Chapter 194: Countering the Devour!

194. Chapter 194: Countering the Devour!

Gu Zongyuan and Su Wushuang, the moment they received Xiao Zhangqing's order to "retreat," also saw black mist breach the altar's limits and burst outward, and they fled without hesitation toward the outside of the ruin.

Originally they were not worried about Xiao Zhangqing; not only was he the strongest, his evasion technique also far surpassed the two of them.

But they found that Xiao Zhangqing's escape speed was not very fast, almost keeping pace with them.

The two thought perhaps Xiao Zhangqing was being overly loyal, insisting on withdrawing together rather than letting anyone go ahead alone.

But the next instant, both were shocked, because the white‑clothed female demon spirit seemed to target Xiao Zhangqing; while the three were retreating together, the spirit suddenly surged, trapping Xiao Zhangqing in an instant, ignoring the two who were also withdrawing.

A moment's delay, a moment's swiftness.

Su Wushuang and Gu Zongyuan's evasion speed was also not slow; after Xiao Zhangqing was enveloped by the black mist space, the two instinctively kept flying forward, and within a few breaths they exited the ruin and reached beyond the formation.

They halted, quickly turned around to look back at Xiao Zhangqing's situation.

They saw that Xiao Zhangqing was completely enveloped by black mist; within it his perception of the outside was entirely cut off, yet they could still faintly see his silhouette and movements.

Both felt a sudden tension in their hearts, and neither dared to turn back to rescue.

It wasn't just fear; they also had full confidence in Xiao Zhangqing's strength.

Xiao Zhangqing's overall strength far surpassed the two, his survivability was also high; currently the white‑clothed female demon spirit had not fully revived, at most it could threaten a Core Formation Perfection mid‑stage cultivator, and should not be able to trap Xiao Zhangqing.

Perhaps if Xiao Zhangqing displayed his power, he could break through the black mist and escape.

If they rushed in, they might be of no help and only cause trouble, trapping themselves.

But the development of the situation was completely different from their speculation, beyond their expectations.

They vaguely sensed Xiao Zhangqing slash a sword through the mist, its sword aura flickering like starlight, attempting to cut a path forward.

Ten years ago, when Xiao Zhangqing wielded such a sword, it could pose a definite threat to Zhu Qingyun, who was in the late Core Formation Perfection stage near perfection, its killing power stronger than Su Wushuang's. Yet now this sword's force was greatly weakened; within the black mist it only caused a faint disturbance, then subsided, failing to breach the mist's boundary.

"What's happening? Brother Xiao, why is this sword so weak, not even as good as Valley Master Su, or even me?"

Gu Zongyuan, feeling uneasy, said anxiously.

Su Wushuang also noticed, "Could it be that being surrounded by the demon spirit suppresses strength to such a degree?"

Both felt apprehension in their hearts.

Gu Zongyuan whispered, "We have to go help Brother Xiao."

Su Wushuang did not refuse outright, saying, "Wait a bit longer; perhaps Dao Companion Xiao can manage on his own and escape."

But soon, Su Wushuang also gave up that hope.

The white‑clothed female demon spirit's figure, like a ghostly specter, floated down from the altar and swiftly approached Xiao Zhangqing.

Although Xiao Zhangqing was still using his evasion technique to fly away rapidly, to the eyes of the two outsiders Gu Zongyuan and Su Wushuang, he now resembled a headless fly, flying forward a distance, then inexplicably darting backward, then to the left, then to the right…

The ruin was clearly small, almost visible at a glance, yet Xiao Zhangqing seemed lost inside!

"Attack!"

Gu Zongyuan did not hesitate to turn back into the ruin; summoning his Golden Core Realm mana at full force, his birth artifact, a flaming spear, transformed into a giant dragon that roared and lunged at the black mist, shouting, "Brother Xiao, I'm here to help you!"

In Gu Zongyuan's view, Xiao Zhangqing was not only the 'Guardian Deity' of Character: Liyang Immortal City, but also his friend.

Originally Xiao Zhangqing had neither need nor obligation to explore this place; it was his own request, wanting to take a look, that led him to come along.

At this moment Xiao Zhangqing didn't know why the demon spirit had singled him out for special 'care'; how could he stand by idly.

Even though turning back was fraught with danger and he himself risked being trapped, he felt he had to act.

Seeing this, Su Wushuang's cold face showed some hesitation, not as decisive as Gu Zongyuan. Yet after a moment's pause, he still activated his Snow Lotus artifact, shielding himself first, and then returned to the ruin.

However, despite their respectable offensive power, they could not carve a hole or passage through the black mist space for some time.

Moreover, what made them even more uneasy and terrified was that they sensed the white‑clothed female demon spirit's aura rapidly intensifying; the ominous feeling within the ruin grew heavier! In less than a moment, the two, as Core Formation cultivators, felt a heavy, restless dread, and fear rose naturally.

"Is this demon spirit strengthening rapidly?"

"What's happening? Its revival speed is increasing at a visibly rapid rate!"

