The great formation was quickly established.

This formation belonged to the immortal cultivation sects – the demon clan could not enter the array.

In the wilderness, countless lamps suddenly lit up.

These flames were extremely bright, their fire tongues motionless in the wind. Looking carefully, these weren’t lamps at all – the disciples had condensed their elemental power into fire to arrange the formation. From within this formation came a distant, profound sigh.

This sigh seemed to come from the end of time a thousand years ago, carrying thick and majestic elemental power. Standing within it felt like facing a vast ocean. It also seemed to carry countless fragments of will, deep as an eternal abyss, bringing primordial qi.

This was the Ancient Qiankun Formation?

Zanxing noticed that Gu Baiying, who was nearest to her, gradually had sweat seeping from his forehead. The great formation was difficult to maintain. With just these few people in the cultivation world, trying to activate the ancient power within the formation diagram was indeed strained. She turned and said: “All demon clan, listen to my command! Condense your demonic essence and inject it into this formation – we’ll also lend them a hand!”

The demon clan behind her immediately complied. Bujiang and Zanxing also moved to the front of the formation, condensing their demonic essence and injecting it into the long array.

Gu Caiyu’s eyebrows twitched as he looked at Gui Diao Tang beside him and chuckled softly: “This daughter of the Demon Lord is quite good – broad-minded and decisive in her methods. She seems much wiser than you. Fortunately, you can be considered to have a successor.”

Gui Diao Tang looked at the woman before the formation. She didn’t seem as carefree as Bujiang, nor as cold as himself. He didn’t know how she had grown over these years, but she appeared both kind-hearted and resolute.

However, the demon clan of Heishi City seemed to trust her greatly.

With the demon clan’s demonic essence injected, the shadow of the Ancient Qiankun Formation suddenly expanded considerably. The primordial qi emanating from within became much more concentrated than before. Being brushed by that energy, one’s spiritual power seemed to be soothed considerably.

The black seed in the giant pit trembled slightly in this continuous stream of spiritual light.

“Crack—”

A tiny sound came from the deep pit. That black seed developed an extremely fine crack, as if something inside was about to grow forth boldly.

Zanxing’s heart stirred, and the demonic essence power in her hands suddenly intensified.

The primordial qi in the formation was vast and boundless, continuing to pour steadily into the black seed. However, after the seed cracked open that one gap, there was no further reaction.

Mimi anxiously called out twice from the side, scratching at the dirt under its feet, eager to rush up and help.

It still wasn’t enough. The primordial qi from the Ancient Qiankun Formation, activated by these few people, couldn’t make this seed break through the earth. Even if they continued forming the array here for a day and night, aside from depleting more elemental power, there would be no benefit.

Gu Caiyu stood to the side, looking at the center of the formation. Suddenly, he sighed and said, “It seems that lacking the formation’s eye still won’t work.”

Zanxing divided her attention to look at him: “Formation eye?”

The man smiled: “In the past, Qinghua stood at the formation’s eye of the Ancient Qiankun Formation. Her cultivation was high, and her spiritual roots outstanding – she could activate all the primordial qi in the formation diagram. Now…” He didn’t continue.

Now, those forming the array were far inferior to the cultivation world’s past cultivation talent and gifts. Adding the missing formation eye, trying to achieve their goal always lacked that most crucial breath.

Zanxing felt her body’s demonic essence power flying into the formation, gathering with countless elemental powers and drilling into that black seed, yet it was like throwing mud into the sea. She could feel the seed’s thirst for power, but that little bit was truly insufficient to make it sprout.

In the deadlock, Gu Caiyu looked at Gui Diao Tang beside him: “Hey, old thing.”

Gui Diao Tang lifted his eyelids to glance at him.

“The children look quite hard-pressed. Let’s give them a hand,” he said with a grin.

Help? How could they help? These two were now merely weak remnant souls, unable even to repair their complete life souls. Like a wind in the wilderness without a trace – how could they help? Zanxing suddenly guessed something in her heart and looked at Gu Caiyu: “You…”

Gu Caiyu laughed. Even in such circumstances, he still had the mood to laugh. When he smiled, his eyes and brows were bright and cheerful, as if no matter how great the affairs of the world, they weren’t worth mentioning in his eyes.

He said: “We two old fellows have been trapped here for so many years, like ghosts. Living has no meaning. I’ve lived my life without attachments – only my wife has captured my heart. Now that my wife has also passed away and my soul is incomplete, it wouldn’t be good to meet her below. Better to make the best use of things and shine brightly here.”

His inappropriately timed joking had a very gentle tone: “Back then, Qinghua’s wish was to save all living beings. If she were still here, her current wish would certainly be unchanged. I wanted to make her happy then, and I do now as well. After all, being a man, the most important thing is pleasing the girl you like.” He looked at Gu Baiying, his figure gradually becoming transparent as he spoke: “Baiying, from now on, protecting Duzhou and your beloved will depend on you alone.”

Gu Baiying was currently in the formation and couldn’t leave it. Seeing this, his expression shook as he shouted: “Father!”

A brilliant smile bloomed on the man’s blurred features as he said: “How precious – in this lifetime, I can still hear my son call me father once. It’s worth it.”

His spring-colored robe was like a flower blooming in the wilderness as it merged into that enormous formation, transforming into points of light and disappearing. Gu Baiying’s eyes suddenly reddened, his face instantly turning pale.

The elemental power in the formation suddenly became much more substantial.

That black seed, which had stopped moving suddenly, began trembling again, as if desperately trying to drill out of its hard shell.

By the gray cliff wall, the golden-eyed youth’s breath was faint as he looked at the azure-robed man in the wilderness.

The Demon Lord quietly observed him for a long while, then suddenly extended his hand. A stream of demonic essence power flew from his sleeve to the youth by the cliff wall.

The wounds on Gui Yansheng’s face and body rapidly improved. Though his elemental power couldn’t recover, at least he didn’t look as miserable as before.

Gui Diao Tang looked at Zanxing.

This was his and Bujiang’s daughter. His union with Bujiang was more like a combination of equal status and position, unrelated to love or lack thereof. The demon clan of Heishi City had always been unconcerned with such matters. Over these years trapped here, he had occasionally wondered what his offspring would be like.

She might be as willful and indulgent as Bujiang, or as cold and ruthless as himself. But when he truly saw her, the Demon Lord discovered that she was unlike Bujiang and himself. Zanxing seemed more like a person than they did.

An ordinary mortal person.

She had clear joy, anger, sorrow, and fear. She would worry about those around her and would be the first to stand before everyone when danger arrived.

How could the Demon Lord of Heishi City be like this? Those in power must not express their feelings, must not let people see through them at a glance, and must not become too close to others. It had been this way for thousands of years, which was why those in power were the loneliest.

But Zanxing was not lonely at all.