Front Line of the Beast Tide, Part 26

This soft white light swirled around Su Qing, gradually condensing into a bright speck of light that settled in her palm.

Among countless fragmented memories, Su Qing, through Ye Mingshi’s trial, grasped her signal for self-rescue, and finally found her initial Dao Heart: a heart that wanted to be human.

The memories abruptly ended. Su Qing returned to the Eternal Night Forest, back into the Heart-Protecting Mirror.

This time, she saw Ye Mingshi’s true form.

Normal humans entering this demonic energy-filled forest would be stripped of their identity, transforming into luminous beings representing their spirit. The light on their bodies represented vitality.

The moment this light was completely corroded by the pitch-black demonic energy would also be the moment their spirit, along with their physical body in the outside world, completely died.

For example, Su Qing, protected by an immortal bone, her soul was never contaminated, manifesting as a pure and warm light.

Ye Mingshi, on the contrary, was entirely different.

She was chosen by the Myriad Beast Forest specifically to be the vessel for the demonic bone, the origin of demonic energy.

Therefore, her body was pitch black, not even human-shaped. Instead, it infinitely approximated her original form: a demon dragon, or a beast.

Such a pitch-black beast shadow stood there, full of death qi and evil qi. At first glance, it was just like the terrifying Soul Beasts wandering in the endless forest. Neither its beastly body, nor its sharp claws and fangs, showed any human semblance.

In fact, she was only a hair’s breadth away from a complete mental collapse.

Fortunately, there was still a tiny flickering heart-fire in her chest, representing that her spirit was still present.

Although that glimmer of heart-fire had already dimmed into twilight, so faint that it could be extinguished at any moment.

Even so, this remaining heart-fire was not pure.

It was mixed with wisps of black mist, lingering in her heart.

Su Qing looked closely and realized that it wasn’t black mist at all, but rather countless, root-like tendrils.

These tendrils were parasitizing Ye Mingshi’s heart-fire, continuously drawing her vitality.

And in the center of her heart-fire, a tiny black substance was tightly enveloped by the tendrils.

Su Qing recognized it in an instant: that tiny black substance was a small segment of the demonic bone.

The demonic bone parasitized Ye Mingshi’s spirit, and the Myriad Beast Forest drew her vitality.

Even if they entered this Eternal Night Forest at the same time, Ye Mingshi had endured such days for three years.

Even with the Heart-Protecting Mirror guarding her, to have persevered to this extent, one could only sigh at the steadfastness of her character.

An extremely thin ray of light extended from Su Qing’s Dao Heart, linking to Ye Mingshi’s heart-fire.

The flames instantly surged, reflecting Su Qing’s face.

With only one path to take, she paradoxically felt at ease, her voice extremely calm.

But calm had its own strength; in calmness, the path to be taken became clearer.

“Compared to the vastness of the Myriad Beast Forest, humanity is indeed terrifyingly small. But in this lightless eternal night, only the Dao Heart of humanity can ultimately shine. Moreover, you are not alone.”

Just as Rainbow staked all her chips on Su Qing, she too would stake all her chips on Ye Mingshi.

She recognized Ye Mingshi’s Dao Heart, so her heart-fire, and the heart-fires of over three thousand members of the Heart-Fire Alliance, and indeed almost all the human sparks of fire still existing in the Eternal Night, would all be placed on Ye Mingshi, for her to use.

She would provide her with the fuel and fire to resist the demonic bone.

Ye Mingshi’s Dao Heart began with her companions, and it would ultimately return to her companions.

Su Qing wanted to prove to her that she was by no means struggling alone, fighting a solitary battle.

The immortal bone buzzed and vibrated at full load. Su Qing’s entire body flowed with a scorching light akin to magma.

This light, guided by her Dao Heart, gently and undeniably flowed into Ye Mingshi’s heart-fire.

Outside the mirror world, Ji Xinghong suddenly looked up, sensing something.

Immediately after, everyone here simultaneously looked upwards.

