Bai Ruxue stared fixedly at the Exquisite Pagoda that was continuously approaching.
Just as the Exquisite Pagoda was about to descend and suppress her in this critical moment, a gentle breeze suddenly brushed past her face.
The wind carried a faint scent of ink, refreshing to the heart and mind.
When the Exquisite Pagoda was only ten feet away from Bai Ruxue, it stopped suspended in mid-air, unable to fall any further.
That breeze, like turning book pages, seemed to transform into a pair of invisible giant hands, steadily holding up the Exquisite Pagoda.
Daoist Tianqiong frowned tightly, turning his head to look into the distance.
He saw a man dressed in a blue robe, carrying a long sword, walking toward him step by step.
With each step he took, his figure would instantly appear several zhang away.
When he walked close enough, even before Daoist Tianqiong could speak, the blue-robed scholar had already raised his long sword and struck down.
Daoist Tianqiong's heart suddenly trembled, instinctively wanting to dodge, but this sword was as fast as lightning, and he simply had no time to react.Daoist Tianqiong's massive Heaven and Earth Law Body forcibly received this supremely sharp sword strike.
On his Heaven and Earth Law Body's torso, spider web-like cracks appeared prominently, like shattered porcelain.
The blue-robed scholar turned his wrist and without hesitation struck out with his sword again.
"Hum!"
Sharp sword qi broke through the air, precisely bombarding the body of the Exquisite Pagoda.
The Exquisite Pagoda was shaken by this powerful sword qi and sent flying backward, its light flickering.
Looking at that familiar figure not far away, Bai Ruxue's expression became dazed, as if in a dream.
For her, parting from Xiao Mo seemed to have happened just yesterday.
However, when her gaze touched upon Xiao Mo's weathered face and the glaring silver threads mixed among his black hair, Bai Ruxue felt unbearably sour in her heart, not knowing what kinds of things Xiao Mo had encountered over these years.
Xiao Mo looked at the white dragon coiled on the ground, the corners of his mouth showing a gentle smile as he stepped forward and was already by her side.
"Xiao Mo... your neck..."
Bai Ruxue transformed into human form, her eyes trembling.
The woman reached out her hand, her fingertips carrying an almost imperceptible tremor as she carefully touched the sword scar on his neck.
"It's nothing," Xiao Mo smiled comfortingly, his tone calm, "In battlefield life-and-death struggles, how could one's body not bear some scars? It's not serious, look, am I not standing here perfectly fine?"
Bai Ruxue tightly pressed her bloodless thin lips together, forcibly suppressing her surging emotions.
"Alright, leave everything that follows to me."
Xiao Mo reached out his hand, gently grasping Bai Ruxue's delicate wrist, speaking faster as he explained.
"Little Green went to seek revenge against the sect that killed their way into the North Sea back then, but actually fell into a trap carefully laid by others. Their real target is actually you.
Little Green was merely bait being used, all to make you sense that Little Green was in mortal danger and lure you out.
Fortunately... I arrived in time."
Bai Ruxue's eyes instantly became covered with a thin layer of mist, "But even so, you shouldn't have come."
Xiao Mo looked at Bai Ruxue's golden vertical pupils and smiled, saying, "You shouldn't have come either."
"This is different." Bai Ruxue shook her head, her voice carrying a hint of choking, "Little Green is my blood sister."
"What's different about it?" Xiao Mo's smile deepened, his gaze burning, "You are the woman I love."
"..." Bai Ruxue's throat moved slightly, as if she had countless words she wanted to pour out, but in the end she only lowered her head and with infinite tenderness and reproach, softly cursed, "Fool..."
"Alright, leave everything to me." Xiao Mo dotingly ruffled the woman's long hair, "Oh right, that sword in your hand, lend it to me for now."
"What's mine is yours."
"Good."
Xiao Mo lifted the Immortal Slayer, resolutely turned around, his gaze like torches locking onto Daoist Tianqiong suspended high in the sky.
Daoist Tianqiong raised his hand to wipe away the blood at the corner of his lips, glaring furiously at Xiao Mo and sternly shouting, "Xiao Mo! What do you intend? As a dignified Confucian Sage, do you dare openly protect the demon race?"
"Back then, Confucianist Ding Shen violated the Palace Master's orders and rashly led twelve sects to kill their way into the North Sea, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of innocent demon cultivators. Today the North Sea’s dragon clan comes seeking revenge, I have nothing more to say."
Xiao Mo's calm voice clearly echoed between heaven and earth.
"In comparison, Your Excellency secretly laid plans, deliberately scheming to cause the sect masters of Red Lotus Sect, Water Forest Sect and other sects to be severely injured one after another, then leaked this information to the North Sea’s dragon clan.
Using the North Sea’s dragon clan's hands to eliminate these sects, intending to devour their blessed lands, cave heavens, and sect inheritances.
