SWNOVELXO Chapter 417: Demise?
Xue Fang was betting it all. As long as the head was destroyed, she would win this.
Grasping with this hope, she dashed forward, taking out her own weapon, a long staff that could be split in the middle.
At the end of the tip, a round metal was attached, allowing Xue Fang to perform bashing attacks.
She utilized all her qi, going all out on this offensive.
BAM!
A shockwave exploded, dispersing the smoke.
All her effort provided results; the ghoul's head was completely smashed, leaving behind only a part from the nose down. The whole forehead and eyes had disappeared.
Xue Fang should have felt relieved, but instead, her despair was growing. The ghoul's lips moved, letting out a snarling growl as his half-destroyed hand raised his bone sword toward her neck.
With their close distance, she could not make a move; anything she could do would be too late. Her parent puppets moved by themselves, utilizing all their strength to come close.
Her mother raised her palm, letting out a similar cannon like the one on Xue Fang's father. But this one was more smaller and slender, making it look like a barrel of a normal gun instead.
BANG! BANG! She shot toward the ghoul's back.
Meanwhile, the father's puppet, getting out from the rubble, made a throwing motion and then launched his glaive through the air.
Both projectiles were on the way, but Xue Fang knew it would still be too late. The edge of the sword glided closely toward her neck.
Her life started flashing before her eyes. The childhood moments when she was still innocent, basking in her father's and mother's love each day. Their demise, her guttural scream of pain.
The relentless nights where every day felt like unending torment. Things started turning better after she met with Brook and learned about her family secret.
After that moment, her life was filled with cultivation, her duty, and responsibility as the clan leader. It was a long span of time in her life, but Xue Fang herself felt like time itself had frozen.
It was not only her body that stopped growing; her life was also the same. She dedicated everything to the clan, the betterment of her village.
But everything changed after MingYue's visit.
The village she held dear was destroyed; her ancestor, whom she thought would never die, finally breathed his last breath. Ironically, with the destruction, the chain that tied her down also disappeared.
She tried to act strong in front of her people, but every time she was alone, she started breaking down. Her long-pent-up emotions started bubbling up once more, then exploded with no one she could vent to.
Every day, she could only forcefully calm herself down by meditating or busying herself, learning tons of new information available in the Bai Yue Sect.
At this moment, she met MingHao. Her first impression of him was one of confusion and interest. Despite how he acted politely, she could tell from his eyes he didn't really mean it. He saw her as someone his age.
'This is it, huh? From my hundred years of living, barely ten percent of it is what I can call truly living.
MingHao, if only I had more time to talk with you.'
Her eyes became glistening with tears; she then closed them, accepting her fate.
Normally, she would not think like this, as her soul would still be intact even after her body died, but she knew it was different in this situation.
Not only was there a ritual formation that could absorb her soul, but she also expected the ghoul could probably do the same.
Her chance to survive was really slim. Time passed, seconds feeling like an eternity, then it finally came. The pain started spreading from her neck as her protective qi was cut like butter.
What came next was her smooth skin, followed by her flesh. Crimson blood splattered in the air as she called out once more in her mind, 'MingHao.'
A distance away from Xue Fang and the ghoul, MingHao was now moving alone toward her location. YanYu was going to the ritual place as YunYun led her cousin to clean up the Sky Ember Sect to free the other captives.
Based on the information they got, there were others used to imprison the rogue cultivators; they even had one that captured their own elders, as some disagreed with doing this immoral ritual.
It was not a problem of right or wrong for them, but more on how risky it was, and how they believed the current sect leader was an imposter despite the artifact result.
YanYu thought freeing them would bolster their strength, so she suggested YunYun do it. She checked the ritual grounds herself just in case Xue Fang needed help.
Never in her wildest dreams did she think Xue Fang was now in a very dangerous situation.
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As for MingHao, he ran to where Xue Fang was now to check the sound of the explosion. His feet kicked into the ground at high speed, but suddenly, the world felt like it was slowing down.
The egg inside his inner world began to vibrate; a voice then sounded in his mind, making him stop in his movement.
'MingHao.' Xue Fang's words reached him. But it was not just words; with it came 1001 intense emotions, making MingHao understand her situation and feelings.
His eyes turned cold, killing intent spreading out as he knew she was now dying. A single second? No, he didn't have that much time.
He needed to be there in this instant, or in the next moment, her head would be chopped off.
If that happened, even if he could secure her soul, it was still a question if he could find a way to recover her body in time or not.
The life force could do it, but MingHao barely understood the energy.
MingYue did this on purpose since she knew her brother would just go all around wasting the life force to heal others if he knew how effective it was.