Pei Zichen listened without making a sound, only quietly gazing at the person before him. Seeing him motionless, Jiang Zhaoxue seemed to feel her words were too heavy, so she shifted her posture and said, “Just kidding, for this kind of thing, just do your best.”

As she spoke, Jiang Zhaoxue felt movement from her transmission jade token. She took out the token and swiped her hand across it. Ye Tianjiao’s voice immediately leaped out, saying happily, “Elder Sister, the Crossing Resentment Pool has been repaired. Come over.”

Jiang Zhaoxue responded and turned to look at Pei Zichen. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Pei Zichen take out a glass orb.

“What is this?”

Jiang Zhaoxue couldn’t discern what was inside the glass orb. She could only see something floating within. Pei Zichen pulled her hand over and placed the glass orb in her palm, saying softly, “This is a gift for you. When the restriction on it is lifted, crush it and you’ll be able to see what’s inside.”

Jiang Zhaoxue raised an eyebrow. “So mysterious?”

Pei Zichen smiled without saying more. He simply stood up proactively, pulled Jiang Zhaoxue to her feet, and said gently, “Let’s go.”

When the two of them rushed to the Crossing Resentment Pool together, Ye Tianjiao and Jiang Zhaoyue were standing at the edge of the pool, looking at the newly constructed formation in silent contemplation.

The Crossing Resentment Pool was a massive pit about three hundred zhang wide and a thousand zhang deep. Four long pathways were laid across the top leading to the center, where there was a square formation array about thirty zhang in length and width. At the center of the formation was an ice coffin.

Every inch of the Crossing Resentment Pool was covered in talismans. The central formation was layered upon layers, and although the ice coffin appeared unremarkable, it was actually the strongest point of the entire Crossing Resentment Pool’s defensive formation.

“The formation to isolate the resentment energy is still somewhat weak,” Ye Tianjiao sighed helplessly. “But there’s nothing to be done about it.”

“Time was too short. Senior has already done your best,” Jiang Zhaoyue said respectfully, her tone accepting of life and death. “What happens next depends on fortune.”

Listening, Ye Tianjiao looked at the Crossing Resentment Pool before him and thought for a long while. Then he turned to look at Jiang Zhaoyue and said softly, “Young Clan Leader Jiang, I have an improper request.”

“Senior, please speak freely.”

“This Crossing Resentment Pool is linked to me. If any accident occurs, the pool will drain all my cultivation, and I will become a废人.”

Ye Tianjiao’s tone was calm as he looked at the Crossing Resentment Pool. As if remembering something, he said plainly, “Here is a Soul-Locking Talisman. Back then, I used this method to lock Li Xiuji. Now if the timing is right…”

Ye Tianjiao handed over a talisman to Jiang Zhaoyue and said seriously, “I ask Young Clan Leader Jiang to activate this talisman. This talisman can lock Song Wulan for a moment, and that’s when you can kill him on the spot.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoyue lowered his head to look at the talisman in Ye Tianjiao’s hand.

As a great master of talisman cultivation, he could naturally see the content written on this talisman. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow and said hesitantly, “Senior, using a soul to lock a soul is mutual destruction…”

“I know.”

Ye Tianjiao responded calmly and smiled. “But I have lived for this day.”

He had survived from beneath the Dingkun Needle back then precisely for this day of slaying the Heavenly Mandate.

He wanted to seek justice for his elder brother, his fellow sect members, and the millions of common people of that era.

Jiang Zhaoyue looked at the person before him, seeing not a hint of hesitation in his eyes. After a long pause, he finally accepted the talisman and said in a low voice, “I will accompany Senior.”

Ye Tianjiao was stunned, then couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “That would be a bit of a loss.”

Just as he finished speaking, voices could be heard in the distance.

Jiang Pingsheng arrived first, with Pei Zichen and Jiang Zhaoxue following shortly after. The four descended onto the central formation of the Crossing Resentment Pool. Jiang Zhaoxue looked at Ye Tianjiao and Jiang Zhaoyue, joking, “What are you doing? Having such a pleasant conversation.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoyue stiffened. Ye Tianjiao gave Jiang Zhaoyue a meaningful look, and Jiang Zhaoyue discreetly put away the talisman.

Ye Tianjiao turned to look at Jiang Zhaoxue, putting on a relaxed smile and saying carelessly, “Nothing, just discussing with Young Clan Leader Jiang about traveling around Penglai after everything is done.”

