Chapter Ninety-Seven: A Sea of Parting Sorrows Beneath the Passionate Heavens — The Incense Soul of the Dharma Wheel Town (Part One)

The activation of the Immortal Execution Sword Formation sent a chill of impending death through the Demon Venerable Mist-Slayer, whose cultivation had already reached the pinnacle realm of "Five Elements Unified, Yin and Yang Reborn." Looking down, he saw a small, intricate painting unfolding beneath his feet, filled with strange, ancient symbols—sun, moon, insect, and fish patterns. In that instant, he realized he had been lured into an offensive array.

Watching the four verdant, flying swords within the formation erupt with prismatic, seven-colored light, the Demon Venerable sneered, his arrogance unshaken. "Ignorant brat, you think you can be my match?"

As he spoke, a black lotus pedestal materialized beneath him, enshrouding him in a protective dark aura.

"The Black Lotus!" Mu Tou exclaimed. "That is a supreme defensive treasure!"

But at this moment, Mu Tou was consumed by an overwhelming thirst for blood; he ignored everything else. As the seven-colored radiance intensified on the flying swords, the formation surged with murderous intent. Gloomy clouds gathered, icy winds howled, and the four swords flickered in and out of existence—rising, falling, and weaving erratically—as they hammered relentlessly against the Demon Venerable.

Within the Immortal Execution Sword Formation, the power of the opponent's arts was severely suppressed. Even a practitioner near the realm of an immortal like Mist-Slayer found himself unable to maneuver. Under Mu Tou’s command, the four swords kept him pinned down, easily parrying his every technique, including the "Heaven-Severing Demonic Flow."

In truth, the four Immortal Execution swords and their formation map were the deadliest array since the dawn of the Primordial Era. Under normal circumstances, anyone below the rank of a Saint would be reduced to dust upon entering. It was only because Mu Tou’s cultivation was too low to fully harness their power that the formation was operating at a fraction of its true potential; otherwise, the Demon Venerable would never have been allowed to cast a single spell against the master of the array.

However, even as the deadliest formation, in Mu Tou's hands, it could only rattle the Demon Venerable’s black lotus shield without shattering it.

Realizing that passive defense was a losing game, the Demon Venerable channeled his divine power, preparing to break out of the formation. Mu Tou would not grant him the opportunity. He vibrated the four swords, manifesting endless streams of sword energy that bombarded the barrier. From the void, earth, water, fire, and wind converged, pinning the Demon Venerable in place.

*Crack!* A sudden, discordant sound emanated from the black lotus, and a clear fissure appeared on its side.

"Ah!" Though his face was hidden beneath his dark robes, the Demon Venerable’s eyes betrayed absolute panic. This black lotus was his most potent defensive artifact; once destroyed, his life would surely end within the array.

Finally, under the relentless assault of the four swords, the pedestal shattered. The Demon Venerable let out a mournful wail, closing his eyes to await his doom. Yet, perhaps his fate was not yet sealed: just as the blades were about to strike, the seven-colored light suddenly retracted, vanishing into Mu Tou’s *Niwan* palace, and the small painting shrank, disappearing into Mu Tou’s body.

Everyone was stunned. Even the Demon Venerable, who thought he had reached his end, was caught off guard. Taking a closer look, he saw Mu Tou swaying, on the verge of collapse. He realized at once: the boy lacked the strength to sustain the formation and had exhausted his reserves.

Having escaped death, the Demon Venerable was overcome with joy. He threw his head back and laughed, a sound sharp and piercing. "Hahaha! Ignorant brat, what else can you do? Watch how I finish you!"

Though his words were vicious and he harbored deep hatred for the threat Mu Tou had posed, he had expended vast amounts of energy to protect himself within the formation, pouring his entire essence into the black lotus. He had not yet recovered. As he stepped toward Mu Tou, he stumbled, nearly falling.

Watching the demon escape the array, the three sect leaders were alarmed and prepared to strike while he was still weak. But Mu Tou raised a hand to stop them. "Heh heh heh... you feel quite proud, don't you? You think just because your cultivation has reached the Heavenly Realm, you must recover faster than I do?"

Seeing the mocking glint in Mu Tou's eyes, a flicker of unease stirred within the Demon Venerable. Still, he retorted, "Ignorant brat, out of tricks and still acting arrogant!"

"Arrogant...!" Mu Tou’s eyes remained blood-red. "I have never been arrogant, not even toward those I loathe most. But I have a very bad habit: I enjoy watching someone I despise believe they have succeeded, and at the very moment they are most triumphant, I deal them a heavy blow."

The Demon Venerable paused, trying to grasp the meaning of Mu Tou's words, when a flash of light suddenly erupted from Mu Tou’s chest. A pair of golden shears appeared, cutting through space and time, and with a crisp *snap*...

