Chapter 122: Fierce Battle (Part II)

The blade gleamed as brightly as pure snow, its broad edge measuring a full seven inches across. It was double-edged, and down the center of the blade ran a dense, intricate pattern of purple markings. The hilt was also purple, and at a glance, the entire sword emanated a heavy yet eerily beautiful aura.

As Yan Wei grasped it, her long jet-black hair gradually shifted to a pale violet hue. Her blood-red eyes paired with the faint purple tresses gave the otherwise unremarkable Yan Wei an astonishing and unsettling charm in that moment.

When Ji Mo’s gaze fell upon the sword, her eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint tremor of battle dread flickered through her heart. Her body had been honed and transformed through relentless training; ordinary spirit weapons no longer posed much of a threat to her physical form. Yet this sword gave her the distinct sensation that it could effortlessly cleave through her flesh and claim her life. Even the protective garment she wore seemed powerless to block its power.

With the sword in hand, a bloodthirsty gleam flashed in Yan Wei’s crimson eyes. Letting out a fierce cry, she leapt into the air, gripping the broad blade with both hands and raising it high. A sharp, unparalleled streak of purple light slashed through the air, violently striking at Ji Mo.

Ji Mo did not dare to slacken for even an instant. Pressing her lips tightly together, she summoned her will, and the White Jade Dragon Whip appeared in her palm as if conjured from thin air. The silver whip coiled and met the broad blade head-on.

Clang! The whip and sword collided, sending sparks of dazzling light scattering through the air. Ji Mo felt a slight pain in her soul, as if something was burning within her very consciousness. Fortunately, their weapons parted almost immediately, and the two combatants flew backward, the searing sensation gradually fading.

As they pulled back, both Ji Mo and Yan Wei instinctively glanced down at their weapons. Ji Mo noticed a faint sword mark on the White Jade Dragon Whip, while Yan Wei’s broad blade trembled uncontrollably, emitting a constant hum. In this exchange, Ji Mo’s whip had clearly taken a subtle loss.

“Heh heh, Miss Ji, you’re the first person since my debut to face my Purple Fallen Soul-Burning Sword without a scratch. Truly a pleasant surprise!” Yan Wei’s face bore no trace of anger upon feeling the sword’s tremor—instead, it was filled with excitement. Once this person entered battle, they were nothing short of a madman.

Ji Mo looked at Yan Wei with a headache brewing. She realized this man was an irrational warmonger, and now she was entangled with him. Whether this was fortune or misfortune, she could not tell. Yet Ji Mo harbored no intention of retreating; the fire of combat blazed fiercely within her. Perhaps it was a lingering effect of practicing the Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Technique.

“Take a few more of my strikes!” Yan Wei shouted loudly. His pale purple hair stood on end as he leapt into the air, soaring tens of meters high. The Purple Fallen Soul-Burning Sword suddenly burst forth with a radiant purple brilliance that was impossible to look upon directly. He slashed three times in swift succession—left, right, and center—each strike crossing paths as they cut toward Ji Mo.

Buzz! With those three strikes, the spiritual energy and air surrounding the arena seemed to be sucked dry in an instant. The platform, spanning dozens of meters, was completely enveloped in the purple sword light.

Those watching from outside the arena were momentarily blinded by the sudden surge of purple radiance. Even shielded by protective formations, their souls seemed to burn from the contact with the sword’s light. Mo Cong, the weakest among them, was so overwhelmed that his eyes met the purple glow and he involuntarily spat a mouthful of blood skyward.

Lei Wei’s heart tightened at the sight. If they, standing far from the arena, could feel such an effect, how could Ji Mo, standing at the center, withstand such terrifying sword radiance?

Ji Mo, in the heart of the platform, was indeed suffering. From the moment the Purple Fallen Soul-Burning Sword’s light flared, she felt her soul ablaze as if being consumed by fire, her thoughts briefly faltering. The arena was engulfed by the dreadful purple sword glow, and her body was instantly riddled with countless fractures from the relentless sword energy.

This terrifying purple sword aura ignored the protective spirit garment she wore, penetrating her clothes to pierce her skin and bone. Meanwhile, the burning pain in her soul gnawed mercilessly at her consciousness. Anyone with weaker willpower would collapse within two breaths under such dual torment.

But Ji Mo was no longer the woman she was ten years ago. Trials in Moon City and the Flame Domain had tempered her spirit and will into unyielding rock. Her dazed state lasted less than half a breath before she regained clarity.

Ignoring the torment tearing her body and soul, Ji Mo let out a clear whistle. She simultaneously brought the Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Technique and the Five Elements Spell to their peak.

Although she cultivated both elemental spells before foundation establishment and rarely fought with magic, that did not mean she was incapable of using it. The Five Elements Spell activated alongside the Purple Flame True Technique, summoning violet flames merged swiftly with a surge of cyan wood energy. Together, they fused into a pale golden mysterious thunder, which she fiercely unleashed at the vast purple sword radiance.

Boom! The thunderclap tore a hole through the overwhelming sword light. Seizing the moment without hesitation, Ji Mo’s White Jade Dragon Whip sounded a deep dragon’s roar as it charged the purple sword web. Crack, crack, crack—the whip strikes collided violently, the thunderous explosions echoing ceaselessly above the arena.

The sky filled with shards of purple sword light as Ji Mo, shrouded in sword brilliance, soared upward. Her body was smeared with blood, standing in midair to face Yan Wei across the void. The protective garment gifted by Ao Feng bore countless sword marks, once pale yellow now stained a deep maroon.

Her face, neck, palms, and backs of her hands were covered in dense sword scars, blood steadily seeping forth. Her black hair streamed upward against the wind, making her appear like a demon of the netherworld—frightening and fearsome.

Hovering in the air, Yan Wei’s pale purple hair had deepened to a dark violet, eyes blood-red like fresh wounds. His arms, left shoulder blade, right cheek and jaw, and neck bore whip marks deep enough to reveal bone. The scars across his cheek, jaw, and neck were especially gruesome; flesh torn away, bare white bones exposed under the sunlight.

Judging by their conditions, neither had gained much advantage. Yan Wei was severely injured, yet his fighting spirit remained undiminished. After parting with Ji Mo, he let out a piercing screech, his blood-red eyes flickering with strange light. Gripping the Purple Fallen Soul-Burning Sword tightly, he feinted left and right before raising it high once again.

Suddenly, he spat a mouthful of blood onto the blade. The intricate purple dark patterns along the sword seemed to come alive, radiating an even more intense purple glow. The light expanded into a sword beam several meters long, viciously slashing toward Ji Mo.

(To be continued...)