Xu Zifan and Shi Yunxuan circled around the Xuantian Sect and easily found traces of the Soul-Chasing Incense Xu Zifan had left near the back mountain. They followed the trail and pinpointed the entrance to the mountain stream. It was very close to the Xuantian Sect; the most dangerous place is often the safest. No one expected that Huo Chongjun, who had nearly been annihilated, would dare to linger near the Xuantian Sect, and that this place would be overlooked after only a cursory search.
Xu Zifan knew that Shi Yunxuan deeply resented Xiang Yushuang for killing the Hehuan Sect members and longed for revenge, but he still cautioned her, "If we kill Huo Chongjun, no one will care, but if we kill Xiang Yushuang, the Hehuan Sect will become sworn enemies with the Xuantian Sect, which will be extremely detrimental to the Hehuan Sect. When you see her..."
Shi Yunxuan looked at the waterfall and curled her lips into a smile. "Brother Xu, don't worry, I have my own way of making her pay with her life."
Shi Yunxuan took out an array plate from her storage ring. "This is the Seven Killings Array. Anyone trapped inside cannot escape without the cultivation of the late Nascent Soul stage. If they haven't come out in seven days, they will be killed by unpredictable sword moves. These two are still seriously injured. Guess what Huo Chongjun will do to get out?"
Xu Zifan chuckled, "So you've already thought it through. Then we'll stay outside for a few days."
What else could Huo Chongjun do? He would definitely drain Xiang Yushuang dry to regain his strength, which would be the most humiliating and painful way for Xiang Yushuang to die. And since Xiang Yushuang died at Huo Chongjun's hands, the Xuantian Sect would have no reason to be enemies with the Hehuan Sect. Although doing so would restore Huo Chongjun's strength and make their fight much more difficult, if it would allow Shi Yunxuan to take revenge, then the trouble would be worth it.
Xu Zifan went to the cave entrance and activated the array plate. Huo Chongjun had not yet recovered and did not notice him at all. By the time he realized he was in the array, it was too late, and even his soul could not escape!
Huo Chongjun tried to break through the formation and find its core, with Xiang Yushuang helping him, but neither of them were proficient in formations, and this was the Seven Kill Formation, so they were completely helpless. Xiang Yushuang shouted to the outside world, "Father, was it you? Father? Chongjun knows he was wrong, and I know I was wrong too. Please forgive us, Father?"
Huo Chongjun's face darkened when he realized it was the Seven Killings Formation. After Xiang Yushuang called out for half an hour without any response, he shouted, "Xiang Wentian, you old bastard, if you don't remove the formation, I'll kill your daughter!"
"Chongjun!" Xiang Yushuang stared at him in shock, but Huo Chongjun didn't even glance at her and slapped her.
Xiang Yushuang screamed and crashed into the mountainside. Huo Chongjun continued, "Did you hear that? Do you want your daughter to die?"
Xiang Yushuang's face was covered in tears. She had realized that all of Huo Chongjun's sweet words were lies. She glared at Huo Chongjun resentfully, lunged at him to attack, but was kicked away by him. "Xiang Wentian! You're not Xiang Wentian? Who are you? As long as you let me go, I'll give you anything you want."
No matter how Huo Chongjun called out, Xu Zifan and Shi Yunxuan didn't respond. Xu Zifan had set up a barrier, so no one else could hear what they were shouting. Shi Yunxuan had even roasted some tender demon beast legs and laid out a table full of spiritual fruits and wine, enjoying them with Xu Zifan in front of the mountain stream. She was always one to hold grudges; Xiang Yushuang had killed her martial uncle and two junior sisters, and no matter how badly they were treated, she wouldn't soften her heart. Besides, Xiang Yushuang and Huo Chongjun had brought this upon themselves.
Xu Zifan, of course, didn't care. The original owner's miserable state was largely due to Xiang Yushuang. Xiang Yushuang was only devoted to Huo Chongjun, but she was extremely ruthless and cold-hearted towards the original owner, even disregarding her biological father's affection. Anyone who encounters such a moth-to-a-flame person is doomed.
