When Yumei’s agonizing scream was heard, Black Fox Mask turned his head to look in Taiwei Forest.

The Nan Que disciples who were blocking Ming Li on her way to Taiwei Forest also stopped and looked up in shock. Cheng Jingbai shuddered: “It seems you were right.”

The most dangerous yet most intense and powerful mental state of the Heart Meridian was killing intent.

More difficult to control than love, hate, joy, or anger.

Ming Li only realized this after breaking through to become a Pilgrim, but unless someone had grown up with her, even a Pilgrim would find it difficult to detect.

Qu Zhuyue had always kept a low profile and rarely sought the spotlight. Others would say Bei Dou had no powerful Heart Meridian cultivators, that although she cultivated the Heart Meridian, they had never seen her in action, and that compared to the Heart Meridian masters of the North and South, Yumei would win effortlessly.

The Bei Dou people generally couldn’t be bothered to respond to such talk. The deans who were close to Qu Zhuyue knew what path she cultivated, and knew that if she truly took action, they wouldn’t survive her killing.

Except for the Yuheng Dean, the other deans didn’t want to witness Qu Zhuyue’s Divine Radiance illusion with killing intent. Even if Qu Zhuyue didn’t attack them, they would inevitably be affected by the killing intent within it.

Only the Yuheng Dean had accompanied Qu Zhuyue throughout her cultivation journey, saving her multiple times with his Yin and Yang dual meridians. The two worked in perfect coordination, and he was the only one who could remain unaffected by her Divine Radiance illusion.

When Bei Dou grew tired of the criticism, Dong Yeshou would step in, silencing those who kept babbling on.

After several such occasions, no one dared to make an issue of Qu Zhuyue’s Heart Meridian again.

Ming Li never believed Qu Zhuyue would lose and felt no sympathy for Yumei’s screams. Amid the Vermilion Bird’s mournful cries, she slaughtered all the disciples blocking her path.

The road ahead was now clear of enemies.

Cheng Jingbai quietly moved a few steps away from her.

Ming Li turned to look at him.

Cheng Jingbai pointed at the star lines beneath his feet and said, “I’m afraid you might injure me by mistake. You’ve extended your formation across the entire Nan Que. Are you not a Pilgrim?”

“Not,” Ming Li replied with an unchanged expression as she walked forward. “This is achieved through the Four Scenery Formation.”

Cheng Jingbai exclaimed in surprise: “Natural formations can be used this way? How did I not know that?”

No one could sort out the complex and numerous star lines of natural formations!

“I didn’t know before either. I just tried it and found it works,” Ming Li said with a hint of wonder. “In the future, I can practice more with large natural formations.”

Cheng Jingbai sincerely said, “Calling you a genius is no exaggeration.”

With such insight and capability, no wonder you’re the youngest Pilgrim.

Ming Li was already accustomed to this title, even immune to it. She merely smiled, then suddenly accelerated toward the depths of Taiwei Forest.

With Liu Xiu and Yumei dead, there was no one left in Well Mansion who could stop Bei Dou from taking Shi Fei, who was hidden in Taiwei Forest.

The two Bei Dou disciples rushed deeper with the Flash Shadow technique. The closer they got to the depths, the stronger their sense of Shi Fei’s power became. Breaking through the dense forest led to a cliff thousands of feet high.

The platform at the cliff was covered with moss. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing there except moss, but when the ground was filled with purple star lines, golden luminescence could be seen floating above the green surface, slowly rising and gathering to form a peony the size of a baby’s palm, with a filament of the same color at its center. The flame flickered, appearing and disappearing.

Fu Yuan and Black Fox Mask were startled by the sudden appearance of star lines on the ground, thinking Nan Que people were trying to stop them. They both accelerated toward the manifesting Shi Fei, but a powerful force pursued them from behind, forcing them to land.

Seeing that landing was inevitable under the overwhelming Star Force pressure, the two reacted quickly, turning simultaneously and drawing their swords to block the pursuer. If they couldn’t have it, they absolutely couldn’t let Nan Que’s people have it!

Zhou Xiang was also about to act, but was stopped by Cheng Jingbai, who Flash Shadowed to her side: “One of our own.”

