Fearful guests jumped up screaming as they realized what had happened. The people of Nan Que changed expression dramatically. Gui Su Hall Master and others swiftly moved forward to the severed head. Some tried to capture the Red-Winged Vermilion Bird that had dropped it, but it dispersed before they could.

Cui Yuanxi, who had been in a daze, finally came to his senses. But all these changes happened in an instant—several beams of light rose from the ground, perfectly surrounding the wedding guests and forming a transparent square light barrier. Black runes flowed across the four sides of the barrier, with a supreme-grade divine weapon, the Divine Wood Bow, suspended at the very top.

Gui Su had been focused on Bei Dou’s people, but briefly shifted his attention due to the severed head incident. When this Eight Meridian Formation suddenly rose, he turned back toward Bei Dou’s seats and shouted angrily: “Shi Wenqian, Wu Yan, what is the meaning of this?!”

Zhang Su Hall Master immediately took action, but discovered he couldn’t release star power. He looked up sharply at the Divine Wood Bow above.

Advanced Eight Meridian Formation: Full Moon Seal was a formation specifically designed to restrain cultivators. It severed the connection between practitioners and the circulating Qi of heaven and earth, cutting off the use of star power. Within the formation, cultivators were no different from ordinary people.

Such a formation wasn’t unsolvable for those present—several guests were life-and-death realm powerhouses. However, the situation became thorny because a supreme-grade divine weapon anchored the formation.

Cui Yuanxi’s expression darkened. He recalled Chen Zhou’s information claiming the Divine Wood Bow was with Qu Zhuyue, yet she wasn’t present. Bei Dou’s purpose in bringing the Divine Wood Bow wasn’t to kill Cui Yaocen but to create the Full Moon Seal formation.

As long as the Divine Wood Bow remained intact, the formation couldn’t be broken.

The Divine Wood Bow indeed couldn’t exhibit the power it had in Ming Li’s hands when wielded by others, but it was still a supreme-grade divine weapon. In Ming Li’s absence, using it to anchor a formation was perfect.

This sudden development not only bewildered Nan Que but also astonished the guests, who each moved to protect their masters.

“Everyone, please don’t panic. We didn’t kill Zhen Su Hall Master,” Tian Ji Hall Master Wu Yan said leisurely. “The Full Moon Seal is only meant to detain Nan Que’s people for a discussion. Your involvement in today’s wedding banquet is regrettable but unavoidable. Please don’t take offense.”

Tai Yi’s Pi Su Hall Master stood protectively in front of Ye Yiyi, looking displeased at Tian Ji: “You involve innocents and still expect forgiveness?”

Tian Ji’s gaze swept over him dismissively: “It doesn’t matter if Tai Yi’s people refuse to forgive. I don’t particularly care.”

“You!” Pi Su Hall Master’s mustache quivered with anger.

Ye Yiyi stopped him with one hand and smiled: “Come now, they say they just want to talk with Nan Que. Let’s quietly watch the show.”

Tai Yi’s people dared not object. After all, Ye Yuanqing was absent and had instructed them to look after Ye Yiyi. While trapped in the Full Moon Seal formation, it was best not to interfere in the grudge between these two sects.

Dong Yang’s side remained even quieter. From the Sect Leader to the Hall Masters, none uttered a word. Seeing the argument, Song Tianyi tried to minimize his presence, quietly reaching for rice cakes from the food tray.

Only the southern sects glared at Bei Dou’s people, voicing condemnations one after another. Some Nan Que disciples who weren’t trapped in the Full Moon Seal watched Bei Dou’s people vigilantly.

Qian Li was also confused by this sudden turn of events, unsure of what to do.

Zhang Su Hall Master said gravely: “Is Bei Dou’s way of ‘talking’ with Nan Que to first kill our people?”

Tian Ji looked back coldly: “Let me emphasize again, we didn’t kill this person. If possible, I would have preferred to do it myself, since he was one of the thirty-nine who attacked Bei Dou.”

