The feeling of powerlessness from her previous life overlapped with the despair of this one.
Once, she could only watch helplessly as her fellow disciples died tragic deaths.
And now, despite being reborn and obtaining the strongest cultivation technique, was she really going to let history repeat itself?
Yu Qingyao suddenly stood up. In her originally clear apricot-shaped eyes, a frantic flame now burned.
In an instant, an obscure and massive power began to circulate within her body.
The crimson longsword in Yu Qingyao’s hand emitted a shrill and high-pitched hum.
Flames erupted from the longsword, and at the same time, grayish-white air currents abruptly appeared around Yu Qingyao’s body.
The originally hot and violent flames underwent a strange and magnificent transformation.
The ancient, vast grayish-white air currents actually merged into the vivid red.
Red and gray intertwined, forming a peculiar color that exuded an aura of solemnity and tragedy, as if it were about to burn everything in the world to ashes.
The Demonic Ape seemed to sense the danger. It let out a roar, its body flashed, and it swung its fists. Surging Demonic Chi instantly transformed into fist-winds, carrying demonic flames as it struck toward Yu Qingyao.
Under the suppression of that sky-covering Demonic Chi, she held the sword with both hands and slashed down fiercely at the overbearing Demonic Ape!
“Boom!”
A giant Sword Chi whistled out.
Everywhere the Sword Chi passed, even the Demonic Chi in the air was purified and returned to nothingness.
There were no shrill ghost howls, only the crackling sound of a prairie fire.
The Sword Chi struck the Demonic Ape’s indestructible arm.
The moment it touched those thick scales, they instantly shattered. Meanwhile, the Sword Chi continued to penetrate deep, dealing a wound so deep that bone was visible.
But the attack did not stop there. In the next moment—
The layer of dazzling fire wrapped around the Sword Chi seemed like light passing through glass, directly ignoring the physical defense of the scales.
It followed the Demonic Ape’s arm, passing through flesh and bone without hindrance, transforming into an invisible blade of judgment. It flowed against the current of the meridians, rushing straight for the Demonic Ape’s Sea of Consciousness!
This was the true power of the Soul Governance Art—to slay both the body and the soul!
“Aow—!!!”
The Shaking Heaven Demonic Ape suddenly threw its head back and let out a scream of extreme pain.
It was not just a cry of pain from a physical injury, but a wail of the soul being scorched by fire.
Its raised fists suddenly froze in mid-air. Its massive body trembled violently, crashing frantically against the ground.
The tyrannical blood-red light in its eyes instantly dimmed, and black blood actually flowed from its seven orifices.
It worked!
Watching the Demonic Ape howling in pain, a flash of satisfaction crossed Yu Qingyao’s eyes.
“Again!”
She gritted her teeth, wanting to raise her sword once more.
“Crack—”
A crisp sound of fracturing that made one’s heart tremble abruptly came from inside her body.
Her own body had collapsed.
Yu Qingyao’s slender arms instantly burst open with wounds, dripping with blood.
The sudden increase in strength was far too heavy for a body in the Foundation Establishment Stage.
“Sizzle, sizzle—”
Countless tiny cracks appeared on her fair skin, like fine porcelain about to break. Blood could not stop seeping out from every pore, instantly staining her into a person of blood.
The air currents that originally lingered around her body suddenly dissipated, and the flames attached to the blade vanished.
Her entire person was like a kite with a broken string, completely losing control over her body as she collapsed limply to the ground.
The offensive came to a sudden halt.
Although the Demonic Ape roared repeatedly in pain and its soul was injured, it was not fatal.
The terrifying vitality it possessed meant that even if its soul was in great pain, its physical body was still incredibly strong.
It shook its massive head and recovered from the dizziness. Those blood-red pupils, filled with tyrannical killing intent, locked onto Yu Qingyao on the ground.
This bug dared to wound it!
“Roar!”
The Demonic Ape raised its giant foot and, accompanied by the sound of a sonic boom, stomped fiercely toward the limp Yu Qingyao!
Lying on the ground, Yu Qingyao looked at the black shadow falling from the sky.
In the end, she still couldn’t save everyone…
Whether it was the last life or this one.
Yu Qingyao closed her eyes in resignation.
However, the expected pain did not arrive.
A soft sensation came from all around her body. She even smelled a fragrance other than the scent of blood—it was like the scent of white orchids.
It was Wu Yan.
Her left arm was already broken, hanging limply at her side. But her right hand still held Severing Delusion tightly.
Facing the falling giant foot, she did not resist head-on. Instead, she stabbed the longsword fiercely into the ground, using the power of that strike to force her body to twist in the air.
Her entire being spun like a top as she flew out, taking Yu Qingyao in her arms away from the Demonic Ape’s range of attack.
“Boom—!!!”
The Demonic Ape missed its step. The earth collapsed, and shattered rocks flew everywhere.
Holding Yu Qingyao, Wu Yan rolled messily behind a pile of rocks dozens of yards away.
“Poof… cough…”
As soon as they landed, Wu Yan spat out another mouthful of blood.
But she didn’t even have time to wipe the blood.
She quickly took a small bottle from her Storage Ring, poured out a pill emitting a clear fragrance, and stuffed it directly into Yu Qingyao’s blood-stained mouth.
“Swallow it.”
Though Wu Yan’s voice was hoarse, it remained calm enough to put one at ease.
The medicinal power dissolved, protecting Yu Qingyao’s heart, meridians, and soul which were on the verge of collapse.
It was a Top-grade Heart Clearing Pill.
Yu Qingyao struggled to open her eyes. In her blurred vision, she saw Wu Yan’s pale yet determined face.
“Senior… Senior Sister…”
“Sorry, I’m too… weak—”
“Qingyao.”
