Lu Ran’s demonic energy surged throughout his body. He blocked the sharp edge with the hilt of his Hidden Edge Sword. Using his palm as a blade, an endless torrent of demonic energy erupted from within him, directly confronting Sect Master Qinghua’s aura of magic.
Two pinnacle figures in the realm of cultivation engaged in a battle that was a rare sight in a century. The entire square was shaken by the overflowing spiritual and demonic energy. Amidst the resounding thunder, dark clouds quickly gathered in the sky, shrouding the world in darkness.
Sect Master Qinghua’s aura was rich and boundless. Amidst the dispersion of white light and rainbow-like radiance, spiritual and demonic energies intermingled and surged. The sharp edge of the Celestial Vault Sword was so formidable that it tore apart the surrounding purplish-black demonic energy inch by inch.
Lu Ran’s eyes turned completely red, his expression icy and fierce. His demonic energy instantly skyrocketed, and before the tip of the Celestial Vault Sword even came into contact, it was halted in its tracks by this demonic energy, causing ripples of trembling intent to emanate from the sword’s tip.
Sect Master Qinghua displayed a look of surprise, seemingly not expecting the opponent’s strength to be this formidable.
Lu Ran narrowed his eyes slightly, and a surge of immense power emanated from his entire being. A dark shadow flashed directly to Sect Master Qinghua’s front, landing a solid blow on his chest.
Sect Master Qinghua took two steps back, swallowing the metallic taste in his throat. Gu Yunkai immediately flew forward to support him. With the Mystic Frost Sword’s tip in his left hand, he drew a dazzling white light in the air, creating a trench right in front of Lu Ran. Then, he retreated, still supporting Sect Master Qinghua.
Seeing that even the sect master of the Floating Light Sect, Qinghua Zhenren, was not a match for this demon, the cultivators on the entire square exchanged bewildered glances. Strangely, a hushed silence fell over the scene, and no one dared to rashly engage further.
Though they refrained from physical confrontation, they couldn’t resist the urge to exchange verbal blows. A young and spirited disciple exclaimed, “Lu Ran, you treacherous turncoat who betrays your master and ancestors, can you truly justify your ingratitude toward the Floating Light Sect for their nurturing and teachings?”
“Don’t waste words on this inhuman monster. He’s less than a pig or a dog, so how could he understand any of this? Speaking to him is futile.”
Lu Ran’s expression remained icy. With a slight tilt of his head, a powerful wave of pressure sent those disciples flying several meters away.
At that moment, countless demonic cultivators, like shadows, emerged from all directions, surrounding the entire square. Ye Lingsha flew over and knelt before Lu Ran, saying, “Master.”
The cultivators who were engaged in private discussions also fell silent when they saw the situation, realizing that it was highly unfavorable for them.
Lu Ran, however, kept his gaze fixed firmly on Gu Yunkai, as if myriad emotions were gathering in his eyes. Yet, he suppressed them one by one, and his voice became hoarse as he asked, “Master, why?”
Why give him a glimmer of hope only to mercilessly shatter it later? Whether it was a hundred years ago or now, in the eyes of Gu Yunkai, he might not be any different from other demonic beings. A hundred years ago, he could kill him without hesitation, and a hundred years later, it would likely be the same.
As for any trace of compassion he once had, it had probably vanished completely after witnessing what he had become now.
Others didn’t quite understand his words, but Gu Yunkai did. He turned his head slightly, as if he didn’t want to witness the pain in Lu Ran’s eyes, and said softly, “Massacring fellow sect members caused untold suffering to the entire cultivation world… isn’t that a mistake?”
Unexpectedly, when Lu Ran heard Gu Yunkai’s words, he started to laugh. “Yes… But do you know, Master, that for the past hundred years, I’ve been thinking about everything every moment because of this ridiculous division between immortals and demons? Do you know what has been on my mind all this time?”
Gu Yunkai maintained direct eye contact with him, his expression inscrutable.
Lu Ran took a step closer, his gaze unwavering as he looked at Gu Yunkai, the pain in his heart almost overwhelming him. “Whether it’s the path of a demon or the path of a Dao, these rules were all established by those so-called righteous sects. They claim I’m a demon. Does that mean you also believe that no matter what I do, it’s always my fault?”
