Xuan Shui had always known that Li Ye was willful and arbitrary—for tens of thousands of years, he had rarely observed any heavenly rules or precepts.

But he never imagined this person would be so reckless.

The God-Killing Formation was overflowing with killing energy, without a single exit within the formation, and countless Kan Clan immortals were lying in ambush nearby, just waiting for him to step in.

He had sensed it all!

Yet, those arrogant and unbridled flame-colored robes still flew out, unfurling against the wind, filling the sky, sweeping up the drifting ginkgo leaves nearby and swirling like a vortex straight into the formation.

He’s gone mad, thought Xuan Shui, shaking his head as he stumbled to his feet and hastily retreated.

The formation light blazed, but Li Ye showed no fear. He created a shield from his energy to protect himself, and in an instant, he was beside the divine tree.

Death energy permeated the surroundings, and a ghostly blue mist silently corroded his robes. Li Ye didn’t even look at it, only raising his head toward the blue-glowing spot on the divine tree.

He had found it.

…

…

A gleam of light flashed in his misty eyes as Li Ye reached out to take it, but suddenly the ground beneath his feet gave way.

With a tremendous boom, the ground split open, releasing the energy of death and resentment. This energy was murky and dark, like hands reaching up from the River of Forgetfulness, quickly climbing up his legs. Accompanied by rising shrill screams, it grabbed him, attempting to drag him down.

His gaze sharpened as Li Ye turned his hand, and pure divine fire surged forth.

Instantly, bone-chilling screams of agony rang out all around, shaking the entire area.

“Well done, Kan Clan Immortal Sect.” he looked toward the chaos outside the barrier with a sardonic smile. “You’ve even made friends with these things.”

Cultivators had always disdained conspiring with ghosts and spirits. He hadn’t expected that to kill him, these people would hide so many such entities within their immortal sect.

With divine fire at his side, the death resentment couldn’t harm him in the slightest, but the corrupting resentful energy emitted by these entities would block the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. His divine power would decrease with each bit used, difficult to replenish.

It was indeed a flawless scheme.

Flying to stand on a rock scorched by raging fire, Li Ye turned around. Before he could retrieve what he sought, the divine tree before him suddenly made a strange sound.

The massive trunk was uprooted by the death resentment energy. The luxuriant branches, wrapped in putrid, fetid energy, crashed down directly toward him.

Run! Dodge! Ah!

Er’er sat among the lush branches and leaves, mouth wide open as she shouted at the boss, but no sound came out.

That bastard Kan Ze had tricked her!

What soul-transferring stone? What is seeking Kan Ze’s help to break the barrier? He had used her to contact Kan Ze, calculated when Li Ye would arrive, and tricked her into activating the killing formation to trap Li Ye here.

And she had foolishly believed him, even saying she would send him home.

Just now she had found it strange—after placing the soul-transferring stone, why was Kan Ze still chattering in her ear, telling her to run quickly, saying that with his immortal energy on her, her life would be spared, and something about prophecies coming true, that heaven’s mandate would not spare Li Ye.

She had thought he was about to be free and was babbling in excitement, not realizing he meant this.

Er’er stomped her foot in anger.

With a dull thud, the divine tree’s fall abruptly halted.

Nearly losing her balance, Er’er frantically grabbed a branch to steady herself. After a moment, she came to her senses and looked down.

Li Ye hadn’t dodged. He was looking at the object in the notch, his eyes fierce, and had stretched out his hands to support the divine tree trunk.

The entire trunk was almost parallel to the ground of resentful energy below. If it fell a few more inches, the place where the soul-transferring stone was kept would be submerged in the resentful energy. Li Ye’s eyes flashed as he channeled all his strength into his hands.

However, the tree was far too heavy, and his immortal power was restricted within the killing formation. Despite his utmost effort, the divine tree was still sinking inch by inch.

“You should leave quickly,” Kan Ze, who had been silent for a long time, spoke again. “You can survive; there’s no need to die with him.”

“Shut up.”

Kan Ze was unconcerned, saying leisurely: “You originally stayed by his side because you wanted to live. Without my reminder, you already know you should leave. Why are you so angry when I kindly offer advice?”

“I said shut up!” Er’er raged.

