If not for the urgency of the divine wood, Li Ye would have very much liked to throw it aside and give her a good thrashing first.

The deadly resentful energy below had already contaminated the branches she was hanging from, yet this person still had the heart to smile at him. Did she not know how to read the situation? If not, couldn’t she at least read his expression? Read his eyes!

Li Ye stared fixedly at her hand, then shifted his gaze, looking deeply at the notch in the divine wood.

Take it out.

Er’er studied his face seriously, then followed his line of sight to the side, seemingly understanding something. She immediately reached out, using both hands and feet to climb toward the notch.

Li Ye’s expression softened slightly, finally taking a breath of relief.

Not bad, there was still hope.

However, after this little thing climbed into the branches, she didn’t emerge for quite some time.

Li Ye waited puzzledly until the resentful energy around him rose and submerged past his chin before he belatedly realized.

…

…

This fool wasn’t going to retrieve the key at all; she had seen the dire situation and was hiding among the branches!

So angry his teeth ached, Li Ye thought mockingly that he too was stupid for having counted on this little thing. With her weak immortal power and foolish mind, he’d be better off relying on himself than hoping for her help.

Drawing a few more tenths of his immortal power, Li Ye felt the depletion of spiritual energy in his dantian. He wanted to lift the divine wood back to its original place, but the turbid energy around him was too dense. He couldn’t even take a single breath, and without spiritual energy replenishment, his divine power was already insufficient.

A lightning bolt cut across the sky within the formation. The snow falling from the dark clouds began to intensify. The snowflakes merged with the deep, resentful energy, suddenly transforming into black ice. The ice shards spun through the air, grazing his cheek and cutting a bloody gash.

The hot blood droplets rolled down his jaw, greedily devoured by the resentful energy.

Li Ye remained motionless.

Xuanshui, standing outside the killing formation, could see the fiery red robe on Li Ye beginning to fade, the feathers on his shoulders falling off, and the magnificent golden crow patterns gradually disappearing. The once-imposing and unrestrained red robe slowly reverted to a dull blue-white garment.

“It’s almost time,” someone whispered.

In an instant, the Kan clan immortals who had been concealing their divine auras within the Upper Ren Palace all revealed themselves. Several streams of powerful divine energy poured into one person, who then wrapped himself in resentful energy and spiraled upward, charging straight into the Death Formation of the Killing God.

The sound of breaking through the void grew from distant to near.

Li Ye’s ears twitched slightly, his eyes dark.

The Kan clan truly deserved their reputation for cunning among the immortal sects. They were thorough in their actions. Despite already having the Killing God Formation, to ensure absolute success, they had even sent someone to deliver the final blow.

The newcomer was no stranger—Kan Yuan, Kan Ze’s direct disciple.

Kan Yuan had always hated him, and now, finally presented with this heaven-sent opportunity, he risked his own life, flying to stand three zhang away from him. Using his lifelong spiritual power as a sacrifice, he summoned the ancient divine weapon Snake Tail.

The Snake Tail blade could sever tendons and block meridians. No matter how powerful an immortal, once the blade entered their body, even with the greatest abilities, they would lose all divine power.

Kan Yuan, breathing heavily, looked at him and rasped, “I’ve come to avenge my master’s death. You can let go now, and perhaps you can drag me down to accompany you in death.”

No one would be foolish enough to stand still waiting for death. When he came, he had thought that if he could fight Li Ye one last time, it would do justice to Kan Ze’s years of nurturing him.

However, the man before him didn’t even look at him, still silently supporting the divine wood.

“You truly are a madman. Master was right—you are a complete and utter madman!” Kan Yuan laughed bitterly, his eyes bloodshot as he raised the Snake Tail blade and hurled it fiercely at Li Ye’s heart.

With tremendous force, it cut through the thick, deathly resentful energy, creating an opening. The sharp blade, wrapped in ginkgo leaves and flying ice shards, completely sealed off any positions around him where he might dodge.

This was several levels higher than Xuanshui’s immortal technique. Li Ye, with all his divine power focused on the divine wood, knew he could neither catch nor evade it, so he simply resigned himself to taking the blow.

In that moment, he felt as though he had seen such a scene before—the floating ginkgo leaves, the sharp Snake Tail blade, even the pain his chest was about to suffer, he seemed to know what it would feel like.

It must be fate, he thought indifferently.

The killing intent at the blade’s tip had already reached his collar. But just at that critical moment, a crooked stream of immortal power suddenly descended from above, mixed with half-formed fire-based immortal power and a pure white spiritual energy, transforming into a giant cotton ball that went “poof” and blocked his front.

Li Ye was stunned.

The Snake Tail blade plunged into the cotton ball, its raging killing intent dissipating. No stabbing pain came to his chest, nor did his divine power drain away.

His heart stirred, and Li Ye looked up at the divine wood.

Er’er still held the hand seal, looking extremely frightened. Her tiny shoulders trembled continuously, but she neither hid nor retreated. Instead, she had mustered all her strength to make the cotton ball grow another inch larger.

“Master, don’t be afraid,” she looked at Kan Yuan and declared quite majestically, “You have a disciple too!”

After saying this, she was so scared by the howling resentful energy around her that she shrank her neck and hugged the tree trunk, trembling pitifully.

Li Ye: “…”

His disciple was not as formidable as others’ disciples.

Looking at her with a strange expression, Li Ye felt something unusual in his heart. This person was even afraid of death, yet she had stood up to protect him in front of Kan Yuan. Although this cotton ball was pink and utterly unsightly, it had shielded him.

Perhaps she wasn’t completely useless after all.

Slightly pursing his lips, Li Ye looked away.

Er’er gazed at the death resentment below, swallowed hard, then turned to ask him, “Master, can we let go? While the mountain remains green, there’s no fear of lacking firewood.”

Any normal person would know that letting go was the best choice at this point. For an immortal like him, as long as he survived, what couldn’t he obtain?

With a self-mocking snort, Li Ye shook his head.

He would never let go, even if it killed him.

No matter who tried to stop him, who tried to persuade him, who thought him foolish, he wouldn’t care. After all, they weren’t on the same path.

He didn’t need others to understand.

“Alright.” With a worried sigh, Er’er leaped down.

A ripple of water-blue robes flashed before him. Li Ye thought she was going to fly to the empty ground in the distance, but unexpectedly, she landed directly in front of him.

The stone was already small, barely enough for him and the Phoenix Slayer blade. With her coming over, she could only press tightly against him to avoid falling off.

“It’s so cramped,” she grumbled, kneading the cotton ball in front of her and pulling out the Snake Tail blade entangled within.

It’s you.

Looking at this familiar blade, Er’er sighed deeply. Today, if she hadn’t been here, it would have been lodged in Li Ye’s heart. Although she knew Li Ye wouldn’t have been reduced to dust and ashes, this would still have been a calamity for him.

Turning her head to look at the person behind her, Er’er silently patted his shoulder.

I’ve helped you avoid a calamity; remember to return the favor in the future.

Her little paw was soft and light, patting him as if consoling him not to be afraid.

Li Ye frowned, utterly disdainful.

He, a supreme god, had he ever feared anything? A mere Snake Tail blade, why would he need consolation from such a minor immortal?

Ignorant, ridiculous, presumptuous.

However…

Looking down at this little thing that barely reached his heart level, Li Ye maintained his stern face and thought indifferently.

This was the first time someone had been willing to stand in front of him as a shield.