Renewed Comprehension of the Immortal Scripture
The tremors from the Stone Gate suddenly intensified, the resounding crashes echoing like thunder throughout the Cave Heaven, causing the entire space to tremble slightly. Dust that had accumulated on the stone walls for countless years fell in rustling motions, fine sand sliding down the jade walls' patterns and piling up in a thin layer on the ground, which was then stirred up by the airflow. The luminous crystal suspended at the top was violently shaken, its refracted rainbow light shimmering wildly on the White Jade Stone floor, scattering like startled butterflies. Even the spiritual light hidden in the folds of the robes of the immortal statues on either side flickered, like candle flames that might be extinguished at any moment.
Ren Xiaoyao gripped the newly acquired Evil Suppressing Pendant tightly in his fingers. The warm, smooth jade pressed against his palm, its cool texture seeping into his skin like a clear spring flowing through a dried-up, cracked riverbed, instantly calming the restlessness in his mind. The lingering demonic energy from his previous battle with his Incarnation had caused him a dull ache in his soul, but this cool sensation instantly soothed it. He knew perfectly well that his three Incarnation, able to continuously recover using the demonic energy of Cang Xuan Mountain, must have followed his dissipated immortal energy all the way to this Ancient Cave Heaven. This fierce battle was ultimately unavoidable.
Sure enough, the next second a crisp "crack" resounded, like ice breaking. The Immortal Pattern in the center of the Stone Gate, which had been faintly glowing, suddenly dimmed, losing its luster like a burnt-out candle. Even the spiritual Spiritual Qi at the edges of the rune vanished without a trace. The smooth, mirror-like surface of the Azure Jade Stone instantly cracked with spiderweb-like fissures, the fine cracks spreading along the Stone Gate like wildly growing vines. Thick, dark demonic energy surged in from the cracks, like a venomous snake that had been lurking for a long time finally finding its way out. It carried the pungent smell of rotting flesh mixed with sulfur, making one's throat tighten and even breathing feel somewhat painful, as if inhaling scalding hot dust.
Wherever the demonic energy passed, the Spirit Gathering Formation patterns on the ground, which had originally flowed with pale golden Spiritual Qi, instantly turned black, like Xuan paper splattered with ink. The flow of Spiritual Qi abruptly stopped, and even the tiny spiritual lights floating in the air were swallowed up by the demonic energy, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating in mid-air. "Ren Xiaoyao! You think you're safe hiding in your tortoise shell? Today, I will tear down this hole and grind you to dust!" The roar of the Incarnation on the left pierced through the Stone Gate. The voice, like a rusty iron saw scraping against rock, mixed with the chilling demonic energy, pierced the eardrums and made one's soul tighten. It was as if countless tiny insects were crawling in one's ears, disturbing one's mind and even causing a slight tingling sensation in one's fingertips.
Ren Xiaoyao's eyes narrowed. He carefully folded the Ancient Immortal Scripture and the Demon Breaking Array Manual, tucking them inside his robe against his heart—where immortal power protected him from Demonic Qi Erosion. His fingertips gripped the edge of his robe tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, fearing that a moment's carelessness in the battle might damage these two priceless treasures crucial for Demon-Bane.
He slowly circulated his immortal power in his palm, following the principle of "Yin and Yang Mutual Generation" from the immortal scriptures, gently intertwining the pale golden Yang Power and the silvery-white Yin Power in his palm. This time, the scorching heat of the Yang Power was even stronger than when he first learned it, like a small flame burning brightly, even the surrounding air was slightly heated, and he could even feel the subtle heat waves moving across his skin at his fingertips, carrying the power to purify everything; the Yin Power, on the other hand, became more gentle, like the thin mist wrapped in morning dew, silently smoothing out the heat of the Yang Power. The two forces, one hard and one soft, swirled and intertwined in his palm, gradually condensing into a Tai Chi Pattern the size of a palm. The light of gold and silver complemented each other, radiating a soft yet exceptionally firm halo, which remained unmoved even as the surrounding demonic energy surged.
He leaped to the Stone Gate, and the Creation Spear at his waist seemed to sense its master's fighting spirit, automatically unsheathing itself with a "hum." The "Extinction" pattern engraved on the spear echoed the Tai Chi Pattern on his palm, adding a touch of warm silver light to the originally cold, silvery lightning, as if the thunder was wrapped in moonlight. When the spear tip landed on the ground, even the Spirit Gathering Formation patterns that had been blackened by demonic energy emitted a faint spiritual light, like dying plants regaining a glimmer of life under the nourishment of spring rain. The edges of the black patterns even began to slowly fade to light gray.
