Chaos felt its head being stroked and its tail swung vigorously, like a giant feather fan.

It awoke from its slumber, eager to feast, and raised its neck, howling at the sun:

“Aooo—”

The roar contained ancient pressure, awakening the deeply hidden fear in the bloodlines of all beasts.

The most timid among the beast tide had already fled without a trace, while others became more frenzied with fear.

Song Qian Ji said: “Wait.”

In front of Xian Jian Chen, he openly took out the purifying bottle and fed Chaos a few mouthfuls of Immortality Spring water.

The Immortality Spring rippled gently as if asking why it was being used as beast feed again.

Xian Jian Chen’s mouth fell open, showing excessive surprise for the first time, wanting to touch the purifying bottle but withdrawing his hand:

“Immortality Spring! You… you used Immortality Spring to subdue it?!”

Chaos looked at him with extreme ferocity, and he did not doubt that if Song Qian Ji wasn’t nearby, this fierce beast would want to eat him.

“Not subdue. It has a master and its name,” Song Qian Ji put away the Immortality Spring. “Go on now, be good.”

Chaos flapped its wings and charged into the beast tide.

Its massive form blocked the sky, its giant mouth like an abyss, its claws like knives, exhibiting the might of one man guarding a pass that ten thousand cannot break through.

In an instant, flesh and blood flew everywhere across heaven and earth, with screams echoing continuously.

Xian Jian Chen watched Chaos in battle and slowly spoke: “In ancient times, fierce beasts were born from the world’s evil energy. Cultivators who wanted to command them to fight had to establish extremely strict contracts with them. When I first saw this Chaos, I found it strange—why could the mount live independently after its master’s death, and remain strong without any impact? Unless the mount found a loophole in the contract and ate its master, it couldn’t break free from the contract.”

Song Qian Ji didn’t answer, but asked: “Have you seen the jade token it wears?”

“What token?”

“There’s a name tag on its neck, made of soul-nourishing jade. Wearing this material can nourish the spirit and strengthen spiritual veins. Such material was rare and precious even in ancient times. Who would use it for a mount?”

Xian Jian Chen paused: “Could it be that Blood River Ancestor loved to flaunt his wealth?”

“I can’t believe that’s what you came up with!” Song Qian Ji sighed. “Haven’t you considered that it remains unaffected perhaps because its master never signed a contract with it, nor treated it as a mount? Blood River Ancestor was willing to die alone in battle just to let it live. It slept for thousands of years and woke up having forgotten its name, but even though the outside world is vast and wonderful, it refused to leave Blood River Valley. Even though countless powerful beings and amazing talents have emerged over these thousands of years, it refused to acknowledge anyone else as its master. Even though its master has long been gone, it still waits… You can use contracts to make others die for you, but you cannot make them live for you.”

Chaos continued to feast. In this cruel battle, it truly displayed the might of an ancient fierce beast.

Blood rained down, staining the pure white snow. The once imposing beast tide gradually fell into disarray.

“So that’s how it is?” Xian Jian Chen was stunned.

He frowned in silence, then suddenly had a realization, remembering how he had forcibly bound Song Qian Ji with a master disciple contract:

“You little rascal, you said all this just to criticize me in a roundabout way!”

“No, I wanted to say that if even humans and fierce beasts can trust each other, Xian Jian Chen, perhaps you should also have more trust in this world.” Song Qian Ji handed him the purifying bottle, saying candidly, “Here, look at it if you want, touch it if you want. The tea you’ve been drinking these days has all been mixed with water vapor from the bottle’s mouth. Haven’t you felt your injuries improving?”

The Immortality Spring swayed gently in the bottle, sounding like the clear, pleasant tinkling of a spring.

Xian Jian Chen mumbled: “My injury is special, there’s no cure.”

