Xie Hongchen was also surprised, and at this moment, Yuanrong Tower’s shaking intensified.

Shi Wenyu shouted harshly, “Seize Huang Rang!”

With his command, Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xi charged toward Huang Rang without regard for anything else.

Huang Rang’s cultivation was already the weakest. Under the four’s life-or-death assault, she was immediately enveloped and surrounded by Eunuch Fu!

And Lu, Shou, and Xi were also grievously wounded by Xie Hongchen and Di Yiqiu!

The two were about to rush forward to rescue Huang Rang, but the black mist transformed from Eunuch Fu instantly bit into Huang Rang’s shoulder, savagely tearing off a piece of flesh.

Huang Rang clenched her teeth tightly and made no sound. Yet Di Yiqiu and Xie Hongchen dared not advance another step.

Shi Wenyu finally managed to stabilize Yuanrong Tower with hand seals, then said in a deep voice, “My son, absorb the power of Lu, Shou, and Xi, and kill Xie Hongchen!”

Xie Hongchen’s brow furrowed slightly as he couldn’t help but step back, moving farther from Di Yiqiu.

Di Yiqiu only hesitated slightly before Eunuch Fu took another bite at Huang Rang’s arm.

“Stop it!” Di Yiqiu called out urgently.

Shi Wenyu said sternly, “Don’t make me say it a second time!”

Huang Rang’s wound throbbed with intense pain. Only at this moment did she finally know what kind of pain Di Yiqiu had endured outside the dream.

She said, “Don’t believe him—he won’t kill me!”

Shi Wenyu said, “I have never wanted to kill you. But you are truly too disobedient!” He turned again toward Xie Hongchen, examining him carefully. After a long while, he said with understanding, “You are the son of Leiyin Daji? Looking at it this way, you do bear some resemblance.”

“Leiyin Daji’s son?” Huang Rang covered her wound. Even in such circumstances, she still had the mind to gossip. “Wasn’t Leiyin Daji sealed by the Soul-Binding Bone-Setting Needles very early on?”

Xie Hongchen kept his mouth shut, clearly not planning to mention his origins.

—Leiyin Daji had indeed always been imprisoned in a secret chamber at Yuhu Xuanzong.

Even Xie Hongchen himself dared not think too much about how he had come to be!

Just what despicable methods had Xie Lingbi used…

Xie Hongchen said coldly, “If he knew of Yinian Shenbu’s fate today, I’m afraid he would also find it laughable.”

Sure enough, these words drew a cold snort from Shi Wenyu. “My son, what are you waiting for?”

Di Yiqiu looked at Huang Rang. Huang Rang said, “Aren’t the four eunuchs your trusted confidants? Why does Your Majesty want Di Yiqiu to absorb their power?” At this point, she suddenly understood. “You’ve always wanted Di Yiqiu’s body, but because his power system wasn’t yet mature, you’ve been carefully cultivating it all along.”

She counted through the dreams and said, “In the three dreams, besides wanting me to eliminate Xie Lingbi, you’ve also been cultivating Di Yiqiu’s body!”

Shi Wenyu laughed coldly and said, “My son need not listen to her divisive words. Now your father is also very satisfied with Xie Hongchen’s body. If you kill him, he will also be weakened outside the dream. Then your father will naturally be able to possess him. When that time comes, you will still be my most beloved son.”

Di Yiqiu only hesitated slightly before Eunuch Fu tore off another piece of Huang Rang’s flesh!

Di Yiqiu could only take out a black umbrella from his magical artifacts and begin extracting the power of Lu, Shou, and Xi.

Xie Hongchen’s eyes showed worry as he said, “Di Yiqiu, I’ve read the manuscripts of demon and ghost books. After possession, he needs endless resentment to maintain his power system! He has cultivated to this day and has already committed countless great evil deeds. Do you still want to continue being his running dog, manipulated by him?!”

The black umbrella completely extracted the power of Lu, Shou, and Xi, transferring it into Di Yiqiu’s body.

