At these words, both Xie Gutang and Qin Wanwan looked at him.

Jian Xingzhi felt somewhat uncomfortable under their gazes and spoke stiffly: “Why… why are you looking at me?”

“Xingzhou is still there.” Xie Gutang reminded him seriously.

“And Cuilu.” Qin Wanwan added.

Jian Xingzhi choked and quickly supplemented: “I was just saying. So what do we do now?”

The three fell into contemplation. Xie Gutang couldn’t understand: “Why did Liu Feixu suddenly tie everyone up?”

“I know this,” Qin Wanwan analyzed for him. “Before coming to Flower City, we discovered that Shen Zhiming, Jun Shu, and Ning Buxiu all carried demon seeds. Due to certain reasons, we deduced there were two more—Liu Feixu and that young old ancestor from the Formless Sect might also carry demon seeds. Looking at it now, Liu Feixu probably truly has a demon seed.”

“Certain reasons?” Xie Gutang found it strange, but felt he shouldn’t ask too much, so he changed the subject. “He has a demon seed—what happens next?”

“Liu Feixu, carrying a demon seed, cannot ascend. So he wants to collect the Exquisite Jade and ascend through the Immortal Ascension Gate.” Jian Xingzhi recalled all the information from coming to Flower City. “He’s Liu Yuehua’s nephew. Liu Yuehua trusts him greatly, and he was very active about Liu Feishuang’s marriage. So it’s very likely he knew the Exquisite Jade was in Bai Wei’s hands. He deliberately told Liu Yuehua to use the Water Spirit Pearl to summon the Exquisite Jade to deal with Bai Wei, urging Liu Feishuang to marry, thereby attracting Bai Wei to appear. After we seized the Exquisite Jade from Bai Wei’s hands, he would then use Cuilu, Luo Xingzhou, and the others to exchange with us.”

“Didn’t he consider that we might not be able to seize it?” Xie Gutang furrowed his brow tightly.

Qin Wanwan reminded Xie Gutang: “Even if we didn’t seize it, we still have two pieces of Exquisite Jade from Ghost City and Desolate City in our hands.”

“Then,” Xie Gutang hesitated, “what exactly is his strength level to be able to capture both Liu Yuehua and Cuilu at the same time?”

“He was already at the Great Perfection of Divine Transformation stage. Now that he’s planted a demon seed, his strength is unfathomable. And Liu Yuehua wasn’t guarding against him, while Cuilu was injured in Bai Wei’s array. Being captured alive by him is actually quite normal.”

Jian Xingzhi understood Xie Gutang’s meaning and analyzed: “If you’re hoping they can escape on their own, that’s probably not very possible.”

Hearing this, Xie Gutang’s face showed bitterness: “Do we really have no other methods?”

Jian Xingzhi lowered his eyes. He pondered: “From the current situation, we can’t get back, they can’t save themselves, indeed…”

Before he finished speaking, Jian Xingzhi heard Xie Gutang’s sorrowful yet solemn voice beside him: “Junior martial brother, rest in peace! Senior martial brother will definitely avenge you!”

Jian Xingzhi looked up in astonishment to see Xie Gutang already kneeling not far away, holding three incense sticks, bowing toward the west.

“Wait,” Jian Xingzhi spoke in shock while holding Nanfeng, “aren’t you giving up a bit too early?!”

“Yes,” Qin Wanwan came to her senses and quickly went to help Xie Gutang up. “Brother Xie, don’t give up yet. Let’s think of a solution—there must be a way!”

“What other way is there?”

Xie Gutang was helped up by Qin Wanwan, hope rekindled. The three squatted back down beside the umbrella covering Bai Wei and began to think.

“Should we just fly out directly?”

Qin Wanwan tentatively proposed the first plan. Jian Xingzhi shook his head: “No good. I explored with my divine sense—within a thousand miles radius, it’s all this valley. If we fly out, we don’t know where we’ll end up. We might fly even farther away.”

As soon as the words fell, Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan heard the sound of liquid being poured onto soil.

The two turned around to see Xie Gutang kneeling on the ground again, pouring wine for those three incense sticks. He looked even sadder: “Junior martial brother, rest in peace! Senior martial brother will definitely…”

“It’s not that bad!”

Qin Wanwan quickly went to help Xie Gutang up, urgently comforting him: “This was just one plan being negated. There are more! There must be other plans!”

