The wind whistled through the forest, making tree branches and ground foliage sway, yet the human-shaped black mist remained completely unaffected, as if it were a shadow projection from another realm, immune to the night breeze’s influence.

Ye Yuanqing stood motionless, but the Divine Martial Sword in his hand emitted a threatening low hum. Sword energy swept outward, striking at the black mist as the sword wind made his sleeves flutter. Yet all his sword techniques were swallowed and neutralized by the black mist.

The sound of the flowing stream stirred one’s heart.

Ye Yuanqing raised his hand to recall the Divine Martial Sword, his gaze fixed on the black mist as he said, “I don’t know since when you’ve been able to wander the world in the form of a shadow.”

A low chuckle emanated from within the black mist.

Zhou Zixi spoke languidly, “It’s merely a shadow, and you’re already afraid?”

Ye Yuanqing sheathed his sword and said coldly, “It seems what happened in Nan Que wasn’t a coincidence, but your deliberate doing.”

Zhou Zixi mocked, “Isn’t it a bit late to realize that now?”

Ye Yuanqing asked, “You have connections with the earth ghosts from the outside world?”

Zhou Zixi replied, “If you want to hear my answer, you’ll have to try harder.”

“No matter,” Ye Yuanqing said calmly. “We haven’t killed you because you’re still useful. Otherwise, do you think you’d have lived until today?”

“Being alive means being useful—this is a principle you needn’t repeat.” Zhou Zixi laughed softly, his cold eyes beneath the black mist gazing at Ye Yuanqing. “After all, your death approaches.”

Absolute nonsense.

Ye Yuanqing’s expression remained unchanged as he asked, “With your senior sister who has reached the Boundary Fulfillment of Six Meridians?”

Zhou Zixi kindly reminded him, “She’s already at the Boundary Fulfillment of Seven Meridians thanks to your failed killing move. Given her talent, when do you think she’ll break through the next boundary?”

“She won’t live until then,” Ye Yuanqing said coldly. “You should worry more about yourself. After tonight, I won’t let you retain your memories anymore. Each time you die and revive, your memories will be erased.”

“Whatever you wish,” Zhou Zixi said with a half-smile. “Since you’re embarrassed and angry, wanting to erase my memories, you’d better hurry.”

“If you descend to hell first, after my revival, I’ll never again see your face speaking words of justice while being utterly hypocritical. That would make each of my deaths rather dull.”

Ye Yuanqing stood facing the black mist in the night wind for a long time before finally using Shadow Flash to penetrate and tear apart the mist, scattering it. With a grim expression, he rushed toward the direction of the sky pit.

*

Zhou Xiang fled at full speed from Tai Yi Mountain, maintaining her composure as she headed toward the city, but just as she entered, she bumped into Dou Lanmin who was on his way out.

Dou Lanmin was extremely proud of successfully finding Gu Qi at the purchased restaurant, but his senior brothers and sisters wouldn’t take him along when they went out to fight. Feeling dejected, he was using a sound transmission talisman to complain to Qu Zhuyue, who was far away in Bei Dou, while also asking what kind of Tai Yi specialty she would like.

As he walked and chatted with the sound transmission talisman, he suddenly spotted Zhou Xiang, who had Shadow Flashed into the crowd. His eyes immediately lit up, and he waved, calling out, “Zhou Xiang!”

In this cold, unfamiliar place full of the stench of money in the west, he had finally seen a familiar face!

Zhou Xiang was also happy to see him. As Dou Lanmin approached, she placed a finger on his eyes, transmitting to him the memory map recording the route to the sky pit.

“Your Bei Dou people are trapped inside here. Just approaching the cave entrance, you can feel your star power being devoured. Ye Yuanqing has already gone there,” Zhou Xiang said, wiping tears from her red eyes. She hesitated, not daring to mention Zhou Zixi’s situation, and only said, “We need to get there quickly.”

Seeing her state, Dou Lanmin knew this was the Zhou Xiang he was familiar with, not the battle-mode Zhou Xiang with her Heart Meridian activated, whom he dared not approach. He nodded repeatedly and pulled her along as they walked, saying, “I’ll go tell my senior brothers and sisters right away!”

He had discovered another earth-shattering secret!

Finally, it’s my turn to tell them!

Dou Lanmin hadn’t gotten far with Zhou Xiang when Fu Yuan, who was heading back toward Ming Li, spotted them. He Shadow Flashed to the wall beside them and asked, “Where are you going? A fight has broken out over there—you don’t have enough cultivation to go there.”

“Senior Brother!” Dou Lanmin waved to him. “I know where the place holding Tai Yi’s slaves is! Zhou Xiang even encountered Ye Yuanqing on her way back with the message!”

