Within the colossal pit, mist and luminous vapor swirled, while blood splattered the rim. The atmosphere was extraordinarily tense. No one had expected that, even in the final moments, unforeseen twists would arrive one after another.
None of the factions were satisfied. Some flew into a rage, some seethed with murderous intent, some wrung their hands and sighed, others looked completely despondent, and still others were on the verge of madness.
Li Qingxu's eyes were bloodshot. His hand had been stretched all the way out; he had been a mere hairsbreadth away from fleeing with the Eight Trigrams Furnace to become the ultimate victor.
"Who was it?!" He burned with the urge to kill. Three times in a row, he had missed it by just a fraction. Had he managed to touch it even once, he could have brought the contest to an immediate close.
He knew there likely would not be a fourth chance. Watching a near-immortal item slip right through his fingers like this was enough to break anyone's composure.
Purple rosy light erupted across his body as he swung the purple bamboo staff in his grip, smashing a four-meter-tall boulder into pulverized fragments!
Tang Xumi was filled with even greater killing intent. One of his own entourage had betrayed him, striking him with a sudden palm and snatching the Eight Trigrams Furnace. It was no different from kicking him down from the glorious heights of the clouds—the sudden drop was far too jarring, and the humiliation stung deeply.
Miraculously, the near-immortal item came flying right back toward him!
Livid a moment ago, Tang Xumi was stunned, and then filled with delight. What kind of absurd turn was this? It was almost beyond belief!
After its flight path was altered, the Eight Trigrams Furnace had landed in the hands of an elite disciple. That disciple was utterly bewildered. He felt no joy, only sheer terror.
In the current climate, where even an exhale of hot breath could ignite the powder keg, this was an item of certain doom. Holding it for even a single breath could cost him his head, which would be blasted into paste. Fortunately, his reactions were swift, and he hurled it away at once.
Although Li Qingyue had appeared, few paid attention to her, as she was currently dressed as a gold-armored guard, wearing a golden mask.
Lu Zhen, the youth from the Yinyang Daoist Temple, was undeniably formidable. Having already pulled back, he now charged back in with black-and-white light radiating from his hands to seize the Eight Trigrams Furnace once more.
Whether gold-armored guards or outer realm disciples, anyone before Lu Zhen was hurled aside. Yinyang force erupted, and two rays of heavenly light—one black, one white—flew from between his hands, utterly unstoppable.
Moreover, his black-and-white Yinyang light possessed an extraordinary quality. Not only could it kill, but it could also sweep away various spiritual items. Nearby, someone hurled a spiritual spear forged from lightning-struck wood with all their might, whistling through the air, only for the black-and-white light to instantly brush it to the ground and tear it to shreds.
"You still dare return!" Tang Xumi bellowed in rage. Reaching out, he seized the near-immortal item, his murderous intent surging as the spiritual light of his consciousness boiled.
In an instant, Lu Zhen and Tang Xumi clashed. The nature of the Yinyang light shifted completely: the dark light vanished, turning entirely into Extreme Yang, blazing like the fire of a scorching sun.
The outer realm disciples who had just been thrown to the ground scrambled to their feet, only to immediately shrink back in terror. Not daring to draw near, they drew in the spiritual light of their consciousness, fearing it would be ignited and incinerated.
Formidable as Tang Xumi was, when facing this Extreme Yang light from a unique force renowned across the realm, he had no choice but to promptly withdraw the spiritual light of his consciousness and unleash the divine rosy light within his Yellow Court to thrust forward.
Blinding light bloomed between the two, blasting away tabletop-sized stones from the surface and tearing many of them apart in midair, scattering stone fragments in every direction.
The hearts of many outer realm disciples trembled. This youth from the Yinyang Daoist Temple was truly terrifying. A peer who had walked the path of mutation could actually clash head-on with a core disciple of the outer realm!
Though wounded, Tang Xumi still possessed remarkable combat prowess. Holding Lu Zhen off, he manifested a spiritual saber tempered by heavenly light and slashed forward through the air!
Suddenly, the ground cracked, and a serene, ethereal figure approached. Seeing that the youth his family had hired was so fierce as to strike a second time, Li Qingxu naturally pressed forward, seeking a fourth chance to touch the Eight Trigrams Furnace.
