The Thunderbolt Sword hummed and trembled in Haotian's hands, its blade's lightning glow echoing the blood-red moon in the sky. As they approached the shopping mall, the putrid stench in the air grew thicker, each breath feeling like swallowing a mouthful of rotten flesh.
"Something's wrong..." Haotian suddenly stopped, pointing the sword tip at the ground. "We reinforced the seal just three days ago. How could the Demon Lord have broken it so quickly..."
Xiao You didn't respond. She stood five meters away, her back to Haotian, her shoulders trembling slightly. The night wind blew her long hair, revealing the lotus pattern on her neck—it had completely turned blood red and was spreading toward her spine.
"Xiao You?"
"It's too late." Xiao You's voice was unusually hoarse, "It has already awakened."
She spun around abruptly, and Hao Tian was horrified to see that her left eye had completely turned blood red, while her right eye glowed golden. Even more terrifying was that the wound on her wrist had spread across her entire forearm, with golden patterns writhing beneath her skin like living creatures.
"How..."
"Listen carefully!" Xiao You grabbed his collar, "I'll hold off the demon lord. You go straight to the top floor's array point. Use the Thunder Sword to stab into the ground and recite the Demon-Sealing Incantation from the Three Purities Daoist Canon. Got it?"
Hao Tian was about to object when a deafening explosion erupted from the direction of the shopping mall. The entire building shook violently, and the glass facade shattered. Countless giant hands emerged from the black mist, each covered in eyes, frantically tearing at an invisible barrier in the void.
"Go!"
Xiao You dragged Hao Tian toward the employee exit. The ground along the way began to soften, bubbling like a swamp. Hao Tian accidentally stepped on a bubble, which burst with a "pop," and the black liquid that spilled out instantly corroded half of his pant leg.
"Don't look at the ground!" Xiao You unfurled her oil paper umbrella, its canopy spinning outward as it carried the two toward the safety passage. The runes engraved on the umbrella's ribs emitted blinding golden light, dispersing the black mist attempting to approach.
The door to the third-floor passageway suddenly opened on its own, releasing a swarm of zombie beetles. These beetles were larger than the ones they had seen before, each with a miniature human face on its back—Hao Tian recognized them in horror as the faces of the missing mall employees!
"Five Thunder Generals, Train General!"
The Thunder Sword struck down from the sky, sweeping a thick bolt of lightning across the swarm. The zombies hit by the lightning emitted infant-like cries and dissipated into black smoke. But more insects surged in from all directions, quickly covering the oil paper umbrella.
Xiao You bit her finger and drew a blood symbol on the umbrella frame. The umbrella canopy burst into golden flames, burning the zombies with a crackling sound. Taking advantage of this moment, the two rushed into the safety passage and ran frantically upstairs.
"The seal on the iron door on the top floor..."
"It's already broken," Xiao You interrupted Hao Tian. "I can feel it. The main soul of the evil spirit has already escaped halfway."
As they turned the corner on the fifth floor, Hao Tian was suddenly pressed against the wall by an invisible force. The Thunder Sword clattered to the ground, and his throat felt like it was being squeezed by iron clamps, cutting off his breath instantly. Xiao You hurriedly formed a seal, but she too was restrained by the same force.
"I have waited for this day... for thirty years..."
A hoarse voice echoed from all directions. Black blood seeped from the walls, coalescing into a blurry human form. It had no features, only a gaping maw that constantly writhed.
"Little Holy Maiden... the debt your master owes... must be repaid..."
The black blood figure suddenly extended its arm and stabbed it into Xiao You's chest! She let out a cry of pain, but no blood flowed—instead, golden sparks erupted from the wound. More eerily, as the sparks were absorbed by the black blood figure, its outline gradually became clearer.
"Let her go!" Hao Tian roared in anger, struggling, but he couldn't move.
Xiao You struggled to raise her hand, and the bronze bell flew up on its own, emitting a deafening hum. Wherever the sound waves passed, the black-blooded humanoid melted like butter encountering a hot knife. Both of them fell to the ground, and Hao Tian immediately grabbed the Thunder Sword, shielding Xiao You in front of him.
"Hurry up..." Xiao You's lips were stained with blood, "It just wants to delay us... The true sealing-breaking ceremony is on the rooftop..."
The black blood humanoid reformed, this time splitting into over a dozen clones, blocking the passage completely. Hao Tian swung his sword to shatter two, but more rushed forward.
"I'll clear the way!" Xiao You suddenly stood up, her hands forming complex seals. The lotus pattern on her neck fully illuminated, forming a massive light wheel behind her.
"Mingwang Holy Seal, open!"
