Chapter 956: Great Battle

Han Shuang slowly turned, Yan Buji's pupils contracted sharply; the right half of this Tianhan Palace Elder's body had already mutated, black ice crystals wriggling beneath the skin, and his right eye became a blood pupil identical to the Profound Darkness Eye!

Nice partner, actually thinking of using Mutant Force to break through?

Wrong, how dare a Void Refinement cultivator like him?

He couldn't possibly not know Mutant Force; it's probably a power only sages can control, right?

"Foolish." Han Shuang raised his mutated arm, a black light cluster identical to the one inside Bing Niangzi's body appearing in his palm: "The Profound Darkness Dao is the true path to heaven. Once I fully merge with the Profound Darkness Eye, Great Vehicle attainment awaits!"

The Ice Cave suddenly shook violently, ice spikes atop it crashing down.

Yan Buji sensed that the fusion monster was assaulting the entrance seal, while the Profound Darkness Eye had opened to nine-tenths!

"No time left." Yan Buji lowered his voice: "You hold him off, I'll destroy the Profound Yin Seal."

Bing Niangzi nodded almost imperceptibly, then suddenly launched a surprise attack!

The Red Sword turned into a stream of light, thrusting straight at Han Shuang's throat; black patterns identical to the Profound Darkness Seed appeared on the blade, as she forced her internal toxins into the sword!

Han Shuang neither dodged nor evaded; his mutated arm lightly waved, three black ice walls materializing out of thin air.

The Red Sword shattered two walls before exhausting its strength, then was firmly frozen by the third wall.

"Wretched disciple, let Master teach you..." Han Shuang's words hadn't finished when Yan Buji saw the situation was wrong; this injured Bing Niangzi was no match for Han Shuang at all, so he had no choice but to rush to her aid!

The Abni Sword descended without flourish, simple yet extremely fast. Han Shuang hastily blocked; ice arm and blade collided, exploding in blinding sparks.

"Huh?" Han Shuang stared in surprise at the deep sword mark on his ice arm: "Can it wound the Profound Darkness Body?"

Yan Buji didn't answer, his sword strikes came like a raging storm.

Although the Abni Sword's power had waned after many battles, Yan Buji's every strike aimed for vital points. Han Shuang initially managed to respond calmly, but soon realized something was off—the blood lines on the blade were actually absorbing his Profound Darkness Force!

"Netherworld Principles?!" Han Shuang finally changed color: "You are a successor of the Nine Nether Old Devil!"

Nine Nether Old Devil?

Could it be that ancient Soul Dao cultivator?

Also unknown how the Nine Nether relates to Youmingzi, the master of the Seven Slaughter Sword.

Yan Buji snorted coldly, his sword strikes grew even more urgent.

Han Shuang was forced to retreat step by step, unknowingly drawn to the edge of the Ice Cave. Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath his feet, having been sliced thin by sword qi at some point!

Seizing Han Shuang's instability, Yan Buji suddenly changed his move, sweeping the blade upward from below to sever his ice arm at the shoulder!

Black ice crystals gushed out, and upon landing they crawled back to their master like living things.

"Courting death!" Han Shuang flew into a rage, the remaining half of his body also beginning to mutate.

The Profound Darkness Eye above suddenly shot a beam of blood light, enveloping him. His severed arm instantly regenerated, becoming even more hideous and terrifying.

At the same time, Bing Niangzi had already reached the edge of the altar. Seeing the floating Profound Yin Seal, she suddenly revealed a resolute expression and lunged toward the jade seal!

"How dare you, lowlife!" Han Shuang grabbed from afar; five black ice spikes erupted from the ground, piercing Bing Niangzi through the chest! Yet her momentum did not wane, she clung to the ice spikes and embraced the Profound Yin Seal.

"Master..." Bing Niangzi coughed up blood, yet showed a relieved smile: "You forgot... that Profound Darkness Seeds... will resonate..."

The Profound Darkness Seed toxin accumulated in her body surged wildly into the Profound Yin Seal; the previously stable black light instantly fell into chaos. The Profound Darkness Eye above winced in pain, the descending black aura beginning indiscriminate attacks.

