Chapter 36: Heart Lamp Part 4

Demonic Qi surged wildly, slamming into the Wisdom Sword repeatedly.

With a bang, the golden light dimmed. Torrential Demonic Qi surged back along the blade, corroding Xiang Xian’s entire body. Xiang Xian let out a cry of agony as he was assailed by Demonic Fire and plummeted toward the ground.

“Xiang Xian—!” Xiao Kun ignored the search for the Heart Lamp and rushed toward the falling Xiang Xian, catching him in his arms.

Xiang Xian gasped violently. The golden light of the Wisdom Sword reignited, repelling the Demonic Qi and expelling the swirling black fire, causing the black qi in his eyes to gradually fade.

Xiao Kun looked up to see the mountains shaking and the earth quaking, as if something massive was approaching. King Mu dove down from high in the sky once more.

Xiao Kun immediately pulled Xiang Xian behind him to shield him. He gripped his Dual Knives in his right hand and pressed his left hand to his chest, fingers curled in a grasping motion. A surge of indigo light bloomed from his hand—he had sacrificed his own Inner Elixir!

King Mu hovered in the air, spreading his arms wide. The flower bud on his head bloomed, spewing thick black qi that enveloped the entire river valley.

The Demon King’s eyes glowed purple in the darkness as he slowly said, “The Heart Lamp still rejects you.”

Xiao Kun stood guard in front of Xiang Xian, facing King Mu. Ghost Fire blazed in his eyes, repelling the night. He said gravely, “So what?”

As his words fell, Xiao Kun smeared the energy from the Inner Elixir in his palm across his blade!

Senluo Wanxiang ignited with Abyssal Nether Fire, rising like a dragon tornado and swallowing heaven and earth. Blue light exploded in Xiao Kun’s eyes, making him seem like a being of even higher order than King Mu, manifesting briefly!

Behind him appeared the shadow of an ancient goddess covered in wounds. Her divine voice resounded once more as Nüba leaned forward, spreading her clasped claws. Xiao Kun stood between them, leaning in as he thrust both Dual Knives forward!

King Mu crossed his Demon Spear to block, but the crisscrossing saber qi first shattered the spear, then cleaved through his demonic body. Demonic Qi exploded outward! A bird cry echoed from the space gate as a Black Fire Bird shot out, slamming onto King Mu’s body with a bang. Amid his mad roar, King Mu turned into a black fire meteor and hurled toward the space gate, fleeing back to the Heavenly Demon Palace.

The space gate collapsed, contracting to a single point before vanishing.

Hulü Guang rushed toward them, shouting, “Lord Xiao! Master!”

The blue light faded from Xiao Kun’s eyes, and his Dual Knives slipped from his grasp. He collapsed amid the swirling wind and sand.

The instant Xiao Kun hit the ground, Xiang Xian regained consciousness. He steadied his breathing, staggered to his feet, and caught Xiao Kun. Outside the river valley, thousands of troops and horses appeared from nowhere, charging into the valley.

A Huang swooped down and said, “War Dead Corpse Ghosts have appeared! Get out of here, quick!”

Xiang Xian said, “What just happened?!”

Xiang Xian had no time to check on Xiao Kun. He hoisted him up and began to flee.

In moments, the hills and valleys filled with War Dead Corpse Ghosts—each with indigo skin, murky eyes, clad in rusted armor, wielding ancient weapons—as they charged at them.

“Xiao Kun!” Xiang Xian said. “Wake up! What’s wrong with you?”

A Huang: “The Heart Lamp burned him! It doesn’t accept him!”

Xiang Xian said, “It’s fine… We’ll find another way. We have to get out of this place first!”

They ran into the canyon, but the War Dead Corpse Ghosts pursued relentlessly. Intense pain briefly restored Xiao Kun’s clarity. Xiang Xian’s anxious shouts in his ears and the tremors around him made it feel like a dream.

“I… failed.” Xiao Kun said.

That final strike sacrificing his Inner Elixir to empower his blade had dealt a severe blow to his cultivation base. All his True Qi was now rampaging wildly within him, nearly causing his body to explode.

“It’s okay! It’s okay!” Xiang Xian carried Xiao Kun on his back, stumbling along with Hulü Guang as he shouted, “Pull yourself together! Xiao Kun!”

Xiao Kun had never imagined the Heart Lamp’s power could be so immense and ruthless. The moment he touched it, it burned through his meridians and blood, incinerating his lifelong cultivation base as if he were filth, an enemy, intent on reducing him to ashes.

“Forget me,” Xiao Kun’s voice trembled as he collapsed to the ground. His entire body refused to obey him. “I’m… dying, but you have to live, Xiang Xian. I… have something to tell you. I… you…”

“No, you’re not going to die.” Xiang Xian said. “Hulü Guang, take him and go.”

Xiang Xian pushed Xiao Kun toward Hulü Guang and barked, “Take him to Chaosheng!”

“Wait, Xiang Xian—” Xiao Kun struggled to prop himself up, clutching Xiang Xian’s clothes. He mustered his last bit of strength and roared.

Xiang Xian turned to look at Xiao Kun, his eyes filled with an inexplicable emotion. Everything had happened too fast for him to think deeply; his only thought was to keep Xiao Kun alive, no matter what—no matter how, he could not die.

Xiang Xian gave a sharp whistle. A Huang spread his wings wide, transforming Xiang Xian into the fire god.

Xiang Xian assumed a bare-handed preparatory stance, guarding the canyon exit. His body erupted in brilliant flames, turning into a meteor as he charged toward the thousands of troops charging toward them at the canyon’s end.

In the Kizil River Valley, Blazing Flame pierced through both ends of the canyon like dragon fire, unleashing a earth-shattering explosion that instantly overturned countless War Dead Corpse Ghosts.

The river changed course. The southern caves collapsed in a chain reaction, and chaotic boulders surged like a tsunami toward the flame god radiating a thousand-zhang light in the valley’s center.

In the instant the river valley crumbled, a sky-obscuring sandstorm whipped up around them.