The light wheel exploded with a thunderous roar, sending countless golden lotus petals flying like arrows in all directions. The black-blooded humanoid was pierced by the petals, letting out a piercing scream. The passageway walls were blasted open, revealing a shortcut to the sixth floor.
"Go!" Xiao You pushed Hao Tian aside, "I'll catch up soon!"
Haotian tried to pull her along, but she had already turned to face the enemies regrouping. Xiao You's figure appeared unusually frail in the golden light, yet the pressure she emitted caused the entire passageway to tremble.
"Wait for me!" Haotian gritted his teeth and charged toward the hole.
Climbing to the sixth floor felt like a nightmare. Every brick and stone seemed to be writhing, with viscous black liquid seeping from the cracks. Several times he nearly slipped, relying solely on the Thunderbolt Sword to anchor himself to the wall. The blood moon above grew larger, and wherever its light fell, the concrete crumbled and peeled away.
When Hao Tian finally climbed onto the sixth-floor corridor, the sight before him made his blood freeze—the entire floor had vanished, replaced by a massive pool of blood. Floating in the pool were dozens of children's corpses, each with a red thread connecting their chests to a central black coffin.
The coffin lid was half-open, revealing a mummified figure dressed in red robes. Its hands were formed into seals, and a rotating black vortex hovered above its head. As the vortex spun, the blood moon's radiance was constantly drawn in, and the mummified figure's skin was regaining its elasticity at a visible pace.
"The Demon Lord..." Hao Tian's hand gripping the sword began to sweat coldly. The pressure emanating from this monster was a hundred times more terrifying than any enemy he had encountered before.
Just as he was about to act, a shriek suddenly came from behind him. Turning around, Hao Tian's heart sank—Xiao You was being held by a black blood-colored humanoid, her limbs suspended in midair, with seven black qi like swords piercing her body from different angles!
"Xiao You!"
Hao Tian wanted to rush back to save her, but saw Xiao You shake her head weakly. Her lips moved, though she made no sound, her mouth forming clearly: "Complete... the mission..."
The Demon Lord suddenly opened his eyes. They were pure black, devoid of pupils, yet seemed capable of devouring all light. It slowly turned its head toward Hao Tian, its lips curling into a grin:
"The Zhang family's... little bastard..."
The voice was not loud, but it caused Hao Tian's eardrums to bleed. What was even more terrifying was that as the Demon Lord spoke, the corpses of the children in the blood pool simultaneously opened their eyes and stared at Hao Tian in unison!
"When your grandfather sealed me away... did he ever think this day would come?"
The demonic overlord raised its withered claw and gave a light flick. Hao Tian suddenly felt his heart being gripped by an invisible hand, the pain causing him to kneel on the ground. The Thunderbolt Sword flew out of his hand, wrapped by a red thread, and dragged toward the blood pool.
"The bloodline of the Celestial Master... such a great tonic..." The demonic entity took a deep breath, and the wound on Haotian's arm automatically split open, with blood flowing like a stream toward the coffin.
At this critical moment, a golden light descended from the sky, precisely severing all the red threads. Xiao You plummeted into the blood pool like a meteor, her oil paper umbrella spinning to expand, parting the pool's waters to create a path.
"Quick!" She was covered in blood, her right hand already transformed into an eerie golden crystal, "Before it fully recovers!"
Haotian picked up the Thunder Sword and charged toward the center of the blood pool. The corpses of children reached out to block him, forcing him to swing his sword to sever those cold little hands. With each red thread severed, a corpse sank into the blood pool, and the Demon Lord let out a pained roar.
Three meters away from the coffin, Haotian was suddenly repelled by an invisible barrier. The demonic entity stood up, cackling madly. It had now regained its human form—a middle-aged man with a sinister expression, though his eyes and nails still retained inhuman features.
"With just you lot?" The demonic entity waved its hand, sending Xiao You flying violently into the wall, where she coughed up blood incessantly. "Thirty years ago, Zhang Xuan Zheng allied with the Buddhist and Taoist sects and still couldn't kill me. Today..."
His words abruptly stopped. A beam of moonlight suddenly pierced through the dome, shining directly on the Thunderbolt Sword. The cloud patterns on the sword's body lit up one by one, eventually coalescing into two large characters: "Exterminate Evil"!
Hao Tian was struck by inspiration, recalling the words on the title page of the *Three Pure Ones Daoist Canon*. He no longer attempted to approach but raised the sword high above his head and began to recite:
"Heaven and earth are natural; impure energies disperse..."
As the incantation continued, the lightning on the Thunderbolt Sword grew increasingly intense. The Demon Lord's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly manipulated the blood into a massive wave to strike Hao Tian. Xiao You struggled to her feet and flung the bronze bell. The bell grew larger in the air, temporarily blocking the blood wave.
