Chapter 343: Evil Thoughts Invite Evil Responses

On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the 25th year of Yongxing, the people of Jingcheng experienced their most thrilling day: the Five Great Sacred Lands trembled simultaneously, five divine trees flashed into view above the firmament, and sword qi crisscrossed atop those divine trees.

This scene was even more shocking to the heart than the explosion at the Artifact Refining Workshop some time ago.

In an instant, the hearts of Jingcheng's populace became unsettled.

The previous explosion at the Artifact Refining Workshop had caused everyone to feel endangered; this simultaneous appearance of the Five Great Divine Trees, however, stirred the most devout longing and desire, even among ordinary people.

Even though a day had passed, the people of Jingcheng were still discussing the magnificent sight of the five divine trees appearing together yesterday, gazing toward the area beyond Nancheng and guessing what had happened there.

"Look quickly, what is that?"

Cultivators gathered in Nancheng suddenly pointed at the sky, looking up and shouting loudly.

In the southern horizon, a ball of red flame appeared, streaking across the firmament like a meteor and speeding toward Jingcheng.

"Heavens!"

Amid the terrified cries of the crowd, a colossal creature condensed from bloodline power emerged behind the red flame.

It was a majestic white giant eagle.

In the blink of an eye, the red flame reached the skies above Nancheng; the white giant eagle also shot forward, its two sharp claws fiercely grabbing at the red flame, poised to tear it into pieces.

Even from a great distance, everyone could feel the bone-chilling cold emanating from the eagle's claws, a cold capable of tearing apart everything.

"Whoosh~"

A white light suddenly erupted, its brilliant radiance so intense that no one could keep their eyes open; even the five Great Generals of Xuanyuan, following closely behind the white eagle, instinctively averted their gazes, daring not to look directly.

Accompanying the white light was an unbearable heat capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas.

"Ah~"

A piercing scream echoed across the sky.

With faces shaken by shock, the five Great Generals of Xuanyuan watched as a white sword glow, carrying the terrifying power to incinerate and annihilate all things, pierced through the white giant eagle, splitting it in two; immediately afterward, white flames ignited on the bisected body of the eagle.

By the time Wei Zhenjie and other Lingtai Realm cultivators, who were a step behind, arrived, the red flame had long vanished without a trace, and the white giant eagle had been completely devoured by the white flames; those who wished to attempt a rescue did not even know where to begin.

The white flames soon disappeared, completely taking away the white giant eagle that had been condensed from bloodline power.

"Duke Liang!"

A Lingtai Realm cultivator, pale with shock, swiftly flew down to the ground and hurried toward Duke Liang, who lay motionless on the earth.

Apart from the five Great Generals of Xuanyuan, everyone else, including Wei Zhenjie, also followed, flying down to investigate the situation.

Duke Liang's eyes were tightly shut, his face as pale as paper and his features twisted; had his chest not still been rising and falling, everyone would have thought he was dead.

Seeing Duke Liang in such a miserable state, everyone was horrified.

Duke Liang and Hua Changxi had only exchanged blows from a distance; how could he have suffered such severe injuries?!

Chu Tianxun's eyes churned with fear and dread; after taking a deep breath, he sighed, "This junior Hua Changxi struck too ruthlessly... nearly all the blood within Duke Liang's body has been burned away."

With all the blood in his body gone, if Duke Liang were not a Lingtai Realm cultivator, he would have lost his life long ago!

Hearing these words, everyone present sucked in a sharp breath.

Chu Tianxun continued to sigh, "With the Yin family's bloodline inheritance technique, I fear Duke Liang will no longer be able to wield it in the future."

This point alone had stunned him.

Great Sun Divine Flame...

Hua Changxi, merely a Huaying Realm cultivator, could actually manipulate the Great Sun Divine Flame!

This completely exceeded his imagination.

"Hiss~"

Upon hearing that Hua Changxi had actually severed Duke Liang's bloodline inheritance technique, many Lingtai Realm cultivators were so shocked they could no longer maintain their composure.

Chu Tianxun continued, "A cultivator unites three powers within one body: spiritual power, soul power, and bloodline power. With the blood burned away and the bloodline power completely severed, even if one consumes heavenly treasures to restore blood supply and circulation, Duke Liang's physical body will never be strong again in the future."

"Duke Liang...恐怕 will never again withstand the trial of heavenly lightning."

In other words, Duke Liang's cultivation path had ended at the Lingtai Realm.

These words truly sent a shiver of fear through some of the Lingtai Realm cultivators present.

Duke Ying, who was on good terms with Duke Liang, had a face as gloomy as dark water; gnashing his teeth, he said, "Hua Changxi is too ruthless; she has directly severed Duke Liang's path of cultivation!"

