On the eve of the full moon, in the side chamber of the Sword Pavilion.
Yun Qingyu spread a blood-stained map of the secret passage across the table. Chu Yao held a light-green jade flute, gently tapping and tracing points as the tip flickered with a faint blue light, outlining the flow of spiritual energy across the parchment.
"This secret passage runs right through the core of the Xuantian Sect's spiritual veins," she said, her brow furrowing deeply. "If demonic energy is stirred up here, it will be enough to shatter the entire sect-protecting grand formation."
Yun Qingyu tapped his fingertips against the table. "Tomorrow is the full moon, the very moment when demonic energy reaches its peak. The Tiansha Alliance will not miss this opportunity."
Outside the window, distant thunder rumbled, brewing a violent storm. As the candle flickered, Chu Yao suddenly pressed a hand to her chest, her face turning deadly pale.
"What's wrong?" Yun Qingyu hurried over to steady her.
Chu Yao shook her head, drawing a half-moon jade pendant from her robes. At this moment, the pendant was emitting a dazzling, bone-chilling light, fine blood-red patterns rising across its surface.
"My mother's pendant is warning us..." Her voice trembled. "A powerful demonic entity is approaching."
No sooner had the words left her lips than urgent bells rang out from outside the Sword Pavilion—ten long tolls and one short, the sect's highest state of alert!
The two rushed out the door to find that the full moon in the night sky had somehow transformed into a bewitching, bloody crimson. A pillar of pitch-black light was rising from the direction of the main peak, identical to the one from the day of the Sword Trial Tournament!
"Lingxiao Cave!" Yun Qingyu's heart shook violently. "The Tiansha Alliance has made their move early!"
Chu Yao turned to go look for her father, but Yun Qingyu grabbed her by the arm. "Wait!" He keenly noticed that the bamboo grove surrounding the Sword Pavilion was swaying unnaturally—there were ambushes set up!
"Come with me," Yun Qingyu said in a low voice, pulling Chu Yao around toward the narrow path behind the Sword Pavilion. This hidden mountain trail led directly to the Sword-Washing Pool, precisely the entrance to the secret passage marked on the map.
The mountain path was slick, and the light of the blood moon cast an eerie red veil over everything. Chu Yao's pendant was growing hotter by the second, almost burning her skin. Just as the two of them approached the Sword-Washing Pool, the water suddenly began to boil, churning out billowing black smoke!
"Careful!" Yun Qingyu pulled Chu Yao behind him as strands of Jiuxiao Sword energy surged from his body.
The black smoke coalesced into dozens of demonic beasts, shrieking as they lunged forward. These creatures were different from the ones in the Illusory Sword Array; their bodies were wrapped in substantive demonic energy, and every single one possessed the strength of the Foundation Establishment Stage!
"Form the array!" Chu Yao played her flute, transforming seven crisp notes into an ice-blue light barrier that temporarily held back the demonic onslaught. Seizing the opportunity, Yun Qingyu unleashed the Jiuxiao Sword Art, his sword light flashing like a rainbow as he instantly cut down three of the beasts.
Yet the sheer number of demons was overwhelming. Fighting and retreating, the two of them drew closer to the edge of the Sword-Washing Pool. The water was now completely pitch-black, forming a swirling vortex where flights of stairs could faintly be seen extending downward into the depths.
"Into the secret passage!" Yun Qingyu decided decisively. "We must stop them from destroying the spiritual veins!"
Chu Yao hesitated. "On the night of the full moon, the demonic energy within your body..."
Before she could finish, a giant demonic beast broke the sound barrier, its razor-sharp claws aiming straight for Chu Yao's throat! Yun Qingyu swung his sword to parry, only to be knocked sideways into the Sword-Washing Pool by another beast!
"Senior Brother Yun!" Chu Yao cried out in alarm, jumping in after him without a moment's hesitation.
The suction within the vortex was beyond imagination, and the two were instantly dragged beneath the surface of the water. The moment the suffocating sensation took hold, Yun Qingyu felt his waist tighten—Chu Yao had used her sash to bind them together!
"Glug..." In the pitch-black water, speech was impossible, but Chu Yao's resolute gaze conveyed everything. Yun Qingyu gripped her hand tightly, letting the vortex drag them down into the depths.
How much time had passed they did not know before they were washed out into an underground river. When they broke the surface, the sight before them was blood-curdling—the banks on both sides of the river were piled high with skeletons, some still draped in rotting sect garments!
