A bead of sweat trickled down Ye Ziyun's beautiful face. Her lips quivered in uneasiness as she watched the staredown unfolding in front of her with utmost concern for Xue Hui's safety.
She bit her lip. Even though she was standing quite a distance away from the two, she could still feel the tension between them crackling through the air.
She dug her fingernails into her palm to stop them from shaking. She couldn't help it. If this crimson copy of Chen Linlin had the same strength as the original, then she didn't know how Xue Hui, or even the two of them together, could stand against it.
Her mind went back to the time when Chen Linlin obliterated an entire valley with a single punch.
At that time, when Ye Ziyun stated that Chen Linlin's strength was comparable to her grandfather's, she hadn't been making a careless remark out of shock.
She genuinely meant what she had said.
Her eyes grew wide as the two shot toward each other like arrows released from a bow. They tore through the air, cracking the ground where they had stood.
Immediately, Ye Ziyun sprang into action and integrated with her demon spirit.
The ear-piercing howl of the Cold Profound Nine-Tailed Jiao Dragon Fox shook the cavern as she leaped into the air with the intent of cutting down all the crimson roots, just as Xue Hui had asked her to do.
Summoning an ice sword, she brandished her weapon and lunged at the nearest root. But before she could slash it, her delicate figure was thrown violently to the side by a powerful spiritual pressure. Ye Ziyun flew uncontrollably through the air like a kite whose string had been cut.
She slammed into the ground rather roughly, hearing the earth beneath her crack.
Despite that, Ye Ziyun pushed herself up, ignoring the pain coursing through her body. She was too occupied with the fact that the crimson copy of Chen Linlin had just unleashed the spiritual pressure of a Legend Rank demon spiritualist.
Ye Ziyun looked on in utter horror as the crimson copy floated in the air, glaring in her direction with its expressionless face.
The crimson copy drew back its gauntlet-clad arm, preparing to unleash a devastating attack upon her.
But before it could strike, it was hit by Xue Hui and sent flying farther away from Ye Ziyun.
"Ziyun, quick! Cut those roots! That's the only way to weaken this mimic!"
He gritted his teeth as he summoned his five available Origin Spheres.
He couldn't retract those attached to the girls in case he needed to send everyone into the garden if the situation grew worse.
With his face drenched in blood, Xue Hui shot toward his enemy with blinding speed, leaving a streak of light in his wake.
BOOM!
A massive explosion reverberated throughout the cavern, causing the entire cave to tremble violently.
The blast snapped Ye Ziyun out of her shock. Sword in hand, she quickly ran toward the nearest roots and slashed at them with all her might.
WOOSH!
The severed roots let out a loud hiss as the enormous spiritual energy stored within them escaped into the air.
Ye Ziyun didn't stop. She immediately rushed toward several more roots, cutting them down with great difficulty.
The crimson copy of Chen Linlin let out an ear-piercing cry as it cut through the air shooting straight toward Ye Ziyun.
But before it could reach the unsuspecting girl, the crimson copy was tackled aside by a battered-looking Xue Hui.
His right arm was covered with crystal-clear water that moved like a whip as it lashed at the crimson copy, while his left arm radiated extreme heat, distorting the space around it with its high temperature.
With bloodshot eyes, Xue Hui thrust both arms forward, sending the full power of the Origin of Water and the Origin of Flame into the crimson copy of Chen Linlin, sending it crashing into the ground.
His chest heaved uncontrollably. He took the brief reprieve to steady his breathing as he greedily swallowed a handful of elixirs to replenish his soul force and heal his injuries.
Ye Ziyun was doing a great job cutting down the roots. By now, the crimson copy's strength had decreased considerably, but even so, it was still at the Legend Rank.
The confrontation had only just begun, and although so much had already happened, the entire battle had lasted only forty breaths. Yet here he was, already heavily injured and on the verge of passing out from soul exhaustion.
That was what he got for fighting a Legend Rank opponent while still at Silver Rank.
Although Xue Hui's cultivation was only at the Silver Rank, his fighting prowess was comparable to that of a five-star Gold Rank demon spiritualist.
And if he used every fighting technique at his disposal, he might even stand a chance against a Black Gold Rank demon spiritualist in a desperate battle.
So it was no surprise that he was being overpowered by the crimson copy.
The only reason Xue Hui had managed to hold on this long was because of the solid foundation he had built for himself. Without it, he would have died long before the battle truly began.
Still, Ye Ziyun needed to move even quicker. Only by weakening the crimson copy further would he have a chance to seize its soul core.
The sound of rubble pricked his ears.
The crimson copy of Chen Linlin stood back up.
