63. The Sudden Appearance of the Black Serpent

A vast amount of spiritual energy gathered around the golden core, circling it like the rings of meteors around Jupiter, constantly rotating but never merging within. Xie Wuji felt he had reached his limit, unable to comprehend why the ancient mirror compelled him to force his golden core toward the rank of First Grade. In truth, he would have been content with attaining Second Grade. What did the ancient mirror mean by this? What was its origin, and why did it insist on dictating the rank of his golden core?

His mind was in chaos, while outside, Dongmen Yong furrowed his brows. “I’ve never seen such violent spiritual energy. Could this be the cloud of a First Grade golden core?”

“Heh, this boy is a true anomaly. He’s courting death now. I can sense his body can no longer withstand such tremendous power. It’s like pouring the entire contents of a kettle into a teacup—it simply cannot contain so much,” Ding Desheng glanced at Dongmen Yong, though his hands remained firmly in place.

Despite his mocking words, Ding Desheng knew that if Xie Wuji succeeded in forging a First Grade golden core, it would be a tremendous boon for the entire Danxia Sect. For that reason, he chose to compromise.

Ding Desheng could no longer remember how long it had been since he and Dongmen Yong had worked together. In the days when they were fellow disciples, various reasons kept them at odds, and later, the matter of their junior sister drove an irreparable wedge between them.

Her death had always been a source of pain for Ding Desheng; he could not forgive himself, nor could he forgive Dongmen Yong. At that time, his own sister was infatuated with Dongmen Yong. Had their junior sister not died, his sister would never have married Dongmen Yong.

Every breath Xie Wuji took was agony, as if his body were being devoured by flames, the pain nearly driving him to collapse. Whenever he could no longer endure, the Fire-Tailed Chicken King, the Seven Guardians, Dongmen Yong, Fire Crystal spiritual energy, Golden Essence spiritual energy, the ancient mirror, and the Phoenix Spirit would forcibly infuse him with spiritual energy, causing him to lose consciousness, only to be jolted awake again and again, a torment without end, worse than death.

Xie Wuji thought to himself that if he ever had to forge another golden core, he would rather die than go through this ordeal—it was simply torturous, enough to drive a man to his grave!

The Seven Elders were suffering as well, for their task was to protect Xie Wuji’s body. His spiritual energy was insignificant to them, but they had to carefully control the amount. Too much would overwhelm him, too little would be of no help.

At this moment, Second Elder Ding Xuanming discreetly sent a message to Ding Desheng. “Brother, can you hear me?”

Ding Desheng looked up at Ding Xuanming. “What is it, younger brother?”

“This Xie Wuji must not be allowed to live!” Ding Xuanming’s eyes flashed with a hint of cruelty as he transmitted his words.

Ding Desheng was conflicted, clenching his teeth as he replied, “Why? If he succeeds in forging a First Grade golden core, our sect will have many promising successors.”

“I suspect the Phoenix Spirit resides within him!” Ding Xuanming said. “I’ve observed him for a long time…”

“What?” Ding Desheng trembled with excitement, prompting Dongmen Yong to furrow his brow.

“Elder Ding, what’s wrong?” Dongmen Yong asked aloud. “Your aura is unstable, and this is a critical moment for Wuji’s golden core forging!”

“It’s nothing, just difficult to keep the balance. I’ll try harder,” Ding Desheng replied.

Dongmen Yong’s brows remained knitted. “I hope you consider the greater good.”

He still didn’t trust Ding Desheng.

“How could he possess the Phoenix Spirit?” Ding Desheng sent back to Ding Xuanming. Unlike the other elders, Ding Xuanming and Ding Desheng were true brothers, born of the same mother and raised together, their bond exceptionally deep.

Ding Desheng was powerful, rivaling Dongmen Yong, while Ding Xuanming, though slightly less skilled, was renowned for his cunning and strategy. Ding Desheng knew that his brother excelled at intrigue.

“I’m only speculating. Look, you’ve raised those Fire-Tailed Chickens for decades and never tamed them, but since Xie Wuji arrived, they’ve all followed him here. You know their bloodline contains that of the Phoenix,” Ding Xuanming said.

Ding Desheng suddenly understood. “If he is the Phoenix Spirit’s owner…”

“Exactly. If so, we can devise a way to kill him now, and the Phoenix Spirit will reveal itself. Seize the opportunity, brother, and you can merge with it, claiming one of the Twelve Divine Beasts. Not only would you be blameless for the deed, but you’d accomplish a great feat!” Ding Xuanming’s words resonated deeply with Ding Desheng.

“But with so many people here, if I use spiritual energy to attack his sea of consciousness, the others will notice…” Ding Desheng mused.

“Brother, have you forgotten? My spirit beast is the Shadow Fiend. It can devour hearts. I’ll channel its power into his chest, and Xie Wuji will perish instantly, undetected by anyone,” Ding Xuanming replied, full of pride.

“But if he’s not the one, and we’re mistaken, wouldn’t we be destroying a promising talent?” Ding Desheng hesitated.

“Not so, brother. Think—who is this boy close to? You or that old Dongmen? He’s clearly entangled with Dongmen Qianyun, the brat from Dongmen’s family. He may well become their son-in-law. If he grows wings, your chance to become sect leader will slip away. A First Grade golden core is formidable! He’s still just a seedling; you must nip him in the bud if you wish to accomplish great things!” Ding Xuanming’s eyes narrowed, his tone chilling.

Ding Desheng glanced at Dongmen Yong and clenched his teeth. “If you want to catch the wolf, you must sacrifice the child! Let’s do it. You go ahead. I’ll distract Dongmen. As long as he’s focused on me, I can cover you. You’re right—Xie Wuji must not be allowed to grow. Now, as he’s breaking through, his defenses are at their weakest!”

“Excellent! Watch me, brother!” Ding Xuanming smiled coldly. A thread of black spiritual energy slipped from his sleeve, stealthily weaving its way toward Xie Wuji along the stream of energy.

Xie Wuji was oblivious, still striving for the First Grade golden core.

Suddenly, the black energy slipped into his dantian, creeping upward, seeking to infiltrate his golden core. It wriggled through his meridians like a serpent.

At that very moment, the Phoenix Spirit, which was maintaining the stability of the golden core, detected the black energy.

The Phoenix let out a shrill cry, warning Xie Wuji.

The black energy then lunged at the Phoenix. The Phoenix twisted away, but its evasion disrupted the golden core’s stability, causing it to tremble and crack.

In reality, blood trickled from the corner of Xie Wuji’s mouth.

The Third Elder, thinking Xie Wuji could not advance further, called out, “The golden core has reached its limit! Pull him back quickly!”

Xie Wuji was just a step from achieving First Grade, like a man standing before an apple just out of reach, needing only to stand on tiptoe to take it. But the support beneath him suddenly collapsed.

As his golden core was about to shatter and all seemed lost, the ancient mirror emitted a beam of golden light, enveloping his core and stabilizing it.

At the same time, the golden light struck the black energy, which quaked and then vanished without a trace.

The source of the black energy, Ding Xuanming, spat up a mouthful of blood, his eyes rolling back as he fainted under the immense pressure.