496: Chapter 513 No Redemption!

Yue Qingyao and Xuan Zhenzi exchanged a glance; without sending a voice transmission, they moved simultaneously.

It was instinct. The threat contained within that seven-colored light exceeded the limits a Golden Core Cultivator could withstand; if they held back any longer, they would be the ones to die.

Yue Qingyao raised her hand, and that drop of Taiyin True Blood exploded in her palm, directly releasing all the power sealed within.

A bright moon rose from her palm; this time it was no longer a phantom image, but a real, complete, bright moon radiating cold lunar radiance.

The moonlight poured down like quicksilver, each ray of light feeling like a mountain pressing down upon the Physical Body, Divine Soul, and mana.

This was a Dao Treasure refined by a Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Taixuan Immortal Sect using their own Essence Blood; once unleashed, it possessed the strike force of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Xuan Zhenzi also struck at the same time. His Flying Sword, "dao gives birth to one," hovered before him. The two characters "Taichu" rose from the sword body, detached, and hung in mid-air.

That was the Taichu Sword Intent personally inscribed by the Dao Lord of the Qingwei Dao Sect using the Law of Sword Dao; every stroke contained the supreme principles of the Dao. This was Sword Dao.

Sword Qi has form, while Sword Dao is formless. Sword Qi can be blocked, but Sword Dao cuts Karma.

The Sword Intent appeared in the Void Realm without any manifestations—no sword light, no sword shadows—but Hua Nongying felt as if something within her had been severed.

Yet she did not retreat. Her brow shone brilliantly as seven-colored lights intertwined and wove together, transforming into an Illusory Colorful Peacock.

The peacock fanned its tail, and the eyes on its tail feathers opened. There were no pupils, no whites of the eyes, only seven colors swirling within, each eye corresponding to a different emotion.

Three forces at the Nascent Soul level collided with a roar in the stone chamber.

Eerily, no sound was emitted. It was not because the sound was too quiet, but because it was too loud, exceeding the range that human hearing could perceive.

A visible shockwave expanded in all directions from the point of collision. Wherever it passed, the Void Realm twisted and shattered.

It was like a piece of fabric that had been crumpled, wrinkled and unrecognizable in its original shape.

The Cultivators closest to it did not even have time to scream before they were directly reduced to nothingness.

The instantaneous switch from existence to non-existence was like lamps suddenly being blown out.

Those slightly further away who were swept by the shockwave saw their bodies begin to tear apart, with severed limbs scattered all over the ground.

Before the blood could even flow out, it was evaporated by the shockwave, leaving only dark red marks on the stone walls.

Only a very small number of Cultivators who saw the situation was bad and retreated to the caves in advance barely escaped disaster.

They stood at the entrance of the caves, watching the tragic scene outside, all unable to stop their legs from turning to jelly and their teeth from chattering.

The entire Secret Realm began to tremble under the impact of the three Nascent Soul-level forces.

This tremor came from the very Foundation, as if this ancient structure that had existed for ten thousand years could finally no longer hold on.

The Secret Realm existed solely to suppress the Seal; the caves, stone chambers, Restrictions, and trials were all set up to maintain the Seal.

The collision of the three Nascent Soul-level forces impacted not just the Secret Realm, but the Seal itself.

At this moment, the Seal was shaken, and strands of dark red substance slowly welled up from the depths of the earth veins, like blood seeping from a wound.

The substance had no temperature and no aura, yet its very existence made people feel uneasy, as if some deepest, most ancient entity was about to awaken.

Just a single strand made everyone present bristle with fear, as if they were being watched by something.

Yue Qingyao, Xuan Zhenzi, and Hua Nongying all changed expressions simultaneously.

They did not know what that dark red substance welling up from underground was, but instinct told them it was dangerous and must not be touched.

But there was no turning back once the arrow was loosed; the three could no longer stop. Lunar radiance, Sword Intent, and the power of Seven Emotions—these three Origin powers tore at each other crazily in the Void Realm, with no one willing to yield a single step.

Yue Qingyao's lunar radiance surged toward Hua Nongying like waves in a tide, each impact heavier than the last.

Xuan Zhenzi's Sword Intent took on substance, and dense Sword Qi slashed toward the Illusory Colorful Peacock from every direction.

Under their pincer attack, Hua Nongying's power of Seven Emotions retreated steadily. The tail feathers of the Illusory Colorful Peacock were severed by the Sword Qi, scattering and turning into seven-colored specks of light.

The stone chamber was collapsing—not smashed from the outside, but disintegrated from within by that power.

Countless fine cracks appeared on the stone walls, spreading as rubble fell with a rustling sound.

The runes on the dome flickered frantically, unstable, like a dying person making their final struggle.

The ground bulged, cracked, and sank; the once-flat floor turned into a wavy ruin.

