The Legend of the Princess' Counterattack

Chapter 715: Lotus Heart Fire

In the dim light of dawn, the birdsong outside the cave seemed muffled by a thin veil, barely audible. Yun Yao had just emerged from her coma, feeling exhausted, every muscle protesting the strain. She forced herself to sit up, her gaze anxiously darting to the still unconscious Chu Mochen beside her.

Xiao Cui was guarding the entrance of the cave. When she heard the noise, she hurried over with a bowl of water, her eyes red: "Princess, you are finally awake. You have been in a coma for a whole day and a night, and the prince... is still motionless." Yun Yao took the water, took a sip to moisten her cracked lips, her eyes firm: "Xiao Cui, don't panic, I will definitely save him." After that, regardless of her own weakness, she immediately practiced the "Twin Lotus Heart Technique" to try to repair Chu Mochen's damaged life star.

As the technique circulated, Yun Yao's fingertips glowed with a soft silver light, slowly reaching towards Chu Mochen's chest. However, just as her spiritual power was about to penetrate him, it seemed to encounter a strange resistance and was suddenly repelled. Yun Yao frowned and increased her spiritual power output, but the dark force was like a solid wall, repeatedly repelling her efforts.

"How could this happen?" Yun Yao was terrified, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. The System's voice echoed at this opportune moment, like a thunderclap: "We've detected a trace of Saint Youyue's evil spirit lingering within the prince. This evil spirit is extremely stubborn, deeply entwined with his soul, and conventional methods are difficult to remove. The soul must be tempered with the 'Lotus Heart Tribulation Fire' to completely eliminate it, but the backlash from the fire is extremely strong, and the host may lose some of his memories."

Yun Yao's hands trembled slightly, and her gaze lingered on Chu Mochen's pale face for a moment, a flicker of determination in her eyes. "It doesn't matter if he loses his memory, as long as he can live." She took a deep breath, no longer hesitating, and resolutely activated the "Lotus Heart Tribulation Fire" hidden within her body.

Instantly, golden flames erupted from Yun Yao's palm, and the blazing heat instantly filled the entire cave. Xiao Cui screamed in shock and subconsciously took a few steps back, her eyes filled with fear. "Princess, this fire..." Yun Yao's expression was focused, and she gently soothed, "Xiao Cui, don't be afraid, this is the only way to save the prince."

The flames slowly approached Chu Mochen, like a nimble fire snake, carefully wrapping around his body. The moment they made contact, Chu Mochen's body trembled violently, his teeth clenched, as if enduring immense pain. Yun Yao, seeing this, felt heartbroken, but could only hold back her tears and continue to ignite the flames.

The fire grew stronger and stronger, completely enveloping the two figures. Yun Yao felt a violent force coming back from the flames, like thousands of steel needles, piercing her sea of consciousness. She groaned, her head splitting, and the scene before her began to blur.

Fragments of memory fluttered in her mind like snowflakes. She saw herself in the modern world, Su Yao, who studied hard in the library day and night and fought for her dreams; she saw Chu Mochen's stern face but secretly protecting her when she first entered the palace; she saw the thrilling moment when the two of them joined hands to fight against powerful enemies in the Taixu Secret Realm and seek survival together... These precious memories seemed to be torn away by an invisible force at this moment.

"No!" Yun Yao screamed in her heart. She struggled desperately, trying to grasp those fading memories. At this moment, a hand gently grasped her wrist, weak but firm. Yun Yao opened her eyes suddenly, and what came into view were Chu Mochen's eyes full of deep affection.

"Don't be afraid. I remember you in every way—whether it was Princess Yun Yao or the modern Su Yao." Chu Mochen's voice was hoarse, but it was like the warm spring sun, shining directly into the softest corner of Yun Yao's heart. Yun Yao nodded vigorously with tears in her eyes: "I won't forget it either, never."

The fire of catastrophe still burned fiercely, but at this moment, the two of them held each other tightly, fearless of the unknown risks. Under the tempering of the flames, the evil spirit within Saint Youyue finally let out a series of unwilling roars, and was gradually purified and dissipated.

As the last trace of evil spirits turned to smoke, the calamity fire slowly died down. Yun Yao and Chu Mochen sat in each other's arms, their breaths mingling. Though exhausted, they were filled with gratitude for having survived the calamity.

After a long time, Yun Yao was the first to break the silence. She raised her hand and gently stroked Chu Mochen's slightly haggard face: "How do you feel?" Chu Mochen held her hand, placed it on his lips and kissed it gently: "Much better, thanks to you."