Huang Rang tried several times to ambush Eunuch Fu but was bitten and torn in return. Blood stained half her skirt. Di Yiqiu looked at her through the runes of the magical artifact.

Each helpless in their own way.

Di Yiqiu quickly absorbed the power of the three. Black energy swirled around his body until even his purple robes could not be seen clearly.

He looked at Xie Hongchen and suddenly channeled his power, his entire person transforming into a mass of black mist.

“Very good.” Shi Wenyu said softly. “Demon and ghost books are also very suitable for you.”

Di Yiqiu walked toward Xie Hongchen step by step. Black mist swirled all around him, like an asura demon from hell.

Xie Hongchen held his Heart Sword, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Di Yiqiu dared not stop. He only paused slightly before another wound appeared on Huang Rang’s body. He could only fight!

Xie Hongchen also understood that more words were useless. No matter what, Shi Wenyu had captured Huang Rang, which meant he had seized Di Yiqiu’s vital weakness.

The skeleton transformed from Di Yiqiu opened its gaping bloody maw and lunged at him. The Heart Sword in Xie Hongchen’s hand showed no more mercy as he slashed down with one strike!

The black mist sizzled and hissed, yet it also devoured the Heart Sword!

Huang Rang sighed softly and said, “I must break the dream now. Husband, I truly… cannot bear to part with everything in this dream.”

This person—in her youth she had been greedy for fame and profit, after marriage she had hoped for just a bit of love’s response. After being punished and imprisoned in the mountain’s belly, day and night, all she hoped and prayed for was freedom.

Upon entering the dreams—one dream for revenge, the second dream with unresolved feelings.

Only in this Third Dream had she truly and genuinely lived for herself.

What a pity that time was so short.

“I haven’t even eaten enough of the buns from West City.” Huang Rang muttered. Her right hand concealed within her sleeve gripped the tea needle. The skeleton transformed from Eunuch Fu intended to hold her hostage but had no intention of killing her.

Huang Rang suddenly struck, the tea needle slicing through that patch of black mist. With a single scream, the black mist suddenly retreated. Blood gushed out, leaving a patch of glaring crimson on the ground.

Huang Rang retreated to the tower’s edge and looked at Di Yiqiu once more.

Having offended Shi Wenyu this time, she would probably never be able to enter the dream again.

But no matter what, she absolutely could not let Di Yiqiu actually kill Xie Hongchen. Setting aside that Xie Hongchen’s crimes didn’t warrant death, how trustworthy was Shi Wenyu anyway?

She raised her hand and pressed the ice-cold tea needle against her own throat.

Shi Wenyu’s pupils constricted tightly. Huang Rang applied force with her hand. Pain…

She only felt pain…

The tea needle pierced through her snow-white neck. Blood lines overflowed like a fountain.

Di Yiqiu could no longer care about Shi Wenyu’s orders. He shed his mist form and pulled Huang Rang into his embrace in one motion. Huang Rang raised her hand, warm and slippery blood staining half his face.

The tea needle began to slowly melt. Water droplets mixed with blood dripped downward.

Huang Rang trembled all over from the pain. Something like suicide—she probably would never have the courage for it again.

She looked at Di Yiqiu and after a long while said with difficulty, “Don’t… don’t kill Xie Hongchen. I think Shi Wenyu can’t possess someone so easily. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so wary of Xie Hongchen.”

She spoke tiredly and panted lightly for a while before continuing, “He’s waiting for an opportunity. I even suspect his current body is extremely weak with no combat power. Otherwise… he wouldn’t have been scared off by Xie Lingbi…”

Di Yiqiu half-held her, one hand gently stroking her lower abdomen. After a long while, he said, “All right.”

Huang Rang’s throat was choked with blood, making rattling sounds. But the tea needle needed time to melt. She leaned against Di Yiqiu and said, “Xie… Xie Hongchen… outside the dream, you were possessed by Xie Lingbi. You must… must hurry over and kill Xie Lingbi… reclaim your body…”

Xie Hongchen lowered his eyes. Before him, the beauty’s face was pale, already near death.