And taking the opportunity to lure out the North Sea’s dragon clan, attempting to slaughter them all and refine the dragon and flood dragon essence.
Your Excellency's calculations are truly well-planned indeed."
"Pure nonsense!"
Daoist Tianqiong flew into a rage, sternly refuting.
"This old man wholeheartedly only seeks to eliminate demons for the Ten Thousand Laws Realm, absolutely without selfish motives! Xiao Mo, you little child, spouting nonsense and slandering this old man's reputation, is this the conduct a sage should have?"
"Whether it's nonsense or not, you naturally know in your heart."
Xiao Mo had no intention of engaging in verbal disputes with him.
Initially when meeting with Shang Jiuli, after hearing her speculations, Xiao Mo also sensed this matter was full of suspicious points.
He requested a large number of documents and files from Shang Jiuli regarding the severe injuries of Red Lotus Sect and other sect masters.
On the way to Black Mountain Sect, through repeated deductions, he finally reached this conclusion.
Daoist Tianqiong squinted his eyes, cold light flickering in his pupils, clearly not wanting to continue arguing.
"Xiao Mo, this old man considers that you are the youngest Confucian Sage in the current world, and have previously established illustrious military achievements for the Ten Thousand Laws Realm. If you sensibly leave now, this old man can let bygones be bygones regarding your rescue of the demon race just now."
"What if I insist on not leaving?"
"Arrogant child, do you really think this old man can't deal with you?"
Daoist Tianqiong's hands rapidly formed hand seals, and that Exquisite Pagoda's light blazed again, carrying the force of ten thousand jun as it fiercely suppressed down toward Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue.
"Roar!"
Accompanied by an earth-shaking dragon roar, a giant dragon formed from pure black righteous qi soared up from behind Xiao Mo, boldly colliding with the suppressing Exquisite Pagoda.
At the same time, Xiao Mo held his long sword and again struck out a sword light that tore through the sky, slashing toward Daoist Tianqiong.
Bai Ruxue also simultaneously transformed into dragon form, fighting alongside Xiao Mo as they charged forward.
As an Ascension realm cultivator, every sword Xiao Mo struck contained magnificent Heavenly Dao true intent.
However, after fighting intensely for a moment, Daoist Tianqiong keenly sensed something was wrong with Xiao Mo's aura.
His spiritual power fluctuations became increasingly chaotic, and his complexion showed an abnormal pallor, as if he was bearing serious unhealed injuries and was now only forcibly suppressing his wounds, struggling to fight.
Xiao Mo also never held the plan to kill Daoist Tianqiong in one strike.
First, Daoist Tianqiong was a veteran late-stage Ascension realm powerhouse, his cultivation realm two minor realms higher than his own. Wanting to kill him here would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Second, his own physical condition really couldn't support such high-intensity combat.
Thus, Xiao Mo seized a fleeting opportunity and suddenly struck out a sword qi with his long sword.
"Boom!"
The sword qi was like a rainbow, precisely bombarding the birdcage covering the entire Black Mountain Sect, completely breaking open the cage.
"Escape!"
Xiao Mo shouted sharply at the North Sea’s dragon clan demons.
At the same time, he waved his hand, and magnificent righteous qi surged out, merging into the clouds in the sky.
In an instant, four or five massive cloud dragons formed from white clouds roared as they pounced toward the human cultivators below, forcibly opening paths of escape for the demons' retreat.
"Go!"
Little Green and the other dragons didn't hesitate at all, knowing that staying now would only become burdens.
All the dragons immediately transformed into streaming lights, rapidly fleeing in all directions.
Other human cultivators wanting to pursue had to first break through those cloud dragons' obstruction.
"We're leaving too!"
Sensing that the demons had escaped to a safe distance, Xiao Mo grabbed Bai Ruxue's wrist, his form spinning sharply as he flew toward the direction of the Desolate Lands.
Bai Ruxue understood his intent and instantly transformed into dragon form, letting Xiao Mo sit on her back.
Xiao Mo bit his fingertip and used his essence blood to write a vigorous and powerful character "wind" in the air.
That blood-colored "wind" character scattered with the wind, transforming into a powerful propelling force that instantly enhanced Bai Ruxue's massive dragon body.
However, Daoist Tianqiong brought out a magical treasure.
He continuously broke through the void, instantly crossing vast distances and once again blocked the path ahead of Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue.
Following this, Daoist Tianqiong formed hand seals, and solid avatars materialized, completely sealing off the escape routes of the person and dragon from all directions.
"We can only fight."
Almost at the same instant, Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue had a telepathic connection, simultaneously bursting out with their strongest momentum as they fiercely attacked Daoist Tianqiong.
Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue both manifested their Heaven and Earth Law Bodies.
"I am skilled at nurturing my righteous qi. As for this qi, it is supremely great and firm. If nurtured correctly without harm, it will fill the space between heaven and earth."
