The dark figure moved with extreme speed, heading straight for the infant quietly lying in the swaddling clothes.
Ye Feng was greatly shocked. Without a moment's hesitation, he summoned his natal flying sword. The sword flashed with a piercing cold light, carrying Ye Feng's spiritual energy as it shot toward the dark figure like lightning.
Sensing the danger, the dark figure flickered slightly, attempting to dodge the sharp edge of the flying sword.
However, how could Ye Feng let him off so easily? With a thought, the spiritual power within his body surged frantically. He rapidly formed hand seals and softly shouted, "Burn!"
In an instant, the flying sword, which had previously gleamed with cold light, ignited with blazing flames, transforming into a fiery red stream of light that rushed toward the dark figure with rolling heat waves.
The scorching high temperature caused the surrounding air to distort, making a sizzling sound.
Caught off guard by this sudden flame attack, the dark figure could only retreat repeatedly, trying to evade the attack of the flaming flying sword.
"Damn it! Where did this brash kid come from, and why is he so powerful?" The dark figure was secretly startled. Seeing that he was no match, he actually transformed into an earth dragon and tunneled away.
Seeing this, Ye Feng did not pursue deeply. He reached out and gathered the infant into his arms.
At this moment, Senior Brother Wang and the others finally arrived and shouted sternly, "Members of the Tianjian Sect, protect Junior Brother Ye! Slay the evil cultivators!"
In a flash, the disciples of the Tianjian Sect quickly converged, tightly protecting Ye Feng and the baby in the center while vigilantly watching their surroundings to prevent any other enemies from appearing.
"It's the Tianjian Sect? The Tianjian Sect has intervened as well?"
"Every single disciple of the Tianjian Sect is a freak; they're not easy to deal with."
Seeing that Tianjian Sect disciples had also joined the battlefield, many of the evil cultivators began to lose their nerve.
"It's not worth losing your life for a sect mission."
The Tianjian Sect had always been one of the most powerful sects across this vast continent, enjoying a resounding reputation that overawed all directions.
When it came to top-tier combat strength, they had that sect elder hailed as the strongest swordsman of the present era—Mo Rushi! And their cultivation technique was also peerless under heaven, with their "Cold Pool Sword Technique" being envied by countless people. It could be said that Tianjian Sect disciples rarely met any match among their peers.
With the addition of the Tianjian Sect disciples to the fray, the situation for the evil cultivators, who were already at a disadvantage, became even worse.
They retreated step by step, forced into passive defense, and gradually showed signs of defeat.
Just as these usually arrogant and despotic evil cultivators were about to scatter like birds and beasts and flee in all directions, a low whisper like a ghostly sound drifted leisurely across the battlefield:
"Oh? When did the Tianjian Sect get another top-grade Fire Spiritual Root?"
As soon as these words were spoken, they exploded like a thunderclap in the ears of everyone present.
In an instant, the entire battlefield seemed as if it had been pressed with a pause button, instantly plunging into a suffocating dead silence.
Everyone terror-strickenly realized that, from who-knows-when, their bodies had somehow been subjected to a binding spell, completely losing control no matter how they struggled, unable to budge even a fraction of an inch!
A hunched figure, frail as a candle in the wind, slowly emerged from the darkness and stood suspended in the sky.
That figure simply stood quietly right there, yet every single person present could clearly feel a chilling aura continuously emanating from him.
It was an incomparably dense aura of death, like a curse from the nethermost hell, tightly entangling everyone's soul.
Looking closely, one could see countless wronged souls seemingly struggling and wailing in pain around the figure. They bared their fangs and brandished their claws, trying to break free from some kind of restraint, but ultimately remained completely powerless.
"Shen... Shen Wanqian? This Chaotic Divine Body has even drawn out this old scoundrel of the Tianmo Sect?" Senior Brother Wang's trembling words nearby caused an uproar among the crowd.
"Is that the old ancestor of the Demonic Sect in the Deity Transformation realm?"
"We're finished. What should we do?!"
