Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

His originally extremely weak breath, after this exhale, actually... seemed to... rise slightly? As if a silted-up river channel had been forcibly cleared a little!
Meanwhile, another small, relatively gentle stream of life energy guided by Huang Xiren was enveloped by his earth elemental power and, like a stream released from a dam, was forcibly poured back into the vicinity of Chen Xueqing's heart meridian! This infused power was not healing, but rather a violent "recharging" and "awakening" of the same source of power!
"Ughh ...

Did it work? !

However, the price Huang Xiren paid was terrifying! By forcibly intervening in the collision of two laws-level forces, acting as both a "fuse" and a "channel," he suffered unimaginable backlash! The arm he had pointed at, starting from his fingers, saw its skin and muscles peel away inch by inch like weathered rock, revealing stark white bones, and this collapse was spreading towards his shoulder at a visible speed! The internal injuries he had painstakingly suppressed within his body erupted completely, his meridians ruptured inch by inch, his Golden Core (the foundation of a Nascent Soul cultivator) was covered with cracks, and his cultivation level plummeted like a flood bursting its banks! His eyes quickly dimmed, with only a last bit of willpower keeping him from collapsing.

"Old Huang!!" Lin Hao and Wang Cheng exclaimed in shock, their eyes wide with horror.

at this time--

hum! ! !
The Purple Spirit Emperor Sword, embedded in an underground cave hundreds of miles away, seemed to sense its master's impending death and the life force that had been forcibly activated and erupted. Its blade suddenly emitted an unprecedentedly intense hum! The sword spirit's illusory form, originally weakened by the Hidden Edge Poison Technique, flickered and struggled wildly on the sword, a defiant and furious will soaring into the sky! The remaining purple-gold light on the sword suddenly shone brightly as if in a final burst of energy, frantically expelling the deep green poisonous mist remaining on its surface!

Boom!

The cavern shook violently once more! The cracked fragment of Mons Blue Amethyst that had been abandoned on the ground seemed to be stirred by the intense intent and residual sword energy emanating from the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword. The violent energy inside became extremely unstable again, and purplish-black lightning surged wildly through the cracks, crackling and exploding!
The hum of the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword, like the final roar of a trapped beast, reverberated through the dark cavern. The lingering dark green poisonous mist on the sword's blade was repelled and incinerated inch by inch by the erupting purple-gold light, emitting a pungent, acrid stench. The dim phantom of the sword spirit struggled frantically, its blurred face contorted, conveying a tragic, space-transcending tremor shared with its master—a dying, yet unwilling-to-be-annihilated will!
This resolute will, like a spark thrown into boiling oil, completely ignited the Mons blue amethyst fragment that was already on the verge of going out of control!
Boom! ! !

The cavern trembled violently! The spiderweb-like cracks on the amethyst fragments suddenly expanded, and blinding purplish-black lightning, like a ferocious beast breaking free of its cage, burst forth from the cracks! No longer the uncontrolled scattering of the previous light, this time, the violent energy was attracted and guided by the indomitable will of the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword, transforming into a destructive purplish-black lightning pillar that tore through the air and slammed fiercely into the longsword that was still groaning in despair!

The thunder wasn't an attack; it was more like a burst of violent energy finding an outlet from the same source!
Zila——! ! !
A deafening roar of tearing energy filled the cavern! A pillar of purplish-black lightning collided violently with the sword light erupting from the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword! There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a piercing, teeth-grinding sound of energies annihilating and forcibly merging!
The sword trembled violently, as if it would disintegrate at any moment! The sword spirit phantom let out a silent scream in the baptism of thunder, and its already faint figure was instantly engulfed and torn apart by the violent purple-black energy!
However, amidst this devastating erosion, a strange change quietly occurred.

The fragments of the Mons Blue Amethyst contained the chaotic and violent primal energy of the Abyss Clan and shattered life laws. Meanwhile, the core of the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword was forged and fused by Yu Changsheng with his own essence, blood, and soul, incorporating the supreme sword intent that restrained the power of the Abyss Clan. While the two were absolutely repelled, at their very core, both carried a trace of fragments of the laws of "annihilation" and "sharpness"!

At this moment, guided by the sword spirit's indomitable will and under the pressure of the raging thunder, this extremely faint fragment of law, which would normally be impossible for a low-level cultivator to perceive, was forcibly squeezed and joined together on the verge of annihilation!
hum! ! !
A brand new, indescribable sharp aura suddenly erupted from the core of annihilation!
Like the first ray of light cleaving through the primordial chaos at the beginning of time! Amidst the raging, purplish-black lightning, a single point of extreme purple-gold sharpness suddenly shone forth! It was tiny yet incredibly concentrated, carrying the will to sever everything, instantly piercing through the chaotic purplish-black energy that enveloped it!

laugh!
This brand-new purple-gold sharpness seemed to possess a life of its own, sweeping upwards along the spine of the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword! Wherever it passed, the remaining deep green poisonous mist, as if encountering its nemesis, instantly turned into green smoke and dissipated! The violent amethyst energy was also forcibly cut open and devoured by this sharpness! The sword's dim spiritual light seemed to be infused with new life, instantly becoming restrained and profound, and even unprecedented, mysterious purple-gold patterns appeared on the sword's body!