Fang Hui stood up, supporting himself against a tree trunk, looking in surprise at the figure at the center of the star lines.

The two Bei Dou disciples had just turned to enter combat stance when they saw Shi Fei zip past them, landing in the hands of the figure standing at the edge of Taiwei Forest.

Ming Li lowered her gaze to examine Shi Fei hovering in her palm, vaguely sensing some of her residual Star Force operating within it.

The two Bei Dou disciples, who had always reacted quickly, were now stunned as they looked at the young woman’s face.

Fu Yuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as the familiar name reached the tip of his tongue, yet he didn’t dare to speak it, standing frozen in place.

Black Fox Mask suddenly punched him. Fu Yuan covered his face in disbelief and turned to look at him: “You hit me?”

His good friend asked: “Did it hurt?”

Fu Yuan raised his voice: “What do you think?!”

“Then it’s not an illusion. Yumei is dead, and the Divine Radiance illusion wouldn’t extend here,” Black Fox Mask analyzed calmly. “This person looks too much like Ming Li.”

Fu Yuan turned to examine the Nan Que disciple ahead: “Not just similar—the same, even her demeanor and appearance… look at her braid, it’s tied just like Zhou Zixi does it!”

Ming Li: “…”

So everyone knew her braid was tied by her junior disciple.

She hadn’t expected to meet Fu Yuan and Black Fox Mask here, under such circumstances. She had somewhat anticipated their reactions, but wondered why Dou Lanmin hadn’t revealed even a hint that she was still alive.

At that moment, Dou Lanmin, who was emptying Nan Que’s weapon repository, suddenly sneezed and looked back sharply. Oh no, he seemed to have forgotten to tell his senior brothers something very important!

So he urgently prompted Lin Xiao beside him to hurry and empty the divine weapons inside.

Lin Xiao, seeing his greed, shook his head and sighed, but complied nonetheless.

After all, there was no harm in taking more of these divine weapons.

*

Ming Li looked at her two fellow disciples, who were both wary and hesitant, and smiled slightly: “I know what you’re thinking. I didn’t die. I’m a bit confused about this myself. Two months ago, I woke up to find myself in the Black Water River in the south. I came to Nan Que searching for clues about Qing Ying… Why I’ve returned to seventeen or eighteen years of age, I’m not entirely sure, but if you don’t believe me, I can summon the Divine Wood Bow now to prove it.”

Her words were reasonable and convincing, but they left Fang Hui dumbfounded.

Fang Hui, who had just stood up, leaned back against the tree root, staring blankly at the sky.

An illusion?

Did he mishear?

She wasn’t Zhou Li but Bei Dou’s Pilgrim Ming Li?

Ming Li wasn’t dead?

Wait, had he been traveling alongside, risking life and death, and calling himself a brother to Bei Dou’s Pilgrim?

Cheng Jingbai amusedly kicked him, deliberately saying: “What are you doing? Didn’t you come to Nan Que together? You didn’t know?”

Fang Hui: “You knew?”

Cheng Jingbai laughed: “I found out a little earlier than you.”

Beside him, Zhou Xiang yawned, looking somewhat drowsy. Between blinks, she reverted to her previous timid and fearful demeanor, hiding behind Cheng Jingbai while curiously observing the others.

Cheng Jingbai patted her head and called out to Ming Li: “He can’t delay for too long. Bei Dou, if you have scores to settle, do it quickly!”

Fang Hui thought to himself that Bei Dou’s revenge had already been swift—in such a short time, four deans had died, two of them at the Life and Death Boundary.

Ming Li acknowledged Cheng Jingbai’s reminder with an “Oh,” also believing that her junior disciple couldn’t delay for too long. With such changes in Nan Que, Cui Yaocen would surely notice, especially since Ye Yuanqing had gone there as well. If there were any troubles, she could leave them to Ye Yuanqing to handle first while she returned to Nan Que to resolve them.

So Ming Li said, “Let me summon the Divine Wood Bow to prove it.”

“Don’t!” Fu Yuan hurriedly said, “The Divine Wood Bow is at Eight Departure Peak, where the Full Moon Sealing Formation is trapping many people. If you summon it now, the Full Moon Seal will break.”

