The morning mist over the Jia Nan Mountains was stained pale red by the stench of blood, and the battle in the Misty Cloud Sect's White Jade Square had reached a fever pitch. Xiao Yan knelt on one knee, propped against his heavy sword, golden and azure flames flickering weakly around him. His aura as a Four-Star Dou Emperor fluctuated violently from the strain of overusing his secret technique. Blood still seeped from the wound in his left shoulder. Though the Mysterious Yellow Flame suppressed the purplish-black Otherworldly Demon poison, it gnawed at his meridians like an abscess clinging to bone, filling every breath with searing pain.
Yun Shan hovered in midair, a gigantic claw formed from purplish-black Dou Qi looming over the entire square. His Dou Zong pressure made it difficult for the Spirit Gatherer Association experts led by President Fa Ma even to raise their heads. The Otherworldly Demon markings covering him grew ever clearer. Twisted veins bulged across his once-aged face, and scarlet light shone in his eyes. "Give up! Half the families in the Jia Ma Empire have already been purified by the great Otherworldly Demon Lord. The rest are merely fighting desperately from their last corner!"
Beyond the barrier of light at the square's edge, an endless stream of Otherworldly Demon Puppets battered the defensive line. These family disciples, corrupted by the Otherworldly Demons, had hollow eyes and made strange, rasping sounds as they brandished their weapons and hurled themselves at the defenders. The Spirit Gatherer Association's Dou Huang experts formed a defensive formation, but their pale golden Dou Qi barrier teetered on the brink of collapse. Many low-ranking Spirit Gatherers had already fallen from exhaustion, black blood spilling from their mouths-the Otherworldly Demon poison was spreading through their wounds.
"Hold on, young friend Xiao Yan!" President Fa Ma poured his soul power into Xiao Yan like a surging tide, temporarily stabilizing his scattered Dou Qi. "The Soul Hall envoy is gathering his strength. We still have a chance!" Xiao Yan raised his head with difficulty and looked toward the black-robed figure on the other side of the square. Soul Qi churned around the Soul Hall envoy, countless soul silhouettes faintly visible circling within the black currents. He was clearly preparing some forbidden secret art.
"The families corrupted by the Otherworldly Demons haven't been purified-they've been enslaved!" Xiao Yan roared as he forced himself upright, his heavy sword gouging a deep furrow through the ground. "Yun Shan, you traitor! Do you have any idea how much those clansmen suffer under the Otherworldly Demons' control?!" His voice was hoarse, yet it carried a force that pierced straight into the heart. Hearing him, the defenders outside the barrier roared and struck back, their Dou Qi instantly surging stronger.
Yun Shan grinned viciously. "Suffering? That is rebirth! The great Otherworldly Demon Lord will grant them greater power!" He abruptly clenched his fist. The purplish-black claw contracted, and cracks immediately spread across the barrier. "Today, I will let you witness the glorious moment of the Otherworldly Demon's descent!" A distorted Otherworldly Demon face appeared in the center of the claw and released a piercing shriek. Countless black tendrils burrowed through the gaps between its fingers, stabbing toward everyone inside the barrier.
"Now!" the Soul Hall envoy suddenly thundered. His black robes billowed without wind, and the Soul Qi around him ignited violently, turning into raging black flames. "Xiao Yan! Remember your promise. Protect this continent!" His hands formed seals, and his burning Soul Qi condensed into an enormous Soul Blade. Golden patterns flowed along its length-the sacred radiance that appeared only when one burned one's soul origin.
"Soul Hall secret art-Ten Thousand Souls Become One!" His black robes burned away completely, revealing the envoy's pale, youthful face. There was no fear in his eyes, only resolve. The Soul Blade screamed as it tore through the air, ignoring the obstruction of the purplish-black tendrils and striking precisely at the core of the Otherworldly Demon markings on Yun Shan's back. "No-!" Yun Shan discovered in horror that the Otherworldly Demon power inside him was being drawn uncontrollably toward the Soul Blade. It was a counteracting force at the level of the soul itself!
The instant the Soul Blade cleaved into the Otherworldly Demon markings, dazzling light erupted. Interwoven golden and black energy formed a massive vortex that engulfed Yun Shan. Within it, countless soul silhouettes ravenously devoured the Otherworldly Demon poison with sizzling sounds. Yun Shan let out an agonizing scream that seemed to tear his heart and lungs apart. His purplish-black Dou Qi dispersed like an ebbing tide, revealing his original aged body, now covered in charred marks.
