Fan Yue, caught off guard by her audacity, let out a dry laugh. "You think you know his weakness? Do you really believe he’s just some demon? He’s a sentient being born from the ancient Bodhi God Tree, highly intelligent, with roots grown all across this island. What we encountered was only one of his avatars. I can’t even locate his true body, so what makes you think you, a mere half-celestial, could do anything to him?"
"If he wants to devour me, that’s his weakness." Bai Shuo grinned, her eyes glinting. "Lord Hao Yue, how about we team up?"
* * *
In the cave, Bai Shuo had looked smugly satisfied, but after hearing Fan Yue’s casual "fool" comment, her face immediately fell. "Hey, hey! Aren’t you supposed to be complimenting me?" But catching his cool gaze, she fell silent and turned to face Evil Bodhi.
"Old scoundrel," she said, her voice sharp. "Life’s lessons, for the righteous and the wicked alike, don’t always come with longevity. I knew from the start that if I returned to save A-Zhao, you’d try to deceive me again. But my blood only works when I willingly offer it. If I were you, I’d try to think of a way to make me offer it freely."
She glanced back at Chong Zhao, her tone growing serious. "His life, of course. But if you had openly threatened his life, I’d know that either way, I’d die. You knew I’d be too smart to give in to such a threat. The only way was to let me find A-Zhao myself, see him on the brink of death, and force me to act."
With measured steps, she walked toward him, facing his masked gaze. "Fan Yue couldn’t locate your true form, but my little paper talisman could? From the moment I stepped into this cave, I knew that the one bound under the Bodhi was not the real Chong Zhao. But it didn’t matter. He wasn’t A-Zhao, but you—the Bodhi’s true essence. Are you wondering why Fan Yue’s demon energy flows within you? Because I channeled his core energy into my inner elixir. When you absorbed my blood, you unknowingly took in your own death warrant."
As Bai Shuo spoke, the Bodhi Tree’s core, not far away, had been reduced to nearly nothing under the demon flames, and Evil Bodhi’s body grew transparent under the demonic energy. He glared at her with venomous hatred. "Such a cruel girl, with a cunning mind. I hunted for prey all my life, yet here I am, the one whose eyes were picked by the hawk."
"I’ll take that as a compliment," Bai Shuo said, clapping her hands. She turned to Chong Zhao, waving dismissively at Evil Bodhi. "Lord Hao Yue, I’ll leave this firewood to you. Deal’s done, A-Zhao. Let’s go home!"
She started walking toward Chong Zhao with a cheerful grin—
"A-Zhao! Get down!" Chong Zhao, though close by, looked terrified. Bai Shuo barely had time to turn when a blinding white light struck from behind, the sheer power of its celestial energy paralyzing her.
Chong Zhao broke free from Er Yun and lunged toward her.
The moment the white light appeared, Fan Yue released his silver chain, which shot toward Bai Shuo at the same time as Chong Zhao. Chong Zhao grabbed Bai Shuo and leaped aside, narrowly avoiding the white light, but the light didn’t dissipate. Instead, it struck the unsuspecting Er Yun, pulling her into the smoldering remnants of the Bodhi Tree’s heart. Beneath its eerie glow, the tree began to revive, emitting a sinister black light.
Fan Yue’s silver chain missed its target and returned to him, dejected. He shot a disdainful glance at the chain, which shivered, feigning defeat.
As Chong Zhao and Bai Shuo looked toward the Bodhi Tree’s heart, they saw that Evil Bodhi—now holding a flawless jade talisman, with one hand clutching Er Yun’s neck—had been revitalized by the terrifying celestial energy emanating from the talisman.
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