Beside the Golden Metal Spiritual Veins of the Demon Gold Cave, faint golden spiritual light intertwined with emerald green spiritual plant essence, weaving a net like a vibrant veil draped over the pitch-black cave. Cang Lie held his golden metal long sword, the Nanming Golden Metal flames around him glowing with an intense pale golden aura. With each swing of his sword, a flame slash struck the black demon patterns on the spiritual veins—those patterns, like stubborn tumors, hissed in agony as they burned. Black demon qi oozed along the lines, only to be instantly purified by the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire in Elder Qingmang's hand. The faint red aura of the sacred fire blazed like the sun amid the demon qi, warming the air slightly.
The Black Armored Stone People formed the "Black Stone Trapping Formation" around the spiritual veins. Stone shields condensed from innate black stone protected the veins tightly. Xuan Jia, the leader of the stone people, held a stone axe, warily staring at the dark corners of the cave.
"My lord, more than half of the demon patterns on the west side of the spiritual veins have been cleared. But... the demon qi is fading strangely—three times faster than when we surveyed earlier, as if it's deliberately contracting."
Cang Lie swung his sword to shatter a wisp of counterattacking demon qi, his brows furrowed. He could clearly sense that the demon qi deep within the spiritual veins was not fading naturally. Instead, like a dormant venomous snake, it was secretly gathering strength, creeping slowly along the vein crevices, trying to bypass the purified area and recontaminate the vein's origin.
"Stay alert! The contraction of demon qi is never a good sign—there may be an uprising."
As soon as he spoke, the golden metal rock pillar beneath his feet trembled violently. A dense rustling sound came from beneath the decaying leaves, like countless tiny creatures scurrying rapidly. Even the spiritual plant vines on the ground began to twist restlessly.
"Beasts! A horde of beasts is coming!" The Black Armored Stone People's exclamations rang out.
In the darkness of the cave, countless scarlet eyes lit up. Demonized Golden Metal Beasts, Bone-Corroding Lizards, and Demonized Rock Lizards surged forth like a tide. Leading them was a Demonized Golden Metal Beast King, three times larger than ordinary golden metal beasts. Its scales glowed with black-red feral light, and its fangs still hung with undigested fragments of Black Armored Stone People's armor. When its saliva dripped, it corroded small holes in the rocks—clearly a premeditated ambush, perhaps even a "killing move" deliberately left by the demon cultivators.
"Form the formation! Protect the spiritual veins! Protect the sacred fire!" Cang Lie shouted sharply.
The Nanming Golden Metal flames around him flared into ten-zhang-tall fire. His golden metal long sword sliced through the air in an arc, like a golden crescent moon, instantly cutting more than a dozen leading Bone-Corroding Lizards in half. Black blood splattered on the rock pillars, only to be instantly evaporated by the flames, leaving only faint scorch marks.
But the subsequent beasts, like an endless black tide, continued their charge over their companions' bodies. Scratch marks soon covered the stone shields of the Black Stone Trapping Formation. The roars of the stone people and the growls of the beasts intertwined, turning the Demon Gold Cave into a Shura field in an instant.
Elder Qingmang held the Spiritual Plant Pearl, and the glow of the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire grew brighter. Emerald green vines emerged from the ground, like flexible whips, entangling the pouncing Demonized Rock Lizards.
She knew the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire was key to purifying demon qi and the lifeline of the spiritual plant tribe. She deliberately guarded the sacred fire at the innermost part of the spiritual veins, with two spiritual plant clansmen holding short blades beside her, warily staring at the approaching beasts.
"My lord, rest assured! We will defend the sacred fire and the spiritual veins with our lives!"
But the number of beasts was simply overwhelming. The Demonized Golden Metal Beast King slammed into the Black Stone Trapping Formation. The stone shields let out a crisp crack, and several Black Armored Stone People were shaken, blood like stone dust oozing from their lips.