Song Qian Ji demonstrated trust between companions, but Xian Jian Chen seemed unappreciative: “Before we set out, you said we always have one thing more than them—you meant this? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Song Qian Ji: “It’s not this, it’s luck. In this life, I’ve had exceptionally good luck. If I had told you then, you probably wouldn’t have believed me and would have thought I was deceiving you.”

Xian Jian Chen had to admit that although they had been fighting constantly along their journey, they always managed to turn danger into safety and breakthrough encirclements.

Song Qian Ji was extremely familiar with the escape route as if he had traveled it before. Moreover, various factions had offered assistance along the way, taking turns to escort them into the snow plains.

This luck wasn’t just good—it was heaven-defying.

Song Qian Ji suddenly called out: “Behave, come back.”

Chaos stopped, withdrawing its wild aura, turned around, and tilted its head, asking with its eyes why.

Song Qian Ji fed it more Immortality Springwater: “They already intend to retreat, no need to wipe them out completely.”

With the cool sweet water, Chaos immediately forgot about the foul-smelling, tough beast meat.

The beast horde seized the opportunity to flee, leaving faster than they had arrived.

As the beast tide receded, it revealed the pristine white snow stained red with filthy blood.

Under the clear blue sky, the morning sun shone on scattered bones and limbs, making the snowfield look like a canvas carelessly smeared—both sacred and terrifying.

Xian Jian Chen muttered: “I think you’re Tang Sanzang, and it’s Sun Wukong…”

Chaos, having eaten and drunk its fill, stretched out its front paws, lowering its front body and arching its back.

“Go back and sleep,” Song Qian Ji patted its head.

Chaos swung its fluffy tail, refusing to leave.

“I’ll come see you and feed you sweet water,” Song Qian Ji promised.

Chaos let out a low growl, then soared into the sky, like a meteor in broad daylight.

Song Qian Ji and Xian Jian Chen mounted the Shadowless Sword and continued their journey.

The battlefield was left behind, and the strong smell of blood gradually dispersed in the cold wind.

“Since you can command it, why not let it stay, or send it to Thousand Channels?” Xian Jian Chen asked.

Song Qian Ji: “Don’t you understand yet? It came to help, not to be commanded by me. I am not its master, nor would I let it eat people. It can sense others’ attitudes toward it. If you treat it like a beast or a weapon, you’ll only provoke it.”

“So you left Drawing Spring Mountain in Blood River Valley, both as containment and protection? You’re a strange person!” Xian Jian Chen suddenly sighed. “You’ve even summoned Chaos, the one you least wanted to use. It seems your cards are all played, and our good luck must be running out.”

The peaceful smile on Song Qian Ji’s face faded.

The war was like a whirlpool, drawing the entire cultivation world into it.

By now, all backup plans had been revealed, and hidden cards had become visible ones. Xu Yun had been defeated by Song Qian Ji, the beast tide had been crushed by Chaos, yet Thousand Channels City remained impregnable.

On the surface, the righteous alliance seemed to have exhausted all options, while Thousand Channels had the advantage and was certain to claim victory.

But Song Qian Ji and Xian Jian Chen knew with absolute clarity that the final test was approaching.

The Shadowless Sword flew into the continuous snow-capped mountains, disappearing into the vast mountain mist.

This time, Xian Jian Chen stood at the front controlling the sword, while Song Qian Ji sat at the back to recover.

“Actually,” Song Qian Ji said softly, “I still have one card left.”

Xian Jian Chen: “What did you say? Say it again.”

Song Qian Ji shouted: “I said, don’t you have anything to explain? Why is your life-bound sword at the end of the world? Why did you make enemies with Hua Wei Sect two hundred years ago? What grievance is there between you and that person you sealed beneath the Sky-reaching Tree?”

Xian Jian Chen covered his ears: “The wind is too strong, this master can’t hear—”

…

Under the expectations of the righteous alliance, Hua Wei Sect Master Xu Yun went to the snow plains to intercept Song Qian Ji and Xian Jian Chen.

