342: Chapter 342 Joining Forces to Slay the Demon!

As time slowly passed, the hundred-zhang tall, golden-red glowing humanoid light shadow finally began to gradually turn transparent after persisting for a while, its edges blurring as if it were a fading scroll.

Eventually, it transformed into specks of light, like fireflies, dissipating between Heaven and Earth and merging into the surrounding air.

Meanwhile, the massive Spiritual Qi vortex covering dozens of miles above Biling Island also seemed to lose its source of power; the speed of its rotation slowed down, and then slowed down further, emitting a low humming sound, until it finally subsided completely, turning into streams of pure Spiritual Qi that poured back into the Quiet Room where Xin Ruyin was in seclusion.

The sound of the surging Spiritual Qi was like waves crashing against the shore, continuous and unending.

The sky cleared once more. Sunlight shone down on Biling Island again, dispelling the oppressive atmosphere that had shrouded the island for days, gilding the grey-white rocks with a layer of gold.

A sea breeze blew by, bringing with it a hint of salty, damp air.

Everything had returned to peace.

But everyone knew what lay behind this peace.

Lu Qiu stood outside the Immortal Cave, his hands behind his back, feeling the gradually subsiding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and sensing the powerful and stable aura emanating from the Quiet Room where Xin Ruyin was in seclusion.

That was an aura of the same level as his own, belonging to a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

The stone that had been hanging in his heart for so long finally landed, and he even felt his shoulders lighten considerably.

"Huu..."

He let out a long breath, his nerves, which had been taut for many days, finally relaxing. A sincere, relieved smile appeared on his face: "With Ruyin's successful Nascent Soul Formation, all my efforts were not in vain. It was worth all the painstaking work I've put in for over a year, setting up Formations and acting as a Protector."

He turned his head and glanced at the Ninth-Rank Demon Beast still trapped within the eight-gate golden light mirror, scorched and battered by the golden flames, a trace of icy killing intent flashing in his eyes.

The dark purple scales on the Yao Beast were already charred and cracked in many places, oozing wisps of blood, and its aura was much more withered than before.

"Next, I'll just wait for Ruyin to stabilize her Realm so she can come out and join me in completely slaying this beast! Anyone who dares to target my people must be prepared to pay the price!"

...

Meanwhile, deep inside the Immortal Cave, in the Quiet Room.

Xin Ruyin slowly opened her eyes.

Within her eyes, two beams of essence light seemed to shoot out, leaving two faint traces in the Void Realm that lingered for a long time.

The aura on her body was more than ten times stronger than before her seclusion!

A powerful pressure belonging to a Nascent Soul Cultivator radiated naturally, filling the entire Quiet Room, making the air in the room feel as if it had solidified.

The surrounding Spirit Gathering Formation Talismans trembled slightly under this pressure, emitting faint humming sounds.

She looked down at her hands, which were as fair as jade, with Spiritual Qi faintly flowing at her fingertips.

Xin Ruyin felt the surging, boundless magic power within her, rushing through her Meridians like a great river; she felt the Nascent Soul in her Dantian, which had turned from void to reality and was connected to her heart and mind.

It was a miniature version of herself, glowing with golden light, sitting cross-legged in her Dantian, forming hand seals and breathing in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Her face was filled with incredulous joy and emotion, and her eyes were even slightly moist.

"I... did I really succeed? Did I really achieve Nascent Soul Formation?" she murmured to herself, her voice trembling with a dreamlike tone.

From that girl with the Dragons Roar Physique back then, considered to be fated for an early death and not expected to live past twenty, enduring all kinds of scorn, to meeting Lu Qiu in the Tianxing Sect Market Town, and step by step reaching today to become a high-and-mighty Nascent Soul Cultivator... all of this felt like a dream.

She was even a little afraid, afraid that this was truly a dream and that everything would disappear when she woke up.

She knew very well that if it weren't for Lu Qiu, she would never have achieved this today.

She would likely have already died in some corner of the Tianxing Sect Market Town, turning into a pile of bones no one cared about. It was Lu Qiu who gave her a new life, gave her hope, gave her a future, and gave her everything.

"Husband Lu..."

She whispered softly, her eyes filled with tenderness and gratitude, a single clear tear sliding down her cheek: "In this life, I, Xin Ruyin, am afraid I will never be able to repay what I owe you."

A moment later, she reined in her emotions, took a deep breath, and calmed her agitated heart.