The Beast King opened its bloodthirsty maw, spitting out a black-red golden metal demon qi beam straight for Elder Qingmang in the formation—it had clearly seen through the importance of the sacred fire. As long as the sacred fire was destroyed, the spiritual veins would be recontaminated by demon qi, and all efforts in this purification would be in vain.
"Don't hurt the elder!" Rage flashed in Cang Lie's eyes.
He leaped into the air, and the Nanming Golden Metal flames condensed into a several-zhang-long fire blade on his long sword, slashing toward the Beast King's head. The fire blade, carrying the power to burn demons, split the golden metal demon qi in two as soon as it touched it. Black demon qi melted rapidly in the flames.
But this attack also exposed Cang Lie's flaw. Three Demonized Rock Lizards lurking in the darkness seized the opportunity to dart out, their sharp claws wreathed in demon qi, scratching toward Cang Lie's back—their target was not Cang Lie, but the undefended spiritual veins behind him!
The Black Armored Stone People shouted in alarm, trying to support him, but were entangled by other beasts. The cracks on the stone shields multiplied. A young stone man was pierced through the chest by a Demonized Golden Metal Beast's fangs, his black stone armor shattering instantly. Black demon qi surged into his body, and he couldn't even scream before his body shriveled rapidly.
"Watch your back!" Elder Qingmang's voice was urgent.
Seeing Cang Lie in danger and the spiritual veins threatened, she did not hesitate to wave the Spiritual Plant Pearl, channeling all her spiritual plant essence into the vines—those vines suddenly grew several times larger, like green pythons, entangling the rock lizards and crushing them to pieces.
But this left her defenseless. A stray Demonized Golden Metal Beast pounced, its fangs aiming straight for the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire in her hand!
"Elder!" The two spiritual plant clansmen rushed forward, using their bodies to block the golden metal beast's attack.
Demon qi contaminated their bodies instantly. The two let out shrill screams as their bodies withered at a visible speed, yet they still clung tightly to the golden metal beast's neck, buying time for Qingmang.
Tears filled Qingmang's eyes, but she did not dare to hesitate. She knew that if the sacred fire was lost, everything would be for naught. She raised her hand, holding the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire high. The faint red flame suddenly flared, stirring the remaining wood-element spiritual energy in the spiritual veins to form a flame barrier, burning the golden metal beast to cinders.
But just then, the mad Demonized Golden Metal Beast King suddenly broke free from Cang Lie's fire blade. Its colossal body, like a small mountain, charged toward the spiritual veins, its target directly the sacred fire in Qingmang's hand!
Cang Lie's pupils contracted sharply. He tried to rush back to help, but it was too late—the Beast King was too fast, and the golden metal demon qi around it formed an impenetrable shield that even the Nanming Golden Metal flames could not penetrate for a moment.
"We must not let it touch the sacred fire!" Qingmang's voice was resolute.
Watching the Beast King draw closer, she suddenly made a shocking decision—she quickly handed the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire to the surviving spiritual plant clansman beside her, then leaped into the air. All her spiritual plant essence and remaining wood-element spiritual energy erupted, transforming into an emerald green light shield that stood between the Beast King and the spiritual veins.
"Elder! No!" The spiritual plant clansmen let out heart-wrenching cries.
Seeing someone blocking it, the Beast King's eyes flashed with brutality. Its huge claws, wreathed in golden metal demon qi, slammed heavily into Qingmang's light shield.
With a crisp crack, the light shield shattered instantly. Golden metal demon qi surged into Qingmang's body like a tide. She let out a muffled groan, dark green blood oozing from her lips. Her body was swept by the Beast King's giant claws, flying backward like a broken kite and crashing heavily into a golden metal rock pillar. The demon patterns on the pillar hissed as they were stained by her blood, corroded by it.
"Elder Qingmang!" Cang Lie's eyes were bloodshot.
