The fine sand brushed past the treetops, and the winter sunset was about to fade away.

Di Yiqiu lowered his eyes, looking at this dim expanse of dust and sand. But he didn’t even have time to grieve. What Shi Wenyu had done caused lives to suffer and the Heavenly Dao to tilt. Now the court was already in complete chaos—who could take charge of the overall situation?

He slowly stood up and said, “My wife’s dying wish—I ask all you resurrected ones to think of those who come after.”

Xi Yin was also looking at the thin layer of sand on the ground. Having come outside the dream with a body that was already dead, she had originally been confused and muddled. But now, hearing everyone’s fragmentary piecing together and retelling, she already understood what had happened.

Shi Wenyu used resentment to control Yuanrong Tower, causing disorder in the mortal realm with time turned upside down and chaotic, thereby attempting to rebuild order and recreate the Heavenly Dao.

While Di Yiqiu, Xie Hongchen, Huang Rang and others fought desperately to stop him, finally causing his conspiracy to collapse.

But those people who had been resurrected due to the disordered Heavenly Dao could no longer remain in this world.

Xi Yin slowly walked out from the crowd. Huang Yang saw her and hurriedly called out, “Grandmother…”

He and Xi Yin weren’t actually close, because Huang Rang and Xi Yin hadn’t interacted much throughout their lives. But this child was naturally lively, and sometimes when Baowu couldn’t get away, he would send him to the outer estate to do some work for Xi Yin and run errands.

Xi Yin took his hand and slowly came before the crowd.

She gazed at the people and said, “Everyone, my name is Xi Yin, Ah Rang’s birth mother.”

A stir went through the crowd—this name was still quite unfamiliar to most people.

Xi Yin said slowly, “To be honest with everyone, I died and returned to the netherworld when Ah Rang was still young. It was this child Ah Rang’s filial devotion that, taking advantage of the opportunity to enter dreams, allowed me to avoid suffering and survive until now.”

With this explanation, everyone understood.

Someone asked, “Then you… are also one resurrected from dreams?”

“That’s right.” Xi Yin said softly, “I’m no different from other resurrected ones, possessing new life and even more attachments and reluctance to let go.”

Her voice was clear and pleasant, like a mountain valley stream. “But Ah Rang was right—we cannot only care about our own lives while ignoring others’ suffering.”

Having said this, she walked before Di Yiqiu.

Di Yiqiu and she looked at each other. She smiled slightly, nodded and said, “Thank you. With your help, Ah Rang has grown into such a dazzling person.”

Di Yiqiu’s lips moved slightly, but in the end he said nothing.

Help? What he had done—how could it be called help?

In the end, losing his father, losing his wife, losing his son, even his mother-in-law had to be offered up on the altar.

Xi Yin looked toward Qu Manying, saying somewhat guiltily, “My whole family has caused you quite a bit of trouble, but we have no way to repay you. I… feel very uneasy in my heart.”

Qu Manying couldn’t dissuade her—after all, she wasn’t an ordinary person. As someone in a position of authority, she knew even better that this action was imperative. She shook her head, and though she was strong, tears had already overflowed from her eyes.

Xi Yin finally looked toward Baowu. Baowu and Li Lu had already captured the four people Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xi. At this moment he stood neither near nor far, right in the midst of the crowd.

Under everyone’s gaze, Xi Yin smiled at him and said softly, “I also thank Deputy Director Bao for his usual care.”

How many times eating meals together, how many times accompanying each other in silence—the two of them had kept their distance like guarding a forbidden boundary, never overstepping propriety by even half a step. In the end, it was just this understated farewell.

Baowu nodded. He didn’t know how he should react in this moment.

Past events were like thorns, each one sharp.

Xi Yin looked at Huang Yang with compassion and said, “Don’t be afraid, child.”

Having said this, she casually drew Qu Manying’s waist saber, letting the blade press against her own throat. Everyone’s breathing became inaudible. Xi Yin swept her gaze over the crowd—she knew that her own life and death were a small matter, but the impact on the overall situation was extremely significant.

“Everyone, with my blood, I lead those of great benevolence and righteousness, heroic and fearless, to follow my example.” As the words fell, she pulled hard across. The blade entered flesh, and fresh blood splattered like splashed ink.

Qu Manying covered her face with both hands. Everyone looked at each other in silence—no cries of alarm, no attempts at rescue.