Wu Yan interrupted her self-reproach.
She just stared fixedly into Yu Qingyao’s eyes. In those ink-colored pupils, Yu Qingyao’s pale face was reflected.
“Do you trust me?”
There was no pleading, no command.
Yu Qingyao stared at her blankly.
In this life-and-death crisis, under this world-destroying demonic might, Wu Yan’s blood-stained, plain white figure was so thin and small.
But at this moment, time seemed to stand still.
Before Yu Qingyao’s eyes, the red-clothed Female Devil from her previous life who killed people like grass, and the white-clothed Senior Sister before her who was risking her life to protect her, gradually overlapped and then gradually separated.
Trust her?
In the last life, I hated you to the bone.
In this life, I guarded against you like a thief.
But now, looking into Wu Yan’s eyes, Yu Qingyao suddenly realized she couldn’t find even a shred of doubt.
Having lived two lives, there was no moment that made her want to believe in someone so urgently.
She didn’t speak. She just reached out a trembling hand and forced a gray ball of light out from between her eyebrows.
That was the core inheritance seal of the Soul Governance Art.
The Soul Governance Art was an ancient forbidden art. Once practiced, it was bound to the soul and could not be taught through text.
If one wanted to give it to someone else, the only way was to strip the seal. But as a price, the person stripping it had to endure intense soul pain.
“Ugh—!!”
Yu Qingyao let out a painful groan, her face instantly turning as pale as paper.
“Senior Sister…”
Looking at the glow carrying the aura of Yu Qingyao’s soul, a flash of shock passed through Wu Yan’s eyes. She naturally knew what this meant.
Without wasting words, she grabbed the glow and pressed it directly into her own forehead.
“Boom!”
A massive stream of information instantly rushed into Wu Yan’s Sea of Consciousness. In just three breaths.
Wu Yan snapped her eyes open.
“Burning the soul…”
She murmured to herself, feeling the technique that was powerful enough to change her fate. Then, a resolute curve formed at the corners of her mouth.
She did not hesitate at all.
She didn’t even leave herself a single second to think.
Cold white air currents transformed into a vortex, surrounding her within.
Lying on the ground, Yu Qingyao felt her consciousness fading rapidly.
Her eyelids were so heavy.
The world was becoming so dark.
In the final moment before fainting, she tried hard to widen her eyes and look forward.
In her blurred vision.
She saw that plain white figure.
Wu Yan did not shrink back. She still stood in front of her.
Just like the figure that stood before her back in the Western Wilderness.
It turned out that people really could change…
“Good luck, Senior Sister.”
Yu Qingyao called out silently in her heart, and then her consciousness fell into boundless darkness.
***
The vortex dissipated.
Cold white flames ignited from Wu Yan’s body without warning.
That was the color of a soul burning—beautiful yet tragic.
“Wu Yan, do you want to die?!”
Wu Yan (Inner) really couldn’t resist the urge to pry open Wu Yan’s head to see what this fellow was thinking.
She could clearly feel that a raging fire had ignited within Wu Yan’s Sea of Consciousness.
But those flames skillfully bypassed the area where she usually resided, like a firewall, protecting her firmly in the center.
The only thing burning was Wu Yan’s own soul essence!
“Stop! Wu Yan, I’m telling you to stop right now!!”
In those eyes of Wu Yan (Inner), which were originally watching for fun, a trace of panic and shock appeared for the first time.
She had thought this blockhead would pull her in together or borrow her power.
But she didn’t expect this fool to burn herself like firewood while keeping her, the Demon Venerable, perfectly protected.
“Are you crazy? If you keep burning like this, you’ll become an idiot! Why don’t you just give the body back to me? Although I hate working hard, I’m still better than a half-baked amateur like you!”
Wu Yan (Inner)’s voice carried a trace of anxiety and exasperation she hadn’t noticed herself:
“Stop! You idiot! You’re looking for death! Do you think playing the hero is fun?! If it’s really not working, just use my—”
“Since it’s my own decision, there’s no reason to let others bear the cost for me.”
Wu Yan’s tone carried a trace of subtle comfort.
“Bullshit! Didn’t you say before that we are one? Now it’s ‘others’ again? Stop right now and give the body to me. I’ll kill this stinking bug for you!”
Wu Yan did not respond further.
As the soul fire burned, Wu Yan’s aura began to surge wildly.
Half-step Nascent Soul… Early Nascent Soul…
Until—the Mid Nascent Soul Stage!
Severing Delusion was wrapped in cold white soul fire.
She no longer dodged, but instead proactively moved toward the Demonic Ape.
“Bang!”
The human and the ape collided fiercely in mid-air.
This time, there was no being sent flying, no spitting up blood.
Wu Yan’s figure shifted in the air like a ghost, the sword in her hand so fast it was a blur.
“Puchi!”
Black blood sprayed wildly.
“Roar—!!!”
The Demonic Ape roared in pain.
Its indestructible scales were as fragile as tofu before the current Wu Yan.
Wu Yan was like a white storm, crazily carving into the Demonic Ape.
One strike severed its tendons! One strike blinded its left eye! One strike sliced off half an ear!
Every strike was a critical hit! Every move was fatal!
The situation was instantly reversed.
The Demonic Ape, which had been overbearing just moments ago, was now being suppressed and beaten by a tiny human, its screams of pain shaking the surroundings.
The Demonic Ape went completely berserk. It hadn’t expected this ant to explode with such terrifying power. The combination of physical and spiritual pain drove it mad.
“Roar!!!”
The Demonic Ape roared at the sky, no longer caring about the injuries on its body. The demonic phantom behind it suddenly solidified, and a destructive black ripple expanded outward frantically with the ape as the center.