Yet word by word, sentence by sentence, she still gave them instructions.

Xie Hongchen asked, “What about you? What can I do for you?”

Huang Rang was slightly stunned, but in the end, she silently shook her head. The tea needle in her hand gradually melted as Huang Rang’s life force ebbed away. Huang Rang gripped it tightly, as if gripping time itself.

She closed her eyes and after a long while said, “Di Yiqiu, I really want to return to our house in the west part of the city. The bean buns, fried rice, pancakes from West City… I haven’t eaten enough of any of them…”

Even trying not to be sentimental, Di Yiqiu still gripped her hand tightly.

Such a dream—who would be willing to wake from it?

The world was melting wax. Gradually, all the world before their eyes twisted and dissipated like smoke.

When Di Yiqiu regained consciousness again, his entire body was being devoured by black mist, his internal organs already clearly visible! The world alternated between illusion and reality, with a moment of stagnation!

Di Yiqiu seized this moment and suddenly rolled backward.

Memories of the Third Dream flooded into everyone’s minds like a tide. The entire world began to awaken!

Di Yiqiu quickly gathered his power, realizing that in the Third Dream, because he had absorbed the power systems of Xie Lingbi and Lu, Shou, and Xi, his cultivation had greatly advanced.

He did not know why Shi Wenyu had gone to such great lengths to accumulate such profound cultivation for him.

Di Yiqiu turned around and saw Huang Rang right behind him. She sat in a wheelchair, neither speaking nor moving. Even her gaze was empty and vacant.

—In the Third Dream, she had never once mentioned herself outside the dream.

But Xie Lingbi was right before him. Even this one glance was a luxury.

He came to his senses and, relying on the power he had grown in the dream, suddenly transformed into mist! Demon and ghost books required consuming large amounts of resentment. He could only rush straight at Xie Lingbi!

Di Yiqiu tore and bit at him like a madman. Those black mists, every thread and strand, became nutrients repairing his body. And Xie Lingbi, having suffered the punishment of Soul-Binding Bone-Setting Needles in the dream, now, despite raging and roaring, had his power system greatly damaged!

He could only tear at other imperial princes around him, leaving pieces of mangled corpses and remains all around. Black resentful energy rose from the corpses and was absorbed into his belly. He killed while simultaneously recovering his power system!

And just at this moment, the elders of Yuhu Xuanzong arrived one after another!

This wave of elders, being old in years, all feared death.

They came up not to fight but only used magical artifacts to consistently restrict and consume Xie Lingbi.

Suddenly, everyone saw an emaciated old man rushing toward them from outside Shangjing City!

Everyone focused their eyes—truly strange and eerie.

The one coming was indeed “Xie Lingbi.”

He was of course not Xie Lingbi himself but rather the possessed Xie Hongchen!

Only one of the shackles binding the Eight Desolations on his hands had been removed. Because he had rushed too urgently with his weak, sickly body, his face showed an abnormal flush.

The elders of Yuhu Xuanzong, upon seeing him, all showed wary expressions.

And at this moment, Xie Hongchen, supporting his sick body, transformed his Heart Sword into his hand again.

He drew a strange spell rune in the air. Sword light slashed down toward it. In an instant, only to see thousands of stars shatter, myriad points of light all converging into Xie Lingbi’s body!

Xie Lingbi raised his sword in resistance. However, suddenly, some kind of restriction within his body seemed to be triggered.

Starlight entered his body, coalescing into a strange spell talisman.

He suddenly remembered that when he had first possessed this body, he had not used demon and ghost books!

It was Xie Hongchen who had actively exchanged his body with him. At that time, he had been so carried away with pride that he hadn’t even considered whether Xie Hongchen had hidden any killing moves.

The black mist in the air instantly dispersed. Xie Lingbi, wearing Xie Hongchen’s body, suddenly crashed to the ground. His breathing was labored, unable to gather power. And the damage from the Third Dream also made things worse for him.

He fell to the ground and saw another person wearing his own shell slowly walking toward him.

