“Lin Miaomiao!”
Xie Lin could bear it no longer. “Now is not the time to be shipping a CP!”
The moment the words left his mouth, he instantly regretted them.
Modern slang just slipped right out!
Sure enough, Lin Miaomiao and Xiao Jin both turned to look at him.
“Ahem… I mean, with a formidable enemy right before us…”
Xie Lin forced a calm composure, attempting to salvage the situation.
Instead, Lin Miaomiao clapped her hands in excitement. “‘Shipping a CP’? What a fascinating phrase!”
“As expected of Senior Brother Xie, you and Senior Brother are truly of one mind—even the way you speak is this well-matched!”
Xie Lin: “…”
He chose to shut his mouth.
A trace of a smile flickered across Xiao Jin’s eyes as he instructed Lin Miaomiao, “Take the disciples and go support the eastern barrier first. I’m going to see the Sect Master.”
Lin Miaomiao acknowledged the order and departed, flashing a wink at Xie Lin and mouthing the words “Jiayou” (You can do it) just before leaving.
Veins throbbed at Xie Lin’s temples.
“Let’s go.”
Xiao Jin turned around, and Xie Lin hurried to follow as the two sped along their path.
The closer they drew to the core of the guardian mountain array, the clearer the sounds of slaughter became.
Xie Lin spotted a few Xuantian Sect disciples locked in a fierce battle with figures dressed in black those men all had blood-red lotuses embroidered across their chests.
The hallmark emblem of the Netherworld Palace!
“Stay close to me,” Xiao Jin muttered in a low voice, instantly leaping straight into the fray of battle.
Clutching the Frost Flower Sword tightly and preparing to follow, Xie Lin abruptly caught the sound of a sharp whistle cutting through the air—
“Watch out!”
Instinctively twisting his body to the side, Xie Lin watched as a venom-coated hidden arrow grazed right past his cheek.
Turning his head, he saw a Netherworld Palace assassin standing atop a rooftop, crossbow aimed squarely at Xiao Jin’s undefended back!
Without a second thought, Xie Lin flung the Frost Flower Sword from his grasp—
Clang!
Like a streak of flowing light, the long sword pierced clean through the assassin’s throat as blood splattered across the moonlight. Even Xie Lin himself was stunned—
Since when could he use sword flight?!
[System Notification: Heart-Linked Pact triggers skill sharing; temporary access to a portion of Xiao Jin’s abilities is currently enabled.]
Xie Lin: “…”
This cheat came online a bit too abruptly!
Glancing back briefly, Xiao Jin curved the corners of his lips upward. “Nice swordsmanship.”
Xie Lin forced a steady demeanor. “Standard operation.”
Walking over to retrieve his sword, he discovered that the Frost Flower Sword was embedded immovably into the wall, completely unresponsive.
Xie Lin: ” ?”
Throwing more force into it, the sword still refused to budge.
Stepping over, Xiao Jin gave it a light tug—
The sword slipped out into his hand effortlessly.
Xie Lin: “…”
Does this wretched sword actually play favorites with its owner?!
Handing the sword back, Xiao Jin said, “Frost Flower possesses spiritual awareness. It’s completely normal to feel unaccustomed to it the first time.”
Accepting it with a darkened expression, Xie Lin inwardly figured that this sword was definitely mocking him!
Pressing onward, the two cleared out a few more waves of Netherworld Palace personnel along the route.
Xie Lin discovered that the Heart-Linked Pact not only shared the sensation of pain but also allowed him to vaguely perceive Xiao Jin’s combat intent, enabling an unexpectedly seamless cooperation between them.
“The core of the grand array is right ahead.”
Halting abruptly, Xiao Jin warned, “It’s an ambush.”
Narrowing his eyes in concentration, Xie Lin beheld a stone platform suspended midair, encircled entirely by rune-inscribed chains.
Dozens of figures in black stood at the base of the platform, spearheaded unmistakably by—
“The Right Envoy of the Netherworld Palace?” Xie Lin narrowed his eyes.
Draped in purple robes with a delicate, gentle visage, gently swaying a folding fan in his grip, the figure was none other in the original novel than the confidant of Xie Lin’s sworn elder brother, the Right Envoy of the Netherworld Palace.
Xie Qingyu!
“Oh my, oh my, isn’t this our dear little Young Master?”
Clutching his mouth in feigned astonishment upon catching sight of Xie Lin, Xie Qingyu teased, “I heard you defected to the Xuantian Sect, but I honestly couldn’t bring myself to believe it~”
Snorting coldly, Xie Lin countered, “Cut the crap, where is Xie Wuchend?”
Twirling his folding fan, Xie Qingyu’s gaze drifted instead toward Xiao Jin. “Senior Brother Xiao is truly merciless, hooking away our Young Master’s very soul~”
Xie Lin: “…”
With an expressionless face, Xiao Jin stated, “Break the array.”
Just two simple words, yet Xie Lin understood his intent instantly.
Xie Qingyu was buying time!
The two struck out simultaneously!
