bookrebus Chapter 725: Turning against guests
Chapter 725: Turning against guests
The gloomy underground chamber was filled with a mingled aura of decay and demonic evil. Like a demon in the dark night, the Holy Maiden Youyue sat atop a formation constructed from the bones of semi-immortals. Her form radiated an eerie translucence, while behind her stood twelve semi-immortal phantoms, threatening like demons from the Nine Netherworlds. Their faces twisted, they emanated a chilling demonic aura, yet Yun Yao recognized them instantly: they were the twelve most respected elders of the Divine Court who had once doted on Chu Mochen.
"Chu Mochen, look at this," the Holy Maiden Youyue let out a sharp, piercing laugh, like the cry of a night owl, piercing the deathly silence of the secret room. "These elders who once regarded you as a treasure, now have their souls torn apart in my hands. Life and death are at my mercy." With that, her bony hand suddenly stretched out, and her long, sharp nails fiercely pinched the neck of an elder's phantom, as if grasping a lamb to be slaughtered. "Tell me, are you going to save them, or your little lover? Hmm?"
Chu Mochen's eyes were bloodshot, blazing with flames. His muscles tensed, ready to attack at any second. Veins snaked like angry little snakes across his neck and arms. He stared intently at Saint Youyue, his fists clenched, his knuckles white, and his joints crackled in protest as his bones rubbed against his suppressed rage.
Yun Yao's anxiety was surging, her gaze darting between the elder's shadow and Chu Mochen's. Suddenly, her eyes flashed, as if she had caught a crucial clue. She peered closely and discovered a familiar trace of a lotus mark between the shadows' brows. Though obscured by the demonic power, it couldn't escape her discerning eye—they were clearly under the vicious "Spiritual Curse"!
"Don't panic, stay calm..." Yun Yao whispered to herself, her mind racing like precision gears. Suddenly, she thought of the "Mirror Flower, Water Moon Lamp" she had found in the secret realm. It was a magical treasure capable of creating illusions. Though shattered, its fragments were still useful.
She remained silent, taking advantage of the Youyue Saint's frenzy of controlling the situation. She quietly removed the fragment of the "Mirror Flower Water Moon Lamp" hidden in her sleeve and slowly activated it with spiritual power, allowing it to merge into the surrounding domain of law. With the infusion of spiritual power, the fragments glowed brightly, transforming into twelve false spirits identical to the elder's phantom. They hovered in mid-air, emitting a faint glow, quietly awaiting Yun Yao's next command.
Saint Youyue was now blinded by elation, her eyes filled with madness and greed, oblivious to the unusual events. Her hands danced, her voice muttering to herself. Strange, demonic sounds echoed through the chamber, and one after another, demonic patterns surged from her palms, converging into a sinister "Spell of the Imperius," striking fiercely at the false spirit like black lightning.
"Now!" Yun Yao shouted inwardly, seizing the perfect moment and instantly unleashing the "Law Backlash." The blood-red lotus petals between her brows shone brightly, transforming into a surging torrent of blood. Following the path of the Imperius Curse, it poured back into Youyue Saint's body like a flood.
The Holy Maiden of Phantom Moon suddenly let out a shrill, piercing scream that seemed to pierce the depths of the underworld, shaking the walls of the chamber and sending stone chips cascading down. Her body trembled violently, and she struggled desperately, trying to sever the connection with the curse, but the backlash clung to her like a thorn in her flesh, clinging to her tightly.
Sensing the curse's loss of control, the half-immortal phantoms instantly freed themselves from the clutches of the Holy Maiden Youyue. Like wanderers returning from their lost ways, they all knelt before Chu Mochen. "Your Highness, save us!" Their cries, brimming with pain and regret, echoed in the chamber for a long time.
"Yao'er, use the Lotus Heart Lock to purify the curse!" Chu Mochen roared, and without hesitation injected his own vast divine power into Yun Yao's body like a bursting dam.
Yun Yao took a deep breath, suppressing the surging blood and qi within her. She lightly tapped her tongue against the roof of her mouth, mobilizing her spiritual energy. She moved with delicate lotus steps, her posture light yet resolute. With a flick of her fingertips, golden lotus petals, shimmering with golden light, slowly unfolded from her palms, each petal imbued with the power of the sun. Her fingertips brushed the brows of each shadowy figure, and wherever they touched, the evil spirits melted away like lingering spring snow beneath the golden light.
The elders' minds gradually regained clarity, the haze in their eyes fading, their former wisdom and majesty reappearing. They looked at Yun Yao and Chu Mochen, filled with gratitude and guilt. Just as they were about to express their gratitude, the chamber suddenly shook.
Seeing the situation was hopeless, Saint Youyue became enraged, her face twisted like a demonic one. She was determined to detonate the center of the formation at all costs. In an instant, the chamber shook violently, demonic flames erupted from the cracks in the rocks, and huge rocks rained down like raindrops.
