El tercer erudito de la dinastía Song

Capítulo 124

"Shi Di, you..." Saint covered his chest with his hand, his sinister eyes filled with disbelief as he glared at Shi Di and pointed angrily. His most loyal Shi Di had actually attacked him; was he going to betray him?

Shi Di's calm eyes were no longer indifferent; they held a wicked smile. A sinister smirk appeared beneath the black cloth. With a cold laugh, the flute music changed, and the four Soul Eaters who had been attacking Jin Xuan immediately turned their weapons towards the three guardians.

Even the usually composed Holy Emperor was stunned by this sudden turn of events: given Holy Chi's suspicious and ruthless nature, the fact that the black-clad man with the flute could control the Soul Eater meant that Holy Chi trusted him implicitly. Why would he suddenly turn against him? Just who was he?

"Ahhh..." Three cries of agony drew the Holy Lord's attention back. Startled, he quickly looked at Jin Xuan, only to find that the three guardians had been killed by the four Soul Devourers.

At the same time, Shi Di coldly curled into an evil smile, threw his short flute into the air, and struck it with a palm. The short flute immediately turned into dust, and the four Soul Eaters were shattered into pieces with a "bang," as if they had been exploded, and rested in peace.

When Cheng Wuying saw the situation take an unexpected turn, she was shocked that Shi Di had betrayed Qi Sha. She didn't care whether Shi Di had betrayed them or not; as long as her third brother was alright, she felt hope again. She scrambled to her feet and ran towards Jin Xuan, looking him up and down with a mixture of joy and heartache. She said softly and affectionately, "Third brother, I'm so glad you're alright. Wuying was so worried about you." She reached out to help Jin Xuan up.

Jin Xuan's eyes narrowed, and with a flick of his blue robe, Cheng Wuying immediately felt a force strike her. Her entire body was thrown uncontrollably to the side, crashing heavily into the wall. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and fainted before she could even cry out.

Jin Xuan's eyes were frosty as he strode forward when a familiar voice, so familiar it made his heart tremble, rang out.

"Jinxuan..." The Holy Lord flew to Jinxuan's side. Seeing that Jinxuan had suffered a serious injury, his heart ached, and he called out urgently. When he received Jinxuan's inquiring yet surprised look, he immediately realized that he had forgotten to change his voice in his anxiety. His expression stiffened, and he said in a slightly hoarse and calm voice, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

Ke Jinxuan seemed not to have heard him at all. His deep eyes, filled with complex emotions, probed into the unfathomable depths of the Holy Lord's eyes, gazing straight into his heart. He reached out to cover his wildly beating, anxious heart: "Is it really you? You've really returned to my side." That voice, that gentle voice that haunted his dreams—he had heard it again. This time it wasn't a dream, not a hallucination; it was real, he had heard it clearly and distinctly. And the sword in his hand—though he didn't know what kind of sword it was, it had indeed belonged to the Lord before, and now it was in the Holy Lord's hands. Could all of this still be considered a coincidence or wishful thinking?

He really wanted to lift that annoying veil from his face and find out what was going on, so he wouldn't have to suffer sleepless nights and endless torment anymore.

At the same time, Shi Di and the Holy Lord flew to Jin Xuan's side. A hint of worry flashed in her wickedly smiling eyes. She wanted to reach out and help Jin Xuan, but upon hearing the Holy Lord's call, her outstretched hand froze in mid-air. She abruptly looked at the Holy Lord, whose face was veiled in white gauze. Her wicked eyes surged with turbulent emotions, a mixture of joy, shock, disbelief, anxiety, guilt, and love... which ultimately coalesced into...

A simple "it's a hallucination," haha... it couldn't possibly be hers; she was already ruined by his selfishness.

"Shi Di...you traitor!" Sheng Chi, suppressing the surging blood within him and his unstable internal energy, struggled to his feet. He wiped the blood from his mouth, his sinister eyes filled with bloodlust and intense hatred, like a demon's. He gritted his teeth and spoke coldly, glancing at Jin Xuan, Sheng Jun, and Shi Di. He then took out silver needles and inserted them into several acupoints on his body, a cruel smile playing on his lips: he intended to take them all down with him...

"Silver needles to acupoints?" the Holy Lord exclaimed in surprise. He didn't have time to think about why the black-clad man with the flute was acting so strangely. He just stood guard with his sword in front of Jin Xuan and Shi Di, his face full of vigilance.

