"Once I've tortured your little lover to death, I'll take my sweet time breaking you!"
"Using the Yuehua Physique as a furnace will surely help me ascend to the Soul Formation realm!"
Having shed his disguise, Qin Shou launched an assault on Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao.
Senior Sister Zhao was merely at the Golden Core Great Perfection. Prodigious genius though she was, fully capable of handling an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, against a talent of Qin Shou's caliber she found herself outmatched.
Li Fan was an even greater dead weight.
Every strike Qin Shou unleashed was aimed directly at Li Fan behind Senior Sister Zhao.
She had already been struggling to hold her ground, and striving to protect her lover's life forced her into frantic, hasty parries with every exchange.
Clearly outmatched, they were on the verge of defeat.
Relying on the dharma treasure bestowed by her master, Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan could only fight while retreating, fleeing deep into the ruins.
Using the hidden mechanisms and strange beasts lurking within the ruins, they finally gave Qin Shou the slip for the time being.
Unable to find them for the moment, Qin Shou unexpectedly began laying down an array outside the ruins, vowing to trap and capture them alive within it.
"This is the Central Wuji Array. If the formation is completed, neither of us will have any hope of escape." A glint of resolve flashed through Senior Sister Zhao's eyes. "In a moment, I will go out and fight him to the death. Take that chance to run. You must make it back to the sect and expose his true colors to Master."
Senior Sister Zhao drew her sword, preparing to fly out, when she suddenly noticed the Heavenly Secret Guide given by her master shining once more.
"Senior Sister, wait! Heaven has not sealed every exit!" Li Fan shouted hurriedly.
Following the glow of the Heavenly Secret Guide, the two discovered a hidden chamber deep within the ruins.
Inside lay a skeleton of peculiar proportions.
It was several times larger than an ordinary human's, boasting well over a thousand bones.
Moreover, though the bones seemed to form a seamless whole at a glance, they carried a faint, subtle discordance, as though harvested from entirely different individuals.
Beside the remains, Li Fan found a storage ring.
Inside, apart from a uniquely crafted token carved with the character "Xuan," there were several cultivation manuals.
"Heaven and Earth Mutual Conquest Rhapsody, Eternal Sole Self Incantation..." Li Fan scanned through the books one by one, a hint of joy rising in his eyes.
"Senior Sister, look! This Heaven and Earth Mutual Conquest Rhapsody is actually a rare dual cultivation art! According to the text, the first time two practitioners cultivate it, both will make tremendous leaps in their cultivation. If we cultivate it, we might just both break through..." Li Fan chattered on, only to abruptly notice that Senior Sister Zhao's expression had turned grim.
"Senior Sister Zhao, what's wrong?" Li Fan asked in surprise.
"This must be a stronghold of the Profound Heaven Sect," Senior Sister Zhao said in a heavy voice, staring at the massive skeleton on the ground. "And this must have been one of the Heavenly Kings of the Profound Heaven Sect from back then."
"The Profound Heaven Sect?" Li Fan frowned. "I've never heard of it. What about them?"
Senior Sister Zhao explained patiently, "The Profound Heaven Sect was an evil sect that unified the world in ancient times. Its leaders styled themselves as Heavenly Kings. They usurped heavenly destiny and committed every conceivable atrocity, until cultivators banded together to overthrow them. Although the Profound Heaven Sect fell thousands of years ago, its remnants die hard.
"The Ten Sects of the Immortal Dao, including our Dadao Sect, remain deeply wary of them.
"Any Profound Heaven Sect remnants are to be executed on sight."
Li Fan understood Senior Sister Zhao's concern, but he still felt somewhat dismissive. "The Profound Heaven Sect is the Profound Heaven Sect, and a cultivation art is just an art.
"Can a technique itself really be good or evil?
"We are authentic Dadao Sect disciples through and through, not some Profound Heaven remnants. If it's to save our lives, what harm is there in cultivating their art?"
Senior Sister Zhao's brow remained tightly knitted. "It isn't the same..."
Li Fan glanced toward the exterior; the light of the Central Wuji Array was growing increasingly solid.
"No matter what, it's better than throwing our lives away right now. Besides, if we fall into Qin Shou's hands, even death would be a luxury," Li Fan urged. "At worst, once we get through this crisis, we can just abolish the art."
After long contemplation, under the mounting, oppressive weight of the array outside, Senior Sister Zhao had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Together, they began studying the Heaven and Earth Mutual Conquest Rhapsody.
In the exhilarating, seamless dual cultivation of divine souls, the two felt as if the boundary between them had vanished.
Their thoughts intertwined in perfect harmony, a single fleeting moment feeling richer than tens of thousands of years.
Their auras resonated in unison, swelling and growing continuously.
In the end, with the power of dual cultivation, Senior Sister Zhao successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, while Li Fan achieved Core Formation.
Having broken through an entire major realm, Senior Sister Zhao's combat prowess underwent a qualitative leap.
Seizing the final moment before the array fully solidified, the two blasted their way out and clashed with Qin Shou.
Laying down the array over several days had drained a tremendous amount of Qin Shou's mental energy.
Seeing that Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao had both broken through and his scheme was about to fall apart, a profound shock struck his heart, and he found it impossible to accept.
Having lost his composure, he grew increasingly flustered in the face of Senior Sister Zhao's lethal strikes.
Meanwhile, Li Fan's occasional secret voice transmissions stoked the flames of his fury, driving him past all reason.
"Senior Brother Qin, aren't you curious how the two of us managed to break through so quickly?"
"Hahaha, it's truly all thanks to you!"
"At the brink of life and death, we found a dual cultivation art inside the ruins."
"You know what a dual cultivation art means, don't you, Senior Brother Qin?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
"If not for this little stunt of yours, who knows how long I would have had to wait to fulfill my heart's desire!"
Li Fan relentlessly provoked Qin Shou with his words while seizing every opening caused by Qin Shou's faltering focus to press the attack.
Watching the two fight in seamless coordination was something Qin Shou simply could not bear.
"You... damn you all to death!"
Throwing all caution to the wind, Qin Shou launched mad, suicidal attacks against the two.
Even joining forces, Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan found it somewhat grueling to withstand him for a time.
However, an assault fueled by sheer madness could not last.
Gradually, once they adapted to Qin Shou's attack rhythm, Qin Shou fell back into a disadvantage.
In the midst of this grueling battle, Qin Shou also realized with despair that his injuries had grown far too severe. Escaping was no longer an option.
"You adulterous pair! I curse you!"
Beneath Qin Shou's venomous glare, Senior Sister Zhao cleaved with her sword.
Qin Shou's head flew high into the air, his eyes wide in unyielding death.
Seeing their formidable enemy perish, Li Fan finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Just now, I was only trying to provoke him on purpose. If any of my words were inappropriate, I hope you won't take offense, Senior Sister," Li Fan said somewhat apologetically.
"We already have the reality of husband and wife. Must you still treat me like a stranger?" Senior Sister Zhao asked, knitting her brows.
Li Fan slapped his forehead. "I was being foolish!"
After cleaning up the aftermath, the two returned to the secret chamber in the ruins.
Exhausted in both body and mind, Li Fan held Senior Sister Zhao in his arms and drifted into a deep sleep.
When they awoke, they did not immediately return to the sect.
Instead, after hesitating for a while, they decided to abolish the Heaven and Earth Mutual Conquest Rhapsody.
There were plenty of dual cultivation arts; they didn't have to stick with this particular one.
Yet after a brief attempt, the two exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting subtly.
Chapter 510