The two swords were clashed together, and a piercing metallic hum resounded throughout the ears of all the cultivators on Blood Phoenix Mountain.
Those with slightly lower cultivation levels instantly had their eyes widen in horror and blood flow from their seven orifices, as it was a sonic attack that directly struck their soul.
Lingyan, with her powerful soul, was unaffected.
Similarly, Gu Zhong was no ordinary soul; the Demon King had miscalculated.
At this moment, Gu Zhong was less than ten meters away from it. Upon seeing this, the Demon King couldn't help but become angry.
Perhaps because he has just been born, the current Demon King is not yet fully awake and acts rashly and impulsively, adopting a method that can only be described as extremely clumsy.
It flapped its wings and charged at Gu Zhong as well, seemingly intending to resolve this troublesome grasshopper with the most primal struggle among demonic beasts.
"Ta-da!"
Several sounds of swords clashing rang out, and in the hand-to-hand combat between the Mahayana cultivator and the mortal immortal, Gu Zhong was not at a disadvantage in the slightest.
However, the sword in her hand was ultimately just an ordinary magical weapon, and it couldn't withstand too many frequent strikes.
The sword let out a mournful cry, and cracks had already crept up its blade. With just one more strike, the sword would shatter into dust.
Yanyun, seemingly ignited with a boiling fighting spirit, caused the entire sword to tremble incessantly. It even managed to break free from the restraints of the Lingyan sword sheath and eagerly flew towards the center of the battlefield.
Just as the sword in Gu Zhong's hand shattered, Yan Yun flew into Gu Zhong's hand at the perfect moment, becoming her new weapon.
The moment Yan Yun entered her grasp, Gu Zhong's body stiffened involuntarily, and a hint of anger and annoyance flashed in her eyes.
Immediately, his cultivation aura, which was originally only at the Mahayana level, surged upwards like an unstoppable spring, climbing all the way up, crossing the difference between immortals and mortals, from mortal immortal to golden immortal, without ever stopping.
The Blood Phoenix was momentarily stunned by this sudden change in momentum. Even though its mind was not quite clear at the moment, driven by its incessantly roaring demonic instincts, it made what was, without delay, the wisest decision it could make.
The once arrogant demon king transformed into a hummingbird in a flash—a tiny creature so small that it would go unnoticed in the chaotic battlefield—and fled in panic toward the depths of the already crumbling mountain range.
Gu Zhong's originally black eyes were now tinged with a faint golden light. With an indifferent attitude that showed no concern for the battle, he gently raised the smoke cloud and let it drift lightly through the air.
After a brief silence, a dense, net-like network of sword energy covered the entire mountain range, pressing down relentlessly.
The demons who had no time to escape were instantly annihilated by the endless sword energy, including several powerful demons.
Even the demon king, who had transformed into a hummingbird, could not escape this sword strike. The blood phoenix's mournful cry echoed throughout the mountains before falling silent again.
It is unknown whether this demon king, who has been born for less than an incense stick's time, is seriously injured or has already perished.
Gu Zhong frowned slightly in mid-air, raised his sword again, as if preparing to pursue something.
But before she could make her next move, her eyes closed limply, and she fell straight down from mid-air like a kite with a broken string.
Ling Yan, who had been standing quietly to the side since witnessing Gu Zhong's display of power, quickly stepped forward to catch her, gently pulling her into her arms as if performing a devout pilgrimage.
Due to the disappearance of the Demon King and the fall of several powerful demons, the remaining demons scattered in panic, and the demon tide that had gathered was quickly wiped out.
Only a group of human cultivators remained, caught off guard by this sudden reversal of victory.
Perhaps it was because that sword strike was truly astonishing that, for a moment, all eyes filled with admiration and respect were turned to Gu Zhong in Ling Yan's arms.
Although there were many greedy and envious glances among them, they were irrelevant to Gu Zhong at the moment.
After this battle, the cultivation world should have a place where Gu Zhong stands, without relying on Xingluo Sect or Xingxuan Jun.
The glory and recognition that belonged to Gu Zhong alone, the grand ambition she once made, finally came true.
However, the reasons behind this are not as simple as they seem on the surface, at least the person involved does not agree with them.
“It was her just now.”
Gu Zhong was not unconscious for long. After opening her eyes in Ling Yan's arms, her first words were full of resentment.
When Gu Zhong's aura suddenly changed, Ling Yan realized that his lingering remnant spirit had awakened.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for immortal cultivators to appear in this cultivation world, let alone annihilate half of the demon race with a single sword strike.
Apart from that true war god, no one here could do it.
"But you chose to fight the Demon King."
Without uttering any more nonsense about reincarnation or identity verification, Lingyan chose to affirm Gu Zhong's unwavering courage.
"I'm not actually confident that I can seriously injure the Demon King, but I thought I should give it a try. The worst that could happen is that I'll be defeated and have to flee."
With her thick eyelashes lowered, Gu Zhong softly told Ling Yan what she had been thinking at the time.
"In the end, I can only rely on her. I will never be able to surpass her."
What followed were only words of dejection.
Upon hearing this, Lingyan felt a pang in her heart, wishing she could immediately tell her the truth and stop her from getting stuck in her own thoughts. How could cultivators in the small world of the soul compare to the immortals and gods of the original world?
Don't overthink it.
However, surrounded by enthusiastic onlookers ready to express their gratitude, Lingyan could only utter these words hastily, as a form of comfort, hoping that Gu Zhong would take them to heart.
After a fierce battle, although the immortal sects did not suffer as much as the demon races, they still suffered heavy casualties, with nearly half of their cultivators dying in the battle.
The once grand and imposing army was no longer as lively as before, and the camps and bonfires scattered at the foot of the mountain were all destroyed.