The sword spirit phantom was forcibly pulled back from the brink of annihilation by this sharp edge! The phantom was still blurry, but it was no longer painfully distorted. Instead, it possessed a purer sharpness and killing intent, as if it had been reborn after destruction! It was no longer a simple sword spirit, but more like a wisp of the Soul of Annihilation Sword Intent, which had been fused with fragments of the destructive origin of Monslan and reshaped by the will of the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword!
"Zheng——!"

The Purple Spirit Emperor Sword emitted an unprecedentedly clear and resonant cry! The sword trembled slightly, no longer wailing, but only filled with a resolute determination and desire to shatter everything! It sensed it! It sensed its master's life hanging by a thread, it sensed the life force that had been forcibly triggered and erupted!

hum!
The longsword emerged from the rubble on its own, hovering in mid-air. Its tip trembled slightly, instantly locking onto a faint yet incredibly clear life force in the distant swamp—Yu Changsheng!

Whoosh!
A purplish-gold sword rainbow, condensed to its fullest extent, tore through the roar of the underground river, pierced through the thick rock layer, and shot towards the direction of the Swamp of Despair at a speed that surpassed space!

Behind him, the fragment of Mons Blue Amethyst, having exhausted its last unstable energy, silently turned into a wisp of dim ash, drifting into the murky air.

A swamp of despair, a decaying tree hollow.

Huang Xiren's withered body, like rotten wood drained of all moisture, slumped heavily against the cold cave wall. His right arm, which he had pointed out, had completely turned into grayish-white stone dust from the elbow down, crumbling away to reveal the grim broken bones. Although the spreading petrification had temporarily halted due to the exhaustion of his strength, the remaining arm bones were still covered with hideous cracks, as if they would shatter at the slightest touch.

The excruciating pain had long since numbed him, replaced by a bone-chilling cold and emptiness brought on by the frantic loss of his life force. His mouth was agape, each inhale like swallowing an ice scalpel; his throat bobbed, but no sound came out, only thick, black blood oozing from the corners of his mouth, staining his gray beard and shirt. His cloudy old eyes strained to stay open, fixed intently on the two figures on the ground.

He succeeded! This half-dead old man risked his life to snatch a sliver of hope from the jaws of death!
After spitting out the mouthful of black blood brimming with deathly energy, Yu Changsheng's face remained ashen, but the rise and fall of his chest noticeably gained strength! The dark mark of the Eternal Night Evil Beast on his back, after enduring the fierce onslaught of Chen Xueqing's torrent of life laws, strangely ceased its dimming. At its core, a faint yet eerily vibrant dark purple radiance quietly sprouted, like a spark of chaotic fire born from a dark abyss, greedily and cautiously absorbing the remaining, more refined deathly energy after its "purification." The Eternal Night Evil Beast's power seemed to have undergone an indescribable transformation under the "purifying" impact of the life laws.

And Chen Xueqing...

"Uh...ho..." Her arched body slowly calmed down, and the bright green light in her heart, like a small sun, did not go out. Instead, after the violent fluctuations, it gradually subsided and settled.

The blurry phantom of the life rune did not disappear; instead, it was imprinted even more clearly on her heart, pulsating slightly like a living thing, radiating an ancient and gentle aura. After Huang Xiren guided and diverted the violent counterattack energy with earth element, most of it was used to "purify" the out-of-control death energy in Yu Changsheng's body, while a small portion of the returning power was now being absorbed and transformed in an orderly manner by this stabilized rune.

Her tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. Although she was still unconscious, the deathly pallor on her face had faded, and her breathing became long and steady, even carrying a strange life rhythm. The last wisp of light escaping from the broken antler of the Colorful Star Deer statue was now completely absorbed by the rune on its heart, and the statue completely lost all its luster, turning into a cold, stubborn stone.

"Old Huang!" Lin Hao and Wang Cheng rushed to the old man's side, their voices trembling with tears as they looked at his gruesome severed arm and rapidly declining health.

Huang Xiren struggled to move his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Yu Changsheng, whose breath was returning and Chen Xueqing, whose life force was gradually stabilizing in her slumber, before landing on the Caixing deer, which had completely turned into a stubborn stone. In his turbid eyes, a trace of almost peaceful relief miraculously appeared.

With his last ounce of strength, a hoarse sound escaped his throat. His gaze was fixed on Lin Hao, and his intact left hand, trembling weakly, lifted slightly, pointing towards the darkness deeper into the swamp. His lips moved with difficulty, uttering a few broken, almost inaudible breaths: "...Go...protect...them...to...survive..."

