CHAPTER 425: DEMONIC BACKLASH

Chapter 425: Demonic Backlash

Well, well.

Did she fall asleep just like that after fainting because she wasn't disturbed by external stimuli and was well protected by eight husky dragons?

Li Qingran, you...

Chen Huaian found himself torn between laughter and tears.

While fierce battles raged elsewhere, Li Qingran's area remained completely peaceful.

By the time he arrived as reinforcement, the fighting hadn't reached Li Qingran at all.

"Hey, girl, wake up!" Chen Huaian poked Li Qingran's pretty face twice with his finger—his tactile senses were now permanently activated. He could check the softness of Li Qingran's cheeks anytime to assess her physical condition!

Li Qingran pouted but didn't wake.

"Elder, your method doesn't work. Let me try!"

Yue Qianchi volunteered, leaning down beside Li Qingran and suddenly whispering in her ear:

"Have you heard? The Sword Pavilion's founding elder is getting married, and the bride isn't Li Qingran!"

The moment these words were spoken, Li Qingran—who had shown no reaction before—suddenly frowned.

Her closed eyelids trembled, her face showing struggle before she abruptly opened her eyes.

"How dare they!"

"Who dares steal my master!"

Li Qingran sat up straight, tossing aside the dragon tail she'd been biting marks into.

Her fierce gaze first landed on Yue Qianchi's amused expression, then swept around at everyone present before her face visibly reddened.

She blinked in confusion for a long moment before lowering her head in embarrassment.

"Master... senior sister... when did you arrive..."

"Just now," Chen Huaian said. "Less than half an incense stick's time."

"Then... what was I doing when you came..."

"You were sound asleep," Yue Qianchi covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

"Ugh..." Li Qingran covered her burning cheeks with both hands—this was too embarrassing, she really couldn't face anyone now.

"You slept quite comfortably while Mo Shumei nearly died saving you!" Yue Qianchi rolled her eyes and poked Li Qingran's forehead.

"Mo... Mo Shumei?"

Panic flashed across Li Qingran's face.

She only remembered being knocked unconscious by the old nun's Lion's Roar technique.

At the time, she'd thought it was over—that her master and sectmates wouldn't arrive in time...

So Mo Shumei had saved her?

"Where is Mo Shumei?"

She stood up and looked around, quickly spotting Mo Shumei leaning against broken walls by the lotus pond while recovering from her injuries.

Chen Huaian followed Li Qingran to Mo Shumei's side.

Compared to earlier, Mo Shumei's condition was clearly abnormal.

While her major wounds had healed somewhat, dark demonic energy now coiled around her body—black energy seeped from her dantian only to pierce back in through her facial orifices. She trembled violently, her face pale as she clenched her teeth against extreme pain. 𝑅äＮоβËs

"Master, what's... what's happening to Mo Shumei?"

After calling Mo Shumei repeatedly with no response, and not daring to approach for fear of disturbing her, Li Qingran could only turn to Chen Huaian for help.

Chen Huaian narrowed his eyes, and text appeared above Mo Shumei's head in his vision:

[Name: Mo Shumei]

[Status: Demonic Backlash, Critical Condition]

"It's demonic backlash," Chen Huaian's heart sank.

Healing pills could treat physical wounds but not demonic backlash.

This was related to the cultivation techniques and artifacts Mo Shumei used—likely that demonic blade was the culprit.

Before he could explain further, Li Qingran had already grabbed Mo Shumei's Demonic Blade—Soul Abyss, drawing it with a stern expression:

"I'll give you three breaths to resolve Mo Shumei's demonic backlash, or you'll regret it!"

Normally chatty, the demonic blade Soul Abyss remained completely silent in Li Qingran's hands, as if dead.

"Junior sister Qingran, that won't work." Yue Qianchi shook her head knowingly, taking the blade from Li Qingran and running a hand along its surface with a strange smile:

"Demonic blade, demonic blade, I know you can hear us. If you don't respond, I'll bury you in the Sword Pavilion's Sword Tomb on Monday, Wednesday, Friday... dig you up Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday to toss you into True Martial Holy Land's Sword Pool... And Sunday? I'll give you a day off—locked up with Buddhist cultivators' relics. How does that sound?"

Soul Abyss trembled violently.

The blade shook, emitting a hoarse voice:

[You Sword Pavilion brat has a vicious tongue!]

"Not bad," Yue Qianchi shrugged. "I'm being merciful. If I really wanted you destroyed, I'd just hand you to our founding elder. Our elder is a Mahayana cultivator—crushing a pathetic blade like you would be child's play."

Soul Abyss fell silent.

Yue Qianchi wasn't wrong.

Before entering Sword Pavilion, it might have acted tough. But seeing those terrifyingly powerful elders inside...

It couldn't put up any front here.

[Your threats are meaningless,] Soul Abyss sneered. [I warned her long ago—using the demonic blade's power continuously would inevitably cause backlash. This comes from the Great Requiem internal technique she cultivated to match the blade style. I didn't even take advantage to devour her soul during the backlash... otherwise she'd already be dead, leaving only a puppet body for me to control!]

"You're the demonic blade—can't you control the backlash?"

[I'm just the blade spirit! That doesn't mean I control everything!]

Yue Qianchi snorted, pretending to hand the blade to Chen Huaian: "Keep lying! As the blade spirit, you're naturally the second controller of the blade. Can't control everything? Maybe I should let our founding elder deal with you!"

But Soul Abyss didn't back down this time.

It laughed scornfully: [Killing me won't save that girl!]

[Every soul slain by this blade becomes nourishment to strengthen it!]

[This is like a prison—I'm just the cell and the guard! During backlash, the cell doors open automatically. Do you think a mere guard can stop all those frenzied vengeful spirits from rushing out? If I had that power, why wouldn't I take control of the blade myself?]

Yue Qianchi considered this—it did make sense.

Having never used such a sinister artifact like Soul Abyss, she didn't know its intricacies.

Ultimately, she could only pass the blade to Chen Huaian.

"Elder... junior sister Qingran and I are out of ideas...

You're omnipotent—please find a way to save junior sister Mo Shumei."

Holding the trembling Soul Abyss, Chen Huaian initially considered using his game system's Heaven's Calculation function.

But since that incident, he'd grown wary of this electronic girlfriend game.

Though he couldn't resist using its functions, he needed to guard against future repercussions.

Better avoid using Heaven's Calculation unless absolutely necessary.

"Don't be afraid—This Venerable One isn't planning to deal with you yet."

Chen Huaian tapped the scabbard, understanding Soul Abyss and Mo Shumei shared a symbiotic relationship.

Simply destroying the blade spirit would be pointless.

"Since you understand Mo Shumei's condition so well, is there a solution? Don't consider whether This Venerable One can accomplish it—just speak freely!"