"Finally!"
Xie Zhaolin let out a sharp cry, not raising any defenses, instead spreading her arms wide and charging straight at the devastating thunderbolt!
At the same time, her figure smashed deep into the heart of the Bewitching Beast Yam Flower Sea.
"If I die, we die together! If I live, I'll rise on your corpse, reborn through the thunder!"
Crack—!
The first divine thunderbolt, crackling with destructive purple lightning, tore through the sky, carrying the overwhelming might of annihilation. It struck the panicked Bewitching Beast Yam, which had been desperately trying to concentrate all its power into a shield, and…
Xie Zhaolin herself, who threw herself forward to meet it head-on.
Boom—!
The blinding purple lightning instantly engulfed the center of the valley. It was as if the world had been reduced to a single color, a storm of destructive energy sweeping outward.
The ground trembled violently, the valley's hard rocks ripped apart as if paper, and a massive charred pit appeared on the surface.
"Wuuu—!"
The Bewitching Beast Yam screamed a piercing, agonized cry. Its enormous flower sea convulsed violently under the lightning, countless vibrant blossoms blackened and withered in an instant, thick vines and roots snapping one by one, bursting into purple flames.
The monster's carefully concentrated demonic shield was nothing but paper before the Xuziao Divine Thunder, shattering in less than a heartbeat. The terrifying force of the thunder poured directly into its core, ripping through its vitality.
This single strike inflicted unprecedented damage.
Its energy wilted instantly.
And Xie Zhaolin…
She bore the brunt of the thunder's absolute core.
The moment the lightning surged through her body, the world seemed to vanish, leaving only infinite pain and annihilation.
Her skin carbonized instantly, blood vaporized before it could flow, her meridians burned as if seared with molten iron, her internal organs shifted as if displaced, and her bones… she had no idea how many had shattered.
The purple lightning snakes invading her body didn't just destroy her flesh—they assaulted her sea of consciousness, attempting to obliterate her Primordial Soul.
"Ugh ah ah ah—!"
Pain! Unimaginable pain!
Even Xie Zhaolin couldn't suppress a hoarse roar. Blood seeped from every pore, instantly drenching her in red, yet her eyes blazed with an even fiercer light amid the agony.
She didn't resist the destructive force.
—Not that she could!
"This… this is it… destruction… pure destruction…"
Xie Zhaolin gritted her teeth, surrendering her body and mind to the storm, letting the violent thunder ravage her. At the same time, she frantically activated the core formula of the Xuanyin Foundation Technique. Not to gather strength, but to guide it!
To channel this destructive force to strike, to temper the source of baleful qi within her, already maxed out but never broken through.
"…Live through death…"
Her understanding of the essence of baleful qi became sharper. Baleful qi didn't resist destruction—it was reborn through it. Like a phoenix rising from ashes. The destructive force of Xuziao Divine Thunder was the perfect catalyst!
"Refine me…!"
She roared, pouring every ounce of will into it!
Sizzle… sizzle… sizzle…
The remaining baleful qi in her body didn't dissipate under the thunder—it condensed, becoming purer and sharper. The bottleneck holding her back trembled violently under the extreme pressure, tiny cracks forming.
It worked!
A flicker of joy crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a near-crazed ferocity. She knew full well—this was just the beginning!
The power of the thunder would only grow stronger with each strike. Yet her heart wasn't afraid—it brimmed with fury and… exhilaration!
She whipped her bloodshot eyes toward the trembling, broken Bewitching Beast Yam before her.
"Run!" Her voice was hoarse, but dripping with chilling mockery, "You were sucking my blood, weren't you?
Now I'm right in front of you," she spread her arms, a grotesque smile on her charred, blood-soaked face, "Come on! Where's your arrogance now?!"
Each word cut into the remaining consciousness of the Bewitching Beast Yam like a blade. The remaining blossoms quivered violently, emitting frantic, terrified hums. It dared not advance—it shrank backward with all its might.
This bloodied human, radiating madness and destruction, was scarier than any natural predator!
She wasn't fighting for life. She was… exacting revenge!
Dragging it with her to the underworld!
"Too scared now?" Xie Zhaolin sneered, eyes full of contempt. "Pathetic!
Since you won't come…" She licked the blood at her lips, her gaze turning murderous. "Then I'll… come to you!"
Without waiting, she forced herself forward, each step leaving a bloody mark, closing in on the fleeing Bewitching Beast Yam!
"You like my aura so much, don't you?" She pressed forward, frantically channeling her technique, actively spreading the faint, reborn essence merged with the Rebirth Flower.
To the Bewitching Beast Yam, it was the ultimate temptation. But now, it was like poison.
"Buzz! Buzz buzz!"
The Bewitching Beast Yam let out sharper, more panicked hums. It desired the aura, feared the insane human exuding it, and dreaded the second thunderbolt about to strike. It tried to flee, but its grievous injuries and the lock of the Heavens slowed it down.
Xie Zhaolin even detected a trace of regret in its hums. Seeing its cowardice, her bloodlust and thrill surged even higher.
"Don't run…" Her voice was ice-cold, "Good things… should be shared. Especially this… taste of the thunder!"
Boom—!
The thunderclouds above roared deafeningly.
"Come!" she laughed wildly, her voice cutting through the thunder, "Let the lightning strike even harder!
Today, either you turn to ashes," she glared at the Bewitching Beast Yam, "or I rise on your corpse to achieve Golden Core! There's no third option!"
Her mind held only one thought—revenge!
Drag this nearly-fatal monster into destruction with her…
Or… survive alone!
Boom—!
The heavens seemed to respond to her extreme provocation, roaring in even greater fury. The second bolt of divine thunder, thicker and deeper in purple hue, crashed down.
Its target: still the entangled pair below… Xie Zhaolin and the Bewitching Beast Yam.