"Are these... disciples who went missing over the generations?" Chu Yao's voice trembled.
Yun Qingyu picked up a waist medallion with the characters "Lingxiao" carved into it. "It looks like we've found the right place."
Following the underground river onward, the skeletons grew denser until they practically paved the path. At the end of the river channel stood a massive bronze door, engraved with nine giant dragons entangled in heavy chains. Right now, a crack had already been wrenched open in the door, and demonic energy, thick enough to be nearly solid, poured out continuously!
"The Nine Dragons Demolishing Demon Gate..." Chu Yao gasped. "A top-tier seal recorded in ancient texts!"
Chanting voices drifted faintly from behind the door, their tone bizarre and distorted. Yun Qingyu signaled for Chu Yao to be silent, and the two of them slipped quietly through the crack in the door.
Beyond the door lay a massive underground cavern. Suspended in the center was a crystal sarcophagus, inside of which lay a man in black robes who looked strikingly similar to Yun Qingyu. Dozens of figures in black robes knelt around the sarcophagus in worship, and leading them was none other than Sect Master Xuanxiaoxiang! Only now, his expression was savage, and a bloody vertical eye had grown upon his forehead.
"Welcome the Demon Lord's awakening!" Xuanxiaoxiang shouted. "The Jiuxiao Sword Master has arrived. Please, Demon Lord, take the key!"
Thinking to himself that things were bad, Yun Qingyu was just about to back away when blood-red array patterns suddenly lit up beneath their feet—they had triggered a warning array!
"Catch them!" Xuanxiaoxiang barked fiercely. "Especially that girl; her Hanyue bloodline makes the finest offering!"
The black-clad figures swarmed forward. Yun Qingyu swung his sword to meet the enemy, only to discover that the demonic energy here was so dense it even suppressed his sword qi! Worse still, the black Qi within his body was being drawn upon, beginning to frantically erode his consciousness.
"Senior Brother Yun!" Seeing this, Chu Yao immediately blew into her flute. The song of clearing the mind temporarily steadied Yun Qingyu's wits, but it also exposed her position to the enemy.
"Catch her first!" Xuanxiaoxiang struck out personally, his Nascent Soul Stage pressure crushing down like an avalanche! Though Chu Yao possessed a unique constitution, the gap in cultivation was simply too great, and she was instantly immobilized by an invisible force.
"Let her go!" Veins popped in Yun Qingyu's eyes. The image of Su Wanrou's betrayal in his past life overlapped with the scene before him, igniting a monstrous fury. Disregarding everything, he drove the black Qi within his body, his eyes turning completely blood-red!
"Hahaha, that's it!" Xuanxiaoxiang laughed wildly. "Release the demonic energy and awaken your true power!"
Yun Qingyu felt an unprecedentedly powerful force surge through his limbs and bones. The black Qi condensed into armor, and with every wave of his hand, demonic flames followed. Three black-clad figures who rushed forward were sliced in half by a casual sweep of his black radiance before they could even get close.
"No... don't..." Tears streamed down Chu Yao's face. "Yun Qingyu, don't let it control you..."
The young girl's call flowed through his heart like a clear spring, causing Yun Qingyu's movements to pause for a fraction of a second. In that very instant, the crystal sarcophagus vibrated violently! The black-robed man inside—the physical body of the Tiansha Demon Lord—actually opened his eyes!
"My divided soul... return..." A hoarse voice echoed directly in everyone's minds.
Yun Qingyu felt as though his head was splitting open, sensing that the black Qi inside him was about to burst out of his body! At that critical juncture, Chu Yao bit the tip of her tongue, spitting a mouthful of vital essence onto her flute as she blew an ancient melody.
The moment the flute notes began, a beam of pristine moonlight pierced down from the cavern ceiling—there was actually an array connecting to the external moonlight deep underground! Bathed in the moonlight, frost-like patterns emerged all over Chu Yao's body, and her hair turned a frosty white.
"The bloodline of the Hanyue... Palace Master?" Xuanxiaoxiang's expression shifted in shock. "Impossible! The Hanyue Palace was clearly..."
Ignoring him, Chu Yao continued to play. The moonlight and the flute song resonated, forming a pillar of light that enveloped Yun Qingyu. The black Qi within him melted away rapidly, like snow meeting the scorching sun!