"Boom!" The Stone Gate finally gave way, collapsing into the cave with a deafening roar. Scattered debris, carrying black demonic energy, crashed onto the White Jade Stone ground with muffled thuds. Three Incarnation, enveloped in thick, ink-like demonic energy, rushed in. Their bodies, composed of black mist, gleamed oily in the light, and the Demonic Threads wrapped around them swayed in the wind, carrying a subtle, Evil Qi.
The right-hand Incarnation, leading the group, moved the fastest. Its Demon Blade, glowing with a ghostly green poisonous light, sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound that tore at the soul, aiming straight for Ren Xiaoyao's heart. The poisonous light was even more intense than when they were outside the Secret Realm, and black venom even dripped from the blade tip. The venom landed on the White Jade Stone on the ground, instantly corroding tiny Black Hole. Black smoke slowly rose from the holes, even staining the hard jade stone black, and the edges continued to expand.
This time, Ren Xiaoyao no longer passively dodged as before. With a light tap of his Cloud Treading Steps, his figure drifted to the side and back like a willow catkin in the wind. His robes swept through the air, creating faint fluctuations of Spiritual Qi, without even stirring up the fine sand on the ground. He was so light that he seemed weightless. At the same time, he flipped his wrist, and the tip of the Creation Spear precisely struck the Demon Blade. The Yang Power in the Tai Chi Pattern on his palm surged rapidly into the spear, and the silver-white lightning instantly surged, dazzling like a drawn sword. With a crisp "sizzle," it directly burned away the eerie green poisonous light on the Demon Blade, leaving even the blade with charred marks and emitting a faint burnt smell, like burnt cloth.
The moment the spear tip collided with the Demon Blade, a crisp clang reverberated through the air, the sound waves spreading outwards and even causing ripples in the surrounding Spiritual Qi. The right arm of the Incarnation went numb violently, and the body composed of black mist disintegrated, like a scattered ink blob. Even the hand holding the Demon Blade loosened slightly, almost causing it to slip from his grasp. He could only hurriedly use demonic energy to reassemble his body.
"How is this possible? Your immortal power... can actually break my Soul Devouring Poison?" The Incarnation on the left stared wide-eyed, composed of black mist, his voice filled with disbelief and a hint of panic. He Soul Devouring Poison before, but no one had ever been able to burn away the poisonous light with just their immortal power like Ren Xiaoyao. This was completely beyond his comprehension.
Ren Xiaoyao gave him no time to react. He used the Cloud Treading Steps again, his figure flashing like a ghost, leaving a pale golden afterimage, and he had already circled around to the left of his Incarnation's back. He quietly channeled Yin Power into the spear's tail, and the spear, which had been flashing with lightning, was suddenly covered with a layer of soft silver light, like moonlight enveloping Cold Iron. Even the surrounding air became warmer, dispelling some of the chilling demonic energy and melting some of the White Frost on the ground.
He spun and swept the spear horizontally, its tip gleaming faintly with silver light, striking the Incarnation precisely in the back— the Yin Power instantly seeped into the black mist, and the previously churning demonic energy suddenly stopped, like frozen water. The Incarnation's movements abruptly froze, a fine, stinging pain shooting through its sea of consciousness, like being gently pricked by a needle dipped in warm water, not intense but exceptionally lingering, even causing its roar to pause for a beat. The body formed from the black mist even became somewhat transparent, revealing the distorted remnants of the soul within, which were trembling silently under the influence of the Yin Power.
Seeing this, the other two Incarnation immediately flanked from both sides, their dark purple Demonic Threads forming a giant spider web that coiled around Ren Xiaoyao from all directions. These Demonic Threads were thicker than before, about the thickness of a finger, and glistened with an oily sheen, clearly imbued with a denser demonic energy. Tiny Demonic Runes could be faintly seen shimmering on the threads, writhing like living creatures. If these Demonic Threads touched flesh, they would instantly invade the meridians, corroding immortal power like termites. Ren Xiaoyao had suffered from this before and dared not be careless this time.