“Already thinking about traveling before the matter is settled.” Jiang Zhaoxue knew he certainly wasn’t being as simple as he claimed, but she didn’t want to probe further and said casually, “Stop talking nonsense and prepare to begin.”

“Alright.”

Ye Tianjiao nodded and directed everyone, saying, “Then please everyone, take positions with me in the four directions to form the array. After we complete the formation, the ice coffin will open by itself, and Shi Cang, you can try to enter the body in the ice coffin.”

With that, Ye Tianjiao’s expression became solemn. He swept his gaze around and said seriously, “But there’s one point I must make clear to everyone. After Shi Cang enters the body, the resentment energy will be forcibly expelled due to rejection and sealed into the Crossing Resentment Pool. The formation beneath the ice coffin will support the initial fusion between Shi Cang and the physical body. At the same time, the resentment energy we purify will transform into new power, continuously flowing into Shi Cang’s physical body, maintaining and supporting it so he can continue to stay inside. However, the Crossing Resentment Pool was hastily completed. Neither the formation to seal the resentment energy nor the spiritual energy array supporting Shi Cang’s physical body is complete, so the cycle between the two cannot have even the slightest mistake.”

Ye Tianjiao waved his hand, and the surrounding formation lit up. He continued, “The four of us will each suppress the resentment energy in one direction. That is to say, each person must purify the portion of resentment energy in their resentment pool before they can leave.”

“Simply put, one person can only leave after consuming one-fourth of the resentment power each time.”

Jiang Zhaoxue understood and summarized, “In the very beginning, no one can leave at all.”

“Correct,” Jiang Zhaoyue nodded and added, “Once someone leaves, the balance will be broken. The resentment energy will break through the sealing barrier and directly attack Pei Zichen’s physical body. With our current strength, we cannot protect his physical body at all. If the physical body shatters and the soul is eroded by resentment energy, everything will be for naught.”

At these words, everyone’s expressions became grave. Only Pei Zichen maintained his usual detached appearance and said calmly, “Time is running short. Let’s begin.”

No one said more. Jiang Zhaoxue took a deep breath and stepped to the center of the adjacent formation.

Everyone took their positions, then formed hand seals together and sat down cross-legged.

The moment they sat down, all the long pathway formations above the entire Crossing Resentment Pool lit up with radiant light. Four layers of transparent membranes unfurled one by one, like an unbreakable wall of light, spreading over the Crossing Resentment Pool.

Then the ice coffin slowly opened, revealing a young man’s body.

He had clearly been frozen for a long time, with ice crystals even on his brows. His features were handsome and his appearance dignified—this was precisely Pei Zichen’s original physical body.

This body had always been nourished and repaired with spiritual medicines, and now it was extremely perfect. With one glance, Pei Zichen knew how much effort Jiang Zhaoxue had expended.

“Try entering first.”

Ye Tianjiao spoke, giving guidance.

Listening, Pei Zichen floated his soul body above the physical body and tentatively probed his soul into this body.

The moment he made contact with this body, Pei Zichen felt a piercing cold attack him, frantically rejecting him.

Pei Zichen frowned slightly. Beside him, Ye Tianjiao closed his eyes and explained, “The resentment power on you is too heavy. When you approach this physical body, it will forcibly reject the resentment power in your body. The process will be somewhat painful, but you cannot retreat—you can only move forward.”

He understood the principle Ye Tianjiao spoke of, and he had no intention of retreating. He only forced his soul, which had completely fused with the divine shell, along with the divine shell itself, to press close to the physical body and squeeze into it.

The moment his soul touched the physical body, his body seemed to be suddenly awakened, using all its power to repel the resentment power in his body!

He struggled forward desperately, bit by bit squeezing into the physical body. At the same time, the resentment power on him was like long hair embedded in his consciousness and bone marrow, being tightly gripped and violently torn away.

But each strand of resentment energy was embedded too deeply, having taken root and become entangled, interwoven in his consciousness. As it was forcibly expelled by the body, each strand of resentment energy was extremely difficult to tear away. The expelled resentment energy desperately drove back into his soul, while Pei Zichen relentlessly squeezed into the physical body. The two forces intertwined in his soul, like cutting bones with a knife, blood dripping everywhere.

