Chapter 264: Begging!
Li Yun responded without hesitation.
"Crimson Lotus Flame Art, Reinforce!"
The lotus around him flared once more, its petals burning brighter as layers of crackling lightning wrapped around it, reinforcing its structure through the Heavenly Lightning Codex and allowing it to withstand the oppressive force of the domain.
The two forces collided continuously as the lotus shook violently under the pressure, yet it refused to collapse, and within it, Li Yun moved swiftly as lightning enhanced his speed, allowing him to dodge several follow-up attacks from Mu Lan while preparing his counter.
"Thunderflame Gale Sword Art, Gale Ignition!"
His strike shot forward with explosive force, and Mu Lan raised her scythe to block, yet the impact still forced her slightly backward, marking the first time she had been pushed in this battle.
Her eyes narrowed.
Her demonic energy surged once more, becoming even more violent.
"Illusory Blood Devour!"
A wave of twisted demonic energy rushed forward, spreading like a devouring tide that sought to engulf Li Yun completely.
Li Yun stepped forward instead of retreating.
"Thunderflame Gale Sword Art, Tempest Collapse!"
His strongest strike erupted as wind roared, flames blazed, lightning crackled, and Sword Intent condensed into a violent storm that surged forward to meet the incoming attack.
The collision was devastating.
The explosion that followed shook the entire battlefield as energy surged outward in all directions, tearing through the ground and sending debris flying, while the two attacks destroyed each other completely, leaving behind a chaotic vacuum filled with swirling residual energy.
For a brief moment, both figures stood facing each other as their auras surged and the surrounding space trembled under their presence.
Then Mu Lan moved again, rushing forward to press her advantage.
But in that instant, after unleashing such a powerful attack, her movement slowed by the slightest fraction.
Seeing this, Li Yun’s eyes shined. He had been waiting for a moment like this. Immediately, he activated his divine eye.
"Nine Tribulations Divine Eye!"
A deep purple light flickered within his left eye as a strange and silent fluctuation spread outward, reaching Mu Lan in an instant.
Her expression froze.
Her consciousness faltered as her mind was dragged into an illusion, leaving her body momentarily unresponsive.
That single moment was enough.
Li Yun vanished.
He appeared directly before her in a flash of lightning.
"Come out!" he roared as his hand pressed firmly against her forehead.
The power of the Nine Tribulations Divine Eye surged violently as a terrifying pulling force erupted, and the demonic soul within her body struggled desperately, twisting and resisting as it was forcibly dragged out.
In no moment, the soul was fully dragged out from Mu Lan’s body causing her body to fall down to the ground.
A dark red, translucent soul writhed in Li Yun’s grasp, its form unstable and flickering like a dying flame, yet the sinister aura it emitted made it clear that it was none other than the true soul of the tomb’s owner.
Its face twisted violently as it stared at Li Yun, its expression filled with disbelief and fury.
"How... how did this happen?" the soul growled, its voice distorted and filled with madness as it struggled within Li Yun’s grasp, yet no matter how it resisted, it could not escape the invisible force binding it.
Only moments ago, it had been fighting Li Yun with everything it had, unleashing one demonic technique after another with the confidence of overwhelming strength, yet in the very next instant, its consciousness had been dragged into a chaotic illusion, where countless martial artists surrounded it on a battlefield, all rushing forward with killing intent.
Before it could even comprehend what was real and what was illusion, everything shattered.
And when it regained awareness, it had already been torn out of Mu Lan’s body.
It simply could not understand.
It could not accept it.
"Hehe... what did I tell you?" Li Yun laughed lightly as he looked at the struggling soul in his hand, his expression calm as if everything had gone exactly as expected. "Do you have any last words?"
The soul’s expression changed instantly.
All its arrogance vanished in a moment.
"Do not kill me!" it cried out in panic, its voice trembling as fear replaced the madness in its eyes. "I know many secrets... secrets of the Iron Blood Sect... I can tell you everything, anything you want. Just spare me!"
Li Yun raised one eyebrow slightly, a faint hint of curiosity appearing on his face.
"Oh?" he said calmly. "Then tell me, how does your status in the Iron Blood Sect compare to the Blood Zombie Demon General?"
"My... my status is not comparable to his," the soul replied hastily, its voice hurried and desperate as if afraid that even a moment of delay would cost it everything. "I am a class below him, far below... but I still know many things, I can still be useful to you..."
The soul continued to speak rapidly, revealing bits and pieces of information without restraint, clearly believing that as long as it proved its value, Li Yun would spare its life.
However, Li Yun’s expression had already turned indifferent.
The moment he heard that its status was not even comparable to the Blood Zombie Demon General, the faint trace of interest in his eyes disappeared completely.
There was no hesitation.
Lightning and flames erupted from his hand.
The chaotic energies surged outward instantly, engulfing the soul completely as crackling lightning and blazing fire intertwined, burning away its essence.
"No... wait...!" the soul screamed in terror as its form began to collapse, yet its voice quickly faded as its body was consumed entirely, reduced to nothing within a few breaths.
Li Yun watched calmly as the last trace of the soul vanished from his hand.
He had no reason to keep it alive.
He was bound to meet the Blood Zombie Demon General in Yin Cloud Mountain of Sword Saint County in the future, and whatever information this soul possessed would pale in comparison to what he could obtain directly from that source.
Moreover, the system had already made its requirement clear.
The soul had to be erased.
Only then would the mission be completed.
As the last trace of demonic energy dissipated, a familiar notification appeared before him.
----
[Ding! Quest Completed: "Erase the soul of the owner of the tomb and save Mu Lan"]
[Reward: 1st tribulation of the Nine Tribulations Divine Eye]
[Note: Host is advised to choose a suitable place and make ample preparations to go through the first tribulation.]