These words successfully made Black Fox Mask and Fu Yuan stop in their tracks and look his way.

Dou Lanmin didn’t waste words but directly transmitted the memory map to them. “Zhou Xiang also said that approaching this cave entrance, you can feel your star power draining and difficult to gather. It seems people who enter can’t use their Star Meridian power. Senior Brother, you go help Senior Sister, I’ll go check out this slave cave!”

“Stop, don’t be reckless.” Fu Yuan grabbed Dou Lanmin by the collar as he tried to run off. “If Ye Yuanqing left us behind to rush over there, it means something urgent has happened in the sky pit. If star power can’t be used inside, then the same applies to him, which gives us a fighting chance.”

Dou Lanmin asked, “Sky pit? You call it a sky pit?”

He felt he had missed so much!

“Go tell Ming Li, I’ll scout ahead first,” Fu Yuan had just finished speaking when Black Fox Mask stopped him. “Don’t rush.”

Fu Yuan turned to look at him. Black Fox Mask feared that his failure to capture Gu Qi might have disturbed his mental state, causing him to lose rationality and become reckless.

“I won’t,” Fu Yuan said, appearing very calm.

Black Fox Mask withdrew his hand and let him go, continuing toward Ming Li’s direction. The terrifying pressure of star power from that area had attracted many cultivators from the west, who were hiding at a distance, watching.

*

What Ye Yuanqing said before leaving alarmed everyone except Ming Li.

Not to mention the Tai Yi Seven Stars battling Ming Li, his parting instructions to Zhong Anqi made the Ye siblings’ hearts sink. Before they could figure out what he meant, they saw Zhong Anqi move.

In a flash of sword light, he appeared before the Zhou Clan Commerce Association people. The Chief Commander drew his sword to defend, and as their weapons clashed, the pressure of star power from both sides intensified in intimidation.

On the Ancient Continent, only two Sacred Pilgrims used swords.

In the south, Cui Yaocen’s sword was powerful and fierce, focusing on spiritual techniques and sword moves.

In the West, Ye Yuanqing, who regularly used the Divine Martial Sword, had created his lethal sword techniques. Unlike Cui Yaocen, whose strength lay in his sword techniques, Ye Yuanqing’s advantage was his footwork.

Zhong Anqi, having learned from Ye Yuanqing, had been taught the highest sword intent footwork technique—Flying Flower Returning Intent. Under this bizarre footwork, the Zhou Commerce Association’s Chief Commander couldn’t block Zhong Anqi’s fierce attacks.

The Chief Commander swung his blade horizontally, attempting to break Zhong Anqi’s sword, but couldn’t match his speed. In his peripheral vision, he only saw the enemy’s long sword flip, and the figure had already moved behind him.

The remaining six members of the Commerce Association’s guard were even less of a match for Zhong Anqi.

“Young Master!” The Chief Commander looked back in shock, breaking out in a cold sweat.

The severely injured Zhou Yi was also alarmed by Zhong Anqi’s speed. Having stayed in Tai Yi, he was well aware of the power of the Flying Flower Returning Intent footwork. He prepared to reveal his divine miracle ability, but someone Shadow Flashed in front of him to block the fatal strike.

“Senior Sister!”

Zhou Yi stared in shock at Ye Yiyi, who stood with her back to him, blocking the sword wind with her outstretched hand, her deep blue skirts billowing dramatically.

No one expected that she would be the one to block Zhong Anqi.

After a moment of astonishment, Zhong Anqi lowered his gaze and said, “Yiyi, step aside.”

“Young Master!” The Chief Commander seized this opportunity to circle, supporting Zhou Yi as they retreated. Zhong Anqi tried to pursue, but Ye Yiyi held onto his long sword.

Shen Star, who had been keeping an eye on the Ye siblings’ movements, swung his sword at the Chief Commander, who was trying to escape with Zhou Yi.

“Senior Brother, is it necessary to kill him?” Ye Yiyi asked with a trembling voice, her gaze stubbornly fixed on Zhong Anqi. “If what Zhou Yi said is true… why must you still kill him?”

Zhong Anqi said gravely, “Didn’t you hear what Master said before he left?”

“I heard… but I don’t understand! Why must it be this way?” Ye Yiyi seemed on the verge of breaking down. “How could my father and you do such things! How could you be someone who abandons his friends and betrays his principles? Could it be that just because Zhou Yi overheard your conversation, my father and you imprisoned him in the sky pit? Why?!”

“Why have you never mentioned any of this? If it was just an accidental intrusion, couldn’t you have brought Chen Zhou out at the same time and handed him over to Bei Dou? Why did you have to keep him in the sky pit until now? That person impersonating Chen Zhou wasn’t your doing, and since it wasn’t your action, why can’t you admit it? Why couldn’t you have revealed this earlier?”