As Xiao Mo loudly recited Confucian classics, magnificent righteous qi surged out like a tide, instantly covering the entire body of the massive white dragon that Bai Ruxue had transformed into.
At this moment, the white dragon seemed to don invisible yet indestructible armor, forcibly withstanding a deadly sword light that Daoist Tianqiong had slashed down.
Then Bai Ruxue's massive dragon tail, carrying the force of wind and thunder, viciously struck Daoist Tianqiong's dharma body.
Daoist Tianqiong was smashed by this tremendous force, retreating repeatedly in a sorry state.
He forcibly endured the shock and hastily controlled the immortal weapon Exquisite Pagoda, suppressing it down toward Xiao Mo's Heaven and Earth Law Body!
"The Master said by the river: 'How time flows away! It does not cease day or night.'"
Xiao Mo again recited classics, his words becoming law.
Instantly, a vast illusory river appeared out of thin air within about ten zhang in front of him.
The river's flow suddenly became extremely slow, as if time itself had fallen into stagnation.
While Xiao Mo calmly avoided the Exquisite Pagoda's suppression, a long bow appeared in his hands out of thin air.
This bow was named "Sun-Shooting Bow," a half-immortal weapon that Xiao Mo had obtained after killing a great demon of the Immortal realm in the past.
Xiao Mo held the bow in his left hand and forcefully drew the bowstring with his right hand. A brilliantly golden arrow quickly took form on the bowstring.
The bowstring hummed, the arrow left the string!
From when Xiao Mo recited the Confucian classic to when the arrow was shot, less than one breath of time had passed.
When that illusory river dispersed and time flow returned to normal, the golden arrow that Xiao Mo had shot had already transformed into a stream of light, precisely penetrating Daoist Tianqiong's chest.
"Pah!"
Daoist Tianqiong spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood, his aura instantly becoming dispirited.
He hastily took out an immortal pill and stuffed it into his mouth, forcibly suppressing this injury.
"Worthy of being a Confucian Sage."
Daoist Tianqiong wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth, his gaze coldly staring fixedly at Xiao Mo.
"If you were in your prime state now, this old man would probably have already fled like a stray dog, but unfortunately, Xiao Mo, you are too severely injured. I'm afraid that Ascension realm great battle caused damage to your foundation!"
Before his words finished, Daoist Tianqiong's hands rapidly formed seals and suddenly threw a blood-red pearl toward the sky.
That red pearl exploded in the sky, transforming into points of red light that dispersed invisibly.
Immediately after, Daoist Tianqiong spread his five fingers and reached toward the blazing sun high in the sky.
That sun hanging high in the firmament, carrying the might to burn all things, fell toward Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue.
"Roar!"
Three giant dragons formed from pure black righteous qi roared as they soared up, meeting that falling "blazing sun," using their massive dragon bodies to desperately hold it back, doing their utmost to prevent its descent.
Bai Ruxue blocked in front of Xiao Mo, her expression grave.
"Don't be afraid." Xiao Mo gave her a reassuring smile, saying softly, "This blazing sun is transformed from that red pearl. But Ruxue, open your divine sense completely and wholeheartedly accept my spiritual power."
"Eh?" Bai Ruxue was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, but then nodded, "Alright!"
Although her heart was full of confusion, she had absolute trust in Xiao Mo and immediately followed his words, completely withdrawing all defenses of her divine sense.
Whether for the human race or demon race, only when one has placed completely unreserved trust in someone would they fully open their heart and mind.
Xiao Mo reached out his hand, gently grasping Bai Ruxue's slender fingers.
In an instant, a warm and peaceful spiritual power, like a gurgling warm stream, flowed unobstructed into Bai Ruxue's body.
This spiritual power flowed through her five organs and six viscera, four limbs and hundred bones, nourishing every spiritual aperture and meridian.
Bai Ruxue couldn't help but bite her thin lips.
Xiao Mo's spiritual power brought her an indescribable sense of comfort.
Bai Ruxue clearly felt that the baleful qi in her body, like maggots clinging to bone, was being rapidly dissolved by this spiritual power.
This was human race merit!
Bai Ruxue instantly understood that Xiao Mo had unreservedly given her all the human race merit power he had accumulated to this day.
Bai Ruxue looked at her beloved's profile, her expression becoming increasingly complex.
Over all these years, most of the things Xiao Mo had done were probably to accumulate human race merit to treat her injuries.
The entire process took less than two breaths of time.
When Daoist Tianqiong finally realized Xiao Mo's intention and wanted to intervene, the last trace of baleful qi around Bai Ruxue had already been completely cleansed away.
However, Daoist Tianqiong's face didn't show too much regret, instead revealing a cold smile.
Although the baleful qi was removed, the foundational damage caused by the long-term erosion of baleful qi would still require at least half a year of quiet cultivation to recover her vitality.
And right now, where would she still have this time?