Although the righteous disciples tried to steady themselves, they could not conceal the panic in their eyes, and various magical artifacts trembled slightly in their hands, revealing their inner anxiety and terror.
Seeing this, the disciples of the evil sect reversed their declining momentum and laughed wildly, "Just wait to die, you hypocrites who prattle on about justice."
Ye Feng did not speak, mobilizing all his spiritual power to try to break free from this spiritual restraint. He had also heard the words of this demonic fiend just now; if this dragged on any longer, he was afraid his first simulation would be over.
"The once-arrogant Shen Wanqian, how has he now been reduced to bullying juniors?" An aged voice resounded out of thin air, and the righteous disciples felt their bodies suddenly relax as the restraints were lifted!
"Sect Master!" Ye Feng felt a surge of excitement in his heart. He had heard this voice before; in his memory, he had appeared at the disciple-recruitment grand ceremony. It was the number one swordsman of the current era, Mo Rushi!
It seemed they were saved. With his own sect master at the peak of the Deity Transformation stage, there probably wasn't anyone who could kill someone right in front of him.
"What? Old thief Mo, aren't you also here to seize this Chaotic Divine Body? Why are you putting on a saintly act here?" Shen Wanqian raised his head slightly, his voice low and slightly hoarse.
Although his voice was not loud, even somewhat muffled as if worn down by the passage of time, magically, it seemed to possess a certain kind of magic, clearly reaching the ears of every single person present so that everyone could hear it distinctly.
"Enough. So what if I want this Chaotic Divine Body? Do you still want to exchange a few blows with me? Didn't I beat you into submission before?" Mo Rushi spoke calmly, exuding the confidence of a powerhouse.
"Sect Master Mo, we cannot simply take your word for this matter." A burly man with bulging muscles appeared out of thin air and stood not far from Mo Rushi.
"It's Sect Master Wu of the Tianxuan Sect! Rumors say his Turtle-Patterned Sacred Body has reached the realm of perfection, and attacks below the Deity Transformation stage cannot cause any damage to him at all!"
"It seems the Chaotic Divine Body is truly a hot commodity; so many elusive figures have come out of hiding."
Up in the sky, figures with majestic imposing manners and world-overawing pressure emerged like bamboo shoots after a rain.
Some of these figures had dazzling, eye-catching radiances flashing around them, resembling brilliant stars in the night sky; others exuded a horrifying aura that made one's heart palpitate, looking like slaughter gods descended from hell.
Ye Feng breathed a secret sigh of relief, " Counting our own sect master, it's already five against one. Everyone is at the Deity Transformation stage; today should be secure."
"Hahaha! Very well, the sect masters of the five great sects have gathered here. It seems the Chaotic Divine Body truly has great appeal." Shen Wanqian smiled lowly, his expression as usual, showing not a trace of panic.
"However... have you esteemed sect masters ever heard of our sect's Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse?"
"Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse?" A knowledgeable disciple exclaimed in shock.
"Brother Lin, what is the Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse?"
"That's right, explain it to everyone."
The disciple surnamed Lin restrained his expression and said, "The Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse is a secret forbidden technique of the Tianmo Sect. Legend has it that anyone planted with this curse will have their dantian continuously eroded by the curse seal. As time passes, the dantian's ability to store spiritual energy plummets, and once one forcibly stores spiritual energy, the curse seal within the dantian will backlash, causing them to burn to death in self-immolation."
"Ah? Then isn't that no different from being a cripple?"
"How can there be such a vicious curse? It's simply too contrary to natural law!"
Mo Rushi's usually placid expression changed for the first time. "What do you want to do?"
"Heh, I merely sent this little girl a small gift. This old man is just doing a favor and won't fight you for her."
Shen Wanqian gently raised his hand, and a dense black fog diffused, completely shrouding the surrounding space in the blink of an eye, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.
When the black fog gradually dispersed, everyone was surprised to find that, along with those evil cultivators, he had vanished without a trace.
"Hmph, this old fellow still runs fast."
