The Legend of the Princess' Counterattack

Chapter 701 Blood Mist Locks the Soul

Snow particles clattered against the rocks of Qingluan Peak, making a delicate sound. Yun Yao's fingertips grasped the half-foot-tall Nine-Transformation Mysterious Ice Lotus. Frost condensed on the petals spread along her sleeves, leaving winding ice marks on her moon-white robe. When she had fished this miraculous herb from the bottom of the cold pond in the Taixu Secret Realm three days ago, she had never imagined that she would be pursued and intercepted by the Blood Demon Sect on her return journey, nor that Chu Mochen would be attacked by the demonic forces while in seclusion to heal his wounds.

The Green Fly Talisman at the cave entrance suddenly buzzed, and three blood-red spells twisted and burrowed into the ice like living creatures. Yun Yao's heart tightened, and she no longer cared about concealing her presence. She tiptoed into the cave. The view was a mess. On the jade bed of frozen ice, Chu Mochen's black robe was soaked with blood. A bowl-sized wound ripped open on his chest. Under the twitching flesh, black demonic evil slithered like a swarm of snakes, spreading along his ribs towards his heart.

"System!" Yun Yao shouted softly, and the jade bottle in her arms fell to the ground with a clang. The thousand-year-old snow ginseng juice in the bottle spilled onto the stone surface, and bursts of white mist rose.

"Detected that the target's soul fluctuations are below the critical value. The bone-eating evil has invaded the heart meridian." The system's mechanical voice was rarely anxious. "It is recommended to immediately use the Nine-Transformation Mysterious Ice Lotus in conjunction with the Ice Heart Art. If you delay-"

Before she could finish her words, a sudden explosion echoed from the cave ceiling, sending fist-sized chunks of ice and gravel cascading down. Yun Yao instinctively spun around, waving her sleeves, her spiritual energy forming a barrier in front of her. But once she saw the incoming figure, her fingertips suddenly tightened—the Blood Demon Sect's Great Elder, covered in blood, clutched a dying young girl in his left hand. It was none other than Xiao Cui, who had stayed in the village at the foot of the mountain.

"Hand over the Black Ice Lotus." The old man's voice was like a rusty blade, and Xiao Cui's heart-protecting bell shattered in two in his palm. "Otherwise, this girl's head will be buried under the snow along with this cave."

Yun Yao's eyes flickered over the bloodstains on Xiao Cui's neck, her nails digging into her palms. Three days ago, she had left Xiao Cui in the village to gather information, only to have the Demon Sect cultivators follow her lead and find her. Xiao Cui's eyelids were half-closed, blood foam clung to the corners of her lips, evidently having been severely tortured.

"Okay, I'll give it to you." Yun Yao forced herself to speak calmly. Holding the Black Ice Lotus in her palm, she slowly stepped forward. The fluorescent light at the heart of the lotus flickered in the dim cave. "But you have to let her go first."

The Blood Evil Elder's cloudy eyes rolled around, and he suddenly grinned, revealing a mouthful of black teeth: "Little girl, do you think I'm a three-year-old child?" Before he finished speaking, the hand holding Xiao Cui suddenly tightened. The girl let out a faint whimper, and the blood from the corner of her lips dripped onto the petals of the Black Ice Lotus, strangely turning black.

Yun Yao's pupils suddenly shrank, and she was shocked to realize that the fluorescence of the Black Ice Lotus was dimming at a speed visible to the naked eye - it turned out that the other party had already cast a blood curse on Xiao Cui and used her blood to contaminate the magic medicine!

"How dare you!" She no longer cared about her pretense, and with her fingertips, she executed the Lotus Heart Technique. The Mysterious Ice Lotus suddenly erupted with a blinding silver light, condensing into a three-inch-long ice blade in her palm. Elder Xuesha had clearly not expected her to defy him, and hurriedly flung Xiao Cui against the cave wall, simultaneously slashing out three streaks of blood.

