Chapter 748: Golden Radiance

"National Master Yu, do you know what you are saying?" Jinguang frowned, cold light flickering in his eyes.

"Do you recognize this object?" Yu Liancheng raised the sword in his hand.

"Yixi Sword."

Jinguang's pupils constricted. As the Sect Master of the Xuanxin Sect, how could he fail to recognize this sword? It was the token of the Holy Monarchs through the ages, representing the supreme majesty of the Demon path, and was known as the number one divine weapon of the Demon path: the "Yixi Sword."

Immediately, Jinguang's expression turned stern, a hint of joy seemingly flashing in his eyes, and he sneered, "Good! Good! Good! So you are the Holy Monarch of the Yinyue Dynasty. I suppose your previous infiltration of the Imperial Palace and your scheming to sit in the position of National Master were also part of your Yinyue Dynasty's conspiracy. When I return to the capital this time, I will report to His Majesty and have your position as National Master revoked."

Yu Liancheng lowered his head to toy with the Yixi Sword in his hand, his mouth curling into a smile that was not quite a smile. "If I told you I haven't even been in the position of Holy Monarch for ten days, would you believe me? If I told you the reason I took this position was to unify the Demon path and suppress the Yinshi Youquan for the sake of all living beings in the world, would you believe me? Although I know you won't believe it, there is no help for it—who told me to be the National Master? A National Master must worry about this country."

Jinguang let out a cold snort: "Evil demons and heretics, are you worthy of caring for the common people?"

Yu Liancheng shook his head: "Last time we were still conversing happily, why has Sect Master Jinguang turned hostile and refused to recognize me this time? It is truly unfathomable. Or is it that Sect Master Jinguang is jealous of my position as National Master, unable to obtain it, and thus has given birth to hatred?"

"Righteousness and evil cannot coexist," Jinguang said coldly.

"Heh, people of the righteous path, you certainly speak better than you sing," said Qiye, standing behind him.

Jinguang's gaze immediately swept toward Qiye, his eyes containing divine light and electric sparks. Ordinary demons and monsters would be unable to withstand the pressure upon being swept by his gaze, and would explode with a boom.

Qiye's expression was calm as he met Jinguang's gaze.

Excluding Yu Liancheng, who was a powerhouse beyond the standard, Qiye could be considered the most brilliant and talented Holy Monarch in history.

If one spoke of cultivation, Qiye was not beneath Jinguang; this so-called divine light in his eyes was nothing more than a speck of dust when it landed on him.

"Who are you? Are you worthy of speaking to this Sect Master?" Jinguang felt a slight surprise in his heart.

"Hehe, Jinguang, you are the Sect Master of the Xuanxin Sect, and I am the Holy Monarch of the Yinyue Dynasty; you and I can be considered peers. And this one is the previous Holy Monarch; strictly speaking, his seniority is one generation higher than yours," Yu Liancheng laughed. "You are, after all, a leader of the righteous path; why don't you know how to respect your elders? Come, call him 'Seventh Uncle' and let us hear it."

Jinguang looked deeply at Qiye: "Evil demons and heretics, you dare to call yourselves elders in front of this seat. Truly shameless. Today, this seat will send you group of demons to hell!"

As Jinguang spoke coldly, his ten fingers formed seals, and a complex and vast Talisman formed out of thin air, transforming into a massive ball of golden light flames. It burned in the void as if a sun had descended into the human world, emitting scorching heat as if it intended to incinerate the mountains and rivers for ten thousand miles, or like a meteor crashing into the ground, carrying a vast momentum that destroyed everything as it charged toward Yu Liancheng.

The heatwave and hurricane stirred up by its descent alone blew away the roof tiles of the houses, leaving the walls teetering on the verge of collapse.

Without needing Yu Liancheng to act, Qiye stepped forward and unleashed the number one divine skill of the Demon path, the "Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique." A mournful, scarlet sword light erupted violently. Although the sword in his hand at this moment was not the Yixi Sword, it was still a divine weapon of the Demon Realm. The sword light was like raging waves crashing through clouds, or a heavenly flood bursting forth, majestic and overbearing.

The boundless flames collided with the Heaven-Slaying Sword Qi, and the shattered flames and Sword Qi formed a violent flame wind that vented in all directions. House after house was ground into sky-filling debris, and the ground cracked open with one gully after another with a boom. The Xuanxin Four Generals of the Xuanxin Sect reacted extremely quickly, forming a golden-light-filled Array in a very short time, but Xuanxin disciples were still sent flying by the impact of the scattered Sword Qi.

As for the Yinyue Dynasty side, Yu Liancheng stood with his hands behind his back at the very front, as if he had opened an invisible wall of Qi; no matter how violent the fluctuations of the two men's battle were, they could not encroach upon them in the slightest.