He was accustomed to enduring pain, and his eyes couldn’t help but show the churning agony.

Jiang Zhaoxue opened her eyes and gazed at the soul being torn apart before her. Seeing Pei Zichen’s tightly furrowed brow, she pressed her lips into a tight line.

Then she saw the physical body emit an almost inaudible soft sound, and Pei Zichen’s body seemed like an exquisite porcelain vessel cracking, with fissures spreading like a spider web.

“Activate the Spirit Gathering Array!”

Ye Tianjiao immediately called out. Everyone’s hand seals flew rapidly, and the blue formation beneath the ice coffin blazed with light. Countless ice-blue rays of light surged from the formation, wrapping around Pei Zichen’s physical body, frantically repairing those continuously appearing and deepening cracks.

Those rays were like pipes transporting spiritual power. Vast spiritual power flowed through the pipes into Pei Zichen’s physical body. As the spiritual power was being transported, black resentment energy was also being forcibly squeezed out from his soul.

As more resentment energy was expelled from his body, the surrounding temperature began to rapidly drop. Accompanied by a foul stench and black mist, it dispersed throughout the entire upper area of the Crossing Resentment Pool.

The more of Pei Zichen’s soul entered the physical body, the more frenzied the resentment energy became. Pei Zichen also clearly felt that the rejection and resistance from the physical body became even stronger, making every inch of his soul feel as if it were being crushed in an extremely dense space.

He was in so much pain that his consciousness was becoming unclear. Jiang Zhaoxue waved her hand, and clear light fell from above. Jiang Zhaoxue brought her fingers together at her lips and said seriously, “By the summons of Heaven’s Way, clear the mind and suppress the pain.”

She couldn’t completely isolate or transfer this level of pain. Using spiritual power for such a thing at this moment would easily invite backlash.

But she also couldn’t ignore it completely, so she could only reduce his pain sensation to the maximum extent possible.

Clear light fell like snow. Pei Zichen’s expression instantly became somewhat clearer. He distinctly felt that his soul was only a thin layer away from completely entering the physical body. Although the body would always reject him, only after he entered could he complete the thorough separation from the resentment energy.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to push downward desperately until the final moment!

His soul completely entered the physical body, and at that very instant, the black resentment energy was like long hair being tightly gripped, along with scalp and flesh, suddenly and violently ripped away in one pull!

“Get out!!!”

Pei Zichen’s intense curse broke out, rarely losing composure. At that very moment, the resentment energy, carrying blood, completely separated from his soul, and Pei Zichen’s soul fully entered the physical body!

Resentment energy shot up to the sky. Everyone sat in the raging wind, completely enveloped by the foul resentment power.

Jiang Zhaoxue formed seals with her hands and shouted urgently, “Activate the array!”

As her voice fell, the golden array spread around the Crossing Resentment Pool shot up to the sky, instantly transforming into a vortex with enormous suction force, violently drawing that resentment energy into the Crossing Resentment Pool.

The overwhelming resentment energy immediately filled the Crossing Resentment Pool. Then the four golden arrays connected, forming an impenetrable wall, finally converging into four beams of light that lit up from beneath the feet of Jiang Zhaoxue and the other three.

The moment the four beams of light rose, Jiang Zhaoxue immediately felt evil thoughts like towering waves surging from the depths of the Crossing Resentment Pool. Jiang Zhaoxue immediately formed seals to guard her mind. She heard Ye Tianjiao shouting loudly in the raging wind, “This is the resentment energy we need to help him purify. After purification, Pei Zichen will have the power to continue maintaining his physical body. His body is consuming too quickly—if this continues, it will shatter!”

Everyone knew Ye Tianjiao’s words were true. At this moment, Pei Zichen’s body in the ice coffin was convulsing violently. Bones shattering and flesh tearing occurred one after another. Blood smeared all over the ice coffin with his convulsive movements, staining the entire coffin a hazy red. Through the resentment energy, the sight was heart-stopping.

The speed of spiritual energy supply was far from keeping up with the rate of his body’s damage. The strength of the resentment power also far exceeded their expectations, frantically attacking the not-very-solid barrier.

Now the only solution was to quickly purify this resentment power to support Pei Zichen’s body. This would both weaken the resentment power and give Pei Zichen more time to fuse with his own body.

Everyone desperately cast spells to purify the resentment power. All their faces turned pale, veins bulged on their foreheads, and sweat slowly soaked through their long robes.

