The night sky soon started devouring the red sun. The Shifting Flower Sect was ready than ever. Armed with their hidden weapons, Gu XiNiang led legions of women on a large field just beyond the entrance of the Shifting Flower Palace. Veil covered their faces. The disciples that haven't reached an acolyte rank, wore blossom pink robes while the ones who have reached acolyte upwards wore a purple robe. The Grandmaster was an exception, the robe that she wore was colored deep purple with light colored orchid flowers embroidered all around.
They all halted and positioned on the upward plum hill and listened silently for Gu XiNiang's command. After a while, a rumbling sound of demons scourging headed for the Sect's entrance filled the air.
"CHAAAAAARGE!" Gu XiNiang gave the signal as the demons had breached over the Sect's entrance defenses. Wielding swords and hidden weapons, they sliced and diced the demons. However, some of the disciples are eaten, Gu XiNiang made sure that the Nether Secret Record is safe and is on the way to Ming. Before the battle had started, Mei WuTang, an ordinary sect disciple went as an envoy for the Shifting Flower Sect. She promised WuTang to meet up with her after she had dispelled all the demons and give her the Heart protection pill to forever destroy the Nether Secret Record.
In between the fights and dropping of sweat and blood, XiNiang thought about WuTang...
'Please be safe...'
Riding a horse, Mei WuTang fled into the back part of the Sect's Palace. The demons will never catch her because she had already fled before the battle had ever started. She reined the horse quick as she made her way into the entrance of the school of Ming. She arrived at the front of the school and Ming disciples rushed over to her.
"Halt! State your purpose!"
"I'm here to see Ming's Grandmaster, Jiu Gong."
"Do you have any token or proof?"
"I do not have any token but I have this..."
WuTang pulled out the item wrapped with a red cloth from her back and opened it in front of the disciples. With widened eyes, the disciples made way for her to enter. WuTang rushed up the stairs and meet up with Jiu Gong at Ming's great hall.
"Grandmaster I have an important matter to discuss with you."
"I know why you came here. Come, let's take it to the Soul Reaver Fo—"
Jiu Gong haven't finished saying anything yet when swarms of cicadas attacked his men from the outside. Taking shape and form, the cicadas clustered revealing QiuShan Li taking every soul siphon from his disciples. A smile curved up General Li's mouth seeing Jiu Gong's reactions while his disciples are being slaughtered.
"Grandmaster do not mind him! The fate of Old Jianghu is in our hands. If this befalls on one of the Shura's disciples, we're all doomed!"
"Hao. Follow me, we'll take the safest shortcut."
Jiu Gong took a short glimpse before leading WuTang at the back part of the school. The soul reaver forest was close by. In order to take a shortcut for Windbell valley, they needed to go south east. Riding a horse headed for Tangmen, Jiu Gong and WuTang carried the Secret Record with them along the fjords of sand into the sunless valley of Windbell. As they arrived at the Taihu tomb in the entrance of the coiling dragon column, they saw traces of demon footprints.
"This is impossible. They already got here. WuTang... Take care of the Secret Record."
"But..."
"I'll deal with the demons."
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XiNiang arrived at Windbell valley after the situation in the Shifting Flower Sect subsided. Along the darkness, she reined her horse under the cherry trees headed straight into the Taihu Tomb. The stench of demons lingered in the air with a hint of blood which made XiNiang worry about WuTang and the Grandmaster.
She hid behind a rock at the entrance of the tomb and peeked a little bit. It was dark and no one would suspect that she was around. Lying close to her was the unconscious Jiu Gong while WuTang was held captive by the demons at QiuShan Li's mercy.
'If I move now, then WuTang's life will be endangered.'
The demons gripped their claws tight on WuTang's arms and hands as QiuShan Li tried to squeeze information that he can get from her.
"Disciple... What is the Secret Record and why is it very important in reviving the sixth shura?"
"I wouldn't tell you even if you cut out my tongue."
"I'd be glad to do so however... I don't prefer easy way out for you... Give me the Nether Secret Record or... I'll kill your friend hiding behind that stone over there."
XiNiang's eyes grew wide. Fear took over her like a splash of cold water in her body. She calmly got up and went inside the tomb carrying the heart protection pill.
"WuTang... Don't listen to him... Take this pill and get close to the coiling dragon column."
"But Sect Leader Gu..."
"Don't defy my orders WuTang! Take this pill!"
"I..."
Sudden realization then came into WuTang's mind. With her pointing finger, she touched her forehead and began communicating with XiNiang mentally.
"Sect Leader Gu. If I don't take the pill, what will happen?"
"Everything inside the tomb will get devoured."
"Is that so? Sect Leader Gu... Listen to what I have to say... Take Grandmaster Jiu Gong outside once I touch the Coiling Dragon Column."
"WuTang! Don't do this... This is madness! Take the pill from my hand now!"
"No Sect Leader... Hurry and get Grand Master Jiu Gong away from here."
"No WuTang! You will die..."
"This is my last wish Sect Leader... Please bear with me."
WuTang looked earnest. There is nothing that XiNiang could do. In this tight situation, it's WuTang's decision that is most preferable.
"Now!" XiNiang jumped out and hovered towards the demons slashing them to free WuTang. She immediately then took Jiu Gong out of the tomb while WuTang remained inside surrounded by the enemies. QiuShan Li wiped the blood oozing from his mouth and laughed.
