The purification light receded like a tide, yet the battlefield situation had completely reversed. The Silver-Faced Envoy's domain was broken, his own cultivation base disturbed. Facing Mu Qingfeng's furious full-power sword strike, he had to temporarily avoid its edge, his figure twisting strangely to narrowly avoid the sword aura's sharpest point, though his robes were still cut by the fierce sword qi, appearing somewhat disheveled. After stabilizing his form, his gaze toward Tang Xiao Qi no longer held pure greed but was mixed with intense wariness and killing intent.
On the other side, Mu Qingfeng achieved human and sword as one. Seizing the excellent opportunity when the White-Faced Demon Cultivator was heavily injured by the purification light and his escape technique failed, his sword light poured down like the Milky Way, instantly enveloping him. That White-Faced Demon Cultivator was skilled in sneak attacks and trickery; in direct confrontation, he was far from Mu Qingfeng's match. Now even more shocked in his heart, he only had time to let out a short scream before his protective demonic light was torn apart by countless sharp sword qi, his body flying backward like a broken sack, heavily crashing to the ground, life or death unknown.
The Crimson-Faced Demon Cultivator, seeing his companion instantly defeated and the Silver-Faced Envoy forced back, was horrified. He brandished his long blade to force back two Qingxu Temple disciples trying to entangle him, wanting to retreat and regroup with the main force.
However, a figure was faster than him!
It was Tang Xiao Qi! The wound on his left shoulder no longer affected his movement under the residual effects of the purification power. Though his spiritual power had been largely consumed by the previous eruption, an unprecedented enlightenment and sense of power surged in his heart. He did not choose to retreat but instead actively charged toward the Crimson-Faced Demon Cultivator who was attempting to withdraw.
He did not use the wok but instead, in the instant of charging, drew the Crimson Flame Sword that he had been carrying on his back but hadn't used due to his previous fighting style! The sword emerged from its sheath. The dark red blade, set off by the remaining white purification light, seemed to be injected with some vitality, emitting a soft hum.
"Boy seeking death!" The Crimson-Faced Demon Cultivator, seeing Xiao Qi dare to pursue alone and being only at the middle Foundation Establishment stage, was instantly enraged. Though weakened by the purification light, his late Golden Core peak cultivation base remained. His black flame long blade blazed with demonic fire again. Though much dimmer than before, it still carried an imposing manner of incinerating everything, chopping down at Xiao Qi's head! Before the blade aura arrived, that scorching and evil breath had already assailed his face.
In ordinary times, Xiao Qi would certainly have chosen to skirmish or used the wok to take the blow head-on. But at this moment, his mind was abnormally clear. When the purification light had bloomed earlier, that intent to cleanse filth and restore clarity had deeply branded itself in his heart. He looked at the surging demonic flame blade aura, at the Crimson-Faced Demon Cultivator's hideous, malevolent face, and thought of the Shadow Snake Pavilion's evil deeds, of the Xu Lan Villa tragedy. An indescribable emotion gathered in his chest—anger, hatred for evil, but even more, a strong desire to protect his fellow disciples behind him, to protect that clear world in his heart!
Purification power... the will to protect...
These two intents frantically collided and intertwined in his heart.
Just as the demonic flame blade aura was about to reach his body, Xiao Qi had a sudden inspiration. He did not use any flashy sword moves but instead infused all his remaining spiritual power, along with the last trace of cool breath held in reserve from the jade pendant at his chest, and that surging will to protect, into the Crimson Flame Sword in his hand. Simultaneously, he recalled Eldest Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng's steady, mountain-like, awe-inspiring sword intent, recalled his father Xu Zhan's determined figure of protection in the illusion.
He gripped the sword with both hands, his eyes sharp as a hawk's. Facing that pitch-black demonic flame blade aura, simply yet condensing all his spirit and energy, he thrust straight with one sword!
There was no earth-shattering momentum. This sword thrust even appeared somewhat plain and unadorned.
However, the instant the sword tip thrust out, something changed!
On the dark red Crimson Flame Sword body, the originally restrained flame patterns suddenly lit up, no longer purely scorching but revealing an upright, peaceful, yet inviolably majestic crimson-gold light! At the sword tip, an extremely condensed crimson-gold light point bloomed, like the newborn morning sun dispersing darkness.
This crimson-gold light point collided head-on with that massive demonic flame blade aura!
The expected violent explosion did not occur. That surging demonic flame blade aura, upon touching the crimson-gold light point, was like encountering a nemesis, emitting even more shrill "hissing" sounds. The demonic qi and evil fire upon it were rapidly purified and dissolved at a visible rate! Like residual snow meeting true flame, not shattered but fundamentally dissolved, evaporated!