The silver needle acupuncture is a method of acupuncture that can instantly unleash a person's full potential, but it is also very dangerous. At best, the person treated with the needle will lose all their martial arts skills and become a cripple; at worst, their meridians will reverse, causing them to suffer from qi deviation and enduring the greatest torment to their body and mind.

"Haha... If you're going to die, I, Saint Chi, will drag you all down with me! Saint Lord, let me experience your Heavenly Kun Divine Skill once more!" Saint Chi, his hair disheveled, laughed wildly, looking up at the sky.

The iron mask on his face shattered with a "bang," revealing a face never before seen by anyone. It was Mei! Sheng Chi was a stunningly handsome man, but his beauty was unlike Jin Xuan's handsomeness, Yelü Ying's sinister beauty, or Dongfang Junhao's dashing beauty. His beauty was feminine, almost womanly; an unsuspecting person might mistake him for a woman in disguise. Yet, it also differed from Ao Jun's feminine beauty, which carried a heroic spirit and righteous wisdom. His feminine beauty was truly alluring, coupled with his terrifyingly pale face, untouched by sunlight for years, making him a veritable demon from the underworld—a bewitching "female" demon at that. Though beautiful, he sent chills down the spines of Sheng Jun and the others, for he was truly terrifying—a beautiful, bewitching "female" demon bathed in moonlight.

What alarmed the Holy King most was that Sheng Chi's black hair had turned fiery red again, even more vibrant than before. His sinister and frenzied eyes were filled with blood red, so red that they seemed to drip blood, so red that the pupils were no longer visible, only a blood-red expanse. It was mind-numbing and terrifying. His cruel, coldly smiling lips turned from deep purple to deep black, shining black. Immediately, a strong wind arose all around, and an unprecedentedly powerful airflow enveloped the Holy King and his companions, carrying strong pressure that forced them to use their inner strength to resist.

The Holy Lord raised the Heavenly Stem Divine Sword, poured all his inner strength into it, and activated the Heavenly Kun Divine Skill. With a flick of his wrist, the essence of heaven and earth gathered on the divine sword, and the dazzling light of the Heavenly Stem Sword protected the Holy Lord and the other two, forming an invisible "barrier".

"Haha...you can't stop him." Saint Chi laughed almost maniacally, flicked his black robes, and rushed towards Saint Jun and the others. He suddenly struck out with his palm, the terrifying palm wind carrying unprecedented internal force towards Saint Jun. He spun in mid-air and struck out with another palm...

Under the continuous attacks of Saint Chi, the Holy Lord barely managed to protect the "barrier," but he was also forced back a few steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating that he was injured.

"Go quickly!" The Holy Lord roared at the two behind him without turning his head. He also gripped the Heavenly Stem Sword with his other hand, and with all his century's worth of power, he shouted. Although he broke through the strong airflow that Holy Chi had surrounded them, the power Holy Chi possessed at this time was beyond what humans could imagine. The best plan was to perish together with Holy Chi, but he had to protect Jin Xuan. He couldn't let anything happen to Jin Xuan.

"Haha... Do you think you can escape?" Saint Chi laughed cruelly. He leaped into the air and launched a fierce attack on Saint Jun. Saint Jun moved gracefully, rising into the air and meeting the attack with two swords. One was white, the other black; one a sword, the other a palm; one righteous, the other evil. They entangled under the night sky, indistinguishable as one person or two, as to whether one saw a sword or a palm. Yet, one could feel the righteous energy of heaven and earth, and the evil energy that seemed to come from hell.

Jin Xuan remained unmoved, only giving the Holy Lord a gentle look: "Before I see your true face with my own eyes, I cannot be sure if you are her or not. Regardless of whether you are her or not, I, Ouyang Jin Xuan, will live and die with you today. Let us join hands and fight side by side!"

A figure in cyan rose into the air. "Ding..." The Dragon Roar Sword flew straight towards Saint Chi, emitting a series of dragon roars. A soaring golden dragon roared out and attacked Saint Chi, who was locked in a fierce battle with the Holy Lord. Saint Chi's lips curled into a smile: "Perfect timing." He sent out another palm with a whooshing sound, and the "golden dragon" collided with it, creating a sky-illuminating spark. "Bang..." The "golden dragon" disappeared, and the "spark" carrying powerful internal force counterattacked Jin Xuan. Jin Xuan was startled and spun in mid-air to avoid the attack. He then flipped in mid-air and attacked Saint Chi again.