"I admire your courage but you could not possibly destroy the Secret Record without the Heart Protection Pill."
"I guess I have to figure out one way or another."
From her sleeve, WuTang removed a treasured needled which was the Embroidery Needle of the Ancient Goddess Cao Cao.
"Y—You! Capture her!"
The demons tried to scourge at her but it was too late. She already had touched the Coiling Dragon Column. Rumbling sounds filled the tomb as the ground from below collapsed. WuTang smiled as she embraced the Secret Record in her arms falling into the infinite dark abyss along with the demons.
XiNiang could not help but shed tears with Jiu Gong in her arms riding away from Windbell Valley. Thoughts of regrets devoured her whole body as she looked back at the tomb getting further until she could not see it anymore.
"Mei WuTang... You will be remembered."
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"AGHHHH!" XuanZheng shouted as LanRong pierced holy cleansing needles conjured by her divine powers on her body. The ancient evil tree's infection had already consumed half of her body but LanRong is trying her best to cleanse XuanZheng out of this foul substance.
ShaoTian felt pity. Although it was XuanZheng's fault that he had to go through eons of sleep in restoring his strength after being used up by the Shangguan Longyan box on their last battle.
"Hold on ayi XuanZheng! Hold on!"
"LanRong! It's no use! Once the infection reaches up my consciousness, kill me... Kill me! AGGHHHHHHH!"
XuanZheng's eyes turned to pitch black and her screams sounded more sinister. ShaoTian could not bear seeing this so he thought up of a plan.
"LanRong... Extract the box from my body."
"But... It might kill you shūshū ShaoTian."
"Do not think about me. If she doesn't get that thing out of her body, she will never be reborn ever."
"But..."
"No buts child. Do it."
Lying his back on the nearby bed, ShaoTian closed his eyes as LanRong pulled out the box from his body. The pain was excruciating. Sweat flowed down from his body as LanRong took hold of the box in her hand. After the process is complete, ShaoTian lost consciousness. LanRong then sank the box inside XuanZheng's soul. The Jade box glowed brighter as it buried inside the pitch black color of XuanZheng's soul.
LanRong was very careful not to hurt XuanZheng by mixing the evil aura unto the strong divine aura from the box.
The box then disappeared as it submerged inside XuanZheng. As soon it was done, the dark matter from XuanZheng's body dissipated.
Wiping the sweat from her head, LanRong went outside the room to report to His highness Wei Yue about the successful transfer.
"Your highness..."
"Yes LanRong... Speak..."
"It is done."
"How is ShaoTian?"
"His body is working fine but I fear that his soul siphon is fading away after I extracted the box."
Lu Jie stood up from her seat and cut in between LanRong and Wei Yue's conversation.
"I will help."
"Madame Jie... No demon or immortal can fill a soul siphon of a mere mortal."
"Since his highness Wei Yue saved me, I am glad to help."
Wei Yue nodded his head in approval and LanRong then assisted the blind Lu Jie to the room where XuanZheng and ShaoTian was laid.
As they both entered the room, Lu Jie let go of the wooden stick that she was holding and held her head.
"Th—This... An ancient evil aura is very strong here."
"Yes. I already contained it Madame Jie."
"Lead me on the one who is losing the soul siphon."
"Alright."
LanRong let Lu Jie touch ShaoTian and with her powers, she conjured a knife from her hand and sliced a small wound on her hand. She directed the dripping blood on ShaoTian's mouth. When LanRong saw this, she flicked away her hand away from ShaoTian.
"Madame Jie! You're feeding him Shura's blood!"
"My blood isn't coming from the Shuras. I maybe one of Asuro's disciples, but I did not drink his blood."
"Then... You're..."
"I am a half-immortal, half demon breed."
"That's impossible... H—How?"
"My father is a demon while my mother was a High Goddess from the ninth heaven. When my mother disguised herself as a common folk to help Old Jianghu's mortals in their realm, she was attacked by demons and sexually assaulted by them. After the attack, my mother found out that she was pregnant and pretended to the Council of the ninth heaven that she was bearing a child of a mortal."
"That's impossible. The council will detect any demon... But you..."
"My mother raised me well... Until she died due to old age. Her immortality was stripped away from her after she was banished."
"Madame Jie..."
*Cough cough*
ShaoTian coughed and opened his eyes. LanRong then checked him and saw that his soul siphon has been refilled full.
"Madame Jie... Thank you."
"I figured out that I can help. I have been helping Zhao Min too back when she was alive."
"So her soul siphon was not originally hers?"
"Yes. She was disowned by her family so I offered my blood to her."
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Swarm of cicadas flew up the skies of Nether Shade of the Dark Realm and landed on the main hall of TaoYan city where XueCao waited impatiently.
QiuShan Li returned from Windbell Valley bringing grave news to his master.
"Master XueCao... We..."
"I know you all failed. It doesn't matter. Now I know how to raise the sixth shura and I will do it myself! You little imbeciles are just wasting my time."
"Master..."
"This time, I will take the blood of the Lunar Empress and paint the moon red. No one will stop me."
"The Lunar Empress is nowhere to be found Master... We have already looked everywhere!"
"That's because you're only using your eyes... Tomorrow is the day of divination at the Jade Phoenix's kingdom and the lunar empress will sure attend. I will seize her and bring her here to offer a drop of her blood to His Majesty, Shura Asuro."