The crimson-gold light point advanced irresistibly, flowing backward along the blade aura. Where it passed, demonic fire was extinguished and blade aura collapsed!
"What?!" The grin on the Crimson-Faced Demon Cultivator's face instantly solidified, transforming into ultimate terror. He felt that the demonic fire origin he had painstakingly cultivated for many years was being ruthlessly purified and erased by a higher, purer power! This counter-effect was even more direct and deadly than the earlier area-wide white light!
He wanted to withdraw his blade, but it was already too late.
That crimson-gold light point, after purifying the demonic flame blade aura, did not slow down. Like crossing spatial distance, it instantly landed on the body of his black long blade.
"Crack..."
A crisp shattering sound rang out. That not-inferior-grade demonic blade, starting from the point of contact with the sword tip, rapidly spread with countless cracks. In the next moment, it explosively shattered! Countless fragments mixed with purified demonic qi flew in all directions.
The Crimson-Faced Demon Cultivator was struck as if by lightning, violently spraying a large mouthful of blood. His lifebound magical artifact destroyed, connected to his qi, he was heavily injured. His breath instantly withered to the extreme, his whole body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, his eyes still holding uncomprehending shock.
All of this sounds slow but actually happened in a flash of lightning and flint.
From Xiao Qi drawing his sword and charging forward to the Crimson-Faced Demon Cultivator's blade being destroyed and him being injured, took only the blink of an eye.
Mu Qingfeng and Liu Yun, who had been preparing to rescue Xiao Qi, froze in mid-motion, their faces filled with shock.
Those remaining Shadow Snake Pavilion demon cultivators were even more like they had seen a ghost, their gazes toward Xiao Qi filled with fear.
Even the Silver-Faced Envoy, who had just stabilized his form and suppressed his churning cultivation base, upon seeing this scene, had his pupils suddenly contract. He saw more clearly than others that the sword the junior had just unleashed did not contain simple fire-element sword aura but an extremely weak yet essentially very high... sword intent embryo that fused purification characteristics with the will to protect!
"Sword intent... and it's sword intent that counters my holy way!" Waves surged in the Silver-Faced Envoy's heart. This boy must not be allowed to live! Otherwise, he would become a serious threat in the future!
He could no longer care about anything else. His killing intent blazed to the extreme, and the demonic qi around him surged again, even more violently than before, clearly intending to stop at nothing to personally kill Xiao Qi on the spot!
However, after unleashing that earth-shattering sword strike, Xiao Qi felt his body being hollowed out. A strong sense of weakness assailed him. He used his sword as a cane to barely stand firm. Looking at the Silver-Faced Envoy erupting with terrifying killing intent again, a bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. That sword strike had consumed almost all his power and mental energy; he absolutely could not unleash a second strike in a short time.
Mu Qingfeng and Liu Yun instantly reacted, unhesitatingly standing before Xiao Qi again, their swords pointing at the Silver-Faced Envoy, their gazes resolute.
"Protect Xiao Qi!"
"Demon, don't even think about it!"
The remaining Qingxu Temple disciples also quickly gathered, forming a battle formation. Though everyone was injured, their eyes were determined, showing no fear.
The Silver-Faced Envoy looked at the fully prepared Qingxu Temple disciples, then at Xiao Qi whose breath was withered but whose eyes remained bright, and sensed that other cultivator teams seemed to be rapidly approaching, attracted by the earlier commotion. His face was terribly dark. He knew today's matter could not be accomplished. Forcibly acting, even if he could kill everyone, he would inevitably pay a significant price. In this crisis-ridden core area, this was unwise.
"Humph! Qingxu Temple... Tang Xiao Qi... I'll remember you!" The Silver-Faced Envoy squeezed these words through his teeth, filled with bone-deep hatred. He suddenly waved his hand, a demonic wind rolling up the heavily injured Crimson-Faced Demon Cultivator and the White-Faced Demon Cultivator whose life or death was unknown. He shouted to his remaining subordinates: "Retreat!"
As his words fell, the Shadow Snake Pavilion members retreated like a tide, quickly disappearing into the forest at the basin's edge. They had come quickly and left just as swiftly.
The powerful enemy withdrew, and the pressure suddenly lifted. Yet no one among the Qingxu Temple disciples cheered. Everyone felt like they had collapsed, many directly slumping to the ground, breathing heavily, savoring that thrilling battle, their gazes involuntarily focusing on that youth with his sword planted in the ground, his face pale but his spine straight.
In today's battle, if not for Tang Xiao Qi, they would have been annihilated. And that sword strike from Xiao Qi at the end, containing strange sword intent, had deeply imprinted itself in everyone's heart.
The name Tang Xiao Qi, through this battle, was destined to leave an indelible mark in their hearts.