Chapter Seventeen: Against the Light

The magic array was destroyed. The four—Ye Dong and his companions—closed in, forming a protective circle around Nian Xue. Tears brimmed in Ye Dong's eyes as he shouted, "Nian Xue, the five of us—our lives are as one!"

Nian Xue wept as though her tears would never end. "Fools! Are you all mad? Run! Let me hold her off! If you stay, you'll die here!"

Liang Lingzhi chuckled, "But we can’t just stand by and watch you die for us!"

Nian Xue struck him weakly on the back. "Idiots! You’re not even listening to me anymore?" Her blow was feeble, her body giving way—she nearly collapsed to the ground.

A harsh, manic laughter erupted from the serpent-woman’s apparition, hovering in the low sky. "It’s rare for me to emerge, how could I return in defeat? Everyone here must die!"

She swept her arm wide. "Serpent scourge, lawless destruction! I’ll devour your flesh to strengthen my body! I’ll consume your souls to complete my power! Hahahaha!"

Ye Dong forced a gush of blood from his mouth, spiritual talismans dancing between his fingers. "Infernal flames, banish demons! Samadhi fire, annihilate all evil! Thunder within, hidden wrath of the thunder god—by urgent decree, manifest!"

A faint spark of Samadhi True Fire shot from his fingertips, hurtling toward the miasma unleashed by the serpent-woman.

She was momentarily startled, then barked with derisive laughter. "You dare call that Samadhi True Fire? Ha! Has Daoism fallen so far it’s left to rubbish like you to defend its honor?"

Indeed, compared to Nian Xue’s fire dragon, Ye Dong’s meager flames were hardly worth mention—almost negligible.

Liang Lingzhi, Mu Xiaobao, and An Dachun each forced out their own blood, letting it drip onto Ye Dong’s hand. "Brother! We’re counting on you!"

With their blood, his Samadhi True Fire blazed higher, but under the pressure of the demon wind, its strength was quickly suppressed.

Officer Li, witnessing the struggle, instantly called out, "Load those blood-stained bullets—fire! Even if it costs us our lives, we protect them!"

The serpent-woman’s laughter was a chilling specter. "You think your puny tricks can harm me? You wish to save them? Then I shall make them die before your very eyes!"

Nian Xue, frantic and furious, cried, "Now! Go! Get out of here!"

The serpent tail crashed down with a thunderous force, sending a wave of dizziness crawling along the ground. Ye Dong and the others were knocked flat; Liang Lingzhi, most unfortunate, was rendered unconscious outright.

The serpent-woman’s eyes rolled back, revealing a chilling white. "If your bond is so deep, then let the girl die by your own hands! Think of it as fate!"

Except for the unconscious Liang Lingzhi, Ye Dong, Mu Xiaobao, and An Dachun suddenly shuddered. Their eyes bulged lifelessly; like puppets, they drew their daggers and advanced toward the barely breathing Nian Xue.

"What’s happening?!" Ye Dong fought to steady his steps, but his body refused his will; the knife’s tip aimed directly at Nian Xue.

She realized at once they had been bewitched, and through tears screamed, "You vile creature! You’ll be destroyed for this! Just wait, your end will come!"

"Our bodies are under her control!?" Xiaobao’s face was a mask of terror. "She wants us to kill Nian Xue ourselves!?"

Dachun cursed, "No! No! Damn you, filthy snake—damn you to hell!"

The serpent-woman’s laughter was cold and cruel. "I love nothing more than to watch you slaughter each other, to see your faces twisted by agony and conflict! Kill her! Kill her!"

Liang Lingzhi groggily regained consciousness, and seeing the three tearfully approaching Nian Xue, he was so frightened he nearly lost his breath. "What are you doing?!"

Ye Dong sobbed, "Idiot! Stop us! That wretched snake is making us do this!"

The knife tips were almost upon Nian Xue.

Grievously wounded, Nian Xue was powerless. Through blurred tears she saw the torment etched on their faces, and smiled bitterly, shaking her head. "I don’t blame you. It was my fault for dragging you into this."

With those words, she closed her eyes, her lips curved in a gentle smile.

The three wept aloud, "No!"

As their blades were about to pierce Nian Xue, Liang Lingzhi, without hesitation, threw himself around her.

The sound of knives stabbing flesh—a sickening trio of thrusts—rang out as all three blades buried themselves in Liang Lingzhi’s back.

He cried out in agony, clutching Nian Xue even more tightly.

She trembled, stunned to see Liang Lingzhi shielding her with his own flesh. "Idiot! Are you really such a fool? Why would you do this? You’ll die!"

He rolled his eyes and managed a dazed, broken smile. "You saved my life once. I—"

Before he could finish, blood poured from his lips, and he passed out.

