Never Withered

The black fire turned into specks of starlight and scattered around the two demons. It was not scorching; it even felt somewhat cool, leaving not the slightest effect on the grass beneath their feet. The two demons did not take it seriously and raised their arms, intending to sweep aside the black flames before attacking Li Qingjun.

Yet the black fire that seemed incapable of even burning grass flared up with a "whoosh" the instant it touched their arms. A bone-piercing agony spread from their arms through their entire bodies, nearly identical to the sensation of being trapped within the Demon Refining Array.

The two demons howled madly, their violent Demon Qi surging forth and forcibly driving the black fire away from their arms, along with the scorched flesh. Blood streamed everywhere.

Ye Ling clapped her hands and laughed. "Cooked, cooked!"

Yet she felt rather regretful inside.

This was Teng Snake Heavenly Fire, her innate Divine Power... Though her bloodline was too thin for her to wield its true strength, the main reason was still that her injuries had not healed. Otherwise, this fire would have done far more than this... What a pity.

By then, Li Qingjun's silver spear had already reached the Eagle Demon's face.

By common sense, eagles and snakes were natural enemies. Li Qingjun did not know how Soaring Serpents compared, but she instinctively chose to take on the Eagle Demon.

Ye Ling turned and smiled at her. Her figure suddenly vanished, and when she reappeared, she had somehow produced a dagger and slammed it into the Wolf Demon's waist. She really could only hold back one demon, and likely not for long. If she held on until her injuries erupted, they would be finished...

It looked like two against two, but Ye Ling knew perfectly well that they truly could not defeat these two demons. Li Qingjun was fearless because she knew no better, but how could Ye Ling not understand?

Ye Ling herself did not know why she was accompanying this reckless Princess in doing something so foolish. By her own way of thinking, they should have fled with their heads in their hands...

Maybe she really was just a stupid snake.

Over there, the Eagle Demon tilted his head and avoided the whistling spearpoint. With a casual slap, he nearly sent Li Qingjun spinning; she had to forcefully shift her footing before barely managing to steady herself, her heart filled with shock.

The gap... was this enormous?

From the corner of her eye, she saw the Wolf Demon and Ye Ling's figures crossing back and forth. All she could see were two shadows darting about; she could not even make out their specific movements.

A great demon of the Transformation Stage, and an Acquired Martial Artist... The difference was actually this outrageous.

Was she nothing but dead weight here?

In that moment of distraction, the eagle claw had already reached her throat.

Li Qingjun rapidly retreated three steps and shook her spear. Countless streaks of silver light flew forth, merging into the shape of a dragon that roared as it surged upward.

As her powerful true qi erupted, a glow lit up from her waist.

Clang!

The Eagle Demon actually retreated three steps as well, his sharp eyes filled with surprise. "Where did this strange Mana come from?"

He had no time to think further. Li Qingjun's spear shadows layered upon one another, tangling around him until he could scarcely breathe. In terms of technique alone, she could crush him by ten city blocks. With that strange power suppressing his Demon Power, he truly could not afford to underestimate her.

The Eagle Demon retreated several more steps, shaking free of Li Qingjun's spear shadows that clung like Bone-Adhering Gangrene. Suddenly, he swung an arm and let out a long howl toward the sky.

A fierce whirlwind rose within the battlefield. In an instant, sand and stones flew everywhere, and blade-sharp winds sliced toward Li Qingjun. She raised her spear to block them, only to hear a ding like metal striking iron. Several miserable cries came from the soldiers lying in ambush nearby, as though they had been wounded by wind blades.

Li Qingjun's silver spear spun like drifting auspicious snow. The endless clinking rang out like pearls falling onto a jade plate, and cold sweat trickled down her brow. The countless winds surrounding her were each like blades, all capable of killing!

How could mortals possibly defeat demons like this? Even if her brother came, he would probably struggle greatly, wouldn't he?

The Eagle Demon had already closed in. His eagle claw curled into a fist and drove toward Li Qingjun's lower abdomen.

Li Qingjun could not deal with it at all. She silently cried that it was over.

But the expected agony never came. A Wolf Tooth Club whistled in from afar like a massive boulder weighing a thousand catties crashing down. The Eagle Demon raised an arm to block it, and the Wolf Tooth Club spun as it flew back. Someone rushed over at lightning speed, caught the club in one hand, and leaped forward with a downward slash at the Eagle Demon.

The motion flowed in one clean, decisive stroke.

Qin Yi had finally arrived!

The Wolf Tooth Club descended with the force of a mountain crushing overhead, finally forcing the Eagle Demon to retreat slightly. Even the wind blades weakened somewhat.

