Ji Tongzhou's body flickered with Black Fire, instantly incinerating the light sphere of the Golden Water Dragon's Roar. He stood in the courtyard, gazing at Ye Ye and the others one by one.
His friends—no flattering sycophants, no groveling subservience. When happy, they laughed together; when he erred, they criticized him mercilessly. They were the vibrant colors of his naive youth. Yet when the fangs of this world turned toward him, only supreme power was eternal.
He had already fallen into the deepest abyss of fire. The only way was to protect himself by any means necessary, to cling to the few things still within his grasp. Was Xuanshan Zi deliberate? Or merely careless? None of that mattered anymore. He couldn't let go, couldn't retreat—otherwise, his flames would be extinguished by the passage of time, and perhaps even his hatred would one day vanish.
When that day came, he would truly have nothing left.
Ji Tongzhou opened his mouth, speaking slowly, word by word: "I'll say this one last time. Leave now. Everything in Yue Country has nothing to do with you. I don't need you getting involved."
Ye Ye stared at him for a long time before finally turning to grab Baili Changyue's arm. "...Let's go."
Changyue shook off his grip. The usually reticent girl revealed a rare sharpness, smiling coldly. "So if we leave, you can comfortably sell out Xiao Bangchui without worry?"
Baili Gelin cried out, "Sis! Don't say that! How could he—"
Baili Changyue said calmly, "Only the six of us experienced what happened that day. At first, I didn't believe any of us would leak it. But when we passed through Lu Gongzhen, I happened to overhear some Long Mingzuo disciples complaining about the No Moon Court's interference. At the time, I didn't understand what they meant. But seeing His Highness's strange attitude now, I've begun to grasp it. What Ge Lin just said only confirmed my suspicions."
After her words, the courtyard fell into dead silence. Baili Changyue stared straight into Ji Tongzhou's dark eyes and continued, "When I mentioned Xiao Bangchui, your heartbeat grew loud—the sound of a guilty conscience. I never imagined it would be you who sold her out. Was that letter addressed to the Celestials of the No Moon Court? Were you trying to lure her out by using her Master? Are you determined to push her to her death?"
The courtyard remained silent. Ye Ye could no longer hold back and snapped, "Tongzhou! Say something!"
Ji Tongzhou replied indifferently, "Absurd."
"Fine, whether it's true or not." Ye Ye strode forward, his hands suddenly clasping together. A cage of ice silently formed around Ji Tongzhou. "You're coming with us now. Until you tell the truth, I won't release you."
Just as he was about to lift the ice cage—with Ji Tongzhou inside—Baili Changyue suddenly shouted, "Watch out!"
Thick Black Fire erupted wildly from the cage, roaring toward them like a tidal wave. The scorching heat felt as if it would melt the skin off their faces. With nowhere to hide, they could only try to fly upward, only to be blocked by the Spiritual Qi Net above the palace. For a moment, they were both humiliated and terrified.
The next moment, the Black Fire was slowly drawn back into Ji Tongzhou's palm. The ice cage had long since vanished. He lowered his head, staring at the flickering flame in his hand, silent for a long while.
Ye Ye roared in fury, "Ji Tongzhou! How is what you're doing any different from a coward?! Can you really live with the peace bought by betraying your friends?!"Ji Tongzhou laughed softly and spoke, "If our positions were reversed, and today it was Gaul facing destruction, what would you do?"
Ye Ye replied arrogantly, "Gaul has long been destroyed! I stand here now, at least my future is open and honorable! Don’t compare yourself to me!"
"Indeed, you shouldn’t compare us. We were never the same kind of people. You have your open honor, and I have my desperate protection."
"Ridiculous!" Ye Ye glared at him. "Your 'desperate protection' means betraying Li Fei?"
Ji Tongzhou said calmly, "To me, it’s not betrayal. I merely chose the most effective path to defend my country. At this moment, everything here is my utmost priority. The rest is expendable. Your accusations are meaningless."
Ye Ye stared at him silently for a long time before finally whispering, "As friends, we can only accompany you this far. You can stay here alone and guard your kingdom well!"
The group landed in the courtyard and turned to leave one by one. Ji Tongzhou watched their retreating figures without a word. The sky and earth, the clouds and sun, seemed to turn monochrome in an instant, the vibrant colors receding like a tide, rapidly fading before his eyes.
Another handful of sand slipped through his fingers. He could only clench his fist tighter, and tighter still.
In the blink of an eye, chaos erupted. Ji Tongzhou suddenly saw a flash of cold light as another ice cage trapped him. Ye Ye and the others, who had just stepped out of the courtyard, had somehow returned together. Ye Ye shouted sharply, "Chang Yue! Dragon Imprisoning Lock!"
Dragon Imprisoning Lock?! Ji Tongzhou felt a flash of white light around him and immediately dodged. The Profound Splendor Fire raged forth, devouring the ice cage in an instant. The group took flight again to evade the sea of flames, but the courtyard was now engulfed in rolling waves of black fire, obscuring Ji Tongzhou from view. Ye Ye murmured, "Chang Yue, can you sense where he is?"