She knew it was not the time for sentimentality.

She had just succeeded in her Nascent Soul Formation, and she didn't know what the situation was like outside.

Xin Ruyin needed to understand the current situation as soon as possible.

She spread her Divine Sense like a tidal wave in all directions, instantly shrouding the entire Biling Island and the surrounding dozens of miles of sea.

Her Divine Sense at the Nascent Soul Stage was more than ten times stronger than at the Golden Core Stage; every movement within a hundred miles was clearly reflected in her mind.

The next moment, her expression sank, and her originally joyful eyes became cold as frost.

She sensed the messy traces of battle on the island.

Deep claw marks on the ground, scorched pits blasted out by Spells, shattered rocks, broken trees; she sensed the rich, bloody smell remaining in the air, a scent that had not yet fully dissipated.

She sensed the aura radiating powerful pressure, currently confronting Lu Qiu not far away.

That aura was much stronger than her own—it was clearly a Ninth-Rank Demon Beast!

She also sensed the unhealed injuries on Lu Jiaoer and the Black Water Poison Python.

"It seems that my Nascent Soul Formation this time has brought quite a bit of trouble for Husband Lu."

Xin Ruyin's eyes turned cold, and her voice carried a hint of chill and guilt: "To think it even attracted a Ninth-Rank Demon Beast! Husband Lu must have had a very hard time during this period."

Without further hesitation, her figure flickered and turned into a streak of light, disappearing from the Quiet Room.

The door of the Quiet Room opened automatically and then closed again.

The next moment, her figure appeared beside Lu Qiu, landing silently.

"Husband Lu!" she called out softly, her voice filled with concern and gratitude.

Lu Qiu turned his head, saw Xin Ruyin's familiar face with its touch of concern and guilt, and felt the powerful aura of a Nascent Soul Cultivator on her, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

He could see the guilt in her eyes, but he did not mind.

"Ruyin, congratulations on successfully achieving Nascent Soul Formation! How do you feel? Is your Realm stable?" his voice was filled with sincere joy.

Xin Ruyin smiled slightly and nodded: "Thank you for acting as my Protector, Husband Lu. My Realm is basically stable, but I still need some time to adapt to the surging magic power."

Her gaze then fell upon the Ninth-Rank Demon Beast trapped within the eight-gate golden light mirror, her expression becoming serious: "Husband Lu, this Ninth-Rank Demon Beast..."

"Mm, the commotion from your Nascent Soul Formation was too great, and it attracted it."

Lu Qiu nodded, speaking in a relaxed tone, as if talking about a trivial matter, "But it doesn't matter. It has already been severely wounded by my Formation, and now is the perfect time to slay it! Ruyin, you've come at just the right time. Assist me, and together, we will slay this beast right here! Consider it a celebration of your Nascent Soul Formation!"

"Okay!" Xin Ruyin nodded without hesitation, a flash of confidence and soaring Battle Intent in her eyes, "Since I have just achieved Nascent Soul Formation, I will use this Ninth-Rank Demon Beast to test my own strength! Let's see just how powerful this Nascent Soul Stage strength really is!"

She said no more and immediately began to act.

Her hands moved repeatedly to form hand seals, her movements as fluid as flowing water, and mysterious runes flew from her fingertips like butterflies, merging into the ground and the Void Realm.

Those runes wove and intertwined in the air, forming complex array diagrams one after another, emitting various colors of light. She had begun to set up a brand-new, even more terrifying Formation!

After reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, with Xin Ruyin's profound attainments in Formations, the Formations she set up were naturally far superior to before!

Every rune was more solid and mysterious than before, emitting even more powerful fluctuations!

Her understanding of the Laws of Heaven and Earth was also much deeper than before, making the Formations she set up more in tune with the principles of Heaven and Earth.

Xin Ruyin's movements grew faster and faster, fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead, but her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

The Ninth-Rank Demon Beast trapped within the eight-gate golden light mirror naturally sensed the changes in the outside world.

It sensed the appearance of another Nascent Soul Cultivator, and one who had just achieved Nascent Soul Formation, whose aura was not yet stable.

It sensed the Formation being set up, which made it feel palpitations; the killing intent contained within the Formation made the scales all over its body stand on end.

It finally panicked completely!