Ming Li blinked, then calmly said: “Then let’s go to Eight Departure Peak first.”

The two Flash Shadowed to her side. Fu Yuan reached out to pinch her cheek and touch her braid, still wearing an expression of complete bewilderment: “I understand what you just said, but my junior sister definitely couldn’t braid her hair like this. Only Zixi would help her. Did you learn after dying once?”

Ming Li: “…This was also tied by Zixi.”

Fu Yuan raised an eyebrow. Black Fox Mask said, “With your appearance and age, you should have the arrogant and fierce temperament from before, but now you have the personality from after your breakthrough. It’s somewhat unfamiliar.”

Ming Li smiled: “Would you prefer I revert to my previous state when dealing with you?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, her gaze toward the two became contemptuous, her manner trampling them underfoot: “Useless senior brothers who can’t even beat me with full meridian mastery?”

Feeling the familiar pressure, Fu Yuan: “…”

He turned to look at Black Fox Mask, silently indicating: What’s wrong with you, insisting on being scolded?

Black Fox Mask wiped his face and bravely embraced Ming Li, saying, “I knew you wouldn’t die in such a place.”

The feeling of regaining someone important after losing them was indescribable, but the time for pleasantries was short. The blade of the Infinite Mirror flew out from the void, clearly targeting those viewed as traitors.

Ming Li merely raised her eyes, and the ground formation swallowed the blade of the Infinite Mirror.

Fu Yuan looked down at the star lines beneath his feet and reacted: “You did this?”

“I’m borrowing power from the natural formation. I’m only at single meridian full boundary now,” Ming Li paused after speaking, then asked, “Is my eldest senior brother at Eight Departure Peak?”

When Fu Yuan and Black Fox Mask heard her ask about Chen Zhou, their gazes turned slightly cold.

*

Eight Departure Peak, Cangxiu Pavilion, Underground Tidal Land.

This area was some distance from the wedding venue. The guards protecting Cangxiu Pavilion hadn’t left, so when someone broke in, they immediately went down to the Tidal Land to protect the Infinite Mirror.

But quite a few people were heading to the Tidal Land.

Bei Dou’s Dipper Mansion Dean Dan Xun, a black figure wearing a paper wrapping that resembled a buttered pastry, and another former Ghost Mansion disciple, now a wanted Nan Que traitor, Qiu Hong.

The three sides battled against the Cangxiu Pavilion guards, each wanting to take the Infinite Mirror, unable to determine a winner for the time being.

Chen Zhou and Scales Mansion disciple Yin Luo were guarding Cangxiu Pavilion, not going to the Tidal Land.

From the moment trouble broke out at the wedding venue, Chen Zhou sensed something was wrong. Why was the Divine Wood Bow in the hands of Kaiyang and Tianji? Wasn’t it supposed to be with Qu Zhuyue?

Bei Dou had come to kill Cui Yaocen, so why were they suddenly rushing to seize the Infinite Mirror?

Were Nan Que’s people dying too quickly?

And where did those Earth Demons come from?

Was Bei Dou working with Earth Demons?

Chen Zhou was full of questions, tense and vigilant. In contrast to his tension, Yin Luo beside him appeared casual, even yawning, one hand skillfully and habitually draping over his shoulder, saying: “Why are you so tense? Nan Que has lost four deans in succession; the remaining three are trapped in the Full Moon Seal, and Cui Yaocen isn’t here. We just need to take out the Infinite Mirror, and this trip will be perfect.”

The two stood at the highest window of Cangxiu Pavilion, looking out toward the wedding venue.

Chen Zhou swallowed, unable to withstand the pressure of his suspicions, and asked hoarsely: “…How was Cui Yaocen lured away?”

Yin Luo said, “The Earth Demons working with us helped.”

Chen Zhou’s palm on the windowsill silently gathered Star Force. With his head lowered, he asked: “Why didn’t I know about this?”

“That’s a question for you,” Yin Luo replied innocently.

“For me?” Chen Zhou turned to look at him irritably, his heart trembling, yet still trying to maintain this nearly collapsing friendly relationship. “Did Auntie Qu give me incorrect information, or was it my master?”

