Chapter 17 – The Choice 选择

With a lion's roar, True Man Changsheng, the leader of the sect, had spiritual energy surging around him like a turbulent tsunami. With a graceful wave of his sleeve, a long sword as clear and transparent as crystal instantly appeared in his palm. This was the renowned leader's magic weapon of the Longevity Sect, the "Hualin Sword". He crazily infused the majestic spiritual power into the sword. In an instant, the sword qi crisscrossed everywhere, and wherever it went, the void seemed as fragile as thin paper, being easily torn apart and giving off continuous tremors as it slashed fiercely towards Song Muqing.

The corners of Song Muqing's mouth curled up in a disdainful arc. She parted her red lips slightly and said disdainfully, "Is this the power of a Deity Transformation stage powerhouse? It's just so-so." After saying that, she stretched out a slender finger that was as delicate as a scallion. Seemingly casually, she gently blocked the sword strike, and surprisingly, she firmly caught the leader's earth-shattering sword attack. When her fingertip touched the sword blade, strangely enough, there was not the slightest ripple. It was as if her body was made of the hardest black iron, completely unaffected by this sharp sword qi.

Seeing this scene, the grand elder's face instantly darkened like the night sky before a storm. He suddenly formed hand seals with both hands and murmured words. In an instant, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth around him surged wildly, condensing into a huge green spiritual sphere in front of him. It held boundless might and the power, smashing fiercely at Song Muqing.

"With such a petty trick, you dare to show off in front of me?" Song Muqing laughed heartily. As she laughed, she casually waved her hand. The black demonic flames burst out around her like demons breaking free from their shackles, instantly devouring the astonishing spiritual energy storm completely, leaving not even a trace behind.

The leader of the Longevity Sect and the grand elder exchanged a glance, and determination showed in their eyes. They both exerted their strength simultaneously. The Hualin Sword in the leader's hand burst out with a dazzling sword light, and each ray of sword light seemed to contain the power to create the world, capable of tearing the sky apart with ease. The grand elder's Cangqing Staff also emitted a suffocatingly powerful spiritual energy fluctuation. For a moment, the two's combined the spiritual energy, as if the end of the world was coming.

Song Muqing felt a hint of unprecedented pressure. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she thought to herself, "It seems that these old orthodox fellows do have some real abilities. I can't underestimate them anymore. It's time to get serious." With this thought in mind, she gracefully turned her wrist, and a pitch-black whip exuding a strange aura suddenly appeared in her hand. This whip was called the "Demonic Flame Whip". It was refined by her with countless efforts, using thousands of resentful souls. Its power was so terrifying that even the spirits of magic treasures would shudder with fear.

She waved the Demonic Flame Whip, and in an instant, the black flames turned into countless ferocious and terrifying resentful souls, pouncing towards the two powerhouses of the Longevity Sect with open claws. The shrill cries of those resentful souls were ear-piercing, as if they could directly penetrate into the depths of people's souls. The orthodox disciples around them immediately felt their souls tremble and their minds sway. Even the circulation of their spiritual power became slow and sluggish, as if they were trapped in a thick quagmire.

Seeing this, the leader quickly whispered, "Steady your souls!" The disciples of the Longevity Sect were well-trained and immediately followed the order, chanting the sect's mysterious soul-steadying incantation in unison. With the blessing of the incantation, everyone managed to barely steady their minds. But at this critical moment, the elders of the Yintian Sword Sect and the Yiyuan Sect arrived in time, and the orthodox side finally got some relief.

True Man Baihe, the elder of the Yintian Sword Sect, stepped on the void as if an immortal had descended to the mortal world. His long sword unsheathed instantly, and the sword qi crisscrossed, sweeping away everything in its path. He let out an angry roar that resounded far and wide, "Demoness, today is your death day. Accept your fate!" Before the words were even finished, the sword light was like a rainbow, instantly turning into a sky full of sword shadows, like a dense rain of arrows, slashing frantically towards the pouncing resentful souls. In the blink of an eye, those resentful souls were slashed into countless fragments and dissipated between heaven and earth.