Inside the ice coffin, Pei Zichen’s body was on the verge of splitting apart. The Crossing Resentment Pool’s barrier was also being pushed by the resentment energy like churning magma.

Right at this critical moment, a sudden “boom” came from outside, shaking the entire Crossing Resentment Pool!

This massive sound came from the mountain protection array, startling everyone.

Before everyone could react, a second massive sound was heard.

This sound was accompanied by the shattering of the mountain protection array’s barrier. Resentment energy unique to Xinluoyi swept in. Then they saw Qingye’s light and shadow suddenly leap into the air. Behind her were densely packed fierce corpses being resisted by disciples. While she slashed at the fierce corpses squeezing toward her, she anxiously called out, “Female Lord, this is bad—Xinluoyi has arrived early!”

After these words came out, Jiang Zhaoxue’s mind went blank.

Arrived early?

How could they arrive early?

Ye Tianjiao was so shocked he almost jumped up, immediately saying, “How could she come?! How did she get here?!”

“I don’t know either.”

Qingye panted, suppressing fear in her eyes, and said softly, “But… but Xinluoyi is too strong. The mountain protection array couldn’t even withstand a single strike. Now the fierce corpses have all surged up. Without the mountain protection array, we can’t hold them off. Should we retreat or not?”

Less than one strike, and the mountain protection array shattered.

This strength far exceeded everyone’s imagination, making them all alarmed.

Everyone looked at the densely packed “people” rushing up behind Qingye. Those people had bulging eyes, hanging tongues, and fierce faces, but moved extremely swiftly.

These were fierce corpses that Xinluoyi had refined using True Immortal realm disciples. When they were alive, they were elite disciples. Now that they had been made into puppets, they feared neither death nor pain, and their ferocity far exceeded cultivators of the same level.

The fierce corpses surged up like a tide. The Jiuyou Realm cultivators first used Yin Paper Immortals to block them outside, but soon they devoured the Yin Paper Immortals and surged up the mountain.

Qingye’s voice became anxious. “Female Lord!”

“Retreat.”

Seeing this, Jiang Zhaoxue spoke without hesitation.

Ye Tianjiao looked over in shock and couldn’t help but speak, “Elder Sister, it hasn’t even been one hour!”

Not even one hour, and the first mountain protection array was shattered, requiring direct retreat to the second defense.

The second defensive array was more fragile compared to the first mountain protection array. It mainly relied on the mountain protection array to resist for three hours, after which Jiang Pingsheng could leave after purifying one-fourth of the resentment energy and join Qingye and others to resist the enemy for another three hours.

But now everything was ahead of schedule. Jiang Pingsheng couldn’t leave at all. How could the second defense withstand three hours?

Once they couldn’t hold out, the situation would only snowball downward, becoming increasingly difficult.

Everyone knew this in their hearts. Jiang Zhaoxue felt somewhat panicked inside, but her face remained calm as she said, “First preserve our strength and retreat to the rear. Xinluoyi breaking the mountain protection array must have come at a cost. She cannot possibly break through two arrays consecutively. Right now, the second defensive array can temporarily protect the disciples.”

“What if the second defensive array breaks?”

Jiang Zhaoyue furrowed his brow.

But Jiang Pingsheng already understood and reminded, “It’s still better than having disciples die and then be refined into fierce corpses by them.”

That Xinluoyi could simultaneously control so many people proved that refining disciples was far easier for her than breaking formations. If disciples died outside the barrier, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t become new nourishment for Xinluoyi.

“The most important thing right now is to accelerate the refinement of the resentment power so Father can leave sooner.” Jiang Zhaoxue pursed her lips and said solemnly, “The second defensive line cannot be lost. The Heart-Questioning Platform has no barrier. If the second defensive array is damaged, then Qingye—”

Jiang Zhaoxue raised her eyes and looked calmly at Qingye. “You must delay at any cost until Father arrives.”

Hearing this, Qingye’s eyes trembled as she understood Jiang Zhaoxue’s meaning.

Having come this far, they had no way to retreat.

Song Wulan and Xinluoyi were far more powerful than they had imagined. If Pei Zichen didn’t succeed this time, no one would have any power to resist afterward. Now, Pei Zichen becoming a god was the only critical factor.

