Chapter 127

Sword light and annihilative power collided with a thunderous boom!

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. There was no earth-shattering explosion as expected; only two utterly opposing forces, both touching the source of the rules, silently grappled, eroded, and annihilated each other. The chaotic sword light was unmatchedly sharp, vowing to cut through all falsehood; while that gray-black annihilative power was like an abyssal maw, greedily devouring the sword light's energy and vitality. At the collision's center, space shattered like broken glass, peeling away piece by piece, revealing an even darker, more chaotic void beyond.

"Ugh!" A trickle of blood spilled from Lingxiao's mouth corner, his sword-wielding arm shaking violently, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle's, locked firmly on that mass of shadow, his sword momentum not retreating in the slightest! He was using his own Dao foundation and sword heart to hard-resist this destructive power far beyond his realm!

A flicker of surprise crossed the black-robed person's eyes; he hadn't expected Lingxiao to even momentarily stalemate. But his fingertip twitched again, and a more immense stillness intent surged forth, seemingly about to completely overwhelm the sword light—

Just then!

"Break!" Luo Changfeng's angry roar and Wei Yuzhu's clear shout rang out together! Countless talisman glows and the scorching flame of the Elixir-containing Sword precisely struck the rune nodes at left three, right seven on the altar's base! Those nodes, already unstable from prior interference, were hit by concentrated attack, instantly flickering wildly, blinking on and off.

The entire altar shuddered violently! The humming of its operation became noticeably sluggish and noisy! The blood-vessel light entwined around Xiaomuyu and several other unconscious disciples dimmed sharply, its drawing power suddenly weakening!

Almost at the same moment!

Shiran's eyes flared with golden-black strange light as she shoved Yun Tingliao toward Wei Yuzhu, then launched herself into the air, her body igniting a near-self-destructive, pure abyssal power like a reverse-shot black meteor, recklessly crashing into that writhing mass of shadow!

"Howl——!" The shadow seemed to sense the deadly threat, emitting a sharp, soundless hiss that directly struck the soul! It thrashed violently, extending more twisted tendrils to block and devour that slender black flowing light imbued with strange corrosive power!

Chi chi chi—!

Shi Ran's magic power came into contact with the shadow's energy, and indeed, like boiling water poured on snow, it quickly corroded and dissolved those tentacles! The shadow emitted even more painful and violent undulations!

The black-robed person's attention was finally completely scattered! The ritual core came under attack, far more important than slaying one or two variables! The force of his finger pointed at Xiao Muyu involuntarily weakened by a third.

In that fleeting instant of lightning-fast moment when his mind was slightly distracted—

"Now!" Ling Xiao's eyes burst forth with unprecedented brilliant light; the power he had been storing, a deeper kind, finally erupted. The Dragon Chant Sword let out a long, metal‑piercing, stone‑splitting cry; within that chaotic sword light, a point of ultimate sharpness, as if containing the very first thread of light from the creation of heaven and earth, suddenly flashed!

Crack!

The stalemated annihilation power was forcibly torn open a fine fissure by this ultimate strike that concentrated Ling Xiao's lifetime cultivation and sword‑dao will!

Beyond the fissure lay that cluster of shadow core, violently fluctuating due to the altar's turmoil and magic corrosion, its defense reduced to the lowest!

The sword light, unstoppable, thrust straight in!

"Pfft—!" As the sword tip plunged into the shadow, Ling Xiao, as if suffering a heavy blow, violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face instantly turning ashen as paper. The backlash from forcibly breaking through the annihilation power and the terrifying recoil inherent in the shadow itself nearly shattered his meridians!

But that ultimate sharp chaotic sword intent had already successfully been sent into the shadow's interior!

Screech—!!!

The shadow emitted an unprecedented, soul‑rending shrill shriek! It wildly twisted, expanded, and contracted, its surface flickering with countless phantom faces of anguished wails, among which clearly appeared the blurred visages of the disciples previously devoured! Streams of chaotic sword qi burst from its interior, as if trying to tear it apart from inside out!

The altar shook violently; the runes on its base flickered out and exploded in large patches! The blood‑vine tendrils entwining everyone withered and snapped!

Xiao Muyu felt the pressure on her lift, she slumped limp, and was supported by the residual glow of the Azure Cloud Fine Rain Pendant.

"Success?!" Luo Changfeng was both startled and delighted, yet dared not relax in the slightest, throwing out more talismans to protect their own side.

Wei Yuzhu caught the incoming Yun Tingliao, while simultaneously wielding her Verdant Elixir Sword, she chopped off several of the residual blood‑vessels that were wildly flailing due to the ritual losing control.

Shi Ran was flung away by the shadow's madly exploding shockwave, landing and staggering a few steps; her heterochromatic eyes fixed tightly on the continually exploding shadow, her gaze holding no joy, only deep fatigue and vigilance.

