The Legend of the Princess' Counterattack

Chapter 606: Mother's Shadow in the Mirror

The night was as dark as ink, so thick that it could not be dissolved. The miasma filled the Thousand Illusions Forest, like a prehistoric beast that would devour anyone it could, hiding endless dangers. Yun Yao and her companions struggled to escape in the forest, with the ghostly figures of the Burning Heaven Palace chasing them behind them. The rain of arrows whistled, like the sickle of the god of death, brushing past them again and again, harvesting the dead silence of this strange place.

Liu Yan'er, the woman who used to compete with Yun Yao in the secular world and was full of calculations, now wears the red copper mask of the elder of the Burning Heaven Palace, with a chill and madness in her eyes, as if she has become a different person. She took the lead, waving the long whip in her hand vigorously, the tip of the whip cut through the air, making a sharp whistle, and every whip seemed to break the forest into pieces and completely cut off the life of Yun Yao and others.

“Hmph, Yun Yao, today is the day you die! Do you think you can escape the clutches of the Burning Heaven Palace? That’s nothing but wishful thinking!” Liu Yan’er’s voice was sharp and piercing, echoing in the sky above the maze forest, like the cry of a night owl, revealing a strong sense of pride and ferocity.

Yun Yao's heart was filled with hatred. The humiliation she had suffered in the palace and Liu Yan'er's various traps flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern. But at this moment, she had no time to be distracted. The spirit butterfly in her sleeves fluttered its wings and emitted a faint blue light, as if responding to her inner anxiety and unwillingness.

"It's not that easy to kill me!" Yun Yao gritted her teeth and swung the sword in her hand. A sharp sword energy slashed at the oncoming rain of arrows, knocking several sharp arrows away.

In the chaos, Yun Yao felt a strange force pulling at her soul. A flash of light appeared before her eyes, and she stepped into a strange illusion. This illusion was like a chaotic void, with only a soft light flashing in front of her, as if calling her. Yun Yao calmed down, raised her sword and walked forward slowly, her heart alert.

As the light grew brighter, a woman in white slowly emerged. Her face was beautiful, yet full of sorrow. Her eyes and eyebrows were somewhat similar to Yun Yao's, as if they were carved from the same mold. Yun Yao's heart trembled suddenly, and her eyes moistened instantly. Without saying anything, she knew that the person in front of her was her mother whom she had never met.

"Yao'er..." The mother's voice was as soft as a dream, as if it had crossed the barriers of time and space, carrying endless longing and concern.

"Mother..." Yun Yao choked and wanted to reach out and touch her, but she was afraid that it was just an illusion that would shatter at the slightest touch.

"The 'Heavenly Dao Questioning Heart Art' practiced by the Yunhua Sect requires the 'Mortal Tribulation' as a guide... Your status as a princess in the secular world back then was only the first tribulation." The mother's eyes looked into the distance, as if she was recalling the glorious years of the past, and as if she was pointing out to Yun Yao the hardships ahead.

Yun Yao was shocked. It turned out that her journey through time and her experiences in the secular world were all a carefully planned disaster. But she had no regrets. Those hardships made her grow, allowed her to meet Chu Mochen, and found her own perseverance.

The image of the mother gradually blurred, as if blown away by a gust of wind, but at the last moment, she gave Yun Yao a jade slip engraved with the word "Ni". "Remember, the goal of the Burning Heaven Palace is not only to resurrect the ancestor, but also to tamper with..." The voice stopped abruptly, as if it was cut off by an invisible hand, and the mother's figure completely dissipated, leaving only endless regret.

The illusion was broken, Yun Yao suddenly came back to her senses, and found a blood-stained jade plate in her hand. The two words "Yun Hua" on the front were vigorous and powerful, and the three words "Ni Tian Ming" on the back seemed to carry an unyielding cry. At this moment, the battle in the real world became more and more tragic. Chu Mochen and Ye Wuhen stood back to back, resisting the tide of the Burning Heaven Palace's offensive. They had multiple wounds on their bodies, and were covered in blood.

Seeing Yun Yao escape from the illusion, Liu Yan'er's eyes flashed with a sinister look, and she swung her long whip, aiming straight at Yun Yao's throat. "Humph, no matter what you got in the illusion, you will die here today!"

