From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 465 The Truth About the Source of the Evil Qi

The bloodstains left by the Blood Fiend Elder's withered fingers on the Spirit Locking Crystal oozed a blackish-red liquid, and the black mist, like a living thing, climbed up my ankle, as if it wanted to burrow into my blood vessels and gnaw at my bone marrow.

I could hear my own rapid breathing, and with each breath it felt like needles were piercing my lungs—this was no ordinary malevolent energy, but clearly a sinister substance refined by evil magic.

"Miss Xiao!" The Azure Lotus Fairy's magic seal finally collapsed completely. She staggered and grabbed the broken stele beside her. The azure lotus pattern on the jade hairpin in her hair was visibly fading to gray. "Look behind him!"

I followed her gaze and saw that the ghostly face formed from the bloodthirsty old man's evil energy behind him had its black mouth wide open, and between the ghostly face's eyebrows was a black fragment the size of a fingernail.

Each time the fragment trembled, the surrounding malevolent energy surged even more fiercely, suppressing Ling Feng's flaming sword to the size of a bean.

"It's a fragment of the Soul-Devouring Core!" Qinglian's voice suddenly rose, her fingertips digging deeply into her palm. "I once saw a record in the 'Netherworld Records'—ancient evil cultivators used the blood of ten thousand people to refine the Soul-Devouring Core, which can devour all spiritual power for their own use."

The malevolent energy in this cave wasn't naturally generated; someone buried fragments of a malevolent core in the earth's veins!

The Blood Fiend Elder's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints. He roared, and the black mist on the Spirit Locking Crystal surged toward us like a tidal wave: "Talkative little wench!"

"It took me three hundred years to find the location of this evil core, none of you can have it..."

"Fellow Daoist Ling!" I gritted my teeth and tore off the black mist chains binding my ankles. A star map surged within my sea of ​​consciousness, transforming into a galaxy, and my suppressed spiritual power flowed down the silver threads like a tidal wave. "Entangle him!"

Ling Feng's sword tassel burst into crimson flames with a "whoosh," and he spun around to stand between me and the Blood Fiend Elder. His sword collided with the black mist, sparks flying out: "Miss Xiao, go ahead!"

That old scoundrel's broken stone can't even trap Grandpa!

I stared at the direction where the malevolent energy was strongest—the place where the black mist was churning most violently. There was a crack about half a person's height in the rock wall, and I could vaguely hear muffled sounds like heartbeats coming from inside.

Qinglian grabbed my wrist; the temperature of her palm was astonishingly high. "The fragments of the Demon Core are just the trigger; the real Demon Core should be in the deepest part of the cave."

But the malevolent energy within...

“I have a star map.” I took her hand in mine, feeling the warmth of the star map flowing through my consciousness to my fingertips. “It can protect me.”

Qinglian's eyes suddenly reddened. As she released my hand, she slipped a bead gleaming with a bluish light into my sleeve: "This is the Pure Spirit Bead. It can protect you from three deadly poisons."

I nodded to her and turned to crawl into the crack.

The moss on the rock face was incredibly slippery, and you had to hold onto the rock face with every step. But the further you went in, the more intense the chill became—not just ordinary cold, but a pain like ice picks piercing your bones.

I took out the Qingling Pearl and held it in my palm. The pearl immediately emitted a pale blue halo, and the surrounding evil energy hissed when it touched the light barrier, like a snake that had been scalded.

The cave widened as I walked, and when I turned the last stone beam, I almost stopped breathing.

On the stone platform in the very center, a black crystal the size of a fist floats.

Its surface is covered with dark red veins that pulsate like blood vessels, and with each pulsation, the entire cave wall trembles.

I could hear my own heart pounding like a drum—this was no stone, but a “heart” sealed in a crystal shell, greedily devouring the surrounding spiritual energy.

"So you are the source." I touched the Key of Destiny at my waist, a jade pendant that came with the star map when I traveled through time, and it was burning hot to the touch.

Suddenly, the silver lines of the star chart shot from my sea of ​​consciousness into the jade pendant, and then surged into my dantian along my meridians. I felt my spiritual energy boiling all over my body, and even my fingertips glowed with golden light.

The demon core seemed to sense the threat; the red patterns on its surface instantly surged, and a black light pierced straight at my face.