Ren Xiaoyao was prepared. His left hand quickly formed a hand seal, his fingertips tracing a faint trail of spiritual light in the air, as if drawing a talisman in the sky. Following the basic array technique recorded in the Demon Breaking Array Manual, he gently injected a Yang Power into the ground. "Rise!" he shouted softly, his voice carrying an undeniable power, like a thunderclap exploding within the Cave Heaven, causing ripples to spread through the surrounding air.
The remaining Spirit Gathering Formation patterns on the ground suddenly lit up, and pale golden spiritual light spread rapidly along the patterns, forming a wall of light half a person's height in the blink of an eye. Tiny runes flowed across the light wall, radiating a holy aura that purified demonic energy. The Demonic Threads struck the light wall, sizzling like hot oil dripping into cold water, instantly turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating without a trace. Only a faint smell of burnt matter remained in the air, mingling with the putrid stench of demonic energy, creating an extremely pungent odor that made one involuntarily frown.
The three Incarnation were utterly enraged, their black mist surging forth like boiling black water, instantly rising to over two zhang in height. Even the Spiritual Qi within the Cave Heaven was stained black, like clear water contaminated with ink. The spiritual light emanating from the statues on either side dimmed, and even the silver threads on the Daoist's whisk drooped, losing their former vibrancy, as if lifeless. The majesty sculpted in the eyes of the statues also became blurred, as if covered by a layer of gray.
Simultaneously, their Demon Blade unleashed three black blade energies, each carrying a chilling, murderous intent. Like three black lightning bolts slicing through the air, they disrupted the Spiritual Qi within the Cave Heaven, causing even the luminous crystal at the top to flicker between light and shadow. Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, channeling all the Yin-Yang Immortal Power from his dantian into the Creation Spear. The Tai Chi Pattern at the spear tip instantly swelled to over ten feet in size, lightning and silver light intertwining like a miniature sun. This forced back the surrounding demonic energy, and even the White Jade Stone on the ground shimmered with golden light, making the dust in the cracks of the stones clearly visible.
He charged forward, meeting the three blade-like energies head-on. His footsteps left faint spiritual marks on the White Jade Stone, which spread out slowly like ripples in water. His spear tip swept across with earth-shattering power—a deafening boom echoed as the Tai Chi Pattern collided with the three blade-like energies. Golden and black light exploded in the vacuum of the Cave Heaven, the shockwave sweeping around like a whirlwind, cracking the White Jade Stone on the ground. Amidst the flying debris, the three Incarnation were forced back three steps. Their bodies, formed of black mist, became noticeably thinner, revealing the blurry, lingering souls struggling within, emitting weak yet mournful howls, as if enduring immense pain.
"It's not over yet! Ren Xiaoyao, you will die today!" The Incarnation in the middle roared, his voice filled with madness. Black mist surged from his body, chilling the surrounding air to the bone, feeling like ice against the skin. He suddenly plunged the Demon Blade into the ground, and "Soul Devouring Poison" spread rapidly along the surface. Black poison lines, like venomous snakes, coiled towards Ren Xiaoyao's feet—the poison lines moved incredibly fast, spreading several feet per second. Wherever they passed, the White Jade Stone was stained black, even the remaining Spiritual Qi in the crevices was devoured, and a thin layer of black frost appeared on the ground, freezing the jade brittle.
Ren Xiaoyao leaped into the air, his figure tracing a graceful arc, his robes billowing like a soaring eagle, radiating a faint spiritual light. He gripped the Creation Spear tightly, its tip pointing downwards, condensing Yang Power into a Golden Spear at the tip, gleaming with Dazzling Light. Even the air seemed to scorch slightly, and any demonic energy that approached was burned into black smoke. With a "sizzle," the Golden Spear pierced the poisonous line in the ground, instantly burning it away. A small hole, emitting white smoke, remained in the ground, its bottom still shimmering with a faint golden light, like Guardians preventing the demonic energy from spreading again.
The instant his feet touched the ground, his left-side Incarnation suddenly flung out a dark purple Demonic Chain from its chest. The Demonic Chain, as thick as an arm, was covered in grotesque Demonic Runes. It arced through the air like a nimble venomous snake, precisely coiling around Ren Xiaoyao's ankle. The moment the Demonic Chain touched his skin, a bone-chilling cold emanated from it. The Demonic Runes instantly lit up, and demonic energy rapidly seeped into his meridians along the Demonic Chain, like a cold, venomous snake burrowing into his blood vessels. Wherever it passed, his meridians throbbed with pain, as if being repeatedly pierced by ice picks.