"Not good! Let's go!" Chu Mochen rushed to Yun Yao and held her tightly in his arms. The power of his divine power transformed into a golden shield, resisting the flying stones and surging demonic flames. Then, he hugged Yun Yao tightly and used the teleportation magic power, appearing on the ground in the blink of an eye.
As soon as he landed, Chu Mochen noticed Yun Yao's breath was weak, like a candle in the wind. Worried, he looked down and saw Yun Yao's face was as pale as paper, her lips were bloodless, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, soaking her hair.
"Yao'er, how are you?" Chu Mochen's voice trembled. He held Yun Yao's hands tightly with both hands, trying to transfer his spiritual power to her, but found that Yun Yao's soul was too badly damaged, and her spiritual power was like a drop in the ocean, with no improvement at all.
"I... am fine..." Yun Yao forced out a weak smile, trying to comfort Chu Mochen, but before she could finish her words, her vision went dark and she fainted.
Chu Mochen's heart ached. He carefully picked up Yun Yao and rushed towards their temporary resting place without delay. Along the way, the wind whistled in his ears, but he was completely unaware of it. His mind was filled with Yun Yao's pale face.
Returning to their destination, they found a quaint courtyard hidden deep in a valley. Silence reigned, the only sound being the rustling of bamboo leaves. Chu Mochen gently laid Yun Yao on the bed, his hands forming intricate hand seals as he chanted the ancient mystical incantations of the Divine Court. Soft golden light streamed from his palms, flowing slowly into Yun Yao's body like a gurgling stream, nourishing her damaged spirit.
Moonlight streamed through the window lattice onto the bed, illuminating the two figures. Chu Mochen stayed by the bedside, awake all night, his eyes never leaving Yun Yao. The worry and love in his eyes seemed to be tangible, as if to wrap Yun Yao tightly.
Until the dawn broke and the first ray of sunlight shone into the house, Yun Yao's eyelashes trembled slightly and she slowly woke up.
"Yao'er, you finally woke up!" Chu Mochen cried with joy, his voice hoarse and his eyes red. He hugged Yun Yao in his arms, as if he wanted to merge her into his bones and blood.
Yun Yao leaned in Chu Mochen's arms, feeling his strong heartbeat, her heart filled with warmth and peace of mind. She gently raised her hand, wanting to wipe away the tears from the corners of Chu Mochen's eyes, but found that her hand was too weak.
"I'm sorry that you've been tired from my sleep." Yun Yao said softly, with a faint smile on her lips, but a hint of fatigue in her eyes.
"As long as you are safe, everything I do is worth it." Chu Mochen hugged her tightly, as if he wanted to dispel all the worries and fears of this night in this hug.
The two hugged each other for a moment, and Yun Yao suddenly remembered something and struggled to get up. "Xiao Cui... Xiao Cui, she's still..."
"Don't worry, Xiao Cui is fine." Chu Mochen hurriedly supported her and said softly, "I've asked her to prepare some nourishing food. You need to take good care of yourself now."
As she was speaking, Xiao Cui pushed the door open and walked in, holding a steaming bowl of medicine in her hands. "Princess, you're awake! I was so scared." Xiao Cui's eyes were red as she quickly walked to the bedside and put the bowl down. "This is the medicine that the prince ordered me to make. Drink it while it's hot."
Seeing Xiao Cui's concerned expression, Yun Yao felt a warm feeling in her heart. She reached out to take the medicine bowl. Just as she was about to take a sip, she caught a glimpse of a flash of blood deep in Xiao Cui's pupils. Startled, she silently activated the Lotus Heart Technique, her spiritual power quietly penetrating Xiao Cui's meridians.
Sure enough, in Xiao Cui's dantian, a blood-colored jade slip was quietly dormant, engraved with the evil mark of the Holy Maiden Youyue, and emitting wisps of demonic aura.
"I'm sorry, Princess..." Xiao Cui seemed to sense something was wrong, and tears of blood instantly flowed from her eyes, "I can't control myself..."
Seeing this, Chu Mochen's face darkened. He instantly gathered spiritual power in his palm and was about to take action.
"Wait!" Yun Yao hurriedly stopped him, shaking her head. "She's a mortal. If you forcibly remove the curse, she'll die."
After saying this, Yun Yao took a deep breath, suppressing her weakness, and carefully peeled off a strand of her soul. That strand of soul transformed into a shimmering silver lotus, slowly drifting into Xiao Cui's sea of consciousness, wrapping the blood-colored jade slip layer by layer, like a sturdy armor covering a fragile pistil.
"From now on, I will be your amulet." Yun Yao held Xiao Cui's hand, looked firm, and said softly.
Xiao Cui burst into tears and fell to her knees. "Princess, my life is yours from now on!"
Outside the window, the morning sun cast its warm light, illuminating the three people inside. Despite all the hardships they've endured, their faith has only grown stronger. Even if the road ahead is thorny, they remain fearless, for they rely on each other and will never leave each other.