When the Holy Lord saw that Jin Xuan had joined the battle between him and the Holy Chi, and was almost hit by the Holy Chi's palm, his heart jumped. But when he met the gentle yet firm light in Jin Xuan's deep eyes, his heart calmed down. His unfathomable eyes shone with tender light, and he smiled charmingly and gently. He nodded and joined Jin Xuan in attacking the Holy Chi. The three of them then started fighting.

Saint Chi seemed to completely disregard Saint Jun and Jin Xuan. After dodging Saint Jun's sword energy, he launched a palm strike at Jin Xuan with an illusion. He wanted to deal with Ouyang Jin Xuan first. Saint Jun was startled and immediately came to his senses, but it was too late. Saint Chi's palm wind had already struck Jin Xuan.

Just as his palm strike was about to hit Jin Xuan, a sword aura as hot as flames blocked Jin Xuan's path, dissolving the evil aura of the Holy Crimson Palm Strike. Shi Di, wielding a sword as fiery as a burning cloud, flew down and landed beside Jin Xuan. At the same time, the Holy Lord also flew over, standing on Jin Xuan's other side. His unfathomable eyes stared at the sword in Shi Di's hand with shock and complexity. He suddenly looked up and looked at Shi Di's eyes, which also carried an evil aura but were black, and his doubts deepened. Jin Xuan's deep eyes, however, were surprisingly calm, revealing no emotion to anyone. He also looked up at Shi Di's black eyes, a trace of disbelief and doubt flashing across his calm gaze.

"It's you... How could it be?" Saint Chi stared at the sword, which seemed to blaze with flames. A flicker of clarity returned to his wild, blood-red eyes as he stared at Shi Di in disbelief, his voice chilling. He then shook his head, muttering to himself as if unable to convince himself. To gain his trust and become Shi Di, the inhuman torture and humiliation he endured were beyond description. And he couldn't possibly do such a thing! Most importantly, his eyes... But where did he get this sword?

"Hmph." A complex look flashed in Shi Di's eyes. He glanced at Jin Xuan, then snorted coldly at Sheng Chi. A wicked smile crept across his face as he swung his flaming sword, engulfing himself in flames. He spun around and attacked Sheng Chi with a determination to perish together: "Ouyang Jin Xuan, you must live well. I know she hopes you can live well. This is her wish, so I must protect you. This is the only thing I can do for her."

Saint King and Jin Xuan exchanged a glance. They knew that Shi Di was prepared to sacrifice himself to save them, and regardless of whether he was the right person or not, they would not stand idly by. As if by telepathy, the two flew away simultaneously. Jin Xuan caught Shi Di, who was knocked away along with Saint Chi, while Saint King pressed his advantage, thrusting his sword forward. Shi Di's reckless sword strike had already injured Saint Chi, who hadn't even had time to react before Saint King's sword pierced his chest. With a roar, Saint Chi struck Saint King with his palm, and the two separated at the same time. Saint King used his sword to support himself on the ground, one hand clutching his chest, his white veil stained with traces of blood. Saint Chi knelt on the ground, quickly pressing the acupoints around the wound to stop the bleeding. He quickly stood up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and with a cruel smile, attacked Saint King again without even catching his breath.

Jin Xuan and Shi Di arrived just in time, standing in front of the Holy Lord and attacking Sheng Chi together, engaging in a fierce battle with him. The Holy Lord suppressed his heartache, turned his sword, and joined the fray.

After Sheng Cheng and the others had tormented Bai Xiaosheng and his group to their hearts' content, they finally dealt with them. The abnormal sounds of fighting reached the front hall, seemingly shaking the heavens and earth, making them uneasy. With the sect leader's profound martial arts skills, what kind of person was he that even the sect leader and Prince Jin couldn't handle?

Upon arriving at the Holy Lord's residence, the scene before them left them speechless, their eyes narrowing and their bodies trembling. The black-clad man who had fought the sect leader was... was actually Holy Chi! Not only was he alive, but he had also mastered a set of evil skills, transforming into a demon that was neither human nor ghost. Even the sect leader and Prince Jin, working together, couldn't defeat him, especially with the addition of a black-clad man whose martial arts were no less than the prince's. The entire courtyard had been completely destroyed, demonstrating just how intense the battle had been.