The Glazed Fairy of the Yiyuan Sect followed closely behind. She took graceful steps, gently twirled the golden talisman in her hand, and murmured words. In an instant, the talisman turned into a huge spiritual energy barrier, emitting a soft and powerful light, suppressing the disgusting demonic qi of the Demon Sect to some extent, as if it had provided a protection for the orthodox people.

"Hmph, a bunch of overconfident little minions dare to challenge me? With just you, you're not even enough to satisfy my appetite," Song Muqing sneered, her eyes full of disdain. She suddenly swept the Demonic Flame Whip in her hand, like a black bolt of lightning flashing across the night sky, directly shattering the sky full of sword shadows and the flickering talismans. The contempt on her face was undisguised, as if she was mocking the stupidity and ignorance of the orthodox people.

Just then, several elders of the Demon Sect hidden among the orthodox camp suddenly appeared simultaneously. They furtively used a special secret technique to activate an ancient formation. Using the souls of the dead orthodox disciples as the foundation, they forcefully set up the strange "Underworld Soul Lock Formation". The elders of the Yintian Sword Sect and the Yiyuan Sect were immediately trapped in it, as if they had fallen into an invisible cage and could no longer take a single step forward.

The leader of the Longevity Sect had eyes as sharp as torches. He stared intently at the surging demonic flames and the strange resentful soul formation around him. His face was solemn, and he whispered, "This battle today is probably even more dangerous than we imagined. Everyone must be careful!"

...

Lin Yuan hid in the shadows, not daring to breathe loudly. His heart was pounding like a rapid war drum, suddenly beating faster. He stared fixedly at the approaching figure, not even daring to blink.

Soon, Lin Yuan saw the person's face clearly. His expression relaxed slightly at first, and then he became nervous again. It was actually Lin Xuefei who walk in towards Lin Yuan.

"Senior Sister Lin? Why are you here?" Lin Yuan asked in a low voice, his voice carrying a hint of unhidden surprise and uncertainty.

Lin Xuefei stopped, crossed her arms, and looked down at Lin Yuan with a tone mixed with a bit of impatience, "I was about to ask you the same thing. Why are you here? The Treasure Pavilion is not a place where an outer sect junior disciple like you can come as you please."

Lin Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words. He could only awkwardly touch his nose and try to hide his embarrassment, "Uh... I was just curious and wanted to take a look. I really didn't do anything bad, I swear!"

Lin Xuefei didn't continue to ask. Instead, she shifted her gaze to the depths of the Treasure Pavilion, and a strange light flashed in her eyes. She said in a deep voice, "The Tianhen Golden Wheel, did it sense you? Don't play dumb with me."

Lin Yuan was taken aback and instinctively stepped back warily, "The Tianhen Golden Wheel? How do you know about this? What else do you know? Stop being mysterious."

Lin Xuefei sneered, "I know a lot more than you can imagine. I'll give you a word of advice. A treasure of this level is not something you can easily touch. Don't end up getting yourself in trouble without even knowing how it happened."

Lin Yuan stared steadily at Lin Xuefei, filled with doubts in his heart. He really couldn't figure out whether she was an enemy or a friend. The two of them looked at each other for a while. Suddenly, Lin Xuefei let out a sigh, and her tone was tinged with a bit of mockery, "You're really fearless because of your ignorance. You have no idea how much trouble you've gotten yourself into."

She raised her finger and pointed at her chest, saying softly, "I'm also in a dilemma. I don't know which side I should be on. But some things have reached a point of no return, and there's no time to hesitate."

Lin Xuefei suddenly took a step closer and lowered her voice, "Lin Yuan, listen. Don't get close to the Tianhen Golden Wheel. Now, come with me and leave this place immediately."

Lin Yuan frowned and looked reluctant, "But... I finally managed to get here. It's so frustrating to just leave like this."

Lin Xuefei suddenly covered his mouth, looked around warily and said, "Shut up. Listen to me if you want to live."