Mo Rushi had no heart to pursue. The next second, without any warning, he appeared right beside Ye Feng.
With a solemn expression, he gazed at the infant in Ye Feng's arms and slowly extended his right hand, gently tapping the baby's tender glabella.
A faint trace of spiritual energy surged from his fingertips, preparing to probe the interior of her body.
However, a sudden change occurred! The infant who had been resting quietly in Ye Feng's arms suddenly erupted all over with blazing black flames.
The flames seemed to radiate a bizarre and terrifying aura. At the same time, because of pain and fear, the baby girl's crying became increasingly shrill and loud, startling everyone who heard it.
Ye Feng was the closest, but strangely, he did not feel a shred of temperature. The flames seemed to have a mind of their own and did not harm him at all.
"Not good!" Seeing this, Mo Rushi was also somewhat caught off guard, not expecting the Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse to be so overbearing.
He himself possessed a Metal Spiritual Root, and rashly making a move would likely only fuel these flames.
"We need to find a cultivator with a profound Water Spiritual Root to cast a spell and extinguish the flames!"
Mo Rushi had just prepared to open his mouth and inquire when the scene before him made him stop his actions.
Slowly, gradually, the flames grew weaker until they completely extinguished, leaving only the baby girl's slightly trembling body and tear-stained little face.
Mo Rushi let out a sigh of relief, gave Ye Feng a deep look, and then proclaimed in a resonant voice:
"The matter of today is surely clear to you all. This child indeed possesses the Chaotic Divine Body. However, afflicted as she is with the Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse, if the curse is not lifted, she is unlikely to survive past twenty years of age."
"This child is afflicted with a vicious curse and finds herself in a helpless predicament; it truly moves one to compassion. I wonder which of you esteemed guests here is willing to step forward and protect her for a time?"
As soon as his voice fell, the sect masters of the major sects all wore expressions of difficulty. After all, although the Chaotic Divine Body was a rare talent, what use was it if she could not grow up?
Geniuses were scarce, and geniuses who died prematurely from accidents were by no means few, not to mention that the Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse was an extremely difficult curse to break.
Everyone weighed the pros and cons in their hearts; some secretly rejoiced that they had not acted rashly, while others harbored thoughts of retreating.
"What Elder Mo says is true. The Tianjian Sect has always upheld chivalry and righteousness, and this matter couldn't be more appropriate for your esteemed sect to handle. This poor priest has heavy affairs in my sect and truly lacks the distraction to attend to this." The sect master of the Hualing Sect was the first to speak in refusal, immediately leaving in a flurry with his disciples.
"This matter is of great importance; we need to return to our mountain gate to discuss it, and I hope Sect Master Mo will forgive us." Sect Master Wu of the Tianxuan Sect also found an excuse and left with his disciples.
The sect masters of the other factions also offered excuses of farewell one after another, and before long, only the disciples of the Tianjian Sect remained on the vast field.
Looking at the empty field, Mo Rushi felt a slight sense of helplessness in his heart, though he had anticipated such a scene.
Mo Rushi lowered his gaze to look at the baby girl, a tangle of complicated emotions washing over him.
He himself was not suited to raise this infant. "With my cultivation level, a single closed-door seclusion lasts several years. How would she manage to live by herself during that time?"
He slowly swept his gaze across the group of disciples under his command before him. Some he still recognized, but at this moment, their heads were slightly lowered, as if they were terrified of meeting his eyes.
A bright and fervent pair of eyes by his side caught his attention. It was the young man from earlier, whose eyes stared fixedly at him without the slightest bit of backing down.
Mo Rushi suddenly remembered that he did recognize this youth. He recalled he was called Ye Feng, and the reason he was fought over during the disciple-recruitment grand ceremony was because of... his top-grade Fire Spiritual Root! No wonder he was able to draw that evil flame into his own body.
Thinking of this, Mo Rushi's heart stirred slightly; he wanted to hear what the youth had in mind.
After a long moment, Ye Feng finally spoke: "Sect Master, this disciple is willing."