What a temper.

Kan Ze shook his head. A mere minor immortal—if not for the coincidental acquisition of his elemental bond, how could she speak to him this way? She couldn’t even break through the acupoints he had sealed, only able to sit here and watch, unable to say a word to Li Ye, yet she dared to shout at him.

Ridiculous.

Yawning lazily, Kan Ze mobilized the immortal power he had nurtured back, intending to control her divine consciousness.

However, before he could locate her baihui acupoint, his divine consciousness froze.

A wave of immortal power, filled with anger, surged toward him, mixed with water, fire, thunder, lightning, wind, and all sorts of chaotic elements, forcefully pushing him back into darkness.

Simultaneously, golden leaves fluttered down, and Er’er stood up from among them, angrily opening her mouth. This time, she finally managed to shout out: “Master, run quickly—”

Li Ye, who was supporting the divine tree, paused, thinking he was hearing things.

How could that little creature possibly enter this place?

Shaking his head, he took a deep breath, shifting to using one hand, blue veins bulging on the back of his hand as he propped the divine tree up half an inch. With his other hand, he conjured a Phoenix-Slaying Knife out of thin air, its blade wrapped in fiery energy, its spiritual power imposing.

With a crack, he stabbed the knife into the stubborn rock beneath his feet. Borrowing some of its strength, Li Ye’s expression finally eased.

At that moment, a face appeared before him.

Black hair hanging down, eyebrows below, mouth above, a pair of moist almond eyes less than five inches from him, filled with panic.

“Master,” she asked worriedly, “have you been deafened by the divine tree’s pressure?”

Li Ye: “…”

Li Ye: ???

His hand trembled, nearly losing his grip. Li Ye looked at her as if he’d seen a ghost, taking quite a while to steady his mind.

This person, who should have been off gallivanting elsewhere, was hanging upside down from the divine tree he was supporting!

He very much wanted to ask her how she got here, but his strength was truly insufficient, with no spare energy to speak. He could only furrow his brow and glare at her.

“There’s no time to say much, let’s run quickly,” Er’er said, her legs hooked around the branch as she swung back and forth. “This is a very, very dangerous killing formation. The longer we stay, the more dangerous it becomes. If we find the formation’s eye and break out now, we still have a chance to survive.”

The more she swung, the heavier the divine tree became for him to support. Li Ye wanted to curse aloud—who didn’t know this was a killing formation? She didn’t need to state the obvious.

In this situation, anyone with a brain should come down and help him hold up the tree, not swing like a monkey in front of him.

Since he didn’t speak, Er’er naturally didn’t know what he wanted to do. Seeing his face full of anxiety mixed with anger, she said, moved: “Master, don’t worry about me. As long as you’re here, how could your disciple leave first? Even through mountains of knives and seas of fire, your disciple must accompany you.”

Who wants your company? Li Ye gritted his teeth in anger.

“Are you afraid the tree will fall and hurt me? It’s fine, you can let go,” Er’er observed the boss’s expression and said very considerately. “If the divine tree falls, your disciple can still step on it and reach the Master’s side.”

As if he would be afraid of her getting hurt.

Li Ye closed his eyes briefly.

If not for wanting to protect the key to unlock the Mirror Flower Water Moon, who would insist on supporting this broken tree? Not even if a hundred unworthy disciples were hanging from it.

Wait, the key?

Li Ye opened his eyes, looking at the fool before him, then at the notch only a few inches away from the fool.

If she could get it, he could let go.

His anger dissipating, Li Ye softened his gaze, looking at his beloved disciple with encouragement.

Er’er was pondering Kan Ze’s earlier words when she looked up and unexpectedly met her master’s fervent gaze.

What was happening? She blinked in confusion.

Cold sweat was running down the side of the face of the person before her, who looked quite pained, but his misty eyes looked at her like the first rays of dawn, warm and dazzling.

Completely different from his previous anxiety and anger.

Rubbing her chin, Er’er pondered for a moment before suddenly understanding.

In such a dangerous place, she had remained loyal to the boss. The boss must have been moved and was thanking her.

This was… rather embarrassing.

Er’er pressed her lips together and, meeting his expectant gaze, grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth.

Li Ye: “…”