“Wouldn’t it have been better to speak out earlier? Why must you wait until now?”

Ye Yiyi found it difficult to accept that the person she had regarded as the most upright and honorable gentleman in the world had such a dark side. She had also struggled to accept the truth about Cui Yuanxi and Jiang Ying’s marriage in Nan Que back then.

She was a child who had grown up pampered. Because everyone around her had given her unlimited tolerance and love, she could fearlessly criticize and despise those who employed dirty tactics.

But suddenly, Ye Yiyi discovered that those closest and dearest to her were exactly the kind of people she despised and looked down upon the most.

“Do you think that’s an easy matter?” Zhong Anqi was stung to the heart by the person he had protected and raised since childhood. His grip on the sword tightened, and through gritted teeth, he said, “Yiyi, you are Master’s daughter, Tai Yi’s young lady. Master and Tai Yi are your pillars of support.”

“Since childhood, you’ve been cherished and pampered by everyone. You have the confidence to reject anything and any choice that doesn’t please you.”

Ye Yiyi was shocked once again, her hand holding the sword also trembling. “But you are also the only disciple of Tai Yi’s Sacred Pilgrim, Tai Yi’s Senior Brother, and my senior brother! Aren’t my father, all of Tai Yi, and I also your pillars of support?”

Zhong Anqi’s gaze dimmed as he said, “It’s not the same.”

Ye Yiyi’s star power suddenly erupted with her angry state of mind, causing the sword in her hand to hum. “What’s different?! Even if you had told me just a word or two, I would have helped you find a way. I would have helped you! But why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“What good would telling you do? What could you have done?” Zhong Anqi seemed to have given up on himself. “Just like now, Master wants me to kill Zhou Yi. Can you stop it? Master wants the entire Zhou Commerce Association, and the method must involve bloodshed. Can you stop that, either?”

Tai Yi’s main source of goods relies on those slaves in the sky pit. Chen Zhou is from Bei Dou, and he discovered the existence of fire jade in the sky pit. He learned things he shouldn’t have known. These aren’t things I can save him from with just a word! Even if I knelt and begged Master, it would be useless!”

“Do you think I didn’t want to save him?! I couldn’t do it! The Sacred Pilgrim of the north has died, and various factions are eyeing Bei Dou covetously. Do you think Master doesn’t have his thoughts on this? What can you do about the struggles between Sacred Pilgrims and sects? You can’t do anything, just like me!”

Zhong Anqi’s rhetorical questions left Ye Yiyi pale-faced. She couldn’t help but look toward Ming Li, who was surrounded by the Tai Yi Seven Stars.

She detested evil, but she could accomplish nothing.

In that moment, Ye Yiyi suddenly realized that she was just a little bird protected under her father’s wings, free from worries and able to show off to others without restraint.

She looked toward her brother Ye Fengming, who was also looking at her with an inscrutable but somewhat sorrowful gaze.

Perhaps the reason for her brother’s broken relationship with their father was that he had realized these dark aspects before her, which was why he had distanced himself from Zhong Anqi and often stayed with Zhou Yi.

Everyone knew, but no one dared to resist.

“But… with so many slaves in the sky pit, why must you…” Before Ye Yiyi could finish, she saw Zhong Anqi smile at her. The smile was extremely bleak. “Yiyi, turn around and look at Zhou Yi’s current state. Do you think the sky pit is simply a slave pit?”

Ye Yiyi was stunned by these words and dared not turn around.

Zhong Anqi, however, stared at her trembling pupils and said word by word: “You heard what Zhou Yi said earlier. Cultivators who enter the sky pit can’t sense star power and are no different from ordinary people. In the sky pit, they endure severe beatings day and night, wearing down their physical strength and mental faculties. Do you think just working around the clock is all they have to do inside? Do you think you could endure just being beaten?”

“Inside, the methods of torture are endless, beyond your imagination. Would they dare to do this without Master’s authorization? Zhou Yi is the young master of the Zhou Commerce Association. Few people in the entire west would dare to lay hands on him, but look at him now.”

“The people in the sky pit knew Zhou Yi’s identity, yet still acted without restraint. Would they dare without Master’s authorization!”

“Those torture methods that Wang Geng uses were all learned from Master.”

“Turn around and ask Zhou Yi. Do you think he dared to reveal the existence of the sky pit because he is the upright and honorable person in your mind, or because he was too aggrieved and angry, losing his rationality momentarily, revealing it to perish together?”

“If he had spoken out earlier, wouldn’t it have been better? Why wait until now?”