Lin Yuan stared into her eyes and found that there was a trace of barely noticeable struggle hidden in those cold eyes. He said softly, "Senior Sister Lin, which side are you really on? Don't deceive me."

Lin Xuefei didn't answer. After a while, she just clenched her fists and whispered, "I choose to protect you now."

=====================

掌门长生真人一声狮吼,浑身灵气如同汹涌的海啸,澎湃四溢.他衣袖潇洒一挥,一柄宛如水晶般澄澈透明的长剑,瞬间出现在他掌心之中.这便是长生派威震四方的掌门法宝[化霖剑].他将磅礴灵力疯狂注入剑中,刹那间,剑气纵横,所到之处,虚空仿佛脆弱的薄纸,被轻易撕开,发出阵阵颤鸣,直朝宋沐晴迅猛劈去.

宋沐晴嘴角勾起一抹轻蔑的弧度,轻启朱唇,不屑道:"这就是化神强者的力量?也不过如此嘛." 说罢,她伸出一根纤细如葱的手指,看似随意地轻轻一挡,竟神奇地将掌门那毁天灭地的一剑稳稳接住.指尖与剑刃相触,诡异的是,竟没有激起丝毫波澜,仿佛她的身体是由最坚硬的玄铁铸就,又似是来自另一个维度,完全不受这凌厉剑气的影响.

大长老见此情景,脸色瞬间阴沉得如同暴风雨来临前的夜空,他猛地双手结印,口中念念有词.刹那间,周围的天地灵气疯狂涌动,在他身前凝聚成一颗巨大的绿色灵球,其中蕴含着无尽的威势,裹挟着毁天灭地的力量,狠狠地朝着宋沐晴砸去.

"就这点小伎俩,也敢在本座面前班门弄斧?" 宋沐晴笑得前仰后合,一边笑一边抬手随意一挥,黑色的魔焰如同挣脱束缚的恶魔,在她周身轰然炸开,瞬间将那威力惊人的灵力风暴吞噬得干干净净,连一丝残渣都不剩.

长生掌门与大长老对视一眼,眼神中透露出决然,两人同时发力.掌门手中的化霖剑爆发出璀璨夺目的剑光,每一道剑光都仿佛蕴含着开天辟地的力量,能将苍穹轻易撕裂;大长老的苍青法杖也迸发出强大到令人窒息的灵力波动,一时间,虚空中的灵气被两人的合力搅得混乱不堪,仿佛世界末日即将来临.

宋沐晴感受到了一丝前所未有的压力,眉头微微一蹙,心中暗忖:"看来这些正道老家伙还真有点本事,不能再小瞧他们了,是时候认真起来了." 念及此处,她手腕优雅地一转,一把漆黑如墨,散发着诡异气息的长鞭骤然出现在她手中.这长鞭名为[魔焰鞭],乃是她耗费无数心血,炼化万千怨魂而成,其威力之恐怖,就连法宝之灵听闻,都要吓得瑟瑟发抖,避之不及.

她挥动魔焰鞭,刹那间,黑焰化作无数狰狞恐怖的怨魂,张牙舞爪地朝着两位长生派强者扑去.那些怨魂发出的惨叫声凄厉刺耳,仿佛能直接钻进人的灵魂深处,令周围的正道弟子们顿时感到灵魂震颤,心神摇曳,连法力的运转都变得迟缓滞涩起来,仿佛陷入了浓稠的泥潭.

掌门见状,急忙轻声低喝:"定魂!" 长生派的弟子们训练有素,立刻听从号令,齐声诵念派中神秘的定魂口诀.在口诀的加持下,众人勉强稳住了心神.但就在这千钧一发之际,音天剑派与一元宗的长老们及时赶到了现场,正道一方终于迎来了些许喘息的机会.

音天剑派的长老白鹤真人脚踏虚空,如同仙人临世,手中长剑瞬间出鞘,剑气纵横,横扫千军.他一声怒喝,声震四野:"妖女,今日就是你的死期,受死吧!" 话音未落,剑光如虹,瞬间化作漫天剑影,如同密集的雨点,朝着扑来的怨魂疯狂劈去,眨眼间就将那些怨魂劈成了无数碎片,消散于天地之间.

