FVN 128. Chaotic Battle
128. Chaotic Battle
Xiao Hanyue's sword was pointed at Lin Mo, its chilling aura palpable. This former enemy's eyes were now vacant, clearly completely controlled by the Heavenly Demon.
"Xiao Hanyue!" Lin Mo shouted again, "Do you still remember our duel at Mount Hua? Do you remember our promise to fight again in ten years after our battle?"
Xiao Hanyue's hand paused slightly, a flicker of emotion crossing her eyes, but it quickly returned to its empty gaze. Seeing this, the Heavenly Demon coldly snorted, "Don't waste your energy! His consciousness has already been sealed by me!"
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Hanyue's longsword was already upon him. The sword light was as cold as ice, aimed straight for Lin Mo's throat. Lin Mo hurriedly raised his sword to parry, and the two swords clashed, producing a piercing metallic clang.
"Protect His Highness!" Zhao Mingcheng shouted, leading the Imperial Guards to protect Li Yan in the center. Han Zhen, on the other hand, led a squad of elite soldiers to try to restrain the Heavenly Demon's true form.
However, at that moment, a large number of men in black suddenly emerged from around the Imperial Ancestral Temple. These men were originally the emperor's personal guards, but now their eyes glowed red, and they were surrounded by black mist—they were the Heavenly Demon Guard!
"Kill! Leave no one alive!" The Heavenly Demon ordered with a maniacal laugh.
Instantly, the entire Imperial Ancestral Temple Square descended into chaos. The members of the Heavenly Demon Guard were all exceptionally skilled and seemed impervious to pain, continuing to fight even when wounded. Although the Imperial Guards were well-trained, they gradually fell into a disadvantageous position under the onslaught of these inhuman beings.
While engaging Xiao Hanyue, Lin Mo observed the battle situation. Xiao Hanyue's swordsmanship was still sharp, but it lacked its usual agility, appearing more like a mechanical execution of orders. This gave Lin Mo a chance to catch his breath, but he knew that if he couldn't awaken Xiao Hanyue, today's battle would likely end badly.
"Master Qingyun!" Lin Mo shouted, "Is there any way to break free from the Heavenly Demon's control?"
Master Qingyun, who was engaged in combat with two members of the Heavenly Demon Guard, replied upon hearing this, "We need to use the power of ultimate Yang to attack its sea of consciousness! But the risk is extremely high; the slightest mistake could damage its sanity!"
Lin Mo's heart sank. The power of ultimate Yang? He suddenly thought of the Imperial Seal of the State in his arms. Since this seal could restrain the Heavenly Demon, perhaps it could also awaken those who were being controlled.
Thinking of this, Lin Mo deliberately created an opening, luring Xiao Hanyue into a full-force attack. Just as the sword was about to pierce him, Lin Mo suddenly dodged to the side, simultaneously taking out the jade seal and pointing it directly at Xiao Hanyue's face.
The imperial seal shone brightly, illuminating Xiao Hanyue's face. He let out a painful roar, his movements abruptly halting, a glimmer of clarity flashing in his eyes.
"Lin...Xuan?" Xiao Hanyue uttered the two words with difficulty.
But the next moment, the Heavenly Demon roared: "Don't even think about it!" A black aura shot straight into Xiao Hanyue's back, and the clarity in his eyes vanished instantly, becoming empty and lifeless once again.
Meanwhile, the battle situation became increasingly unfavorable. The Heavenly Demon Guard was numerous and continued to pour in from all directions. The Imperial Guard suffered heavy casualties; Zhao Mingcheng was struck in the shoulder by a sword, his battle robe stained crimson with blood. Han Zhen was also wounded in several places, but he still fought to the death.
"Retreat to the Imperial Ancestral Temple!" Lin Mo decided decisively. "The Imperial Ancestral Temple is protected by our ancestors; perhaps it can subdue these evil spirits!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd retreated while fighting, moving towards the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Seeing this, the Heavenly Demon laughed wildly, "Trying to hide? Watch me destroy this Imperial Ancestral Temple!"
It formed a hand seal, and black energy condensed into a huge palm print, which it slammed into the main gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. At this critical moment, a bell suddenly rang out from inside the temple, and a golden light shot out from the temple, colliding with the black palm print and producing a deafening roar.
The golden light and the black mist canceled each other out, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple remained unharmed.
"How is this possible?" The Heavenly Demon exclaimed in shock and fury. "This Imperial Ancestral Temple..."
"The Imperial Ancestral Temple is blessed by the fate of the Tang Dynasty. How could you destroy it so easily?" Master Qingyun sneered.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, everyone retreated into the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Lin Mo was the last to enter, turning around to close the heavy temple door. Outside, the roars of the Heavenly Demon continued incessantly.
Inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, candlelight shone brightly, and the memorial tablets of emperors from past dynasties stood quietly on the altar. Upon entering, everyone felt an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, as if the sounds of battle outside had faded into the distance.