Nian Xue, beside herself with grief, clutched his lifeless body. "Idiot! Don’t die, you idiot!"

The others screamed his name. "Don’t die, idiot! We killed him! We killed him!"

The serpent-woman’s sinister laughter echoed. "How amusing! How interesting!"

Ye Dong’s eyes nearly burst from his skull, his mind fraying at the edges. "You damned snake! Even if we die, we’ll hunt you down for this!"

She only laughed harder. "I hope you do!"

With a casual flick of her hand, their bodies were seized again, about to wrench the knives from Liang Lingzhi’s flesh.

Ye Dong bit down so hard his mouth filled with blood. Suddenly, he bit through his tongue, spitting a thick gout of blood as he chanted, "Clarity of wisdom, peace of mind! May my three souls endure, my spirit never falter—by urgent decree, manifest!"

He had bitten through his own tongue, using his blood to empower the spell of mental clarity!

The serpent-woman was taken aback. "How can he break my spell with such meager cultivation?"

Regaining control, Ye Dong immediately used his bloodied fingers to strike Xiaobao and Dachun on the forehead. "Awaken!"

With a jolt, both regained their senses and control of their bodies.

Ye Dong drew a fistful of talismans, his eyes sharp as thunderbolts, chanting, "Infernal flames, banish demons! Samadhi fire, annihilate all evil! Thunder within, hidden wrath of the thunder god—by urgent decree, manifest!" As the words left his lips, blood spilled forth, drenching the talismans.

A thunderous roar shook the air—a tidal wave of flames surged toward the serpent-woman’s manifestation.

Her magical eyes widened in alarm. "How can this boy wield so much fire?" She clasped her claws together. "Darkness without end, shadow veils my will. Serpent’s domain, heavenless, I alone reign—Serpent Sovereign, gather your power to me!"

A thick, foul black smoke shot from her palms, colliding with Ye Dong’s Samadhi True Fire in a violent clash.

Xiao Yang watched in awe. "Since when did Ye Dong master such profound Daoist arts?"

Officer Li could only stare, dumbstruck. "Incredible!"

Nian Xue’s eyes shone with hope, and she laughed through her tears. "Using your organs as crucible, your heart as furnace—walk the righteous path, punish evil, save the suffering, bring virtue to the world! Ye Dong, you truly are the chosen one! Burn her with your blood!"

Xiaobao, cradling Liang Lingzhi, wept and raged. "Ye Dong, burn that accursed snake to death! For him—burn her, idiot! Idiot!"

Dachun’s cry was equally heartbroken. "Burn her! Avenge him!"

Their words only deepened Ye Dong’s sorrow. With a mighty roar, he sprayed more blood onto the Samadhi True Fire, pouring himself into the flames.

The fire, already fierce, became unstoppable, splitting into three torrents that surged toward the serpent-woman from all sides.

A scream of agony erupted from the sky.

Nian Xue, clutching Liang Lingzhi, cried, "Ye Dong avenged you! He did it!"

The serpent-woman’s shrieks filled the mountains, sending every creature fleeing in terror, their voices echoing through the slopes.

Officer Li and the others wept with joy. "We’ve done it! The fiend is burning!"

Suddenly, the flames and smoke converged, then dissipated in a shockwave that blasted the forest, snuffing out many of the giant torches.

Nian Xue gasped, "Ye Dong, be careful! She’s not dead yet!"

Ye Dong staggered back three steps, his face ashen. "What now? What else can I do?"

Nian Xue saw the change in his complexion—bloodless, his brow shadowed with black. Her heart sank. "This is bad. Ye Dong’s spirit was wounded in that last battle. If he fights on, even if he survives, he’ll be ruined!"

Above, the serpent-woman reappeared. Charred snakeskin fell away from her, revealing newer, shinier scales beneath. She laughed coldly. "That fire was strong, but you can only use it once, can’t you? I, on the other hand, can shed my skin as many times as I like!"

Ye Dong coughed up blood, pounding the ground with his fist. "Damn it! Damn it!"

The serpent-woman’s laughter was merciless. Suddenly, she screeched, "Die!"

A demonic wind swept forth. Ye Dong knew—if it struck, their deaths were certain.

He turned and embraced his friends tightly. "Forgive me, brothers. I did all I could. The five of us are one. Knowing you all has been my honor."

Dachun, Xiaobao, and Nian Xue, tears streaming, gathered Liang Lingzhi at their center. The four embraced, smiling bravely as they closed their eyes.

At that moment of impending doom, a thunderous peal split the sky above!

"Heaven and earth without limit, I borrow the power of the cosmos! One scroll of divine light brings form from emptiness—by the Golden Light Mantra, all spirits bow! Great Sovereign of Taiyi, by urgent decree, manifest!"