一元宗的琉璃仙子紧随其后,她莲步轻移,优雅地轻捻手中金色符箓,口中念念有词.刹那间,符文化作一张巨大的灵气结界,散发着柔和而强大的光芒,将魔教那令人作呕的邪气压制住了几分,仿佛给正道众人撑起了一把保护伞.

"哼,一群不自量力的小喽啰,也敢来挑战本姑娘?就凭你们,还不够给我塞牙缝的呢!" 宋沐晴冷笑一声,眼中满是不屑.她手中魔焰鞭猛地一扫,如同黑色的闪电划过夜空,直接将那漫天的剑影与闪烁的符文击得粉碎,脸上的轻蔑之意毫不掩饰,仿佛在嘲笑正道众人的愚蠢与无知.

就在这时,隐藏在正道阵营中的几名魔教长老突然齐齐现身,他们鬼鬼祟祟地用特殊秘术引动古老的阵法,以死去的正道弟子灵魂为基石,强行布下了诡异的[幽冥魂锁阵].音天剑派与一元宗的长老们顿时被困其中,如同陷入了无形的牢笼,再难向前踏出一步.

长生掌门目光如炬,紧紧盯着四周汹涌的魔焰与诡异的怨魂阵法,脸色凝重,低声喝道:"今日这一战,怕是比想象中还要凶险万分,大家务必小心!"

...

林远躲在一片阴影之中,大气都不敢出,心跳如同急促的战鼓,骤然加快.他死死地盯着那逐渐逼近的身影,眼睛都不敢眨一下.

很快,林远看清了来人的容貌.他的神色先是微微一松,随即又紧张起来,来的人竟然是林雪霏.

"林师姐?你怎么会在这儿?" 林远低声问道,声音中带着一丝难以掩饰的惊讶与不确定.

林雪霏停下脚步,双手抱胸,居高临下地看着林远,语气中夹杂着些许不耐烦:"我还想问你呢,你为什么会出现在这里?藏宝阁可不是你这种外门小弟子能随便来的地方."

林远一时语塞,只能尴尬地低头摸了摸鼻子,试图掩饰自己的窘迫:"呃... 我就是好奇心作祟,想进来看看,真没做什么坏事,我发誓!"

林雪霏却没有继续追问,而是将目光移向藏宝阁深处,眼中闪过一丝异样的光芒.她沉声道:"天痕金轮,是不是感应到你了?你可别跟我装傻."

林远一愣,下意识地警惕地退了一步:"天痕金轮?你怎么知道这个?你到底还知道些什么?快别卖关子了."

林雪霏冷笑一声:"我知道的,可比你想象得多得多.我劝你一句,这种级别的宝贝,不是你能轻易触碰的,别到时候把自己搭进去了,还不知道是怎么回事."

林远定定地看着林雪霏,心中充满了疑惑,他实在不明白她到底是敌是友.两人对视了一会儿,林雪霏突然叹了口气,语气带着一丝嘲讽:"你还真是无知者无畏啊,根本不知道自己惹了多大的麻烦."

她抬手指了指自己的心口,轻声道:"我也很纠结,不知道自己该站在哪一边.但有些事情,已经到了不得不做的时候,没时间再犹豫了."

林雪霏忽然走近一步,压低声音道:"林远,听着,别靠近天痕金轮.现在,马上跟我离开这里."

林远皱眉,一脸不情愿:"可是... 我好不容易才找到这里,就这么走了,多不甘心啊."

林雪霏猛然伸手捂住他的嘴,目光警觉地看向四周:"别废话,想活命就听我的."

林远盯着她的眼睛,发现那双冷漠的眼眸中,竟藏着一丝不易察觉的挣扎.他轻声道:"林师姐,你到底站在哪一边?你可别坑我啊."

林雪霏没有回答,只是握紧了拳头,低声道:"现在,我选择保护你."