"Sect Master!" Sheng Cheng suddenly exclaimed, his figure flashing as he joined the battle. Sheng Qing followed suit, flying forward to support Sheng Jun, who was clutching his chest. The large beads of sweat on Sheng Jun's forehead showed how much pain he was enduring, but he only smiled weakly, gently pushed Sheng Qing away, and flew forward again to fight Sheng Chi.

Sheng Qing drew a ribbon from his waist and joined the battle. Sheng Lü, Sheng Zi, Huang Ying, Wei Ziqi, Yi Tian, and Yi Han also drew their weapons and flew into the fray.

The initially evenly matched situation turned into a one-sided affair. Although Saint Orange and his companions had all suffered various injuries, Saint Chi was gradually losing ground under their relentless attacks.

The Holy Lord soared into the air, gathering the essence of the stars and moon, transforming it into a sharp sword aura that pierced straight into Holy Chi's heart. Holy Chi flipped over and landed to the side. Although this sword could not kill him, it had once again broken his evil technique, and the effect of the silver needle acupuncture point technique had been lost. This sword had severely damaged his heart meridian, causing it to relapse. He felt as if he were being burned by fire all over his body, or as if he were in an ice cellar. He was tormented by both fire and water.

Faced with Jin Xuan and the others approaching, Sheng Chi, in desperation, grabbed the slowly waking Cheng Wuying, put his hand on her throat, and threatened, "Don't come any closer, or I'll kill her."

Jin Xuan and the others actually stopped, all exuding murderous and terrifying auras as they stared sharply at the person in front of them. They made no move, but a cold laugh ran through their hearts: Hmph, kill her? They wished they could tear this woman to pieces. Would they be threatened by you for her sake? Hmph, what a ridiculous joke. I never thought that you, Sheng Chi, would use all your scheming to make such a foolish joke on your deathbed. How laughable.

"Third brother...cough...help!" Cheng Wuying was held tightly in Sheng Chi's arms, her hand trembling as she reached out, her face pale as she looked deeply at Jin Xuan, weakly calling out. The icy aura emanating from Jin Xuan made her happy; she thought her third brother was still worried about her and would still protect her.

But she was wrong. Jin Xuan glanced at her coldly and sneered, "Sheng Chi, you don't need to struggle anymore. Do you think I would be threatened by you for the sake of someone I hate to the bone? How ridiculous." With a flick of his robe, he suddenly attacked, his Dragon Roar Sword pointing directly at Sheng Chi, even though Sheng Chi had Cheng Wuying in front of him.

Reflected in her pupils the merciless sword that Jin Xuan had brought upon her, Cheng Wuying's heart sank into an abyss. She gave a self-deprecating laugh: from the moment her third brother turned to kill her, she should have been awake. How much her third brother hated her, how much he loathed her—it was all just wishful thinking on her part. Despair was for the best; dying at her third brother's hands was for the best! She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the look of hatred in her third brother's eyes one last time. She wanted to remember the look of doting affection in his eyes when she was a child…

Faced with the sharp sword energy that came without his threat, Sheng Chi's sinister eyes narrowed. He spun around with Cheng Wuying and narrowly avoided Jin Xuan's sword. However, he was struck by Shi Di, who attacked at the same time as Jin Xuan, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Sheng Chi, you traitor, today is your death day! As for Cheng Wuying, that venomous woman, hmph, she'll go to hell with you!" Sheng Cheng, radiating murderous intent, coldly sneered. He leaped into the air and attacked Sheng Chi. Sheng Qing and the others also charged forward. No one paid attention to Cheng Wuying; they all unleashed their ruthless attacks. Cheng Wuying had already been stabbed several times. Although none of the blows were fatal, for a princess who had been pampered since childhood, it was still half her life. She screamed and cried in agony, completely losing her composure.

"Little Purple, go..." Sheng Zi turned around, summoned the little purple snake she always carried, pointed, and gave the order.

The little purple snake flicked its venomous tongue and attacked Sheng Chi, who was still struggling in his death throes. At the same time, Huang Ying's poison needles, which she never used, followed closely behind. However, in order to save his own life, Sheng Chi pushed Cheng Wuying forward as a shield. The little purple snake bit Cheng Wuying's delicate neck, and the poison needles were completely injected into her body.

"Ah!" A deafening wail escaped Cheng Wuying's lips. The venom of the little purple snake and the poison of the golden needles were slowly eroding her internal organs, causing excruciating pain as if thousands of ants were gnawing at her heart. Blood gradually flowed from her seven orifices...

"Shameless!" Jin Xuan roared and attacked Sheng Chi again.