Hearing this, Wei Zhenjie laughed ironically, "Then, according to Duke Ying's opinion, should Hua Changxi have stood still and waited for Duke Liang to kill her?"

Duke Ying: "..."

Wei Zhenjie reined in his smile and looked at the Lingtai Realm cultivators present: "Good thoughts invite good responses; evil thoughts invite evil responses. From the moment one harbors evil thoughts, one must be prepared to be swallowed by the evil response."

"Everyone, you must pay more attention to cultivating your body and mind; only with discipline in body and mind can one aspire to the Great Dao."

These words were clearly pointed; the Lingtai Realm cultivators present chose silence.

Wei Zhenjie no longer looked at them but raised his head to gaze at the five Great Generals of Xuanyuan in mid-air.

Noticing Wei Zhenjie's gaze, the five Great Generals of Xuanyuan finally shifted their视线 from the bright sun above the firmament. Just when Hua Changxi struck that sword, whether it was their illusion or not, they felt as though the Sun Star had flickered.

The sword in Hua Changxi's hand is not simple; it could actually stir the Sun Star!

Furthermore, Hua Changxi's fire control ability is truly astonishing; the full power of the Great Sun Divine Flame was directed at Duke Liang, and apart from subjecting the people of Nancheng to a baptism of high heat, it caused no damage to anything else.

Lu Zhenting and Wei Zhenjie exchanged a glance, understanding his meaning immediately, and loudly proclaimed, "Cultivators above the Huaying Realm are forbidden from fighting within Xuanyuan City; violators will be personally apprehended by the Xuanyuan Army and have their cultivation abolished!"

After speaking, the five glanced toward the east of Jingcheng, then turned and vanished from everyone's sight.

At the same time, in the Medical Bureau east of Jingcheng, the red flame that had torn across the sky descended from above, landing directly on the square of the Alchemy Cauldron Altar.

In an instant, the temperature within the Medical Bureau soared dramatically.

Everyone in the Medical Bureau was drawn out by this disturbance.

In the Old Courtyard of the square, Gu Xing, believing danger had arrived, summoned his Divine Wood Staff and rushed out, but upon seeing that ball of flame, he immediately halted his steps.

The Holy Guardian Guards also surged toward the square immediately, but dared not approach too closely.

For no other reason than the terrifying power of extreme yang within the flames; they were all soul bodies without physical forms and simply could not withstand the might of the fire.

On Danyuan Peak, Ye Lingxuan and her companions swiftly drew their weapons, flew into mid-air, and looked vigilantly toward the square of the Alchemy Cauldron Altar.

The people on Shenhe Peak, Qingyao Peak, and Xuanhuang Peak were the same.

"That is..."

Below the Alchemy Cauldron Altar, the red flames gradually weakened, revealing a figure enveloped by fire.

Only then did everyone see clearly that the one who had caused an uproar throughout the Medical Bureau was Hua Changxi.

At this moment, Hua Changxi knelt on one knee with her head bowed, one hand braced against her knee and the other supporting the Floating Light Sword, which burned with the Great Sun Divine Flame.

"Drip~"

"Drip~"

"Drip~"

Blood flowed from Hua Changxi's mouth, dripping onto the ground. Simultaneously, scarlet blood continued to seep from her back.

Across her back lay a ferocious wound where flesh and muscle were torn and curled, spanning her entire rear.

When counterattacking that Spirit Platform cultivator who had unleashed a bloodline divine ability to kill her, her speed had still not been fast enough, and she had taken a blow squarely.

Even now, Hua Changxi felt some lingering fear, still able to sense the tearing force transmitted by the giant eagle's sharp claws.

Had her physical body not been strong enough, she would likely have been torn in half!

After the surging blood qi within her body calmed down, Hua Changxi raised her hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth and slowly stood up.

As soon as she rose, she noticed gazes shooting at her from all directions.

Hua Changxi swept her gaze around once, then shifted her attention to the Floating Light Sword in her hand.

Uncertain whether a single strike could repel the Spirit Platform cultivator behind her, she had not withdrawn the Great Sun Divine Flame while fleeing.

Now that she had returned to the Alchemy Saint Hall, and since the Five Great Sacred Lands belonged to the same faction, that Spirit Platform realm cultivator surely would not dare to truly come to the Alchemy Saint Hall to kill her; Wei Zhenjie probably would not stand by and watch either.

The next moment, everyone saw the white flames swirling around the long sword in Hua Changxi's hand suddenly change, transforming into seven strands of differently colored flames that one after another plunged into Hua Changxi's body.

Having retracted the strange flames, Hua Changxi looked at the bloodstains on the ground, waved her hand, and a wisp of flame descended, instantly reducing the stains to nothing. Then, under gazes that were either probing or grave, she mounted a spiritual cloud and flew up to Danyuan Peak.