Gazing into the distance, Yu Ci saw that after the purple light had dissipated, Nan Songzi's Yin Spirit and his Life-defining Yin Demon were entwined again, their smoky forms pulsating, as if they were about to rush towards the location where the purple light had fallen. However, at this moment, amidst the mixture of colors, a new hue began to spread.
It was black.
This was the uncontrollable Heart Demon's Evil Energy within Nan Songzi's Divine Soul. Stimulated by the "A Dream to Return", this lethal force had been eroding Nan Songzi's Yin Spirit. It had been slowed down by the suppression of the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade, but now that the Warm Jade had been knocked away, the only barrier was gone, leading to a massive eruption.
Moreover, the Heart Demon's Evil Energy was the most delectable food for the Life-defining Yin Demon, which further stirred its malevolent energy. Regardless of the torment from the talisman's shackles, it greedily devoured the Heart Demon's Evil Energy that was spreading uncontrollably, while also consuming Nan Songzi's Body of the Yin Spirit.
Under attack from both inside and outside, and both being deadly forces, Nan Songzi could not come up with any method of suppression. Even Yu Ci, who did not fully understand the inner details, could tell that Nan Songzi was truly in a dire situation.
Indeed, in a blink of an eye, the faint Shadowy Ghost was completely swallowed by the red fog and black energy, not even making a sound.
In the eerie silence following the scream, Nan Songzi's Divine Soul was devoured by the Yin Demon, dying a death beyond death!
Following that, the black energy was also being devoured by the red fog.
As the devouring continued, the color of the red fog became increasingly vibrant, with a layer of liquid-like blood light circulating on the surface, so intense it seemed as if it would drip blood.
Even nearly a hundred feet away, Yu Ci could feel the terrifying heat in the air around him.
From this moment on, what he faced was no longer Nan Songzi, who was cautious due to his intention of possession, but a monster driven purely by violent instincts.
However, having previously unleashed Sword Energy, he was now at the end of his strength. Even if he drained all his flesh and blood, he could only muster enough energy for one more sword strike. Moreover, his once invincible Mirage Mountain Sword Qi, when faced with this creature that was somewhere between tangible and intangible, could only exert one or two percent of its full power, which was almost as good as none.
Yu Ci took a deep breath and shifted his gaze to a spot about twenty feet behind the monster. There lay the source of the purple light that had previously caused the monster to be wary, still emitting a faint glow.
He should seize it.
Yu Ci suddenly realized that he had too many things in his hands. The Hook Rope was still in his hand, his right hand held the Pure Yang Talisman Sword, and now he had the Divine Bronze Mirror. He was burdened, but under these circumstances, he could not afford to let go of any of the three items.
However, in the next moment, he no longer needed to worry. After a "humming" sound, the burning Divine Bronze Mirror, as if possessed by a spirit, broke free from his hand.
Yu Ci was taken aback. This was a phenomenon that had not occurred in over a decade.
The low humming sound continued to resonate, as if someone was continuously striking it, with rhythmic changes. It was as if monks were chanting sutras in a vast hall, with echoes reverberating.
Yu Ci had no idea what was happening. However, a hundred feet away, the blood-colored monster that had just devoured Nan Songzi was clearly aware of the changes here.
For a moment, the whole world fell silent.
But the silence was fleeting; unable to withstand the heavy pressure, a group of sparrows previously trapped in the Illusion array, like headless flies, chirped and sprung up from not far in front of Yu Ci, flying into the mid-air.
The agitation of living beings was the greatest stimulus for the monster.
With a flash of red light, a ring of blood mist suddenly rose in mid-air, and seven or eight sparrows burst simultaneously, scattering feathers and flesh. At the same time, the monster had already pierced through the blood mist and pounced.
This creature knew nothing of capturing alive or soul possession. Its only thought was to vent its malice, to destroy all living beings around it, nothing more!
Unable to care about the Divine Bronze Mirror any longer, Yu Ci knew he had to gamble once again. He pressed down on his internal injuries, forcibly activated the Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent, and flew close to the ground like a mist.
Circumventing the blood-colored monster and seizing the source of the purple light it had been wary of, that was Yu Ci's plan.
In an instant, he brushed past the blood-colored monster, its scorching breath hitting him as if he was being grilled by intense fire.
Yu Ci was prepared for everything.
Sword Energy merged into the dissipating fog. With Nan Songzi's Yin Spirit being devoured, the Illusion array he had set up was disintegrating. The changes on the mountain path would soon be discovered by those in the observatory, and when Yu Zhou arrived, he would have won!
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As long as he could endure this distance of twenty feet, two hundred feet...
Under the sword riding sprint, the distance of twenty feet was nothing. In two breaths of time, Yu Ci's figure flickered in and out of sight, already above the source of the purple light. He reached down to grab it, and the smooth sensation in his hand made him realize it was something like warm jade.
But the question was, where was the blood-colored monster?
Using the momentum, Yu Ci tumbled a few feet away, adjusted his direction, and looked around. There was no sign of the blood-colored monster, and the anticipated impact did not come.
Just when he was puzzled, a sharp cry suddenly rose from where he had been.
Yu Ci saw, at this moment, the blood-red smoke seemed to want to disperse, but a great force emerged out of nowhere, forming a vortex of air. The blood mist struggled in this vortex until a green light overpowered the red mist and burst forth.
The sharp cry abruptly ended.
Yu Ci was dumbfounded, and it took him a while to remember to move forward. The fog was dispersing faster, clearly revealing the situation on the other side.