He knew his family had sent many rare treasures to the youth's sect just to secure his help from the Yinyang Daoist Temple. Truly, he was worth every bit of it.
Li Qingxu brought his staff down against the vibrantly colored spiritual saber, deflecting Tang Xumi's ferocious blow.
Living up to expectations, Lu Zhen circulated his Yinyang force and unleashed a massive burst of black-and-white light, breaching the gap to engage Tang Xumi in close-quarters combat. With a thunderous boom, like a bolt tearing through the sky, the two exchanged a palm strike. Both lost their balance and staggered backward.
"You're actually walking both paths at once, practicing a special heavenly light force as well?" The youth from the Yinyang Daoist Temple was genuinely startled.
Hearing this, the outer realm disciples were dazed, inwardly marveling at how formidable Tang Xumi truly was. To think he possessed such hidden strength and straddled both paths.
"He is only doing so to temper the spiritual light of his consciousness, not to advance along both paths simultaneously," Li Qingxu stated, swinging his bamboo staff to launch another assault.
The three clashed fiercely. Divine rosy light surged like waves, battering every direction amid rolling dust, carving half-foot-wide fissures across the ground.
Like a ghost, Jiang Shengyu—who had previously withdrawn from the battlefield—charged back into the fray, striking directly in hopes of seizing the Eight Trigrams Furnace amidst the chaos.
Su Jingshu dashed forward as well. Hu Tingwen gritted his teeth, downed a jar of medicinal liquid, and seized the moment to step onto the field, joining the contest for the near-immortal item.
A massive free-for-all erupted at once!
Coughing blood, Tang Xumi cast the Eight Trigrams Furnace to the ground. Had he held on to it any longer, he would certainly have been besieged to death.
Lu Zhen was wounded, blood continually spilling from his lips. The newly joined core disciples singled him out; since all of them were injured, they could never allow the youth from the Yinyang Daoist Temple to remain at full strength.
Right then, people noticed a female gold-armored guard walking toward the battlefield at an unhurried pace.
Though she was covered in cold metal armor plates, people could still sense an unmistakable aura of immortality about her. She was definitely no Outer Sage; a brilliant rain of light was already flowing across her skin.
As she drew near with light, nimble steps, the core disciples locked in combat abruptly turned and launched their strongest techniques at her alone.
"What is going on?" The spectators outside were stunned.
Earlier, six core disciples had joined forces to besiege an elite disciple.
Now, things were even more absurd: every single core disciple, including the wounded youth from the Yinyang Daoist Temple, was striking at this one mysterious woman.
With a dull thud, Jiang Shengyu was sent flying backward, blood pouring from his nose, mouth, and even ears, blasted over twenty meters away.
Hu Tingwen was swept by a wave of five-colored rosy light. He stumbled, nearly planting headfirst into the ground, and retreated repeatedly.
With a metallic ring, a short sword wrapped in divine rosy light appeared in Li Qingyue's hand, parrying Li Qingxu's purple bamboo staff. The instant she deflected the staff, a dazzling burst of light erupted from her blade, drawing blood across Li Qingxu's chest and forcing him into a swift retreat.
Before Li Qingyue's left hand hovered a wooden shield slightly larger than a palm, shimmering with translucent luster. It met the right palm thrust from the youth of the Yinyang Daoist Temple, whipping up sand and gravel like a hurricane and tearing numerous boulders apart.
Amid muffled crashes, both Tang Xumi and Su Jingshu were sent flying back, pale and bloodstained. When they crashed to the ground, their bodies swayed uncontrollably.
This shift left the spectating disciples dumbfounded. Who had just entered the field? How could she be so overpowering?!
Li Qingyue spoke: "I know you have all been waiting for me to draw near, hoping to stage another encirclement and attack in unison. Acting must have been exhausting, wasn't it?"
She knew very well that although most people hadn't noticed when she hurled that stone earlier, she could not have hidden it from everyone. A select few had spotted her. "In truth, I could have sat back, watched the chaos unfold, and entered much later, leaving you with no chance at all."