Unbeknownst to them, a white light spot had appeared above the forest.

This light spot was extremely tiny, more like an inconspicuous star in the night sky than the sun.

But this unprecedented light spot made everyone gasp in tremor, “The sun! The sun is out!”

Though weak, though small, that pure light ignited a spark of vitality in the darkness, tirelessly dispelling the surrounding gloom, like the dawn breaking, everything beginning anew.

Everyone instantly understood: this was the moment to unite their efforts, and the moment to give it their all.

In response to the bright light in the sky, the dark forest simultaneously ignited thousands of bright lights, burning fiercely from below upwards.

Countless clusters of heart-fire gathered, fire surging to the sky, endlessly, rushing towards that bright spot in the air.

As there was no sun this night, let the heart-fire burn everything.

The anomaly occurred simultaneously. As the Heart-Protecting Mirror blazed brightly, grass leaves on the ancient tree also grew wildly.

In just a few breaths, they entangled all its roots, frantically seizing its vitality and nutrients.

Taihe Zhenren’s usually calm eyes suddenly changed: “This grass is competing with the forest for power?!”

He originally thought the two were symbiotic, but never expected them to be in competition. But what faction did this grass belong to?

At this moment, the Heart-Protecting Mirror once again erupted in a violent white light.

The white light trembled, showing a tendency to continuously spread. Seeing the unpredictable change in the situation, Taihe decisively concluded that he could not wait any longer.

He said nothing, only tapped the ground with his gnarled staff.

The entire forest suddenly began to boil rapidly. Circles of green waves transformed into chaotic lines, starting to dance wildly.

Yan Yun had long been waiting for this move of his. She raised her hand, and an iron-forged red-tasseled spear flew out, breaking through layers of illusions, heading straight for his vital point. “Old dog Song, how dare you!”

The two Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Song family had already attacked simultaneously with Taihe Zhenren.

One flicked his sleeve and flew, throwing out several stacks of array disks, entangling Lin Hebai and Xu Ruyi.

And Yan Chi had already stood before the ancient tree, blocking the path of the other Spirit Transformation cultivator.

The Song family’s Spirit Transformation cultivator declared loudly, “The forest has fallen to demonic ways! Why do you not quickly yield? Otherwise, if the heavens fall and the earth collapses, and the common people suffer, can your Yan family bear the responsibility?!”

Yan Chi roared in fury, “What a ‘heavens fall and earth collapses,’ what a ‘common people suffer’! When has your Song family ever held human lives in regard?!”

Neither was one to waste words. Even as they spoke, they had already begun to prepare their moves.

The Song family’s Spirit Transformation cultivator flashed, and from his fingertips, three white moon slashes burst forth.

The slashes, like curved scimitars, were unstoppable, instantly tearing the surrounding air into streaks of cracks.

Yan Chi’s hair stood on end in rage. She brandished her long spear, meeting the three slashes head-on without any evasion.

The spear moved like wind, its force like thunder.

Spear tip met slash, force against force, erupting in a deafening roar.

Immediately after, wind surged and clouds churned in the sky.

The sky darkened, subtly threatening rain. A clear cry resounded through the nine heavens; it was a sixth-tier Luan Yin bird flapping its wings.

Lin Hebai’s eyes narrowed. She immediately understood why the Song family could reach the depths of the Myriad Beast Forest so quickly. They were using this bird as a mount.

The bird flew extremely fast, but the most troublesome thing was that its cry had the effect of disturbing one’s mind and unsettling one’s spirit.

If not specially trained, even a Transform Spirit stage cultivator could easily be affected.

Indeed, as soon as this sound wave invaded, Lin Hebai’s mind instantly went blank.

If not for body inertia allowing her to dodge in time, she would probably have directly taken a Spirit Transformation stage palm strike.

The three Spirit Transformation cultivators of the Song family were already hard to deal with, and now they had even brought the Luan Yin bird.

Several people cursed inwardly.

Xu Ruyi decisively took out two high-tier silencing talismans and slapped them onto herself and Lin Hebai.

