Thunder Emperor's Remnant Soul, Possession Crisis

The situation was dire, a hair's breadth from disaster!

Several demonic creatures, formed from pure Demonic Qi and mutated lightning, let out silent roars. Wreathed in destructive energy, they lunged from all directions towards the unconscious Bixiao! Their forms were twisted, some like multi-headed lightning serpents, others like humanoid demonic shadows. The common trait was their pupils, filled with nothing but savagery and the desire to consume.

The golden protective light around Bixiao was like a candle in the wind, on the verge of shattering. If these demonic creatures reached her, the consequences were unthinkable!

"Vermin! How dare you harm someone!"

Xuanwei's eyes threatened to split open. He could no longer afford to hide his strength or weigh the risks. Saving Bixiao was the absolute priority!

He let out a long cry and shot forward like lightning, his speed reaching its absolute limit. Simultaneously, he rapidly formed seals with his hands, his internal Chaos Heaven-Opening Art circulating at an unprecedented speed. Chaos-colored immortal light surged into the sky, forcefully pushing back the approaching Demonic Qi and mutated lightning!

"Chaos Domain, open!"

Hummm--!

Centered on him, a hazy, primordial void, as if predating the separation of heaven and earth, suddenly unfurled. Though its range was small, only covering ten feet around him, its unique characteristic of "transforming all methods into chaos" immediately manifested! Several demonic creatures lunging at Bixiao entered the domain. The Demonic Qi and lightning on their bodies immediately became like ice and snow thrown into a furnace, fluctuating violently, dissipating, their structures becoming unstable, and their charging speed faltering!

"Torch Flame, spread like wildfire!"

Xuanwei didn't pause. He pointed his finger forward like a sword! The wisp of Torch Flame that had been dancing on his fingertip suddenly surged! It didn't transform into a raging inferno but, as if possessing life, divided into dozens of fine threads, precisely shooting towards each demonic creature!

This Torch Flame, imbued with the inextinguishable essence of human civilization's inheritance, had a natural restraint against the Nine Nether Demonic Qi! Though it wasn't directly burning the source of the Demonic Qi, its characteristics of "dispelling ignorance" and "purifying filth" were akin to a potent poison for these creatures formed from Demonic Qi!

"Ssss ssss ssss--!"

As the Torch Flame threads touched the demonic creatures, they emitted sounds like hot iron searing ice. The demonic creatures let out pained wails, their bodies scorched with hollows, their movements completely interrupted. Two weaker ones even directly disintegrated into pure Demonic Qi and lightning, only to be further annihilated by the Chaos Domain.

Seizing this opportunity, Xuanwei flashed forward, breaking through the demonic creatures' blockade, and landed on the isolated cliff, arriving beside Bixiao.

"Senior Sister Bixiao!" He crouched down, quickly examining Bixiao's condition.

Bixiao's eyes were tightly shut, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Her face was as pale as paper, and her breath was extremely weak. Fortunately, her life source was undamaged. It seemed her soul had suffered a strong impact and shock, coupled with the exhaustion of her immortal power, which had caused her deep coma. The golden light from the Primal Chaos Golden Dipper around her body fluctuated slightly upon sensing Xuanwei's approach. After confirming he meant no harm, it finally couldn't hold on and dissipated with a soft pop.

Xuanwei dared not delay. He immediately channeled a stream of pure immortal power, imbued with Wutu Earth's vitality and Yimu Wood's spiritual charm, to protect Bixiao's heart meridian and sea of consciousness, stabilizing her injuries first.

However, the moment his immortal power surged into Bixiao's body and touched her sea of consciousness--

"RUMBLE!!!"

The entire abyss shook violently again! This tremor far surpassed the previous ones!

The ancient lightning artifact at the center of the dark purple lightning pillar seemed to be completely enraged by Xuanwei's Chaos Domain and Torch Flame! It no longer merely emanated pressure and induced resonance but erupted with billions of dark purple destructive lightning bolts!

These lightning bolts no longer attacked randomly. As if possessing life, they converged into a terrifying lightning spear that spanned the entire abyss, carrying the supreme lightning might to pierce through space and shatter all laws. Its target was aimed directly at--Xuanwei!

Before the lightning spear even arrived, the terrifying pressure caused Xuanwei's bones to creak, and his Chaos Domain fluctuated violently, as if on the verge of collapse! The power of this strike had definitely reached the Golden Immortal level, perhaps even stronger!

Xuanwei's scalp tingled, and every hair on his body stood on end! He had no doubt that if he were hit head-on by this strike, even with the Chaos Bead protecting him, he would be either dead or severely injured!

He couldn't dodge! This strike had locked onto his aura and covered all possible escape routes!

In a flash, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Xuanwei's eyes. He couldn't retreat; Bixiao lay unconscious behind him!

"Chaos Bead, appear!"

Without hesitation, he unleashed his greatest trump card! A gray, misty bead, as if containing a nascent universe, flew out from between his brows, spinning and hovering above his head.

