiaoshou's hand, adding fuel to the fire. Xu Xiaoshou's mind went blank. After subconsciously biting his tongue, he managed to endure the double assault of demonic energy, relying solely on the pain.

"No—" He still roared, head tilted back, still only focused on Mu Zixi. He lunged forward through the air and embraced his Junior Sister.

With just a touch, the continuously emanating life force from Junior Sister's body jolted Xu Xiaoshou slightly awake. He immediately sensed something was wrong. Junior Sister's body seemed to have completely changed from before, due to the massive loss of life force. This life force wasn't negative. On the contrary, it was as if she had shed excess life force, returning to the normal physique she should have had before suppressing her growth.

She had grown taller? Xu Xiaoshou noticed that Junior Sister's long green dress, which had previously reached her knees, was now pulled up to her thighs. Her long, shapely legs were completely incomparable to Mu Zixi's previous two thin, lotus-root-like segments. Her body was also different. Except for her slender, graspable waist, which remained unchanged. Junior Sister's chest and hips began to regain their original form as life force dissipated, revealing a proud and striking figure. The puffy dress the little girl had worn was now completely stretched by the sudden changes in her body.

At this moment, her body was still trembling slightly. Her consciousness had not yet awakened.

"I..." Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what to do. He embraced the waist of the familiar yet strange woman before him, wanting to let go, but daring not to. And the sensation of her in his arms already made Xu Xiaoshou feel that Junior Sister might have transformed into a stranger! But when he glanced back and saw Mu Zixi's face... That small, cute face hadn't changed much. In her brows and eyes, aside from a few added hints of distinct charm, most of the features were still familiar.

But it was at this very moment that Xu Xiaoshou realized. He suddenly understood why Junior Sister possessed Divine-Demonic Eyes, and why there was a second voice within her body.

"You are not her!" Xu Xiaoshou declared firmly. Mu Zixi, who had grown up in the blink of an eye, remained motionless. However, on the ground, the white spider lilies representing divine power were now nearly half-tainted black by the invading demonic energy.

"Get back!" Xu Xiaoshou was anxious but didn't know what to do. A sudden idea struck him. He switched to the "Breathing Technique," cupped Mu Zixi's face, and began to greedily devour the demonic energy from her right eye.

"Gulp," "Gulp." Like drinking water. Actively absorbing the demonic energy into his body brought a strange sensation to his mouth and nose, both scorching and icy. The color transformation of the spider lily sea seemed to slow down. But it was still continuing! Xu Xiaoshou's mind grew even less clear. He was nearly unable to withstand the invasion of such dense demonic energy. But if he didn't do this, he didn't know how to stop the process of the spider lily sea on the ground turning from white to black.

"Get back inside!" The "Breathing Technique" was pushed to its extreme. At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou wished he could, if possible, max out this basic passive skill. Because even with all his effort, his speed of devouring demonic energy couldn't keep up with the rate at which the Divine-Demonic Eyes generated it.

"Let me go..." As the flower sea transformed into a state of half-white and half-black, half-yin and half-yang, an annoyed voice reached Xu Xiaoshou's ears. He froze. This was Mu Zixi's voice... But not entirely! Although there were still some similarities, the tone and the captivating, clear allure couldn't possibly belong to Junior Sister.

"Get out, give me back my Junior Sister!" Xu Xiaoshou roared, resuming his absorption of the demonic energy.

"Enough!" The enchanting female voice now carried a significant degree of displeasure. But her body seemed still unable to move, allowing Xu Xiaoshou to cup her face. With a pair of unusual Divine-Demonic Eyes, she closely observed this extremely familiar man and their first meeting.

How could Xu Xiaoshou let Junior Sister leave? He disregarded everything and continued to draw out the demonic energy from the Divine-Demonic Eyes! But it was too slow. When seventy percent of the sacred spider lily sea had been consumed by blackness, Xu Xiaoshou completely failed to notice that the woman cradled in his hands subtly twitched a fingertip...

Then, her lips curved into a faint smile, her eyelashes fluttered, and the Divine-Demonic Eyes stopped spinning, radiating an enchanting allure. "You want to absorb it, do you?" With a lift of her chin and a gentle press of her jade hand, her red lips pressed against his.

"Mmph!" Caught off guard by the soft assault, Xu Xiaoshou's mind went blank instantly. His toes curled, his palms splayed open, and his entire body stiffened in mid-air. Not only did the "Breathing Technique" immediately cease functioning, but his very breath vanished in that instant. He could only stare blankly, his left eye fixed on the nearby right Divine-Demonic Eye, watching as the infinitely bizarre black demonic power spun into an abyss before him, drawing his entire soul inward.

"Clang—" The Four Swords, a fierce sword and one of the five chaotic divine artifacts, experienced being abandoned by its master during combat for the first time, falling to the ground.

Their lips parted.

"Are you calm now?"

At this question, Xu Xiaoshou gasped, sucking in a large breath. He almost pulled the person before him back in before he felt the sensation of oxygen deprivation subside and found his soul again. Then, in a daze, he stopped breathing a second time.

"I'm returning it to her for you..." The woman before him, with slightly flushed cheeks, turned her head away in silence, averting her gaze as she feigned composure and offered an explanation.

Xu Xiaoshou paused for a long time, then stammered, "Mu Zixi?"

The woman's Divine-Demonic Eyes spun, then fixed on him. She slowly shook her head. "Lei Xi'er."