Chapter 57: Moon Flawless Appears Once More!

"Descendant of the Blood Scripture? Excellent, this venerable self is in dire need of a new body!"

The raspy voice of Ancestor Devour-Heart sounded like a demon crawling straight out of hell. The withered claw condensed from black mist was only three inches away from Ye Xiao's glabella.

Every hair on Ye Xiao's body stood on end as the broken sword in his hand vibrated frantically, the dark purple blood runes on its surface writhing like living creatures.

He could clearly feel an extremely chilling energy drilling into his body along the hilt, freezing his meridians wherever it passed.

"Get away!"

Han Qi let out a sharp cry, her hands forming seals as nine ice cones shot toward the black mist in a fan-shaped formation.

The moment the ice cones pierced the mist, black patterns immediately crawled all over their surfaces, turning them into fine powder right in mid-air.

"This little girl is rather interesting."

Ancestor Devour-Heart let out a strange laugh, and a wisp of black mist detached itself, whipping toward Han Qi's chest like a lash.

"Pfft!"

Han Qi spat a mouthful of fresh blood, her body flying backward like a kite with a snapped string before crashing heavily against the crystal sarcophagus.

Spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread across the surface of the sarcophagus.

"Han Qi!"

Veins bulging in his eyes, Ye Xiao wanted to rush to her rescue, only to find that his ankles had somehow been snared by the black mist.

Ancestor Devour-Heart brought his face even closer, six crimson eyes flickering within the mist. "Don't rush, your turn is coming right up."

Ye Xiao bit the tip of his tongue, spitting a mouthful of vital essence onto the broken sword.

The blood runes on the sword blazed brightly, temporarily beating back the chilling energy that had invaded his body.

Taking advantage of the opening, he swung his sword to sever the black mist around his ankles and stumbled toward Han Qi.

"Trying to run?" Ancestor Devour-Heart sneered. The black mist expanded instantly, blanketing the entire core of the Sword Graveyard.

Screams rose and fell in succession. Those cultivators who failed to escape in time were swallowed by the black mist one after another, reduced to withered corpses.

Just as Ye Xiao ran halfway, a fierce sword qi suddenly struck from behind.

Instinctively sidestepping to evade, his left shoulder was nonetheless slashed open with a wound deep enough to expose the bone.

"Xu Beichen!"

Ye Xiao turned his head to see Xu Beichen standing three zhang away, the longsword in his hand radiating a bone-chilling glare.

The immortal bone on Xu Beichen's chest emitted a pearly white radiance, carving out a small safe zone amid the black mist.

A cruel smile hung on the corners of his lips. "Junior Brother Ye, hand over the Chaos Sword Classic and your sister's immortal bone, and I can grant you a swift death."

"In your dreams!"

Ye Xiao spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, leveling the broken sword across his chest.

Xu Beichen didn't waste any breath. The light from the immortal bone flared dazzlingly as a bolt of white light slashed down like lightning.

Ye Xiao hastily raised his sword to parry, the impact forcing him to retreat seven steps until his back pressed against the crystal sarcophagus.

"Cough, cough..." Han Qi weakly clutched the hem of Ye Xiao's robe. "The... sarcophagus... is cracking..."

Only then did Ye Xiao notice that the fractures on the sarcophagus were continually widening, wisps of bloody aura seeping out from the fissures, tangling with Ancestor Devour-Heart's black mist while simultaneously repelling each other.

"That is..." Ye Xiao's pupils contracted sharply.

Through the fissures, a completely transparent crystal longsword was faintly visible!

"Could it be Senior Yue Wuxia's personal sword?!"

Ye Xiao abruptly recalled the battle at the crater.

At that time, the aura he sensed from Yue Wuxia was identical to the one emanating from this sword!

Xu Beichen also noticed the anomaly of the sarcophagus, his expression shifting slightly. "Not good!"

He accelerated his offensive, his sword moves growing increasingly ruthless.

