The Legend of the Princess' Counterattack

Chapter 720 The Secret of the Semi-Immortal

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen's figures streaked across the sky, hurtling northwestward. Below, mountains and rivers receded like a flowing scroll, but neither of them had the heart to admire the scenery. Yun Yao's heart was filled with the eager pursuit of the fragment of the law; it held the key to repairing the way of heaven, and she could not afford to lose it. Meanwhile, Chu Mochen, his eyes stern, was constantly alert to the dangers around him. The sword in his hand trembled slightly, as if echoing his master's fighting spirit.

Soon, a wasteland perpetually shrouded in blood mist came into view. The mist, as if alive, swirled and swirled, emitting a pungent, fishy odor that made one nauseous. Yun Yao's heart trembled, knowing this was the bloody wasteland, the ancient battlefield where the Divine Court and the demonic cultivators fought a thousand years ago. As soon as she set foot in this ominous land, a shrill wail filled her ears like a tide, the voices of countless wronged souls recounting the tragedy and resentment of the past.

"These are fighting spirits corrupted by the evil spirits." Chu Mochen's expression was solemn. He swung his sword, and a dazzling golden light flashed out like lightning, temporarily dispelling the blood mist around him. "Yao'er, use the Lotus Heart Technique to purify them, otherwise we will be unable to move forward."

Yun Yao nodded, took a deep breath, and quickly gathered her spiritual energy. A silver light shimmered from her fingertips, and a delicate silver lotus petal slowly emerged, emitting a soft yet resilient glow. As she softly chanted the "Rebirth Mantra," the silver petal, as if inspired, danced gracefully in the air, each movement shedding tiny specks of silver light like falling stars. Illuminated by this sacred light, the hideous white bones on the ground began to tremble, then slowly rose, transforming into giant blood-red pythons. They bared their fangs and claws, spitting out their tongues, attempting to resist the cleansing force, but under the corrosive influence of the light, they gradually became powerless.

The giant pythons twisted their bodies in agony, uttering roars and howls, but Yun Yao remained unmoved. With a determined gaze, she continued to activate the Lotus Heart Technique. Finally, after a long, unwilling cry, the giant pythons transformed into points of light and dissipated between heaven and earth. As the last wisp of blood mist cleared, a clear and bright scene unfolded before them. Deep in the wasteland, a suspended blood-red altar loomed.

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen exchanged a glance, each seeing a solemnity and determination in the other's eyes. Cautiously, they approached the altar, and just as they were about to touch it, a vision suddenly struck. Yun Yao felt a flash of light before her eyes, and she found herself in an incredibly opulent palace. She was dressed in the magnificent attire of a princess, the gold and silver threads gleaming dazzlingly in the sunlight, and every gem radiated a captivating splendor. She wore a phoenix crown, and the pearl curtain dangling from the phoenix's mouth swayed gently, making a melodious sound. Inside the palace, a group of people were devoutly worshipping her, chanting, "Long Live the Princess!"

Meanwhile, Chu Mochen saw a completely different scene. He was dressed in tattered clothes, kneeling at Yun Yao's feet, his eyes filled with pain and struggle. His former high spirits were gone, leaving only endless desolation.

"This is the lure of the Law of Slaughter, using the most desired scene to shake the mind." Chu Mochen's voice seemed to come from the Nine Nether Hell, but it was also firm, penetrating through layers of illusions and reaching Yun Yao's ears. "Yao'er, remember, our goal is to stand shoulder to shoulder, not to look down on all living beings."

Yun Yao's heart trembled, and she instantly came to her senses. She bit her lip, a trace of blood seeping out. The pain completely freed her from the illusion. At this moment, a cold light flashed in her eyes, and the Lotus Heart Art transformed into a sharp arrow of light, carrying her determination and courage, and shot straight towards the core of the altar.

In an instant, the fragments of the law, as if provoked, exploded and shattered into millions of pieces. Each piece, like a mirror, reflected a different future for Yun Yao: in a dazzling starry sky, she was clad in imperial robes and a crown, with countless immortal soldiers and generals behind her. She had become the Immortal Emperor, controlling the immortal world, and her every move could change the world. But in the blink of an eye, the scene switched to a dark place. She was surrounded by demonic energy, her eyes cold, and she was friendly with the demonic cultivators, having fallen into the devil's way. In another instant, her figure shattered in the void, her soul scattered, and disappeared into the endless darkness...

Suddenly, the system's urgent reminder echoed through Yun Yao's mind: "Host possesses the 'Lotus Heart Origin', capable of fusing any fragment of the Law!" Yun Yao's heart hardened, knowing there was no turning back. If she didn't fuse the fragments, not only would repairing the Heavenly Dao be hopeless, but this dangerous power would also fall into the hands of the Holy Maiden Youyue. She suddenly opened her palm, resolutely allowing the fragment to pierce her flesh.

