She had just set foot on the steps when a glimmer of light laced with demonic aura flashed past her neck.
Yaohua stopped in her tracks. The stinging pain on her neck was burning hot. She reached out to touch it, but a shadow like rippling water appeared before her eyes.
Her master's face was solemn as he lowered his eyes. His figure was almost swallowed up by the thick white mist.
"Master!"
Yaohua rushed forward in a hurry. Unexpectedly, Chongming waved his sleeve, and a sharp blade stopped her movement.
"Master?" Yaohua was greatly shocked. "Don't you recognize me?"
"Yaohua."
Yaohua's knitted brows relaxed a bit. It was good that he still recognized her. She was just about to speak.
"You're no longer my disciple. What are you doing here?"
The sharp and icy blade pointed at Yaohua's glabella.
The killing intent sent a chill down her spine and made her hair stand on end.
"Master, I—"
"Don't call me master!"
A shadow fell upon the lofty and inviolable look of the high - ranking god. His eyes that regarded the world indifferently were several times colder than the sword in his hand.
He suddenly interrupted Yaohua's words, and the tip of the sword moved half an inch closer.
"Since you have no nostalgia for me and left so decisively, I can't bear this title of master."
"No!"
Yaohua instinctively wanted to explain, but at this moment, the mark on her glabella suddenly burned hot. The sword that was almost touching her glabella was bounced away by a powerful force.
Chongming merely moved his fingers slightly, and that force dissipated like a gentle breeze.
The icy sword was eager to strike Yaohua.
"I didn't want to obey you, master, because I wanted to stand with you!" In this situation, Yaohua had no more concerns in her heart. "Master, you once said that you were looking forward to the day when Yaohua could help you. Now that I have the ability, you threaten me and don't want me to go to war!"
A look of disappointment flashed across Yaohua's eyes.
"Master, you said that with your own mouth... Have you forgotten?"
"The Heavenly Demons are despicable and shameless. If you go to war, your future is uncertain. I didn't think it through before, but why didn't you listen to me?"
After saying this, the purple in Chongming's eyes became even more intense.
Yaohua was just about to retort, but thinking of something, she immediately pinched her palm to calm herself down.
Rong Chu was nowhere to be seen. If he really went to find the God - Lord, the God - Lord might really execute her master.
And now, her master was bewitched by the demonic heart. No matter how much she said, he wouldn't listen. It would be better to follow his will first, fulfill his wish, then get closer to him and find an opportunity to soothe the demonic heart before making a decision.
"It's my fault." Yaohua softened her voice. "I know I was wrong now. Please forgive me, master. Don't drive me away, okay?"
The spiritual power that her master had just sent towards her neck was really intended to kill her, wasn't it?
Yaohua felt a pang of sourness in her heart, and there was a glimmer of tears in her eyes.
The sword in front of her trembled slightly, as if its master's will was wavering.
Suppressing the hidden thoughts in her heart, Yaohua sniffed. "Master, in all my years, this is the only time I've defied you. Please forgive me, master."
The sword let out a soft hum. Yaohua took two steps forward, and her chest touched the sword that made her tremble with fear.
"Master, you taught me everything. Can you really abandon me?"
The sword retreated a few inches, keeping a distance from her.
Yaohua probed step by step and finally passed through the white mist and came in front of her master.
The purple in his black eyes faded and then gathered again. Yaohua could see a trace of struggle in them.
Her master was a god by birth, having experienced countless years. When had he ever fallen from the altar like this?
He should be respected by all the gods and praised by the world. How could these filthy demonic auras even get close to him?
Yaohua boldly reached out her hand.
Her spiritual power touched the corner of her master's robe.
The next moment, Yaohua was suddenly thrown away by a powerful spiritual force.
The sword, carrying boundless anger, stabbed towards her glabella.
The True Fire of the Phoenix condensed into a barrier and blocked in front of Yaohua. The firelight seemed to dazzle her master's eyes, causing him to show a flaw.
In a split - second, Yaohua immediately reacted. The True Fire of the Phoenix surrounded Chongming without reservation. In an instant, the sky - filling flames illuminated the sky extremely brightly, and the overwhelming scorching air continuously devoured the demonic aura around Chongming.
Yaohua got up and found that the purple in her master's eyes had faded again.
It seemed that her idea was right. The True Fire of the Phoenix could really help her master suppress the demonic heart.
"Yaohua."
Hearing her master's call, Yaohua quickly walked over to support him. "Master, are you okay?"
Chongming put the Chunjun Sword into her palm instead, with the tip of the sword pointing at himself, and then tightly held Yaohua's hand.
"Master?"
Yaohua didn't understand what her master meant.
Was it because she still didn't have a decent magic weapon until now, so her master was going to give the Chunjun Sword to her?
The Chunjun Sword was an ancient sword. How could she lay her hands on it?
The handle of the sword in her hand was really burning hot, but her master grabbed her hand and held the sword tightly together with her.
"The demonic heart has taken root and sprouted. It's irreversible. Yaohua, kill me."
Her master's voice was as gentle as jade, just like before. If it weren't for the sigh, Yaohua would have had the illusion of going back to the past.
Unfortunately, her master's words pulled her back to reality.
"The heart of the Heavenly Demon is ever - lasting. Ordinary methods can hardly kill me. Only your True Fire of the Phoenix has this ability."
So what?
Yaohua suddenly felt a bit dazed.
Everything around seemed to quiet down. Her master was holding her hand, and her hand was holding her master's sword. It was clearly an extremely intimate posture, but why did her master say such heart - rending words?
"Surely there's a way."
Couldn't her True Fire of the Phoenix purify the demonic aura?
Yaohua forcefully broke free from his hand. "Master, you haven't even tried. Why are you so certain?"
"It's too late." Chongming sighed softly. He stroked Yaohua's head. "Yaohua, it's too late."
"It's not too late." Yaohua's voice was filled with sobs as soon as she opened her mouth. "Master, just let me try!"
Chongming looked at her gently. "I couldn't stop you, just like you were willing to sever our master - disciple relationship just to go to war against the Heavenly Demons, right?"
That was right. That was exactly what Yaohua was thinking.
As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she wouldn't let go.
The True Fire of the Phoenix poured into Chongming's chest. It seemed that another world had been opened up in his heart, with an indestructible barrier on the outside.
Yaohua pressed against her master's chest and exerted force with both hands. Her master spat out a mouthful of blood.
"It's useless." Chongming held her wrist again.
Why was it useless?
Clearly, her True Fire of the Phoenix could purify the demonic aura. Why couldn't it suppress this demonic heart?
"Your father and two elder brothers both died because of the Heavenly Demons. Do you still want your remaining elder brothers to follow in their footsteps?"
"Impossible. It must be useful." Yaohua refused to give up. She seemed not to hear Chongming's words, and her movements became even more violent.