Instantly, an ancient, vast aura, transcending all heavens, permeated the air. The moment the Chaos Bead appeared, the rampaging demonic lightning pool fell silent. Even the lightning pressure emanating from the ancient lightning artifact seemed to pause for a moment!

"Hum!"

The Chaos Bead cast down a hazy chaotic light, enveloping Xuanwei and Bixiao.

And at this very moment, the destructive lightning spear arrived with a roar, fiercely colliding with the chaotic light barrier!

"BOOM--!!!"

An indescribable, colossal sound exploded in the abyss! It was like two primordial stars colliding! A violent energy shockwave spread in a ring, annihilating and pushing away everything around it, including the remaining demonic creatures and churning lightning waves!

The chaotic light barrier sagged and distorted violently, its light flickering unstably, as if it could be torn apart at any moment. Xuanwei's face turned pale, and a sweet taste rose to his throat. He almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Forcing the un-repaired Chaos Bead to withstand a strike far beyond his cultivation level, he bore immense backlash!

But he held on firmly! As a primordial treasure of Chaos, the Chaos Bead's essence was extremely high. Even severely damaged, its defensive power was by no means ordinary!

The dark purple destructive lightning and chaotic energy wildly intertwined and annihilated each other. Finally, the lightning spear's energy was depleted and slowly dissipated. The chaotic light barrier, though much dimmer, still tenaciously guarded Xuanwei and Bixiao.

He had blocked it!

Just as Xuanwei let out half a sigh of relief, another change occurred!

The ancient lightning artifact seemed to have fallen into a state of frenzy due to its failed attack. The ancient Dao patterns on its surface flashed wildly, and the entire dark purple lightning pillar began to contract inward, condensing, as if brewing for a next, even more terrifying attack.

However, during this condensation process, an extremely faint, yet immeasurably majestic and ancient will, like a cunning viper, silently mixed with the scattered lightning, bypassed the main defense of the Chaos Bead, instantly crossed space, and shot directly towards Xuanwei's forehead!

This mental attack was formless and intangible, faster than thought!

Xuanwei felt his sea of consciousness violently shake, as if struck by an invisible, colossal lightning hammer! Darkness engulfed his vision, and his entire body froze in place.

The next moment, a voice filled with greed, savagery, and the accumulation of endless eons echoed directly from the depths of his sea of consciousness, carrying a soul-chilling coldness:

"The aura of Chaos... and that detestable Torch Flame... I never expected to find such a perfect vessel in this ruined epoch! Boy, it is your supreme honor to bear a wisp of this Emperor's remnant soul! This body is mine now!"

Soul possession!

What was hidden within the ancient lightning artifact was not some unconscious treasure but a terrifying remnant soul from the Chaos era! It had likely attracted enough powerful beings to choose a suitable vessel for soul possession by luring fragments of the demonic realm and causing anomalies! And Xuanwei's displayed power of the Chaos Bead and Torch Flame had undoubtedly pleased it immensely!

"Boom!"

Xuanwei's sea of consciousness instantly turned into an ocean of lightning! A vague figure made of pure lightning intent, yet exuding imperial majesty, descended, carrying world-destroying Thunder Dao Laws. It began to madly erode and assimilate Xuanwei's self-awareness, intending to obliterate all his memories, emotions, and will, and take over his body!

A violent pain swept through the depths of his soul, as if his entire being was about to be torn apart and dissolved. Xuanwei's consciousness flickered unstably under the impact of the lightning, like a candle flame in a storm.

"No... I absolutely cannot... fall here..."

A fierce will to survive and the obsession to protect Bixiao caused Xuanwei's consciousness to erupt with astonishing power at the brink of dissipation! He forcibly gathered his focus, visualizing the core principles of the Chaos Heaven-Opening Art, drawing upon the primal aura of the Chaos Bead to shield the core of his sea of consciousness. At the same time, the Torch Flame seemed to sense the crisis of its master's will, spontaneously igniting within his sea of consciousness, transforming into a tiny sea of fire that burned the invading lightning intent!

Chaos against lightning! Torch Flame against demonic thoughts!

A soul battle, far more perilous than any physical combat, erupted fiercely within Xuanwei's sea of consciousness!

His body stood rigid on the lonely cliff, his face contorting in pain at times, and appearing ferocious and terrifying at others. His aura was in utter disarray, while the Chaos Bead trembled slightly above his head, its light flickering.

Meanwhile, outside, the ancient lightning entity seemed to have temporarily calmed down with the departure of the remnant soul, though it still emanated a terrifying pressure. The fragments of the demonic realm below continued to assault the seal, and the entire abyss remained in chaos.

The unconscious Bixiao knew nothing of this.

Xuanwei stood alone, in the battlefield of his sea of consciousness, engaged in a life-or-death struggle of wills with an ancient being from chaos!

Could he hold onto his true self and defeat this wisp of the terrifying Thunder Emperor's Remnant Soul?