Qingye’s expression became grave, but she displayed a rare seriousness and calmness. Staring at Jiang Zhaoxue, she said, “I understand. Rest assured, you focus entirely on your task, and I’ll focus entirely on mine. The second defensive line—unless I die, it will not fall.”

With that, Qingye said no more to Jiang Zhaoxue. She cut off communication with her, turned to look at the disciples behind her fighting the fierce corpses, and shouted, “Retreat! Retreat behind the defensive array!”

At Qingye’s command, everyone immediately fought while retreating, withdrawing all the way to behind the defensive array.

The fierce corpses pursued relentlessly. When the disciples approached within a hundred zhang of the defensive array, magical light suddenly shot up from the ground. Talismans fell like rain, exploding with thunderous booms and completely isolating the fierce corpses behind the rain of talismans.

All the disciples rushed into the defensive formation during this opportunity. Diewu hurried forward, anxiously greeting Qingye and Dielan. “Are you alright? Everyone made it in, right?”

As they spoke, the formation cultivators behind them simultaneously activated arrays. Formation after formation lit up, tearing the surging fierce corpses to shreds.

Long-range attacks had always been handled by formation cultivators, which gave sword cultivators like Qingye time to rest. Medical cultivators immediately came forward to bandage the wounded. While Qingye was having her wounds bandaged, she explained the situation to Diewu. “The Female Lord wants us to delay at any cost until the Island Lord arrives.”

“Then let the formation cultivators take turns protecting the defensive array first, then use the defensive array to delay for a while. If nothing unexpected happens…”

Before she could finish speaking, an elegant and noble male voice resonated through the sky, chanting softly, “By the summons of Heaven’s Way, break the formation.”

Everyone who heard this was shocked and opened their eyes wide. But it was already too late. All the formations outside the defensive array exploded with a “boom.” The formation cultivators inside the defensive array were as if swept away by a tremendous force, sent flying into the distance and vomiting blood!

All the formations broke open simultaneously. Only the great defensive array set up by Jiang Zhaoyue, Pei Zichen, and the others remained. The fierce corpses surged forward, recklessly smashing against the great array without regard for consequences, like tens of thousands of bats flapping and rushing forward, blotting out the sky and sun, trying to use their lives to break through this defensive array.

Watching this terrifying scene, Diewu cried out in shock, “Fate Master! They have a ninth realm Fate Master!”

Qingye said nothing, looking into the distance and pursing her lips as she tightened her grip on her long sword.

Jiang Zhaoxue and the others also looked into the distance through the water mirror and saw two white bone palanquins slowly appearing at the end of the fierce corpse horde.

On each palanquin sat a man. One wore water-blue silk brocade robes and was waving a small fan.

The other wore red robes and appeared to be male, but his posture and expression were extraordinarily seductive. Before him floated sixty-four blood-colored umbrella ribs. The color of the umbrella ribs was still light red, with black energy gathering, coiling, and rotating around them, continuously entering the umbrella ribs. Each umbrella rib was like a sharp blade, slowly rotating.

Seeing these two people, Ye Tianjiao’s eyes widened. “Song Wulan? Shen Yuqing?”

“No.”

Jiang Zhaoxue stared at them coldly and reminded them, “He is not Shen Yuqing.”

Hearing this, everyone realized that Shen Yuqing had already been possessed by Xinluoyi. What was inside this shell was not Shen Yuqing.

And Xinluoyi clearly had no intention of concealing her identity. She slightly raised her chin and called out loudly, “Jiang Zhaoxue, I know what you’re doing in there. Now that I’ve become a god and received recognition from the Book of Fate, if you obediently bring the master out now, I can still spare you a way to live. Otherwise, in half an hour, when my great array is complete, I will surely slay three thousand of your Penglai disciples, grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes, ensuring your soul is destroyed and you can never be reborn!”

“Insolent!”

Hearing this, Jiang Pingsheng’s dharma voice burst forth, rolling up a fierce wind that overturned a crowd of fierce corpses.

Xinluoyi’s expression changed slightly. However, the resentment power that Jiang Pingsheng was suppressing in that direction immediately became agitated, and he quickly pressed down his spiritual power.

Jiang Zhaoyue frowned and reminded him disapprovingly, “Father, don’t be impulsive.”

Jiang Pingsheng pressed his lips tight and dared not speak again. Jiang Zhaoxue closed her eyes without a word, only frantically purifying the resentment power and repairing Pei Zichen’s body.

