"Zheng——"
The last sound of the zither echoed in the empty bronze space, as if a stone was thrown into the abyss, the afterglow rippled layer by layer, and then gradually returned to silence. Qingluan's figure faded in the light and shadow, and the ancient jade zither also turned into nothingness. Only the bronze roots all over the four walls and the eternal blue light remained, coldly watching the silence of this forbidden area.
"The choice is up to you.
Destiny has begun.
The countdown will not stop."
Qingluan's last voice, like a cold carving knife, deeply engraved into Li Hua's heart word by word. He stood in place, his feet on the cold bronze platform, the chill penetrated the soles of his boots, but it was not as strong as the suffocating cold wave deep in his heart. He clenched his left hand, his nails dug into his palm, and the stinging feeling seemed to be the last connection between him and reality.
Follow the old oath? Ignite Mei's life and soul, turn her into firewood, and complete the seal that is piled with countless dead souls? Let her blood become a sacrifice, her existence, become a sacrifice to anchor the Guixu rift?
No!
He shook his head violently, and the movement seemed stiff because of his strong resistance. He looked down at the dying girl at his feet. Mei's face was pale and almost transparent in the dim light, like a piece of porcelain that was about to break; even in a coma, her brows were still tightly knitted, as if she was in great pain. He remembered her stubbornness in blocking the fatal blow for him in the Nuo Temple, her determination to detonate the blood and soul thunder beads in the rain forest to open up a way of life, and her blood-like cry when she communicated with the ancestral blood chain on the bone altar.
Sacrifice? Why is it her?
Anger and unwillingness, like a volcano, erupted from the depths of his chest! He, Li Hua, has never been willing to be a pawn of fate. The laziness of Guangyuan Temple and the fear of death of Nuo Temple are all true of him, but if he wants to watch his companions being burned as firewood and fulfill the "god" and "destiny" who are high above him? Dream on!
"The price... is far beyond your imagination."
Qingluan's voice still echoed in his ears. Li Hua sneered, and a trace of ferocity appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Worse than now? My life has been torn to pieces by fragments and ink poison. What if it rots a little more?"
He squatted down, endured the severe pain, and carefully picked up Mei with his left hand. While avoiding the wound on her chest, the pain on his right arm was like a knife cutting. Sweat slid down his forehead, but his arms were still as firm as a rock.
However, the moment he touched Mei——
"Buzz——"
A strange resonance surged from Mei's heart! It was not a sound, but a tremor at the soul level! Then, the fragment mark on his right palm resonated violently, and the blue light jumped, as if responding to the pull of the same source of power. This time, it was no longer throbbing towards the central core, but - pointing!
Li Hua's heart was shocked and he lowered his head suddenly.
The copper ring magic weapon on Mei's chest was emitting a soft glow at this moment, as peaceful as the moonlight. In that glow, several silver lines were looming, which were the marks left after she infused her blood with the blood and soul thunder bead!
Not only resonating, this copper ring seemed to be releasing warm power continuously, slowly pouring into Mei's body like spring water, trying to soothe the soul on the verge of collapse. This power is weak but tenacious, like a firefly flickering in the dark night, silently resisting the erosion of death.
Is this her power? Or is it the last wish of the thunder bead?
Qingluan said that her bloodline is the key, the anchor, and the firewood. But this copper ring seems to deny that kind of "sacrifice" path. It does not burn, it does not extinguish, but it guards. A crazy idea emerged in Li Hua's mind-what if there is another way? What if, not through sacrifice, but through her "will" and "resonance"?
"Crack--"
A crisp sound like glass breaking suddenly sounded!
Li Hua looked up, his pupils suddenly shrank.
A crack deeper and thicker than the spider web crack suddenly exploded on the head of the geometric shadow puppet closest to him! Thick liquid like ink poured out of the crack, carrying the extreme cold and the corrosive power of the curse!
Ink poison!
