C903 A Fierce Battle

Yu Yuan and Loong Qi, within the cauldron, faced similar fates.

The massive green dragon, a hundred meters in length, writhed on the ground, its scales gushing blood like a fountain, the stench overwhelming.

Yu Yuan, relentlessly swinging his sword sheath and unleashing beams of crimson sword light with the Moonfall Strike, was bathed in blood. Fine, dense wounds tore through his clothes, revealing themselves on his skin and flesh.

It was as though an unseen adversary was slicing through his corporeal body with a sharp blade.

Despite enduring much hardship, his robust body did not spew blood wildly, but the sight of blood seeping through his skin was still ghastly.

Yu Yuan was in agony.

The inverted golden mountains bestowed an ineffable divine might. The clash between the mountain peaks and the sword light, along with the fierce collision of swordsmanship and other Ways of Heaven, inflicted excruciating pain upon his soul.

The sword's will he had collected with great effort was now being extravagantly expended.

Each Moonfall Strike carried a unique sword's will from within the sheath, which, upon contact with the golden mountain peak, would instantly vanish along with a certain Golden Way of Heaven.

With each sword's will that vanished, Yu Yuan realized something was irretrievably lost from the sheath.

This kind of loss was irreplaceable...

In previous battles, he would utilize the sword's will and sword light from the sheath, depleting only the sword force, without diminishing the intricate sword's will.

But now, it wasn't just the sword force that was depleting; the sword's will also dissipated with each strike.

He had a vague understanding of what this meant...

The Way of Heaven was being countered!

The apex of the golden mountain harbored the esoteric truths of the golden decree, likely the theurgy of a Solar Spirit Realm cultivator who had meditated on it for centuries and integrated it into his being.

Only such a force could neutralize the sword's will left by the Sword Sect cultivators in the Extraterrestrial Star River.

Each sword spell contained the essence of swordsmanship, its might amplified manifold. As it struck the golden mountain peak, it met with another golden rule, and both dissipated into nothingness.

During this time, the residual force of the crimson sword light cascaded onto the golden mountain. Within its peaks, golden glimmers, invisible to the naked eye, fell like a fine mist of rain. This minuscule "golden drizzle" was the very thing that left Yu Yuan's body riddled with wounds, his flesh torn and mangled beyond recognition.

Even the corporeal body, tempered by the Evil Body Refining Technique, couldn't withstand the onslaught of a Solar Spirit cultivator's divine fragments, infused with the mighty Way of Heaven. To Yu Yuan's senses, each speck of the "golden drizzle" was like a fine sword, scraping bone and slicing flesh.

Before long, all but his two arm bones, his flesh, other bones, and every tendon had been grievously damaged by the fine golden light. "This is the true might of a Solar Spirit cultivator," he realized. Only now did Yu Yuan truly grasp the terrifying strength of a Solar Spirit cultivator in the Everlands.

If he hadn't practiced the Evil Body Refining Technique at his early Lunar Spirit Realm stage, the metal magic from the scattered sword light would have reduced him to a pile of broken remains. Any other Lunar Spirit would have perished countless times over.

"I can't keep this up!" In the throes of excruciating pain, his expression twisted into a grimace, yet he forced himself to remain composed, continuing to deplete the last of his sword force with Moonfall Strike. He knew that once the relentless crimson sword light faded, facing the inverted Gold Mountain would mean instant obliteration.

Even now, his body was at its limit; it wouldn't be long before he succumbed to physical death. "I must find a way!" His mind raced, mechanically swinging his sword while desperately seeking a solution.

Beside him, a faint silver light screen materialized. Wen Lu, with her Shadowkin heritage, had cast aside her Dragon Head Staff. Clasping the leaf-shaped silver necklace, she bowed her head and chanted fervently. A silver glow radiated from the necklace, enveloping her within its light.

With a whisper, the "golden drizzle" vanished upon contact with the silver brilliance. In that instant, Yu Yuan realized that Wen Lu, who should have been collateral damage, was miraculously unharmed within the cauldron, shielded by the silver necklace.