Seeing no further reaction from Jiang Zhaoyue, Song Wulan leaned sideways in his chair, his small fan pressed against his lips. He glanced at the now-nervous Xinluoyi beside him and said slowly and leisurely, “He has to suppress the Crossing Resentment Pool. You have the Book of Fate. What are you afraid of?”

Hearing this, Xinluoyi froze, as if only now remembering her current identity. The trace of nervousness on her face slowly disappeared, replaced by the pleasure of realizing her own power.

Her entire life had been spent pursuing power, yet she had always been subordinate to others, hiding and skulking about, never having such an unrestrained moment.

She raised her eyes to look at the slowly rotating blood-colored umbrella ribs before her. From behind those blood-colored umbrella ribs, she seemed able to see Jiang Zhaoxue’s appearance. She said slowly, “Old man Jiang, why be so angry? I’m also speaking the truth. Right now, you’re betting on whether Pei Zichen can successfully fuse and become a god today. Since I’ve appeared here, naturally I have confidence that you must lose. If you don’t believe me…”

Xinluoyi smiled, raised her hand and pointed at the defensive array ahead, saying gently, “Then I’ll kill some bees and butterflies first to send you an appetizer.”

The moment her voice fell, one umbrella rib broke away from the formation. Then one umbrella rib transformed into dozens, rotating to form a disk. Countless umbrella ribs shot forth like steel needles, densely packed and striking toward one direction!

These umbrella ribs came fierce and swift. The defensive array trembled from their strikes. Following the guidance of the steel needles, the fierce corpses also frantically beat in the same direction.

The defensive array shook from their beating. The disciples behind the defensive array couldn’t help showing fear in their eyes.

“She can actually maintain two such spiritually-draining formations simultaneously…”

Jiang Zhaoyue spoke in disbelief. Before her eyes were clearly the umbrella rib sword formation that was gathering power and the formation currently attacking the defensive array. Either of these formations would already be difficult for Great Vehicle stage cultivators like them to maintain, yet Xinluoyi could effortlessly maintain two at once!

“I have the Book of Fate in hand,” Xinluoyi said with a smile, as if she could hear their voices, answering them. “All the power in this world is at my disposal. My power is endless. If Shen Yuqing’s body weren’t so useless, would I have let you survive until now?! This defensive array won’t hold for long. Once the defensive array breaks, Jiang Zhaoxue, do you think Penglai’s few disciples can hold us off for long?”

Her words were not false. Jiang Zhaoxue couldn’t help but clench her fists, but she could do nothing except force herself to quickly purify the resentment power.

Ye Tianjiao was made uncomfortable by her words and couldn’t help but curse, “Xinluoyi, you’re really a fucking talent! Whoever is strong is your father! Before, you were all ‘master this’ and ‘master that,’ loyal and devoted, and now you’re being a dog for Song Wulan?!”

“So what if I’m a dog?” Xinluoyi didn’t care at all. She smiled with a hooked lip. “Even a dog can kill you. Doesn’t that make you worse than a dog? Ye Tianjiao, when the defensive array breaks, you’ll be the first one I kill!”

As she spoke, Xinluoyi’s second umbrella rib leaped out. Song Wulan looked at her helplessly and couldn’t help saying, “Why get angry? With two of your umbrella ribs out, the great array will be delayed again.”

“What’s there to fear?” Xinluoyi sneered. “First break the defensive array and kill some to show them.”

As she spoke, the faint sound of “crack” could be heard, and cracks appeared on the defensive array.

Those cracks seemed to crack into Jiang Zhaoxue’s heart. Everyone’s faces changed drastically. Ye Tianjiao also panicked and couldn’t help saying, “Elder Sister…”

“Female Lord.”

At this moment, Jiang Zhaoxue heard Qingye’s voice by her ear, saying calmly, “Don’t worry.”

Jiang Zhaoxue opened her eyes in confusion. Then she saw Qingye draw her sword, staring at the distant umbrella ribs, and saying calmly, “Penglai martial cultivation disciples, step forward! Abandon martial forms and transform! Follow me out of the array!”

Jiang Zhaoxue’s eyes shook.

Taking demon form meant not needing to use spiritual power to maintain human form, allowing all magical power to be used for combat. However, once injured, the injuries would be several times more severe than in human form.

