Page 180

BOOM! The air itself seemed to shatter as blood-colored vines lashed out, sending the black-robed boy flying through the air like a stone from a slingshot.

"What stray dog is this?" The bandage-wrapped, sickly girl's cold voice cut through the air as she hovered above.

Initially dismissing the sudden attacker, Liuli's blood-red eyes narrowed as she withdrew her vines. Something in the life force feedback felt disturbingly familiar.

[This life force signature...]

Her gaze traced the long trench carved by the youth's impact, analyzing every detail. Meanwhile, the thrown boy gradually regained consciousness.

With a wet cough, Xumo tried to stand but doubled over, spitting out blood mixed with bile. Yet he rose again - being the Child of Prophecy might not make him invincible, but resilience was coded into his very essence.

The Liuli Sect's Child of Prophecy?

Liuli instantly recognized his concealed identity.

Why would Jiangnan's prophesied one venture into the Azure Forest?

Discover more stories at empire

For a moment, she shared Yino's bewildered expression beside her. But where he saw impending doom, she saw opportunity. She'd lacked time to hunt him in Jiangnan, yet here he was, delivering himself to her doorstep.

A snap of her fingers commanded the blood vines to secure Ruoning once more. Under everyone's anxious gaze, she descended with ethereal grace, advancing toward the newly risen Xumo.

"What in the void is happening?" Yino stood frozen, feeling suddenly irrelevant to the unfolding drama.

Liuli's attack had been ruthless beyond measure. In their previous battle, she'd held back enough to avoid killing Yino outright. But this strike against Xumo had created a sonic boom - enough raw force to flay flesh from bone in an instant.

Yino's mind raced through calculations. He'd been ready to accept her blood servant offer to save lives, but now that Xumo had drawn her focus, should he even intervene?

"When two enemies battle, better to wait for the aftermath..." After careful consideration, Yino decided Ruoning wasn't in immediate danger. Her rescue could wait.

He swallowed hard and took two silent steps back, carefully masking his spiritual presence.

"You—!"Jinyue immediately noticed Yino's characteristic tactical retreat. But this time, she matched his discretion. After brief hesitation, she cloaked herself in illusion magic and joined his strategic observation position.

"This cursed demoness is actually in the Nascent Soul realm!"

"Wasn't the Azure Forest supposed to limit cultivation? How did this cult member breach the sacred bounds?"

From the impact crater, Xumo rose while cursing under his breath. His fingers wove together, summoning several azure swords to orbit his form.

But as he prepared for a desperate stand, the white-gold ring on his finger resonated with urgent thoughts:

[Xumo, something's wrong here!]

[She outclasses you. Retreat now.]

In the sea of consciousness, Qiu Yuebai's brows furrowed as she struggled to understand the situation, just as confused as Yino.

By her intelligence analysis, Yino had disrupted the Full Moon Cult's plans at the Wuji Sect a month ago and stolen what should have been their Innate Sword Dao Holy Body. Logic dictated Liuli would prioritize killing Yino and reclaiming what belonged to the cult.

Qiu Yuebai had directed Xumo to eliminate Yino precisely to align with Liuli's presumed goals.

Yet inexplicably, upon arrival, Xumo witnessed Liuli kidnapping Ruoning and negotiating some bizarre demonic pact with Yino.

Xumo's outraged reaction was understandable.

What truly baffled Qiu Yuebai was why Liuli showed no killing intent toward Yino, instead focusing her murderous aura entirely on Xumo.

A fight between them made no tactical sense!

What twisted logic drives this Full Moon Cult maiden?

Among the three parties here, Yino is clearly the weakest and most antagonistic to her. Why not use Xumo to eliminate him first?

Qiu Yuebai's beautiful face twisted with disgust.

Yet even as she wrestled with confusion, Xumo suddenly turned emotional under Liuli's killing intent: "Master, if we retreat now, what about Lady Ruoning?!"

[She's a late-stage Nascent Soul! You can barely save yourself, yet you worry about her?]

Qiu Yuebai found his priorities absurd.

But her words only strengthened the resolve in Xumo's eyes—

"I cannot stand idle while these cultists drag Lady Ruoning into demonhood!"

[Xumo, what madness possesses you?]

"Back at the Liuli Sect, when that Nascent Soul senior brother challenged me, didn't I defeat him across realm boundaries with your guidance, Master?"

[A common cultivator versus a cult maiden? There's no comparison!]

"Besides Master, even if this demoness has Nascent Soul cultivation, her illegal entry into the Azure Forest must have triggered the barrier's suppression. She can't possibly wield her full power!"

[Have you lost your mind?]

In the sea of consciousness, the nine-tailed white foxgirl grew frantic. Liuli's behavior was strange enough, but Xumo's stubborn overconfidence was worse. If she could manifest now, Qiu Yuebai would have slapped sense into him and dragged him away by the ear.

[You cannot defeat her! Do you hear me?]

[Xumo, listen! Your master commands you to leave now!]

But with each of Qiu Yuebai's reprimands, Xumo's determined expression only grew more impatient with argument.

In his heart, the noble daughter of the Liu family who'd shared pastries with him under that bridge when he was nine years old had become his guiding starlight.

Now that fate had finally reunited him with Ruoning, how could he watch as cultists corrupted his childhood ideal?

"Nine Swords Formation!"

Xumo roared, ignoring Qiu Yuebai completely as he focused entirely on the approaching cult maiden.

As spiritual energy surged through his body, nine azure swords shot out to take their positions.

[You disobedient disciple!]

Qiu Yuebai's heart sank completely.

Due to the Celestial Master's mission, she couldn't intervene directly, forced to hide within the ring as both guide and guardian, ensuring Xumo followed the prophesied path while protecting his life.

Over the years, Xumo had clearly decoded his master's psychology.

He knew the choice was his - despite her fierce verbal protests, if real danger threatened, his master would absolutely intervene to save him! This certainty gave him the courage to challenge the cult maiden!

"Evil maiden, face my blade!"

Watching Liuli step into the formation's kill zone, Xumo felt secret joy as he formed the hand seal to activate his nine-layered sword array.

In an instant, azure blades from nine directions locked their killing intent on Liuli at the formation's center.

She halted, calmly observing the nine-fold pattern emerging from the ground beneath her feet.

"Hmph." A light chuckle escaped her lips.

The next moment, all nine swords converged for the kill.

BOOM!!!

At the critical moment, an unexpected change - thick black vines erupted from the earth beneath Liuli's feet.

Unlike her usual agile blood vines, these were rigid, forming a steel-like cocoon around her entire body.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The azure swords struck the black vines with clear rings but failed to inflict even a scratch. Instead, their celadon-forged blades shattered instantly. Xumo's eyes widened as he hastily manifested a new row of swords behind him.

But before he could cast again, a crack appeared in the ironclad vine barrier—

"!!!"