Everyone was eager to celebrate victory, but instead of news of their deaths, they received word of Xu Yun’s defeat and serious injuries and witnessed Chaos roaring across the high sky. Suddenly, the storm seemed imminent, and people grew anxious.

Cloud ships floated in the wind above Hongfu Prefecture, unable to advance or retreat.

Wangshu Immortal Maiden’s celestial sound technique was countered by Thousand Channels’ chorus, and the city gates remained firmly unbreachable.

What tactics did the righteous alliance have left?

“Even Sect Master Xu Yun with the highest cultivation has been injured, who else can block those two as they journey west?”

“Once that person retrieves his life-bound sword and returns to being invincible in the world, none of us will escape!”

Someone tremblingly suggested: “What if… we withdraw?”

This suggestion was immediately refuted: “Do you think that person will spare us if we withdraw now? Once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back. It’s too late!”

The Ji family elder shouted angrily: “It was your Hua Wei Sect that dragged us onto this bandit ship, saying Song Qian Ji was dead and Thousand Channels were just a group of mortals and low-level cultivators not worth worrying about. And now what?”

“That’s right, we were all deceived by you!”

The Hua Wei Sect elder fought back: “What use is saying all this now? Why did you come in the first place? You know it in your hearts!”

Why? Simply for Thousand Channels’ rich spiritual energy, fertile land, productive spirit stone mines, and the rumored treasury left by Song Qian Ji.

Arguments erupted on the cloud ship, with people dividing into two factions, almost tearing at each other’s faces and coming to blows.

They were as angry as they were desperate.

“Enough!” Yuan Qing Shi shouted. “There is only one way to survive now. Can’t you see clearly?”

“What way? There is no way out, every path leads to death.”

“Before Xian Jian Chen reaches the end of the world, we must break through Thousand Channels Prefecture. Using Thousand Channels’ land, people, and Song Academy disciples as hostages to threaten Song Qian Ji, binding them with oaths.”

The scene quieted down, with successive gasps, but no one spoke.

Yuan Qing Shi said word by word: “If we win this battle, we can negotiate and set conditions. Song Qian Ji neglects governance but loves his people. We will have the upper hand and can easily negotiate for half of Thousand Channels’ treasures, more than enough to compensate for our losses in this war. Once we lose, we can only die under his sword. Given that person’s temperament, even if we flee to the ends of the earth, we cannot escape his sword. What do you choose?”

The cultivators on the ship looked at each other, their expressions gradually changing from hesitation to determination.

Initially, the attack on Thousand Channels was driven by greed. Each faction had invested cautiously, always wanting others to fight first while they stayed back to reap benefits.

Now, tied to the same boat and racing against the shadow of death, their will to survive was immediately ignited.

“This is our only option now!”

“If Song Qian Ji isn’t threatened, we all die together. Thousand Channels is our only bargaining chip!”

“Breakthrough a Thousand Channels and turn defeat into victory!”

Despair, hatred, and fear could break a person, but they could also create a group of desperate people with no way back.

Yuan Qing Shi relaxed slightly. His master had not concealed the news of his injury, precisely for this purpose.

He looked toward the back of the crowd: “Although the celestial sound technique may not shake the enemy’s resolve, it can enhance our attack power. May I request Wangshu Immortal Maiden to perform it once more.”

The crowd in front of Wangshu parted, and surrounding cultivators fixed their burning gazes on her.

She had her hair piled high, and wore solemn and luxurious attire, with an icy expression and slightly furrowed brows.

The Sound of immortal disciples beside her worriedly advised: “The Immortal Maiden’s old wounds haven’t healed, I’m afraid it’s not convenient…”

Wangshu had just suffered backlash and shouldn’t use her powers again. Moreover, He Qing Qing was still watching vigilantly.

But Wangshu said: “What’s so difficult about this?”

Previously, the two factions of the Sound of Immortals Sect had been dissuaded from fighting.

