Suddenly, Xiao Chen's expression changed drastically. He discovered that Prince Feng was revealing a sinister, eerie smile. His entire body was becoming nearly transparent, radiating an unbearably brilliant light. Cracks like a spiderweb appeared on his skin, as if his body were splitting apart like a piece of porcelain about to shatter!
Xiao Chen retreated with all his might, his body transforming into a bolt of lightning.
A terrifyingly vast power erupted in the forest.
"Boom!"
With the dreadful energy storm, Prince Feng's body fragmented. The surrounding trees were flattened over a wide area. Though Xiao Chen's body was shrouded in a faint radiance, he could not withstand the blast and was sent flying backward, crashing through several ancient trees before slamming to the ground.
Wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, Xiao Chen struggled to sit up. He smiled in relief. His killing intent had been firm, his actions decisive. He had finally eliminated two powerful enemies and resolved the threat to his life.
On the cliff above, a red light blazed, bringing waves of terrifying heat. The cliff top was melting, flowing down streams of scorching lava!
A sea of fire erupted beneath the cliff walls. The surrounding forest echoed with the roars of beasts as they fled in panic.
The fire spread through the woods, flames leaping toward the sky, dazzlingly bright against the night.
Dragging his wounded body, Xiao Chen picked up the longsword Prince Feng had dropped and retreated to a river not far away. He watched the towering flames for a moment, then began healing his injuries by the riverbank.
Half an hour later, thunder and lightning continued to rage, but not a single drop of rain had fallen. A large expanse of the primeval forest had already been consumed by the fire.
Xiao Chen's eyes snapped open. At that moment, he sensed a terrifying killing intent.
By the clear river, a supreme beauty moved like a startled swan, as light as a fleeting shadow, as ethereal as an immortal descending to the mortal world. She approached gracefully, like a celestial maiden stepping out of a painting.
"Zhao Lin'er!" Xiao Chen had not expected Zhao Lin'er to appear at this moment. The blazing fire must have drawn her here.
Her veil had long been lost. Her skin was like congealed fat, her eyes like autumn waters, her nose delicate and straight, her lips moist and red, her teeth like fine jade. The Royal Celestial Maiden's city-toppling beauty was dreamlike, breathtaking, as if a goddess from the Nine Heavens had descended to the mortal world.
Zhao Lin'er was called the most beautiful woman of the Nine Provinces by gossips, but facing such a peerlessly beautiful woman, Xiao Chen could only sigh helplessly. A life-or-death battle was about to begin!
The blazing fire illuminated both banks of the river. Zhao Lin'er stood silently, truly like the Goddess of the Luo River descending to the world. She seemed like light clouds obscuring the moon, like swirling snow chased by the wind. Gazing at her from a distance, she was bright as the morning sun rising over the rosy clouds; observing her up close, she was brilliant as a lotus emerging from the green waves.
Xiao Chen stood up, leaning on his sword. Facing the Royal Celestial Maiden, he said calmly, "I did not expect Your Highness to have entered the World of Immortality as well. Meeting someone from our homeland on this savage island is truly a fortunate thing."
Zhao Lin'er, with unparalleled grace, approached gracefully. Every movement exuded elegance and detachment. Her pure, ethereal face revealed a cold smile. "You certainly have a way with words. Do you expect me to spare you out of nostalgia for our homeland? Have you forgotten how we came to be here?"
Xiao Chen tightened his grip on the sword, already prepared for battle. He smiled bitterly. "Entering the World of Immortality is a kind of heavenly fate. How many people in the past millennia have achieved it? Perhaps Your Highness will attain eternal life in this world. Looking back from that future, these small grievances of today will amount to nothing."
"Eternal life? I cannot see that far. All I see here are dangerous beasts and savage monsters—a primeval wilderness. I have been exiled to a barren, evil land, and you are the culprit! You made me bid farewell to beautiful mountains and rivers, leave a prosperous age, and part forever from my father the Emperor and my mother the Empress!" Zhao Lin'er stared coldly at Xiao Chen, killing intent emerging on her pure face.
The firelight danced in the forest, turning night into day. Above, thunder roared more violently, lightning slashing across the sky, rolling dark clouds pressing down almost to the ground. A heavy rain was about to fall.
Xiao Chen looked at Zhao Lin'er seriously. "On this island, vicious beasts roam everywhere, and it is full of mystery. For now, there are only the two of us, both from the mortal world. Your Highness, do you truly want to fight to the death? If so, I find it deeply regrettable. After all, we come from the same homeland. It would be a tragedy to kill each other in a foreign land. Since we have entered the World of Immortality, can we not let go of the grievances of the mortal world? Start anew. On this desolate island, we have much need of each other."
Zhao Lin'er's laughter was like silver bells, clear and pleasant, but killing intent permeated the air. "If there were no grudges from the mortal world, we could coexist. But as things stand, it is impossible. Leaving you alive on this island would be like raising a tiger. You are only humbling yourself because you are severely injured. If you were at your peak, you would have struck mercilessly long ago."
Xiao Chen had nothing more to say. Both were intelligent people; some things needed no elaboration, or they would become superfluous.
The Royal Celestial Maiden had already noticed the corpses nearby. She looked at Xiao Chen. "You were injured by them, weren't you? Why are there others on this desolate island? Who are they?"
"The successors of the Evil King Shi Zhixuan!"
At these words, Zhao Lin'er was momentarily stunned.
Xiao Chen's body erupted with brilliant light. Like a flood dragon, he leaped up and dashed into the dense forest. He could not fight Zhao Lin'er in his current state. Prince Feng's final self-destruction using demonic arts had dealt a terrible shock to Xiao Chen. Though he had retreated and defended in time, he was still severely wounded.
Zhao Lin'er snapped back to attention in an instant. With light steps, she pursued like a fleeting shadow. She knew this was a rare opportunity. Once Xiao Chen recovered his strength, she might not be able to suppress him.
"Boom!"
Another thunderclap, and the heavy rain finally poured down. An endless curtain of water covered the heavens and the earth. The forest fire was quickly extinguished.
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