As expected, his attack hadn't left even the tiniest scratch on its blood-colored body.
Xue Hui recalled Julin to his hand, took a deep breath, and dove straight at it.
BOOM!
Ye Ziyun gritted her teeth as the taste of iron spread through her mouth once more. The huge explosion rattled her body violently, causing serious internal injuries.
Her delicate face had turned completely ashen. Her soul force was depleting at an insane rate, and her breathing had become ragged as exhaustion crept over her, making her movements sluggish.
Although the task she had been given sounded simple compared to what Xue Hui was facing...
In reality, Ye Ziyun had her own struggles. Those roots were tougher than diamonds. The only way to cut them was to strike with all her might, quickly exhausting both her body and her soul force.
Slash.
The ice sword cleaved cleanly through a crimson root, cutting it in half and causing it to crash to the ground with a loud thud, disturbing the crimson fog around it.
Ye Ziyun heard the sound of cracking coming from her ice sword.
Crackle!
Kaboom!
Before she could look at it, the ice sword exploded into countless tiny fragments. At the same time, her demon spirit form dispersed, leaving her huffing for air as she reached her limit.
She let out a shaky breath, looking at her trembling hand. Her expression was one of disbelief and unwillingness.
Sixteen.
She had only managed to cut down sixteen crimson roots, and her body had already run out of soul force.
Sweat dripped down her face as she hurriedly took out an elixir from her interspatial ring, one that replenished soul force.
But she had underestimated how exhausted she was. As soon as the nail-sized pill landed in her palm, she realized she was having trouble even holding it.
As she tried to lift her hand to consume the pill, another massive explosion shook the cavern, causing the pill to be swept away by the sudden gust of wind.
"No!"
Ye Ziyun cried out. She could only watch in dismay as the pill flew into the distance and disappeared into the crimson fog.
She was about to take out another one when she felt someone appear beside her. She let out a panicked gasp as she was suddenly picked up, her exhausted body carried away at blinding speed.
Boom!
Her eyes widened as she realized it was Xue Hui carrying her. Looking behind them, her stomach churned as she saw the crimson copy of Chen Linlin hot on their heels.
"Xue Hui! I'm sorry!"
Ye Ziyun wanted to cry. She couldn't believe she had failed him.
It didn't help that Xue Hui looked like a complete mess. His face was covered with dirt and dried blood, while his robe had been shredded, leaving his torso completely exposed.
She buried her face against his broad chest, letting the warmth of his body soothe her exhaustion. She was too ashamed to look him in the face.
Instead of lashing out at her, Xue Hui tightened his grip, pulling her even closer to make sure she was secure in his embrace.
"Ziyun, you did amazing. Our enemy is now down to the Black Gold Rank. We have a much better chance of winning this, and it's all because of you."
The trembling in her shoulders stopped. With tears brimming in her eyes, she lifted her head to see whether he truly meant what he had said.
The confident grin spread across his exhausted face, confusing Ye Ziyun. Yet somehow, it also eased her worries.
The two of them sped through the enormous cavern, chased relentlessly by the crimson copy.
Unlike them, the crimson copy seemed to possess inexhaustible stamina. It tore through the air, steadily closing the distance between them.
"Xue Hui, the mimic is already catching up! We need to do something!" Ye Ziyun said with a shaky voice.
"Don't worry. I got this. I'm just waiting for all my Origin Spheres to return."
As soon as he said that, cracks appeared in the walls not far from them. With the loud sound of wood tearing apart, six Origin Spheres of different colors shot toward Xue Hui. Together with the six already around him, all twelve Origin Spheres floated at his side like tame beasts awaiting his command.
"Now... it's time to go all out!"
With that declaration, Xue Hui turned to face the crimson copy. Wearing a defiant grin, he unleashed every last bit of soul force he possessed, causing all twelve Origin Spheres to hum before erupting in brilliant, colorful light.
Ye Ziyun, nestled in Xue Hui's embrace, let out a surprised gasp. Her beautiful eyes, bathed in radiant colors, widened in astonishment as she stared at the figure above them.
Standing over a hundred feet tall was a beautiful woman with long white hair cascading down the sides of her face like a waterfall woven from the finest silk. She wore nothing but a strip of white cloth draped over one shoulder. Twelve arms extended from her body as she stood protectively behind them.
Xue Hui's breathing became ragged.
This was his final gamble.
If this trump card couldn't withstand the crimson copy of Chen Linlin, then his only option would be to retreat to the garden just like the others.
With an unyielding look, he took a long, deep breath before a resolute glint flashed through his eyes.
"weave, Origin Maiden: Yuanshou!"
End of Chapter 92
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