35: The one who completely broke down is here~

The Chi Ling Demon Empress's figure was very ethereal, as if she could dissipate at any moment.

Evidently, she had expended too much Soul Power by going all out to help Xu Tian escape.

If not for Cao Meng holding back at the last moment, she would have lost her life.

"Young Master, please put away the True Fire of the Sun," the Chi Ling Demon Empress said with a hint of pleading.

With a thought, Cao Meng watched as the lihuo red lotus rapidly shrunk, then transformed into a tiny red fire lotus and flew into his palm.

Upon the red lotus sat the Chi Ling Demon Empress, bathed in blood flames.

"Mmm~" a comfortable hum escaped her lips.

"I didn't expect Young Master's Spirit Treasure to have the miraculous effect of nurturing fire essence~" the Chi Ling Demon Empress, now a small figure standing on the red lotus, said as her ethereal body showed signs of solidifying.

Cao Meng held the red lotus in his hand, looking at the Chi Ling Demon Empress with a playful expression:

"Madam, when you sent Xu Tian away just now, why didn't you also fight for yourself? What if it had worked?"

The Chi Ling Demon Empress let out a silver bell-like laugh: "Young Master is making fun of this slave. With Young Master's temperament, if this slave didn't know what was good for her, I'm afraid she would have already turned to ash."

Cao Meng sneered, "Aren't you afraid I'll destroy you now?"

"Young Master probably wouldn't," Chi Ling said, a smile in her bewitching eyes.

"Whether I will or not depends on whether your existence has value to me!" Cao Meng said unceremoniously, "You ruined my good deed. If you don't offer some genuine compensation, I guarantee you'll die a very miserable death."

Chi Ling's expression changed slightly, and she quickly said,

"Young Master, rest assured, you will absolutely not regret keeping this slave."

"That's good!" Cao Meng said, glancing outside.

"We'll talk later, my Master is here."

With a thought, the lihuo red lotus merged into the back of his hand, transforming into a fire lotus divine tattoo.

"Master, you came quite 'on time,'" Cao Meng said, looking playfully at the tardy Wu Feiyan.

Wu Feiyan glanced at the residence, which had been crushed into scum, her brow slightly furrowed: "What, he escaped?"

"It seems Master also wanted me to kill him," Cao Meng chuckled, "How truly heartless. A few days ago, you treasured him and even prepared to help him steal a Disciple's Flying Sword and wife. Now you've turned your back on him; how fickle the world is."

"Hmph."

Wu Feiyan glared at Cao Meng irritably. What a petty man.

"Li Yan [Xu Tian] was a Saint Realm expert back then, at the eighteenth level of the Sword Dao, just a step away from the Sword Immortal Realm. This time, he was reborn through the nine revolutions immortal fruit, his Foundation even stronger than before. Moreover, I observe that this child has long-lasting Luck. If he truly grows up, I'm afraid you will have great trouble."

"Long-lasting Luck, growing up?" Cao Meng smiled noncommittally.

"Don't worry, he will never escape my grasp."

"It's good that you have this confidence."

Wu Feiyan nodded, her beautiful fox eyes fixed on Cao Meng: "Tomorrow is the Academy's Dao Trial Assembly. According to the agreement between the Li Clan Sword Tomb and the Academy, the top twenty of the Qi Sea Realm, the top ten of the Golden Core Realm, and the four true inheritors of the Dragon Elephant Realm can all enter the Sword Tomb to Cultivate. You should prepare well."

"Go to the Li Clan Sword Tomb?"

Cao Meng was slightly taken aback: "Old Sword Devil died because of me, and I also stole his god-slaying sword talisman. Wouldn't me going to the Li Clan Sword Tomb to Cultivate be like leading a sheep into a tiger's mouth?"

"god-slaying sword talisman? You obtained the god-slaying sword talisman?" Wu Feiyan's expression changed drastically.