Only then did Xiao Cui step forward tremblingly, with a lingering fear in her eyes: "Princess, Prince, I'm so glad you're all right." Yun Yao smiled slightly and comforted her: "Xiao Cui, thank you for guarding us."

The three of them gathered themselves and were about to discuss their next move when a slight noise suddenly erupted from outside the cave. Yun Yao's eyes flickered, and she instantly became alert. She raised her hand to signal Xiao Cui to silence. She quietly stood up, walked to the cave entrance, and peered out through the crack in the stone.

In the woods outside the cave, shadowy figures seemed to be spying. Yun Yao looked closely, but found that those figures were elusive, ghostly, and unlike ordinary cultivators. She thought to herself, "Could they be the remnants of Saint Youyue? But it doesn't seem like..."

Just when she was wondering, the system suddenly issued an alarm: "Unknown energy fluctuations have been detected, suspected to be related to the ancient ruins, host, be careful." Yun Yao was shocked and looked back at Chu Mochen. The two looked at each other and saw seriousness in each other's eyes.

"Whatever it is, if they dare to provoke me, I'll make sure they never return." Chu Mochen stood up, his aura surging. Although he had just recovered from a serious illness, he was still majestic. Yun Yao nodded slightly, quietly grasping the magic weapon obtained from the secret realm in her hand. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Chu Mochen, waiting for the unknown challenge.

The mysterious figures outside the cave seemed to sense that the people inside had noticed something, so they stopped hiding and slowly walked out of the woods. Yun Yao could see clearly that there were three people coming. They were wearing black robes, their faces obscured by hoods, and their expressions were unclear, but the strange aura they exuded was chilling.

The leader held a glowing staff in his hand and tapped it lightly on the ground, making a dull sound. "Yun Yao, Chu Mochen, I've heard of your great names for a long time and have come to visit you today." The voice was hoarse and deep, as if it came from the Netherworld.

Yun Yao snorted coldly, "What can you do for me, you cunning fellow?" The black-robed man laughed harshly, "I heard you've obtained many treasures from the Ancient Divine Court. We brothers are just trying to borrow them to have a look. If you know what's good for you, hand them over. Otherwise..."

"What else?" Chu Mochen took a step forward, the majesty of the Son of God fully displayed, "How dare you covet the things of the Divine Court?" The man in black robe seemed to be enraged. He waved the staff in his hand, and a black light shot into the cave like lightning.

Yun Yao's eyes focused, and the "Star Chain" in her hand flew out instantly. The twelve luminous pearls on the chain shone brightly, colliding with the black light in the air, emitting a strong energy wave that made the surrounding trees rustle.

"Hmph, you have some skills." Seeing this, the black-robed figure chuckled instead of getting angry. He exchanged a glance with the two men behind him, and all three attacked simultaneously. In an instant, all sorts of strange spells rained down into the cave. Yun Yao and Chu Mochen didn't dare to be careless, and together they unleashed the "Twin Lotus Heart Technique," creating a spiritual shield at the cave entrance.

However, the strength of these three men was beyond imagination, and the shield was crumbling under the attack. Yun Yao was anxious and turned to look at Chu Mochen: "This won't work. We have to think of a way." Chu Mochen glanced around the cave and suddenly his eyes lit up: "Yao'er, look at the valley over there. The terrain is dangerous. Let's lure them over there and use the terrain to our advantage to counterattack."

Yun Yao followed his gaze and nodded in agreement, "Alright, let's do it." With that, the two of them feigned defeat, retracted their shields, and sprinted toward the valley. The black-robed man, thinking they had an opportunity, pursued them relentlessly.

Soon, they arrived at the valley. Yun Yao and Chu Mochen stopped, turned around, and smiled at each other. "Bait taken," Chu Mochen whispered, then separated from Yun Yao and flashed to occupy the high ground on either side of the valley.

The man in black robe stepped into the valley and noticed something strange. His face changed slightly: "Oh no, we've fallen into a trap!" But it was too late. Yun Yao took the initiative to attack and summoned the "Mirror Flower Water Moon Lamp" in her hand. In an instant, she created countless phantoms and surrounded the man in black robe.

The black-robed man panicked and attacked the phantom everywhere, but found it futile. At this moment, Chu Mochen attacked from the other side, and the power of the divine court surged out, transforming into golden sword energy, attacking the black-robed man like a violent storm.

Under the combined attack of the two, the black-robed figure gradually lost ground. The leader, enraged and humiliated, disregarded his companions and attempted to unleash a forbidden spell, aiming to destroy him and Yun Yao and the others. He muttered something, his aura surging violently, a destructive force gathering in his palm.

