The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

Chapter 591

As the dust settled, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Xiu looked at his fellow disciples, who were panting heavily, and his eyes shone with gratitude. Their clothes were also tattered, and their faces bore the fatigue of battle, but their eyes were filled with the joy of victory. "Thank you, fellow disciples!" Lin Xiu clasped his hands in a respectful bow, his voice filled with heartfelt gratitude.

Zhao Qingyang stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "No need for thanks, we are fellow disciples, we should live and die together." The group smiled at each other. Although they knew that the crisis in the Purple Demon Abyss was not truly over, and there might be even stronger enemies in the future, at this moment, their hearts were filled with confidence—as long as they joined hands, there was no difficulty they could not overcome.

A mountain breeze howled past, carrying a rare coolness, brushing against the weary yet resolute faces of the group. Lin Xiu gripped his Demon-Slaying Sword tightly, gazing at the still churning demonic energy of the Purple Demon Abyss, his eyes flashing with unwavering determination. They were already prepared for the next challenge.

The group had just sat down to recuperate, still recovering from the previous battle, when the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled violently, as if an ancient behemoth had awakened underground. A teeth-grinding scraping sound echoed from the depths of the Purple Demon Abyss, like a thousand steel needles simultaneously scraping against an iron plate, followed by a low roar that sent rocks crashing down from the surrounding mountains. The previously subsided demonic energy suddenly surged, transforming into a black vortex that shot straight into the sky, dyeing the entire sky an eerie dark purple.

"Not good!" Lin Xiu suddenly stood up, his face turning deathly pale. He could feel an aura several times stronger than the previous monster rapidly rising, the evil and savagery contained within it causing his very soul to tremble. At the bottom of the abyss, a faint glow appeared, and a gigantic figure slowly emerged, its presence causing black waves to surge like boiling asphalt.

As the figure gradually became clearer, everyone gasped. It was a demonic dragon radiating an eerie green light, its body coiling and twisting, each segment as large as a house. Its scales shimmered with a cold, chilling light, reflecting an eerie glow amidst the demonic energy. Its head was as large as a small mountain, its two vertical pupils burning with ghostly blue flames. When its blood-red maw opened, the fangs it revealed were as tall as a person, and saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth, corroding deep pits in the ground.

The demonic dragon roared to the sky, its voice like rolling thunder, making everyone's eardrums ache. The sound waves struck as if they were tangible. Zhao Qingyang hurriedly summoned a spiritual energy shield, but even so, everyone was still shaken back, and Chen Mo nearly dropped the jade flute from his hand. Even more terrifying, the demonic energy around the dragon twisted and writhed like a living thing, condensing into countless tiny demonic hands that reached out to grab at the group.

Lin Xiu gripped the Demon-Slaying Sword tightly, its runes flashing wildly, radiating a brilliant golden light. He knew this was the true crisis of the Purple Demon Abyss; the previous monsters were merely the minions of this demonic dragon. "Brothers and sisters, do not panic!" he shouted, his voice filled with a desperate resolve. "We disciples of the Xuanxiao Sect will never bow to evil! Today, even if it costs us our lives, we will protect the peace of the cultivation world!"

Having said that, Lin Xiu was the first to charge towards the demonic dragon with his sword. The Demon-Slaying Sword collided with the demonic energy in the air, producing a crisp sword sound, and golden sword energy streaked across the night sky like a meteor. Zhao Qingyang followed closely behind, his spear transforming into a streak of azure light, aiming straight for the demonic dragon's eyes; Chen Mo's flute music became more intense, the sound waves transforming into invisible chains that bound the demonic dragon's body; the other fellow disciples also unleashed their magical treasures, and in an instant, various magical lights intertwined, pouring towards the demonic dragon.

The demonic dragon was clearly enraged. It swung its massive tail, creating a black hurricane that scattered everyone's attacks. Then, it opened its blood-red maw and spewed out a stream of eerie green poisonous mist. Wherever it went, the air hissed and corroded, and the ground instantly melted into bottomless craters.

The battle grew increasingly fierce. Lin Xiu's clothes were already tattered and corroded by the poisonous mist, and his body was covered in wounds, each tinged with an eerie green, clearly indicating he had been poisoned by the demonic dragon. Yet, his gaze grew ever more resolute as he weaved and shifted his position during the dragon's lulls in its attacks, searching for its weakness. His fellow disciples gritted their teeth, and despite the immense depletion of their spiritual energy, none of them retreated.