Yun Yao's eyes turned cold, and she held the long sword horizontally, blocking Liu Yan'er's sharp attack. The sword hummed, as if venting her anger. "Liu Yan'er, you are helping the tyrant. Today I will seek justice for the Yunhua Sect!"

After that, Yun Yao activated the spiritual veins in her body, and the light around her body shone brightly, as if a scorching sun rose, dispelling some of the darkness in the forest. She performed the "Heavenly Way Questioning Heart Art", and her sword moves were sharp. Each sword move carried an unstoppable momentum, as if she wanted to smash the injustice between heaven and earth.

Upon seeing this, Chu Mochen ignored his own injuries and raised his spiritual power. He swung the Black Ice Blade, creating icy spikes that echoed with Yun Yao's sword energy, forming a fierce attack net that forced the people from the Burning Heaven Palace back several steps.

Ye Wuhen also tried his best. He opened and closed the folding fan in his hand, and gusts of wind were blown. The wind carried a sharp force, like a sharp blade, cutting through the enemy's defenses.

However, the people of Burning Heaven Palace were like endless evil spirits, coming one after another, and their attack became more and more fierce. Liu Yan'er took advantage of Yun Yao's distraction to resist other enemies and secretly sacrificed a strange black rune. The rune flashed in the air and turned into a black chain, attacking Yun Yao's back.

Yun Yao sensed the danger behind her and wanted to dodge but it was too late. The chain instantly wrapped around her right arm and a foul smell rushed towards her, as if it was going to corrode her body and soul.

"Hahaha, Yun Yao, you've been trapped in my Corrupt Soul Lock. You can't escape today!" Liu Yan'er laughed wildly, her eyes full of pride.

Yun Yao's face was pale, and her right arm seemed to be bitten by thousands of poisonous insects, the pain was excruciating. But she gritted her teeth, with an unyielding light in her eyes, and her left hand suddenly grasped the long sword, slashed hard, and actually cut off the Corrupted Soul Lock.

"I won't lose to you!" Yun Yao roared, ignoring the injury on her right arm, and rushed towards Liu Yan'er again. At this moment, she had only one belief in her heart, which was to defeat the evil woman in front of her and find a way to crack the conspiracy of the Burning Heaven Palace.

Seeing Yun Yao injured, Chu Mochen was extremely anxious and rushed forward desperately to protect Yun Yao behind him. "Yao'er, I won't let anything happen to you!" His voice was firm and resolute, like a solid barrier, blocking Yun Yao.

Seeing this, Liu Yan'er snorted coldly: "Hmph, you two, a pair of loving and loyal mandarin ducks, will go to the underworld together today!" After that, she danced with her hands, muttered to herself, and displayed the Burning Heaven Palace's unique skill "Nine Seals of Burning Heaven". Nine huge fire seals appeared in the air, like nine scorching suns, carrying the breath of destroying everything, and smashed towards Yun Yao and Chu Mochen.

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen looked at each other, trust and tacit understanding in each other's eyes. They attacked at the same time, Yun Yao sacrificed the fire of catastrophe, the flame was like a smart spirit, entwined with the nine fire seals, and competed with them; Chu Mochen activated the black ice spirit vein, the icy air filled the air, condensed into an ice shield in front of him, resisting the impact of the fire seal.

For a moment, the fire and ice intertwined, illuminating the entire Thousand Illusion Forest, like a gorgeous and tragic fireworks feast. But the offensive of the Burning Heaven Palace seemed endless. Under the leadership of Liu Yan'er, everyone gathered around again, trapping Yun Yao and the other two in the core.

Yun Yao knew that if they continued like this, they would definitely lose. She endured the severe pain in her right arm, closed her eyes, and tried to communicate with the spirit butterfly in her body to find a way out. At this moment, the jade slip given by her mother in the illusion suddenly flashed in her mind, and she was moved and hurriedly probed her spiritual consciousness into it.

The jade slip seemed to contain a vast starry sky, with countless runes flashing. Yun Yao found a mysterious sword technique in it - "God-Defying Sword Technique". This sword technique seemed to be created specifically to fight against the Burning Heaven Palace, and the sword moves revealed a determination to defy fate and change one's destiny.