Xie Gutang didn’t speak, quietly looking at Qin Wanwan. Qin Wanwan began desperately making eye signals at Jian Xingzhi. Jian Xingzhi thought left and right, then suddenly understood: “Oh, I have a method!”

Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang both looked over. Jian Xingzhi spoke with considerable confidence: “I’ve always had a connection with the sword spirits in Heavenly Sword Sect’s Sword Tomb. I can open a teleportation array and go to Heavenly Sword Sect first.”

“And then?” Xie Gutang furrowed his brow.

Jian Xingzhi spoke stiffly: “Then rush from Heavenly Sword Sect back to Flower City.”

From Heavenly Sword Sect to Flower City, even for someone at Tribulation Transcendence stage using ground-shrinking techniques, it would take a full day.

Hearing Jian Xingzhi’s words, Xie Gutang turned around without hesitation and knelt again: “Junior martial brother…”

“You have to believe in him!”

Qin Wanwan stopped Xie Gutang: “He’s always been a miracle worker. Let’s go to Heavenly Sword Sect to create a miracle! We can do this!”

“Exactly!”

Hearing Qin Wanwan speak, Jian Xingzhi immediately said: “What’s the hardest part of sword flight? The sword spirit’s speed will be exhausted! I’ll move all of Heavenly Sword Sect’s swords over, guaranteeing maximum speed at every moment. Before noon tomorrow,” Jian Xingzhi swore solemnly, “we’ll do our best to arrive.”

“Really?” Xie Gutang looked at Jian Xingzhi full of expectation. Jian Xingzhi nodded: “We can!”

With that, Xie Gutang breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to the two: “Then Gutang thanks you both.” As he spoke, he straightened up and urged: “Should we leave now?”

Watching Xie Gutang strategize with a calm face, Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi felt something was off. Qin Wanwan moved closer to Jian Xingzhi and asked quietly: “Was he just acting for us?”

“Feels like it.”

Although knowing Xie Gutang might be acting for them, Jian Xingzhi didn’t mind. After a light cough: “Like this—you first prepare the teleportation array back to Heavenly Sword Sect. I’ll check Wanwan’s condition.”

Xie Gutang could contact Heavenly Sword Sect. Having elders draw a return array wasn’t difficult. He also knew Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan had just experienced heavenly tribulation and needed time to regulate their breathing, so he nodded in agreement.

As Xie Gutang drew the teleportation array, Jian Xingzhi set Nanfeng down and turned to beckon Qin Wanwan to sit.

Qin Wanwan sat across from him questioningly, only to see him directly reach out his hand and place it on her abdomen. Qin Wanwan instinctively wanted to slap his hand away but was grabbed by him: “Don’t mess around. I’m checking.”

Hearing his words, Qin Wanwan sensed spiritual power traveling through her body. She knew Jian Xingzhi was examining her condition, so she didn’t struggle. After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief: “Although the dragon core is gone, your primordial spirit is unharmed. You can safely draw spiritual power into your body.”

In the cultivation world, the major realms were: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Divine Transformation, and Tribulation Transcendence.

Drawing qi into the body and opening the gate of cultivation was Qi Refining;

Clearing impurities from the body to become a cultivation body was Foundation Establishment;

Drawing heaven and earth’s spiritual energy to form a core that refined spiritual power was Core Formation;

When the golden core completely shattered to form a baby within the body, that was Nascent Soul;

When the Nascent Soul advanced further to become a primordial spirit that could leave the body, that was Divine Transformation;

After Divine Transformation, comprehending Heaven’s way with unity of dao and technique, one step away from ascension, was Tribulation Transcendence.

Qin Wanwan’s dragon core had originally connected with her golden core. After the golden core shattered into a Nascent Soul, the dragon core suspended above the Nascent Soul’s head. Mei Suihan had forcibly taken the dragon core—logically, the Nascent Soul should have been damaged. Now that her Nascent Soul had successfully advanced to primordial spirit without issue, Jian Xingzhi felt much more at ease.

“I should be teaching you how to circulate Divine Transformation stage spiritual power now, but we don’t have enough time at present to teach you properly. On the road later, hold my hand and don’t let go. I’ll guide you through several circulation cycles—comprehend it yourself.”

As Jian Xingzhi spoke, his tone was quite regretful.

Qin Wanwan nodded without saying much. Jian Xingzhi hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke: “Wanwan, I’m sorry.”

