Ming Li already had a sense of what choice Zhou Zixi would make.

Since that night of Zhou Zixi’s first birthday celebration years ago, Ming Li noticed her junior disciple had let go of something.

Zhou Zixi became increasingly steady and reserved in her presence, no longer like a bristling puppy but a mature hound.

Ming Li wanted to have a proper conversation with her junior disciple.

From before until now, something always interrupted them, preventing them from speaking about these matters.

Barely reunited, yet parting again.

Ming Li told herself this would be the last time.

The Memory Recall Map Zhou Zixi transmitted to her before his death had been recording for an unknown time, showing only scenes of his suffering on the sacrificial platform beneath Grievance Tower.

From when he first arrived, struggling in the agony of death, being killed in various ways by Shu Sheng and Long Yu Ye, as if returning to the Inspector’s dungeon of the past. Yet he possessed a powerful will to live, attempting to return to the place his heart yearned for.

But the Pilgrims brought him only terrible news. Ye Yuanqing would exploit his deepest vulnerabilities to make him kneel and beg. Cui Yaocen would arrogantly proclaim his status as a prisoner. Shu Sheng would even strip away his hatred.

Zhou Zixi had begged countless times, doing everything—kneeling, debasing himself—yet he couldn’t bring Chen Zhou out from the heavenly pit, couldn’t return Qing Ying to Bei Dou, couldn’t help Dong Yeyun save his friend.

“You can wait for your senior sister to save you.”

The Pilgrims had long known of Ming Li’s death but wouldn’t tell Zhou Zixi, letting him cling to empty hope.

During those days, the person Zhou Zixi least wanted to see was Ming Li, and the person he most wanted to see was also Ming Li.

Long Yu Ye said to him, “Your desire to live is truly strong. If you continue refusing to tell us how to extract the Stellar Meridian’s essence, you’ll suffer until we find a way to kill you completely.”

“You’re free to find a way to leave in the meantime, but remember, the Yin-Yang curse on your body will make you kill those you least want to harm once you leave the Bei Jing Gui Yuan.”

“Freedom or your senior brothers and sisters—which will you choose?”

Zhou Zixi had never hated someone so much before.

He had lost everything he’d gained through immense hardship. Occasionally, when looking down at the shadow among the pile of bones, Zhou Zixi couldn’t help thinking: I should just tell them, then I could return to Bei Dou, go back and tell Senior Sister, Senior Brother, Qing Ying, and Dong Yeyun where they are and what suffering they’ve endured.

But doing so would eliminate the Life Meridian, turning the Tonggu Continent into a world with only eight meridians.

The shadow simply accompanied Zhou Zixi silently, just as it had in the tower before.

Zhou Zixi asked, “What do you want me to do?”

The shadow didn’t answer, leaving the choice to him.

Through inhuman torture, Zhou Zixi’s humanity was washed away. The moments that once moved him, when recalled, no longer stirred any emotion. He couldn’t even understand them, only observing coldly.

Even his hatred for the Pilgrims had grown distant.

Until one day, he sensed Ming Li’s presence and saw his senior sister again.

The emotions he had lost were gradually reawakened.

Now Zhou Zixi transmitted these memories to Ming Li, employing his usual small tactics. He wanted Ming Li, who had clearly stated “I like you” multiple times, to know the suffering he had endured, to make her feel even more sympathy for him, to deepen her affection for him, so that even if he died this time, Ming Li would never forget him.

Zhou Zixi said to Ming Li: Senior Sister, love only me.

*

The golden celestial eye in the night sky cast an intense pressure over the area, confronting the black skeletons on the ground.

On the sacrificial platform, Ming Li looked up at the black skeleton before her. It was also watching her, with star lines flowing in the depths of its black eye sockets. It was the tallest among all the black skeletons.

The black skeleton turned its palm, and the skull it had been holding fell to the ground.

Ming Li’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she committed every scene from the Memory Recall Map to heart. She said to the black skeleton, “Go do what you want to do.”

The black skeleton slowly raised its head, looking toward the golden celestial eye. When it opened its mouth, it seemed capable of swallowing the starry night whole. The roar from its throat pushed back the pressure from the golden celestial eye.

Dark clouds obscured the moon and, with the summoning of the Life Meridian’s power throughout heaven and earth, would soon cover that golden celestial eye as well.

The Life and Death Qi Flow gathered toward the sacrificial platform at an almost imperceptible speed. When Ming Li turned around, the gentleness in her eyes facing the black skeleton vanished instantly, replaced by clear killing intent. The sword in her hand repelled Shu Sheng, who had appeared with a flash-step.

Long Yu Ye’s expression darkened slightly, no longer able to maintain composure. He flash-stepped to Fang Hui’s side and reached out to grab him, but was stopped by Song Tianjiu.

Song Tianjiu pulled Fang Hui behind him, with several transparent wind-stealing birds hovering vigilantly around them.