Demon clans only abandoned martial forms and transformed when they were determined to fight to the death.

Realizing Qingye’s intention, Jiang Zhaoxue urgently called out, “Qingye, stay behind the defensive array—”

But it was too late. She saw the Penglai disciples ahead all transform into demon forms and charge out of the array!

Qingye transformed into a giant bee. Diewu and Dielan transformed into one blue and one pink butterfly. The three of them created massive waves with their wings. The moment they left the defensive array, they overturned the fierce corpses that had been threatening the defensive array, then met the flying needles head-on and violently knocked away the umbrella rib that had been firing flying needles!

In an instant, ten thousand beasts emerged.

Dragons danced and tigers roared, wolves ran and eagles soared. The fierce corpse tide swallowed these demon beasts like waves, but these disciples neither retreated nor feared. Like their ancestors conquering mountains, rivers, and wild plains time and time again, carrying the vigorous vitality of all living things, they rushed toward that corpse horde full of death energy and foul stench!

“A bunch of beasts!”

Xinluoyi’s umbrella rib was destroyed. Enraged, she raised her hand and with a sweep, regenerated two pure white umbrella ribs that entered the slowly rotating umbrella rib formation before her that was accumulating power. She stared fiercely at Qingye and the others who were guarding the defensive array without retreating a single step.

“When my array is complete, it will be your death!”

As she spoke, the pure white umbrella ribs quickly turned red. Jiang Zhaoxue glanced at the umbrella ribs, closed her eyes, and pushed her spiritual power down further to purify the resentment power.

With Qingye and the others holding the front, the formation cultivators no longer needed to maintain the defensive array and freed their hands to assist with long-range formation work and talisman throwing.

Everyone displayed their divine abilities, blocking the fierce corpses ten zhang outside the defensive array, not letting them advance even half a step.

Jiang Zhaoxue focused wholeheartedly on purifying the resentment energy, only leaving Ye Tianjiao to protect the array and watch the situation.

After a long while, although the churning of resentment energy in the Crossing Resentment Pool remained violent, the brilliance of the four directional formations gradually stabilized.

The light from the formation beneath Jiang Zhaoyue grew dimmer and dimmer. Ye Tianjiao became happy. “Soon! Just wait a bit longer and Island Lord Jiang can leave!”

However, at this moment, both Jiang Zhaoxue and Jiang Zhaoyue felt that the defensive array outside was being suppressed by resentment power to its limit.

They opened their eyes and saw that the sixty-four umbrella ribs before Xinluoyi had all turned a dazzling crimson and slowly stopped rotating. Ye Tianjiao also sensed something was wrong and became nervous. “She… she’s not about to complete it too, is she?”

No one responded. They only saw Xinluoyi raise her hand and lift the sixty-four umbrella ribs into the sky, which immediately transformed into densely packed sword ribs, forming a giant net. Blood mist filled the air, blotting out the sky and sun. Powerful pressure emanated from above. Everyone gasped and looked up to see those blood-colored sword ribs suspended high above like sharp blades.

Without words, everyone could feel the force carried by those blades. Some younger disciples couldn’t control their trembling, yet they forced themselves to hold firm like their senior brothers and sisters, looking up at the umbrella ribs above.

“Jiang Zhaoxue.”

Xinluoyi raised her finger, pointing at these disciples, and said methodically, “My great array is complete. If you don’t come out, these disciples will truly die for you, and not a single one will remain.”

“Father!”

Seeing this, Jiang Zhaoyue became anxious and instinctively said, “Why don’t I go…”

“Right now, whoever goes, the Crossing Resentment Pool cannot be maintained.” Ye Tianjiao immediately interrupted Jiang Zhaoyue, gritting his teeth. “If the Crossing Resentment Pool is lost and the resentment energy is swallowed by Xinluoyi, everyone’s efforts will be for naught—then certain death is guaranteed!”

Jiang Zhaoyue understood this, but looking at the Penglai disciples in the water mirror who he had personally brought here, now fully transformed and looking up at the umbrella ribs, clearly showing fear in their eyes yet still unwilling to retreat even half a step, his eyes couldn’t help but redden.

Ye Tianjiao remained silent, gazing at the disciples of the Jiuyou Realm in the defensive formation—disciples he had personally trained over this past thousand years.

He looked at them calmly, as if returning to his youth beneath the Dingkun Needle.