Baili Changyue had already thrown the Dragon Imprisoning Lock, but it collided with the firestorm, its Immortal Technique and spiritual energy instantly scattered. Ji Tongzhou’s icy voice emerged from the black flames: "Since you don’t want to leave, then stay here forever!"
The group felt the Profound Splendor Fire beneath their feet rise higher, while a Spiritual Qi Net blocked their escape above. Ye Ye quickly erected an ice wall, but in a blur, a figure crashed through it with a loud "bang," shattering it to pieces. Baili Changyue had already detected Ji Tongzhou’s movement and hurled another Dragon Imprisoning Lock. The Immortal Technique clashed with the black flames surrounding Ji Tongzhou, only to disperse again. Her heart skipped a beat as a coiled black Flame Blade silently lashed toward her, bypassing all defensive techniques. It wrapped around her wrist, the black fire searing her skin. The pain was so intense even she couldn’t suppress a cry before being yanked down by an immense force.
At the sight of Changyue falling, panic erupted. Advanced Immortal Techniques flew wildly as Baili Gelin tossed out all the Talisman Papers containing her Demon Beasts. The shriek of the Oriole Demon nearly shattered the entire palace. Lu Li threw out a pale blue Talisman Paper, transforming it into a giant sea turtle that spewed a waterfall of spiritual energy-infused water, but it had no effect on the black flames.He frowned, hesitated for a moment, and was about to take out the last piece of talisman paper when he suddenly felt several snowflakes brush past his face. The sky above the prince's mansion darkened abruptly, with fierce winds howling and thick snowflakes falling like cotton fluff. In mere moments, the entire mansion was encased in thick ice, trapping even the raging Profound Splendor Fire within. The opposing forces seemed to vie for dominance, their spiritual energies locked in struggle.
Ji Tongzhou emerged slowly from behind an iceberg, within which the Profound Splendor Fire flickered intensely. Baili Changyue was held firmly by the back of her neck, her pressure point controlled, rendering her immobile. "Don't mind me! Release the Dragon Imprisoning Lock!" she cried urgently.
Had it been any other enemy restraining her, everyone present would likely have unleashed the Dragon Imprisoning Lock without hesitation. But this was Ji Tongzhou—their once dear friend. To resort to such measures against him left them all silent and hesitant.
Ji Tongzhou lifted his gaze to the group floating in the air. Ye Ye, shielded behind Baili Gelin, was concentrating on forming hand seals, clearly straining to maintain the advanced water-element Immortal Technique, the Great Barren Ice. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, his face growing increasingly pale—he was barely holding on through sheer willpower.
His eyes then shifted to Baili Gelin, Su Wan nearby, Lu Li, and Baili Changyue in his grasp. Each of them regarded him with the wary eyes of an enemy. The longer he looked, the more he began to laugh—a broken, intermittent chuckle that soon faded. "A sudden attack? Why?" he asked softly.
Baili Gelin's voice was icy. "You don't know why? Did you think we'd let you keep harming Li Fei?!"
Ji Tongzhou nodded slowly. "I understand. No need to say more."
With a gentle toss, he released Baili Changyue, only for her to be immediately ensnared by the Dragon Imprisoning Lock. Chains wrapped tightly around her, sealing all her spiritual energy. Staring at Ye Ye's pallid face, Ji Tongzhou smirked mockingly. "How much longer can you last?"
He drew his Mystic Sword inch by inch, black flame blades flickering and climbing from the hilt. With a light swing, they extended and coiled like serpents.
"Never thought this day would come," Ji Tongzhou murmured, a fleeting trace of sorrow crossing his eyes before vanishing. "I've always held back. A real fight with you all might not be so bad."
Before Baili Gelin could react to his words, Ji Tongzhou vanished from the courtyard. A chill ran down her spine as she hastily erected an Earthen Guardian around the three of them. A shadow flickered beside her—instinctively, she shielded her head, but searing pain erupted along her right side as the Profound Splendor Fire licked at her robes. Ji Tongzhou's kick sent her crashing down. Lu Li moved to help, only for black flames to leap before him. Dodging hastily, he was still caught by a hand that shot through the flames, gripping his collar.
The black fire burned his chest, the agony horrifying. The Earthen Guardian shattered instantly under the flames. With a cry of pain, Lu Li was thrown to the ground beside Baili Gelin. Black flames erupted around them, forming a fiery cage.
At that moment, Ye Ye's spiritual energy finally depleted. The countless icebergs within the mansion vanished, and the previously trapped Profound Splendor Fire roared back to life, its tongues licking at the mist beneath Ye Ye's feet. Breathing heavily, he remained silent, his gaze fixed on Ji Tongzhou.The black Flame Blade coiled around his waist, dragging him down from the clouds, and another fiery cage rose in the courtyard.
In less than a quarter of an hour, four out of five had already been subdued by him. Su Wan, who had been anxiously watching from the sidelines, froze completely. Still at the second Bottleneck in her cultivation, she was utterly incapable of intervening in this magical combat. Seeing Ji Tongzhou approach Ye Ye, she quietly reached into her robe—there was a letter inside.
Biting her fingertip to draw blood, she hastily scribbled a line to her Master while Ji Tongzhou wasn’t looking. But suddenly, the back of her neck tightened—Ji Tongzhou had appeared beside her without warning, gripping her pulse point.
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