"boom--"

The moment the ice blade and the bloody light collided, the entire cave trembled violently. Yun Yao seized the opportunity to pounce on Xiao Cui, only to see her fall helplessly to the ground. The heart-protecting bell on her chest shattered into three petals, revealing the word "peace" engraved inside—the amulet she had personally carved for Xiao Cui when she first arrived in the secular world.

"Xiao Cui!" She caught the girl's limp body and sniffed her breath with her fingertips. Fortunately, there was still a faint breath. The Blood Demon Elder's sinister grin reached her from behind. When she turned around, she saw that he had approached, his withered palm grasping at the stem of the Black Ice Lotus.

Yun Yao gritted her teeth, protecting Xiao Cui behind her, while her free hand formed a sword gesture. However, just as she mobilized her spiritual energy, she felt a tearing pain in her dantian. During her trip to the Taixu Secret Realm, she had spent three days and three nights immersed in a cold pond to harvest the Mysterious Ice Lotus, and her spiritual energy had not yet fully recovered.

"Chu Mochen..." She subconsciously looked towards the jade bed, only to see that the unconscious man had sat up at some point. His pale face was devoid of color, but he managed a forced smile: "Yao'er, don't be afraid."

Before he could finish his words, the wound on his chest suddenly exploded, and black demonic energy surged out like a tide, condensing into a blood-red mist around him. As soon as the Blood Demon Elder's palm touched the mist, a sizzling sound of burning emanated, and he retreated in panic.

"The bloodline of the Holy Son?" The old man's voice was filled with disbelief. "You still retain the essence of the Divine Court!"

Yun Yao's heart trembled, suddenly remembering how Chu Mochen had mentioned in the Taixu Secret Realm that he had been sent to the Divine Court for cultivation as a child, but had been ambushed a hundred years prior, leaving his soul damaged. At this moment, a faint golden lotus pattern emerged from the blood mist surrounding him, echoing the silver lotus between her eyebrows.

"System, what's wrong with Chu Mochen's injury?" she asked anxiously in her sea of consciousness.

"According to the test, the bone-eating evil spirit within the target's body is not ordinary poisonous mist, but is mixed with the essence of the ancient blood demon." The system's voice was unusually serious. "If it cannot be purified within three incense sticks, the soul will be completely devoured."

Yun Yao bit her lower lip, suddenly remembering the fragments of the Ice Heart Sutra she'd found in the secret realm. Legend has it that this sutra could condense the soul with an icy heart, precisely the right counter to the blood demon's unholy power. She took a deep breath, gently placed Xiao Cui on the stone platform, and turned to face Chu Mochen, her fingertips forming a complex hand seal on her chest.

"Yao'er, don't come over!" Chu Mochen's voice was filled with warning, and the lotus pattern in the blood mist suddenly twisted. "The evil spirit will erode your spiritual veins--"

"Shut up!" Yun Yao interrupted him, the Silver Lotus Mark lighting up between her brows. "Do you think I traveled through time and space for a thousand years just to see you shattered to pieces?"

The moment the seal was completed, she transformed into a streak of silver light and crashed straight into the blood-red mist. A biting cold and scorching heat assaulted her simultaneously, as if thousands of tiny needles were piercing her meridians. However, she gritted her teeth and held on, pressing the Mysterious Ice Lotus against Chu Mochen's heart.

"With my lotus heart, I will suppress your evil spirit!"

A clear incantation rang out, and the Black Ice Lotus suddenly erupted with a sun-like radiance. Golden lotus patterns and silver marks intertwined within the blood mist, forming a yin-yang Tai Chi image. Elder Xuesha let out a scream, and the aftermath sent him crashing against the cave wall, his shirt instantly charred.

But Yun Yao had no time to worry about the external enemy. She could clearly sense Chu Mochen's soul struggling within her sea of consciousness. Deep within her sea of consciousness, countless fragments of memory flashed by like a revolving lantern: the young Chu Mochen kneeling before the ruins of the Divine Court, half a blackened steamed bun in his palm; the woman in white smilingly handed him a piece of candy, then turned and pushed him into the abyss...