Surprise, despair, reluctance—in that instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through the Demon Venerable’s green eyes. Facing the Golden Dragon Shears—the second most destructive weapon in the Immortal Realm—as his head slid from his neck, he saw a woman appear before Mu Tou. She was beautiful beyond compare, her skin as luminous as white jade. Then, darkness consumed him, and the life of a master who had reached the realm of "Five Elements Unified, Yin and Yang Reborn" was extinguished.

This woman was Yun Zhongxian, who had just awakened from her slumber. Sensing the massive surge of energy while Mu Tou operated the Immortal Execution Sword Formation, she had come to assist.

Mu Tou had been blinded by rage, pushing his essence to the limit to maintain the formation. When Yun Zhongxian’s voice echoed in his consciousness, it brought him back to his senses. He retracted the array, intentionally deceiving the Demon Venerable into thinking he had survived a near-death experience, only to strike him down when his ego was at its peak—a strategy born of his incomparable fury.

Had he truly been out of energy, he still possessed "Magical Beans" and "Vitality Fruit," which would have allowed him to persist until the demon was dead.

Of course, the fact that Yun Zhongxian could finish off the Demon Venerable did not mean her cultivation surpassed his. Her victory was entirely due to the work of the Immortal Execution Sword Formation. This top-tier cultivator had been drained of his essence and his artifact shattered by Mu Tou; he was then caught off guard by his own hubris, making him vulnerable to Yun Zhongxian’s strike.

Watching the look of despair in the demon’s eyes, Mu Tou felt a profound sense of satisfaction.

"Xin Yi! Xin Yi!" Shui Wufeng’s mournful cries snapped Mu Tou back to reality. He rushed forward to find Ya Xin Yi’s breath fading, her eyes half-closed, yet a faint smile still lingered on her lips, as if life and death were of no consequence to her.

Mu Tou felt as though a blade were twisting within his heart, his very soul hollowed out. He opened his mouth, but no words came—the silence of profound grief.

Ever the composed one, he forced himself to focus in this moment of crisis. He looked at the life slipping away in his arms, realizing that his best healing medicine, the "Magical Beans," was ineffective.

Suddenly, he remembered the pill he had purchased at the Artifact Assembly—the Soul-Retention Pill. He hurriedly pulled it from his storage bracelet. It was a pink, pigeon-egg-sized pill, rumored to save any cultivator with even a single breath left. It was also known as the "Life-Seizing Pill," implying one could snatch a life back from the brink of death.

But when Shui Wufeng saw the pill, she burst into tears. "It’s useless. My disciple... she is not of the mortal world; mundane medicine has no effect on her. Her injuries were not fatal, but... but... that Vitality Essence was her very life force. Without it, combined with these wounds, she..."

These words shattered Mu Tou’s last glimmer of hope. It was true! Ya Xin Yi was a celestial spirit born from the Ginseng Fruit Tree; how could mortal medicine heal her?

"Xin Yi... tell me, how can I return your Vitality Essence to you?" Mu Tou gripped her hand, his voice urgent. At this moment, if he had to carve out his own heart to bring her back, he would not hesitate.

Ya Xin Yi did not speak; she only smiled and shook her head.

Shui Wufeng wept, holding her close. "Xin Yi, let’s go home. Shall we go home?"

Xin Yi nodded, a faint flush appearing on her pale face. Mu Tou felt a sharp pang of agony; he knew this was the "flash of light before the lamp dies out."

In this desperate moment, he suddenly thought of the "Legend of the Monkey King." Sun Wukong, too, was a celestial being born of stone. How did he heal? But the Monkey King was a master of martial arts and had consumed the Great Sage’s elixirs, granting him an indestructible body.

Elixirs... Immortal blood! Mu Tou suddenly remembered: after consuming the *Wozhou* and cultivating the *Hunyuan Sky Mirror*, his own blood had transformed into the blood of an immortal.

Could his blood possess the properties of an elixir?

With that thought, Mu Tou summoned *Qingming* and slashed his wrist, pressing it to Ya Xin Yi’s lips. "Drink!"

Under normal circumstances, Ya Xin Yi would never drink another’s blood, but she was delirious. Feeling the liquid, she swallowed instinctively.

"Immortal blood!" Shui Wufeng gasped, seeing the golden blood flowing from Mu Tou’s wrist. "Are you an immortal walking among mortals?"

Mu Tou was too tense to hear her. He watched Ya Xin Yi closely. As she swallowed the blood, a hint of color returned to her pale face. He was overjoyed, but a soft voice shattered his hope: "That will not work!"

Turning, he saw Lu Daoxuan standing nearby. "Immortal blood can grant her a measure of vitality, but her three spirits and seven souls are unstable, and her core essence is lost. Your blood can only delay the inevitable."

Mu Tou’s eyes ignited. He grabbed Lu Daoxuan by the collar, desperate. "That’s it! You must have a way!"

Lu Daoxuan did not speak, only looked at him calmly.