The Legend of the Princess' Counterattack

Chapter 741: The Awakening of the Mortal God Bloodline (Xiao Cui Independent Chapter)

The night was as dark as ink, and Lotus Town was shrouded in an ominous haze. Before the Lotus Heart Cult's altar, Xiao Cui knelt alone, a faint glow emanating from her body. That light tugged at the darkness in a silent struggle. A jade slip hovered before her, its inscription declaring the true meaning of "Mortal God Bloodline" flickering like a nimble golden snake, waging a desperate battle against the surging demonic evil within her.

Xiao Cui bit her lower lip, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead and hitting the cold ground. The evil within her body was like an awakened beast, baring its fangs and claws, and every attack nearly ruptured her meridians. And the prayers of the people, like wisps of golden light, penetrated the layers of darkness and struggled to enter her dantian. This should have been a ray of hope, but when it touched the Youyue curse seal, it was instantly distorted, erupting with a blinding bloody light, like the hideous mockery of a demon.

"Sister Xiao Cui, take your medicine!" A clear, childish cry broke the solemn silence. Xiao Cui raised her eyes with difficulty and saw a child from the town running towards her, holding a medicine bowl. The child's eyes were filled with innocence and trust, a light that shone brightly in the darkness, like a sharp sword, piercing the softest part of Xiao Cui's heart. Xiao Cui's eyes instantly moistened, and memories of the past surged back like a tide.

Once upon a time, she was just an unknown maid in the palace, trembling with fear as she performed the menial tasks every day. It was Yun Yao, the princess, a celestial being, who, despite her humble origins and clumsy hands, taught her to read and write, gifted her with the precious Heart Bell, and whispered to her, "Xiao Cui, even mortals possess extraordinary powers. As long as you hold onto faith, you can control your own destiny."

"I don't want to be a vessel for the demonic cultivators!" Xiao Cui seemed to draw endless strength from her memories. She bit her tongue, biting it open and bleeding. Enduring the intense pain, Xiao Cui stretched out her trembling fingers and wrote down the first motto Yun Yao had taught her on the jade slip, stroke by stroke: "Destiny is created by the heart, not by heaven."

In an instant, a strange scene unfolded. As if hearing a call to assemble, the previously scattered golden dots of light quickly converged, their brilliance growing ever brighter as they slowly coalesced into a small yet razor-sharp sword. Runes swirled across the blade, as if speaking of an unyielding will. Xiao Cui's gaze was as firm as a torch. She gripped the small sword, shaped by her conviction, and fiercely struck at the curse that imprisoned her.

"Crack!" A crisp sound, like the first rays of dawn, shattered the darkness of the long night. The curse seal shattered, dissipating into wisps of black smoke. At the same time, Xiao Cui felt a surge of immense, pure power surge from her dantian, instantly spreading throughout her limbs and bones. A brilliant silver light shone through the tips of her hair, and between her brows, a "Lotus Seal of Wishfulness," woven from the faith of countless mortals, slowly emerged, radiating a light more dazzling and pure than the very essence of the Divine Court.

Meanwhile, in the dense forests outside Lotus Town, remnants of the Blood Demon Sect lay dormant, quietly hatching a conspiracy against the town. The leading demon cultivator gazed toward the town with a sinister glare, his lips curled in a cruel smile. "Hmph, that Xiao Cui is just a young girl. Even if she's awakened some mortal god bloodline, how can she withstand us? Once we capture Lotus Town and offer these mortal souls to the Saint, we'll surely receive an unparalleled reward."

The minions around him laughed flatteringly at his words, their eyes gleaming with greed and cruelty. With a flash of their bodies, they rushed towards the town like ghosts, reaching the town entrance in an instant. However, they never expected that they would be greeted by a soul-shattering counterattack.

As the vanguard of the demonic forces entered the town, a blinding silver light struck them. Xiao Cui, wielding the "Wish Power Light Sword," stood proudly, like a god of war descending. Behind her, thousands of civilians shouted in unison, their power surged, coalescing into a giant silver lotus that obscured the sky. The lotus slowly descended, each petal seemingly imbued with immense force. Wherever it passed, the demonic forces melted like ice and snow in the blazing sun.

Seeing this, the most powerful tiger demon let out a deafening roar, attempting to intimidate everyone with its demonic might. With lightning speed, it pounced on Xiao Cui, its bloody maw gaping, baring its sharp fangs. Its demonic aura burned like materialized black flames. Xiao Cui, however, showed no fear. Her eyes were as cold as ice, and she swung her lightsaber across, charging at the tiger demon.

The moment Xiao Cui's fingertips touched, a strange scene unfolded. As if meeting its nemesis, the evil within the tiger demon was swiftly purged by an invisible force. Its eyes widened in terror and resignation, and with a final roar, it collapsed to the ground, disintegrating into a pool of black ash.

But before Xiao Cui could even catch her breath, a mouthful of blood suddenly spurted out of her mouth, spilling onto the ground like red plum blossoms. Cracks quickly spread across the jade slip, revealing Saint Youyue's hidden plan.

"Hahaha, Xiao Cui, do you think you can escape my control with just this little ability?" The voice of the Holy Maiden Youyue seemed to come from the Nine Nether Hell, echoing in everyone's minds. "The beliefs of these mortals will eventually become stepping stones for my rule over the world!"

