How cruel it was.
In the night sky, a sharp, piercing howl of a wild beast suddenly rang out, and a large white cat darted into the Divine Fire Pillars.
“What is that?” Fu Ronghua’s gaze sharpened.
“It’s that demoness’s spirit beast,” Rongshuang said. “Quite loyal, I must say.”
“Hmph, seeking death,” Lingxin Daoren sneered coldly. “After Yang Zanxing dies, I’ll send this beast to accompany her in death!”
“Mimi!” Mendong shouted nervously.
Yueguang Daoren shook his head with a sigh: “It’s a spirit beast. The Ten Thousand Killing Formation doesn’t kill creatures other than demons. Don’t worry, it won’t die, it’s just…”
It’s just that Yang Zanxing probably won’t survive.
Mimi rushed into the Ten Thousand Killing Formation. This large cat, who usually only knew how to eat, sleep, and play with yarn balls, showing not a trace of its Yinlang Shi heritage, stretched its body and tried to shield Zanxing beneath itself. Unfortunately, while the divine fire of the Ten Thousand Killing Formation couldn’t kill the Yinlang Shi, it also couldn’t be blocked by it. The flames still slipped through the gaps into Zanxing’s body.
As if anxious for its master, the Yinlang Shi let out a long howl. This sound was different from its usual lazy calls—deep and resonant like a beast’s roar. Xuan Lingzi’s heart leaped with joy: “Could it be that the Yinlang Shi has awakened?”
If Mimi awakened at this moment, perhaps it could take Zanxing away from this place.
He harbored this secret hope, but Mimi didn’t fulfill his wishes. The large cat’s form hadn’t changed, but suddenly it turned its head and pounced toward a cluster of flames beside Zanxing, opening its mouth to swallow the fire.
“What?” Lingxin Daoren’s gaze paused: “What is that beast doing?!”
Mimi was devouring the divine fire.
This snow-white large cat arched its back, desperately consuming the divine fire around Zanxing. With each flame it swallowed, the cat’s fur would char a bit more, as if bearing the damage caused by the divine fire.
“It’s probably just a somewhat capable spirit beast,” Rongshuang said dismissively. “However, the power of divine fire is not something a mere beast can bear. Before the Ten Thousand Killing Formation ends, this beast will probably die first.”
As if to prove her words, as the killing moves increased, the large cat’s movements became slower and slower. Its previously agile figure became sluggish, and its snow-white fur turned into a blackened mass, no longer recognizable in its original form. Despite this, it continued to struggle to devour the divine fire around Zanxing, panting heavily after swallowing each flame.
Zanxing could see nothing and hear nothing, but the spiritual contract between her and her spirit beast seemed to allow her to sense what was happening around her. She desperately wanted to see how Mimi was doing, but now she couldn’t move even the slightest bit of her body.
Only eternal, fierce fire and endless pain remained.
Perhaps because it was truly too unbearable, at this moment, she suddenly thought of that Wufan City in the desert. The mirage woman had used people’s fears and desires to weave beautiful dreams. Back then, she had shattered the illusion without hesitation, but if it were her current self, she would probably choose to accept it immediately.
She wondered if illusions could deceive oneself. This thought suddenly popped into Zanxing’s mind—she should have properly learned illusion techniques from Gu Baiying.
Gu Baiying…
The image of the young man’s impatient expression floated in Zanxing’s mind. She could almost imagine how the people of the cultivation world would embellish and exaggerate when explaining her identity to him after he emerged from seclusion. A demon spy who infiltrated the Taiyan Sect, a villain who cruelly murdered Zi Luo, someone deep and calculating with hidden schemes… She had wanted to explain the truth to Gu Baiying many times, but had retreated in cowardice at crucial moments. Now she was finally getting what she deserved.
How would he view her? Would it be with the same hateful, disgusted gaze as in her dreams? Zanxing thought in her muddled soul. That young man loved and hated clearly, couldn’t tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes, much less deliberate deception. He would surely not tolerate a demon fellow disciple who had committed countless evils.
The stars became even more brilliant. This summer night on Gufeng Mountain was clearer than any previous night.
The light from the Divine Fire Pillars gradually dimmed by more than half, and the figure constantly struggling within the formation slowly quieted down. Like a charred, stubborn stone, a withered piece of wood, with life force gradually being stripped away.
“Nearly three thousand killings now.” Fu Ronghua looked toward the Ten Thousand Killing Formation.
“This demoness is indeed not to be underestimated,” Lingxin Daoren spoke coldly. “Ordinary demons can at most endure a few hundred killings, yet she has withstood thousands of killing moves from the Ten Thousand Killing Formation. Fortunately, we’re cutting the grass and eliminating the roots tonight; otherwise, if she remained in the sect, she would eventually cause great disaster.”
Rongshuang glanced at Shaoyang Zhenren, whose eyes were slightly closed—whether from reluctance to watch or complete indifference was unclear. She turned to look at the person in the formation, and after a long moment, spoke: “Her spirit is scattered, her Core dissolved, all five senses lost. She’s already at the end of her rope and won’t survive the next killing move.”
From the first killing to the second killing, up to ten thousand killings, each killing move was heavier than the last, yet the person in the formation became weaker with each one. That Zanxing could barely hold on until now was already a miracle. Her life was like the remaining embers in a lamp flame—just one more breath and it would be completely extinguished.
Mimi seemed to sense something and struggled desperately to turn over and stand up. The central Divine Fire Pillar suddenly blazed with intense light, and the radiance of countless fire pillars merged into one, exploding from the cloud layer and striking toward the person in the formation.
“Boom—”
A tremendous surge of Yuanli exploded from the center, and the disciples around the formation couldn’t dodge in time, being knocked over and scattered in all directions.
“Young Miss—” Hong Su’s heart-wrenching cries echoed through the mountains.
“Dead?” Fu Ronghua’s fan-waving motion paused.
In the distant Ten Thousand Killing Formation, the fire pillars still burned without extinguishing. In the vast, boundless night sky, they looked like inverted fiery tribulation clouds.
“The Divine Fire Pillars are still burning,” Rongshuang frowned. “She’s not dead.”
Not dead? How was that possible? The Ten Thousand Killing Formation contained Gui Diao Tang’s heart blood. Unless Gui Diao Tang returned from the dead, no demon could survive the killing formation.
“What exactly is her cultivation level? How can she be so formidable?” Disciples around them were shocked.
“Look, what is that?” Putao, beside Rongshuang’s gaze, paused as she pointed toward the person in the formation.
Zanxing—though it was hard to tell if it was still Zanxing—her skin had been roasted by the fierce fire until she was completely unrecognizable, covered in wounds from head to toe, her original appearance indiscernible. Her once lustrous black hair had been scorched by the Divine Fire Pillars into a yellowed, disheveled mess. Yet adorning her hair was a bright star.
Even the fierce fire of the Divine Fire Pillars couldn’t diminish that star’s brilliant light by even a fraction.
Suddenly, the star fell from her hair, dropping to the ground with a clear sound as it broke into two pieces.
“It’s a hairpin.” Rongshuang’s brow furrowed.
The star fell to the ground and quickly disappeared, but countless silver-white orbs of light rose around them. These orbs were like glowing snow, drifting bit by bit into Zanxing’s heart. The woman who had been unable to move in the formation gently flexed one finger.
She had awakened.