The air was filled with the smell of rubble, blood, and burnt material, along with that dark red substance welling up from the ground.

There was not much of it, only a few strands, as if something was suppressing it, preventing more from emerging.

Hua Nongying could finally no longer hold on.

The Illusory Colorful Peacock let out a mournful cry; its tail feathers were completely broken, and its body began to disintegrate from the tail up.

She fell to one knee, gasping for breath.

The Seven Emotions Feather fell from her brow, turning into a dim feather that landed on the ground, devoid of any luster, like an ordinary chicken feather.

The dark red substance from underground, having lost the suppression of the Nascent Soul power, slowly sank back into the earth, as if nothing had happened.

The shockwave dispersed, leaving the stone chamber in Chaos.

Hua Nongying knelt amidst the rubble, her robes torn, covered in blood, her left arm hanging at an unnatural angle—it was clearly broken.

Her face, neck, and arms were covered in fine wounds, the marks left by taking the shockwave head-on.

Her fingers trembled, a spasm from mana exhaustion.

Blood hung at the corner of her mouth, her gaze somewhat unfocused. Leaning against the rock behind her, she gasped for air; every breath tugged at her wounds, making her frown involuntarily.

Xuan Zhenzi stepped forward, his Flying Sword hovering before Hua Nongying, its tip pointing at her brow.

"Any last words?" His voice held no emotion, as if asking a dead person.

Hua Nongying raised her head, a bitter expression at the corner of her mouth; her demeanor had long lost its former allure.

"The winner takes all, the loser is the villain. I accept my defeat."

She did not plead for mercy, nor did she attempt to threaten Xuan Zhenzi, knowing it would be utterly useless.

Setting aside the righteous and demonic factions, their backgrounds and forces were basically the same. Plus, things had reached this point, and both had already used Nascent Soul-level means; Xuan Zhenzi would absolutely not let her go.

But she still felt unwilling to accept it. Having finally reached this point, with the Opportunity clearly right before her eyes, within reach, she had fallen at the very last step.

Hua Nongying subconsciously turned her head, wanting to take one last look at that Fourth-Order Spiritual Object.

But in the next second, she suddenly froze.

Then she looked around and suddenly burst into loud laughter. That laughter contained self-mockery and relief, but mostly schadenfreude.

Xuan Zhenzi was about to strike but paused, his brows furrowing. Not knowing why Hua Nongying had suddenly laughed, he still followed her gaze and looked to the side.

In an instant, his expression changed drastically.

Yue Qingyao also sensed that the atmosphere in the chamber was wrong; she turned her head to look back, her pupils shrinking suddenly.

Yuan Tu was gone.

It was not just Yuan Tu who was gone; that four-colored corpse was also missing.

Their gazes swept the surroundings once, twice, three times, and they spread out their Divine Sense, searching every corner of the entire stone chamber.

Nothing. There was nothing at all!!

Yuan Tu had vanished completely, not leaving behind even a trace of his aura. Yue Qingyao's heart sank.

"Wait, what about Yin Leici?" Xuan Zhenzi suddenly spoke.

It was not just Yuan Tu who had disappeared; Yin Leici was also gone.

He was certain that Yin Leici had not left on his own. After all, given Yin Leici's miserable state just now, he could barely even stand up; he definitely did not have the strength to leave by himself.

If he did not leave on his own, could he have been taken away by someone?

Who would take away someone who was nearly dead at a time like this?

Just then, Hua Nongying's laughter came from behind, hoarse and weak, but carrying a heartfelt sense of satisfaction.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

She coughed a few times, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth again, but her eyes were frighteningly bright. "Fight, keep fighting! Aren't you two quite capable of fighting?"

"Yes, I lost, but you didn't win either. After working so hard for so long, to fall short at the very end—that must feel terrible, right?"

Listening to these mocking words, Yue Qingyao wanted to say something but could not.

Hua Nongying was right.

They had fought for so long, killing and dying, only for the item to be taken by someone else. It had all benefited someone else.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in her heart, and looked at Xuan Zhenzi.

Xuan Zhenzi was also looking at her. The two did not speak, but both understood the other's meaning.

Pursue! Pursue now; perhaps it was not too late!

They did not look at Hua Nongying.

Hua Nongying was already crippled and posed no threat.

Moreover, one could not be sure if she still had any hidden trump cards. Rather than wasting time here, it was better to immediately pursue Yuan Tu.

If this were before, they might not have been so anxious; as long as they were out of the Secret Realm, they would still have a chance to intercept the item.

But the situation was not right now. The Secret Realm had been torn open with a rift, and one could attempt a Nascent Soul Breakthrough within the Secret Realm itself.

If Yuan Tu refined the Spiritual Object and made a Breakthrough right there, they would have nowhere to cry.

The two did not waste words; they turned simultaneously and chased in the direction where Yuan Tu had disappeared.