The blood-colored monster was gone, leaving only a red gauze draped over the suspended Treasure Mirror. The mountain wind blew, and after struggling a couple of times, it flew up with a whoosh, hung on the bushes next to the mountain path, and swayed in the wind.
Without the gauze to cover it, the suspended Divine Bronze Mirror revealed its true form. The green light had receded, and there was no change in its shape, but the mirror surface, which was originally so bright that it could reflect people, was now covered with a layer of turbid blood qi, which was fading at a visible speed.
Or rather, being devoured.
The blood-colored monster had disappeared, and Yu Ci seemed to hear the Treasure Mirror's cheerful crunching sound: creak, creak, creak.
This was not an illusion. After months of incessant refining, Yu Ci had already developed a certain resonance with the Divine Bronze Mirror. Even though it wasn't entirely clear, he could feel that the Treasure Mirror was "voraciously" devouring a certain power and dispersing it into every corner in a way he still struggled to comprehend. At this moment, the Divine Bronze Mirror seemed like a grinding stone, crushing the "food" it had just swallowed, digesting it as if guided by a certain instinct.
Yu Ci looked at the suspended Treasure Mirror and suddenly realized that his "old friend" of over a decade also had such an unfamiliar side.
After a moment of stupefaction, Yu Ci thought of a question he had pondered before:
The Divine Map was so miraculous, illuminating fifty miles in all directions with every detail visible, yet it didn't consume any of his energy. So, what was the force driving the Divine Map?
During the refining process, the Divine Bronze Mirror transformed True Breath into "Imitation Primordial Qi". Where did the power to enhance the quality of True Breath come from?
Now, he was beginning to understand.
The Illusion array's mist had completely dissipated. Yu Ci stood on the mountain path. The rapid changes from the ambush discovery to the Treasure Mirror's soul-devouring, all happened in less than half a moment, and even the surrounding environment hadn't suffered much damage. It was as if Yu Ci had been dreaming, and now that he was awake, he saw that the items from his dream actually existed in reality.
The Divine Bronze Mirror's devouring and digestion continued, and Yu Ci temporarily let it be. Turning his head, he saw a red veil swaying in the mountain wind among the bushes. He walked over and took it down. He had guessed that this red veil was Nan Songzi's true Soul Vessel, and also the foundation of that blood-red creature.
But now, after the blood-red creature swallowed Nan Songzi and was in turn swallowed by the Divine Bronze Mirror, the red veil, which had obviously undergone a special refining process, seemed to have damaged its Primordial Qi. It looked like an ordinary scarf, even its fragrance had faded. However, the material was truly extraordinary. Yu Ci tried to tear it twice with five or six tenths of his strength, but it didn't budge. Moreover, under the daylight, there seemed to be a faint pattern on the red veil, arranged very regularly, the mystery of which was unknown.
How could a magical instrument used by an advanced Golden Elixir cultivator be ordinary?
And one thing was even more remarkable. Yu Ci had remembered the origin of the warm jade in his hand.
After the battle at Nanfrost Lake, because Murong Qingyan and Red Yin's relationship seemed extraordinary, Yu Ci specifically asked Li You and Meng Wei about her background. Moreover, from the "Great Void Seven Changes Five Directions True Form Talisman", he learned about another treasure of the Ten Thousand Images Sect that was equally famous:
True Purple Smoke Warm Jade.
This jade, alongside the Great Hole True Symbol, is revered as the treasured heirloom of the Ten Thousand Images Sect. The Great Hole True Symbol is precious due to its rare Ninety-One Layer Refinement and the concealed Step into the Void, a treasure crafted by human hands. In contrast, the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade is a genuine gift of nature, a product of divine craftsmanship. Its origin remains a mystery, but the True Purple Smoke contained within can nourish the physical body, purify Primordial Qi, and ward off evil spirits. If kept close, it can greatly enhance the speed of cultivation, protect against demonic influences, and significantly reduce the risk of deviating from the righteous path.
On that day at Nanfrost Lake, when Tao Rong was killed by Red Yin, this treasure was not found on her. Murong Qingyan assumed she had left the Warm Jade at the Sect. Now it seems that it must have ended up in Nan Songzi's hands much earlier.
Only this would make sense. Without the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade to suppress his inner demons, under the influence of the "A Dream to Return" potion, Nan Songzi might not have been able to last until today.
With two more items, Yu Ci felt a little overwhelmed. He put away the Pure Yang Talisman Sword, wrapped the Hook Rope around his wrist, and felt the natural warmth emanating from the two items in his palm, which gave him a bit of a headache.
What should he do?
During the battle with Nan Songzi, Yu Ci was hoping for Yu Zhou's assistance. But now that the battle was over, he found the situation somewhat awkward.
Looking towards the Divine Bronze Mirror, what should he say? Should he just say: An advanced Golden Elixir Cultivator wanted to possess and parasitize, but was swallowed by my Treasure Mirror?
Yu Ci had no immediate plans to reveal the existence of the Treasure Mirror to others, especially after today's events.
At this point, the Divine Bronze Mirror finally "digested" its "food". The floating power suddenly disappeared, and with a clink, it fell to the ground, rolled a couple of times, and then lay flat.
Yu Ci couldn't help but be curious. What would the Treasure Mirror look like after swallowing such a powerful creature?
He stepped forward, picked up the mirror, and without thinking, called out "Divine Map."
A green light emerged.
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For a ghost's lunchbox, everyone encourage with your collections and votes. It seems in the world woven by online novels, beauties are resources. So those who contradict the conservation of resources and environmentally friendly society should go away! Well, in reality, single homebodies also have this thought (female readers, please forgive, it's just an analogy, just an analogy).
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e