"We're safe for now." Lin Mo breathed a sigh of relief, but his brows remained furrowed. "But this isn't a long-term solution."
Li Yan walked to the altar and knelt respectfully, saying, "Ancestors above, your unworthy descendant Li Yan has suffered this great calamity today. I beseech your protection, that you may help me to vanquish the evil spirits and restore order to the court."
As soon as he finished speaking, the candles in the Imperial Ancestral Temple suddenly blazed brightly, and a golden light shone from the highest ancestral tablet, illuminating Li Yan. The young man shuddered, a flash of understanding crossing his eyes.
"I understand..." Li Yan stood up and turned to Lin Mo, "Lord Lin, there is a secret chamber beneath the Imperial Ancestral Temple containing a demon-slaying treasure left behind by the founding emperor."
Lin Mo's spirits lifted upon hearing this: "Does Your Highness know how to enter?"
Li Yan nodded: "My ancestor just instructed me, and I now know the method to open it."
He walked to the altar and moved several memorial tablets in a specific order. A series of mechanical clicks were heard, and the floor behind the altar slowly opened, revealing a downward staircase.
"Quickly!" Lin Mo gestured for everyone to enter.
Just as the last person entered the secret passage, the gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple shattered with a crash, and the Heavenly Demon, along with Xiao Hanyue and the Heavenly Demon Guard, rushed in.
"Where do you think you're going to escape to!" the demon roared, but when its gaze fell upon the opened secret passage, its expression suddenly changed drastically. "Impossible! How did you know about this place?"
Lin Mo did not answer, but quickly activated the mechanism, and the entrance to the secret passage began to close.
"Stop them!" Tianmo ordered urgently. Several members of the Tianmo Guard rushed over, but the entrance to the secret passage was already mostly closed. In the end, only Xiao Hanyue, relying on her unparalleled lightness skill, managed to slip in before the entrance closed.
The secret passage was pitch black. The group lit torches and discovered that Xiao Hanyue had also followed them in, which immediately made them tense.
"Watch out!" Zhao Mingcheng raised his sword in alertness.
Surprisingly, after entering the secret passage, the red light in Xiao Hanyue's eyes gradually faded, and his movements became sluggish. He looked around blankly, and finally his gaze fell on Lin Mo.
"Brother Lin?" Xiao Hanyue's voice was filled with confusion. "Where is this? Why am I here?"
Lin Mo observed carefully and found that the emptiness in Xiao Hanyue's eyes had disappeared, replaced by the clarity of her former self. It seemed that the special environment in the secret passage of the Imperial Ancestral Temple had weakened the Heavenly Demon's control over her.
"Brother Xiao, you've been controlled by the Heavenly Demon," Lin Mo explained briefly. "How are you feeling now?"
Xiao Hanyue frowned in thought, then her expression changed after a moment: "I remember now... Three months ago, I encountered a mysterious man in black in the Northern Frontier, and then my consciousness became blurred... Were you just fighting with Brother Lin?"
Lin Mo nodded: "Fortunately, the Imperial Ancestral Temple is special, which allowed you to regain your senses."
Xiao Hanyue looked ashamed: "I am ashamed to have aided and abetted evil..."
"Don't blame yourself. The most urgent task is to find the Demon-Slaying Treasure and deal with the Heavenly Demons outside," Lin Mo said, turning to Li Yan, "Your Highness, please lead the way."
Li Yan walked ahead, holding a torch. The secret passage extended downwards, with ancient murals carved on the walls on both sides, depicting scenes of Emperor Taizu conquering all directions and driving away evil spirits.
After walking for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a large bronze gate appeared ahead. The gate was engraved with intricate runes, and in the center was a dragon-shaped groove.
"It requires royal blood to open," Li Yan said, biting her finger and dripping blood into the groove.
The moment the blood flowed into the groove, the bronze door hummed and slowly opened. Behind the door was a spacious stone chamber, on which sat an ancient longsword on a central stone platform, the two ancient characters "Slay Demons" engraved on its blade.
"The Great Ancestor's Demon-Slaying Sword!" Master Qingyun exclaimed excitedly. "Legend has it that this sword is specifically designed to vanquish evil spirits. To see it today is truly a fortunate event!"
Just as everyone was overjoyed, the entire secret passage suddenly began to shake violently.
"Not good! The Heavenly Demon is attacking the Imperial Ancestral Temple!" Lin Mo's expression changed. "We must get out of here as soon as possible!"
Xiao Hanyue stepped forward first towards the Demon-Slaying Sword: "Let me do it. Since I was controlled and aided and abetted evil, I should atone for my sins through meritorious service."
He reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword, which immediately emitted a dazzling white light, clashing with the remaining demonic energy within his body. Xiao Hanyue let out a muffled groan, but persisted in gripping the hilt tightly.
"We don't have much time left." Lin Mo's expression turned grave as he listened to the deafening roar from above. "Prepare for battle."