"Could it be that Brother Xiao is being devoured?" At this moment Gu Zongyuan and Su Wushuang did not know exactly what was happening inside the black mist space; they could only glimpse roughly that Xiao Zhangqing and the white‑clothed female demon spirit had met.

The two could only rely on speculation, myriad thoughts flashing in their minds, ultimately forcing down their terror and launching a frantic assault.

Inside the black mist space, Xiao Zhangqing was cut off from all outside contact, as if placed within a small pocket world; he seemed to have lost his sense of time.

However, the only thing he could perceive clearly was that the compatibility between the white‑clothed female demon spirit and the fragments of the Immortal Stone was increasing, and its aura grew stronger.

It felt as if many ages had passed, yet also as if only a moment.

Xiao Zhangqing watched the white‑clothed female demon spirit's face break into a bizarre, dazzling smile, as if it had taken a massive tonic; the dark, ominous aura reached a point that made Xiao Zhangqing's heart tremble.

He had never before witnessed a Nascent Soul True Lord, and did not know what terrifying might such a being possessed.

But he could discern that after 'devouring' the Immortal Stone, the white‑clothed female demon spirit's aura and deterrence had already surpassed Zhu Qingyun's, and even the Character: Liyang Immortal who had reached Core Formation Perfection! So even if the spirit was still not on par with a Nascent Soul True Lord, it was now extremely close, almost comparable.

Moreover, given the spirit's bizarre traits, perhaps, as Yin San Gongzi said, even a Nascent Soul True Lord's presence could not slay it, leaving it helpless.

This spirit has most likely fully revived! Xiao Zhangqing's Immortal Stone fragments, though still detectable by him, could not be moved at all; the Immortal Stone had become wholly the white‑clothed spirit's possession.

Xiao Zhangqing's attempt to wrest ownership from it felt like a babbling toddler versus a full‑grown strong man.

The gap was enormous! Even though the Immortal Stone's ownership lay with Xiao Zhangqing, he was only at the late Foundation Establishment Realm, while the white‑clothed female demon spirit had already surpassed Core Formation Perfection! A whole cultivation realm apart, and more!

If it were anyone else, not to mention someone at Foundation Establishment Realm level, even a Core Formation Realist like Gu Zongyuan or Su Wushuang would by now be on their knees in the black mist space.

Only Xiao Zhangqing, whose Soul Transformation was extraordinarily strong, had reached the limit and begun a qualitative change; many late Core Formation cultivators had not yet taken this step.

Relying on his powerful Soul Transformation, Xiao Zhangqing could resist the ominous, bizarre aura and stand unshaken.

"It's about time!"

Xiao Zhangqing's gaze was sharp; if he were to employ the Dragon Roar Technique, he believed he had a good chance to wound the white‑clothed female demon spirit.

Even if not a severe injury, causing it to lose focus would weaken its control over the black mist; breaking the seal to open a passage, he could then flee swiftly, and hope remained high.

But Xiao Zhangqing did not do so; he did not use a Soul Insight secret technique, and instead, unable to contain his excitement, pulled up the system interface, looked at the head‑frame in the equipment tab concerning the Immortal Stone, and silently thought: "Collect!" As long as a Magic Treasure equipped in the system has a special function, it can be directly stored inside the system! In simple terms, this function is akin to a storage bag that puts items inside.

But now Xiao Zhangqing wanted to store the Immortal Stone into the storage bag, which was certainly impossible.

Because his magical power is too weak before the white‑clothed female evil spirit, he cannot even move the Longevity Stone a hair's breadth.

But once stored in the inventory, it no longer relies on Xiao Zhangqing's own power and control, but on the system's built‑in function! "Now, let's see whether the system's control is stronger than that white‑clothed female evil spirit!"

A thought flashes in Xiao Zhangqing's mind, and the next moment shows him that he has greatly underestimated the system.

The white‑clothed female evil spirit, who had been "elated" with a strange smile on her face, suddenly screamed again.

It is no longer excitement, nor hunger, nor even anger, but terror!

It turns out that an evil spirit can also feel terror.

Even though it has fully revived, comparable to a Nascent Soul True Lord among human cultivators, it now feels extreme terror.

The pitch‑black, mercury‑like mist churns wildly, the entire ruin trembles, and the ominous aura makes animals and beasts within hundreds of miles crawl on the ground or go mad.

Yet nothing helps; the black mist is continuously drawn into the Longevity Stone.

The white‑clothed female evil spirit is also drawn in together.

It twists desperately, screaming, trying to flee, trying to unleash its peculiar spatial power again to hide itself and vanish from this space, but it cannot.

Xiao Zhangqing cannot accurately discern its emotions, nor know what it wants to say.

He can only sense that it is unwilling, unable to understand why such incomprehensible power is contesting the Longevity Stone's control.

It even begs for mercy, because even fully revived it is insignificant before this power. It can only muster a thread of spatial power, yet the force battling it for control of the Longevity Stone is vast and towering as the whole heavens! In just two or three breaths, as the white‑clothed female evil spirit lets out one last unwilling, sharp roar, its figure, accompanied by the swirling black mist, is completely devoured by the Longevity Stone.

Afterwards, the Longevity Stone fragments also disappear. (End of chapter)