No longer caring about face or the dignity of the Yao Race, it began to beg for mercy loudly, its voice filled with deep fear and servility: "Fellow Daoist! Fellow Daoist, spare my life! It is I who had eyes but failed to recognize a superior, and I have offended you! As long as you are willing to let me go, I am willing to offer up treasures I have collected for many years. I have a five-thousand-year-old Lingzhi, and a piece of ten-thousand-year-old mysterious iron! And I swear never to step foot on Biling Island again! Please, Fellow Daoist, give me a chance to turn over a new leaf! I am willing to work for you!"

Lu Qiu just sneered coldly upon hearing this, remaining unmoved.

He had seen too many scenes like this; they begged for mercy when they couldn't win, but once released, they would turn around and seek revenge.

Seeing that begging was ineffective, a flash of despair appeared in the Ninth-Rank Demon Beast's eyes, which then turned into resentment. It began to threaten, its voice becoming sharp and piercing: "Brat! Don't push me too far! This King is a Ninth-Rank Demon Beast, and I have a great power backing me! There are several Ninth-Rank elders in my clan, and even a Tenth-Rank Old Ancestor! If you dare to kill me, the elders of my clan will absolutely not let you off! They can track my aura to find this place! By then, you and everyone around you will die without a burial place! You will regret this!"

Lu Qiu remained unmoved, his eyes as cold as iron, as if he hadn't heard its threats.

His hands steadily controlled the eight-gate golden light mirror without the slightest waver.

The Ninth-Rank Demon Beast finally despaired.

It knew that, no matter what, the other party would not let it go today.

It began to curse wildly, its voice filled with malice and hatred: "Bastards! Despicable and shameless humans! You filthy humans! You will not die well! This King will not let you go even as a ghost! I will curse you! I curse you to a terrible death! Ahhh—!!!"

Amidst its frantic curses, Xin Ruyin's Formation was finally completed!

The last rune merged into the ground, and the entire Formation let out a hum, lighting up with dazzling radiance before fading away.

"Husband Lu, it's ready!" Xin Ruyin said in a deep voice, her tone carrying a hint of exhaustion, but even more excitement.

Her hands trembled slightly, a sign of excessive magic power consumption.

"Good!" A cold light flashed in Lu Qiu's eyes like two blades of ice, and he fully activated the eight-gate golden light mirror! The runes on the eight light gates lit up instantly, and golden flames gushed out like a volcanic eruption!

At the same time, Xin Ruyin also activated the Formation she had just set up! Complex patterns lit up on the ground, and countless sharp wind blades, ice spikes, and lightning emerged from the Formation like a violent storm, coordinating with the golden flames of the eight-gate golden light mirror to bombard the Ninth-Rank Demon Beast together!

"Boom—!!!"

The golden flames, mixed with the terrifying power of wind blades, ice spikes, and lightning, submerged the Ninth-Rank Demon Beast in an instant like a tidal wave!

The temperature of the flames was extremely high, even igniting the air and causing crackling explosions!

The wind blades emitted sharp whistling sounds as they cut through the air, the ice spikes carried bone-chilling cold, and the lightning produced deafening rumbles!

The Ninth-Rank Demon Beast let out an extremely miserable scream, its voice filled with pain and unwillingness.

It struggled desperately, tearing with its sharp claws, ramming with its body, and striking with its demonic power, but all was in vain. Under the combined attack of two Nascent Soul Cultivators, its defenses were as fragile as paper, being torn apart layer by layer.

Finally, its body began to melt and decompose under the dual attack of the flames and the Formation, turning into fly ash. Its struggles grew weaker and weaker, more and more powerless.

A moment later, the flames dissipated, and the light from the various Spells gradually extinguished.

All that remained in place was a charred skeleton, the dark purple scales on the skeleton completely melted, and the bones covered in cracks.

And a fist-sized, dark purple ninth-grade demonic core radiating rich Demonic Qi!

The demonic core floated in the air, slowly rotating, emitting a brilliant light.

A burnt, foul smell filled the air.

Lu Qiu walked forward, bent down, and picked up the ninth-grade demonic core, a smile appearing on his face.

The demonic core was warm to the touch, and he could feel the immense energy contained within it, like a dormant volcano. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"This time, not only did Ruyin successfully achieve Nascent Soul Formation, but we also obtained several Grade Eight Demon Cores, plus this ninth-grade demonic core... It truly is a double blessing! With these resources, my cultivation can advance even further!"

He turned his head and looked at Xin Ruyin, the two of them smiling at each other.

Sunlight shone down on them, casting their shadows long and far.