The black‑robed person silently watched the shadow on the verge of collapse, watched the chaotic altar, watched Ling Xiao, gravely wounded yet still standing sword in hand, and watched the struggling survivors.

The low pressure around him almost froze the air.

It had failed. The core of the Myriad Sources Return to the Abyss Grand Formation was brutally destroyed at the final moment.

Yet in his eyes, as deep as a ten‑thousand‑year cold pool, there was still no anger, no panic, not even regret.

Only an unfathomable depth… indifference.

"Interesting." He suddenly uttered those two words lightly, as if commenting on a farce that had nothing to do with him.

His gaze slowly swept over the entire scene, finally settling on Ling Xiao, whose breath was feeble but whose eyes remained sharp.

"Ling Xiao… I have remembered your name." His voice was flat and unperturbed, yet carried a chilling meaning: "This time, you have won. But the opening of the 'Gate' is not limited to a single method. The sacrifices… are not confined to this place either."

His figure began to blur, as if about to merge into the surrounding shattered shadows.

"We will meet again soon. Then, I hope your struggles will still be this… splendid."

As his words faded, his figure completely dissipated, leaving no trace, as if he had never existed.

Only the shattered altar, the dying Yun Tingliao, the gravely wounded Ling Xiao, the exhausted crowd, and that mass of shadow remnant—though heavily damaged, still faintly writhing and exuding an ominous aura—proved that the extraordinarily fierce battle just fought was no illusion.

They escaped death.

Yet they felt no joy of victory, only a heavy burden and the immense gloom for the future brought by the black‑robed person's final words.

After the black‑robed person vanished, the area around the altar fell into an eerie silence, save for the sizzing of runaway energy and the occasional sticky sound of the shadow remnant writhing, reminding them of the recent heart‑pounding ordeal.

"Cough…" Ling Xiao coughed up another mouthful of clotted blood, his body swaying; he barely managed to stay upright by planting his Dragon Chant Sword into the ground. His complexion was ashen as paper, his breathing disordered, clearly suffering severe internal injuries.

"Master!" Shi Ran rushed forward, tears welling in her eyes but she fought to keep them from falling, trembling as she supported Ling Xiao, quickly pulling a healing holy pill from her storage ring and feeding it to him, while placing her palm on his back, she carefully infused pure spiritual power to help the medicine take effect and stabilize his meridians on the verge of collapse.

"It's fine… first look at them…" Ling Xiao patted Shi Ran's hand, his gaze like a net spreading over her whole body; seeing she was unharmed, he finally relaxed.

"Master!" Luo Changfeng also lunged forward, the wind messing his hair, yet he showed no dejection; instead, he was full of vigor, declaring, "We won…"

Wei Yuzhu knelt halfway on the ground, Yun Tingliao lay soundless before her. She formed seals with both hands; her spiritual power flowed like the finest silk, continuously seeping into Yun Tingliao's heart‑vessels, protecting that last faint beat. Her face was equally pallid, sweat beading her forehead, showing she had expended greatly.

Yet Yun Tingliao showed no improvement; Wei Yuzhu's heart clenched, she hoarsely shouted Shi Ran's name, her voice trembling with tears: "Shi Ran, hurry and save him, save him!"

Shi Ran could only walk over to Yun Tingliao with a solemn expression, her trembling hand trying once more to inject what little magic power she had left, only to find Yun Tingliao's body like a shattered glass vessel—her power slipped away almost as soon as it entered, leaving her to watch helplessly as his vitality continued to ebb.

"His soul… is too gravely damaged… his bodily vitality is also fading rapidly…" Wei Yuzhu's voice carried a barely perceptible tremor; even Shi Ran could do nothing, she could only look to Ling Xiao and say, "Senior, ordinary pills and spiritual power… probably…"

Ling Xiao forced himself to walk over, crouched, and placed his two fingers together on Yun Tingliao's brow; a thread of extremely faint chaotic sword intent probed into his sea of consciousness; after a moment, his brow furrowed, his face grew even graver.

"The annihilation power has damaged the foundation; the soul is on the verge of dissolution." He said in a deep voice, quickly taking a jade bottle from his storage treasure, tipping out a pill the size of a longan, radiating seven‑colored misty glow: "This is the 'Nine‑Turn Rebirth Pill'; it can temporarily condense the soul and sustain life. Whether he will awaken… depends on his fate."

He fed the pill into Yun Tingliao's mouth, using spiritual power to help it dissolve. The pill melted upon contact, a soft seven‑colored halo enveloping Yun Tingliao; his breath, which had been about to dissipate, was finally forced to stabilize, yet remained as feeble as a candle in the wind.

"Thank you, Senior!" Wei Yuzhu exhaled in relief and gave a solemn thanks.