Hua Nongying watched their backs, the smile at the corner of her mouth gradually fading.

Both Taiyin True Blood and Taichu Sword Intent had been used; even if the two caught up to Yuan Tu, what would they use to snatch it?

Although Yuan Tu did not have a complete Nascent Soul vessel on him, that hunyuan bone bead was no ordinary item either.

For Yue Qingyao and Xuan Zhenzi to just charge over like that, they probably wouldn't get much out of it.

She turned her head and looked at the Loose Cultivators still trembling in the corner of the stone chamber, then looked at the severed limbs on the ground. She withdrew her gaze and closed her eyes.

"All for nothing, all for nothing..."

On the other side.

The hunyuan bone bead radiated a pitch-black, eerie luster. Yuan Tu clutched it, shrouding himself and the corpse on his back in a thin black mist.

This was an item refined by the Hunyuan Old Ancestor; under one bead, all things return to nothingness.

Its attack might be a bit weak, but it was a supreme treasure for concealment.

The black mist was not thick, only this thin layer, yet it could isolate all Divine Sense and heavenly secret investigations.

Under the protection of the hunyuan bone bead, Yuan Tu carried the corpse and silently passed through the caves, appearing outside the core secret grounds without alerting anyone.

He had grasped the timing perfectly; Yue Qingyao and Xuan Zhenzi were preoccupied with dealing with Hua Nongying and had no energy to spare.

Yin Leici was essentially a cripple, and no one would notice him.

Pretending to advance along the main path while secretly crossing to Chencang—taking advantage of everyone's attention being elsewhere, he had quietly stolen the greatest Opportunity in the Xuanling Secret Realm.

Clearly, he had bet correctly.

But now that the item was in his hands, whether he could escape was the key.

Yuan Tu knew that Xuan Zhenzi and Yue Qingyao were no fools. Although they might be deceived for a moment, they would soon realize what had happened, and he would definitely be hunted down by them.

After moving far away from the core area, he no longer cared about hiding his figure and directly tore through the Void Realm to travel.

After an unknown amount of time passed like this, with no sign of pursuers behind him, Yuan Tu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But his heart was still beating fast. Having lived for so many years, he should have long passed the age of getting carried away, yet the corners of his mouth could not help but curl up slightly.

It was not just because the item was in his hands, but also because he had played these high-and-mighty Grotto-Heaven Prodigies for fools all by himself.

While those people were still arguing about who was inciting the Cultivators to riot and were still killing each other, the item was already in his hands.

He turned his head to glance at the corpse on his back; four-colored spiritual light flickered weakly within the black mist.

As long as he refined this Fourth-Order Spiritual Object, he could forge a Nascent Soul.

A Nascent Soul True Monarch, the absolute pinnacle existence in the entire Profound Spirit Domain; even that arrogant old fellow in the Hunyuan Demon Cave would have to call him Fellow Daoist upon seeing him.

He had lived for so many years, waiting for this very day.

"Fight, fight, it would be best if you all died."

He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and low, carrying undisguised smugness. "Anyway, no matter how much you fight in the end, it'll just benefit me."

As soon as he finished speaking, his footsteps slowed down involuntarily.

It was not because he was safe, but because he felt something was wrong.

But what was wrong?

Yuan Tu frowned and began to ponder, but he quickly realized where the problem lay.

There was actually no wind in the Void Turbulence, nor was there light; there was only void and Chaos.

Therefore, there should not be any aura that a living being ought to have here, only his own heartbeat and the occasional wisp of four-colored spiritual light leaking from the corpse on his back.

He had traveled through this deathly silence for an unknown amount of time and had long grown accustomed to the feeling of being alone.

But at this moment, something that should not have appeared had appeared!

He seemed to hear the sound of breathing, so close that it felt like someone was breathing right against his ear.

The hairs on Yuan Tu's body instantly stood on end.

There was actually... someone here!

Having lived for so many years and experienced countless brushes with Life and Death, his honed intuition exploded.

Yuan Tu turned his head abruptly, and his pupils shrank instantly.

Unbeknownst to him, someone was walking side-by-side with him.

That person was dressed in blue and white Daoist robes, with a handsome face and a faint, ambiguous smile at the corner of his mouth. His footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, his gait leisurely, as if he were strolling in a courtyard.

Even though it was just such a simple movement, he consistently maintained the same speed as Yuan Tu.

When Yuan Tu went fast, he went fast; when Yuan Tu went slow, he went slow—following his every step, not off by even a fraction.

And on this person's back was another person.

Covered in blood, robes torn, with a weak aura, yet Yuan Tu recognized that face at a glance.

Zixiao Grotto-Heaven, Yin Leici.

"Hello."

The man turned his head and smiled at Yuan Tu, his tone as casual as if he had run into an old friend on the street.