Yun Yao sensed the danger and her face changed drastically: "Oh no, he's going to self-destruct!" Chu Mochen flashed and came to Yun Yao's side in an instant, protecting her tightly behind him. At the same time, he used all his spiritual power to build a thick defensive barrier in front of him.

"Bang!" A deafening roar filled the valley, sending smoke and dust swirling through the air, sending sand and rocks tumbling. The black-robed man's self-detonation was incredibly powerful, its powerful impact sending the surrounding mountains reeling.

After a long while, the smoke and dust cleared, and Yun Yao and Chu Mochen slowly stood up. Although they were covered in dust, they were fortunately unharmed. They looked towards the place where the black-robed man had exploded. They saw a mess on the ground. The other two black-robed men had been blown to pieces, and the leader was only half a body left, barely breathing.

Yun Yao stepped forward, her eyes icy: "Tell me, who are you? Why are you trying to steal the things from the Divine Court?" The man in black robe coughed up blood, looked up at Yun Yao, his eyes full of hatred: "We... are the remnants of the ancient Demon Cave... The Divine Court destroyed our Demon Cave back then... Today we just want to take back what belongs to us..." Before he could finish his words, his head tilted, and he was completely dead.

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking. The remnants of the ancient demonic lair had reappeared, undoubtedly adding further gloom to their already difficult path. "It seems we need to be more careful in the future," Chu Mochen sighed softly and took Yun Yao's hand. Yun Yao nodded slightly, "Yes, but as long as we're together, we can overcome any difficulty."

After a brief rest, the two left the valley with Xiao Cui, embarking on a new journey. They knew the road to restoring the Heavenly Dao was long, the Saintess Youyue was watching closely, and now, the threat of the Ancient Demon Cave was added. But their faith in each other remained unwavering. Amidst the ever-changing world of cultivation, their figures grew more resolute, forging ahead hand in hand towards an unknown destiny.

Along the way, Yun Yao silently practiced her skills, recuperating the chaotic spiritual energy within her body. Although she hadn't been injured in the fierce battle, the backlash from the calamity fire and the excessive consumption of spiritual energy had left her body somewhat strained. Chu Mochen noticed her abnormality and placed a concerned hand on her shoulder, "Yao'er, if you're tired, just rest for a while. Don't worry."

Yun Yao looked up and gave him a comforting smile: "I'm fine, I just want to improve my strength as soon as possible so that I can face the next challenge." Chu Mochen nodded, his eyes full of heartache: "I know, but don't try too hard, you still have me."

As they were talking, Xiao Cui suddenly pointed ahead and shouted excitedly, "Your Highness, Princess, look, there's a small town ahead!" Yun Yao and Chu Mochen followed her finger and saw smoke curling from cooking fires not far away, a scene of peace and tranquility. "Let's go to the town and take a look. Maybe we can get some information," Yun Yao said, quickening her pace.

Soon, the three of them arrived at a small town. The town was bustling with people, and the streets were filled with shops. Yun Yao and the others found an inn to stay in. As soon as they sat down, they heard the chatter of the diners around them.

"Have you heard? The world of cultivation has been quite unstable recently. Mysterious spiritual fluctuations have appeared in many places. It seems that some ancient relics have appeared in the world."

"That's right. I also heard that the Blood Demon Sect is arresting people everywhere again. I don't know what they are up to."

"Alas, in this world, ordinary people like us just want to live in peace and security."

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen exchanged a glance, each one awestruck. Could the reappearance of these ancient relics be connected to the mysterious energy fluctuations they'd previously encountered? And what about the Blood Demon Sect? Could it be that Saint Youyue has made some new moves?

"It seems that this town is not simple." Yun Yao whispered, "We have to keep an eye on it." Chu Mochen nodded slightly: "Well, let's rest for a night first, and then ask around tomorrow."

As night fell, the town gradually quieted. Yun Yao sat cross-legged in her room, entering a state of meditation. Within her sea of consciousness, the "novel jade slip" related to the laws of heaven emanated a faint glow, seemingly absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy. Yun Yao attempted to communicate with it, but found it like a mysterious treasure trove, so close yet so difficult to fully grasp.

"Host, this jade slip is closely related to the origin of your transmigration. As you collect more fragments of the law, its secrets will gradually be revealed." The system's voice echoed in the sea of consciousness. Yun Yao thought to herself, "It seems that everything is still arranged by the will of heaven..."

Outside the window, moonlight streamed down like water, scattering across every corner of the town. Yun Yao knew that after this brief period of calm, a more violent storm would surely follow. But she remained undaunted, for she had Chu Mochen by her side, sharing their shared faith. On this long journey of cultivation, they would be like stars, piercing the darkness and illuminating the unknown path ahead.