248: Chapter 248 Purification Magic, White Spirit Power

Gravel fell rustling from the cave ceiling, making fine clicking sounds as it hit the rocky floor.

The tip of Chen Xiaodao's sword was still embedded in the ground, its edge trembling slightly like a final breath lingering in the wind.

Blood Butcher stood fifteen meters away, his Blood River Barrier as thick as a bronze wall. Its surface flowed with vein-like patterns, and dark red runes constantly collapsed and reformed like a living shield, breathing and pulsating.

Neither of them moved.

But the air was already strained to its breaking point.

Sword Qi and blood mist tore at each other in the middle, exploding in ripples that shaved a layer off the rock, revealing the dark cyan core beneath.

The heads of the three corpse Puppets were tilted askew, their hollow eye sockets locked onto Chen Xiaodao, ready to pounce at any moment.

Just then—

From behind a protruding rock wall on the east side of the cave, a figure slowly stepped out.

Bai Ling was barefoot, stepping on the cold stone surface with footsteps so light they were almost inaudible.

Her hands were folded over her chest, and a milky-white halo floated in her palms. It was inconspicuous at first, yet it caused the restless Demonic Qi in the air to instantly stagnate.

That light seemed squeezed from the morning dew in a forest—clean and gentle, yet carrying an inviolable majesty.

She stepped forward and stood firm.

Her arms spread gently, and the halo expanded into a fan-shaped screen of light, like the dawn piercing through thick fog, precisely covering the entire Blood River Barrier.

"Sizzle—"

A piercing burning sound erupted.

The blood membrane churned violently, black smoke rose, and a foul stench suddenly filled the air.

The barrier, originally as solid as iron, actually began to boil. Countless tiny bubbles appeared on its surface, and the dark red runes cracked one after another like ice melting in the sun.

The residual Sword Qi, which had been crushed into fragments, now reconsolidated under the penetration of the light stream, burrowing into the interior of the barrier through the cracks.

Blood Butcher's pupils constricted.

He suddenly let out a muffled groan, a trace of black blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth, and his face turned as pale as paper.

Looking down at his palm, he found that the blood threads, which had been moving like living creatures, were now trembling slightly.

"What is this?!" he growled, his voice carrying a hint of unease for the first time.

Bai Ling did not answer.

Her fingers tightened their seal, fine sweat broke out on her brow, and the intensity of the light from her fingertips rose by another half-measure.

That mass of milky-white light seemed to have a life of its own, spreading along the surface of the barrier. Wherever it passed, the blood color faded, the black smoke dissipated, and even the purple-gray moss on the ground withered and carbonized under the light.

The shockwaves from the Blood River Barrier weakened.

The metallic luster began to peel away, and the edges no longer released fluctuations, instead showing fine cracks.

The movement of some blood lines slowed significantly, and one even snapped directly, retracting into his body.

Chen Xiaodao noticed the change, his eyelashes fluttering slightly.

He was still kneeling on the ground, leaning on his sword with his left hand, but his right knuckles had quietly tightened around the hilt.

He knew the opportunity had come, but his physical strength hadn't recovered yet; it was hard even to stand up.

Bai Ling stood twenty-four meters away, her position half-hidden under the rock wall. Her figure was slender, yet she was like a nail, firmly driven into the center of the battlefield.

Her presence itself became the only light source and the only point of stillness.

The surroundings were still filled with killing intent; the corpse Puppets had not moved, Blood Butcher had not retreated, and the battle was far from over.

But the situation had already tilted.

Blood Butcher forcibly suppressed his surging blood and Qi, looked up to glare at Bai Ling, and rasped, "What kind of magic is this?!"

Bai Ling's gaze did not waver, and her lips were slightly pursed; she remained silent.

She simply raised her palms another inch, and the light screen expanded accordingly, covering a larger area and almost swallowing the entire front of the barrier.

The light flowed like water, continuously washing over it. The boiling of the Blood River Barrier became more and more violent, and black smoke billowed upward, leaving a scorched mark on the cave ceiling.

"Shut up," Chen Xiaodao suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse but cold.

He stared at Blood Butcher and said word by word, "It's not your turn to ask questions."

Blood Butcher sneered, but the smile froze after only half a second.

The Blood River Demonic Art essence within him became disordered for the first time. His Meridians felt as if they were being forcibly cleansed by some pure power, and every blood line was rejecting this foreign energy.

He tried to command the corpse Puppets to attack, but found his control had dropped by thirty percent—the movements of the three corpses became sluggish, their joints creaking like rusted machinery.

Beads of sweat slid down Bai Ling's forehead, dripping down her cheek onto her shoulder.

Her breathing grew heavy, but the rhythm of her spellcasting did not falter in the slightest.

She knew this magic wouldn't last long, but she only needed a little time—

As long as she could get Chen Xiaodao to stand up, it would be enough.

Gravel continued to fall from the cave ceiling, one piece hitting the remains of an egg sac and splashing purple-gray slime.

The slime landed on the edge of the light screen and instantly evaporated with a "hiss."

Blood Butcher wiped the black blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes darkening.

It wasn't that he hadn't encountered counter-type Spells before, but none had ever made him feel... "purified."

Like mud being washed away by clean water, it wasn't destruction, but stripping away—it was an insult.

"Little girl of the Elf Race," he gritted his teeth, "you think this bit of light can save them?"

Bai Ling finally spoke, her voice very soft yet clearly reaching every corner of the cave: "It can let you know that some things cannot be suppressed by slaughter alone."

As her voice fell, the light stream suddenly intensified.

The Blood River Barrier exploded with a loud bang, releasing a large amount of black smoke. Its surface was covered in cracks, like a net about to shatter.

Blood Butcher groaned and took half a step back, his chest heaving violently. The blood threads in his palm stopped moving completely, curling up like hibernating snakes.

Chen Xiaodao felt the pressure lighten. He took a deep breath and slowly exerted force with his left hand, pulling the sword blade an inch out of the rock.

He hadn't fully recovered, but his Sword Intent had reconsolidated in his Sea of Consciousness.

The Meteor Sword Intent was as pure as ever.

Bai Ling's light screen began to flicker, its intensity dropping slightly.

She had consumed too much; her spiritual power was nearing its limit.

But she did not stop. Instead, she brought her hands together in front of her chest, reconsolidating a light core for a second wave of impact.

Blood Butcher noticed her declining state, and a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes.

He bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of Essence Blood, splashing it onto the remaining parts of the barrier.

The blood mist churned, and the barrier actually began to slowly repair itself. Although the speed was far slower than before, at least it wasn't continuing to collapse.

"You won't hold out," he sneered. "When your strength is exhausted, you'll be the first one I kill."

Bai Ling ignored him.

She only turned her gaze toward Chen Xiaodao for a very brief moment.

In that glance, there was no anxiety or urging, only a calm trust—

I believe you can stand up.

Chen Xiaodao gripped his sword tightly.

Inside the cave, light and blood stood in confrontation.

On one side was boiling black smoke, on the other was unquenchable white light.

On one side was a Demonic Technique built on slaughter, on the other was a purification nurtured by nature.

Neither retreated.

Neither had won.

But hope had already shone in.

Bai Ling raised her hands again, and a new stream of light poured from her palms. Though not as vast as before, it was even more concentrated.

She stood beneath the rock wall like a tree blooming in the ruins—fragile, yet refusing to fall.

Blood Butcher stared at her, his face growing paler and paler.

The tremors inside him hadn't stopped; every breath felt like swallowing knives.

"Who are you exactly..." he whispered, as if talking to himself.

Bai Ling did not answer.

She simply pushed the stream of light once more toward that foul river of blood.