"How is this possible? This is just a young brat, yet he can use the Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique. Even though I have now practiced the Xuanxin Profound Art, it is very difficult to take him down in a short time, unless I use the Liangji Arrow and..." Jinguang's expression changed slightly as he fought Qiye. After secretly practicing the Xuanxin Profound Art, his cultivation had progressed by leaps and bounds, yet he had not expected to encounter such a tough opponent as Qiye the moment he made a move today.

Just at this moment, Jinguang, Qiye, Jing Wuyuan, the Xuanxin Four Generals, and all the other experts suddenly felt a strong sense of heart-palpitation, as if the end of the world had arrived. When cultivation reaches a certain realm, one has a certain spiritual omen when facing danger, which can also be called a premonition.

Under this strong omen, even Jinguang and Qiye stopped their hands and looked toward the east at the same time.

They saw that a hundred zhang away, no one knew when, clusters of Demon Qi as black as ink and as substantial as reality had begun to permeate, sweeping toward the city at an incredible speed. The speed was unimaginably fast.

"Is this the Demon Qi permeating from the Yinshi Youquan? I must see just how powerful it is!"

Qiye no longer held the status of Holy Monarch, and compared to the past, he had a bit more of a youth's recklessness. After guessing that this was the Demon Qi erupting from the Yinshi Youquan, he did not retreat, but instead leaped onto the eaves of a house dozens of zhang away. He pushed his hands out horizontally, and a wall of Qi condensed from his own Demon Qi immediately resisted in front of him.

However, after holding on for only a moment, Qiye withdrew his body and retreated rapidly, his expression grave: "Although this Demon Qi is somewhat similar to the aura of our Demon Realm, it is far more tyrannical, and it has a strange suction force, as if it can swallow up all of one's essence, energy, and spirit. Let us retreat quickly."

"I fear it is too late. This Demon Qi is approaching too fast; apart from a very few leaders, the other demons simply cannot escape," Jing Wuyuan shook his head. "The only way now is to form an Array! Condense everyone's Demon Qi and use the Demon Qi to form a barrier to resist the Demon Qi."

"There is no need for such trouble," Yu Liancheng stood with his hands behind his back, his Guizang True Qi, vast as a flood, circulating and permeating out of his body. With a "humming" vibration, he propped up a massive Qi shield, encompassing all the demons within it. Since these demons were all his subordinates, he would naturally protect their safety if conditions allowed.

On the other side, the Xuanxin Sect, with Jinguang as the lead and the Xuanxin Four Generals as support, opened a golden barrier. However, because this barrier required time and the Demon Qi arrived too quickly, two Xuanxin disciples had not even had time to enter the barrier before they were swept into the Demon Qi. After two mournful and short screams, they had no breath left.

If one's gaze could penetrate the black Demon Qi, one could see that these two disciples still maintained the look of terror they had before death, only their essence, energy, and spirit had been drained, leaving behind only a shell that would scatter at a touch.

"What thick and pure Demon Qi." Looking at the pitch-black Demon Qi outside the barrier, even Yu Liancheng's expression became grave. Moreover, he felt a familiar aura from this barrier.

Such pure Demon Qi could only exist in this world—and only in the legendary Tianmo clan, which was the same clan as Yue Mo.

In ancient times, this continent was the paradise of the Tianmo clan. They indulged in their desires, killed wantonly, had no scruples, and inverted good and evil. Later, they were wiped out by great human experts, and only Yue Mo, who was most skilled at bewitching people's hearts, escaped with her life. The resentment of countless Tianmo condensed into the Tianmo Star, and the Demon Qi and Residual Souls of those Tianmo still wandered on the Tianmo Star, waiting for the day they could return to this world.

I fear this so-called Yinshi Youquan is also one of the means left behind by the Tianmo clan.

Crack! Crack!

This Demon Qi was just as Qiye had said; it possessed a strange devouring power. Even the Guizang True Qi that Yu Liancheng had condensed into a barrier could be absorbed. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, several holes appeared in the barrier. However, how vast was Yu Liancheng's True Qi? Before the Demon Qi could invade the barrier, with a turn of his intent, it immediately healed.

With Yu Liancheng's vast and boundless True Qi, even if he sat here and did nothing, this Qi shield could last for another thirty or fifty years. And once the True Qi was in motion, it was Endless Life; there was no possibility of being trapped to death.

As for Jinguang and his group from the Xuanxin Sect, their expressions were extremely ugly.

Their Array was becoming teetering under the erosion of the Demon Qi, and every disciple had to exert all their strength to channel magic power into the Array in hopes of maintaining it for a little longer.

But even so, the Array shook and shattered more and more severely. Before many of the Array's loopholes could be patched, the Demon Qi had already drilled into the disciples' bodies, taking away one life after another.

"Sect Master Jinguang, your Array cannot last much longer. Why not come into my barrier? I can still provide some protection," Yu Liancheng said loudly.

"Hmph, we do not need the hypocritical posturing of you people from the Yinyue Dynasty."

Jinguang let out a cold snort, his face slightly pale; half of the ability to support this great Array relied on his own vigorous magic power.