“Hm?” Qin Wanwan looked up at him, not understanding why Jian Xingzhi was suddenly apologizing.

Jian Xingzhi pressed his lips together. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said: “I… I shouldn’t have let you advance under such dangerous circumstances. When we return to the immortal realm in the future, I’ll definitely protect you well.”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan felt like laughing, but remembering his previous actions, she suppressed her smile and only said: “Just remember that.”

As she spoke, Xie Gutang called out to inform them: “The teleportation array is drawn. Let’s go.”

“Let’s go.”

Jian Xingzhi stood up. With one hand holding Nanfeng and the other pulling up Qin Wanwan, he followed Xie Gutang as they jumped into the teleportation array one after another.

When they landed from the teleportation array, the three discovered they had returned to the Sword Tomb. Xie Gutang turned to look at Jian Xingzhi, specifically explaining: “I had the senior guarding the Sword Tomb open the teleportation array, afraid of wasting time.”

“Um…” Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi felt somewhat embarrassed. “If I take away all the Sword Tomb’s swords, is that okay?”

“No problem.” Xie Gutang’s expression was calm. Jian Xingzhi was about to praise Heavenly Sword Sect’s generosity when he heard Xie Gutang say flatly: “I’ll come back to accept punishment.”

So Jian Xingzhi changed his tune, turning to praise Xie Gutang: “You’re really generous.”

“Stop talking,” Qin Wanwan urged Jian Xingzhi. “Let’s go quickly.”

Jian Xingzhi nodded, handing Nanfeng to Qin Wanwan to hold. Seeing Nanfeng still sleeping, Qin Wanwan simply made it smaller and put it in a spirit pouch, hanging it at her waist.

Jian Xingzhi held Qin Wanwan’s hand with one hand and drew Luoshui with the other. He raised his eyes to look at the mountain full of sword spirits: “I need to kill someone but I’m afraid I won’t make it in time. I’m troubling you all to make a trip and help out.”

The swords didn’t move, seemingly unwilling to speak. Jian Xingzhi raised an eyebrow: “Whoever doesn’t want to go can stay on the mountain.”

Hearing this, ten thousand swords left the mountain together, suspended in midair, forming a sword dragon.

Xie Gutang looked enviously at the mountain full of sword spirits as Jian Xingzhi pulled Qin Wanwan and leaped onto the dragon’s head. He turned to look at Xie Gutang: “We’re going.”

Xie Gutang apologized to the sword spirits and followed to stand behind Jian Xingzhi. Jian Xingzhi called out: “Go.”

With that, stepping on the sword dragon, they transformed into streaming light and shot out.

Fierce wind immediately rushed toward them. Qin Wanwan felt like she was about to be blown away by the wind, but fortunately Jian Xingzhi gripped her tightly and explained: “At this speed, barriers are useless. Just bear with it!”

“Okay.”

Qin Wanwan’s face was tightly furrowed, feeling the strong wind scrape across her face like steel knives.

Jian Xingzhi stepped forward, shielding her behind him. The fierce wind immediately lessened considerably. Jian Xingzhi held her hand: “Follow my spiritual power circulation. Don’t worry about anything else.”

“Okaaaaaaay—”

Qin Wanwan shouted in the wind, feeling the sword dragon pierce through cloud layers as heavy rain came crashing down. Then she felt hail falling from all directions. Jian Xingzhi’s sword light slashed through the hail, leading the sword dragon shuttling downward.

In that moment, Qin Wanwan felt she wasn’t flying on a sword but sitting in a supersonic fighter jet—bumpy yet thrilling.

She hid behind Jian Xingzhi, being pulled up and down by him, following him to regulate spiritual power. She suddenly felt Jian Xingzhi was right.

Let them kill the hostages. She didn’t want to save anyone anymore.

However, the moment this thought appeared, Xie Gutang seemed to sense it and shouted loudly: “Junior martial brother—”

“No problem!” Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi immediately blocked Xie Gutang’s words. “We can make it!”

As he spoke, he continued urging the sword spirits: “Faster, faster, faster!”

The sword spirits took turns carrying people, speeding up their flight. Seeing Jian Xingzhi still urging, Yuanning couldn’t take it anymore. The entire sword vibrated wildly, using vibration to express its fury—

“Stop urging! The more you urge, the slower we go! Urge again and I’ll self-destruct!”

