"Zongquan!"
The other elders of Long Mingzuo were momentarily stunned by this sudden turn of events. Zongquan had always been ambitious. As a member of the Wugou royal family, his sole focus was expanding their territory. Through his overt and covert actions, Wugou had already swallowed Gaul Country and several smaller neighboring nations, and now his gaze had fallen upon the immensely powerful Yue Country.
This had originally been his personal ambition. As an elder Celestial, Zongquan’s actions were typically of no concern to the Immortal Sects. But to suddenly attack another sect’s Celestial at a time like this, when the Sea Fall loomed overhead—and worse, targeting an elder of the Star Rectitude Hall Profound School—if word got out, how could Long Mingzuo maintain its standing in the Central Land?!
Fortunately, the thick mist obscured everything, and the gathered Immortals were all focused on battling the Qiongqi several miles away. No one noticed the disturbance here. Seeing that no one was around, Zongli hardened his heart and barked, "Uproot them completely! Don’t let them escape!"
With the fate of Long Mingzuo at stake, several elders steeled themselves. In an instant, over a dozen Mystical Treasures erupted in dazzling radiance, hurtling toward the two figures opposite them. Long Mingzuo excelled in forging Mystical Treasures—even ordinary elder Celestials carried four or five with them. Ji Tongzhou stared blankly as the sky filled with streaks of multicolored light speeding toward him, yet he found himself unable to move.
Xuanshan Zi’s figure flickered as he grabbed the back of Ji Tongzhou’s collar. The radiant Mystical Treasures struck an invisible barrier three feet behind him, slowing abruptly as if plunging into viscous water. His face pale, Xuanshan Zi suddenly roared, "Halt!"
The Long Mingzuo elders instantly felt their bodies bound by an unseen force, freezing them midair. Watching the two flee swiftly, Zongquan couldn’t help but feel a pang of alarm. Over the years, he had secretly monitored Xuanshan Zi’s movements, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Now, with the Sea Fall descending and the world in chaos, the deaths of even tens of thousands of Celestials would go unnoticed—this was a heaven-sent chance.
Xuanshan Zi had already been grievously wounded by his Mystical Treasure and had endured attacks from several elders. The odds of his survival were slim. But the problem lay with that brat—rumored to possess extraordinary talent. Leaving him alive would surely spell disaster in the future.
Moments later, the binding effect of the Celestial Sound Word Spirit dissipated. The elders’ faces turned ashen. The two had fled toward the densely gathered Immortals—chasing them now would only draw attention. If word of this got out, Long Mingzuo’s millennia-old foundation could crumble overnight!
Zongli, known for his fiery temper, erupted in fury. "Zongquan! You reckless fool! Your schemes are one thing, but dragging the sect into this?! What do we do now?!"
Zongquan frowned coldly. "What’s done is done. Pointless words won’t change anything. The Qiongqi isn’t defeated yet—who has time to care about them? We’ll follow their spiritual energy from a distance."
Meanwhile, Ji Tongzhou was being dragged along by Xuanshan Zi as they fled at breakneck speed. The winds howled along the shores of the Eastern Sea, and the bloody mist gradually dispersed. In the distance, countless Celestials were still locked in battle with the Qiongqi. The Ferocious beast’s form shifted unpredictably, now swelling, now shrinking, its head wreathed in thunderclouds that kept the Immortals at bay. Its movements were blindingly fast, and when pressed, it would exhale mist to siphon the flesh and spiritual energy of the Celestials into its belly, using it to heal. It was an infuriatingly resilient foe, far surpassing the other three Ferocious Beasts in power. The magical combat had reached a stalemate—the beast couldn’t escape, but the Celestials couldn’t kill it either.Xuanshan Zi struggled to fly into the midst of the Immortals but could no longer hold on. The Mystic Sword beneath his feet clattered to the ground, and his blood-soaked body weakly collapsed downward. Ji Tongzhou instinctively caught him, feeling as though he were trapped in a dream—everything around him seemed unreal. The body in his arms trembled violently, and scalding blood dripped from his palms. He murmured, "Elder Xuanshan Zi..."
