Chapter 126: Sealing
In the next moment everyone moved at once, horror and rage flashing across their faces as spiritual energy burst outward from every direction.
Several disciples rushed toward Bai Xue immediately while others raised their weapons toward Xiaoshan without even realizing it.
But just as the killing intent around them reached its peak, the hand gripping the halberd suddenly trembled violently.
Xiaoshan’s body jerked once before slumping forward slightly, and then a terrifying pressure erupted outward from him hard enough to shake the entire shattered platform.
The nearby rubble cracked apart again as dust rose heavily into the air while several disciples were forced backward by the impact.
For a brief moment everyone’s expression changed because they all thought the demon had grown even stronger.
Then a horrifying scream tore out from Xiaoshan’s mouth. "No... what are you doing you bitch?! Stop this... NO!"
The voice sounded distorted and unstable as if two different souls were tearing against each other inside the same body.
Xiaoshan’s muscles bulged violently while veins spread across his neck and arms, his entire frame shaking as cracking sounds echoed continuously from inside him.
The halberd lodged through Bai Xue’s stomach slowly began rising upward.
Blood dripped steadily down the black blade before splashing across the shattered ground beneath her body.
Bai Xue’s face turned even paler as blood continued flowing from the wound while her breathing had already halted.
At the same time dark smoke suddenly erupted from Xiaoshan’s chest.
A small, distorted wisp flickered into existence above him, its face twisted with fury and disbelief as it struggled wildly against an invisible force dragging it downward.
"You lowly bastard... do you even understand what you are sealing?! Release me immediately!"
The soul fragment screamed and cursed endlessly while trying to escape outward, but the halberd suddenly released a deep humming sound that caused the surrounding space to distort faintly.
In the next instant the wisp was violently dragged into the weapon and the screaming abruptly stopped.
Then Xiaoshan’s aura exploded completely.
A dense wave of spiritual pressure descended across the battlefield as his cultivation surged upward at a terrifying speed.
The surrounding air twisted violently while nearby disciples felt their chests tighten under the pressure erupting from his body.
Tenth Level Core Formation.
Peak Core Formation.
Then the bottleneck shattered completely.
Golden Core Stage One.
Stage Three.
Stage Five.
Stage Seven.
Only then did the aura finally stabilize.
Yet the pressure radiating from Xiaoshan did not feel like an ordinary Golden Core cultivator at all.
His mere presence forced cracks across the ground while weaker disciples struggled to even remain standing beneath the weight pressing against their bodies.
His entire figure resembled an ancient war god standing amidst blood and ruins but instead of awe, the only thing present on everyone’s faces was confusion and fear.
Xiaoshan slowly descended back onto the shattered platform before immediately turning toward Bai Xue again.
The halberd slipped from his fingers and crashed heavily beside him as the pressure around the area weakened slightly.
Then a trembling voice suddenly rang out. "Junior Sister Bai... please... you still have not defeated me yet..."
Hearing those familiar words, several disciples froze completely.
Their expressions became even more conflicted because they could already tell Xiaoshan had regained control over himself.
No demonic aura remained within his eyes anymore, only exhaustion, guilt, and panic as he looked toward Bai Xue’s body.
But before he could even kneel beside her properly, Tianhe suddenly stepped forward and slapped his hand away from Bai Xue’s cheek.
The sharp sound echoed heavily across the silent battlefield.
Tianhe stood directly in front of Bai Xue now, his chest rising unevenly while anger and conflict mixed visibly within his eyes.
His fists remained clenched so tightly that blood slowly dripped from his palms. "Do not touch Junior Sister."
His voice remained low and controlled, yet everyone could hear the restrained fury hidden underneath it.
Xiaoshan froze completely after hearing those words for once he did not argue loudly or become emotional immediately like usual.
He simply lowered his head slightly while staring toward Bai Xue’s blood-covered body, his expression twisting with guilt as several words reached his throat before stopping there.
I... I killed her myself.
Seeing the atmosphere becoming heavier, Yan Feng finally stepped forward while wiping the blood from one of his swords calmly.
"Do not act like this Tianhe," he said quietly while looking toward him directly. "We all saw what happened here ourselves. Junior Brother Xiaoshan was already resisting that thing from the beginning."
Tianhe did not move at all after hearing him.
Yan Feng continued speaking after a brief silence. "If any of us were possessed under that situation, then the result would not have changed much."
Hearing this, Tianhe’s expression darkened further. "Then I would rather die before hurting someone from our sect."
The surrounding disciples immediately became quieter after hearing those words.
Yan Feng frowned slightly before replying again, his tone harder than before.
"Do not speak to your senior brother like this. If Xiaoshan could have stopped himself completely, then he would have done everything possible to control it."
"And yet Junior Sister still ended up like this." Tianhe’s answer came immediately.
Those words struck heavily against everyone present.
Several disciples lowered their heads instinctively while others looked toward Bai Xue’s wound again, their expressions becoming visibly shaken.
The earlier relief they felt after Xiaoshan regained control slowly began splitting apart under the weight of what had happened.
Miao Han noticed the atmosphere changing immediately and stepped between both sides before the situation worsened further.
"Enough," he said firmly while glancing toward Bai Xue’s weakening condition. "Arguing right now will not revive junior sister"
But even then, the tension did not disappear.
The disciples had already unconsciously separated into two sides while conflicted whispers quietly spread through the battlefield.
Some looked toward Xiaoshan with sympathy because they knew he had fought against the possession until the very end.
Others could still not erase the image of Bai Xue being pierced through the stomach while trying to protect Lin Xiao Tian.
As the debate gradually intensified again, Xiaoshan remained kneeling silently beside them while tears slowly ran down his face.
The sight looked strangely unnatural against his massive blood-covered frame and the monstrous pressure still leaking faintly from his body.
After several moments he slowly reached toward Bai Xue again, his trembling hand stopping near her shoulder carefully as if afraid touching her would break something.
But before his fingers could reach her, Tianhe stepped forward once again and knocked his hand away.
The next instant a voice suddenly rang out from Lin Xiao Tian. "Enough! All of you quiet down already!"
His roar exploded across the shattered battlefield hard enough to completely silence the arguing disciples.
Several people froze instantly after hearing it because it was the first time Lin Xiao Tian had ever truly lost control in front of them.
The anger within his voice was real but hidden beneath that anger was a pain heavy enough to break many people completely.
His eyes swept across the disciples one after another while his fists slowly tightened beneath his sleeves.
Bai Xue’s blood still stained his hands even now, and the sight of her pale face kept replaying endlessly inside his mind.
If I reacted faster... if I noticed earlier...
The thoughts continued tearing through him repeatedly, yet Lin Xiao Tian forcefully suppressed everything.
Because he knew very clearly that if even, he broke apart right now, then the disciples who barely managed to hold themselves together would completely lose their composure.
The sect had already been pushed to its limits during this battle, and the only thing still keeping everyone standing was the belief that their master remained calm.