Gu Yunkai’s brow twitched slightly, and the howling wind around them sent his robes billowing. He looked at Lu Ran for a long time before finally saying, “Given all of this, do you still believe you’ve done nothing wrong?”
The square was surrounded by bloodshed, with numerous corpses of both cultivators and demonic cultivators scattered all around. The piercing coldness made one’s skin and bones ache.
Lu Ran’s expression turned icy. “Hahaha… They brought it upon themselves. They are nothing but a group of hypocrites, pretending to be virtuous!”
Gu Yunkai watched him silently, and there was a fleeting expression of reluctance in his eyes.
However, that fleeting expression was gone in an instant. While speaking, Gu Yunkai’s Mystic Frost Sword trembled slightly, and the sword’s tip was aimed at Lu Ran.
Lu Ran’s expression grew more sinister as he spoke, “Master, I’ve already said that I don’t want to fight you.”
“Yunkai!” Sect Master Qinghua knew Lu Ran’s strength well. He was still injured and could not possibly match Lu Ran.
As if he hadn’t heard, Gu Yunkai stood in the center of the square, his white robes billowing in the wind. In the blink of an eye, he channeled his spiritual energy into his fingertips, and the Mystic Frost Sword erupted with a frigid aura. His body reversed, and the cold edge of his sword slashed directly towards the spot where Lu Ran stood. Every cultivator in the square could feel the bone-chilling coldness emanating from that strike.
Lu Ran rapidly retreated, his Hidden Edge Sword still sheathed. Occasionally, he was grazed by Gu Yunkai’s sword aura, but his expression remained unchanged. However, his brows knitted deeper, and the redness in his eyes grew more intense.
Dazzling white and rainbow lights swept across the square, kicking up countless pieces of flying debris. The resounding clang of the Mystic Frost Sword continued as spiritual energy surged. The cultivators below were awestruck, finding it a heart-pounding spectacle. They couldn’t help but think that, aside from Gu Yunkai, there likely wasn’t another person in the cultivation world capable of such a grand and awe-inspiring display of swordsmanship.
Lu Ran’s black robe was now thoroughly soaked in dark blood. His crimson eyes held a cold, mocking expression. “Indeed, Master has always been the same. Just like them, you’ve always wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible.”
Gu Yunkai wasn’t faring much better. His face had turned deathly pale, and his ink-black hair had a layer of frost on it. He, too, remained silent while observing Lu Ran.
In the midst of his speech, Lu Ran unsheathed the Hidden Edge Sword half an inch, and a surge of powerful demonic energy erupted, instantly shrouding the entire square.
The raging wind howled, blotting out the sky!
However, Gu Yunkai remained motionless in his original position, his face cold and pale. Except for the fresh blood dripping down the blade from his wrist, his entire body had lost all color.
Gu Yunkai looked at Lu Ran and softly said, “If it weren’t for me, perhaps you wouldn’t have come to this point today.”
His voice was so soft that, amidst the howling winds, it seemed to dissipate quickly.
Lu Ran smiled, his expression carrying not only mockery but also a touch of desolation. “What do you think, Master? If you could experience what it feels like to be rejected by someone you love most, perhaps you would understand.”
“From a young age, I was subject to the cold glances of time. I used to think that you were the only one who truly loved and protected me… but it turns out there’s no difference at all. Sometimes, I even wonder if it would have been better if I had never met you.”
Gu Yunkai watched him in silence, simply listening. He remained calm, and his gaze, though fixed on Lu Ran, seemed to be directed towards a distant place.
After an unknown period of time, he raised his hand slightly, and the deep red blood trickled down his fingertips. Then, using the stone brick beneath his feet as the center, as his powerful and vast true qi circulated, the cultivators in the square below were all shocked as they watched the intricate patterns beneath their feet come to life as if imbued with vitality. These patterns continuously emitted golden light, spreading outward.
Lu Ran knew that Gu Yunkai was using his own spiritual energy as the core of the formation, driving the array with the sole purpose of killing him.
However, the consequences of such an action, even if Gu Yunkai succeeded, it would likely result in the complete annihilation of his own soul due to the depletion of his spiritual energy.