As the last "go" fell, his raised left hand fell limply to the ground. The last glimmer of light in Huang Xiren's eyes vanished completely, his head tilted to one side, and his breath ceased. This fiercely loyal and devoted patriarch of Wuzhou, who had protected him all the way, had burned out his last drop of blood and soul, his life extinguished like a lamp burning out, and he passed away peacefully.

"Old Huang—!!" Lin Hao let out a heart-wrenching roar, kneeling heavily before the old man, tears streaming down his face. Wang Cheng's eyes also reddened, and he gritted his teeth, turning his head away.

Inside the tree hollow, a mournful, deathly silence permeated the air. Outside, the swamp was shrouded in a thick, viscous, grayish-white miasma, like a giant shroud.

The sounds of battle from the direction of Luoxia Pass in the distance had ceased at some point, leaving only a chilling, desolate silence after the great battle, foreshadowing the possible fate of the cultivators from Yongzhou.

"Go!" Lin Hao wiped away his tears, his eyes bloodshot with resolute determination. He carefully carried Yu Changsheng, whose breathing was still weak but had stabilized, his movements as gentle as if handling fragile porcelain. "Wang Cheng! Take Xueqing with you! The path that Old Huang risked his life for cannot be broken in our hands!"

Wang Cheng nodded emphatically and carefully picked up the sleeping Chen Xueqing. The two took one last look at Huang Xiren, who was leaning against the cave wall as if asleep, and the cold, colorful deer statue beside him. They suppressed their endless grief and anger, turned around, and resolutely rushed into the thick, impenetrable miasma.

Just as their figures disappeared into the gray-white sea of ​​mist!
At the horizon, in the direction of Ironwall Fortress!
A purplish-gold sword rainbow, condensed to its extreme and seemingly capable of piercing the depths of hell, tore through the thick leaden clouds, ignoring the viscous miasma and pervasive death aura above the Swamp of Despair. Like a thunderbolt that transcends time and space, carrying the resolute will to annihilate all obstacles, it shot toward Yu Changsheng, whom Lin Hao was carrying!

Before the sword even arrived, that brand-new, chilling sword intent, imbued with the essence of destruction and unyielding protection, instantly enveloped Lin Hao and Wang Cheng like a tangible cold current! It was icy and piercing, yet it also carried an indescribable...familiarity and longing!

"That's... Senior Yu's sword?!" Lin Hao looked up in shock, staring intently at the purple-gold streak tearing through the sky. Overjoyed and stunned, the gloom in his heart instantly vanished. The Purple Spirit Emperor Sword! It had actually sought its master on its own! And that sword intent... was more powerful than ever before, more... different!
puff!
As if summoned by the same sword intent, Yu Changsheng, who was lying on Lin Hao's back, suddenly shuddered! The dark mark of the Eternal Night Evil Beast on his back suddenly burst out with a strong suction force!

A strange connection of power transcended space, and was suddenly established between the dying host and the reborn natal divine sword!
boom!
The purple-gold sword rainbow arrived in an instant, ignoring all obstacles, hovering precisely above Yu Changsheng's body. The sword tip pointed downwards, trembling slightly, emitting a low hum like a weary bird returning to its nest. The purple-gold light flowing on the sword and the new, mysterious patterns were clearly visible, and the aura of destruction and rebirth intertwined and entwined.

The next instant, the longsword transformed into a streak of light and swiftly entered Yu Changsheng's body, or more precisely, merged into the dark mark that was frantically absorbing the aura of the laws of destruction!

"Ugh—!"

Yu Changsheng's tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open! Deep within his pupils, there was no longer pure darkness, but a swirling, chaotic dark purple, within which seemed to explode tiny fragments of purple-gold lightning! A painful roar burst forth from the depths of his throat, as if he were enduring unimaginable transformation and impact!

A powerful yet chaotic aura, mixed with icy darkness, violent lightning destructive power, and a trace of newly born, mysterious vitality originating from Chen Xueqing's life runes, erupted violently from his dying body like a volcano suppressed for millennia! Wherever the aura passed, the thick, grayish-white miasma was forcibly pushed aside, forming a brief vacuum!

Lin Hao and Wang Cheng were violently thrown away by the sudden burst of energy, crashing heavily into the mud. They stared in horror at Yu Changsheng, who was enveloped in a chaotic energy storm.

At the eye of the storm, Yu Changsheng hovered a few inches above the ground, his body swirling with dark purple chaotic energy, his tattered robes fluttering in the wind. Purple-gold lightning and shadows intertwined in his eyes, pain and confusion struggling on his face, like a chaotic demon god who had just crawled back from the abyss of death, his power out of control.

Deep within the Abyss Clan battlefield, on an altar constructed of stark white bones and twisted metal, a pool of viscous purple blood suddenly boiled. A cold, vast will, seemingly composed of countless fragments of will, pierced through layers of spatial barriers, abruptly locking onto this newly born aura in the Swamp of Despair, aura carrying an "impurity" that He loathed.

"The Seed from Beyond the Boundary...Contamination...Cleansing..." (End of Chapter)