“Although I don’t know why you want to capture him, you can trade the Mind Awakening Marrow for him,” said Song Tianjiu.

His words sounded cowardly, but his blocking gesture was unyielding.

“I never trade with people,” Long Yu Ye said, disappearing from Song Tianjiu’s sight as soon as he finished speaking.

This speed… was too fast! Song Tianjiu couldn’t see Long Yu Ye’s movements clearly and could only predict where he might appear. The wind-stealing birds surrounding Fang Hui sensed the fluctuations of stellar power and issued warning cries.

Fang Hui stared blankly at the golden eye in the sky. His power was resonating with it—the weak power of the Qi Flow Meridian, normally difficult to sense, was connecting with the golden eye above.

Song Tianjiu, protecting Fang Hui, was drenched in cold sweat. The pressure from his opponent made him unusually focused and determined to give his all.

Song Tianjiu took a deep breath. With the black skeleton’s roar in his ears, he cleared his mind, temporarily setting aside his fear as he closed his eyes.

Yin Meridian High-level Spirit Technique: Eternal Fall.

When Song Tianjiu opened his eyes, he and Fang Hui were disappearing, wrapped in thick darkness, leaving only the transparent wind-stealing birds behind. The two men were like figures cut from a painting.

Long Yu Ye grabbed at empty air and found himself also trapped in a world of darkness.

He could feel he was standing, yet experienced an endless sensation of falling. He could hear no sound, nor sense the flow of heaven and earth’s Qi.

Long Yu Ye spoke, but couldn’t even hear his voice.

“So you specialize in the Yin Meridian,” said Long Yu Ye. “Eternal Fall, is a difficult spirit technique to master. The endless falling sensation creates an equally endless feeling of fear, a high-level technique that kills opponents in darkness and terror. When using Eternal Fall, one must completely abandon the emotion of fear. But did you think I wouldn’t know such a technique?”

Long Yu Ye raised his hand, the falling sensation disappeared, and a flame ignited at his fingertips. He said, “Just a bit of light is enough to dispel darkness.”

The flames burned away the black scroll, revealing daylight again. Long Yu Ye once more heard the roaring of the black skeletons and the sound of wind-stealing birds flying at high speed with killing intent.

“Wind Break.”

Long Yu Ye raised his hand and crushed a wind-stealing bird. A Qi Flow Word Incantation shot toward Song Tianjiu, who was trying to hide with Fang Hui. Song Tianjiu, moving with a flash-step, was struck by Wind Break’s heavy force and knocked ungracefully to the ground.

The Life and Death Binding that followed cut into Song Tianjiu’s skin, spilling blood onto Fang Hui’s robe hem.

“Just give me the person,” said Long Yu Ye. “I’ll return the Mind Awakening Marrow to you eventually. What more do you want?”

Song Tianjiu covered his mouth; some of his internal organs had been shredded by the heaven and earth Qi Flow, and he was vomiting large amounts of blood. Being suppressed by Wind Break’s heavy force, he couldn’t immediately escape the Life and Death range.

“Indeed… I do have some complaints about you,” Song Tianjiu struggled to stand, shielding Fang Hui behind him as he looked up at Long Yu Ye. “Because you won’t return my elder brother to Dong Yang.”

If not for that troublesome Divine Oracle, his elder brother wouldn’t have died.

At least, he wouldn’t have died before him.

His brother would still be the sect leader of Dong Yang, and he would still be the sect leader’s brother. That was all Song Tianjiu wanted.

But Long Yu Ye said, “You’re being greedy.”

If possible, Song Tianjiu wanted to retort that Long Yu Ye was shameless, but he no longer had the strength to speak. Opening his mouth only caused blood to surge upward as he was thrown back by Long Yu Ye’s Life and Death Binding.

Fang Hui stood within the Life and Death Binding, completely unharmed.

Though Song Tianjiu didn’t know why Long Yu Ye wanted to capture Fang Hui, he knew that anything Long Yu Ye wanted shouldn’t be given to him.

Song Tianjiu swallowed the sweetish tang in his throat and mobilized stellar power with his last breath. Just as he was about to block Long Yu Ye, a pink figure flash-stepped between them. When Long Yu Ye reached for Fang Hui, several Heaven Wall Guardian formations rose.

Chang Xi grabbed Fang Hui’s hand and retreated.

Long Yu Ye clicked his tongue impatiently. The Heaven Wall Guardian formations shattered instantly, and the Life and Death Qi Flow pursued Chang Xi and Fang Hui from all directions.

So fast!

Chang Xi was shocked, her expression becoming grave, but she didn’t let go of Fang Hui’s hand. Before she could think of a countermeasure, the Life and Death Binding cut her ankle, nearly severing her foot entirely, causing her to fall to the ground. Her internal organs were also shredded, making her vomit blood profusely.

But she still didn’t release Fang Hui’s hand.

Fang Hui, who had fallen to his knees due to Chang Xi’s pull, continued to stare blankly at the sky.