A sharp pain suddenly struck, as if thousands of steel needles were piercing her body simultaneously. Yun Yao's forehead was instantly covered with sweat, and her face turned pale as snow. Meanwhile, the sounds of countless battles echoed in her mind, like the aftermath of a great war thousands of years ago, or as if they came from a brutal battle in a different time and space. But amidst this pain and chaos, she saw Chu Mochen standing by her side, his spiritual energy surging like a towering mountain, shielding her from the backlash of the laws.

"In the name of the Lotus Heart, I suppress all evil!" Yun Yao shouted, a resounding cry like spring thunder, shattering the surrounding haze. Instantly, the silver lotus between her brows resonated with Chu Mochen's golden Lotus Heart Lock, and a dazzling "Yin and Yang Law Domain" instantly unfolded. Wherever the light reached, space shook. Under the cover of this law domain, all the shattered fragments seemed to be inspired, halting their frantic surge and slowly reuniting. Finally, it transformed into a blood-red lotus petal, imbued with endless mysterious power, and embedded itself between her brows.

As the blood-red lotus petals embedded themselves, Yun Yao felt a surge of immense power surge through her body, slowly tamed by her lotus heart essence. Before she could recover, the altar collapsed with a resounding bang. A cloud of dust billowed, and a staircase leading underground suddenly appeared. From the depths of the staircase, the piercing laughter of Saint Youyue drifted in. "You've arrived just in time! My 'Half-Immortal Fusion Formation' is in need of the spirits of two Saint Sons and Saint Daughters!"

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen exchanged a glance, each seeing the rage and determination in the other's eyes. Without hesitation, they descended the stairs swiftly. As they went deeper, a strong, bloody smell grew increasingly pungent. Strange lights flickered on the surrounding walls, as if countless pairs of eyes were watching them.

In the underground chamber, the Holy Maiden Youyue sat cross-legged like a demonic deity, atop a formation formed from the skeletons of semi-immortals. Her body had become translucent, as if it could dissipate at any moment, yet the overwhelming pressure she emanated was suffocating. Behind her, twelve semi-immortal figures loomed, their faces distorted, their eyes hollow, and they exuded a dark, demonic aura.

Yun Yao's heart moved, and after careful sensing, she discovered that these phantoms were none other than the twelve elders of the Divine Court back then. However, now they were all contaminated by evil spirits and became puppets of the Holy Maiden Youyue.

"Chu Mochen, look at these elders. They were the ones who loved you the most back then." Saint Youyue smiled sinisterly and raised her hand to grab the neck of an elder's phantom. "Tell me, should you save them or your little lover?"

Chu Mochen's muscles tensed, his eyes blazing with rage as if he could incinerate Saint Youyue. His sword hummed in his hand, and he longed to rush forward and slay the enchantress. Yun Yao suddenly noticed a faint lotus mark between the brows of these phantoms. Though obscured by the demonic power, she could still detect it: they were clearly under the Imperius Curse.

Without a sound, she quietly merged the fragments of the "Mirror Flower, Water Moon Lamp" she had obtained in the secret realm into the Law Domain. With a thought, relying on her exquisite control of the Law, she created twelve false spirits that were identical to the elders' spirits. Enveloped in the power of the Law, these false spirits resembled real people, emitting a faint vitality.

As the Youyue Saint cast the Imperius Curse into the false soul, Yun Yao seized the opportunity and abruptly unleashed the Law of Backlash. Instantly, the light from the blood-red lotus petals flowed back through the curse seal into the Youyue Saint's body. She let out a shrill scream, her body trembling violently. The half-immortal phantoms, as if awakening from a deep slumber, broke free from her control and knelt before Chu Mochen, "Your Highness, Holy Son, save us!"

"Yao'er, use the Lotus Heart Lock to purify the curse!" Chu Mochen roared, seizing this fleeting opportunity to pour the Divine Court's primordial power into Yun Yao without reservation. Yun Yao took a deep breath and tapped her fingertips. Golden lotus petals, carrying a purifying force, swept across every shadow like a spring breeze. Wherever they touched, the evil spirits melted away like ice and snow in the warm sun, and the elders' spirits finally regained clarity.

Furious and humiliated, Saint Youyue, seeing the situation was hopeless, attempted a final struggle. She suddenly detonated the center of the formation, and instantly, the ground shook, the chamber began to crumble, and huge rocks fell. Chu Mochen reacted quickly, leaping forward, picking up Yunyao, and using the teleportation technique, returning to the surface in the blink of an eye.

Yun Yao was now incredibly weak, her face as pale as paper, like a flower withered in a gust of wind. The recoil had severely injured her soul, and her spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Chu Mochen, heartbroken, carried her back to their temporary shelter.

Upon entering the room, Chu Mochen carefully placed Yun Yao on the bed. Without even taking a moment to rest, he immediately activated the "Shen Ting Secret Technique." He formed seals with his hands, and soft golden light streamed from his palms, slowly pouring into Yun Yao's body, warming her spirit. Under the nourishment of this warm golden light, Yun Yao's face gradually regained a hint of color, but she remained unconscious.

Chu Mochen stayed by the bed, his eyes never leaving Yun Yao. His heart was filled with self-blame and regret. If only he had been stronger, if only he had seen through Saint Youyue's plot sooner, Yao'er wouldn't have been so seriously injured.

