Qu Huashang stared blankly at the figure that had placed itself before her, feeling something soft in her heart shatter as though struck by an unseen force, its fragments scattering in an instant. Even her heartbeat quickened by a beat.
She was a Core Disciple of the Yin-Yang Grotto-heaven, cultivated intensively by the sect since childhood. She had every resource imaginable—exceptional talent, high cultivation, and beauty to match. Among the disciples of the Yin-Yang Grotto-heaven, those who pursued her numbered beyond count.
She cultivated the Path of Emotionlessness. To advance to the Opening Heaven stage, she would first have to pass through the tribulation of love. She understood this well—that sooner or later, she would have to let her emotions truly stir for some man.
Among the female disciples of her sect, many like her had long since found someone dear, sharing whispered intimacies. Yet she had never found a suitable candidate, and so she had always turned a cold shoulder to every senior and junior brother who pursued her.
It was not until the Great Ruins Realm that she encountered a man who could discuss the Grand Dao of Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation with her in a truly insightful manner. At the time, she had found him somewhat interesting, but had thought little more of it.
After returning to the Yin-Yang Grotto-heaven, she secluded herself in bitter cultivation, digesting the gains from the Great Ruins Realm. When she emerged from seclusion, she heard a great deal of news about Yang Kai.
Grateful for the life-saving grace he had shown her in the Great Ruins Realm, she strongly urged the sect to adopt a conciliatory strategy—to win Yang Kai over and bring him into the Yin-Yang Grotto-heaven as a matrilocal husband. Her status as a Core Disciple afforded her a measure of influence, and after much persuasion on all sides, the sect's upper echelons agreed. As the one who had proposed it, the task of recruiting Yang Kai naturally fell to her. Besides, she already knew him and had interacted with him before—no one else was more suited for the role.
Entering the Blood Demon Grotto-heaven, she had indeed encountered Yang Kai once more. Bearing the mission entrusted by her sect, and guided by the demands of her own Grand Dao, this reunion with Qu Huashang was far more proactive than any previous encounter.
She had weathered hardships alongside him, fled for their lives together, and witnessed firsthand his abilities and his spirit. Qu Huashang's admiration for him ran deep. Yet even through all their shared trials, their steadfast refusal to abandon one another, it was still only enough for Qu Huashang to recognize him as a man of great responsibility. A faint stirring of feeling occasionally surfaced in her heart, but she knew it was still far from the true emotional awakening she needed.
She had once asked herself—what exactly is love? She had never found an answer.
Yet in this very moment, when genuine mortal danger loomed and the light before her eyes was utterly swallowed by darkness, that figure descended from the sky without a shred of hesitation, planting itself before her like a towering mountain, blocking the raging storm that bore down upon her…
Qu Huashang felt as though a seed had taken root within her heart, breaking through the soil of her inner world. A strange sensation instantly spread through her entire body.
On the threshold between life and death, she broke into a smile. Her aura, which had grown slightly unsteady under the encroaching crisis, suddenly solidified in that instant, becoming firm beyond measure. Even the energy she radiated seemed to surge with newfound power.
BOOM…
The Star Spirit Turtle's tail crashed down, slamming into the colossal treetop. Earthy yellow and vibrant green light intermingled as the great tree stood immovable, bearing the enormous tail with sheer, unyielding force.
Every person present froze in shock.
Yang Kai himself was momentarily stunned. He looked up at the massive tree and its sprawling canopy behind him, and a question flashed through his mind—what was this?
In that instant just before, he had instinctively channeled the Wood-Attribute power within his Dao Seal. He had never imagined it would manifest as an enormous tree behind him.
Among the Five Elements, Wood overcomes Earth. The Star Spirit Turtle had unleashed a Seventh-Grade Earth-Attribute attack, while the Wood-Attribute power in Yang Kai's Dao Seal had been refined from the essence of the Tree of Eternal Youth—its grade was absolutely superior to the Star Spirit Turtle's. Add to that the elemental advantage of Wood overcoming Earth, and it was no great mystery that this terrifying blow had been blocked.
What Yang Kai couldn't figure out was what exactly he had just done—how, in this critical moment, he had comprehended a Wood-Attribute divine ability.
For years, he had been contemplating the power within his Dao Seal, hoping to comprehend a divine manifestation comparable to Golden Crow Forges the Sun. At the very least, he had hoped for a secret technique like the Dragon Shield.
The Wood-Attribute power, in particular, was the first Opening Heaven force he had ever refined, yet he had never managed to comprehend any divine ability from it, which had always left him somewhat disappointed.
Over the years, he had considered that perhaps the Wood-Attribute power refined from the Tree of Eternal Youth's essence was simply too high in grade, and that was why he had been unable to extract any technique from it.
He also knew that some things could not be forced. When the opportunity had not yet arrived, everything was mere fantasy; when the time came, it would happen naturally like water finding its path.
Yet he never expected that here, in this very place, a Wood-Attribute divine ability would manifest of its own accord!
Truly, between life and death there existed not only great terror, but also great fortune!
At that moment, his only thought had been to save Qu Huashang, with no room for any other distraction. The Wood-Attribute power within his Dao Seal had activated naturally, and the towering tree behind him had simply come into being.
This must be a defensive divine ability! Yang Kai realized this with sudden clarity, but he had no time to examine it closely. Sensing that the great tree could not withstand the Star Spirit Turtle's ferocious assault for much longer, he called out in a low voice: "Go! Now!"
Everyone snapped out of their daze. No one dared hesitate—they all rushed toward the entrance of the Blood Demon Divine Palace.
The Black Crow Divine Lord was already the first to charge inside, and the cultivators from the other sub-array node positions scrambled to follow, fighting to get in. The ones engaging the Star Spirit Turtle were the last ones still outside.