Ren Xiaoyao felt a sudden blockage in his dantian. The previously smooth flow of Yin-Yang Immortal Power abruptly stopped, like a blocked stream. Even his breathing became heavy, and a dull pain rose in his chest, as if a huge boulder was pressing down on him. Seeing this, the three Incarnation' eyes flashed with a ferocious light. They seized the opportunity to pounce simultaneously, their Demon Blade glowing with a ghostly green poisonous light, all aimed at his vital points. The Demon Blade of the Incarnation on the right pierced straight for his heart, the poisonous light at the tip almost touching his clothes, and the fishy smell emanating from the blade could be smelled. The Demon Blade of the Incarnation on the left aimed at his throat, with a sharp sound that Sky-Rending Strike, making even the wind whistling. The Demon Blade of the Incarnation in the middle slashed at his wrist holding the Creation Spear, blocking all his escape routes and giving him no chance to breathe.
Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank as he instantly assessed the situation—a direct confrontation would be fatal. His immortal power was blocked, his meridians were throbbing, and he couldn't unleash the full power of his Yin-Yang Immortal Power. His eyes flashed, and he hurled the Creation Spear in his hand. The spear, bearing a Tai Chi Pattern over ten feet in size, shot out like a Golden Lightning, aiming straight for the face of the central Incarnation. Seeing this, the central Incarnation had no choice but to raise its hand to block, temporarily halting the attack.
At the same time, Ren Xiaoyao gathered the last Yin Power in his palm and slammed it hard onto the ground—the Yin Power instantly transformed into a pale silver light shield, enveloping him within it. The surface of the light shield shimmered with a soft spiritual light, as fragile as thin ice, yet exceptionally resilient. The Demon Blade of his Incarnation on either side struck the light shield, emitting a "sizzling" sound, and subtle ripples appeared on its surface. The light shield's radiance dimmed slightly, as if it might shatter at any moment.
Taking advantage of this brief respite, Ren Xiaoyao turned and rushed towards the group of immortal statues deep within the Cave Heaven. Cloud Treading Steps to its fullest extent, his figure transforming into a pale golden afterimage, streaking across the ground like a shooting star. Before even raising a speck of dust, he vanished among the dozens of immortal statues. The statues varied in height, some holding magical artifacts, others sitting cross-legged, providing perfect cover. Only faint traces of spiritual light remained on the ground, which were quickly smoothed over by the Spiritual Qi within the Cave Heaven, leaving no trace.
The three Incarnation were forced to retreat repeatedly by the Creation Spear. By the time they combined their strength to shatter the Tai Chi Pattern Creation Spear the spear and send it flying, embedding itself in a distant stone wall, Ren Xiaoyao had already vanished. "Chase him! He's exhausted most of his immortal power; he can't get far! Today we must tear him to pieces!" the Incarnation on the left roared, his voice filled with resentment and rage. Black mist surged from his body, distorting his voice, making him sound like a wild beast being choked.
Three figures, shrouded in Demonic Qi like three dark clouds, rapidly pursued the group of immortal statues. Wherever they passed, the spiritual light on the ground was devoured by the demonic energy, leaving behind streaks of black. Even the White Jade Stone were stained and lost their luster, becoming dull and gray. They weaved among the immortal statues, their Demon Blade occasionally slashing at them, cutting gaps in the jade sculptures. Black mist seeped in through these gaps, making the spiritual light on the statues even dimmer.
Ren Xiaoyao hid behind a statue of a warrior holding a long spear, his back pressed tightly against the cold jade. His chest heaved violently, cold sweat trickling down his face and dripping onto his clothes, leaving dark stains. Even his breathing was heavy and labored, each inhale causing a tightness in his chest. The demonic energy left by the Demonic Chain still lingered within him, like tiny ice needles pricking his meridians with sharp pain. The Yin-Yang Immortal Power within his dantian was like a disturbed stream, circulating intermittently. He couldn't even solidify the Tai Chi Pattern on his palm, barely managing to maintain a sliver of Spiritual Qi to protect himself from the surrounding Demonic Qi Erosion.