Only when her body collapsed softly did Qu Manying gather her into her arms.

Only at this moment did everyone realize that the resurrected returning to the earth was imperative.

Huang Yang glanced at his grandmother, furrowed his brow, then raised his head to look at Di Yiqiu. Di Yiqiu said nothing—even his expression was so cold and hard it seemed mechanical.

“Alright, I know you no longer have the strength to comfort anyone.” Huang Yang muttered, saying, “But you still need to take good care of yourself. My mother and I are together, so you don’t need to worry.”

Di Yiqiu placed his hand on his shoulder. He could no longer control the strength in his five fingers. Huang Yang grimaced in pain from his grip and said, “My mother is very carefree, so you shouldn’t get too fixated either.”

Having said this, he looked at the sea of people before him and said, “I don’t know what you all think, but a little bug like me should have rotted in the soil long ago. To be able to live another hundred years with a father and mother—no matter how you look at it, I’ve profited. Since both my parents say that staying alive is harmful to the people of the world, then I won’t live anymore. I hope you all can think it through too.”

These words seemed very heroic.

However, after finishing, he complained in a low voice, “My mother really is something—didn’t explain anything. I treat her as my mother, she treats me as a stupid bug.”

Having said this, he picked up the waist saber Xi Yin had dropped on the ground. There was still a red silk ribbon at the end of the blade, so the blood on its edge no longer seemed so terrifying.

Huang Yang pressed the blade to his throat, looked at Di Yiqiu once more, and after a long while said, “I’m going.” After thinking, he added, “Don’t be sad anymore.”

As the words fell, the blade entered flesh, blood flowing like a spring.

In the crowd, resurrected ones gradually began their farewells.

Di Yiqiu turned his head, his gaze cold as ice. “Li Lu, Baowu.”

“Present!” The two stepped forward.

Di Yiqiu’s words were ice-cold. “Prepare farewell wine for all the righteous warriors.”

The nature of the farewell wine naturally needed no further explanation. Si Tianjian had long prepared much poisoned wine that could let people die quietly without suffering. After Li Lu acknowledged the order, he immediately went to prepare.

Miao Yunzhi and Qiu Shengbai prepared medicinal decoctions in a very short time.

Li Lu gathered all the resurrected ones in one place. Around everyone, many friends and relatives wept their farewells.

Officers from Baihu Si brought the medicinal decoction forward. This decoction was actually not bitter—it even had a trace of sweetness.

From behind came the calls of loved ones, the crowd wailing in grief. Di Yiqiu crouched down, picking up grain by grain the yellow sand on the ground. After an earth demon died, its sand also lost its luster. Now these grains were dim and dull—where was even half a trace of the divine brilliance of Xi Rang?

Di Yiqiu collected these rice-grain-sized particles of yellow sand into a small wooden box, the indifference on his face like it had become a mask.

Xie Hongchen and he, grain by grain, picked up all the dust and sand that Huang Rang had transformed into.

The setting sun fell into the deep misty haze at the edge of the sky, and vision began to become dim and unclear.

Those cries and shouts in the endless twilight also gradually grew hoarse and died down.

The mortal realm did not sleep that night.

The next day, Si Tianjian was still registering resurrected ones.

Miao Yunzhi, Qiu Shengbai and others were still preparing medicine. Because resurrected ones were dying one after another, the restoration of the Heavenly Dao’s order was also accelerating at a speed visible to the naked eye. The dust and sand were decreasing, and even some grass leaves could already show new green.

This little bit of green was enough to give people infinite hope.

The various elders of Yuhu Xuanzong demanded to take Yuanrong Tower back to the sect. But this decision was quickly opposed by He Xijin and others.

“Circ-circ-circular…” He Xijin said with effort.

Zhang Shujiu quickly said, “Yuanrong Tower has brought too much disaster to the world and absolutely cannot be kept. It should be destroyed here in public to eliminate future troubles!”

He Xijin immediately expressed his position: “Right!”

Qiu Cailing and others also knew of the disasters this object had brought, but this demon tower was, after all, too shocking and world-shaking.

He said, “This tower’s construction is exquisitely ingenious. If we could study it painstakingly and remove its demonic nature, perhaps…”

Immortal life and rebuilding the Heavenly Dao—such temptations, how many could resist?

