Chapter 703 |
“Xiaoyan, step back for now.”
Atop Sacred Mountain, Doctor Chen stood within the vortex of sword qi, his face grim as he sensed the demonic pressure emanating from within.
“Then please be careful, Grandpa Chen.”
Though Xiaoyan was unwilling, she knew that in her current state, remaining here would only hinder him. She could only fly downward, toward the lower slopes of Sacred Mountain.
“Xiaoyan, are you alright?”
The moment she landed, Han Lingshuang rushed to her side, sensing the weakening of her aura with concern.
“I’m fine. How’s the Holy Lord?”
Xiaoyan’s gaze fell on the First Holy Lord, who remained unconscious.
“Elder Brother’s injuries are barely stabilized for now. But recovering from them… that may be near impossible. And I fear we may not have that much time left.”
Xiaoyan followed his eyes upward.
She understood what he meant. The demonic power emanating from that vortex of sword qi was terrifying beyond measure.
No one knew what those three fiends were brewing inside, but an overwhelming sense of dread filled her heart.
“Can Grandpa Chen really handle this…?”
Up above, Doctor Chen’s expression darkened.
He could not allow those fiends to continue their vile ritual. His sword qi had already lashed out, slashing into the vortex in an attempt to disrupt it.
Yet, after more than ten successive strikes, his brows furrowed deeply.
His sword qi vanished like stones sinking into the ocean. Instead of weakening the fiends’ aura, it only made their power surge even more violently.
Then, all at once, an incomparably powerful force exploded outward, shattering the vortex of sword qi.
From the rift emerged a towering abomination — a monster with three heads, six arms, six legs, and a body covered in writhing fleshy tumors. Its faces were hideous like demons, its aura so fearsome that even a glance filled one’s heart with madness and terror.
“This is bad…”
Even Doctor Chen drew in a deep breath.
The creature’s aura already exceeded the limits of the Golden Core Realm. Even with his Sword Dao Domain, he might not be able to suppress it.
And indeed, the next moment proved his fear right.
The monster roared and swung one of its arms. A wave of destructive force erupted, shaking and twisting the very space that Doctor Chen’s Sword Dao Domain sought to contain.
In an instant, his domain shattered, and he was forced out of his unity-with-heaven state.
Blood surged in his chest as he staggered backward — his spirit taking heavy damage.
“Trying to run, old man? Because of you, we were forced to merge using the Heaven-Demon Coalescence Technique! Now I’ll tear you limb from limb!”
The central head bellowed in rage.
Though its features still faintly resembled that of the once-handsome demonic youth, all three heads were now twisted in fury.
Indeed, they had reason to be enraged. Using the Heaven-Demon Coalescence Technique meant fusing body and soul into one existence — separating again would be near impossible, and their cultivation potential would forever be diminished.
Even if they obtained Sacred Mountain’s Mountain Spirit, it would hardly compensate for this loss.
Hatred blazed in all three pairs of eyes.
With a thunderous roar, one of the monster’s arms lashed out, its strike splitting the air like a hurricane. The pressure it exuded made it easy to believe that even a mountain would crumble before its might.
Even Doctor Chen could only dodge, narrowly evading the crushing blow.
Fortunately, though the fusion had multiplied the monster’s strength, its speed had not increased proportionately. That small blessing allowed Doctor Chen to barely survive, dodging strike after strike by the narrowest of margins.
But the creature’s next attack was cunning — its first swing had been a feint. The instant Doctor Chen moved to evade, another fist came crashing toward his predicted position.
“Not good!”
He barely had time to react. Just as the blow was about to crush him, his figure turned into a streak of sword light, narrowly avoiding instant death.
Boom!
The monster’s punch struck empty air, detonating with such force that the space within a hundred feet turned white from compression, followed by a sweeping gale.
But it did not relent. Its other arms joined the assault, and countless tendrils of demonic qi burst forth like serpents, lunging to bind and crush him.
Doctor Chen’s sword light danced through the storm, weaving between death and survival, striking back whenever the smallest opportunity appeared. But his sword qi, though fierce, barely scratched the creature’s flesh — its defenses had multiplied after the fusion.
Each wound healed almost instantly under the surge of demonic qi.
“Grandpa Chen!”
Seeing this, Xiaoyan’s heart seized. She lifted her sword, ready to rush back up.
But Han Lingshuang caught her arm tightly.
“Don’t! You’ll only die!”
At that very moment, Doctor Chen’s voice echoed directly into their minds.
“Stay back! This creature is far too strong — I can only hold it off for a short while! Take this chance and evacuate everyone! Once it reacts, none of you will escape!”
“But—”
“Go!”
His tone brooked no argument.
The Second and Third Holy Lords exchanged a solemn look.
“Give the order. Sacred Mountain can’t be held. Whoever can escape, must.”
A deep silence fell. Then, the Second Holy Lord’s voice thundered through every disciple’s mind.
