Chapter 1529: Flowing Sorrows

"Young lady, don't say I didn't warn you. When you confront me, you must maintain extreme focus, or your soul could shatter at any moment during our encounter. I can clearly sense another, far more powerful spiritual force supporting you within your soul world. However, that won't help you truly defeat me, because unlike the other chief elders, I excel in the spiritual domain. Therefore, do not expect any external aid to help you; that would only hasten your demise."

The chief elder, an old woman from the Tongyuan Royal Clan, spoke with an exceptionally gentle voice. Though she appeared old, her voice was remarkably pleasant, giving off a refreshing sensation.

If the two weren't bitter rivals at this moment, White Lotus would likely have found it difficult to harbor any animosity towards such a gentle, seemingly tranquil woman. Yet, as they were destined to determine a victor, White Lotus increasingly sensed the incredibly soft yet immensely powerful force emanating from the old woman, constantly affecting her mind.

"I can see that you've recently undergone a leap in strength, likely due to the powerful spiritual force in your mind, which brought you this enhancement and opportunity. However, your foundation isn't fully stable, and you've already become involved in this war between the demon and human races. This is quite unfortunate for you, as any opponent with an unstable foundation will be exposed before me. The spiritual technique I specialize in is called 'Flowing Goblet.' It is a unique branch of our sacred lineage, a system I developed through years of meticulous cultivation and study. It would be difficult to find another individual with this spiritual technique anywhere in the world. Therefore, for you, my technique has no weaknesses unless you can directly suppress me on a spiritual level. Otherwise, you cannot defeat me."

White Lotus seemed somewhat exasperated, letting out a cold snort.

"Old woman, shut up! Are you fighting me with your spiritual power, or just with your incessant chatter?"

However, the old woman appeared unaffected by White Lotus's retort; instead, a kind smile graced her face.

Just then, Xu Yang's spiritual phantom became a few shades more serious. "Don't engage with her too much. This woman is trying to constantly agitate your emotions this way. By doing so, her spiritual power will find your weaknesses and infiltrate them. If she tries to separate your soul from my spiritual phantom clone, I will no longer be able to help you, and that's when you'll be in real danger."

White Lotus nodded with a solemn expression, maintaining her mental composure as she continued to confront the unfathomable chief elder.

Not long after, as the old woman sensed White Lotus's increasingly calm and mature state of mind, she finally launched her attack.

A powerful spiritual technique instantly erupted. In a mere flash, the three light-lotuses behind the old woman merged into one enormous lotus throne, which slowly floated towards White Lotus.

"Young lady, look at this white lotus—isn't it more suitable for you? If you can inherit my legacy, you will achieve eternal purification. Your soul will become clear and flawless, and all vulnerabilities within you will be mended by the intervention of my power. I am the one who can truly show you the path forward."

The voice seemed to grow even softer, making it harder to resist.

As the saying goes, water can float a boat, but it can also capsize it. The name "Flowing Goblet" was the ultimate manifestation of the old woman's spiritual technique—a gentleness like water, slowly seeping into White Lotus Demon Saint's soul world.

It caused her to gradually lose resistance within this intensely comfortable and peaceful sensation. She could even clearly feel Xu Yang's phantom in her mind, his spiritual fluctuations, beginning to weaken and fade.

This was a sign that White Lotus Demon Saint was losing ground in the confrontation. Xu Yang was trying to find a way to keep the girl lucid.

However, he soon realized that the most unique aspect of the spiritual technique possessed by the old woman before him was its special effect of purifying souls. This meant that his current presence within White Lotus Demon Saint's mind would be stripped away to an infinite degree.

Xu Yang was momentarily caught in a dilemma. If he continued to remain as a detached observer, his presence would eventually be completely purified by the old woman's spiritual power, allowing her to invade White Lotus Demon Saint's spiritual world and causing him to entirely lose his ability to protect his disciple.

Yet, if Xu Yang intervened directly with his true form, it would be akin to personally squandering White Lotus Demon Saint's chance for a breakthrough. Xu Yang knew well that to truly help his disciple advance, it wasn't about personally clearing all her opponents.

Instead, it was about creating illusions for her that would facilitate continuous self-challenge and self-breakthrough. This old woman, without a doubt, would be White Lotus Demon Saint's ideal opponent for a genuine breakthrough in her soul realm. To take this crucial step, relying solely on Xu Yang was far from enough; White Lotus Demon Saint needed to experience a profound realization from within to complete this process.

At this critical juncture, Xu Yang finally decided to trust White Lotus. He directly roused his spiritual power, detached it from her soul world, and, in a completely transparent phantom form, stood behind White Lotus Demon Saint, becoming a thorough and complete bystander to the battle.

With the arrival of this moment, White Lotus completely lost all traces of Xu Yang's phantom in her mind. She understood that her master's decision was an act of trust in her, and also a return of the opportunity to choose her destiny and confront a powerful foe into her own hands.

"From now on, I can only rely on my own strength. I will give it my all and not disappoint Master."

White Lotus Demon Saint reminded herself of this more than once in her mind. Simultaneously, her own powerful spiritual technique began to manifest. In an instant, an incredibly realistic illusion reappeared around her and the old woman.

This was White Lotus Demon Saint's first illusionary counterattack: an exquisitely detailed crystal palace emerged, sealing both her and the old woman within. However, the old woman remained serene like water. A whisk appeared in her hand, and with a few light sweeps, all the illusions of the crystal palace shattered completely.