"The mysteries of the cave, illuminating the primordial void!"
As the second incantation was uttered, the Thunderbolt Sword flew out of his hand and hovered above Haotian's head. The demonic overlord finally showed signs of fear. It tried to jump out of the coffin but found its feet bound by golden chains that had suddenly appeared.
"No... impossible! This is..."
"Eight Directions Divine Might, grant me natural power!" Haotian's voice thundered, and the Thunder Sword transformed into a ten-meter-long lightning sword. "Sacred Treasure Symbolic Decree, proclaim to the Nine Heavens!"
The demonic entity let out a screech unlike any human voice, its body beginning to disintegrate. But it suddenly burst into a savage laugh, its withered claws pointing at the severely injured Xiao You: "If that's the case... then let's go together..."
A black beam shot out from its fingertips, moving too fast for Hao Tian to intercept. At the last moment, a jade pendant suddenly flew out from Xiao You's chest, colliding with the black beam and exploding. The shockwave sent her flying, plunging directly into the blood pool!
"Xiao You!"
Haotian didn't hesitate, diving forward to grab her hand mid-air. But the downward momentum was too strong, and both of them plunged into the viscous bloodwater. The pool water immediately wrapped around them like a living creature, each drop as heavy as a thousand pounds.
"Let go..." Xiao You's voice was faint, "Complete... the spell..."
"Never!" Haotian clung tightly to her waist. The Thunder Sword sensed its master's danger and flew over to slice through the blood.
The Demon Lord's body had already disintegrated by half, but it continued to laugh maniacally: "Useless... Under the Blood Moon... I am immortal..."
Indeed, Hao Tian discovered with horror that the severed blood was beginning to coalesce again. Worse still, Xiao You's body was becoming transparent, with golden patterns beneath her skin growing brighter.
"Listen to me..." Xiao You suddenly leaned close to Hao Tian's ear, "The Thunder Sword is the key... Your grandfather's copper coin sword is the true..."
Her words were interrupted by a violent cough, expelling nothing but golden sparks. The demonic entity seemed to sense something and lunged forward with its remaining body.
Haotian knew there was no time to waste. He embraced Xiao You with one arm while summoning the Thunderbolt Sword with the other, thrusting it into the coffin with all his strength:
"Qian Luo Da Na, Dong Gang Tai Xuan! Slay demons, bind evil, kill countless ghosts!"
As the final incantation left her lips, Xiao You suddenly broke free from Hao Tian's embrace and charged toward the charging Xie Kui. Her body completely crystallized, erupting with sunlight-like brilliance.
"No—"
Haotian's scream was drowned out by the explosion. In the blinding light, he vaguely saw Xiao You turn back and mouth something to him, then the entire world turned white...
——————
When Haotian regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a hospital bed. The sun was shining brightly outside the window, as if that nightmare had never happened. He struggled to sit up, every bone in his body protesting.
"Awake?"
The familiar female voice made Haotian's body tremble. Turning his head, he saw a female doctor in a white coat standing by the window, her back to him as she organized medications. That silhouette, that voice...
"Xiao You?!"
The doctor turned around, but it was a completely unfamiliar face. "I'm Dr. Li." She looked at Haotian strangely, "You've been unconscious for three days. The people who brought you here said you were on night duty at the mall when a collapse accident occurred."
"Collapse... accident?" Haotian's voice was hoarse, "What about Xiao You? The top floor of the mall..."
"What top floor?" Dr. Li was even more confused. "The Lion Mall only has six floors."
Hao Tian felt as though he had fallen into an ice cave. He urgently asked about the date and learned that there were no reports of the incident that night, the mall had operated normally, and there was no record of any so-called "collapse accident."
"Oh, someone left something for you." Dr. Li took out a backpack from the cabinet, "It was left at the emergency room entrance."
Hao Tian trembled as he opened the bag. Inside was the "Three Pure Ones Daoist Canon," the Thunderbolt Sword had turned into an ordinary fruit knife, and... Xiao You's bronze bell. Engraved on the inner side of the bell were two small characters: "Do not seek."
At the bottom was a yellowed photograph of his young grandfather and a little girl. The girl was about seven or eight years old, with a tear tattoo at the corner of her eye, and the familiar bronze bell hanging from her chest. On the back of the photo was written: "My beloved disciple Xiao You, photographed in the summer of 1992."
Haotian suddenly remembered everything—the great battle thirty years ago, when Grandfather sacrificed himself to seal the evil entity, and Xiao You... wasn't even from this era!
Outside the window, a red lotus-shaped cloud drifted slowly by. Haotian clenched the bell tightly, feeling something within him awaken completely...