Seeing this, the Lotus Heart Cult members were terrified and gathered around. Without hesitation, they injected their willpower into Xiao Cui again, trying to suppress the rampant spell. However, the Saint's voice became more arrogant: "How foolish! The stronger your faith, the greater my power. Obediently accept death!"

When Yun Yao arrived, she saw Xiao Cui's spirit gradually becoming transparent, like a candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment. Her heart suddenly sank, and the "Xiao Cui's darkening line" she had seen in the core of the narrative law instantly emerged in her mind. It was a tragic fate that she had forsaken herself. Was Xiao Cui now destined to repeat the same mistake?

"No! Absolutely not!" Yun Yao gritted her teeth, took out the Heavenly Dao Pen, and looked determined: "Xiao Cui, this time I will definitely rewrite your fate. It has nothing to do with the Heavenly Dao, but because you are my most important friend!" After that, she lightly tapped the pen tip and wrote in Xiao Cui's sea of consciousness: "The true power of the mortal god bloodline is to accept one's own imperfections."

Xiao Cui's delicate body trembled violently, as if awakened from a deep sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, a light shimmering within them. The Lotus Seal of Wishes, as if alive, transformed into black and white. The black represented the last remaining struggle of the evil spirit; the white was the ultimate manifestation of pure faith.

Xiao Cui's lips curled up in a relieved smile. "So, I don't need to be a flawless saint. I just need to be the Xiao Cui who serves tea and water to the princess and stays by her side. That's enough." With that, she raised her jade hand and slammed the blood-stained jade slip to the ground. The crisp sound was like a horn declaring war: "Saint Youyue, today, I will defeat you with my own hands and clear the name of all mortals!"

Xiao Cui's body shone brightly, and the "Wish Sword of Light" in her hand hummed, as if responding to her master's determination. With a flash of her figure, she rushed towards the remaining demonic forces like a silver lightning, carrying the faith of thousands of people. At this moment, Lianhua Town was no longer a weak lamb to be slaughtered, but an indestructible fortress of faith, shining brightly in the darkness, launching the most courageous charge against fate.

The demonic cultivators were horrified upon seeing this, but there was no way to retreat. They gritted their teeth, brandishing their magic weapons in a vain attempt to make a final stand. However, wherever Xiao Cui's lightsaber struck, the demonic forces were reduced to pieces, shattering one after another. The people's cries grew more passionate, and the power of their faith seemed endless, constantly flowing into Xiao Cui, making her power even stronger.

In the midst of a fierce battle, Xiao Cui suddenly sensed something unusual within the demonic cultivators' formation. It was a subtle yet familiar wave, as if it shared the same source as the demonic evil within her. Xiao Cui's gaze fixed, and she saw a demonic cultivator, hunched over, his eyes flickering. He clutched a black magic crystal in his hand, muttering something.

Xiao Cui's mind raced, instantly recalling a sinister forbidden technique she'd heard about back at the palace—the Magic Crystal Puppetry technique. This technique used magic crystals to manipulate the minds of others, transforming them into zombie-like puppets, working for the caster. A flash of anger flashed in Xiao Cui's eyes, and she moved across the battlefield like a ghost, closing in on the demonic cultivator.

"Hmph, you want to run?" Xiao Cui snorted coldly, and with a swipe of her lightsaber, a burst of sword energy like a rainbow instantly cut off the demon cultivator's retreat. The demon cultivator stared at Xiao Cui approaching step by step, his legs weakening and he collapsed to the ground.

"Tell me, where did this magic crystal come from?" Xiao Cui asked coldly, the tip of her sword pressed against the demon cultivator's throat. The demon cultivator's face paled with fear, his lips trembling as he managed to utter a few words after a long pause: "It...it was given to us by the Saint Lady. She...she wants us to use this technique to control the people of Lotus Town and use it for her own purposes..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Cui's rage intensified. She hadn't imagined that Saint Youyue would be so ruthless, not only attempting to devour the people's faith but also turning them into puppets at her mercy. "Today is your death!" Xiao Cui roared, stabbing down with her lightsaber. The demon cultivator instantly dissipated in a puff of black smoke.

Having resolved this crucial threat, Xiao Cui's momentum intensified. She turned to the remaining demon cultivators, her eyes icy cold. "Your master is already in danger, why don't you surrender?" The demon cultivators looked at each other, their eyes filled with despair. Their fear had already overwhelmed their loyalty to the Saint, and they dropped their weapons and knelt, begging for mercy.

The crisis in Lotus Town was temporarily averted. Xiao Cui looked at the devastation on the ground with mixed feelings. She knew that this victory was only temporary; until the Holy Maiden of Youyue was eliminated, the world would never be at peace. But at this moment, looking at the people around her who were safe and sound, listening to their cheers of survival, Xiao Cui felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

"Princess, we did it..." Xiao Cui muttered to herself, tears glistening in her eyes. She knew that the road ahead would be thorny, but as long as she had Yun Yao and these people, she would have the courage to face all unknown challenges. And at this moment, the mortal-god bloodline within her body was like a newly awakened star, radiating endless light, illuminating her path forward and bringing a glimmer of hope to this dark world.

From a distance, Yun Yao gazed at Xiao Cui's back, a gratified smile playing on her lips. She knew that from this day on, Xiao Cui had completely transformed, no longer the timid little maidservant who followed her around, but a capable hero. Their journey together against the Holy Maiden of Youyue had only just begun...