A dull pain filled Lu Ran’s heart as the energy from the array continuously scorched his bones, as if he were engulfed in a raging inferno, with his very soul on the brink of being consumed.
In an instant, the Hidden Edge Sword was fully unsheathed, and the black demonic energy around Lu Ran surged. The sudden and overwhelming pressure rose like a tidal wave, sweeping toward Gu Yunkai. At the same time, the golden patterns beneath Lu Ran’s feet began to flicker and show signs of cracking.
Gu Yunkai’s focus waned, allowing Lu Ran’s demonic energy to infiltrate. Blood continued to flow from his mouth, but he stubbornly held onto the Mystic Frost Sword, refusing to fall.
“Yunkai, stop now. Continuing like this will lead to your complete consumption of his demonic energy!” Meng Xueting’s eyes were bloodshot. This mutual destruction approach would take its toll on Gu Yunkai first and foremost.
The cultivators below were stunned by this situation. It was the most ruthless and self-destructive formation, with one thousand enemies killed but eight hundred allies lost. Gu Yunkai had truly burned his bridges.
However, Gu Yunkai seemed unfazed by the plea. He wiped the blood from his lips, and the Mystic Frost Sword was embedded diagonally into the ground. With a flourish of his sleeve, he pressed his palm heavily onto the swirling formation core. The formation core instantly reversed, and a surging killing intent dispersed. In the blink of an eye, the golden patterns, like a shifting constellation, underwent a complete transformation. Spiritual energy flowed continuously through the formation core to the formation plate, causing waves of golden light to emanate from the formation. Above the formation, countless golden stars quickly enveloped it, creating a magnificent and desolate beauty.
Almost simultaneously, Lu Ran felt the powerful spiritual energy suppressing him retract, replaced by a vast and surging spiritual energy that flowed into his body. It guided his meridians, even dissipating the rebellious demonic energy within his dantian under the cleansing effect of this rich spiritual energy.
“This isn’t a killing formation; it’s a soul-cleansing formation!”
Someone in the crowd suddenly exclaimed. While a killing formation’s formation core was used to slay, a soul-cleansing formation’s purpose was to capture. When supplemented with the true energy of the one who set up the formation, it could cleanse all the malevolence from the person trapped within.
Lu Ran finally realized what was happening and looked at Gu Yunkai in astonishment.
“Master…”
Gu Yunkai gritted his teeth, the formation core continued to surge, and the spiritual energy kept flowing along the patterns. He remained unfazed, just opening his mouth and saying to Lu Ran, “Don’t move…”
After speaking, he couldn’t help but cough up another mouthful of blood.
“No!” Lu Ran finally understood what he was doing. If this continued, Gu Yunkai’s spiritual energy would be depleted, and he would be completely consumed by the demonic energy.
However, Gu Yunkai showed no sign of stopping, and the Mystic Frost Sword at his side continued to tremble and hum as his spiritual energy rapidly drained away.
Lu Ran’s eyes were filled with despair, and he had completely fallen apart. “Master, please… I beg you, please stop… I’ll listen to whatever you say…”
“I can’t stop…” Gu Yunkai smiled faintly, his cracked lips slightly parted as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately, no sound came out.
As the spiritual energy slowly drained away, the patterns of the formation began to flicker and tremble. Lu Ran was shaking his head as if he had gone mad, seemingly no longer caring about what Gu Yunkai was saying. He just kept pleading for him to stop.
Standing at the formation core, Gu Yunkai’s white robe was drenched in blood, and blood continued to flow from his mouth. Eventually, as the formation lost its spiritual energy support, it completely collapsed. All the patterns dimmed instantly, and Gu Yunkai could no longer support himself. He fell heavily to the ground.
The Mystic Frost Sword’s radiance also disappeared in an instant, and after a few trembles, it remained still.
“Yunkai!” Gu Yunkai watched this scene in shock and pain, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He felt as if his heart had turned cold.
Lu Ran opened his mouth, and this scene was etched into his soul so vividly that the pain made him shudder. Finally, as if he had suddenly come to his senses, he rushed forward and cradled the fallen Gu Yunkai in his arms.
But the person in his arms was covered in blood, as if all of his blood had already drained away, leaving only a light and cold body.
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