Yin Luo laughed: “Both deans are fine. The problem is with your heart—do you want to work for Nan Que, or help Bei Dou?”

Chen Zhou instantly felt as if he had fallen into ice, the coldness seeping into his heart and spreading to his limbs. His expression stiffened, but Yin Luo maintained his usual joking manner, as if his words weren’t questioning whether Chen Zhou was a Nan Que spy, but just another casual joke.

*

Ming Li and the others were using Flash Shadow to rush toward Eight Departure Peak.

Fu Yuan said, “If Qing Ying isn’t dead, it proves Chen Zhou lied. And this isn’t the only suspicious point. The timing of his appearance in the Northern Border Ghost Plain was also very convenient. No one saw him fight the Wandering Tribe. When we found him, there were only corpses of the Wandering Tribe and him, severely injured.”

“He slept for two years and remembered nothing when he woke up. Everyone assumed it was because his injuries were too severe, and that his memory would gradually recover, so no one paid much attention to the peculiarities over these two years,” Black Fox Mask said. “But the Dipper and Tianxuan Deans had different views. After all, Chen Zhou was raised by the Dipper Dean since childhood, and the Tianxuan Dean is at the peak of Heart Meridian, always able to detect subtle abnormalities.”

Ming Li listened, growing increasingly calm.

“After Chen Zhou regained his memory, he became closest to Yin Luo… Although they often hung out together before, Chen Zhou did many things that the previous Chen Zhou would never do. Yin Luo also found it strange. Once, when Chen Zhou went down the mountain, Yin Luo secretly followed him, just worried that with his memory not fully recovered, he might be taken advantage of, but discovered that he had connections with people from Nan Que outposts.”

Fu Yuan continued: “From that point on, Chen Zhou was under Yin Luo’s surveillance. Last month, it was discovered that the disciples he selected from Bei Dou to participate in the Four Directions Examination in Nan Que were all Nan Que moles, intending to help these moles achieve good results in the examination, return to be promoted to senior disciples, and gain respect in Bei Dou.”

It was at this time they suspected that the Chen Zhou brought back from the Northern Border Ghost Plain wasn’t Chen Zhou at all, but a “ghost” wearing his face and identity.

Because of fake Chen Zhou’s close dealings with Nan Que, damaging Bei Dou’s interests for Nan Que’s benefit, Bei Dou determined he was a Nan Que mole. So this attack on Nan Que included bringing him along, planning to confront Nan Que while finding the real Chen Zhou.

*

Qu Zhuyue remained in the Well Mansion courtyard, feeling the silence brought by Yumei’s death, gradually calming the killing intent in her heart. Just then, she received a Bei Dou sound token from Fu Yuan, bringing news that made Qu Zhuyue look up in surprise toward Eight Departure Peak.

“Master!” Dou Lanmin, carrying an armful of divine weapons, stumbled into the courtyard toward Qu Zhuyue.

Although he was a disciple of Yuheng Mansion, with Yuheng Mansion currently without a dean, it was managed by Qu Zhuyue, so he was accustomed to calling Qu Zhuyue “Master.”

Qu Zhuyue nodded and said gently, “Run slower. Did you empty Nan Que’s weapon repository?”

“No, no, it’s too big with too many items. I only took half. Later, I’ll have my senior brother go with me to get more…” Dou Lanmin didn’t mind the corpses scattered throughout the courtyard, raising his head with bright eyes to look at Qu Zhuyue, excited and thrilled. “Master, I’ve come to personally tell you some tremendous news!”

Qu Zhuyue: “Go ahead.”

Dou Lanmin took a deep breath and said, “Our Pilgrim Ming Li isn’t dead! She’s still alive! Although she’s now about my age, with her cultivation regressed to the single meridian full boundary, she’s not dead! She’s here in Nan Que, under the alias Zhou Li. The Zhou Li who earlier claimed to be single meridian full boundary and killed Li Yansi is her—our Bei Dou Pilgrim who has returned from death!”

He excitedly rattled off a long string of words, but didn’t see any surprise on Qu Zhuyue’s face. His excitement faded, and he blinked in confusion.