On the surface, they were urged to focus on the greater situation during the war and avoid internal conflicts, but in reality, no one wanted to get involved in the muddy waters.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Even if Wangshu had truly betrayed her master and harmed her fellow disciples, what of it? The matter was already in the past.

Even though the Immortal Sound Token was in He Qing Qing’s hands, no one was willing to “uphold justice.”

Seeing the cultivators protecting Wangshu, He Qing Qing surprisingly did not leave in anger.

The two had revealed their true intentions, yet strangely remained in the same room.

Wangshu continued: “If we need music to assist in battle, our sect has another forbidden technique that can draw upon Hongfu’s spiritual energy, infuse it into music, and continuously replenish everyone’s spiritual energy. Everyone can fight with all their might without worrying about spiritual energy consumption.”

“Your Excellency is noble!” Yuan Qing Shi bowed.

Everyone was delighted and praised the Sound of Immortals Sect.

Wangshu’s sharp gaze cut through the crowd, shooting directly at a certain spot:

“This technique damages oneself, which is why it’s classified as forbidden, and my master passed it only to me. Now that our sect has a rebellious disciple, my concerns remain and I fear I lack the strength to clean house. How can I perform the technique?”

After the facade had been torn, He Qing Qing didn’t leave in anger but remained here, which made Wangshu even more wary.

Instinct told her she must eliminate this enemy at all costs, as quickly as possible.

Everyone knew Wangshu was negotiating, yet they united in righteous indignation:

“The Sound of Immortals Sect is divided, and we are deeply pained as well.”

“Upholding righteousness is everyone’s responsibility. Since the Immortal Maiden doesn’t spare herself, we should naturally help solve her troubles.”

“This, this…” Yuan Qing Shi followed Wangshu’s gaze and saw He Qing Qing sitting quietly by the window, neither smiling nor speaking, yet looking as if she were sitting in a deep flower garden, her beauty more vibrant than the morning glow behind her.

A feeling of pity rose in his heart, and for a moment he couldn’t speak.

Before Wangshu could speak again, various magical tools were already drawn out.

Someone said: “Immortal Maiden He, why don’t you return the Immortal Sound Token and leave now? Don’t make things difficult for everyone.”

The Sound of Immortals disciples surrounding He Qing Qing gathered around her, their expressions angry.

One person shouted: “How dare you! The Immortal Sound Token is here; Immortal Maiden He is the sect’s legitimate heir! What are you trying to do?”

Wangshu adjusted the pearl hairpin in her hair: “It’s just a dead object. Besides controlling the Sound of Immortals formation, what use is it?”

A disciple standing behind her said: “How can Immortal Maiden He claim to be the Sound of Immortals’ legitimate successor? How many years have you been in our sect? Every disciple of our Sound of Immortals is as beautiful as a celestial immortal, while you come from humble origins with an ugly appearance. Without the fake face your master gave you, would you dare to show yourself?”

“Swish!” Wangshu proudly waved her sleeve, and a scroll suddenly opened, hanging in mid-air.

“Hiss!” Everyone fixed their eyes on it, their expressions suddenly changing, as if struck by lightning.

The painting clearly showed He Qing Qing’s former appearance—scars crisscrossing, features distorted, looking like a vengeful ghost.

At the same time, He Qing Qing heard a voice transmission: “If you had used the Immortal Sound Token to cause trouble in the Sound of Immortals Sect, I might have been somewhat worried, but you’re too stupid, coming here seeking your death. You said you’d leave me nowhere to go, but now look, who has nowhere to go?”

He Qing Qing stood up, walked to the scroll, and stared directly at that ugly face.

Allowing Wangshu to mock her through voice transmission and everyone to point and whisper, she seemed to hear nothing.

Today she wore a cyan gauze skirt, which rippled like shimmering waves as she walked, her figure as straight as a pine tree:

“Nice painting skill. In the past, I did look like this.”