This statement changed everyone’s expression. Tai Yi and Dong Yang’s people looked toward Nan Que, and even Princess Chang Xi raised her eyes in surprise.

Gui Su Hall Master shouted angrily: “Stop spouting lies!”

Tian Ji looked down at Zhen Su Hall Master’s blood-stained head with a cold smile: “Nan Que’s Zhen Su, Thunderous Roar Meridian at peak full cultivation, specialized in substitute spirit attacks. He attacked Bei Dou and killed our Tian Quan Hall Master. You should be grateful he didn’t die by my hand.”

He finished and looked up meaningfully at Nan Que’s people: “Instead of accusing me of lying, why don’t you explain why our Bei Dou supreme-grade divine weapon Shi Fei is in Nan Que’s Jing Su’s Tai Wei Forest?”

Gui Su Hall Master and others froze, inwardly shocked at how he knew this.

Kai Yang rose unhurriedly, walked to the edge of the formation, and stood on the platform steps. Looking at Cui Yuanxi in the distance with a half-smile, he said: “Besides the thirty-nine attackers and the Shi Fei matter, I’d also like to ask your Young Master what he means by imprisoning our Bei Dou disciple all these years.”

Cui Yuanxi’s mind exploded with a loud bang, his ears ringing.

His greatest fear had come to pass.

Bei Dou had not forgotten about Qing Ying. On the contrary, they had prepared so thoroughly to force him to surrender the still-living Qing Ying.

While Cui Yuanxi remained silent, Kai Yang, standing outside the formation, glimpsed something in his peripheral vision. He raised his hand, using star power to remotely grab a Nan Que disciple trying to sneak up behind him for a surprise attack, and without hesitation, twisted off the person’s head. Blood splattered across the stone steps.

“Stop!” Gui Su Hall Master’s eyes turned bloodshot as he watched his disciple die.

Kai Yang showed no concern for the headless corpse beside him and said calmly, “Let me think, how many of my disciples did you kill when you attacked Bei Dou? Today I’ll return that number to you in full.”

“Young Master Cui, you’d better answer my question quickly, or there won’t be enough Nan Que disciples standing here for me to kill.”

*

Not all Nan Que disciples were at the Eight Departure Peak wedding banquet. Originally, these disciples would have gone later to watch the festivities, but unfortunately, the alarm bell rang, and the Vermilion Birds issued mournful cries, spreading the shocking news of Zhen Su Hall Master’s death throughout the Seven Halls.

Security orders transmitted from Jing Su Hall and Yi Su Hall came one after another. Senior disciples from each hall received commands to conduct inspections and block roads.

Qu Zhuyue entered Jing Su without much difficulty. The closer she got to Yumei’s main residence, the quieter it became. Not even a single guard disciple was present. It seemed the owner here had anticipated her arrival.

Yumei often brewed tea under the eaves. The courtyard was tranquil, with flowers blooming and falling. In the night, lantern light dotted the flower clusters, occasionally swaying with the night breeze, casting moving shadows on the walls.

The night scene was truly exquisite.

Qu Zhuyue stood in this elegant courtyard with a serene expression, looking at the person brewing tea under the eaves.

Yumei still wore her heavy snow-white coat, fiddling with tea utensils on the table. She sighed softly: “I thought he would come. I’m a bit disappointed.”

Qu Zhuyue smiled: “Seeing that you weren’t tortured to death by Yuheng’s Yin-Yang curse also disappoints me.”

“Bei Dou’s Yuheng Hall Master’s Yin and Yang Meridians at peak full cultivation, and his curse techniques are indeed powerful, but unfortunately…” Yumei turned to look at Qu Zhuyue in the courtyard, “He died first.”

Qu Zhuyue beckoned, and a Red-Winged Vermilion Bird following her flew forward, dropping Zhen Su Hall Master’s arms in the courtyard before dispersing.