"That's troublesome. This Sword Talisman can indeed grant you the ability to control the ancient God-slaying Ancient Sword Array, but activating the God-slaying Ancient Sword Array will also cause the sword array to backlash against you..."

"This talisman is of great significance to the Li Clan. If you enter the Sword Tomb, they will definitely try to deal with you~"

Cao Meng: "So, Master's meaning is that I shouldn't go to the Sword Tomb?"

"No, you must go!"

Wu Feiyan's eyes sparkled with brilliance, as if she had made a major decision: "Since it has come to this, then... there's no need for this Li Clan Sword Tomb to continue existing!"

"Destroy the Li Clan Sword Tomb?" Cao Meng was slightly surprised.

The Li Clan Sword Tomb is one of the three most famous Sword Tombs in the Eastern Continent, and it is the site of ancient immortal demon ruins. The Li Clan has endured for thousands of years, relying on the existence of this Sword Tomb.

Back then, when Wu Feiyan destroyed the Li Clan, hundreds of thousands of troops were blocked outside the Li Clan Sword Tomb. Even the powerful experts of the Eight Pillar States families could not enter by force!

And now, the situation is vastly different from back then.

The Li Clan Sword Tomb has transformed into the White Deer Academy's Trial Grounds. Not only is there the White Deer Academy's alliance, but also the backing of the Northern Wei and Great Liang Imperial Dynasties. These two Imperial Dynasties would not stand by and watch the Li Clan Sword Tomb be destroyed.

It was impossible for Wu Feiyan to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops to trample the Sword Tomb as she did back then.

"Where did you get such confidence?" Cao Meng asked with great surprise.

Wu Feiyan smiled charmingly, looking at Cao Meng with a hint of pride: "Do you think you truly understand the depth of your Master?"

"This~" Cao Meng thought, 'Is there still a place I haven't explored?'

Wu Feiyan chuckled: "Prepare well, that person of yours has already returned to the Academy today~"

"That person of mine..."

Cao Meng was startled, then remembered who she was referring to~

...At the same time, outside the Deans Residence, in the deepest part of the White Deer Grand Canyon.

Xu Tian sat slumped under an ancient pine tree, his face pale, his handsome face contorted violently.

Another life had been sacrificed to the heavens.

Even the powerful Master he had just acknowledged had been stolen.

"Thief Cao, I want you dead, ah..." Pain, madness!

He had fallen into the hands of the evil fiend Cao time and again.

Repeated humiliations.

Repeated shattered hopes.

Is this fiend sent by heaven to punish me?

In his mind, the fiend's words echoed again.

"Wu Feiyan, has she really become his person? Impossible, Wu Feiyan doesn't know my identity at all. She has always doted on me so much, how could she... But why didn't she stop that villain... Wu Feiyan, you bitch..."

"Ah~"

"Beast, I'm going to kill you all, I'm going to kill..."

He went mad~

Xu Tian went mad, he collapsed. The successive blows finally destroyed his Dao Heart, plunging him into a state of madness.

"Xu Tian?" A wall away, Dean Void Sword Walker was cultivating with his eyes closed when he suddenly opened them.

"Not good~"

Void Sword Walker flashed, appearing outside the courtyard.

Looking closely, he saw Xu Tian's eyes were bloodshot, demonic Qi surged around him, and his body was rapidly expanding, like a rapidly inflating balloon, seemingly about to explode on the spot.

"Dao Heart collapsed, entered the Demonic Realm?"

"What kind of tragic life change did he encounter, to the point that even he couldn't bear it..."

Void Sword Walker had no time to think. He flashed in front of Xu Tian, formed a sword incantation with two fingers, and pointed it at Xu Tian's glabella.

He temporarily sealed his heart meridian.

His rapidly swelling body quickly returned to normal. Then, his eyes straightened, his head tilted, and he fell unconscious.

"One thought leads to a demon, one thought leads to a Buddha. Alas, if he can't get through this trial..." Void Sword Walker shook his head, then turned to look in the direction of Ganquan Palace, his face full of doubt.