Having said that, Li Qingyue looked around at the crowd and said, "Had I done that, you might have felt aggrieved afterward. So now, I am giving you your chance. You are all carrying injuries, aren't you? Then come at me together—and those still lurking in secret may step forward as well!"
Everyone's heart leaped. She was going to clear the field!
The spectating disciples now knew who had arrived. The greatest favorite in the contest for the near-immortal item, Li Qingyue, had returned!
"Wasn't Junior Sister Li besieged and grievously wounded? She's actually unharmed!"
"This... this really exceeds my expectations!"
Li Qingyue removed her golden mask, revealing her true face. She looked like an armored immortal maiden, possessing an ethereal, transcendent grace while an overbearing aura steadily surged around her.
The onlookers were shocked, and a clamor broke out.
Within the arena, the core disciples looked solemn. Their current condition was dreadful; even joined together like this, they would likely fail to suppress Li Qingyue.
They could clearly sense that Li Qingyue had grown stronger—she seemed to have stepped onto another tier entirely.
Tang Xumi let out a bitter laugh. "Junior Sister Li, you truly had no need to appear so early. We were the ones who besieged you first; no matter how you chose to enter the fray in the end, no one would have contested it. It seems this was heaven's will. We feared you and wanted to knock you out of the running first, yet after going in circles, you have returned at the final hour to clear the field."
Li Qingyue replied, "I am giving everyone closure. A final battle for us all. Go ahead and fight with everything you have!"
Li Qingxu's expression shifted slightly, and the other core disciples wore complicated looks. They guessed that Li Qingyue's return for this final clash was meant to establish her prestige and win over the other disciples, laying the groundwork for the future.
"This is a contest among outer realm disciples. You should leave; otherwise, I will focus on you first," Li Qingyue said, turning to Lu Zhen. The youth from the Yinyang Daoist Temple was exceptionally strong, but he had provoked Tang Xumi into a clash of attrition. Because the others feared him as well, they had all secretly undermined him, leaving him heavily injured.
"I did my best." Lu Zhen nodded to Li Qingxu, then turned and walked away without the slightest hesitation.
The next instant, all the core disciples attacked again. Since the final moment had not yet arrived, they refused to accept defeat. Even if wounded, if all of them endured the pain and unleashed several of their supreme arts together, could they really fail to pierce Li Qingyue's protective rosy light?
The melee erupted!
Just then, a tall, slender figure entered the field like lightning. Moving at staggering speed, she thrust a spiritual spear directly toward Li Qingyue's back.
With a clang, as if Li Qingyue had anticipated it all along, the translucent wooden shield blocked the spear.
At the same time, she spun around and clashed palm-to-palm against the newcomer. Boundless rosy light erupted, conjuring a kaleidoscopic tempest that swept in every direction.
The newly arrived figure was forced backward continuously. Her fair hands spasmed, and the spiritual light of her consciousness flickered and dimmed as blood repeatedly spilled from her mouth.
"Qingyue, you haven't just advanced a small step—it's a giant leap!" Wang Caiwei sighed. After watching for so long and concealing her strength until the very end before entering the fray, she was still no match. She could change nothing!
This sight shook the other core disciples. Even though reinforcements had arrived, they could find no joy in it. With hidden rivals emerging one after another, who could feel at ease?
Wang Caiwei attacked again. She possessed immense strength, clashing with Li Qingyue several more times until all color drained from her beautiful face, leaving it deathly pale.
The others also joined the siege. With the near-immortal item right before their eyes, they were truly unwilling to give up. Thud, thud, thud...
Several core disciples were grievously wounded in succession!
During the battle, the Eight Trigrams Furnace was knocked spinning away, yet not a single outer realm disciple dared to pick it up. Many knew that it practically belonged to Li Qingyue already.
Qin Ming clambered up the colossal pit and spotted the near-immortal item sitting right at the rim. Fearing it might tumble back down, he picked it up.
"Give it to me!" Wang Caiwei broke away from the battlefield. Stained with blood, she charged toward him, a brilliant stream of light manifesting beneath her feet as she crossed the distance.
Li Qingyue merely cast a glance their way and did not pursue.
Chapter 121