After they had two meals, Huo Chongjun finally gave up. He grabbed Xiang Yushuang and began to drain her of her yin energy, seemingly without restraint. At first, Xiang Yushuang resisted fiercely and refused to submit, but later she became afraid, gripped by a deep-seated fear.
"What are you doing? Let me go! You can't do this to me, Huo Chongjun, you can't!" Xiang Yushuang attacked with all her might in terror, but Huo Chongjun deflected all her attacks.
Huo Chongjun snorted coldly, his face indifferent. "You're still saying such naive things now? You're utterly foolish. If you weren't a pure Yin body, why would I bother with you?"
"We are Daoist partners! We have sworn an oath to the Heavenly Dao!"
"Heh, perfect opportunity to kill my wife and prove my Dao."
Tears streamed down Xiang Yushuang's face as she shook her head repeatedly. Suddenly, she pulled a magical artifact from her storage ring and thrust it at Huo Chongjun. Huo Chongjun hastily dodged, the attack only piercing his shoulder. But Xiang Yushuang continued to attack him with one magical artifact after another, forcing Huo Chongjun to constantly use his own to defend. The two fought fiercely in the cave, and soon Huo Chongjun's magical artifacts were exhausted, while Xiang Yushuang was left with only her natal magical artifact. As she unleashed her full power, Huo Chongjun channeled his demonic energy, withstanding the attack and channeling his demonic power into Xiang Yushuang's body.
Xiang Yushuang writhed on the ground in agony, screaming repeatedly. While Shi Yunxuan had suffered so much from just one wisp of demonic energy, Xiang Yushuang was in agony as if her bones were being crushed. Unable to launch any further attacks, Huo Chongjun seized the opportunity to steal her storage ring and ruthlessly began to drain her yin energy to enhance his own cultivation, using her pure yin body as a mere vessel.
"Huo Chongjun, I will never let you go, even if it kills me! I curse you to be utterly destroyed and never be reincarnated—"
When Huo Chongjun broke through the Seven Killings Formation and rushed out of the cave, it was already three days later, and his cultivation had recovered to the late Nascent Soul stage.
Xu Zifan immediately confronted him, and several thick pillars of lightning formed a cage, trapping him inside. Huo Chongjun narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Who did I think it was? It's you! Today is your death day!"
Huo Chongjun unleashed his demonic cultivation technique, several wisps of black mist coiling around Xu Zifan's lightning pillar, actually corroding it! Xu Zifan then set up a lightning net to bind Huo Chongjun, but Huo Chongjun broke free again, and the two quickly exchanged blows.
Xu Zifan unleashed a barrage of powerful moves, all aimed at quickly depleting Huo Chongjun's spiritual energy. His spiritual energy was twice that of Huo Chongjun's, and once Huo Chongjun was exhausted, defeating him would be a piece of cake.
Huo Chongjun also sensed the danger. Unable to seriously injure Xu Zifan and still unable to avenge his father's death, he tried to escape. However, he was immediately attacked by a magical artifact hurled by Shi Yunxuan after casting his spell and turning around. Xu Zifan was fighting head-on, while Shi Yunxuan blocked his retreat, leaving him with no way to escape. His magical artifacts were also exhausted, leaving him only able to withstand the attacks, putting him at a disadvantage from both sides.
The fight attracted the attention of the elders left behind by the Xuantian Sect. They arrived with their men and were shocked to see what was happening. They immediately ordered a siege of Huo Chongjun and his execution. Huo Chongjun was under even greater pressure. Xu Zifan seized an opportunity to activate the Xuan Iron Fan, and several poisoned gold needles pierced Huo Chongjun's body. The Xuan Iron Fan also flew around and grazed his cheek.
Shi Yunxuan calmly used her magical artifact from a distance to avoid being captured and taken hostage by Huo Chongjun, launching a fierce attack. Huo Chongjun suddenly shouted, "If we're going to die, we'll die together!" As he spoke, his body began to swell.
"Oh no! He's going to self-destruct!" The Xuan Tian Sect elder immediately ordered everyone to retreat.
