If life were only as when first met, Xu Yuan's impression of Tianyan might have been summed up in two words: "mysterious." Back then, her temperament, her cultivation arts, and even the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion she belonged to were all shrouded in dense fog. But life invariably marched relentlessly forward with time.
And so, Tianyan was not mysterious.
On the contrary, when compared to the bizarre temperaments molded by various cultivation systems and immense personal might, she appeared all too ordinary.
She would get jealous, lose her temper, and throw unreasonable tantrums. Compared to Ran Qingmo's ethereal detachment from mortal affairs or Li Qingyan's mirror-flower, water-moon perfection, Tianyan was like the girl-next-door one could find anywhere in his past life.
In fact, objectively speaking, she was even a little slow on the uptake. After all, despite being the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, she had failed to mount a single decent counterattack ever since crossing paths with him.
Yet at this very moment, Xu Yuan's impression of her reverted back to the beginning.
Mysterious.
At the center of the blood mist, amidst the sea of flesh and blood mimicked by the black death fungal carpet, Xu Yuan looked up at the young girl descending upon him with indifferent murderous intent.
The Life Dao Charm devoured the vitality of living creatures to nourish the black death fungal carpet, which then transformed into an Inter-Abyss to supply him with Source Qi, forming a self-sustaining cycle.
Just as Xu Yuan had thought, as a calamity from ten thousand years ago, the aberrant ghosts' Inter-Abyss could counter the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's "Tianyan Dao Method." The Inter-Abyss insulated him from the influence that the Tianyan Dao Method exerted over the world's Source Qi.
Yet just as water could extinguish fire, fire could also boil water.
Just like in the Charm God Illusion realm, Tianyan had once again made the most correct choice.
She gave him no opportunity to expand the Inter-Abyss; the fledgling Inter-Abyss could not withstand the blazing radiance surrounding her.
Tianyan's pair of golden pupils emanated a holy radiance as the profound seal formed in her hands pressed directly against his body.
And then—
The bloody mist blanketing Heaven Sword Peak was abruptly pierced through by a violent beam of iridescent light!
The beam swept horizontally, effortlessly plowing a deep trench across the mountain range, before deafening detonations and smoke ignited a raging wildfire across the slopes!
When everything returned to stillness, at the heart of the blood mist hidden from outside sight, the boundless black death fungal carpet had turned charred and black, with the glow of dying embers flickering and drifting among the ashes.
Xu Yuan gripped Tianyan's fair wrist as her fingers held the seal. The halo on the tips of her fingers had not dissipated, the searing luminescence still flickering atop them.
The Life Dao Charm continually mended the fatal wound at his waist, while destructive flames incessantly scorched away this surging vitality.
Had he not intervened to stop it,
this searing beam of light would have severed him at the waist.
With Xu Yuan's system of techniques, he would not have died on the spot, but severed meridians would have disrupted his arts, throwing him into an utterly passive disadvantage.
For the black death fungal carpet among the surrounding ashes had already demonstrated that the Life Dao Charm could not immediately mend the wounds wrought by this art.
In a battle of this caliber, falling into absolute disadvantage differed from outright death only by a matter of time.
Indifferent, emotionless golden pupils met his gaze.
Tianyan still strained with all her might to cleave downward, her slender hand formed into the seal trembling slightly in their contest of strength. Seeing this, Xu Yuan chuckled softly, though a streak of blood spilled uncontrollably from the corner of his lips:
"A very fine attack."
Amidst their struggle, life gradually regenerated from the ashes. The reborn black death fungal carpet began to rustle and creep toward Xu Yuan, acting like glue to forcibly seal the scorched slash wound that even the Life Dao Charm could not heal.
And at the same time,
tendrils condensed from the black death fungal carpet reached toward the pure, flawless girl before him, coiling upward from her bare feet.
Calves, thighs, waist, arms... neck.