“All disciples and elders, hear the order! Evacuate immediately! Flee as far as you can — do not look back! From this moment, the hope of Sacred Mountain rests upon you!”
For a heartbeat, the entire mountain fell still.
Then came chaos.
“The Holy Lord… wants us to retreat?”
“Even that senior can’t hold the monster back?!”
“Sacred Mountain… will fall?!”
“But… where do we even go?!”
The Second Holy Lord’s voice came again, sharper, louder, filled with anguish and urgency.
“This is a sacred command! Go!”
The aura from above grew increasingly terrifying — the sky darkened, and Doctor Chen’s lone figure flickered desperately amidst the storm.
Everyone understood. There was no more time for hesitation.
Teeth gritted, hearts breaking, the disciples and elders began their retreat.
…
Among them, Lin Zhirui’s eyes were filled with unwillingness.
He knew more than most. He knew the three Holy Lords could not abandon the mountain — that their fates were sealed.
He dared not think further.
As he fled down the slope, he glanced back — just in time to see Doctor Chen caught by a monstrous palm and smashed into the mountaintop, throwing up clouds of dust and debris.
“No! Senior Chen!”
Lin Zhirui’s chest clenched, but he did not stop.
He knew — every second they had to flee was bought by Doctor Chen’s blood.
Above, the monster howled in rage and dove after him, its massive body descending like a falling meteor.
Lin Zhirui could only watch in powerless despair.
At that moment, hatred for his own weakness burned like fire within him.
If only he were stronger… he could have done something. Anything.
But as he turned to etch the monster’s image into his memory, his steps suddenly halted.
His eyes widened.
“Lin-shixiong! What’s wrong? Keep running!”
A passing disciple called out — but then followed Lin Zhirui’s gaze skyward.
And froze.
High above Sacred Mountain, a silver flying vessel had appeared without warning, hovering silently in the air.
Beside it stood a lone figure — calm, composed, and wreathed in quiet, unshakable power.
In the instant he appeared, everything stopped.
The winds froze mid-scream. The demonic qi stilled. Even the monstrous abomination hung motionless, like an insect trapped in ice.
“That’s… Lord Lu Qing?!”
A trembling voice rose among the elders.
“Lord Lu Qing!”
“It’s him!”
“Lord Lu Qing has returned!”
“He’s back! We’re saved!”
Though decades had passed since his departure, many of the inner sect elders and elite disciples still recognized his face.
To them, Lu Qing had been — and still was — the invincible pillar of the world.
Now that he had returned, no demon or monster could possibly prevail.
Sacred Mountain… was saved.
“Lord Lu Qing… he truly came back…”
Lin Zhirui whispered, his heart trembling between joy and sorrow.
But relief flooded his soul. With Lu Qing here, not only was Sacred Mountain safe — the world itself might be saved.
“Lu Qing… my young friend, you’ve returned from the stars at last…”
The Second and Third Holy Lords stared upward, eyes wide, voices quivering with disbelief.
As for Han Lingshuang — she simply stood there, eyes glazed, heart overcome.
She never imagined she would see him again — and at such a desperate hour.
And once again, he had come to save her.
“Good… I made it in time.”
High above, Lu Qing’s spiritual sense swept across the mountain.
When he felt the faint auras of Xiaoyan and his master, he exhaled deeply.
He had learned of the crisis from his puppet avatar in Jiuli Village and had immediately driven his Void Flying Boat across the realms to reach here.
When he arrived, he had seen the monster — a being radiating near–Nascent Soul-level power — descending toward Sacred Mountain.
Without hesitation, he had frozen time itself and crushed it with his will.
Now, sensing that his loved ones yet lived, his heart finally eased.
Their auras were weak, yes — but alive. And with his power, he could restore them with ease.
His gaze turned cold as it fell upon the monster still trapped midair.
All three heads stared back, filled with terror.
Even the mightiest fiends of the past age had never inspired such dread in them. The young man before them radiated power beyond comprehension.
When Lu Qing’s eyes met theirs, their demonic hearts trembled as if facing the gaze of heaven itself.
If not for being frozen, they would have collapsed to the ground in worship or begged for mercy.
“So this is the one they call the strongest of this age…” one of the demonic minds screamed silently. “But he was supposed to have left this world — exploring the stars! How can he be here?! And this power… it surpasses even the Nascent Soul Realm!”
Lu Qing’s divine sight pierced through their bodies, revealing their sins — the tens of thousands of lives they had sacrificed in their foul rites.
His expression hardened.
With a gesture, a five-colored, glass-like hand manifested from the void, seizing the monster in its grip.
A crushing force descended.
The towering creature shrank inch by inch, its massive form compressed until it was no larger than a clenched fist.
Without a single scream, it vanished — sealed within the Li Huo Cauldron.
Only silence remained.
Lu Qing turned his gaze toward the mountain once more.
There, at the summit, stood a white-clad girl holding a sword — staring up at him in awed silence.
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