The Nanming Golden Metal flames around him turned crimson instantly. He rushed toward the Beast King without hesitation, his long sword stabbing fiercely into its chest—where the demon qi was densest, its weak point. Golden metal flames erupted inside the Beast King's body, and black demon qi gushed out like a fountain. The Beast King let out a shrill roar, its colossal body crashing heavily to the ground, twitching a few times before falling motionless.
Cang Lie did not stop to catch his breath, rushing to Qingmang's side and lifting her into his arms. Her body was already growing cold, her emerald green eyes gradually losing their luster. Yet she still clung tightly to Cang Lie's sleeve, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"The sacred fire... protect the sacred fire... the spiritual veins... must not... be contaminated..."
"I know! I know!" Cang Lie's voice trembled. He channeled his own Nanming Golden Metal flames into Qingmang's body, trying to suppress the demon qi. But the demon qi had already invaded her origin. As soon as the flames touched the demon qi, they were instantly devoured, and even Qingmang's spiritual plant essence was fading rapidly.
Qingmang slowly raised her hand, pointing to the spiritual plant clansman beside the spiritual veins—there, the sacred fire was being carefully guarded, its faint red glow like her last hope.
"The spiritual plant tribe... I entrust... to you..." Her voice grew softer and softer. The last wisp of spiritual light faded from her brow, and her body went limp in Cang Lie's arms, motionless.
"Elder!" The spiritual plant clansmen fell to their knees, tears mixed with spiritual plant essence dripping onto Qingmang's body, but they could never bring her back to life.
The Black Armored Stone People also stopped fighting, watching the scene with grief in their eyes—this gentle spiritual plant elder had sacrificed herself to protect the spiritual veins and the sacred fire.
Cang Lie held Qingmang's body, the Nanming Golden Metal flames around him fading. He could clearly feel that the demon qi in his body was spreading rapidly due to his anger and the blow from the Beast King earlier. His chest surged with blood, and a mouthful of blood sprayed onto Qingmang's lapel, the bright red mixing with dark green, striking a harsh contrast.
"My lord!" Xuan Jia hurried forward, supporting the tottering Cang Lie.
"The beasts are still attacking. We need to form the formation quickly to protect the spiritual veins!"
Cang Lie took a deep breath, gently placing Qingmang's body beside the spiritual veins and carefully covering her with spiritual plant vines—this was the place she had died to protect, and it should be her final resting place. He pressed his hand to the wound on his chest. The White Tiger patterns on his armor had completely faded, and black demon qi was spreading along his arm, even turning his fingertips black. Yet he still clung tightly to his golden metal long sword, refusing to fall.
"Send a message to Fellow Daoist Ao Xuan... tell them to return for reinforcement immediately... protect the spiritual veins... don't let Elder Qingmang's sacrifice... be in vain..."
The Black Armored Stone People nodded through their tears, quickly forming the formation to block the oncoming beasts again. The surviving spiritual plant clansmen held the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire tightly to their chests. Emerald green vines intertwined with the Black Armored Stone People's stone shields, forming a new line of defense.
The battle inside the cave continued. The beasts, having lost their leader, became even more violent, constantly attacking the defense line. The cracks on the stone shields multiplied.
Cang Lie leaned against the rock pillar, the Nanming Golden Metal flames in his dantian flickering on and off. Demon qi was still eroding his origin. He knew that if Ao Xuan and Yuan Hao did not return soon, not only would the spiritual veins be recontaminated, but they would also be unable to hold on much longer.
In the darkness, a wisp of black demon qi quietly slipped out from the depths of the spiritual veins, falling beside Cang Lie's wound, trying to burrow into his dantian like a venomous snake—this was a "Demon Seed" left by Luo Hu's demon cultivators in the spiritual veins, specifically designed to seize the origin of living beings when they were seriously injured.
Cang Lie suddenly opened his eyes, summoning his last ounce of strength. Faint golden metal flames emanated from his fingertips, burning the Demon Seed to ashes. Then his vision went black, and his consciousness gradually faded, yet he still clung tightly to his golden metal long sword.