"Third Senior Brother!" Luo Changfeng's voice rang out. He had already run to the altar's center and helped the unconscious Xiao Muyu down. The jade pendant at Xiao Muyu's waist had dimmed to an extreme degree; the marks left by the blood‑vessels on her body were shocking, her breath weak, but considerably better than Yun Tingliao's—only her primordial essence had been excessively depleted.

Ling Xiao came over to check, then produced several foundation‑strengthening and yuan‑nourishing pills for Xiao Muyu to take: "Muyu's foundation is solid, and the Azure Cloud Pendant has blocked most of the subsequent harm; with proper rest she should be fine."

Next, the others also rescued the remaining unconscious disciples from the altar. Their conditions varied—some were merely exhausted and faint, others had damaged primordial essence—but without exception, their lives were out of danger.

After settling the wounded, everyone's gaze turned to the cluster of shadow remnant at the altar's center, still faintly writhing and continually exuding negative energy.

It had been severely wounded from within by Ling Xiao's sword intent and corroded by Shi Ran's magic power, losing its former vitality, yet still emitted an unsettling aura.

"This thing……must not be left." Ling Xiao's eyes were ice‑cold; after a moment of adjusting his breath, he raised the Dragon Roar Sword again.

"Master, your injury!" Luo Changfeng said anxiously.

"It's fine, destroying it is crucial." Ling Xiao inhaled deeply, suppressed his injury, and the Chaotic Sword Intent gathered again at the sword tip.

Shi Ran, however, suddenly stepped forward, her heterochromatic eyes fixed on the shadowy remains: "Master, wait. My magical power……seems able to absorb its residual energy, although it's chaotic and mixed, but……perhaps it could be transformed into part of my strength." She felt an instinctive "hunger" from the Abyssal Demon Seed within her body toward the remains.

Ling Xiao frowned, looking at the ominous remains: "The risk is too great; the madness and negative thoughts within could erode your mind."

"I can suppress it." Shi Ran's eyes were firm, "Rather than destroying it completely, it's better to make use of waste. Moreover, I feel that completely absorbing it might let me better understand the black‑robed person's methods."

Ling Xiao pondered for a moment, thinking of Shi Ran's special Abyssal Consciousness Sea and magical attribute, then nodded slightly: "You must be careful; if anything is amiss, stop immediately."

Shi Ran nodded, stepped forward, and sat cross‑legged before the shadowy remains. She formed a strange seal with both hands, a deep black vortex swirling around her, and threads of pure dark magical power extended like tendrils, wrapping around the mass of remains.

Hiss—

The remains shrank at a visible speed, their chaotic energy drawn out bit by bit and devoured, merging into the black vortex surrounding Shi Ran. Her brows furrowed slightly—obviously the process was not easy; she had to fully exert her technique to filter out the violent thoughts.

After a long while, the last trace of the remains was completely devoured. The magical power around Shi Ran noticeably increased, but her face turned slightly pale; when she opened her eyes, a fleeting hint of blood color flashed in her heterochromatic eyes, which she quickly suppressed.

"How?" Ling Xiao asked.

"The energy is very chaotic, but its core is a kind of……pure 'extinction' and 'return to the void' meaning," Shi Ran said slowly, as if digesting the information she had received, "The black‑robed person's power attribute shares the same origin, but is far higher in level. This altar is like a beacon and also a transformer, trying to forcefully open a gate to a……world filled with extinction."

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts grew heavier. The black‑robed person's words were no empty threat.

Next, Luo Changfeng and Wei Yuzhu began to carefully inspect the altar, taking impressions of the rune structures and energy circuits that were not yet completely destroyed, hoping to find more clues later about the black‑robed person and his purpose. Ling Xiao, meanwhile, took more medicinal pills, seized the time to adjust his breath, and stood guard.

After doing all this, Ling Xiao looked around the devastated surroundings and said in a deep voice: "This place is no good for lingering. We must return to the Spirit Realm as soon as possible, inform all the major sects, Changfeng, send a signal, have the Jade Mystic Sect promptly dispatch a Spirit Vessel to meet us, and we need an elder to lead the team to guard against any mishap."

"Yes, Master!" Luo Changfeng immediately took out the sect‑made communication jade talisman and sent out the emergency distress signal.

Wei Yuzhu carefully lifted the still‑unconscious Yun Tingliao. Shi Ran walked to Ling Xiao's side and stood guard silently. Luo Changfeng helped Xiao Muyu to his feet.

While waiting for the Spirit Vessel to arrive, the ruins lay in silence. The survivors each tended to their wounds and adjusted their breath, but the heavy atmosphere in the air did not dissipate.

The shadow of the black‑robed person weighed on everyone's hearts like a tangible presence.

His departure was not an end, but the beginning of a far greater, unknown crisis.

The sound of the Spirit Vessel tearing through space came from far to near, bringing rescue and also meaning they would have to face directly all that this upheaval had caused.