The Demon Lord Returns [Part 1]
In an instant, a massive crater formed on the stage, shrouded in dust and smoke, obscuring the view within. Around this scene, chaos ensued; spectators were caught in the shockwave, suffering various degrees of injury. Suddenly, the sky filled with a sea of flowers, and a vague silhouette appeared. The red flowers drifted down with a fierce killing intent, exuding a sudden pressure so intense that everyone gasped in shock.
This move was known as Zhuhua, a defensive blood sigil activated by ‘Ye Meijing’ using her own essence blood. Such a sigil required essence blood to be unleashed. Originally, it was meant to be activated only when Long Qing'er was in dire straits, but unexpectedly, Long Qing'er took the Xian Sect competition so seriously that she activated the sigil gifted to her by ‘Ye Meijing’.
‘Ye Meijing’ smiled wryly but did not step down. Though Zhuhua was formidable, it would not pose much threat to the higher-realm Feng Ya Xianzi. Moreover, Zhuhua was harmless to the one it protected; the more agitated Long Qing'er became, the stronger Zhuhua's power grew.
Given the scale of the spectacle, it was evident that Long Qing'er was furious, yet it was still futile against Feng Ya Xianzi.
"This is the sea of flowers... the Demon Lord? That's the Demon Lord's technique!"
"Could it be? Has the Demon Lord come in person?"
"How could that be? This is merely the Xian Sect Tournament."
The crowd recognized the familiar sea of flowers, their eyes filled with fear and disbelief at the unfolding events.
"Stay calm, it's merely the Demon Lord's killing move, triggered by the blood sigil she placed on Long Qing'er!" The voice of the Cangyu Sect leader rang out, reassuring the initially panicked crowd.
Everyone noticed that after the technique was used, the shadowy figure remained but did not attack, resembling a puppet without its own consciousness.
At this moment, the dust began to settle. ‘Ye Meijing’ focused her gaze, spotting Long Qing'er standing with her sword amidst the shattered stage, her posture straight and firm.
In the large crater opposite, Feng Ya Xianzi as 'Ye Wenxin' appeared unharmed, save for some damage to her outer disciple robes.
‘Ye Meijing’ sighed in relief, then realized her reaction was odd. Logically, she should regret that Long Qing'er's killing intent wasn't stronger. Yet now, she felt relief first.
Could it be that staying in Cangyu Sect too long had softened her?
‘Ye Meijing’ smiled bitterly, noticing Feng Ya Xianzi's gaze briefly on her. In one motion, Feng Ya Xianzi leapt from the crater and slowly approached Long Qing'er.
"Concede," she said.
Long Qing'er pursed her lips, still not understanding what had happened. She looked up at the fading red apparition, unwilling to admit defeat.
She could still fight; she could still prove herself in front of Long Qingyue.
"Qing'er, come back," Long Qingyue's voice floated down from the high platform. Long Qing'er's body trembled, and she reluctantly pulled her sword from the ground, walking off the stage silently.