"Are these...his memories of his past life?" Yun Yao was stunned. She suddenly remembered that the system had mentioned that Chu Mochen's life experience was related to the ancient Divine Court, but she didn't expect that he was burdened with such a heavy past.

"Host, be careful! The evil spirit is eroding your sea of consciousness!" The system's warning came unexpectedly. Yun Yao felt dizzy and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a dark space with countless blood-red light spots floating around her. Chu Mochen's painful face was reflected in each light spot.

"Yao'er..."

A faint call came from above her head. She looked up and saw the shadow of Chu Mochen's soul floating in the air. In the crack of his chest, the black evil spirit was gnawing at his spirit like a living creature.

"Hold on!" Yun Yao condensed a silver lotus blade from her fingertips and slashed at the nearest blood-red light spot. "I'll take you out right now!"

The moment the light blade fell, the light spots emitted a sharp scream and turned into the shadow of a blood demon. Yun Yao was shocked to realize that these light spots were actually fragments of Chu Mochen's memories that were contaminated by the evil spirit. Every time she shattered one, more fragments came pouring in.

"This isn't a solution..." She suddenly remembered the chapter "Returning the Soul to Strengthen the Foundation" in the Ice Heart Art. She immediately sat down cross-legged and formed the Lotus Heart Seal with her hands. "System, pour all your spiritual power into the Ice Heart Art!"

"Warning! The host's spiritual power remains at 30%. Forcibly activating the secret technique will damage the spiritual veins—"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Yun Yao gritted her teeth, "If we delay any longer, he will be beyond help!"

The system said no more. Suddenly, a blue light shone from the depths of his sea of consciousness, and a stream of pure spiritual energy flowed into his palm along his meridians. Yun Yao felt a warmth at her fingertips, and the silver lotus mark suddenly expanded, transforming into a huge lotus of light that enveloped Chu Mochen's soul.

"Use the lotus heart as a guide, and return your soul to its place!"

As the spell fell, the light lotus slowly shrank, and the blood-colored light spots turned into dust the moment they came into contact with the light lotus. Chu Mochen's soul gradually solidified, and he slowly opened his eyes, reflecting Yun Yao's pale face.

"Silly girl..." His voice was as light as a feather, "You always work so hard."

Yun Yao was about to speak when she heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground outside the cave. Startled, she forcibly interrupted the spell. When she opened her eyes, she found that Chu Mochen's injuries had temporarily stabilized. The wound on his chest had stopped bleeding, but his face was still as pale as paper.

Elder Xuesha was crouching at the entrance of the cave, a broken dagger in his hand, clearly injured by the residual force of the Lotus Heart Technique during the sneak attack. Yun Yao stood up, condensing icy blades at her fingertips, and slowly walked towards the enemy who had brought endless pain to Chu Mochen.

"You...you are the Lotus Heart host!" The elder saw her approaching, and fear flashed in his eyes. "The remnants of the Divine Court, all deserve to die!"

He suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ice ridges at the cave ceiling. Countless ice cones fell in response, shooting towards Chu Mochen. Yun Yao didn't have time to think about it, and instinctively spun around to block the jade bed. The ice blade drew a silver arc in the air, shattering most of the ice cones.

But something slipped through the net. An icicle grazed her left arm, leaving a long bloodstain on her sleeve. Fresh blood dripped onto the lotus pattern on Chu Mochen's chest. A golden light suddenly shone brightly, and those demonic spirits that hadn't been completely purified screamed and unexpectedly followed the bloodstain into Yun Yao's meridians.

"Oh no!" System Lord's voice was filled with rare panic, "The demon is fusing with the host's spiritual power, quickly activate the Ice Heart Technique!"

Yun Yao felt dizzy, as if a fire was burning in her dantian, and countless eerie laughs rang in her ears. In a trance, she saw Chu Mochen's figure swaying before her, anxiously calling her name.

"Don't come over..." She wanted to speak, but found her voice was extremely hoarse, "I... I can hold on..."

Before she could finish her words, her legs gave way and she fell into Chu Mochen's arms. His body temperature shone through the thin fabric, carrying an unusually hot warmth, yet it made Yun Yao feel at ease.