Yun Yao didn't have time to think about it, and immediately followed the sword formula and swung her sword. For a moment, she seemed to be integrated with the world, and the sword energy around her body was like the Milky Way pouring down, moving in all directions, and wherever she went, the enemies screamed and retreated.

Seeing this, Chu Mochen and Ye Wuhen were also greatly encouraged, and they cooperated with Yun Yao's attack to break out. Seeing that the situation was not good, Liu Yan'er's face was so gloomy that it seemed that water could drip out. She gritted her teeth and took out a blood-red bead from her bosom. There seemed to be a hideous ghost face on the bead, revealing an evil aura.

"Yun Yao, since you are so stubborn, then try the power of this Soul-Devouring Blood Bead!" Liu Yan'er said, throwing the blood bead at Yun Yao.

Yun Yao sensed the danger of the blood bead and tried to dodge but was already entangled by the enemy. Just when the blood bead was about to hit her, Chu Mochen rushed over and protected Yun Yao with his body. The blood bead hit his back, and a blood light instantly bloomed. Chu Mochen groaned and spurted out a mouthful of blood.

"Chu Mochen!" Yun Yao screamed in horror and supported Chu Mochen's shaky body.

"I'm fine...Yao'er, don't worry about me, just fight your way out..." Chu Mochen's face was as pale as paper, but he managed to speak with all his strength.

Yun Yao had tears in her eyes, and the hatred in her heart was like a burning flame. She put Chu Mochen down, holding a long sword, and rushed towards Liu Yan'er like a madman. At this moment, she forgot all her fears, and there was only one thought in her mind, that was to avenge Chu Mochen.

"Liu Yan'er, give me your life!" Yun Yao roared, and the long sword in his hand was like a dragon emerging from the sea. He unleashed the strongest move of the "Heaven-Defying Sword Technique" - "Heaven-Defying Sky-Breaking". A sword energy that seemed to be able to tear the sky apart whizzed out and went straight to Liu Yan'er's throat.

Liu Yan'er's eyes widened in horror, and she wanted to dodge but it was too late. Just as the sword energy was about to hit her, a black shadow suddenly appeared and blocked Liu Yan'er.

With a "puff" sound, the sword energy pierced into the black shadow's chest. The black shadow slowly fell down, revealing a familiar face - it turned out to be a confidant who had followed Liu Yan'er for many years.

"Miss... run..." The confidant spit out blood and said with his last bit of strength.

Liu Yan'er's face turned pale. She didn't expect Yun Yao to be so crazy and so determined. At this moment, a trace of fear surged in her heart. She no longer cared about anything else and turned around to run away.

Yun Yao wanted to chase him, but found that Chu Mochen's injuries were getting worse and his breath was weak. She quickly put away her sword, picked up Chu Mochen, and together with Ye Wuhen, took advantage of the panic of the people in the Burning Heaven Palace to quickly escape from the Thousand Illusion Forest.

In a hidden cave, Yun Yao carefully put Chu Mochen down, looking at the shocking wound on his chest, tears could not stop flowing. She hurriedly took out various healing pills from the storage ring, fed them to Chu Mochen, and used her internal energy to heal him.

Ye Wuhen stood guard at the cave entrance, watching the movements outside vigilantly to prevent anyone from the Burning Heaven Palace from chasing after them.

After a long time, Chu Mochen's face gradually regained some color, and his breath became more stable. Yun Yao's heart finally relaxed a little, and she held Chu Mochen's hand tightly, as if she was holding the most precious treasure in the world.

"Silly boy, why did you block that soul-devouring blood bead for me..." Yun Yao said while choking.

Chu Mochen slightly opened his eyes, looked at Yun Yao's tearful face, and a gentle smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "I said, I will protect you... As long as you are okay, it's worth it..."

Yun Yao was moved, she gently leaned on Chu Mochen's shoulder, as if at this moment, the troubles in the world had nothing to do with them. But she understood that the crisis had not been resolved, and the Burning Heaven Palace was still shrouded in haze. They must restore their strength as soon as possible and find a way to crack the conspiracy, so that they can truly protect each other and protect the peace of this world.

Outside the cave, the night was still dark, as if hiding countless unknown dangers. But Yun Yao had a flame burning in her heart, a fight against fate and a hope for the future. She knew that no matter how difficult the road ahead was, as long as she joined hands with Chu Mochen, she would have nothing to fear.