While parrying, Ye Xiao used his peripheral vision to observe the sarcophagus. As the cracks multiplied, the outline of the crystal longsword grew clearer and clearer.

To his even greater astonishment, the broken sword resonated intensely with the sarcophagus, acting just like old friends who had not seen each other in years!

"Clang!"

Following a head-on collision, the web of skin between Ye Xiao's thumb and forefinger split open, and the broken sword almost slipped from his grip.

Xu Beichen seized the opportunity to kick him flying directly beneath the sarcophagus.

"Die!"

Xu Beichen thrust his longsword straight at Ye Xiao's heart.

At the most critical split second, the sarcophagus exploded with a deafening roar!

Countless crystal shards scattered in all directions. One of the shards struck Xu Beichen's sword, deflecting its trajectory so that it only pierced Ye Xiao's right shoulder.

Simultaneously, that crystal longsword automatically flew into Ye Xiao's left hand.

"Ah!"

Ye Xiao let out a painful roar.

The moment his hand touched the crystal longsword, a power as vast as the ocean surged into his body through his arm, violently colliding with the blood-qi within the broken sword.

His left eye turned ice-blue, while his right eye burned crimson like fresh blood, making him look exceptionally eerie.

"How is this possible?!"

Xu Beichen retreated in shock. "You can actually wield two swords at the same time?"

Ye Xiao did not answer.

At this moment, two forces were tearing each other apart inside his body, making his meridians feel as though they were being pierced by millions of steel needles.

The chilling frost of the crystal longsword froze his blood vessels, while the blood-qi of the broken sword melted them anew—repeating in an endless cycle of excruciating agony.

Ancestor Devour-Heart's black mist was also intimidated by this mighty force, temporarily withdrawing several zhang.

Xu Beichen wore an uncertain expression. Suddenly, he pulled a bloody jade talisman from his bosom and crushed it. "Ancestor, aid me!"

The talisman turned into a stream of blood-red light that plunged into his glabella.

Xu Beichen trembled all over as dense blood-red patterns emerged beneath his skin. His aura climbed steadily, breaking through to the Core Condensation Realm in the blink of an eye!

"The Blood Fiend Possession Technique?" Ancestor Devour-Heart said in surprise. "I never expected that old ghost Blood River's legacy would still exist in the mortal world."

Possessed by the Ancestor Blood River, Xu Beichen's combat power skyrocketed! His longsword lashed out in a single stroke, carrying a biting sword qi!

Ye Xiao barely managed to cross both swords to block.

"Boom!"

The shockwave generated by the collision blasted Han Qi away, completely pulverizing the base of the crystal sarcophagus.

Ye Xiao's feet sank half a foot into the ground, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth, yet the battle intent in his eyes burned even brighter.

"Brat, you won't last much longer."

Ancestor Devour-Heart's voice echoed in Ye Xiao's mind. "Hand your body over to me, and I'll help you slaughter them all."

"In your dreams!"

Clenching his teeth, Ye Xiao forcefully urged the Blood Scripture, causing the blood-qi within him to churn like boiling water.

Right at that moment, the crystal longsword suddenly emitted a clear, ringing chime as an illusory figure emerged from the sword body!

It was none other than the female sword immortal, Yue Wuxia!

"Devour-Heart, have you grown tired of living?"

Yue Wuxia's voice was ethereal and distant, yet carried an unquestionable majesty.

Ancestor Devour-Heart's black mist churned violently. "Yue Wuxia! You are merely a wisp of residual soul, yet you dare obstruct me?"

Ignoring him, Yue Wuxia turned to Ye Xiao instead. "Kid, we meet again."

Ye Xiao was both startled and overjoyed. "Senior..."

"Listen well,"

Yue Wuxia spoke at a rapid pace. "Ancestor Devour-Heart's true physical body is still sealed; this is merely an avatar. You must destroy the altar at the center of the Sword Graveyard to completely eliminate him."

"Where is the altar?"

Ye Xiao asked urgently.