Was this a dream? How could everything be overturned so suddenly? He had imagined Long Mingzuo might provoke them in various ways, but he never thought they would resort to violence. The Spiritual Energy within Xuanshan Zi was rapidly draining away—was he dying? Was he really dying?!
"Elder Xuanshan Zi!" Ji Tongzhou hastily landed on the ground, casting a Healing Net and frantically pouring Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy into the elder's body. Don’t die! The strongest pillar of Yue Nation—how could he die?
Countless Celestials surrounded them, yet no one paid them any attention. Even if they were seen, no one would spare them a glance. Many Immortals had already perished in the battle against the Ferocious Beast Qiongqi; any mourning would have to wait until the beast was slain. Ji Tongzhou poured his life’s worth of Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy into Xuanshan Zi, but it was utterly futile. Never before had he felt so helpless, so fragile. The clash of Spiritual Energy and Demon Qi, mighty enough to shake heaven and earth, raged in the distance. He was like an ant caught in the chaos, despairing as the pillar of his world crumbled before him.
Suddenly, Xuanshan Zi broke free from his grip. Gasping for breath, the elder slowly sat up cross-legged. His azure robes were drenched in blood, his face as pale as death. Closing his eyes, he focused for a moment, and his pained expression inexplicably softened into one of acceptance and serenity. After a long pause, he opened his eyes, gazing clearly at Ji Tongzhou, and whispered, "Such is the will of heaven. I had hoped to endure a few more years, to see you attain your Immortal Body—but it seems that is not to be."
No... Don’t say such things... Ji Tongzhou clutched his wrist again, continuing his futile efforts to channel Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy.
"For over a decade, I have been trapped in a dead end. Only in death do I awaken." A faint smile touched Xuanshan Zi’s lips. "Awakened, yet still unable to let go. Is this the sorrow of being human? Tongzhou, today I push you into the flames. Will you resent me for it in the future?"
Don’t die, don’t die! What could he do to stop the fading Spiritual Energy? How could he save this gravely wounded Celestial? Why was he so weak? Why was he still so powerless?
Xuanshan Zi suddenly tightened his grip, his fingers interlacing with Ji Tongzhou’s. Dazed, Ji Tongzhou met the elder’s clear gaze as his faint voice spoke word by word: "You must live on. Live for Yue Nation—for millennia."
With that, Xuanshan Zi exhaled deeply, his last wisp of Spiritual Energy dissipating into the wind. His breath ceased, his body gradually withering and stiffening on the sandy ground.
Ji Tongzhou was consumed by utter despair. He still tried to pour Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy into Xuanshan Zi, but the elder’s Eight Extraordinary Meridians had already withered in an instant. No matter what he did, he could not bring the departed Celestial back to life. Letting out a desperate cry, he lifted Xuanshan Zi’s lifeless body and looked around frantically. So many people—countless people—yet not a single one glanced their way. Not a single one came to their aid.He ran aimlessly with Xuanshan Zi's corpse in his arms, unsure of where to go. Back to Yue Country? Xuanshan Zi was already dead, and he remained so weak, utterly incapable of withstanding any storm of grief. Would there even still be a Yue Country? Would there?!
The despair from his illusions seized him once more. He had never truly tasted triumph—where in this vast world could he go? Where was there still a place for him?
His foot caught on something, and Ji Tongzhou fell hard onto the ground. Xuanshan Zi's body tumbled far across the sand. No matter how peerless or earth-shaking a Celestial had been in life, in death, they were merely a pitiful heap of flesh and bone. He scrambled forward to gather the corpse when a sudden gust of wind roared behind him—had Long Mingzuo's men caught up?
With a sweep of his hand, Ji Tongzhou unleashed a wall of Profound Splendor Fire. Zongli, caught off guard by the junior disciple's strange Black Fire, had the hem of his robe licked by the flames. In an instant, half his garment was burned away. The Black Fire seared his skin with unbearable pain, unlike any Fire-type Celestial Spell he had encountered. Even the Spring Rain Art failed to extinguish it. The elders, uncharacteristically flustered, struggled for some time before finally quenching the Black Fire on Zongli. A dignified Celestial, yet half his face was left red and blistered from the flames.