At this moment, the System Lord's voice echoed through Yun Yao's consciousness: "It turns out that the host's time travel originates from the 'narrative power' of the laws of Heaven. The novels you write in the modern era are actually the embodiment of these laws, which is why they resonate so strongly in the world of cultivation." Following the System Lord's voice, Yun Yao, still unconscious, felt as if she were transported to a vast universe. Standing at the pinnacle of the universe, she gazed down upon countless worlds milling around like stars. In each of these worlds, a "Yun Yao" was acting out a different story, some joyful, some tragic, some ordinary, some legendary. And in the corners of each world, Chu Mochen's figure loomed, his persistent search for the Yun Yao who belonged to him.

After an unknown amount of time, Yun Yao's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. What she saw was Chu Mochen's eyes full of concern and joy.

"Yao'er, you finally woke up. You scared me to death." Chu Mochen held Yun Yao's hand tightly, his voice trembling slightly and his eyes red.

Yun Yao smiled faintly. Although her face was still pale, she showed determination. "I'm fine, don't worry. We still have to move forward and repair the way of heaven. We can't let the Holy Lady Youyue succeed."

Chu Mochen nodded heavily, helped Yun Yao up, and leaned her against his chest: "Okay, let's go together. No matter how difficult the road ahead is, I will never let you get hurt again."

As the two of them were comforting each other, Xiao Cui gently pushed open the door, carrying a bowl of medicine. Her eyes were evasive, her steps a bit flustered, and she had lost all her usual agility. Yun Yao's gaze fixed on her, keenly sensing something strange about Xiao Cui. She peered closely, only to see a subtle flash of blood in her pupils. The look was strikingly similar to that of the Blood Demon Sect cultivator she had seen earlier.

The system suddenly issued a sharp warning: "It has been detected that Xiao Cui has demonic evil invading her body! She came into contact with the Semi-Immortal Jade Slip in the Wanbao Pavilion and was planted with the 'Possession Curse'!"

Yun Yao was startled and forced herself to stand, her weak body ignoring her own pain. She immediately used the Lotus Heart Technique to probe Xiao Cui's meridians. As expected, she discovered a blood-red jade slip near Xiao Cui's dantian, engraved with the hideous mark of the Holy Maiden Youyue. The demonic power was slowly eroding Xiao Cui's sea of consciousness through the jade slip.

"I'm sorry, Princess..." Xiao Cui's eyes were filled with tears of blood, her body was trembling, and her voice was filled with endless pain and self-blame, "I can't control myself..."

Seeing this, Chu Mochen was enraged. He unsheathed his sword and rushed towards Xiao Cui, intending to kill the evil spirit. However, Yun Yao hurriedly shook her head and stretched out her hand to stop him: "She is a mortal. If you forcibly remove the curse seal, she will die."

After saying this, Yun Yao took a deep breath. Regardless of her own frail spirit, she resolutely injected a wisp of her soul into the jade slip. Instantly, a silver lotus blossomed within Xiao Cui's sea of consciousness, transforming into an impenetrable protective barrier to resist the demonic evil.

"From now on, I will be your amulet." Yun Yao said softly, her eyes gentle but firm. Xiao Cui looked at Yun Yao, her eyes full of gratitude and guilt, tears flowing uncontrollably.

At that moment, a sudden strong wind blew outside, and thunder and lightning flashed in the sky. Yun Yao and Chu Mochen felt a chill in their hearts, knowing that danger had once again arrived. They quickly went outside and looked up, only to see twelve dazzling immortal lights suddenly appear in the sky, like twelve pillars of light reaching from heaven to earth.

"The pursuers from Yuxu Palace have arrived." Chu Mochen frowned, his eyes filled with vigilance and disgust.

The leading white-haired elder wore a plain white robe, his hair as white as snow, fluttering in the wind. He noticed the lotus seal between Yun Yao's eyebrows and immediately bowed, his expression respectful yet also a touch of urgency. "Host Lotus Heart, please follow us back to the Immortal Realm. The Palace Master has something important to discuss with you."

Chu Mochen snorted coldly and stood in front of Yun Yao without hesitation. The power of the Divine Court's origin surged around him, like a scorching sun rising. "The Immortal Realm stood by and watched the Divine Court's destruction back then. What qualifications do they have to intervene now?"

The white-haired old man sighed, his expression complicated: "Back then, it was my shortsightedness, but now the way of heaven is about to collapse, and only the host of the lotus heart can repair it——"

Yun Yao's heart stirred, and she suddenly recalled the visions of the future in Siming Palace. Those images concerning the fate of the three thousand worlds flashed through her mind. She gently pressed Chu Mochen's hand and looked into the distance. "Perhaps, we should go to the fairyland and see how many secrets they know."

Chu Mochen turned to look at Yun Yao, his eyes tinged with worry, but he nodded slightly. Enveloped by twelve rays of immortal light, the two of them transformed into streams of light, speeding towards the Immortal Realm. An unknown storm was quietly brewing within the Immortal Realm...