Yue Wuxia's illusory figure pointed toward the bottom of the abyss. "Down there. But with your current strength, going down there means certain death."

Xu Beichen, possessed by the blood fiend, lunged forward once more. Yue Wuxia sighed softly. "So be it, I shall help you one last time."

She transformed into a stream of light and plunged into Ye Xiao's glabella.

In an instant, Ye Xiao felt a cooling force flow through his entire body, temporarily balancing the energy conflict between the two swords.

"Follow my guidance closely."

Yue Wuxia's voice resonated in his mind.

Ye Xiao's body moved involuntarily as his crossed swords swept outward, sending forth a blue-and-red intertwined sword qi that cleaved the air like a crescent moon.

"Rip!"

Xu Beichen's right arm was severed clean from the shoulder, black blood gushing forth. Though he let out a shrill scream, he laughed with eerie madness. "Useless! The blood fiend is undying, thus I am immortal!"

Sure enough, the flesh at his severed stump writhing and actually began to regenerate slowly.

Taking advantage of the opening, Ancestor Devour-Heart's black mist coiled toward Han Qi. "Little girl, lend me your body!"

"Han Qi!"

Desperate to rescue her, Ye Xiao was blocked dead in his tracks by a desperate Xu Beichen.

At the critical moment of crisis, an earthy-yellow fist imprint shattered the black mist, and Du Mao charged in covered in blood. "Ye Xiao! I'm late!"

"Senior Brother Du!" Ye Xiao rejoiced. "How did you find this place?"

With a single punch, Du Mao forced back the black mist lunging at Han Qi. "It's a long story! Let's deal with this monster first!"

With Du Mao's arrival, the battle situation stabilized temporarily.

Guided by Yue Wuxia, Ye Xiao fought his way toward the edge of the abyss.

"Brat, what are you trying to do?"

Sensing his intent, Ancestor Devour-Heart surged forward like a tide of black mist.

Without a word, Ye Xiao united both swords, a single slash of sword qi cleaving open the black mist to reveal the true appearance of the abyss!

It was a circular altar ten zhang in diameter, its surface covered in bizarre runes, with a beating heart suspended at its center!

"Ancestor Devour-Heart's natal heart core!" Yue Wuxia exclaimed in shock. "No wonder he managed to break the seal!"

Ye Xiao leaped toward the altar. Finally panicked, Ancestor Devour-Heart reeled back all his black mist to form a barrier at the cave entrance. "Stop him!"

Driven mad, the blood fiend Xu Beichen lunged forward. Du Mao blocked him at the cost of his life, only to have a claw pierce straight through his abdomen.

"Senior Brother Du!" Veins burst in Ye Xiao's eyes.

"Don't mind me!" Coughing up blood, Du Mao wrapped his arms tightly around Xu Beichen. "Quick... go..."

With tears in his eyes, Ye Xiao turned around, crossing his swords in front of his chest as his entire body shot toward the abyss like an arrow released from a bowstring.

"No—!" Ancestor Devour-Heart's screech shook the entire Sword Graveyard.

Just as Ye Xiao was about to touch the altar, a black shadow arrived with blistering speed!

It was the heavily injured Xu Beichen! Breaking free from Du Mao, he lunged at Ye Xiao with astonishing velocity.

"Watch out!" Yue Wuxia warned.

It was too late.

Xu Beichen's sharp claws stabbed into Ye Xiao's back while sinking his teeth into his neck. "Let's die together!"

Entangled, the two of them plunged toward the altar. At the very edge of peril, Yue Wuxia's residual soul detached from Ye Xiao's body, transforming into a light screen that caught them.

"Senior?"

Ye Xiao looked in astonishment at the illusory figure hovering before him.

Yue Wuxia looked back, a resolute expression on her exquisite face. "I can only seal him temporarily. To completely eradicate Ancestor Devour-Heart, someone must take my heart-sword and leap into the altar."

She gazed deeply at Ye Xiao. "Are you willing?"