Zongli had no time for anger. Black flames—could they be the legendary Profound Splendor Fire? He turned to exchange horrified glances with the other elders. This brat could not be allowed to live. If he escaped today and grew stronger, he would surely become a dire threat to Long Mingzuo in the future!
Killing intent surged within him. A Mystical Treasure gathered Spiritual energy in his palm, emitting a shrill hum. But Zongquan grabbed his arm and hissed, "Don't act rashly! There are too many witnesses!" No matter what, they couldn't openly attack a junior disciple in front of so many Immortals.
Zongquan stepped forward, frowning at the towering Black Fire. Nearby Celestials had already taken notice. As he pondered his next move, he saw Ji Tongzhou glaring at him coldly from behind the fiery barrier. That chilling gaze swept over each elder of Long Mingzuo, and with every face it settled upon, the Black Fire blazed higher. Gradually, the Profound Splendor Fire surged dozens of feet into the air, slowly spreading outward.
Just as he was about to speak, he sensed several immensely powerful auras approaching from afar. Two Celestials from the No Moon Court descended on clouds, hovering above the Profound Splendor Fire as they stared down in astonishment. Zongquan immediately recognized the leading figure as Cui Xuan, an elder of the No Moon Court. These two were high-ranking veterans—this was bad. He hastily bowed. "Greetings, venerable elders. This junior pays his respects."
Cui Xuan ignored him at first, his drowsy eyes sweeping over Xuanshan Zi's corpse. With his sharp perception, he instantly discerned the Celestial had been killed by a Mystical Treasure. While the chaos of the Qiongqi rampage raged, these juniors from Long Mingzuo were busy killing each other?
His gaze turned icy as he scrutinized each member of Long Mingzuo. Finally, he spoke. "What is the meaning of this?"
Zongquan forced a smile. "This junior was at fault. I accidentally injured Elder Xuanshan with a Mystical Treasure—"
"Accidentally." Cui Xuan sneered. Though these were junior Celestials, they weren't from the No Moon Court. Despite his seniority, he couldn't interfere too much. With urgent matters at hand, he had no time to deal with them now.He gazed at the Profound Splendor Fire for a moment and recognized the young disciple within the fiery circle as Wuzheng Zi's disciple from that day—someone who seemed acquainted with Jiang Li Fei. That he should coincidentally appear in the Eastern Sea at this very moment made Li Fei's heart stir. Raising his voice, he declared, "The Qiongqi remains undefeated, yet you lot stand here idly? Tsk. With calamity upon us, no egg stays unbroken when the nest is overturned. Do you still think to stand by and watch?"
With this elder Celestial interfering, it seemed Ji Tongzhou would indeed escape elimination today. Zongquan and the others had no choice but to clasp their hands and withdraw.
Cuixuan Xianren sighed. "Each generation grows weaker! When the Yaksa descends upon us, slaying these creatures will be no different from butchering chickens! Yet at such a time, they still scramble for power and slaughter their own!"
Moreover, with so many Celestials present, they couldn't even subdue a single Qiongqi, remaining deadlocked until now. Lightly landing beside Ji Tongzhou, he flicked his sleeve, summoning vast spiritual energy to weave a Spiritual Qi Net that trapped the thrashing Qiongqi with no escape. Behind him, Shouzhong Xianren also lent his aid, finally tipping the stalemated battle.
Cuixuan Xianren tilted his head to glance at Ji Tongzhou once more. He had sent his weapon spirit to follow Jiang Li Fei, only for its presence to vanish near the Eastern Sea days prior—as if slain. Already deeply suspicious of her, this sent him into a rage. Coinciding with the Eastern Sea's receding waters and the Ocean Sect's plea for aid to the Mountain Sect, countless Mountain Sect Celestials had flocked to the region these past days. Seizing the opportunity, he and Shouzhong personally made the journey. Though they detected no trace of Li Fei's spiritual energy, they found her broken dagger on a shore—now reduced to mere scrap metal.
The blade was cleanly severed, the attacker's precision chilling. More alarming was the complete absence of residual spiritual energy upon it. These signs dredged up Cuixuan's most agonizing memories from five centuries past, and his unease deepened.
"Child," he suddenly spoke again, this time addressing Ji Tongzhou, "burn the remains. A cultivator's flesh should not return to dust. You must send him on his final journey."
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