As the dawn light gradually penetrated the clouds and sprinkled on the cave, Yun Yao raised her head with a firm and resolute gaze. She gently let go of Chu Mochen, stood up, and looked at the unknown world outside the cave.

“Burning Heaven Palace, I will make you pay the price…” Yun Yao whispered softly, as if swearing an oath to the world.

At this moment, the blood-stained "Yunhua" jade token in her hand, under the reflection of the morning light, seemed to reveal a mysterious power, as if echoing her inner determination. Yun Yao knew that this was the hope left to her by her mother, and also the guide for her to go against her destiny. She carefully put away the jade token, turned around and looked at Chu Mochen, her eyes full of tenderness and determination.

"Brother Chu, we will definitely get through this." Yun Yao said softly, with unquestionable firmness in her tone.

Chu Mochen nodded slightly, his eyes full of trust and love for Yun Yao: "Well, with you here, I have nothing to fear."

Seeing the two of them like this, Ye Wuhen was filled with emotion. He stepped forward with a serious look on his face, "Now that the Burning Heaven Palace is pressing on, we must find the remaining fragments of the Burning Heart Mirror as soon as possible to stop them from resurrecting our ancestor. We should not stay in this Thousand Illusion Forest for long. Let's find a safe place first and then make a long-term plan."

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen looked at each other and nodded at the same time. After a short rest, the three of them left the cave and headed towards the unknown future. Their figures gradually moved away in the morning light, as if they were carrying the fate of this world and embarking on a thrilling journey against the will of heaven.

Along the way, Yun Yao took out the jade slip with the word "Ni" engraved on it from time to time to study, trying to find out more secrets about Yunhua Sect and Burning Heaven Palace. Every time she studied it, she seemed to have entered a new world. Those ancient runes and mysterious skills pieced together a grand picture in her mind bit by bit.

Although Chu Mochen's injuries gradually improved under Yun Yao's careful care, he still needed time to recuperate. Ye Wuhen relied on the connections and intelligence of Xingyun Pavilion to find a safe place and clues for them.

One day, they came to a remote valley. This valley was like a paradise, with colorful flowers, gurgling streams, and surrounded by mountains, like a natural barrier, isolating it from the outside world.

"This place is quite secluded. Let's stay here first and recuperate." Ye Wuhen said.

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen nodded in agreement. The three of them found a cave in the valley, made some simple arrangements, and settled down there.

In the quiet time of this valley, Yun Yao would practice the "God-Defying Sword Technique" every day, and her swordsmanship became more and more exquisite. She seemed to be integrated with the spiritual energy of the world. Every time she swung her sword, it could cause the spiritual energy around her to fluctuate, as if telling of her growth and transformation.

Chu Mochen watched Yun Yao practicing silently, his eyes full of admiration and love. Although his injuries had not healed, he also took advantage of this time to sort out the spiritual power in his body, trying to find a better way to cooperate with Yun Yao so that they could fight side by side in future battles.

Ye Wuhen was also not idle, he often went out to inquire about the news from the outside world. One day, he brought back a shocking news - the Burning Heaven Palace seemed to be secretly gathering forces from all sides, preparing to launch a large-scale attack on the major sects in the cultivation world, intending to seize resources and make final preparations for the resurrection of the ancestor.

"It seems that we don't have much time left. We must speed up." Yun Yao said solemnly after hearing the news.

Chu Mochen also stood up, his eyes showing determination: "That's right, we can't let them succeed."

Ye Wuhen nodded slightly: "I have found some clues about the fragments of the Burning Heart Mirror. One of the fragments may be in an ancient ruin not far from here. But the ruins are extremely dangerous and full of traps. Nine out of ten people who have entered in the past have not come out alive."

“No matter how dangerous it is, we have to give it a try, for the Yunhua Sect and for the peace of this world.” Yun Yao clenched his fists, his eyes determined.

So, the three of them made some preparations and left the valley, heading towards the ancient ruins that were full of unknowns and dangers. They knew that the road would be full of thorns, but they had a firm belief in their hearts, that is, to change their fate and protect their loved ones.

When they arrived at the entrance of the ancient ruins, an ancient and vicissitudes of life breathed in their faces...