"Yao'er, look at me." Chu Mochen's voice was like a clear spring, flowing into her chaotic sea of consciousness. "Do you remember our agreement in the secular world? No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must face them together."

Yun Yao forced her eyes open and saw her own reflection in his eyes, along with a barely perceptible golden glow. That was the original power of the Son of God, battling the demonic evil.

"Yes, let's face it together..." She raised the corners of her lips and gently stroked the lotus pattern on his chest with her fingertips. "We still have so many places to go and so many stories to write. How can we fall here?"

Before she finished speaking, she felt a sudden chill in her chest. Chu Mochen had unknowingly placed the heart of the Black Ice Lotus against her heart. A fusion of ice and fire exploded within her body, and the demon's roar gradually faded, replaced by a warm and powerful force coursing through her meridians.

"System prompt: The host and the target have successfully established a lotus heart resonance, and the progress of the evil spirit purification is 100%."

The system's voice finally regained its composure, and Yun Yao breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned on Chu Mochen's shoulder and looked out at the gradually dissipating blood mist outside the cave. The snow had stopped at some point, and moonlight filtered through the clouds, casting a silver glow on the icy surface of Qingluan Peak.

"Elder, people from the Demon Sect..." Xiao Cui's voice came from the stone platform, trembling with the feeling of surviving a disaster.

Yun Yao turned her head and saw the girl sitting up with her body supported, her eyes full of worry. She was about to speak to comfort her, but Chu Mochen suddenly pushed her away gently, stood up, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

"The Blood Demon Sect dared to hurt someone I care about. This account should be settled." He looked towards the outside of the cave, and golden lotus petals condensed in his palm. "Yao'er, take good care of Xiao Cui. I'll be back soon."

Yun Yao was about to stop him when she saw him transform into a streak of golden light and dart out of the cave. The snow and ice kicked up by his clothes swirled around, leaving a trail of golden footprints at the cave entrance. She shook her head helplessly, knowing that Chu Mochen was determined to hunt down Elder Xuesha and put an end to this crisis.

"Princess, you're injured!" Xiao Cui saw the bloodstains on Yun Yao's left arm and hurriedly crawled over, taking out the golden medicine from her bosom. "It's all because of Xiao Cui's uselessness that she was captured by the Demon Sect..."

"Silly girl, it's okay." Yun Yao let her bandage her wound, her fingertips gently sliding across the fragments of the Heart Protection Bell. "As long as you're okay, that's all that matters. Besides, didn't we all make it through this?"

She looked towards the cave entrance, where Chu Mochen's golden lotus pattern still remained, and a warm feeling suddenly surged in her heart. Although this crisis was fraught with danger, it made her more aware of her feelings for Chu Mochen and made her realize that the bond between them had long surpassed the ordinary love between a man and a woman.

"System, Chu Mochen's soul..." she asked softly in her sea of consciousness.

"It has completely stabilized, and in the process of Lotus Heart resonance, it has awakened some of its Divine Palace memories." The System Master paused, "Host, do you know? Just now in the Sea of Consciousness, in Chu Mochen's soul, there was a memory about you -"

"Hush..." Yun Yao shook her head gently, a smile curling up at the corner of her lips. "There's no need to rush to know some things. I believe that as we experience more together, all the secrets will slowly be revealed."

There were footsteps at the cave entrance, and Chu Mochen's figure came into view again. There was still some blood on the hem of his clothes, but he smiled very gently: "Yao'er, the snow has stopped, let's go down the mountain."

Yun Yao stood up, reached out and held his palm, feeling the familiar warmth: "Okay, let's go down the mountain. Then, we will continue our journey."

Under the moonlight, the three figures gradually faded away. The ice spikes of Qingluan Peak creaked in the wind, as if telling the story of an unfinished legend. Yun Yao knew that her and Chu Mochen's story had only just begun. In this vast world of cultivation, countless challenges and opportunities awaited them, waiting for them to conquer and explore.

(End of Chapter 701)