"You're courting death!" Furious, Xuanxiaoxiang struck out with a palm toward Chu Yao. Yun Qingyu wanted to save her, but it was too late; watching as the young lady was about to perish—
"Boom!"
A beam of sword light flew in from outside the door, forcing Xuanxiaoxiang back three steps! Elder Chu arrived riding his sword, followed by dozens of Sword Pavilion disciples.
"Xuanxiaoxiang! No, I should call you the 'Thousand-Eyed Demon Monarch' instead!" Elder Chu sneered. "Three hundred years ago you ambushed Palace Master Hanyue, today you shall pay with your life!"
A massive battle erupted instantly. Elder Chu fought Xuanxiaoxiang alone, while the Sword Pavilion disciples formed an array to counter the men in black. Seizing the chance, Yun Qingyu rushed to Chu Yao's side, only to find her aura perilously weak and her frosty white hair losing its luster at a visible rate.
"You used a forbidden technique?" Yun Qingyu's heart felt as though it were being ripped apart.
Chu Yao smiled weakly. "The Hanyue... Burning Blood Art... can temporarily purify the demonic energy..." She raised a hand to gently stroke Yun Qingyu's cheek. "Don't cry... I promised... I would help you..."
"No!" Yun Qingyu held her tightly. "I have a way!"
He remembered Elder Chu's words in the underground palace—the Jiuxiao Sword Sovereign had once sealed himself inside a sword case to suppress demonic energy. If he could do the same...
"Elder Chu!" Yun Qingyu shouted aloud. "Please throw me the Jiuxiao Sword Case!"
Hearing this, Elder Chu, who was locked in fierce combat, threw a sword seal without a moment's hesitation. Catching the seal, Yun Qingyu formed hand incantations and chanted, drawing forth the sword qi and demonic energy within his body simultaneously!
"The Jiuxiao Sword Art, Third Form—Heaven Seal!"
A brilliant flash of sword light burst from his crown, transforming into nine chains that wrapped around the crystal sarcophagus. At the same time, the black Qi within his body was forcibly pulled out, forming a massive black serpent that wrestled against the chains.
"You won't!" Breaking away from Elder Chu, Xuanxiaoxiang let loose a palm strike formed of demonic energy. Yun Qingyu didn't dodge or evade, letting the demonic palm pierce straight through his chest as fresh blood splattered across the sword seal!
"By my blood, summon the sword case to descend!"
The sword seal, dyed crimson with blood, shone with dazzling brilliance. Far away in the Sword Pavilion's underground palace, the Jiuxiao Sword Case sensed the summons and tore through the void, arriving instantly. The moment the sword case opened, the demonic energy throughout the entire cavern ground to a halt.
"No—!" The Tiansha Demon Lord within the sarcophagus let out a roar of bitter reluctance, yet he was utterly powerless to stop the suction of the sword case. The black serpent was dragged toward the sword case inch by inch, and even the Demon Lord's physical body began to disintegrate!
Realizing the game was up, Xuanxiaoxiang lunged viciously toward the unconscious Chu Yao. "Even if I fail, I'll make sure the Hanyue Palace leaves no descendants!"
Yun Qingyu was too late to save her. In the nick of time, a small, slender figure suddenly lunged forward, placing himself right in front of Chu Yao—it was Lin Xiaofan, whose severe injuries had yet to heal!
"Pfft!" Xuanxiaoxiang's demonic claws pierced straight through the young man's chest.
"Senior Brother... hurry..." Using the last of his strength, Lin Xiaofan crushed a talisman, which turned out to be a high-grade lightning talisman!
"Boom!"
Lightning crackled, and Xuanxiaoxiang screamed as he was blasted backward. Seizing the opportunity, Yun Qingyu completed the final incantation, causing the Jiuxiao Sword Case to open fully and pull the Tiansha Demon Lord alongside the majority of the demonic energy right inside. Seeing that the situation had turned sour, Xuanxiaoxiang turned into a wisp of black smoke and fled.
The instant the sword case clicked shut, Yun Qingyu collapsed to the ground. The wound on his chest was a horrific sight, and his aura had grown weak to the absolute extreme. Elder Chu hurried forward to administer aid, only to see Yun Qingyu shake his head and point laboriously toward Chu Yao.
"Save... her..."
Checking Chu Yao's pulse, Elder Chu's expression shifted drastically. "The Hanyue Burning Blood, her vitality is spent... unless..."
"Unless what?" Yun Qingyu struggled to prop himself up.