Within a few breaths, the black death fungal carpet controlled by Xu Yuan had enveloped her entire body, yet by a mere hair's breadth, it was held at bay by a faint layer of golden light.
Creak... creak...
It tightened, applying tremendous force!
The black death fungal carpet could not pierce the delicate radiance around Tianyan, but the immense force still pulled her slender hand—still locked in its seal—away from his torso bit by bit.
Yet Tianyan still did not give up.
Xu Yuan looked down at her frosty face, his voice carrying a sigh:
"What are you holding out for? A technique like this beam of blazing sunlight shouldn't be your trump card. Now that it has failed, why not retreat?"
As he spoke, his intent-soul transformed into a viscous black mist and began spreading outward, wisps of it melting away the thin halo surrounding her.
Feeling her Tianyan Dao Method being relentlessly eroded by the eerie power, the girl said nothing. Not the slightest waver stirred in her eyes; she merely stared calmly at the man before her.
As their gazes locked as before,
Xu Yuan suddenly sensed an incoming qi dynamic not far away. He smiled abruptly, resting a hand on top of the girl's head, and chuckled softly:
"It's because you saw the future, isn't it?"
As he spoke,
the blood mist nearby was frozen by a sudden, piercing chill. The mist stopped drifting, yet it had not turned to ice crystals; spreading with astonishing speed, the chill instantaneously froze the tendril-vines constricting tightly around Tianyan.
Tap.
Tap.
The gentle sound of lotus boots treading on the ground drifted over as a girl clad in mourning clothes walked into the radius of their battle, holding her ink sword.
Xu Yuan shifted his eyes sideways, smiling at the girl whose gaze was filled with complicated emotions:
"Mr. Ran, you held back all this time. I thought you couldn't bear to strike me."
Ran Qingmo gripped the ink sword tightly, biting her lip. Ignoring his jest, she pointed her sword at him with reddened eyes:
"Xu Yuan... that promise of yours can't be fulfilled, can it?"
"..."
Xu Yuan gave a silent smile and said gently:
"Perhaps. But I'm working hard at it, and it should be accomplished very soon."
Hearing this, Ran Qingmo's eyes flickered for an instant. She asked softly:
"...Really?"
Xu Yuan countered softly:
"When have I ever lied to you?"
Ran Qingmo thought about it seriously, then nodded:
"...Oh. Okay."
"..." Tianyan was speechless.
Tianyan opened her mouth, intending to cut them off.
She had no idea what went on inside this first disciple of the Sword Sect's head.
Xu Yuan dared say it, and she actually dared believe it.
Yet the visions flashing across her golden pupils immediately made her hold back the words on the verge of leaving her mouth.
Xu Yuan looked at the stunning girl not far away and said softly:
"Mr. Ran, do you still remember that favor you owe me?"
Ran Qingmo did not hesitate. She nodded, her voice crisp:
"I remember."
"I'd like to use it now."
"..."
Ran Qingmo blinked. Looking at the two locked in a stalemate, her eyes instantly turned wary. "I... I won't help you fight Tianyan."
Xu Yuan smiled at her response:
"When we made the agreement back then, I said it wouldn't go against your interests, so it's not that."
Ran Qingmo blinked:
"Then what do you want me to do, Xu Yuan?"
"..."
With a faint smile, Xu Yuan released his grip on Tianyan's wrist.
Tianyan did not hesitate for a second. Seizing the opening, the seal beam of blazing sunlight instantly surged like a runaway horse, sweeping through his body with lethal intent!
Boundless vitality was shattered at this moment!
The bloody mist blanketing Heaven Sword Peak disintegrated in an instant, and the black death fungal carpet blanketing the mountains rapidly withered away as its sovereign's vitality faded!
And at that very moment,
amidst the sky-filling brilliance, Xu Yuan's blood-flecked, soft chuckle drifted into the mourning-clad girl's ears:
"Ran Qingmo, stab me with your Dao Charm."
Chapter 778