Yu Yuan couldn't comprehend the melody of Wen Lu's incantations. Yet, the venerable trees of the Serpent Spine Mountains seemed to understand, stirring in response to her voice.

The dense forest's foliage transitioned from vibrant green to withered yellow, as if the season had leapt from spring to autumn in an instant. The trees and flowers succumbed to decay and desolation. Yet, the life force within the plants seemed to be beckoned by the leaf in Wen Lu's grasp. The silver leaf transformed quietly, glowing with a verdant hue that radiated an infinite breath of life. Within the leaf, the intricate patterns writhed as though they were alive.

Specks of green light, akin to fireflies, emerged from the leaf, darting toward Yu Yuan's gaping wound and dissolving into his flesh. Yu Yuan, who felt on the brink of collapse, was suddenly revitalized by a surge of plant life force, his spirits marginally lifted. The scarlet Altar of Rebirth within his little world sprang into action, generating strands of vitality essence imbued with the psionic power of regeneration.

With the plant essence from without and the life force from within working in tandem, they aided him in stabilizing his injuries. This allowed Yu Yuan, who should have succumbed to his wounds, to persevere, continuing to brandish his scabbard with determination.

"Chong Xiao, you wish to compel me to forsake my corporeal body and release my Lunar Spirit!" A spark of realization ignited in Yu Yuan's mind as he sharply discerned Chong Xiao's intent. His heaven soul's intuition told him that facing imminent death, he would likely choose to flee Gloomhollow, seeking to escape with his Lunar Spirit.

It seemed Chong Xiao was waiting precisely for his Lunar Spirit to emerge. "He desires my Lunar Spirit, not the dispersal of my soul! My Lunar Spirit, forged in the Land of Terror with the aid of the Root of the Lunar Meridian, must possess some unique mystery! Moreover, my ties to the Boulderdawn Sect are of interest to the Ethereal Void Sect—they seek to uncover the reasons behind our connection."

The pieces fell into place for Yu Yuan. The collaboration between Chong Xiao and Tianjing, along with their command over the eighth-level green dragon, was not aimed at annihilating him with haste. The Ethereal Void Sect harbored ulterior motives.

"Heh, they've certainly crafted a clever scheme!" Yu Yuan sneered inwardly, his understanding of the adversary's motives reinforcing his resolve. He was determined to endure, refusing to release his Lunar Spirit and thwart the Ethereal Void Sect's ambitions.

He swallowed the blood-replenishing and soul-condensing pills with lightning speed.

Gritting his teeth, he brandished his sword towards the heavens and then turned to confront Chong Xiao, "You old coot, I'm sure you're well aware of the vile and underhanded tactics the Ethereal Void Sect employed to become the foremost among the lower sects. Heh, a power like yours is bound to meet its demise in this sweeping struggle across the Everlands."

"I see it as an opportunity for the Ethereal Void Sect to ascend to the ranks of a true upper sect," Chong Xiao responded, his voice detached as he nonchalantly stood on Loong Qi's head.

With a sweeping gesture, he reached through the air.

A dragon scale from Loong Qi's body detached and fell into his hand. Infused with spiritual energy, the scale shone like a cluster of bright stars, exuding a fresh and transcendent aura, unlike anything of this mundane world.

"Go!"

Chong Xiao flicked his wrist, sending the scale soaring.

Gleaming with a vibrant green luminescence, the dragon scale streaked towards the Crucible of Evil like a verdant comet.

Yu Yuan, exerting himself to wield his sword against the inverted Gold Mountain, was suddenly aware of a colossal star hurtling towards him.

In his Mindscape, a green star manifested, racing directly for his soul.

"It's truly astounding that you, merely at the Lunar Spirit level, have endured for so long," Chong Xiao remarked with genuine admiration. "Regardless of the outcome, you'll have every reason to hold your head high after this battle. Even Cao Jiaze, in his early days under the Ebon Star's favor, was no better."

He couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be if Yu Yuan were his own disciple.

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