"Sect Master Jinguang, do not let your own selfishness cause all the disciples of the Xuanxin Sect to be buried with you," Yu Liancheng shook his head and said.

"Even if they die, they die with righteousness. If they accept the charity of your Demon path, they will not have peace even in death," Jinguang sneered. "Furthermore, since ancient times, righteousness and evil cannot coexist. Who knows what conspiracies and tricks you are plotting in the dark again."

"Hiss!" Yu Liancheng drew a sharp breath. For such a Sect Master Jinguang who so firmly upheld the righteous path, he decisively gave a very high evaluation: "Idiot."

Fortunately, Jinguang was focused on the Array at this time and did not hear these two words, otherwise his expression would certainly have been extremely spectacular.

"Heaven and Earth are boundless, Xuanxin True Law."

Just at this moment, a red silhouette stepped into the small city. She was completely unafraid of the Demon Qi. Her delicate body leaned backward, making one worry that her slender waist might easily snap, and her hands crossed over her chest, striking a strange yet rhythmic pose in accordance with the Dao of Heaven. The Qi of Heaven and Earth gathered at her fingertips, and a huge red Talisman emerged from the void.

"Blood Talisman!"

"Is this the legendary Blood Talisman?"

"Impossible, the Blood Talisman is the highest-level Talisman of our Xuanxin Sect. Since the founder established the sect, those who could use the Blood Talisman have been few and far between."

"That's right, even Sect Master Jinguang cannot use the Blood Talisman."

Boom!

Just as the Xuanxin disciples were discussing it in disbelief, the Blood Talisman exploded violently. The vast righteousness contained within it, surging like a torrential sea wave, actually shook the Demon Qi away, thereby proving that this was indeed the legendary Blood Talisman. Its power was terrifying and unimaginable.

At the same time, a middle-aged man and woman appeared, holding command flags painted with mysterious patterns. They performed secret techniques, continuously forcing back the Demon Qi and driving it back into the realm of the Wangqing Forest.

"It is Yan Chixia and his wife, and Yan Hongye."

A flash of golden light flickered in Qiye's eyes; his gaze first stared fixedly at the man in tattered clothes and disheveled appearance, but a moment later, he let out a sigh of relief.

From childhood to adulthood, he had always regarded Yan Chixia as the enemy who killed his father, a target that must be slain.

And one of the reasons he was able to master the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique at such a young age was precisely because of this powerful imaginary enemy.

Now, as he was neither the Holy Monarch of the Yinyue Dynasty nor the biological son of the Yinyue Empress Dowager, he naturally no longer needed to bear these pressures.

"No wonder Yan Chixia and his wife have been nowhere to be seen all these years; it turns out they were hiding in the Wangqing Forest." Jing Wuyuan's eyes flickered slightly: "But this is also within reason. Twenty years ago, Yan Chixia and his wife killed the Liudao Shengjun of our Yinyue Dynasty and were subsequently expelled by the Profound Heart Sect, finding no place in either the righteous or Demon paths. Though the world is vast, besides the Wangqing Forest, who else could accept them?"

Before long, Yan Chixia, his wife, and Yan Hongye hurried back.

"Alright, everyone should know our couple, so we don't need to introduce ourselves. You saw the situation earlier; the Moye Sword is already finding it difficult to suppress the Yinshi Youquan. It is only because of the barrier set up by my wife and me all these years that the Demon Qi has not leaked out. But as the Demon Qi grows stronger and more violent, the barrier can hardly hold."

Yan Chixia's gaze swept toward Yu Liancheng and Golden Light: "This eruption of the Yinshi Youquan is extraordinary; what happened before didn't even count as a prelude. Once it truly breaks through the barrier, then both your righteous and Demon paths will drag the entire human world down to be buried with you. I hope you will consider this carefully; cooperation is the only right path."

Yu Liancheng smiled slightly and said: "Very well. If the Yinshi Youquan is allowed to erupt, the three realms will be destroyed in an instant. My Yinyue Dynasty naturally understands the gravity of this; it all depends on the Golden Light Sect."

Hearing Yu Liancheng's reply, Yan Chixia and his wife were both overjoyed, then turned their heads to look at Golden Light.

Golden Light raised his head, his gaze meeting Yu Liancheng's pair of eyes that seemed to always carry a faint smile, and then a smile that made one feel like a spring breeze appeared on his handsome face.

"Of course, for the sake of all living beings in the three realms, setting aside sectarian prejudices for a short time is not a difficult task."

"Haha, you are both men of great righteousness." Yan Chixia laughed aloud: "Sanniang was worried you wouldn't listen to reason, but since you both agree, that couldn't be better. To seal the Yinshi Youquan this time requires the combined strength of both sects. I have already devised a plan with a ninety percent chance of success; please listen as I explain..."

Whoosh!

Just as the atmosphere was gradually easing and everyone was smiling at each other.

A streak of brilliant golden light suddenly bloomed from the hand Golden Light had kept behind his back, stabbing toward Yu Liancheng.