Xu Zifan advanced instead of retreating. "[Shaohua, keep a close eye on him. His soul can teleport and escape. Tell me where he is.]"
[Shaohua: An abnormal energy fluctuation is detected 100 meters to the southwest and is moving northward. It has been marked with a red warning on the map.]
Huo Chongjun's body exploded with a bang, and everyone only saw Xu Zifan rush into the smoke and disappear without a trace in that instant.
"Brother Xu!" Shi Yunxuan's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly tried to step forward, but was stopped by the elders of the Xuantian Sect.
Just seconds before the explosion, Xu Zifan precisely and with all his might attacked Huo Chongjun's soul, dragging it back to the center of the blast before hiding in his own spatial dimension. [Shaohua, how is it? Did he teleport again?]
[Shaohua: The abnormal energy fluctuations were detected and disappeared without a trace after the explosion.]
[That means he was blown up.] Xu Zifan left the space, quickly flew out of the smoke, and flew towards Shi Yunxuan.
"Brother Xu! Are you alright?" Shi Yunxuan grabbed his arm and looked him up and down.
Xu Zifan hugged her. "It's okay. I used the Golden Concealment Bell. Otherwise, Huo Chongjun would have escaped. You know his demonic arts are special."
Shi Yunxuan still felt a lingering fear; her heart was pounding in her chest, and she clung tightly to Xu Zifan, refusing to let go. An elder from the Xuantian Sect walked over and coughed twice. Seeing Xu Zifan looking at him, he stroked his beard and asked, "Zhengyang, how is that demonic cultivator?"
Xu Zifan patted Shi Yunxuan to let go of her, then took her hand instead, and said with a smile, "Huo Chongjun's soul has been scattered."
The Xuantian Sect leader confirmed with him several times, breathed a sigh of relief, and finally smiled, "Zhengyang, you have made a great contribution to this matter."
"Not at all, it's what I should do. Huo Chongjun intends to harm Sect Leader Xiang and endanger the Xuantian Sect. I was once a disciple of the Xuantian Sect, so I cannot stand idly by." Xu Zifan paused here, then pointed to the cave hidden by the waterfall, "Fairy Yu Shuang is there. Please trouble Uncle-Master to take her back to the Xuantian Sect. I will take my leave now."
The Xuan Tian Sect's senior uncle was startled, his expression turning grim. He personally entered the cave, where Xiang Yushuang was already a dried-up corpse, her eyes wide open in death. He shook his head and sighed, storing Xiang Yushuang's body in his storage ring, preventing other disciples from seeing her in such a pitiful state. After leaving the cave, he discovered that Xu Zifan and Xiang Yushuang had already left. Thinking back to how Xu Zifan and Xiang Yushuang had been childhood sweethearts, a perfect couple, he sighed helplessly again. The one who regretted this the most was probably the sect leader.
Huo Chongjun's death didn't diminish Xu Zifan's sense of enmity. In the cultivation world, feuds were commonplace, with countless instances of murder and robbery during travels. He was simply embarking on a new journey, exploring unknown territories with Shi Yunxuan. They traversed infamously dangerous places like the North Sea Abyss, the Snow Mountain Maze, and the Rocky Wasteland, as well as various secret realms. Whenever a secret realm opened, they would venture inside. With Shaohua present, regardless of any restrictions on cultivation or spiritual sense imposed by the realms, they always managed to find valuable items and reap substantial rewards. Through these opportunities, Xu Zifan rapidly improved his alchemy skills.
The years of cultivation pass in the blink of an eye. Ten years later, Xu Zifan and Shi Yunxuan look the same as before, except that Shi Yunxuan's eyes now hold a wealth of mature experience. They've been together for ten years. Xu Zifan takes Shi Yunxuan back to the boundless forest where he saved her, holding her hand as they walk, asking, "Yunxuan, shall we hold our Daoist Couple Ceremony?"
Shi Yunxuan asked in surprise, "Why didn't you say anything before? Why are you saying this so suddenly today?"
"I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you hadn't thought it through. Now, my promise still stands. What about you?"
Shi Yunxuan tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek, her smile radiant. "I want to be your Daoist partner even more than before!"