I instinctively raised my hand to block, and the Pure Spirit Pearl in my palm cracked open with a "crack," the black light colliding with the light shield and exploding into black mist.

I seized the opportunity to rush forward, and the golden light of the Key of Destiny condensed into a sword in my palm—a semi-transparent golden sword, through which I could see the silver lines of the star map flowing.

"Shatter!" I gritted my teeth and swung my sword.

The entire cave roared the moment the golden sword collided with the evil core.

I saw spiderweb-like cracks appear on the surface of the demon core, and dark red liquid seeped out from the cracks, emitting a stench like rotting flesh.

The star chart spun wildly in my mind, as if it wanted to give me its last bit of power.

The moment the golden sword completely sank into the demonic core, I heard a loud "boom" and a blinding white light exploded before my eyes.

When visibility returned, the demon core had shattered into dust, and the black particles floating in the air were rapidly dissipating.

I leaned against the stone wall, panting, when suddenly I heard a "crack" above me—looking up, I saw rocks falling from the cave ceiling, and a muffled thunderous roar came from afar.

"Oh no..." I clutched the shattered Qingling Pearl and turned to run out of the cave.

The sound of falling rocks behind me grew louder and louder. A rock the size of a fist hit my feet, and the flying debris cut my cheek.

I could hear my own heart pounding, mixed with the ever-approaching sound of collapse—I had to hurry, much faster...

I ran so hard my lungs felt like they were going to explode, and all I could hear was the roar of rocks crumbling.

My cheek, which had been cut by the rubble, was burning with pain, but I couldn't care less—the rock strata on the cave ceiling were crashing down in large chunks. A stone the size of a millstone grazed my left shoulder and slammed into the rock wall, sending up fragments that pierced the back of my neck, making me gasp in pain.

"Miss Xiao! Be careful!"

Suddenly, Ling Feng's loud shout came from behind.

I instinctively turned around and saw the hunched figure of the Blood Demon Old Man leap out from the collapsed pile of stones, his withered claws turning bluish-black, reaching straight for my heart.

The madness in his eyes was almost tangible: "The Key to Destiny...that thing is inside your body!"

Surrender your power, and I'll spare your life!

I was so startled that my back pressed against the rock wall.

Having exhausted most of his spiritual power fighting the evil core, he was now trembling even as he formed hand seals.

The Blood Demon Elder's fingernails had already touched my clothes, and the stench of decay, mixed with sinister and malevolent energy, assaulted my senses—he had actually managed to get in front of me amidst the chaos!

"roll!"

A sharp whistling sound of crimson flames piercing the air exploded overhead.

Ling Feng's flaming sword, enveloped in scorching air, slashed down, leaving a charred wound on the Blood Fiend Elder's wrist.

He staggered back two steps, glaring fiercely at Ling Feng: "You meddlesome brat..."

"Enough nonsense!" Ling Feng threw out three fire talismans, which burned the surrounding rubble and sent up wisps of smoke. "Miss Xiao, go first, I'll cover your retreat!" His sword tassel was charred black by the evil energy, and there was blood on his forehead. He was obviously injured when he fought against the black mist.

I clutched the shattered Qingling Pearl tightly, my throat tightening.

I had expended too much energy at the bottom of the cave, and now every step I took felt like I was made of lead.

But the Blood Fiend Elder's sinister gaze remained fixed on the back of my neck. He had clearly risked injury to grab me just now—he must have realized that the Key of Destiny was connected to my bloodline and wanted to directly possess me!

"Xiao Yao!"

"Grab me!" The Azure Lotus Fairy appeared from the other side at some point. The azure lotus hairpin in her hair had completely faded to white, but she still gritted her teeth and grabbed my arm. "To the left!"

There are carvings on the rock face over there; they might be remnants of an ancient formation!

We stumbled and ran to the left, when we heard a sharp clang of metal clashing behind us—Ling Feng's sword had collided with the Blood Fiend Elder's bone knife, and sparks flew to my feet.

The Blood Fiend Elder's cold laughter, mixed with the sound of collapsing rocks, pierced through our ears: "If this hole collapses, you won't survive either!"

"Wait till I skin you alive..."

"Shut up!" I yelled, my nails digging deep into my palms.

The star map in my mind suddenly glowed faintly, as if responding to my anger.

The Key of Destiny was burning hot at my waist, making my skin red—perhaps it could sense danger?