Above the Purple Demon Abyss, golden sword energy, cyan spear light, and various colored magical rays clashed fiercely with black demonic energy, erupting in dazzling light. The deafening roar seemed to define the world, making it feel as if only this life-or-death battle remained. No one knew whether Lin Xiu and his companions could once again defeat this powerful demonic dragon and protect the peace of the cultivation world, but they all understood in their hearts—to uphold the justice in their hearts, they would not hesitate to be shattered to pieces.

Just as everyone was struggling to hold on, forced back by the demonic dragon's attacks and their spiritual energy nearly exhausted, Lin Xiu, in the midst of life and death, keenly noticed a scale on the demonic dragon's neck, its color slightly lighter than the surrounding scales. Years of experience fighting demons made him instantly realize that this might be the demonic dragon's fatal weakness. At this moment, his wounds were still bleeding profusely, each breath accompanied by excruciating pain, but in this life-or-death situation, he could not afford to retreat in the slightest.

Lin Xiu endured the excruciating pain of his torn wounds, mobilizing every last bit of spiritual energy within his body. In an instant, the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to be summoned, frantically converging towards him. The golden light on the sword in his hand, infused with spiritual energy, instantly surged several times over, so dazzling that it was impossible to open one's eyes. Within that light, there seemed to be boundless power, ready to slay the demonic dragon before him at any moment.

The demonic dragon seemed to sense the danger. It roared to the sky, its voice shaking the surrounding area. Then, it opened its maw wide, spewing out another torrent of dense and deadly poisonous mist. Wherever the mist touched, vegetation withered instantly, and the earth sizzled as it corroded. In the brief moment between the dragon's attacks, Lin Xiu didn't hesitate. He channeled all his spiritual power, his figure flashing like golden lightning, cutting through the layers of poisonous mist as he charged towards the dragon. His speed was incredible, creating a gust of wind that shook the surrounding demonic energy.

Everyone was stunned into silence by Lin Xiu's reckless act. They knew full well the extreme danger he was facing; a single misstep could mean certain death at the hands of the demonic dragon. But at this moment, they also understood that this might be their only chance.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xiu had already rushed to the front of the demonic dragon. He leaped high into the air, the Demon-Slaying Sword in his hand carrying immense spiritual power and an unstoppable momentum, fiercely stabbing towards the light-colored scale on the demonic dragon's neck. With a "plop," the Demon-Slaying Sword pierced the demonic dragon's neck, and dark green blood flowed down the blade.

The demonic dragon let out a deafening roar, its voice filled with pain and rage. Its massive body began to writhe wildly, each swing causing the surrounding demonic energy to violently tremble and unleash wave after wave of black storms. Its attacks became even more ferocious; its thick tail, like a giant black club, swept across with a whooshing sound. Several fellow disciples, unable to dodge in time, were sent flying, crashing heavily against a distant mountain wall, coughing up blood, their fate unknown.

However, Lin Xiu's all-out attack was not without effect. Dark green blood continued to gush from the wound on the demonic dragon's neck, dripping onto the ground and instantly corroding deep pits. The demonic dragon's aura also weakened noticeably, and its once lively eyes now appeared somewhat dull and lifeless.

Seeing this, a surge of hope welled up in everyone's hearts, and their morale soared. They knew that a turning point had arrived, and if they put in a little more effort, they might be able to defeat this powerful demonic dragon.

Chen Mo gripped the bamboo flute tightly with both hands, his eyes resolute. He poured his spiritual energy into the flute continuously, making the music even more intense. Visible chains of sound waves flew out from the flute, like nimble pythons, tightly binding the demonic dragon and severely restricting its movements. Each time a chain of sound waves touched the demonic dragon's body, it emitted a painful groan.

Zhao Qingyang held a long spear, its tip flashing with a sharp azure light. He roared, his figure moving like lightning, the spear transforming into streaks of sharp azure light, relentlessly piercing the demonic dragon's wounds. Each thrust was accompanied by a shudder from the demonic dragon, and dark green blood splattered out, pooling on the ground into a foul-smelling pool.

Under the combined assault of the crowd, the demonic dragon gradually weakened. Its struggles grew increasingly feeble, and its wounds multiplied, staining the surrounding earth with blood. Finally, the demonic dragon let out a final, defiant roar, its massive body crashing to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Amid cheers, Lin Xiu knelt on one knee, panting heavily, his Demon-Slaying Sword deeply embedded in the ground, the golden light on its blade gradually dimming. Chen Mo staggered as he put away his bamboo flute, his knuckles white from the excessive force, and scorch marks from the poisonous fog still lingered on his sleeves; Zhao Qingyang leaned on his spear, gazing at his several junior brothers in the distance, their fates unknown, his eyes reddening, a suppressed sob escaping his throat.