Chang Xi coughed several times. Glimpsing Long Yu Ye approaching from the corner of her eye, she tightened her grip on Fang Hui’s hand and lifted her head to look at the person beside her: “Fang… Hui…”

Her facial skin was being cut into bloody streaks.

When Long Yu Ye stood before her, Chang Xi could feel this person’s powerful pressure. This pressure exceeded Shu Sheng’s, filling her with fear and making her abandon any thoughts of resistance. She trembled uncontrollably, awaiting death.

Long Yu Ye didn’t kill her; he simply took Fang Hui away.

“You’re Shu Sheng’s person, I won’t kill you,” he smiled down at Chang Xi, who still wouldn’t let go. “But if you don’t release him, I’ll cripple this hand of yours.”

Chang Xi had forcibly broken through her stellar meridian seal and was already injured. After being torn apart by the Life and Death Binding, she had little strength left to resist Long Yu Ye. It wasn’t that she wanted to let go, but that she had no strength left. As Fang Hui was taken by Long Yu Ye, Chang Xi’s raised hand fell.

“No…”

Chang Xi’s eyes widened, her gaze trembling.

Long Yu Ye grabbed Fang Hui by the neck and lifted him, staring into Fang Hui’s golden eyes: “The first-generation Pilgrims established the Divine Oracle using the eight meridians, maximizing their power. And our Wandering Clan has survived using the same method.”

“The Body Technique Meridian makes it indestructible.”

“The Eye Meridian allows it to observe the entire world.”

“The Qi Flow Meridian forms the main body, altering people’s memories.”

“The Sound Meridian provides it with people’s voices.”

“The Heart Meridian combines with the Qi Flow Meridian to guide the future’s direction.”

“The Yang Meridian makes its identification of the Life Meridian more accurate.”

“The Yin Meridian materializes it.”

“The Spirit Court Meridian creates formations that allow it to continue and replenish its power.”

Long Yu Ye’s explanation left Chang Xi and Song Tianjiu stunned, unable to help but wonder what kind of mad yet powerful people could accomplish such a thing.

“Because it’s too important, and the Wandering Clan has been in a weakened state for hundreds of years due to Bei Dou’s Heart Meridian interference, to protect the Divine Oracle, several stellar meridian powers that sustain it were released from Bei Jing Gui Yuan.”

Long Yu Ye stared at Fang Hui and said, “They find hosts themselves, parasitizing others’ stellar meridians to absorb power. When the host dies, they seek a new host.”

“You are the last stellar meridian I need to reclaim, and you correspond to the most important one: the Qi Flow Meridian.”

As Long Yu Ye’s words fell, countless star lines were extracted from Fang Hui’s body. A pale purple light enveloped him completely. His normally gloomy and cold face twisted in unbearable pain as he let out intermittent screams.

—This is my Qi Flow Meridian, my power.

Fang Hui struggled against the power of the Divine Oracle, trying to protect his Qi Flow Meridian. His entire body’s veins bulged as he fought to retain his power.

Long Yu Ye smiled: “Don’t resist the call of this great power, and don’t destroy this grand plan. It and the new world I’m creating might reluctantly leave a place for you to survive.”

The pale purple star lines extracted from Fang Hui gradually transformed into dazzling gold. Long Yu Ye suddenly sensed killing intent from behind, as two formidable Qi Flow Word Incantations flew toward him simultaneously.

Long Yu Ye had barely glimpsed Ming Li slashing toward him with her sword when Shu Sheng blocked her path. A shattered mirror, more brilliant than the golden eye in the sky, flashed before Shu Sheng’s eyes, forcing him to dodge. Ming Li brushed past him, her blade cutting through strands of Long Yu Ye’s wind-blown hair.

They faced each other across the sword’s edge, their gazes meeting amid killing intent and violent pressure. Long Yu Ye didn’t linger to fight—he flash-stepped into the air with Fang Hui, distancing himself from Ming Li.

“You seemed quite happy talking to yourself there,” Ming Li looked up at Long Yu Ye.

But Long Yu Ye turned to Shu Sheng: “Can’t you handle her?”

As Shu Sheng moved to attack again, Ming Li turned around. Her divine weapon transformed once more, becoming a snow-white longbow entwined with vines. She aimed an arrow formed of stellar power at Shu Sheng.

She didn’t speak, but this arrow carried a Qi Flow Word Incantation. It was faster than the God-Slaying Arrow, more forceful than the God-Slaying Arrow, bearing the spirit techniques of the eight meridians. With a piercing whistling sound, it broke through Shu Sheng’s defense just as he raised his hand. The arrowhead steadily touched his forehead—with a crack, the white mask developed a fracture.

Shu Sheng raised his hand but didn’t point out a Qi Flow Word Incantation. Even though his face beneath the mask wasn’t yet visible, everyone could sense that he was stunned by Ming Li’s arrow.

As the crack expanded, the arrow dissipated. That mask with two red lines… shattered.