After patiently listening, Qu Zhuyue opened her palm to reveal the sound token and smiled slightly: “Your senior brother Fu Yuan just sent me a message about this.”

Dou Lanmin: “…”

He hated Fu Yuan!

“Also, also! I know another piece of tremendous news!” Dou Lanmin raised his spirits again and continued, “I know where that Dipper Mansion senior sister is being held—at Boundary Peak! There’s a barrier reinforced with divine weapons restricting that area. That Young Master Cui often runs to the mountain late at night… I suspect he’s sick, his mind isn’t quite right, and he might be abusing this senior sister. When the time comes, the Master must severely punish him!”

Qu Zhuyue again opened her palm to show the sound token and smiled: “Your senior brother mentioned this as well.”

Dou Lanmin: “…”

He hated Black Fox Mask!

Finally, Dou Lanmin, hugging the divine weapons, dejectedly said: “Master, one last piece of tremendous news: I emptied half of Nan Que’s weapon repository!”

Qu Zhuyue smiled and patted his head, “You mentioned that when you first arrived.”

Dou Lanmin: “…”

*

At the top of Cangxiu Pavilion, facing Yin Luo’s joking demeanor, Chen Zhou didn’t know how to respond to this seemingly real yet fake questioning. He awkwardly pulled at the corner of his mouth and said, “I’m a Bei Dou disciple, of course I’m helping Bei Dou. How could I choose…”

Yin Luo raised his hand toward him. Chen Zhou’s pupils contracted, and the hand resting on the window, charged with Star Force, threw a punch at Yin Luo. The latter nimbly avoided it, and in that instant, the two distanced themselves from each other.

“What are you doing?” Yin Luo raised an eyebrow and asked.

Chen Zhou’s throat was dry. He realized he had overreacted—Yin Luo’s raised hand hadn’t released any Star Force at all, showing no intention of attacking him. Instead, it was he who had been unable to withstand the pressure and struck first.

Yin Luo casually shook his hand, squinting as he smiled: “I’ve watched you pretend to be Chen Zhou for so long, thinking your mental state was good and could handle pressure well. How is it that after just a few words, you’re the first to crack?”

Fake Chen Zhou’s gaze darkened. When he looked up at Yin Luo again, his face was expressionless: “When did you find out?”

“For some time now,” Yin Luo said as his Star Force erupted, enhancing his Body Technique Meridian to 180 times, charging toward fake Chen Zhou. “I originally wanted to watch you act a bit longer, but who knew you’d be the first to lose control?”

Fake Chen Zhou was prepared, knowing Yin Luo primarily cultivated the Body Technique Meridian. His physical structure differed from others—when operating his Body Technique Meridian, he was almost impervious to blades and spears, and his attacks were so powerful that one hit could shatter half of someone’s flesh and bones.

They had practiced combat countless times in Bei Dou, but none of those sessions were as fierce as now, filled with killing intent.

As their fists clashed, Yin Luo asked: “Where is he?”

Fake Chen Zhou laughed coldly, saying with a somewhat cruel tone: “Do you think I would tell you?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he was driven back by the powerful fist wind. He retreated to the spiral staircase of Cangxiu Pavilion, then leaned back and jumped down from the stairs, falling from the top floor to the first floor, rushing without hesitation toward the closed main door.

Fake Chen Zhou’s hand almost touched the doorknob when, in the lamplight, three shadows suddenly appeared on the door. A powerful Qi Circulation word technique came from outside the door, striking him and sending him flying.

Unlike being pushed back by Yin Luo’s fist wind earlier, this strike directly pierced his shoulder, instantly staining half of his clothes red with blood. As he was thrown back, fake Chen Zhou looked in disbelief at the central figure at the main door of Cangxiu Pavilion.

This person…

The two shadows to the left and right broke through the door, drawing a knife and a sword across his neck.

The floor inside was filled with star lines glowing purple. Fake Chen Zhou, covering his injured left shoulder, looked up and saw the young woman standing at the doorway, his eyes widening in terror.

Why did this person look exactly like Bei Dou’s dead Pilgrim?!

Ming Li walked slowly into Cangxiu Pavilion, lowering her gaze to look at fake Chen Zhou, and asked: “Where is my senior brother?”