Before the smoke and dust had cleared, a weak voice suddenly came from the ruins: "Senior Brother... Senior Brother Mo..." The heavily injured Junior Sister Zhou struggled to sit up in the rubble, her bloodied fingertips trembling as she pointed to the sky. Only then did everyone realize that after the Demonic Dragon died, the black demonic energy that had originally covered the sky had begun to surge and condense strangely, forming a huge vortex in the high sky.

"Not good! The demonic energy is about to condense into a new demon!" Chen Mo's pupils shrank sharply, and the flute music rang out again. However, this time, the sonic chains vanished instantly upon touching the vortex of demonic energy, like a mud ox sinking into the sea. Lin Xiu struggled to his feet, only to find that his spiritual energy was completely drained, and a chilling cold emanated from his wounds—the places where the demonic dragon's blood had splattered were now visibly covered with bluish-black lines.

"Run! Evacuate the wounded!" Lin Xiu roared hoarsely, but his voice was drowned out by a sinister laugh emanating from the vortex of demonic energy. A crimson fissure opened at the center of the vortex, and a gigantic claw covered in scales suddenly shot out, causing the temperature in the air to plummet to freezing. Zhao Qingyang gritted his teeth and hurled his spear, but the tip shattered into pieces the instant it touched the giant claw.

At the critical moment, a whooshing sound came from afar. A dazzling sword light cleaved through the demonic energy, and the sect leader's figure plummeted like a meteor. As he raised his hand, an ancient jade talisman burst forth with boundless light, enveloping the entire vortex of demonic energy. The runes on the jade talisman flowed, absorbing all the demonic energy. The giant claw at the center of the vortex let out a resentful roar before finally dissipating into the light.

"Although the demonic energy has been eliminated, the blood of the demonic dragon carries a bone-corroding poison." The sect leader looked at the wounds on Lin Xiu and the others, his expression grave. "Come back to the sect with me. If the poison cannot be cured within three days, they may become demonized." Lin Xiu looked down at the bluish-black lines spreading on his arm, thinking of his junior brothers and sisters who had fallen in the battle, his heart filled with mixed emotions. The price of this victory was too heavy, and the path they had been protecting seemed to have only just begun.

As the last rays of the setting sun gilded the scorched earth with a blood-red hue, the survivors helped each other on their journey home. The air was thick with the stench of gunpowder and blood, and the distant mountains stood eerily silent in the twilight, as if silently recounting the brutal battle. Behind them, the massive carcass of the demonic dragon gradually decayed in the night, its dark green blood seeping down the ravines, leaving a gruesome mark on this harrowing conflict.

By the time they returned to the sect, dusk had stained the sky a deep, blood-red hue. Bloodstains dotted the flagstones, and injured disciples were being helped along, each step feeling like a bruise on their taut nerves. The healing pavilion reeked of medicinal herbs, and disciples lay or sat, their groans of pain rising and falling. The sect leader frowned, his hands flying before the alchemy furnace, the deep green antidote gushing from the jade bottle, yet unable to conceal the anxiety in his eyes.

Lin Xiu lay on the innermost jade couch. Although his wounds had been bandaged, the skin corroded by the demonic dragon's blood had taken on an eerie bluish-purple hue. The antidote, instead of relieving the pain, made his internal organs feel as if they were being scorched by flames. As his consciousness faded, he seemed to see his junior sister Zhou skipping and waving at him; scenes of their past cultivation together flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern. Further away, several fallen junior brothers stood amidst the clouds, gentle smiles on their faces, yet these smiles brought a pang of sorrow to Lin Xiu's eyes.

Three days passed, and the atmosphere in the Healing Pavilion grew increasingly heavy. Even the disciples who had initially suffered minor injuries began to show signs of demonic transformation, with fine scales appearing on their skin and their eyes turning crimson. The sect leader looked at the medicine cauldron in his hand and sighed heavily: "This demonic poison is more troublesome than I expected; ordinary antidotes simply cannot cure it."

Just as everyone was in despair, a peaceful golden light suddenly shone down from the sky, illuminating the entire healing pavilion. An elderly man with white hair and a youthful face walked slowly, leaning on an ancient cane. He wore a plain robe, and his body was surrounded by a faint spiritual aura. Wherever he passed, the herbs swayed gently, as if in greeting.

"There's no need for you to worry," the old man's voice was like a clear spring, soothing everyone's anxious emotions. "I know an ancient secret technique that might be able to neutralize this demonic poison. However, it requires a medicinal ingredient called 'Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Grass.' This grass grows in the 'Netherworld Cold Abyss' in the far north, a place that is covered in ice and snow all year round and guarded by ancient ferocious beasts, making it extremely dangerous."