"Qin Yi!" Li Qingjun continued blocking the wind blades, overjoyed. "You came back at just the right time!"

Qin Yi shouted sharply, "Don't let your guard down!"

Before his words faded, a gray shadow closed in behind Li Qingjun with incomparable speed and struck her waist with a palm.

It was the Wolf Demon, who had finally broken free of Ye Ling's entanglement and launched a swift sneak attack.

"Damn..." Qin Yi desperately swept the Eagle Demon aside and was about to rescue her when he suddenly froze.

Li Qingjun was indeed sent stumbling forward, spitting blood, but at the same time, the light at her waist blazed brightly. Seven-colored radiance burst from the Jade Pendant and spilled over the Wolf Demon. The Wolf Demon let out a painful howl, and his already human appearance instantly receded. He transformed into a massive Azure Wolf and howled toward the sky.

Ye Ling pursued closely behind him and stabbed her dagger right between his buttocks.

The howl became even more shrill. The entire wolf body shuddered violently and sent Ye Ling flying with a bang, smashing her heavily into the courtyard wall. The wall completely collapsed, burying Ye Ling beneath it.

Li Qingjun spat out the stagnant blood and staggered to her feet. Without even time to catch her breath, she twisted at the waist. Her spear roared like a dragon, breaking through layer after layer of wind blades before piercing straight into the Wolf Demon's mouth.

The colored light appeared again, erupting from within the Wolf Demon's mouth. Light burst from all over the wolf's head, and he had long since ceased breathing.

The Eagle Demon was horrified. He no longer tangled with Qin Yi and transformed back into his original form, flapping his wings as he fled. He did not even know why. He had clearly held every advantage, so how had things suddenly turned into this? What exactly was that five-colored radiance?

He had heard that Li Qinglin possessed a Jade Pendant capable of driving out evil. But why was it here?

Specks of black fire filled his vision. He suddenly halted in midair and turned around, only to see a streak of black light rushing straight at him like thunder and lightning.

The Eagle Demon turned in fury. "Are you really going to kill us all? Do you have no regard at all for the bond of being fellow members of the Demon Race?"

Ye Ling's soot-covered figure appeared in the air. With her hands on her hips, she said, "Did you only just find out that I'm super fierce?"

Qin Yi looked up at Ye Ling. Her small body was covered in blood as well. Her struggle against the Wolf Demon had not been easy, and her earlier injuries were visibly on the verge of flaring up again. Yet she forcibly suppressed them and continued chasing the enemy.

He said nothing. Together with Li Qingjun, spear and club rose as one as they charged into the sky.

At the same time, arrows rained upward from the courtyard.

An eagle's cry rang across the heavens, and eagle feathers fluttered down all over the sky.

Qin Yi nudged the two demon corpses, one eagle and one wolf, and said quietly, "That was close."

Li Qingjun happily tugged at him. "You came back at exactly the right time. If not for that club of yours flying over, I nearly would have been captured."

"Now you know you're weak, right? Do you still dare charge in recklessly? I told you to hide inside the array, but you insisted on showing off." Qin Yi's words were reproachful, yet there was no blame in his expression. Instead, he gently wiped the blood from the corner of her lips and continued softly, "Anyway... it's good that you're alright."

The two embraced and kissed. Ye Ling, covered from head to toe in grime and blood, hugged her knees and squatted motionlessly in the corner.

"Right." Qin Yi pulled back slightly, breathing hard. "How did your brother's Jade Pendant end up on you? We truly had this thing to thank today."

"My brother said that if others wanted to deal with him, they would have already taken this into account. But no one would guess that it was on me. Just as he expected, it really came in useful."

Qin Yi suddenly remembered what Li Qinglin had said back then: "Flowers made of silk are just as beautiful, and not so easily withered."

When he attacked the enemy camp, he had not even brought the thing that could save his own life. Instead, he had given it to his younger sister.

Whether it was confidence, affection, or because he believed Southern Li needed Li Qingjun as a spark of fire, whatever the reason, he had done what he said he would. There was nothing to criticize.

A soldier hurried over and called loudly, "The Crown Prince requests Mister Qin's aid at Longevity Temple."

Li Qingjun wanted to go too, but Qin Yi held her down. "Your injuries are quite serious. Stay here with Ye Ling and recover. Don't run around. I'll go take a look."

Li Qingjun hesitated for a moment. Knowing that she could only be dead weight if she went now, she removed the Jade Pendant and handed it to him. "Take the Jade Pendant with you. Dong Huazi has been operating for years; who knows what strange things he may have prepared."

Qin Yi accepted the Jade Pendant and looked toward the distance. The great fire at Longevity Temple was still rising. He took a deep breath. The day he laid his obsession to rest would be today.