Zhong Anqi took a deep breath, but couldn’t hide the throbbing veins on the back of his hand. He gave Ye Yiyi, who had slowly released the sword blade, a bleak smile and said, “Do you think Chen Zhou is the only one suffering in the sky pit?”

“Everyone is the same.”

The sword hum struck Ye Yiyi back. Her state of mind was already in chaos, and she had no strength to block anymore. Her entire being was in a state of bewilderment and helplessness.

The Chief Commander engaged in battle again to protect his master, but due to Zhong Anqi’s elusive Flying Flower Returning Intent footwork, he found himself in a state where he could neither pursue nor avoid.

Zhong Anqi’s state of mind, however, was in complete turmoil. After his outburst, he seemed to have seen through life and death, engaging in combat with abandon, allowing himself to indulge in the act of killing.

With one sword strike, he repelled the Chief Commander, severely wounding him. The tip of his sword pointed directly at Zhou Yi, who raised his head to look at him. Zhong Anqi said expressionlessly, “It seems there are still many people in the sky pit who remember him.”

Zhou Yi clutched his painfully throbbing chest and asked, “If no one outside mentioned Chen Zhou, would you have convinced yourself to forget him?”

Zhong Anqi raised his sword and said, “He couldn’t survive the sky pit. Dying in there is also a form of release.”

Zhou Yi’s lips twisted slightly in a mocking smile.

These words drew Ming Li’s attention. She raised her hand and pointed toward Zhong Anqi. The Tai Yi Seven Stars thought she was going to unleash a killing technique, but they didn’t take it too seriously. Then they heard her whisper, “Birth Destruction.”

A high-level spiritual technique where all life force within a range determined by the caster would be drained away. This was a special-grade spiritual technique that only those at the Life and Death Boundary and above, Sacred Pilgrims, had the ability to perform.

Years ago, Sage of Calligraphy had massacred a city using a simplified version of the Circulating Qi incantation, uttering only the word “Destruction,” yet its power covered the entire city of Guo.

So when the Tai Yi Seven Stars heard these two words, they were shocked.

Impossible! She had just reached the Boundary Fulfillment of Seven Meridians, not even at the Life and Death Boundary!

Thinking thus, they could still feel the ripples of star power emanating from around Ming Li. The supreme pressure descended upon their heads, comparable to the force Ye Yuanqing had earlier directed at Ming Li.

Black Fox Mask and his two companions had just reached the wall when they were struck by the overwhelming pressure. The people below could hear the sharp whistle of the natural Circulating Qi in their ears and could feel the formless incantation attack flying toward them.

Zhou Yi was knocked back by the powerful ripples of star power. Birth Destruction primarily targeted Zhong Anqi. As he raised his long sword to strike, it shattered at that very moment. His flesh ruptured, and blood splattered.

“Senior Brother!” Ye Yiyi tried to step forward but was pulled away by Shen Star. It was Ye Fengming who Shadow Flashed behind Zhong Anqi and deployed the Eight Meridians Formation—Celestial Wall Guardian, but the wall couldn’t withstand even two instants before emitting a crisp shattering sound and dispersing into floating lights.

“Get him out of here!” Bi Star shouted sternly, charging toward Ming Li together with Kui Star. Yet, just as they approached her, they were pierced through the heart by the second wave of Birth Destruction’s natural Circulating Qi and fell against the wall, leaving a bloody trail down the pale surface before collapsing.

Shen Star, who had retreated to the wall with Ye Yiyi, watched this with his eyes nearly bursting from their sockets.

At that moment, Wei Star went to retrieve Ye Fengming, and Niang Star went for Zhong Anqi, attempting to carry the two out of Birth Destruction’s range. However, they weren’t faster than the natural Circulating Qi of Birth Destruction. The formless qi, accompanied by a piercing whistle, shattered their star power protection and mercilessly penetrated their chests, knocking them from midair to the ground.

Niang Star happened to fall right in front of Lou Star, splashing half his face with the blood from his chest wound, leaving him frozen in place, his pupils reflecting Ming Li standing before him, similarly covered in blood.

Why…

At this moment, the three surviving Tai Yi Stars finally understood the reality—they now faced the Sacred Pilgrim Ming Li.

The Sacred Pilgrim’s flame burned fiercely within Ming Li’s body. Her old Boundary Fulfillment Star Meridians merged with the new Star Meridians, allowing one of the Eight Meridians to reach Boundary Fulfillment. This transformed her from having the Boundary Fulfillment of Seven Meridians to temporarily achieving the Boundary Fulfillment of Eight Meridians.

Though it was a pseudo-Boundary Fulfillment of Eight Meridians, it was the true power of a Sacred Pilgrim.