The shadow puppet seemed to be swallowed by the black thick juice, and it expanded and twisted rapidly. The body originally composed of geometric light spots was quickly replaced by ink poison, becoming hideous. In his eyes, two blood-red lights suddenly lit up, locking Li Hua tightly!
Mo Li's original shadow poison-breaking the confinement of the piano sound!
"Roar!"
The Shadow Poison Puppet roared out, and the violent breath made the space buzz! It stretched out its twisted arms, like a poisonous python flying through the air, and rushed straight to Li Hua!
Li Hua couldn't dodge. He was holding Mei, and his seriously injured body couldn't move at all!
A moment of life and death!
"Buzz..."
The sound of the piano sounded - but it didn't come from the outside world, but from himself!
Fragment mark? Or the echo of this bronze space?
Li Hua didn't have time to think deeply. The "buzzing" was like ripples in the depths of the soul, gently passing over his right arm, forcibly guiding and combing the mixed star power and ink poison in his body! Not suppressing, but reconciling!
He seemed to "hear" the pulse of this space - the roots were like blood, the faint light was like a heartbeat, slow but firm, and it was faintly in line with the rhythm of the Qingluan piano!
Driven by instinct, he slowly raised his right hand - five fingers spread out, lightly brushing the void.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Five cyan-gold sound blades surged out from his hands, like a sharp sword splitting the sky, and the sound of a zither was sharp!
The light blade that tore through the air hit the arm of Mo Du——
Swish!!!
There was no roar, only the steaming ink mist and the purified screams. Shadow Poison melted like snow under the power of cyan gold, wailing shrilly!
Li Hua was stunned. He clearly did not use his strength, but only relied on his intuition to brush the air, but he summoned such a powerful purifying power?
This is——Qin Xin?
Is it a change after the fragments, ink poison, bronze space and his will merged?
But the crisis is not over!
Under the heavy blow, the shadow puppet became more violent. It opened its poisonous mouth, and a jet of black poisonous mist burst out like a mountain torrent, covering Li Hua and Mei! The remaining contaminated shadow puppets also quietly broke free from their restraints and approached from the side and rear, their claws gleaming coldly!
The crisis is re-emerging!
Li Hua tried to hold on to his spirits and tried the string-brushing technique again, but his mind was fuzzy and his inspiration was gone. That subtle "resonance" seemed to be far away...
What should I do? !
Suddenly!
"Hmm..."
A faint groan came from his arms!
It was Mei!
She actually moved in a coma!
Li Hua was surprised to see that Mei's blood-stained left hand was unconsciously trembling and drawing on the bronze ground - a distorted Nuo dance gesture afterimage!
Blood was surging!
That trace of blood rose from the ground and wrapped around Li Hua's right wrist like a lifeline!
A warm force with the will to sacrifice and protect slowly flowed into his body.
In his right arm, the golden pattern that had been out of control due to the ink poison suddenly lit up! The blue light of the fragment mark also boiled again!
And the vague sense of resonance... is back!
Clearer than before!
Li Hua felt: the life pulse of plum, the ancient pulse of bronze roots, the star frequency of fragments, and even the dead breath of ink poison, all intertwined into a kind of harmony at this moment!
The time has come!
He suddenly swept into the air!
This time, the movement was no longer clumsy, but like flowing water and clouds, containing a wonderful rhythm.
Clang clang clang clang——!!!
Hundreds of blue-gold sound blades burst out from the void!
Like a peacock spreading its tail, it turned into a sound blade storm of purification and destruction, sweeping in all directions!
The poisonous fog evaporated and dissipated in the storm!
The ink poison shadow puppet exploded into dust in the wailing!
The other shadow puppets that attacked were shattered by the sound blades!
The entire space was purified as if in the scorching sun. Under the sapphire light, all the filth was cut off!
Li Hua stood in the center of the storm, his eyes like torches, his right hand emitting sapphire light, and his left hand holding the unconscious Mei.
Qin Xin appeared for the first time!
Guixu is no longer silent!