"Unless we use the heart's blood of a close blood relative as a catalyst." Elder Chu closed his eyes in anguish. "Yet her mother has long since..."
A sudden thought striking him, Yun Qingyu drew the half-moon jade pendant from his robes. "Can this... work?"
Catching sight of the pendant, a flicker of hope crossed Elder Chu's eyes. "How did you come to possess... Never mind, let's try it!"
The jade pendant was crushed into powder and fed into Chu Yao's mouth. A miracle occurred—her frosty white hair gradually regained its inky color, and the ice patterns around her body slowly receded.
"It works!" Elder Chu cried tears of joy. "This pendant actually harbored a drop of Palace Master Hanyue's vital essence!"
With a sigh of relief, Yun Qingyu went dark before the eyes and passed out cold. In his hazy state, he felt as though he heard a gentle female voice whispering beside his ear:
"Protect her well... my daughter..."
How much time passed he could not say before Yun Qingyu slowly drifted back to consciousness. He found himself lying in the quiet chamber of the Sword Pavilion, the wound on his chest properly bandaged. Outside the window, the bright moon still hung high, but it had returned to a pristine, clear glow.
"Has the full moon... passed?" he murmured to himself.
"It's just turned midnight," Chu Yao's voice came from beside the bed. Her complexion was still somewhat pale, but her spirits were much improved as she held a bowl of steaming medicinal soup in her hands.
Yun Qingyu tried to sit up, but Chu Yao pressed him back down. "Don't move, your wound will split open." She scooped a spoonful of medicinal soup, gently blew it cool, and said, "Father said it's practically a miracle that you survived."
The medicinal soup was intensely bitter, yet to Yun Qingyu it tasted sweet. Once the bowl was empty, he asked, "What happened afterward?"
"The Demon Lord's physical body was destroyed, but his primordial spirit escaped. Xuanxiaoxiang... or rather, the Thousand-Eyed Demon Monarch, is also nowhere to be found." Chu Yao set the bowl down. "After the sword case was resealed, the demonic energy within the sect dissipated. Several peak masters are currently restoring order to the sect."
Yun Qingyu nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "Junior Brother Lin..."
Chu Yao's expression dimmed. "He was buried in the back mountain of the Sword Pavilion. Father said he might be... my half-brother from the same mother."
This news came as a tremendous shock to Yun Qingyu. Chu Yao continued, "Back then, my mother traveled everywhere to investigate the Demon Lord's seal, and she spent time in the Southern Frontier... These matters are things Father has only just learned."
After a brief silence, Yun Qingyu softly asked, "That song you played..."
"The *Hanyue Condensed Heart Tune*, taught to me by my mother." Tears welled up in Chu Yao's eyes. "I never imagined it was a secret art of the Hanyue Palace..."
Just as they were speaking, Elder Chu pushed the door open, holding a jade box in his hands. "You're awake? Perfect, take this."
Inside the jade box lay a pill the size of a dragon's eye, crystalline and ice-like throughout, emitting a faint fragrance of lotus.
"The Nine-Turn Ice Heart Pill?" Recognizing its origin, Yun Qingyu said, "This is far too precious!"
"You saved Yao's life and helped the sect weather a great calamity; you more than deserve this token of gratitude." Elder Chu placed the pill by the bedside. "There is one thing I must tell you, however—though most of the demonic energy has been sealed away, a trace of the Demon Lord's divided soul still lingers within you."
Inspecting his own body, Yun Qingyu indeed discovered a tiny, imperceptible speck of black radiance hidden in a corner of his Dantian.
"This means..."
"It means the Demon Lord is not dead, and you remain his key." Elder Chu's expression was grave. "And... he may use this thread of connection to influence your consciousness."
Chu Yao grasped Yun Qingyu's hand. "We will find a way to resolve this completely."
Elder Chu nodded. "In three days, the Xuantian Secret Realm will open. Proceed there according to your original plan. Deep within the secret realm grows a 'Purifying World White Lotus', which may just be able to purify this last bit of demonic energy."
After Elder Chu departed, Yun Qingyu looked out at the bright moon outside the window and whispered, "Junior Sister Chu... No, Chu Yao, thank you."
The young girl was slightly startled, then broke into a radiant smile as pure and enchanting as moonlight.
Beneath the moonlight, two hearts quietly drew closer. And in the shadows they could not see, a bloody vertical eye slowly closed...