allonlinenovel Chapter 271: True Heart Tested in Fire
Chapter 271: True Heart Tested in Fire
Stepping into Sunset Volcano, the scorching air around them felt like a giant, invisible hand, pushing Ling Xuan and Yun Mengting forward with every step. In the distance, scorching lava gurgled, emitting a chilling sound, like the deep roar of this perilous place.
Yun Mengting took out a specially made fireproof cloak from her package, put one on Ling Xuan, and quickly wrapped herself up. "Your Highness, the further you go in, the more dangerous it becomes. You must be careful." Ling Xuan held her hand tightly. "With you here, I feel at ease. We can take care of each other."
They hadn't gone far when pillars of fire suddenly appeared ahead, their arrangement irregular and blocking their path. Yun Mengting crouched down, observing the gaps between the ground and the flames, trying to discern a pattern. "Your Highness, this appears to be an ancient mechanism, operating according to the principles of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. As long as we find the right time and direction, we should be able to pass through." Ling Xuan nodded, and began to carefully calculate with her.
At that moment, a mighty beastly roar emanated from the depths of the volcano, shaking the surrounding rocks. "Perhaps the Fire Scale Beast has sensed the intruders," Ling Xuan warily drew his sword, shielding Yun Mengting behind him. Sure enough, a massive, flaming Fire Scale Beast came charging at them, its every step leaving a charred footprint on the ground.
Yun Mengting quickly pulled several silver needles from her waist and, channeling her inner energy, shot them into the Fire Scale Beast's eyes, attempting to disrupt its vision. The Fire Scale Beast roared in pain, changing direction and lunging at Yun Mengting. Ling Xuan leaped forward, thrusting his sword at the Fire Scale Beast's neck, but the intense heat from its body burned his arm, slowing his sword strikes.
"Your Highness!" Yun Mengting, utterly anxious, swung her whip at a nearby boulder, leveraging the momentum to leap onto the Fire Scale Beast's back. She wrapped the whip tightly around its horn and tugged, trying to restrain it. The Fire Scale Beast thrashed frantically, trying to throw Yun Mengting off. Ling Xuan, seizing the perfect moment, concentrated all his strength and stabbed the Fire Scale Beast's vulnerable abdomen with his sword.
The Fire Scale Beast screamed, its body erupting in flames. Its power instantly increased, sending Ling Xuan flying. Yun Mengting clutched the whip tightly, dangling in mid-air. Seizing a moment of madness, she pulled out a secret pill and stuffed it into its gaping mouth. The pill temporarily paralyzed the beast, and after swallowing it, its movements gradually slowed, and it collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The two didn't dare delay, and while the Fire Scale Beast was paralyzed, they quickly passed through the fire pillar mechanism. Continuing deeper, they were surrounded by acrid smoke. Yun Mengting coughed lightly, "This smoke is poisonous, Your Highness, quickly cover your mouth and nose." As she spoke, she dug out an antidote pill from her bag and took it with Ling Xuan.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally came upon a cave. A faint light flickered within, presumably indicating the Phoenix Nirvana Stone. However, the cave entrance was riddled with sharp stone spikes, each entwined with faint blue electric currents that crackled.
Ling Xuan picked up a stone and threw it, instantly shattering it under the current. Yun Mengting pondered for a moment, then found some dry vines nearby and took out the saltpeter she had with her. She fashioned a simple stone-throwing device. She tossed the vine-wrapped saltpeter into the cave, and with a bang, the current was momentarily interrupted.
"Now!" Ling Xuan pulled Yun Mengting along, rushing inside before the power could resume. Inside the cave, a brilliantly radiant Phoenix Nirvana Stone rested on a stone platform. Before they could approach, a dense hail of arrows suddenly erupted from the surrounding walls. Ling Xuan swung his sword, deflecting the arrows one after another. Yun Mengting nimbly maneuvered through the air, deflecting several with her whip and then firing back at a trap in the wall, accidentally triggering the deactivation button.
The two were overjoyed to have the Phoenix Nirvana Stone, but upon exiting the cave, they found themselves surrounded by members of the Shadow Cult. The Shadow Cult leader sneered, "You're quite capable, but you'll have to keep this Phoenix Nirvana Stone for now." Ling Xuan handed the Phoenix Nirvana Stone to Yun Mengting and whispered, "You go first, I'll hold them back." Yun Mengting shook her head, "No, let's go together. I can fight alongside you."
With that, the two men attacked. Ling Xuan's sword strokes were powerful and unstoppable, each one imbued with the resolve of a shared destruction. Yun Mengting wielded her whip with unrestrained ease, the tip of her whip striking at the enemy's acupuncture points, instantly crippling several Shadow Cultists. The Shadow Cult leader personally engaged Ling Xuan, each strike a brutal blow. Yun Mengting, seizing the leader's vulnerable spot, flung her whip around his legs, pulling hard, sending him stumbling.
Ling Xuan pursued them, slashing the leader's arm with a single blow. The leader, enraged, pulled a black pill from his arms and smashed it into the ground. Thick smoke billowed, obscuring everyone's view. By the time the smoke cleared, the Shadow Cult members had already fled.
After a difficult journey, Ling Xuan and Yun Mengting returned to the palace with the Phoenix Nirvana Stone and the Rootless Water. Everyone cheered, but they knew the next step was crucial: activating the Qiankun Sealing Formation. Yun Mengting worked tirelessly, following the ancient texts, to set up the formation in the palace's backyard, while Ling Xuan guarded it to prevent further damage from the Shadow Cult.
While setting up the formation, Yun Mengting fainted several times from exhaustion. Each time, Ling Xuan, with a heartbroken heart, carried her back to her room to rest, and silently stayed by her side. When Yun Mengting woke up, Ling Xuan gently advised, "Mengting, don't work so hard. If you tire yourself out, I will be heartbroken." Yun Mengting smiled and shook her head, "Your Highness, this matter concerns the safety of the world. I cannot slack off."
Finally, at midnight on the night of the full moon, all the materials for the formation were in place. Yun Mengting stood within the formation, chanting a mantra, and began to draw the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. A light slowly rose from the base of the formation, growing stronger and stronger. The Holy Spirit Source Pearl, placed at the center of the formation, also began to vibrate violently. Just as the formation was about to take shape, the leader of the Shadow Cult, with his last remaining strength, attacked and attempted to destroy it.
Ling Xuan bravely stepped forward, engaging the leader in a desperate struggle. His only thought was to buy time for Yun Mengting. Yun Mengting watched the fiercely fighting Ling Xuan, tears blurring her eyes as she chanted her incantation more rapidly. As the final ray of light converged, the Qiankun Sealing Formation activated with a powerful force, sending the Shadow Cult leader flying and completely sealing the evil power of the Spirit Source Holy Pearl.
When the dust settled, Ling Xuan and Yun Mengting embraced and cried. Having endured countless hardships, they had not only protected the world but also made their bond as solid as a rock. From now on, nothing could separate them. They only wished to spend their years together in this peaceful world.