"Great Otherworldly Demon Lord... save me..." Yun Shan reached out as though trying to grasp something, but beneath the Soul Blade's purification power, he slowly crumbled into ash. The Otherworldly Demon core within him shrieked miserably and tried to break free of the vortex, only to be locked firmly in place by the Soul Hall envoy's burning soul origin. At last, with an earth-shaking blast, the Otherworldly Demon core was utterly annihilated. The Soul Hall envoy's figure also dissolved into specks of starlight and vanished into the air.
"Envoy!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened as though their corners might split. He could feel the lingering will within that starlight-the resolve to protect the continent. Everyone in the square was stunned. They had never imagined that an envoy of the Soul Hall, regarded as an evil faction, would sacrifice himself to destroy an Otherworldly Demon. President Fa Ma murmured, "So... we've misunderstood the Soul Hall all along..."
Dense Otherworldly Demon poison lingered where Yun Shan had vanished, spreading across the square like black mist. Deprived of its host, the poison grew even more violent and began corroding everything around it. The stone paving turned black and rotten the moment it touched the fumes. "This is bad! The poison is spreading!" Elder Lin Xiu cried, hurriedly driving his Dou Qi forward to hold it back.
Xiao Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, determination flashing in his eyes. "Everyone, lend me your strength!" He drew a deep breath, and the Mysterious Yellow Flame blazed in his palm, its golden fire radiating pure purification power. "Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record, seventh form-Ten Thousand Flames Return to the Heart!" Golden and azure flames condensed into a massive vortex before him. "Pour your Dou Qi into the vortex. We'll purify this poison together!"
"Yes!" President Fa Ma was the first to respond, channeling his pale golden soul Dou Qi into the vortex. The Spirit Gatherer Association experts followed suit, their multicolored Dou Qi pouring into the flaming vortex like streams flowing into rivers and seas. After a moment's hesitation, Nalan Yanran also fed her azure Dou Qi into it. As she gazed at Xiao Yan's upright back, her eyes filled with tangled emotions-guilt, admiration, and a trace of affection she could not put into words.
Bolstered by everyone's Dou Qi, the flaming vortex grew larger and larger. Its golden radiance dispersed the black Otherworldly Demon poison like dawn breaking through the night. Every wisp dragged into the vortex let out a shrill, anguished scream before the two heavenly flames purified it completely, turning it into harmless Dou Qi particles that returned to heaven and earth. Xiao Yan could feel that after absorbing so much Otherworldly Demon poison, the Mysterious Yellow Flame had become purer, its purification power increasing severalfold.
The purification continued for six full hours. Only after the flaming vortex swallowed the final wisp of Otherworldly Demon poison did the square become clear again. Sunlight spilled through the clouds, illuminating the ravaged square and everyone's exhausted yet relieved faces. Xiao Yan withdrew the flaming vortex, and his body went limp, nearly sending him tumbling. Nalan Yanran caught him swiftly, quietly feeding azure Dou Qi into his body to ease his exhaustion.
"Thank you," Xiao Yan said softly, his tone complicated. Nalan Yanran shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm the one who should thank you... thank you for stopping Yun Shan, and thank you... for helping me see the truth." She turned to the surviving Misty Cloud Sect disciples. "Pass down my orders. From this day forward, the Misty Cloud Sect is disbanded. Those willing to join the Resistance Army may stay. Everyone else, return to your homes and reflect carefully on what you've done."
Cheers rose from outside the square. Seeing the Otherworldly Demon poison purified, the defenders beyond the barrier erupted in jubilation. Xiao Yan knew the battle was not over. Half the families in the Jia Ma Empire were still corrupted by the Otherworldly Demons, and a rescue force had to be organized as quickly as possible. He told President Fa Ma, "President, sorry for the trouble, but please organize teams to purify the occupied regions. I've recorded the Mysterious Yellow Flame's purification method in this Jade Slip."
Fa Ma accepted the Jade Slip and nodded solemnly. "Leave it to me. Go tend to your injuries first. We'll handle the rest." Xiao Yan shook his head. "I can still hold on." He looked at Nalan Yanran. "Young Sect Master, could I borrow the Misty Cloud Sect's Communication Array? I need to rally the surviving members of the Xiao Clan and every resistance force we can contact to wipe out the remaining Otherworldly Demons."