This was the first time Jian Xingzhi encountered a sword spirit resisting so intensely. For a moment, he was dumbfounded. Sword spirits could only converse with humans when master and sword met in a domain during the acknowledgment ceremony. Though they could usually sense each other somewhat, it was very difficult to understand specific expressions. Although Jian Xingzhi didn’t know exactly what it was saying, he clearly understood it was angry.

After a pause, Jian Xingzhi murmured: “You’ve got quite a personality.”

Never before had a sword been this audacious with him.

Yuanning: “…”

While Jian Xingzhi led Qin Wanwan in their mad rush, Cuilu, Luo Xingzhou, and the others waited desperately in a woodshed.

When morning came the next day, Liu Feixu had people bring them out. He was quite interested, having brought them to the city gate early to wait for Jian Xingzhi.

However, from morning until noon, no one appeared.

Liu Feixu’s expression gradually darkened. When noon passed, he stood up and walked before Luo Xingzhou and Cuilu, sneering: “It seems in Jian Xingzhi’s heart, none of you are as important as the Exquisite Jade.”

Hearing this, Luo Xingzhou and Cuilu began frantically shaking their heads, continuously making muffled sounds through mouths sealed with silence curses.

Liu Feixu condensed a spell in his hand: “Since he doesn’t care about your lives, this seat doesn’t support idlers. You can all die.”

As his words fell, before his spell released, Luo Xingzhou threw himself forward, desperately rubbing against his leg, making muffled sounds trying to express something.

A maidservant beside them watched and frowned: “Daojun, he seems to have something to say?”

“He always has a lot to say.” Liu Feixu looked over coldly.

The maidservant hesitated, then looked at Cuilu: “This bird also seems to want to say something.”

“She’ll curse.”

Liu Feixu continued explaining why their mouths were gagged. The maidservant fell silent, but Liu Feixu thought about it and still released the silence curses on Cuilu and Luo Xingzhou. In an instant, the two shouted together.

“You didn’t tell them how to get back!”

Liu Feixu was stunned. Luo Xingzhou excitedly explained: “Daojun Liu, it’s not that we’re unimportant—you gave Daojun Jian and senior martial brother an impossible requirement! They were taken away by Bai Wei’s teleportation array. Now you didn’t give them a teleportation array to return, and they don’t know where they are. How can they guarantee they’ll return by noon today?!”

Liu Feixu froze. He remembered yesterday—finally having a chance to display his true strength, he was too excited and cut off all contact methods. But thinking about it now, this behavior did seem somewhat inappropriate.

He furrowed his brow and quickly asked: “Do you still have a way to contact them?”

Everyone was silent. All contact methods had been cut off by Liu Feixu—a true demon lord wouldn’t leave any escape routes.

And Liu Feixu clearly knew this too. He was quite dissatisfied: “How do you prove they can’t come rather than don’t want to come? What confidence do you have that Jian Xingzhi will definitely return to save you?”

“I’m my senior martial brother’s blood junior martial brother, the Heavenly Sword Sect master’s son!” Luo Xingzhou quickly shouted. “Senior martial brother won’t abandon me!”

“That’s Xie Gutang not abandoning you, not Jian Xingzhi.” Liu Feixu reminded him, then before Luo Xingzhou could argue, he added: “Moreover, even blood brothers abandon each other, let alone martial brothers.”

As he spoke, Liu Feixu looked at Cuilu: “What about you? What’s your relationship with Jian Xingzhi that he must come save you?”

“I…” Cuilu hesitated for a moment, finally finding a reason. She raised her head and spoke profoundly: “I still owe Jian Xingzhi a lot of money.”

Hearing this, Liu Feixu immediately nodded.

“Then he definitely won’t abandon you.”

Blood junior martial brothers could be abandoned, but borrowers who hadn’t repaid couldn’t be.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, then watched as Liu Feixu stood up: “I’ll give you three more hours. Before dark today, if Jian Xingzhi still doesn’t appear, this seat will kill you all!”

Liu Feixu had people tie them up again and throw them back into the woodshed.

After the four were thrown into the woodshed, this time, they ignited blazing fighting spirit.

The four exchanged glances, reading each other’s meaning from their eyes.

“Jian Xingzhi probably won’t come save us.”

Cuilu looked at everyone with her eyes. Liu Yuehua nodded: “We must save ourselves!”

How to save themselves?

Everyone thought about it. Cuilu stretched out her foot and waved it in the air.