The smile gradually faded from Yumei’s face.

Qu Zhuyue’s eyes, however, maintained their mirth: “I’m also regretful that your Zhen Su died first.”

These two shrewd women, both cultivating the Heart Meridian, exchanged a meaningful glance after their brief verbal sparring. In that instant, their star power silently yet forcefully spread out.

*

Ming Li stood at the center of the Four Realms Formation. After modifying and expanding it to encompass all of Nan Que, she could now vaguely sense changes occurring throughout Nan Que.

She saw the Divine Wood Bow suspended above the Full Moon Seal formation at Eight Departure Peak. Recalling Zhou Zixi’s parting words, she frowned in contemplation.

Though her junior brother was trapped somewhere, he could use his Yin Meridian to borrow shadows and be omnipresent. While “omnipresent” was an exaggeration, he could only appear near her in reality.

Zhou Zixi was a genius with the Eight Meridian Formation techniques. Not only was his formation-creation speed first-rate, but he also excelled at creating unique formations. Such ability would make her the anchor point of his formation, but his recent appearances had decreased, suggesting he was under some sort of suppression.

Considering that his departure could draw away the Pilgrims, the identity of his captor became obvious.

If it were a Pilgrim, several places suitable for imprisoning Zhou Zixi flashed through her mind. Suddenly sensing someone approaching, she looked up.

Li Yansi walked toward her with an inscrutable expression, asking as she approached: “Zhou Li, what are you doing here?”

Ming Li replied without changing expression: “Looking at the legendary natural formation.”

“Oh? What have you discovered?” Li Yansi stopped three steps away from her and asked.

Ming Li smiled slightly: “Such a formation being used only to control Yi Su’s weather and seasons is truly a waste.”

Hearing this, Li Yansi confirmed her suspicions. Seeing Ming Li’s fearless demeanor, she frowned with slight regret: “Initially, knowing you spent time at the Four Realms Formation, I thought you were studious and considered it a good thing. Only when I sensed something amiss with the formation did I realize. Let me guess, are you from Bei Dou, or an Earth Ghost?”

As she finished, she looked at Ming Li again with a sharp, oppressive gaze.

Ming Li stood unperturbed: “Why don’t you guess whether I seem more like someone from Bei Dou or more like an Earth Ghost?”

“Earth Ghosts are easier to identify than your sect allegiance—I just need to kill you once.” As Li Yansi spoke, star power gathered around her, focused intently on Ming Li. “Earth Ghosts are like rats living in gutters, not worth mourning. So you’d better hope you’re from Bei Dou, or you’ll die and revive, revive and die, suffering the torment of life and death repeatedly.”

Ming Li laughed at her words. Li Yansi could see no trace of wariness or seriousness in this young woman, who faced her released star power with composure, as if unable to sense the pressure.

This only made Li Yansi more cautious.

“Let me guess, too,” Ming Li said. “I’ll guess whether you were one of the thirty-nine who attacked Bei Dou.”

Li Yansi raised an eyebrow, laughing strangely: “It seems I don’t need to guess anymore. You’re from Bei Dou.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the invisible star power surrounding Ming Li transformed into tiny light blades and shot toward her. The blades pierced through Ming Li in an instant, too fast to track even with the Eye Meridian activated. To Li Yansi’s shock, Ming Li stood unharmed.

Her lethal star power attack had no effect!

Ming Li brushed away snowflakes that had fallen on her braid. The Pilgrim’s Fire inside her became active. Since the mountain challenge, she had discovered that purely star power-based attacks, rather than spiritual techniques or abilities, were 100% consumed by her Pilgrim’s Fire without her needing to lift a finger.

This was the first time Li Yansi had encountered such a situation. Already cautious, she now dared not act rashly. She wasn’t yet certain whether only star power was ineffective against Ming Li or all meridian power.

Before she could decide her next move, Ming Li said: “Whether or not you were one of the thirty-nine who attacked Bei Dou, it seems you’ll die here today.”