As the thunderclouds dispersed and the setting sun shone brightly in the sky, a sense of loneliness and desolation inevitably arose, stirring up feelings of sorrow in people's hearts.
The leaders of several of the larger immortal sects exchanged glances, stepped forward, and began to exchange pleasantries with Lingyan and Gu Zhong.
Perhaps because she had never been the center of attention before, or perhaps because her ten years of solitary exploration had robbed her of the ability to speak openly with others, Gu Zhong seemed quite awkward.
At this moment, Gu Zhong reverted to the little disciple who used to follow Ling Yan, standing quietly beside his master without saying a word, looking at Ling Yan with eyes full of trust.
"Young Sect Master, do you still remember the omen I mentioned to you before?"
Amidst the harmonious and joyful atmosphere of commercial praise, a voice suddenly and abruptly broke in, causing great displeasure among those who had been interrupted.
"Elder Xia, what do you mean by that?"
As Xia Xiange approached with a smile, Ling Yan's heart pounded like a drum, sensing for no apparent reason that the newcomer harbored ill intentions.
"The stars are scattered, the Seven Killings meet the demon, an omen of world destruction."
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Ling Yan's heart like thunder, and was etched into the minds of everyone present.
"Seven Killings, encountering a demon."
Seemingly noticing their confusion, Xia Xiange slowly repeated one of the sentences.
"Xingxuan Star is located in the central palace, so it should be someone related to the young sect master. I only had suspicions, but seeing your little disciple today confirms it—young sect master, what a pity..."
He feigned regret on his face, but his eyes remained completely unmoved; Xia Xiange was nothing but crocodile tears.
"Elder Xia, what do you mean by that?"
Concealing the fury in her eyes and suppressing the killing intent in her heart, Ling Yan still pretended to be puzzled and asked.
"If you all still remember the prophecy of the world's destruction, you will know what I am talking about."
Gu Zhong is the one destined to destroy the world, and also the Seven Killings Star in my divination ten years ago.
Before the words were even finished, it was like a stone thrown into water, creating ripples all around.
Gu Zhong stared wide-eyed, still looking completely bewildered.
The gazes of those around Xia Xiange shifted completely after she spoke those words. Gratitude and respect vanished, replaced by wariness and hostility, as if they were about to draw their swords and stab Gu Zhong at any moment.
Now kill this man who is said to destroy the world, so that the prophetic catastrophe may be averted.
Chapter 88 Astrologer and Defiant One (Seventeen)
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The relaxed atmosphere was shattered, and in an instant, it returned to a tense and confrontational state.
"Elder Xia is truly joking; this is baseless and baseless!"
Furthermore, everyone, don't forget that when the Demon King descended to earth and waged a bloody battle against the demon race, who made the greatest contribution?
As Ling Yan spoke to everyone, she stared coldly at Xia Xiange, only to find that the woman still wore a smile on her face, looking confident and as if no matter what they said, they could not change the outcome.
In the initial exchange, Lingyan's rebuttal seemed to lose some of its momentum.
The destiny that Gu Zhong carries is a weapon that can easily ruin her reputation and leave her without a burial place.
However, Xia Xiange chose to launch his attack after the Demon King's affair was over, just when Gu Zhong had won everyone's respect. This was something Ling Yan had not anticipated, and it caught everyone off guard.
One moment a king, the next a bandit; heaven and hell can turn in an instant. Fate seems to have no favor to her. Her life has always been full of twists and turns, and she has to endure many hardships.
“Young Sect Master, you should know that decades ago, our Star Luo Sect sacrificed a Tribulation Transcending Elder to obtain the prophecy of the end times through the divination of the soul spirit. It is absolutely correct.”
Xia Xiange explained gently, with a hint of reassurance, as if she were coaxing a child who didn't know right from wrong.
"There are millions of people with this destiny, but can any of them become the one who destroys the world?"
Furthermore, although the hexagram itself is not wrong, it all depends on how it is interpreted.
What if this fate merely happens to be associated with an omen of world destruction, but that's not the cause, but rather a favorable interpretation?
The words came at Xia Xiange like a barrage of bullets. Ling Yan was not exactly known for her silver tongue, but this argument was the culmination of all her debating skills.
"Young Master, there's no need to be so anxious. Everyone is only concerned about the safety of the world, which is why they seem a bit impatient."
But young sect leader, it's better to be safe than sorry. If Gu Zhong really is a world-destroying person, how can we salvage the situation?
If we were to hastily dismiss this matter because of your personal relationship with your disciple, I fear we would be letting down all living beings and all the immortal sects.
Xia Xiange said there was no need to worry, but her words were actually stirring up trouble, exaggerating the consequences of the misjudgment, and also belittling and distorting the relationship between the two, adding another heavy weight to the already hesitant scales of the people present.
More and more people brandished their weapons. Ling Yan gritted her teeth and glared at Xia Xiange, her fingers slightly curled, ready to cast a spell at any moment. A great battle seemed inevitable.
With Gu Zhong and Ling Yan's cultivation levels, if they really wanted to leave, they could fight their way out and no one present could stop them; it would only add to the casualties.
But the real trouble will come after they leave – they will become traitors to the Star Luo Sect and the cultivation world, facing endless pursuit and cannot relax for even a moment, and will never have a peaceful day again.
Lingyan would never want such a worst-case scenario to happen to Gu Zhong, if possible.
"Does Elder Xia mean that I, Gu, am destined to die today?"
At this moment, after a long silence, Gu Zhong, who had barely managed to piece together the cause and effect of their intermittent conversation, asked in a deep voice.
She appeared calm and composed, as if she were not the one about to be forced to her death.
"For the sake of the cultivation world, and even more so for the sake of the entire world, someone has to make a sacrifice."