However, before his words had finished, Xie Hongchen said, “This tower was forged with too much blood and tears. It’s an inauspicious object—keeping it brings no benefit. Sect Leader He and others’ concerns are reasonable. My opinion is to destroy it publicly.”

Since he had spoken, Qiu Cailing and others could only put away their ulterior motives. Elder Kang Xuetong said, “Since that’s the case, let’s follow the Sect Master’s words.”

The leaders of all the immortal sects hesitated no more. Everyone gathered their strength together and simultaneously attacked Yuanrong Tower.

For a moment, light and shadow swirled chaotically, sounds like thunder.

This demon tower, having lost its master’s control, had no power to resist.

Under everyone’s full force attack, it collapsed with a thunderous sound. Inside the golden tower body, countless white bones could be seen. And innumerable black mists finally broke through their confinement. The black qi shot straight into the clouds, stirring up wild winds and startling thunder, while within it were countless mournful cries and low weeping.

Xie Hongchen stood in the ruins of the demon tower, the grief in his heart like a tide that nearly drowned him.

This was his father’s only legacy. His father had died because of it, which then aroused the greed of those who came after. He should hate this evil, yet if not for this evil, he might never have known what exactly he had lost.

He walked over the white bones beneath his feet, and after a long while, said, “Where is Shaozhong?”

Xie Shaozhong hurried over and said, “Sect Master.”

Xie Hongchen said, “Collect the white bones, find another location, and bury them all.”

Xie Shaozhong acknowledged and, leading his junior disciples, began picking up the bones scattered everywhere.

Xie Hongchen didn’t linger. Now that many elders in the sect were severely injured, and what Xie Lingbi had done shocked the immortal sects even more, he actually had many things to do—no time even for grief.

His gaze swept over the corner where Xie Lingbi’s corpse lay.

He didn’t know who had struck the deadly blow in secret—his body had been cut until there wasn’t a single intact piece of flesh.

“Bring my master and return to the sect.” He turned and supported Qiu Cailing, who was severely injured and had lost all his cultivation power.

Qiu Cailing said in a heavy voice, “Xie Lingbi had the ambitions of a wolf—from now on, Sect Master need not call him master anymore.”

Xie Hongchen said indifferently, “Even if he’s utterly evil, how could I deny the grace of his teaching and nurturing?”

“Sect Master is truly… too kind-hearted.” Qiu Cailing was helpless and could only watch as Nie Qinglan stepped forward to prepare Xie Lingbi’s corpse for burial.

Once the people of Yuhu Xuanzong withdrew, people from the other immortal sects could only leave one after another.

Si Tianjian had the ability to handle the aftermath—everyone had absolutely no doubt about this.

Sure enough, Di Yiqiu didn’t disappoint.

After the first batch of resurrected ones took their own lives, the court had already registered all resurrected ones. So the government began persuading the second batch of resurrected ones, then forcing the third batch, and finally hunting down and killing the fourth batch.

Di Yiqiu used thunderous methods to quickly quell this matter.

The remaining two or three who slipped through the net were already insufficient to affect the Heavenly Dao.

Soon, the world was repaired anew. Time, like a good medicine, smoothed over all wounds and suffering.

The events of the four dreams were discussed by the common people for a very long time.

Everyone said that Si Tianjian’s Director Jianzheng Di Yiqiu was a cold and ruthless figure.

There were even rumors that Master Di Sanmeng actually didn’t need to die. Though she had suffered the Bone-Setting Soul-Coiling Needle punishment, she wasn’t a resurrected one. Why did she need to take her own life in public? It was nothing but Di Yiqiu’s tactics as a powerful minister, using this to provoke others.

Di Yiqiu paid no attention to these rumors. From among his brothers’ sons, he found a child with decent qualifications, renamed him Shi Zhenlang, and made him succeed to the emperor’s position.

The court was filled with discussion. Because of Shi Wenyu’s actions, court officials strongly opposed Si Tianjian’s interference in government.

They even suspected he wanted to act as regent. Officials jointly demanded that he hand over his real power.

Di Yiqiu acted willfully and stubbornly, forcibly supporting the new emperor.

Time flowed by like water. By day he suppressed the assembled officials, by night he silently forged artifacts.

Si Tianjian pursued resurrected ones and suppressed court officials—for a time it was stained with blood. Whenever common people mentioned him, it was as if they’d seen the god of death. Apart from official duties, he increasingly distanced himself from crowds, cold and silent.