Heaven and earth fell silent.
The sword in Bai Yulou's hand hung at his side.
Its blade no longer hummed and trembled. Instead, the hand holding it shook incessantly.
His borrowed young body had not yet withered, but like a candle about to burn out, it bore the deathly pallor of a final flare.
That sword strike, magnificent enough to dazzle the ages, had indeed shattered the Demon Sage's body.
But it had done nothing more than shatter his body.
In the void ahead.
Purple fire gathered again, reshaping his demonic form.
Great Sage Huiyue slowly raised a hand and touched his completely unscathed neck.
Deep within his sea of consciousness.
Five Heart Lamps had originally floated there.
Breaking through the seal earlier had consumed one.
Now, resisting this old dog's desperate sword strike and rebuilding his body had extinguished another.
Only three remained!
"That sword strike of yours was truly magnificent."
"I admit, without these Heart Lamps to fall back on, I might truly have fallen to you today, old dog."
"Unfortunately."
"There are no ifs in this world."
"I have three more chances. What about you?"
"What do you have left?"
Great Sage Huiyue slowly spread his arms.
The purple fire behind him abruptly seethed, transforming into a sea of flames that blotted out the sky and sun.
But that sea of flames did not burn toward Bai Yulou.
Instead, it spread in every direction.
"I had intended."
"To leave Great Tang once I killed the murderer of the Demon Venerables under my command."
But now.
With only three chances to light his lamps remaining, the Demon Sage no longer had the courage to seek trouble with another Lamp-Lighting cultivator...
"It was you."
"You, old dog, insisted on forcing my hand."
Great Sage Huiyue lowered his head, looking