He pulled out the Evil Suppressing Pendant from his robes, clutching it tightly in his palm. The cool aura of the jade pendant quickly flowed into his body, like the warm spring Warm Sun melting ice and snow. The stinging sensation in his sea of consciousness gradually disappeared, and the demonic energy within him, like ice and snow meeting the sun, slowly dissipated. The pain in his meridians lessened, and even his breathing became smoother. He leaned against the statue, slowly closing his eyes. The battle scenes from just now flashed through his mind— Yang Power breaking the poison, Yin Power disturbing the mind, and the formation blocking the enemy. Although the combination of Yin-Yang Immortal Power had shown initial success, it still seemed insufficient in the face of the three Incarnation ' siege. Especially when the Demonic Chain wrapped around his ankles, the Yin and Yang Energy failed to circulate in time, causing a blockage in the flow of immortal power, which gave the Incarnation an opportunity, almost putting him in a desperate situation.
"If I could form Closed Loop Yin-Yang Immortal Power within my body, like a ceaselessly flowing river, even if it were disturbed by demonic energy, the flow of immortal power would not be hindered..." With a thought, the "Yin-Yang Circulation Diagram" recorded in the <Ancient Immortal Scripture> suddenly flashed through his mind. In the diagram, the red Yang Power lines and the silver-white Yin Power lines intertwined in the meridians, like two entwined serpents, head to tail, flowing continuously to form a perfect circle. Each meridian node shimmered with a faint spiritual light, like stars in the night sky.
Following the instructions in the diagram, Ren Xiaoyao slowly adjusted his breathing, gently guiding the remaining Yang Power and Yin Power in his dantian into his meridians. Initially, the two forces were somewhat clumsy, stumbling and bumping as they moved through the meridians, like children learning to walk, occasionally colliding and creating subtle fluctuations in Spiritual Qi. His meridians also felt a tingling sensation, as if they were being stretched open. However, as he continued to try, the heat of the Yang Power gradually merged with the warmth of the Yin Power. The two forces intertwined like flowing water, slowly circulating through the meridians, forming a pale gold and silver-white interwoven stream of energy that continuously circulated within the meridians.
As the energy flow completed its first cycle, a surge of new Spiritual Qi suddenly erupted from his dantian, like a spring gushing forth, carrying a warm and nourishing aura. The immortal power he had previously consumed was rapidly recovering, and even the damage to his meridians left by the Demonic Chain was slowly healing. His previously tense body gradually relaxed, and the dull pain in his chest disappeared without a trace. He could clearly feel that this circulating energy flow was continuously nourishing his meridians and dantian, making his immortal power increasingly profound.
"So that's how it is! The key to Yin-Yang Immortal Power lies not in using them separately, but in their cyclical mutual generation!" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly opened his eyes, a glimmer of understanding flashing within them, as if the fog had been cleared and the path ahead had been seen. Previously, he only knew to use Yang Power to Demon-Bane and Yin Power to nourish, but he didn't know that the two could form a cycle, self-sufficient, like the alternation of the sun and moon, endlessly regenerating. At this moment, the intertwined energy flowed continuously through his meridians. Yang Power was responsible for purifying the residual demonic energy in his body, burning away all the Yin cold energy; Yin Power was responsible for nourishing the Damaged Meridians, making the dried-up channels smooth again. The two complemented each other, neither could be dispensed with, and they could even promote each other, making the immortal power even more profound.
He slowly gripped the Creation Spear, stood up, and once again condensed Tai Chi Pattern in his palm—this time, the pattern was more refined than before, the gold and silver light intertwined more tightly, and the halo was even more intense. Even the surrounding air trembled slightly, and Spiritual Qi, as if attracted by a magnet, slowly converged towards the Tai Chi Pattern, forming a pale Golden Spiritual Energy around him. The vortex was also mixed with wisps of silver-white, which was a sign of the fusion of Yin and Yang Energy.
In the distance, the roars of the Incarnation grew closer, and thick black demonic energy spread towards the group of immortal statues like a tide. Wherever it passed, the Green Moss on the surface of the statues was dyed black, and even the luster of the jade was swallowed up. Ren Xiaoyao listened carefully and could distinguish the directions of three sets of footsteps— the Incarnation on the left had the heaviest steps, obviously still unsteady on its feet due to the injury from the Yin Power earlier; the Incarnation on the right moved the fastest, and the "hissing" sound of the Demon Blade cutting through the air could be clearly heard; the Incarnation in the middle was at the rear, occasionally emitting low incantations, as if mobilizing more demonic energy.