She smiled.

“Immortal—Immortal Maiden He,” Yuan Qing Shi said softly, “leave the Immortal Sound Token, and I’ll escort you away from here.”

“But I don’t want to leave,” He Qing Qing sighed. “I see it now. To break through Thousand Channels and beg Song Qian Ji for a chance at survival, you’re willing to agree to any condition, willing to do anything.”

Her sarcastic tone angered everyone.

The Ji family elder shouted: “Witch! You refuse kindness and choose punishment instead!”

Yuan Qing Shi quickly transmitted: “Immortal Maiden He, if you don’t leave now, you’ll be in danger. I know you harbor resentment, but as long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood…”

“Where is True Man Xu Yun?” He Qing Qing ignored him and called out loudly. “There’s a voice transmission formation on this ship, and every word we say here can be heard in the Cosmic Hall, isn’t that right?”

“How dare you! The Sect Master is severely injured and in closed meditation. How dare you disturb him!” Six Hua Wei Sect elders surrounded her.

Xu Yun and Wangshu had been close for many years, and the older generation of Hua Wei Sect tacitly agreed to help Wangshu against He Qing Qing.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Wangshu turned away contemptuously, as if disdaining to look at her opponent again: “If she won’t leave, throw her down.”

He Qing Qing suddenly said: “That day when you beat me severely, don’t you want to know how I survived?”

Wangshu turned back: “Oh?”

“I obtained a lot of sap from the Sky-reaching Tree and refined it into pills. By taking this Ascension Pill, any injury, no matter how severe, can be healed…”

She took out a translucent jade bottle and played with it at her fingertips: “I have a lot of Sky-reaching Tree sap, and only I can refine this pill.”

Before she finished speaking, Wangshu had a bad premonition and hurriedly shouted: “Bewitching nonsense!”

Someone was already asking with a smile: “So if one isn’t injured, can they still take it?”

He Qing Qing smiled: “It benefits without harm, and can even help one advance to the next level.”

Everyone looked at each other. Had this Immortal Maiden been pushed to the edge and started speaking madness?

“True Man Xu Yun, won’t you appear?” He Qing Qing called out loudly.

“How could someone like the Sect Master be seen just because you— Sect—Sect Master?!”

Pressure suddenly descended, and a wavering figure appeared in mid-air.

Everyone hurriedly bowed, addressing him as True Man and Sect Master, only He Qing Qing remained motionless: “I know what cultivation technique you practice. Do you want me to reveal it?”

The Hua Wei Sect elder shouted: “We all know what cultivation technique the Sect Master practices!”

Xu Yun’s expression slightly froze, and he lowered his eyes in silence.

The Hua Wei Sect members suddenly felt something was wrong and fell silent in panic.

He Qing Qing lightly raised her arm, revealing a string of deep red prayer beads on her wrist: “Only I can heal you.”

Xu Yun let out a long sigh: “Immortal Maiden Wangshu, you… you’d better leave first.”

“You!” Wangshu was shocked. “Have you gone mad?!”

Everyone was stunned into silence. The cloud ship became so quiet that a falling pin could be heard.

“Is that all?” He Qing Qing was still not satisfied.

Xu Yun spoke again: “The various sects of the alliance are one family. I request Immortal Maiden He to consider the greater good and share the Ascension Pills with everyone. When I am not present, my Hua Wei disciples should treat Immortal Maiden He as they would be, and follow her commands!”

Wangshu felt dizzy and staggered back two steps, surrounded by cold, hostile faces wherever she looked.

The “vengeful ghost” painting caught fire, the flames flickered, and in an instant, it turned to ashes.

In her daze, she heard He Qing Qing’s voice transmission: “I won’t kill you. I want to ensure that in all the world, there will be no place for you to hide. I want you to watch how your disciples betray you, and I want you to watch as I unite the cultivation world.”