"Xuanyin Baleful Shield!"
A black shield forged entirely from condensed baleful qi appeared in front of Xie Zhaolin in an instant!
Clang!
The golden-backed wolf's claw slammed against the shield, producing an ear-splitting sound!
The baleful shield trembled violently, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface, but it didn't shatter.
The overwhelming force made her blood surge chaotically, yet she didn't retreat a single step.
At the same time, she flicked her wrist, and a streak of condensed baleful qi, cold enough to freeze the soul, slashed toward a vine that lashed at her from the side!
Ssst!
The vine was severed cleanly, the cut instantly frozen by the baleful qi.
Now caught between the two beasts' assault, Xie Zhaolin found herself under a deadly pincer attack—but her eyes only grew brighter. Under this extreme pressure, every nerve in her body and every trace of divine sense were pushed to their limits.
She could sense every subtle fluctuation in her baleful qi, down to the finest ripple.
She felt it, that elusive answer drawing closer with each heartbeat.
But the good fortune didn't last.
After all, both the golden-backed wolf and the Bewitching Beast Yam were highly intelligent creatures.
At first, her sudden, audacious provocation enraged them, making both beasts unleash most of their fury on her. But as the fight dragged on, they gradually realized something was wrong.
This human cultivator, while strong, fought in a completely different way than either of them. More importantly, she wasn't focused on one opponent—she attacked them both!
And worse, her movement was unpredictable, subtly guiding their attacks to collide with each other!
"Roar!"
The golden-backed wolf reacted first, its crimson eyes flashing with fury at being toyed with. It swiped away several entangling vines, then let out a deep growl toward the Bewitching Beast Yam, carrying a clear and chilling intent.
The flower sea trembled slightly, as if it had received some kind of signal. The countless eye-like patterns on its petals turned again toward Xie Zhaolin—but this time, instead of pure greed, a cold, vengeful killing intent filled their depths.
The two beasts that had been locked in a fight to the death suddenly shared a silent understanding.
Almost at the same moment, they shifted their focus toward a single target—her!
The golden-backed wolf stopped trying to rip through the flower field, channeling all its raging Geng Metal energy straight at Xie Zhaolin, cutting off every escape route.
The Bewitching Beast Yam no longer tangled with the wolf either. Countless vines and roots spread like a massive net from all directions, closing in on her. At the same time, waves of terrifying soul energy began hammering directly against her Primordial Soul.
The pressure doubled in an instant.
She felt her entire body tighten as if she'd sunk into a swamp, her movements becoming sluggish and heavy. Even her divine sense wavered, dizziness flooding her mind.
"Not good! They've figured it out!" You You's voice echoed from within the jade slip, filled with despair. "Master! You've got to get out of there!"
Her words were desperate, but as an ancient being who had lived countless years, she knew better than anyone how hopeless the situation was. Against two Golden Core beasts joining forces, a mere Foundation cultivator escaping alive was nothing more than a fantasy.
A cold, suffocating despair washed over her fragmentary soul.
The master-servant contract—when the master dies, the servant perishes too!
Was this really how it would end? After finally clawing her way back to existence with just a sliver of soul, after meeting a master blessed with the Rebirth Flower and such incredible fortune—was she about to die again, powerless and humiliated?
Was even this last spark of rebirth going to be snuffed out completely?
No! She refused!
Driven by sheer terror and the will to live, You You's remnant soul began spinning wildly, grasping for any possible solution, no matter how impossible it seemed.
"The master-servant contract is absolute. If Master's Primordial Soul collapses, I'll vanish with her. But… if her body is destroyed while her soul remains, even if it's on the verge of disintegration…"
A dangerous, almost suicidal thought flickered through her mind.
"Maybe… I could burn what little essence soul power I have left and, in that fleeting instant before the contract fully activates, tear open a gap, sever a fragment of my true spirit imprint, and hide it deep inside the You Ming Bracelet?
If I did that… I'd fall into a near-eternal sleep, my memories fragmented, but at least… there'd be a faint chance of revival someday."
The idea made her entire soul tremble.
It was the ultimate gamble—a bet on a one-in-a-billion chance!
Even if it worked, she'd lose everything she was, reduced to a mere flicker of instinct buried in the void. Another thought surfaced—should she use what little soul power she had left to help Xie Zhaolin now?
She still possessed a few trump cards, remnants of her peak power. Maybe she could interfere with the two beasts just long enough for Xie Zhaolin to catch her breath.
But…
She looked at the figure standing in that chaotic storm of destruction, blood-stained and battered, yet still burning with defiance. She knew that this was Xie Zhaolin's path—to seek breakthrough through desperation.
Interfering now might save her for a moment, but it could also shatter the fragile enlightenment she was chasing, crushing her chance to form a Golden Core.
And deep down, You You couldn't deny the harsh truth she knew too well.
The Xuanyin Foundation Technique was brutally difficult to cultivate. Every step was a brush with death.
That Xie Zhaolin had already pushed her baleful qi so far within the Foundation stage was nothing short of monstrous talent. But the Golden Core bottleneck was a different beast altogether—it marked the transformation from mortal to transcendent.
Throughout history, countless prodigies had fallen at this very step.
No matter how gifted she was, could Xie Zhaolin really break through here and now, cornered between two Golden Core beasts?
The odds were painfully slim.
Should she gamble on her master's breakthrough, or gamble on her own survival?
You You's soul wavered violently, torn by the impossible choice.
Meanwhile, Xie Zhaolin had no idea what was going through You You's mind. She had just narrowly dodged an attack that grazed her face, only for another vine to slice across her arm, cutting deep to the bone. Blood gushed out in a crimson spray.
The searing pain and the looming sense of death crashed over her like icy water. Yet her eyes blazed even brighter, burning with a fierce, unyielding madness.
"Teaming up? Perfect."
Instead of panic, a cold laugh echoed in her heart.
Only under extreme pressure could true potential be drawn out. She abandoned all evasive maneuvers and defensive techniques, pouring every ounce of focus and strength into feeling and controlling the baleful qi within her.
"Let's see what you really are!"
As she faced the incoming storm of death, she pushed her Xuanyin baleful qi to its absolute limit.
Black flames erupted from her body, roaring skyward.
A cold, deathly, yet all-consuming aura surged forth, carrying the will to destroy everything in existence.