Nalan Yanran immediately replied, "Come with me. The Communication Array is on the mountain behind us." They crossed the ruined square and headed toward the rear mountain. Along the way, the Misty Cloud Sect disciples lowered their heads, looking at Xiao Yan with awe. Halfway up the mountain, Nalan Yanran suddenly stopped. "Xiao Yan, I'm sorry... the Misty Cloud Sect and I were wrong before."
Looking at her pale face, Xiao Yan shook his head. "Let the past remain in the past. What matters most now is resisting the Otherworldly Demons and protecting the Jia Ma Empire." He paused, then added, "I will find out where my father is." A trace of guilt flashed in Nalan Yanran's eyes. "I'll use every resource the Misty Cloud Sect has to help you find him."
Once the Communication Array was activated, beams of Dou Qi shot into the sky, spreading news of the successful purification throughout the Jia Ma Empire. The defenders in the occupied regions received the news with renewed morale and began organizing counterattacks against the Otherworldly Demon Puppets. The families that had not fallen sent reinforcements to gather at the imperial capital. The curtain officially rose on an all-out counteroffensive, turning passive defense into active attack.
Over the following month, the Jia Ma Empire was consumed by urgent postwar reconstruction and mop-up operations. Xiao Yan led the Spirit Gatherer Association's purification teams across the empire. Wherever the Mysterious Yellow Flame passed, the Otherworldly Demon poison dispersed completely, and the corrupted family disciples gradually regained their senses. During this process, the story of the Soul Hall envoy's sacrifice also spread throughout the empire, and more and more people learned the truth.
Someone proposed erecting a statue of the Soul Hall envoy, and the suggestion immediately won everyone's support. President Fa Ma personally chose the site, placing the statue at the center of the imperial capital's square, facing the Spirit Gatherer Association's stone monument in the distance. Carved from the purest white jade, the statue depicted the Soul Hall envoy holding his Soul Blade, his resolute gaze fixed on the horizon. A line was engraved on its base: "My soul returns to the earth to guard our rivers and mountains."
On the day the statue was completed, representatives from every surviving family in the Jia Ma Empire attended. Standing before it, Xiao Yan gazed at that familiar figure, almost seeing once more the Soul Hall envoy's resolve as he burned his soul. He condensed the Mysterious Yellow Flame into a fiery lotus and placed it before the statue. "Envoy, we will continue protecting the continent you guarded."
President Fa Ma came to stand beside him. Looking at the bustling crowd in the square, he said with emotion, "This war cost us much, but it also taught us who our true enemy is. Perhaps the Soul Hall has indeed committed wrongs, but this envoy proved with his life that there are true heroes among them as well." Xiao Yan nodded. "Once I find my father, I want to visit the Soul Hall headquarters. Perhaps I can unravel more of these mysteries."
Nalan Yanran approached slowly and handed Xiao Yan a Jade Slip. "These are the records about the Otherworldly Demons from the Misty Cloud Sect's ancient texts. Perhaps they'll be useful to you. Also, the surviving members of the Xiao Clan have rebuilt their residence in Wutan City. I've sent disciples to protect them." Xiao Yan accepted the Jade Slip and said sincerely, "Thank you." Nalan Yanran smiled faintly. "We're comrades now, aren't we?"
The sun sank in the west, its golden afterglow falling across the statue and bathing the white jade in warm hues. The people in the square gradually dispersed, leaving Xiao Yan standing alone before it. He clenched his fist, the Mysterious Yellow Flame burning quietly in his palm. Though they had won this great battle, he knew it was only the beginning. The root of the Otherworldly Demons had yet to be eradicated, his father's whereabouts remained unknown, and the Soul Hall's true purpose was still shrouded in mystery.
But he was no longer lost. The Soul Hall envoy's sacrifice had taught him that the duty to protect the continent did not distinguish between righteous and evil factions-it depended only on the heart's original intent. The Mysterious Yellow Flame's purification power could dispel not only Otherworldly Demon poison, but also the shadows clouding people's hearts. He raised his head toward the distant Jia Nan Mountains, where swirling clouds and mist seemed to conceal countless secrets.
"Father, wait for me." Xiao Yan turned and left the square. His Azure Luan Wings slowly unfurled behind him, their golden and azure feathers gleaming beneath the setting sun. His figure flew farther and farther away, heading toward an unknown horizon. The statue in the imperial capital's square stood silently, becoming a new symbol of the Jia Ma Empire-a symbol of misunderstandings dissolving, of the worth of sacrifice, and, above all, of the truth that heroes who fought to protect the continent would be remembered forever, regardless of their race or sect.
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