Everyone immediately understood. Although restrictions had been placed on them now, sealing their magic, each person still had a tiny bit of spiritual power remaining. A little from each person, gathered together, would be enough for one spell!

Cuilu stretched out her foot. The other three also stretched out their feet. The four pressed their toes together. Spiritual power gathered at the toes, finally condensing into a point of strength!

“Undo the silence curse first.”

Liu Yuehua indicated. Cuilu nodded, writing incantations with her fingers behind her back. Using that bit of spiritual power between the toes, she undid the silence curse.

Once the silence curse was lifted, the four immediately chattered away.

“We can’t just sit here waiting to die.” Liu Yuehua spoke. “Counting on Jian Xingzhi and the others alone won’t work. Before dark is our last chance.”

“We should still give Jian Xingzhi and the others some confidence,” Liu Feishuang said, seeing everyone didn’t believe in Jian Xingzhi and the others. She turned to look at Cuilu: “Don’t you owe him money?”

“How could I, the vice city lord of Ghost City, owe that pauper money?” Cuilu frowned. “I was making it up.”

“Then we’re finished,” Luo Xingzhou immediately said. “He definitely won’t come back. What do we do now?”

“Now…” Cuilu thought for a moment. “First, we need to restore our cultivation.”

“This is all my fault,” Liu Yuehua said. Once this topic came up, she felt terrible and sighed: “I trusted Liu Feixu too much, giving him the opportunity to poison the tea.”

“Indeed, it’s your fault.” Cuilu nodded. Liu Yuehua choked.

These few people had all finally rushed out of Bai Wei’s killing arrays with great difficulty, only to be knocked out by Liu Feixu’s cup of poisoned tea while injured.

“Now to restore our cultivation, I can only steal the antidote.”

Cuilu thought about it and made a decision.

Luo Xingzhou turned to look: “How does Senior plan to steal it?”

“Give me a bit more spiritual power,” Cuilu pondered. “I’ll revert to my original form. When my spiritual power is exhausted, I’ll just be an ordinary kingfisher. I’ll fly out and try to steal the antidote.”

“For now, this is the only way.”

Liu Yuehua sighed and proactively extended her toes: “Come on.”

The four pressed their toes together again. After brewing for a moment, they gathered the last bit of spiritual power from their bodies. Cuilu obtained the spiritual power, closed her eyes, and with a “pop,” transformed into a small kingfisher.

“I’m going.”

Cuilu flapped her wings and flew to the window. The window was tightly closed. Luo Xingzhou was about to go help when he saw the little bird jump up and deliver a fierce kick at the window. The window flew open with one kick. Cuilu shook her bird foot and dashingly spread her wings, flying out.

Looking at the window kicked open by the little bird, Luo Xingzhou questioned: “Didn’t she say she had no spiritual power and was just an ordinary kingfisher?”

“She didn’t use spiritual power,” Liu Yuehua, sharp-eyed, explained for Luo Xingzhou. “She’s just naturally very strong.”

“This strength…” Liu Feishuang murmured. “Isn’t that a bit too much?”

“Don’t worry about that. Quick, close the window,” Liu Yuehua reminded them. “Don’t let anyone discover it.”

“I’ll go.”

Luo Xingzhou volunteered. He adjusted his direction. On the ground, he first raised his buttocks, then pushed his upper body forward, then raised his buttocks again, then pushed forward again.

Liu Feishuang and Liu Yuehua stared blankly as he wriggled to the window like a worm, straightened his body, bit the carved pattern on the window, and closed it.

When Luo Xingzhou turned back, he saw his future mother-in-law and wife staring at him in shock. Luo Xingzhou instinctively felt he had done something not quite right. He swallowed: “What’s wrong?”

Liu Feishuang questioned: “Why didn’t you roll over?”

Liu Yuehua looked at her daughter in shock: “Why didn’t you think to have him hop over?”

The three fell into contemplation. In that moment, Liu Yuehua suddenly felt that given everyone present’s intelligence, whether they could survive was indeed a question.

—

**Author’s Notes:**

**[Mini Theater]**

Liu Feixu: “You’re not important. I’m going to kill the hostages.”

Jian Xingzhi: “We probably can’t make it.”

Xie Gutang: “Junior martial brother!!”

Jian Xingzhi: “There’s a way, definitely a way. Stop calling him junior martial brother—shut up!”