"We've arrived!" Qinglian's fingertips brushed against the rock wall, and stone chips fell down in a flurry.

Only then did I see clearly that there were some crooked runes faintly carved on the rock wall, as if they had been deliberately covered up.

The silver lines of the star chart suddenly shot into my eyes, and the runes suddenly became clear in my vision, gleaming with a pale golden light.

"It's the Spirit Awakening Array!" I blurted out.

Before transmigrating, I had seen similar patterns in ancient books; they were used by ancient cultivators to hide the entrance.

Trembling, he pressed his palm onto the rune. The heat of the Key of Destiny surged through his meridians to his fingertips, and the rune instantly became as bright as day.

"boom--"

A muffled thud came from underground.

Suddenly, the rock wall in front of us split open, revealing a stone door about half a person's height, with an image of an ouroboros carved on it.

Qinglian's hands trembled: "This...this is the 'Hidden Abyss Sect,' a sect that was lost a thousand years ago!"

"Go in first!" Ling Feng's voice was breathless.

I looked back and saw that his flaming sword had already left several sword marks, and the Blood Demon Elder's left shoulder had been burned with a charred hole, yet he was still approaching with red eyes.

Amidst the rain of pebbles, Ling Feng suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood—he had taken a direct hit from the Blood Fiend Elder to protect us!

"Fellow Daoist Ling!" I was so anxious that tears were about to fall. I grabbed Qinglian's hand and rushed over.

Ling Feng gritted his teeth and retreated to the door, then pushed me inside: "Go quickly!"

That old scoundrel can't hurt me...

The moment the stone door closed behind us, I heard the Blood Demon Elder's roar slam into the door, making it vibrate loudly.

Qinglian slumped to the ground, panting with her hands on her knees: "He can't get in... The Hidden Abyss Sect has recognized its master, unless we open it ourselves..."

“What about Ling Feng?” I grabbed her wrist, my nails almost digging into her skin.

"He followed us in!" Qinglian pointed behind me.

At some point, Ling Feng staggered and leaned against the door, his chest soaked with blood, yet he still grinned: "Miss Xiao, do you think I'm made of paper?"

That old scoundrel's knife... cough, it didn't hit a vital spot...

My throat tightened, and I reached out to help him, but he pulled away: "Let's look outside first."

Through the observation hole in the stone gate, we could see thick smoke rising from where the cave had been.

The once majestic mountain wall has collapsed into a scorched earth, with wisps of smoke rising from the dark brown rubble. There is no trace of the cave left.

“After the Demon Core shattered, all the resentment in the earth’s veins was released.” Qinglian looked at the scorched earth and said softly, “Everything here has been wiped clean... but the entrance to the immortal gate we are looking for…” Her voice trailed off, her eyes filled with disappointment.

I looked down and touched the Key of Destiny at my waist. It suddenly became incredibly hot, so hot that my fingertips trembled.

The star map in his mind began to spin wildly, and silver lines intertwined to form a picture—a sea of ​​clouds surged, and a fairy island with green tiles and white walls floated in the clouds. Wildflowers bloomed on the island, waterfalls flowed and springs gushed, and even the copper bells on the eaves could be seen clearly.

"Only by ascending to the immortal island can the ultimate secret be unlocked."

A deep voice echoed in my mind, as if it were drifting from a very distant place, or as if it were engraved directly into my soul.

I looked up abruptly and found Qinglian and Lingfeng looking at me with concern.

"Miss Xiao? What's wrong?" Ling Feng reached out and touched my forehead.

I shook my head and gazed at the surging sea of ​​clouds outside the cave.

The image of the fairy island lingered in my mind, even the wisps of clouds swirling around its edge were eerily clear.

The wind lifted my sleeve, bringing a faint, delicate fragrance, one I had never smelled before, yet it sent shivers down my spine.

“We…should keep going,” I heard myself say.

Qinglian stood up and dusted off the hem of her skirt: "Which way should we go next?"

I gazed at the distant sea of ​​clouds, the heat of the Key of Destiny seeping through my clothes and burning onto my skin.

The shadow of the fairy island appeared and disappeared in the line of sight, as if beckoning or warning.

“Go deeper into the clouds,” I whispered. “The answer lies there.”

The wind, carrying the scent of scorched earth, brushed against my cheeks, but I heard another sound—the copper bells on the eaves of the fairy island, ringing in my memory with the wind.