Both deafened themselves, breaking through the Luan Yin bird’s interference.

However, this would only further disadvantage their already unfavorable battle against the Song family, which was truly hateful.

The cultivation difference between Spirit Transformation and Transform Spirit was a full layer.

Yan Chi’s old wounds hadn’t healed, and she lacked the protection of the Heart-Protecting Mirror.

Now, with the Luan Yin bird supporting the Song family, even if Yan family personal guards protected her in time, it would only mean more lives lost to the Song family.

Soon, she tore off one of the Song family’s Spirit Transformation cultivator’s arms, but in return, half of her body was burned to black ash by the opponent.

Seeing the opponent flash towards the ancient tree, intending to forcefully pull out its roots and release the demonic energy from the inner space, thereby destroying the Myriad Beast Forest, Yan Chi was enraged.

Red marks at the corners of her eyes dripped like blood.

Her aura changed; her originally declining aura forcefully surged, actually rushing towards early Spirit Transformation, clearly using a secret method to boost her cultivation.

Not only that, blood oozed from all her seven orifices, and bloodstains bloomed across her skin.

The spiritual energy around her raged uncontrollably. It was clearly the imagery of self-detonation.

A Transform Spirit stage cultivator’s self-detonation was something even a Spirit Transformation cultivator dared not confront head-on.

The Song family’s Spirit Transformation cultivator couldn’t help but feel fear, taking a step back, wanting to avoid her sharpness.

Who would have thought that at this moment, a withered, tree-branch-like hand would pierce into his dantian, clutching out his divine infant?

Since entering the Nascent Soul stage, cultivators gained a second life as an infant. If fortunate enough to cultivate to Spirit Transformation, this infant was called a divine infant.

The newcomer was none other than Yan Yun. Her aura surged dramatically, her eyeballs protruded, and her withered, shriveled body inflated like a balloon, clearly signaling self-detonation.

She burst into maniacal laughter, her tone crazed. From her decaying body, the valiant spirit of Daoist Kuanglan from years past reappeared. Her last words were, “What sense is there in letting young people lead the way?!”

Yan Yun, in one swift motion, detonated the divine infant.

The Song family’s Spirit Transformation cultivator suffered this heavy blow, his cultivation plummeting.

And Yan Chi, without even an extra moment to look at Yan Yun, gritted her teeth and thrust her spear forward.

She knew her life was bought by Yan Yun, so she could not hesitate, could not retreat.

Yan Yun finished off the divine infant and charged straight at Taihe Zhenren. The violent fluctuations of heaven and earth’s spiritual energy converged around her.

A deafening “boom—” echoed, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth exploded like a storm.

The forest swayed, mountains collapsed, dark clouds descended, rivers boiled, and unusual phenomena appeared.

There was no longer any trace of Daoist Kuanglan, Yan Yun, in this world.

Yan Chi’s spear pierced the Song family’s Spirit Transformation cultivator’s heart meridian, completely eradicating him beneath the ancient tree.

Cold raindrops fell on her face, flowing down the red marks at the corners of her eyes. Yan Chi stared blankly upwards, then softly called out one last time, “Mother.”

And after the storm dissipated, a pitch-black shadow actually reappeared in the air.

Taihe Zhenren was still alive, but his aura was chaotic, his body charred, his hair and beard completely gone.

His once noble and proper Daoist robe, and the gnarled staff representing his high prestige, were all destroyed in this self-detonation, as if the layer of false pretense had finally been torn away.

This person, if not killed, would be a great disaster.

There was no time for sorrow. The battle once again became fierce.

And even worse, Daoist Kuanglan’s self-detonation had actually blasted open the inner world of the Myriad Beast Forest.

A pitch-black opening appeared beneath the ancient tree.

Taihe Zhenren laughed maniacally, “Achieved without effort!”

And at this very moment, distant white figures suddenly appeared, converging from all directions.

Leading them was none other than Deng Mingjian, and following behind them were all the first-year students of the Sword School.