Han Shuang let out a miserable scream, his mutated body showing signs of collapse: "No! Just one step short!"

Too bad!

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes; he had originally intended to seize the Profound Yin Seal to study what it was, never expecting Bing Niangzi to snatch it away at the crucial moment, risking her life!

But how could he miss such a good opportunity? The Abni Sword, like a swift swallow piercing the sun, thrust straight at Han Shuang's heart!

Han Shuang hastily dodged, yet the blade still pierced his right chest.

The sword's blood patterns blazed bright, devouring the Profound Darkness Force as if starving.

"Let's die together!" Han Shuang snarled, gripping the sword as his internal Profound Darkness Force surged wildly into it: "Explode!"

Boom—

Violent energy exploded within the sword, the Abni Sword shattering inch by inch; the painstakingly forged Eight-turn Immortal Accumulation broke into several segments at once, but Yan Buji had no time to feel sorry before the shockwave hurled him into the ice wall, breaking who knows how many bones.

Han Shuang fared no better; half his body was blown to pieces, the remainder rapidly disintegrating.

The Ice Cave's ceiling began to collapse over a wide area, the fusion monster finally breaking through the seal and charging in.

But as soon as it stepped into the Ice Cave, it began to howl in agony; after the Profound Darkness Eye lost control, it launched indiscriminate attacks on anything possessing Profound Darkness Force.

Bing Niangzi collapsed on the altar, the Profound Yin Seal in her arms already covered in cracks. She struggled to look at Yan Buji, mouthing "hurry," then with her last strength flung the seal to the ground!

"No!!!" In Han Shuang's despairing roar, the Profound Yin Seal shattered with a thunderous crash.

Deprived of its vessel, the Profound Darkness Eye convulsed wildly, beginning to collapse inward.

The entire Ice Cave seemed to be kneaded by an invisible hand, space twisting and deforming. The fusion monster bore the brunt, torn into fragments by the collapsing force.

Han Shuang crawled painfully along the ground, his body twisted and deformed by mutation, yet he kept his gaze fixed on the altar, muttering: "I've plotted for a hundred years..." However, before he could finish, a spatial rift suddenly appeared before him, like a lightning bolt tearing across the night sky. The rift, at astonishing speed, ripped his body in two, blood and entrails spraying onto the ground—a gruesome sight.

Yan Buji watched from the side; his body also suffered severe damage from Han Shuang's mutation, intense pain making him barely able to stand. But he knew this was no time to linger—he had to flee this dangerous place quickly. Just as he prepared to turn and escape, a huge ice spike plummeted from the sky, straight toward his head.

Yan Buji's heart leapt; he exerted all his strength to roll aside, barely dodging the ice spike. Yet more shards of ice fell like rain, forcing him to constantly evade while searching for an escape route.

"Go..." Bing Niangzi's voice suddenly sounded in his ear, her breath extremely weak, as if she might expire at any moment. Yan Buji hurried to her side, asking: "How do we go?"

Bing Niangzi gasped, difficulty speaking: "Detonate... the Profound Darkness Seed within me... can blast open... an escape passage..."

Yan Buji hesitated not at all; he immediately hoisted Bing Niangzi onto his shoulder, then rushed toward the crack at the Ice Cave's edge. His speed was extreme, like a lightning bolt, weaving through the barrage of ice spikes and shards.

Just as they neared the crack, a deafening roar came from behind. Yan Buji turned to see the Profound Darkness Eye collapsing at astonishing speed, a powerful shockwave like a violent hurricane sweeping over.

Bing Niangzi drew a deep breath, using her last ounce of strength to say: "Thank you, fellow Daoist."

Yan Buji nodded, saying: "You're welcome." Then he unhesitatingly tossed Bing Niangzi to the edge of the crack.

Only a deafening "Boom!" was heard; at the last moment Bing Niangzi detonated the Profound Darkness Seed within herself. The massive explosion generated a powerful shockwave, blasting the crack open and forming an escape route!

Having escaped with his life, Yan Buji pondered carefully for a moment, then suddenly laughed:

"Indeed, it is so."