With a light chuckle, Xie Qingyu flicked his folding fan, sending dozens of silver needles shooting forth in a dazzling flurry.
Parrying the barrage with his sword, Xie Lin watched as those silver needles abruptly altered their trajectory mid-air, locking straight onto Xiao Jin’s unguarded back!
“Look out, the needles are poisoned!” Xie Lin shouted at the top of his lungs.
Without turning his head, Xiao Jin manipulated hand seals with his left hand as an ice wall materialized out of thin air, catching the entire volleys of silver needles squarely in the frost.
Seizing the opening, Xie Lin lunged forward with the Frost Flower Sword thrusting straight for Xie Qingyu’s throat!
“My, aren’t we fierce today, Young Master~”
Retreating gracefully, Xie Qingyu caused a length of heavy chain to burst suddenly from his sleeve, whipping toward Xie Lin’s wrist.
Just as Xie Lin moved to dodge, his body stiffened abruptly.
A sharp, piercing pain surged through the Heart-Linked Pact; Xiao Jin had sustained an injury over on his side!
That brief split second of distraction allowed the chain to wrap tightly around his arm. Pulling hard with a sharp yank, Xie Qingyu sent Xie Lin stumbling forward before clamping a hand around his throat!
“Let him go.”
Xiao Jin’s voice dropped to a glacial chill.
Chuckling softly, Xie Qingyu replied, “Don’t be in such a rush, Senior Brother Xiao~”
Leaning in close to Xie Lin’s ear, he breathed softly like orchid fragrance, “Does the Young Master happen to know why the Heart-Shattering Lotus on your body suddenly flared up?”
Xie Lin’s pupils shrank.
The Heart-Shattering Lotus was flaring up?
Why hadn’t he felt a thing?
Tracing a fingertip lightly across Xie Lin’s chest, Xie Qingyu whispered, “Because… Xiao Jin’s blood makes the finest nourishment for the Heart-Shattering Lotus~”
A memory flashed violently across Xie Lin’s mind of Xiao Jin plunging into the lotus sea at the Edge of Broken Soul—
Could it be that back then…
“Shut your mouth!”
A sudden, sharp bark escaped Xiao Jin as the Frost Flower Sword erupted in blinding, freezing radiance.
Yet Xie Qingyu’s smile only grew more delighted. “What has Senior Brother Xiao so flustered? Afraid the Young Master will find out you intentionally jumped down just to feed the lotuses?”
A massive shock rippled through Xie Lin’s chest as he pivoted to stare at Xiao Jin.
A flash of panic surfaced in Xiao Jin’s eyes, though it vanished instantly into calm composure. “He’s just trying to sow discord.”
Clicking his tongue in mock pity, Xie Qingyu countered, “Our Young Master is pure-hearted, Senior Brother Xiao mustn’t lie to him~”
Lowering his voice conspiratorially, he murmured, “Xie Lin, do you truly think Xiao Jin treats you this well out of the goodness of his heart? He only wants to…”
Before he could finish, a slash of sword light descended!
Shoving Xie Lin aside in haste, Xie Qingyu narrowly avoided the blow, though the sword aura ripped his sleeve wide open to expose a gruesome Heart-Shattering Lotus seal branded across his forearm—
The lotus was already black and rotting, looking several times worse than Xie Lin’s!
“You’ve been infected with the Heart-Shattering Lotus too?” Xie Lin gasped in shock.
Color draining completely from his face, Xie Qingyu whipped his sleeve violently. “Nosey busybody!”
As black mist exploded outward, his figure dissolved instantly into thin air, leaving behind only a trail of silver-bell-like laughter: “Young Master, the game has only just begun~”
Attempting to give chase, Xie Lin was intercepted by Xiao Jin. “Repair the array first.”
Fixing his gaze on him, Xie Lin demanded, “Is what he said true?”
Silence hung for a moment before Xiao Jin admitted, “Partially.”
“Which part?”
Directing his gaze toward the stone platform, Xiao Jin replied, “My blood does nourish the Heart-Shattering Lotus.”
“But not in the way he described.”
Before Xie Lin could press further, the ground beneath them began to vibrate violently!
“Oh no, the grand array is collapsing!”
Reaching out to grab him, Xiao Jin urged, “Get up here!”
Leaping onto the stone platform, the two discovered that fractures had already spiderwebbed across the array core at the center, bleeding spiritual energy away at a frantic pace.
“We need to infuse both Yin and Yang spiritual forces simultaneously.”
Xiao Jin explained rapidly, “I anchor the Yang, you anchor the Yin.”
Nodding in agreement, Xie Lin pressed his hand against the array core alongside Xiao Jin’s.
The exact instant their spiritual energy output connected, a sudden cataclysmic shift occurred.
The array core began draining away their energy like a breached dam!
“What’s happening?!” Xie Lin felt his spiritual power bleeding out in a torrential flood.
Graveness etched deep across Xiao Jin’s features. “Someone tampered with the formation… This is a Soul-Devouring Array!”
Realization dawned on Xie Lin with brutal clarity.
It was a trap!