“Xie… Xie Hongchen…” He trembled as he spoke. “You planted a restriction within your own body… you… had planned this all along!”

Xie Hongchen crouched before him, quietly watching him. “I told you, after this matter, I am severed from Master in both grace and duty. We owe each other nothing.”

Xie Lingbi’s mouth made wheezing sounds. Just at this moment, a foul wind arose in the air!

Four masses of black mist came rushing toward them.

Everyone looked up—it was Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xi attacking!

The four did not hesitate, all rushing toward Xie Lingbi and Xie Hongchen together, preparing to take advantage of their body exchange to eliminate them quickly!

Huang Rang sat in her wheelchair. After the Third Dream awakened, she had once again fallen into this fate worse than death.

Those mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the conspiracies and schemes, seemed to have nothing more to do with her.

Miao Yunzhi pushed her wheelchair. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to stay or flee.

And in the air came another foul wind as a large patch of black mist rose from the sky.

Everyone was greatly alarmed, thinking some other demonic creature had appeared. Only Miao Yunzhi murmured, “Di Yiqiu… he also practices demonic arts?”

In Huang Rang’s line of sight, she only saw Di Yiqiu’s body transform into black mist. The black mist like a skeleton lunged toward Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xi to attack and kill them.

Seeing this, Xie Hongchen also no longer hesitated. He gripped Xie Lingbi’s hand, pressing the possession rune in his palm against his own. The other elders, seeing this, all protected their sect master.

Di Yiqiu fought with Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xi for a quarter hour. Xie Hongchen suddenly opened his eyes!

His Heart Sword emerged again, slashing toward Eunuch Xi with one strike! From this single sword strike, Di Yiqiu knew that Xie Hongchen had reclaimed his body.

Among the four, Eunuch Xi had the weakest cultivation! And in the dream, he had been drained of cultivation by Di Yiqiu, so now it should be reduced by another thirty percent!

Xie Hongchen attacked him with one sword stroke, clearly knowing the weak point well. Sure enough, with his strike, Eunuch Xi was immediately wounded and revealed his original form!

The other elders dared not fight desperately, only flanking from the sides.

Di Yiqiu and Xie Hongchen joined forces again. Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xi steadily lost ground.

Xie Lingbi reclaimed his own shell. After this possession, his shell was even weaker. He looked up at the sky. The damage brought by the punishment of Soul-Binding Bone-Setting Needles in the Third Dream finally all erupted after his primordial spirit and body reunited.

The corners of his mouth trembled, yet he couldn’t speak a single word. He couldn’t even lift his hand if he wanted to.

The former ancestor of Yuhu Xuanzong now lay on the ground. Mud and water soiled his robes, yet he could not move.

Qiu Cailing only now came before him. After staring at him for a long while, she said bitterly, “Keeping you alive only brings shame to the sect.” After speaking, she reached out and, in a corner where no one noticed, snapped Xie Lingbi’s throat.

Atop Yuanrong Tower, Shi Wenyu stood high above, quietly watching the battlefield.

Because Xie Hongchen and Di Yiqiu were extremely vigilant, Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xi could not find an opportunity to strike at Huang Rang.

At this moment, Huang Rang sat quietly in her wheelchair.

And with such a major incident occurring in Shangjing, the other great powers of the immortal sects were finally alarmed.

He Xijin, Wu Zichou, and others all crushed teleportation talismans and rushed toward this place.

For a time, the streets of Shangjing gathered almost all the prominent figures of the immortal sects.

Qu Manying found Huang Rang at the first opportunity. Upon seeing Huang Rang in the wheelchair, she nearly shed tears.

And just at this moment, Yuanrong Tower suddenly moved!

The entire tower suddenly rose from the ground and flew into the air. And at the instant it moved, Huang Rang before Qu Manying, both person and wheelchair, suddenly vanished without a trace!

Qu Manying was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted. “Shi Wenyu has taken A Rang!”

The solitary tower in the air sealed tightly shut!

Huang Rang only felt a flash of golden light before her eyes. Her entire person had already entered the tower.

Shi Wenyu was standing right beside her.