Li Yansi smiled coldly: “Is this how a disciple speaks to her master?”

Ming Li smiled back and raised her hand, saying to Li Yansi, “If you want to be my master, first understand your situation. Since you discovered the anomaly in the Four Realms Formation, haven’t you noticed it now covers all of Nan Que?”

As Ming Li spoke, Li Yansi’s pupils contracted. Looking down, she saw countless purple-glowing star lines densely covering the ground, extending endlessly toward various parts of Nan Que.

How was this possible?

How could she expand the Four Realms Formation to encompass all of Nan Que?

Li Yansi tried to fly backward using Instant Shadow Swift Movement—a technique that could normally take her far away in an instant. But in the formation controlled by Ming Li, she felt as heavy as a thousand catties. Even with her Body Techniques Meridian operating at full capacity, she couldn’t move.

“You…”

As soon as she spoke, Ming Li said: “Sound Binding.”

Li Yansi’s utterance backfired. Normally, this would create just one sound-explosion talisman, but now, with the Four Realms Formation providing endless star power enhancement, it increased tenfold. The explosions surrounded her, destroying her star power protection. Flesh and blood flew in all directions.

Following the Sound Binding explosion, the final stage was Ming Li’s Thunderous Roar Meridian instantly reaching full cultivation through the Pilgrim’s Fire—Sound Devouring Twist.

Li Yansi couldn’t hold back her cry. Rapidly spinning star power seized her throat, invading her flesh and killing her by twisting. Blood splattered everywhere.

She stared wide-eyed, clutching her throat as she fell to her knees. Her gray eyes reflected Ming Li’s departing figure. Even in death, Li Yansi couldn’t believe that a newcomer with only one meridian at full cultivation could use a Circulating Qi Meridian spiritual technique comparable to a Pilgrim’s.

The natural formation’s star power enhancement surprised even Ming Li. It meant she didn’t have to worry about the Pilgrim’s Fire consuming her star power when using spiritual techniques. Additionally, the double star power doubled the techniques’ power, allowing her to instantly kill Li Yansi, who had seven meridians at full cultivation.

Ming Li changed Yi Su Hall from heavy snowfall back to springtime, then left without looking back, heading toward Jing Su Hall.

*

Once again, mournful cries of Vermilion Birds echoed throughout Nan Que.

Yi Su Hall Master Li Yansi had perished.

The expressions of everyone at Eight Departure Peak changed, except for Bei Dou’s Tian Ji and Kai Yang Hall Masters, who remained impassive. At that moment, another Red-Winged Vermilion Bird flew out from the void. Gui Su Hall Master couldn’t help but roar in anger: “Bei Dou—”

Tian Ji said with disgust: “Why are you howling? This is one of your own.”

This Red-Winged Vermilion Bird came from Jing Su Hall. In a mechanical-like voice, it relayed a message to Nan Que’s Seven Halls:

“Gui Su Qiu Hong, Liu Su Dou Lanmin, Yi Su Zhou Li; Zhen Su Lin Xiao, Cheng Jingbai; Xing Su Zhou Xiang, Fang Hui; the above disciples have massacred fellow disciples and Hall Masters. They have been identified as Nan Que traitors. The Seven Halls are requested to apprehend them immediately.”

________________________________________

“…What? Lin Xiao?” Gui Su Hall Master’s face showed utter disbelief. Beside him, Zhang Su Hall Master and Xing Su Hall Master also looked grim. “Several of these are newly recruited Eight Meridian Awakened disciples from this year. Bei Dou truly spares no expense, using such promising seeds as undercover agents.”

Kai Yang Hall Master laughed: “Although we only have one undercover agent, since you say they’re all ours, then so be it.”

Standing outside the formation, Qian Li heard this in a daze, repeatedly asking the messenger bird to confirm the names.

Who?

Who’s on the list?

Say it again!