That year, he had watched his master and fellow disciples crash into the Dingkun Needle, and now he was watching again.

But the experience of the years made him silent. He even had to dissuade Jiang Zhaoyue. “Having come this far, no one has a way back.”

And Jiang Zhaoxue, listening, clenched her fists. Deep in her heart was a faint glimmer of hope, yet she didn’t dare hope.

“If they now have a way to escape from Song Wulan’s hands, that also means their sect must have a way to survive. They’re staying in their sect’s safe zone—would they be willing to come here to risk their lives?”

“In my heart, I have no certainty. But since you say this, I’m inclined to trust them.”

“Why?”

“I need to give you some good examples of the truth, goodness, and beauty of the human world. I have to believe first, don’t I?”

The truth, goodness, and beauty of the human world.

Heavenly Sword Sect.

Heaven and Earth Dao Gate.

The hundred immortal sects of the True Immortal realm—if they came, they would have a thread of hope for survival.

“Actually, you don’t need to worry that I’ll kill everyone,” Xinluoyi clearly didn’t want to truly reach mutual destruction and continued trying to persuade them. “The Book of Fate has coexisted with this small world for many years. Everyone has been at peace. Now you suddenly want to fight to the death—what’s the point? As long as you offer tribute to me as you previously offered tribute to the Book of Fate, this seat will not hold it against you. Penglai can become the new Lingjian Immortal Pavilion. I can let you live in peace. Jiang Zhaoxue, whether you come out today or not, it’s a certain death situation—just a matter of dying sooner or later. Why bet Penglai to save one Pei Zichen? As long as you listen to me—”

“No one wants to listen to you!”

A young voice suddenly exploded, interrupting Xinluoyi’s words. Xinluoyi and Song Wulan paused and looked down to see a small wolf among the central Penglai disciples, wounded all over, his body unable to control its instinctive trembling, yet still calling out loudly, “Penglai’s spine will not bend! We will never be your running dogs like Lingjian Immortal Pavilion for our entire lives! You want to kill whoever you want, change whoever’s fate you want—we cultivate the Dao to fight Heaven for our fate! Our destiny is determined only by ourselves!”

“Oh?”

These words seemed to pique Song Wulan’s interest. He tilted his head and smiled lightly. “A mere beast dares to speak presumptuously of heavenly fate? Then let me see.”

Song Wulan raised his finger, pointing at the small wolf, and said gently, “Whether Penglai’s spine can be broken.”

The moment his voice fell, the umbrella ribs connected into a giant net and fell together!

Qingye, Diewu, Dielan, and other elders’ forms suddenly swelled enormously. Without hesitation, they charged toward the umbrella ribs in the sky, trying to block this slaughter for the young disciples below!

“Female Lord,” Qingye’s voice came calmly, “bring our demon cores home.”

“Qingye!!”

A’Nan couldn’t help but scream. Just as she watched the umbrella ribs meet Qingye, Diewu, and Dielan’s wings and bodies, at that very moment, two flying swords carrying sword light and accompanied by the sound of solemn slaughter, majestic as the sun and moon, traversed a thousand miles to arrive!

The sword light separated into a barrier, suddenly blocking the umbrella ribs about to fall on Qingye.

Then thousands upon thousands of light swords followed closely behind the sword light, arranging themselves at height and spreading out to form a barrier net covering all the Penglai disciples above, confronting the umbrella ribs.

The sword wind dispelled the blood mist above. The cloud layer was dispersed by countless sword lights. Disciples arrived riding swords like flowing light, with Immortal Alliance banners unfurling behind them in the wind. Dao patterns flowed, hanging down thousands of clear lights.

The sword light circled back, accompanied by a hearty laugh. A disheveled young man in blue robes raised his hand to grasp the returning long sword and called out loudly, “Zhou Bugang of Heaven and Earth Dao Gate.”

“Xu Zichen of Heavenly Sword Sect.” On the other side, a white-robed young man’s figure appeared, raising his hand to grasp another sword.

“Feng Minghuan of Hundred Sound Pavilion.” Another white-robed man holding a konghou appeared in another corner.

Following the appearance of these three, more and more people emerged in the sky above, raising their eyes to look toward the distant Song Wulan and Xinluoyi.

“Carrying the hundred sects of the Immortal Alliance, we have come to reinforce!”