Lu Li's injuries even alarmed Shen Xiansheng. The healing net had minimal effect on the burns from the Profound Splendor Fire. In the end, several elders were summoned to treat him specifically with the Jade Snow Technique. Even so, it took three days and three nights to save Lu Li's life.
When Shen Xiansheng emerged from the room, exhausted, A Jiao was tugging at Baili Gelin, relentlessly asking what had happened. For three days, Gelin hadn't uttered a word. No matter what anyone asked, she remained pale and dazed. Seeing Shen Xiansheng finally come out, Baili Gelin suddenly stirred, lifting her bloodshot eyes to stare blankly at him.
Shen Xiansheng had no energy left to scold them. He merely said quietly, "His life is saved, but the Profound Splendor Fire is peculiar. The fire poison has spread through his meridians and cannot be completely eradicated. It will be impossible for his cultivation to advance further in the future. You... take care."
Baili Gelin still didn't speak. A Jiao finally couldn't hold back her fury and roared, "Ge Lin! What on earth happened?! There were four of you together! What happened?! At least say something!"
Baili Gelin's lips trembled, her expression a mix of terror and confusion. Suddenly, she closed her eyes and murmured, "I don't know... The two of them suddenly disappeared... There was so much black fire... I didn't see anything... No, no... I think... I think I saw my sister... I don't know..."
Before she could finish, she collapsed unconscious to the ground.
Gelin's unconscious state was accompanied by a high fever and incessant delirium. No matter how much Water and Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy was used to soothe her, it had no effect. For someone who had already become a Celestial, even mortal physicians couldn't discern the cause. It was only later that A Jiao understood: these symptoms were called Heart Demon Possession. Baili Gelin's first tribulation after becoming a Celestial had come unusually early and swiftly. Whatever she had encountered had thrown her Eight Extraordinary Meridians into chaos, her qi unstable, and her spiritual energy rampaging wildly inside her. It was as if she was locked in a life-and-death struggle with an invisible enemy.
It wasn't until Lu Li regained consciousness at noon on the sixth day that everyone learned the full story.
Ji Tongzhou had indeed been lingering near Heng Mountain. Legend spoke of the Divine Beast Qilin, treading fire and commanding lightning, unmatched in power. When the four of them arrived near Heng Mountain, the battle between this Xuanhua Immortal and the Qilin had just ended. He seemed severely injured, unable to stand, leaning weakly against a tree.
Baili Gelin immediately moved to attack. It was rare to encounter Ji Tongzhou in such a wounded and weakened state—an opportunity not to be missed. Only by killing this man with her own hands could she finally free herself from the hatred that had tormented her for years.
But her attack collided with a wall of black fire. Ji Tongzhou watched them silently through the flames, showing none of the shock or guilt they had expected. His gaze was icy, as if he didn't recognize them at all.
This expression only fueled Baili Gelin's fury. She stepped forward and hissed, "Ji Tongzhou! Don’t you recognize me?!"
He remained silent. The black fire wall gradually weakened—his fierce battle with the Qilin had drained his strength. If the four of them had been uneasy before, seeing him so vulnerable now put their minds at ease. There was no way he could escape today.Deng Xiguang hurled the Mirage Heart, and the four of them surrounded him tightly. The lengthy and intricate Immortal Technique was released upon them. In an instant, the Mirage Heart turned into black fragments, swiftly and silently attaching themselves around Ji Tongzhou. Several black fire walls immediately vanished before their eyes—who would have thought this method would actually work! Overjoyed, the four dared not slacken their efforts. Su Wan was just about to throw the Dragon Imprisoning Lock to bind him when, in the next moment, an overwhelming surge of Black Fire erupted from his body, instantly swallowing Su Wan and Deng Xiguang, who were closest to him.
Seeing the Black Fire surge toward Baili Gelin like a tidal wave, Lu Li, in desperation, summoned his tamed Demon Beast to snatch her up and fling her away. He himself was scorched by the Black Fire on half his body, the pain unimaginable. He couldn’t help but let out a scream. The fire not only burned his flesh but also seemed to seep into his Eight Extraordinary Meridians, countless fiery points wreaking havoc inside him, the agony unbearable.
Though they didn’t understand the cause of this sudden catastrophe, the ambush had already ended in disastrous failure. The Black Fire flickered and leaped, and Su Wan and Deng Xiguang had vanished without even a cry. Could it be that Ye Ye and Baili Changyue had disappeared the same way last time? It was truly unimaginable. No matter what, Su Wan and the others were already Celestials. Even if there was a disparity in strength, the gap shouldn’t have been this vast. Back then, when rumors spread that Ye Ye and the others had died at Ji Tongzhou’s hands, he had always harbored doubts. Now, witnessing it firsthand, he still found it hard to believe.
Ji Tongzhou had remained leaning against the tree the entire time, clutching his chest, blood seeping through his fingers, his face deathly pale. He stared blankly at Baili Gelin for a long moment before suddenly murmuring, “It’s you… Ah, yes. Many years have passed. It’s about time you came.”
Baili Gelin, faced with this sudden upheaval, first wore an expression of grief and panic, but it quickly turned into one of reckless determination. She shouted sharply, “That’s right! I told you long ago—as long as you don’t kill me, I’ll lurk in the shadows, waiting to take your life sooner or later! Pity my skills fall short, and I have nothing more to say! Kill me if you must—haven’t you killed enough people already?!”
Ji Tongzhou replied indifferently, “I only kill those who deserve to die.”
“Deserve to die?” Baili Gelin let out a bitter laugh. “You killed Long Mingzuo—that could be called ‘deserving.’ But what about Ye Ye and my sister? And Li Fei! Dare you say you didn’t indirectly cause her death?!”
“Ye Ye…” Ji Tongzhou repeated the name, finally letting out a faint laugh. “You want revenge? Fine. I’ve waited for you for many years too. It’s about time we settled this.”
He raised his hand slightly, and the Black Fire abruptly surged several zhang high, encircling her in layers. Ji Tongzhou gazed calmly at her fearless eyes and said, “If you have any last words, say them now. We were acquainted in our youth, after all. If there’s any final wish I can fulfill, speak it.”
Final wish? Baili Gelin couldn’t stop laughing. “Ji Tongzhou, I’ve always known you’re nothing but a hollow shell!”She glared at him disdainfully and continued, "So you still remember we were acquainted in our youth? For your own selfish gains, you slaughtered all your old friends. What? Now you want to pretend to be magnanimous? You're just disgusted with yourself. Do you think killing us all will cleanse you? How dare you ask about my dying wish! I'll tell you—I want my family and friends back! I want you to drop dead right now! I wish I'd never met scum like you!"
Ji Tongzhou listened quietly before replying coldly, "You made two mistakes. First, I am no longer Ji Tongzhou. You should address me as Xuanhua Immortal. Second, a dying wish can only be one. As always, you never ask questions one at a time—still as noisy as ever."
Black Fire engulfed Baili Gelin's body. Lu Li's heart raced with urgency. The Fire Poison ravaged his system, and his spiritual energy refused to obey. Ji Tongzhou's attention was fixed on Baili Gelin, giving Lu Li a perfect chance to escape—yet he couldn't seize it.
Biting his lip until it bled, Lu Li drew a Curse Seal from his sleeve, soaking it in blood before blowing it outward. The Demon Beast, infected by its master's blood qi, stirred restlessly. Against the wind and flames, it suddenly grew countless times larger, roaring as it pounced on Ji Tongzhou, who was leaning against a tree, immobilized. Ji Tongzhou failed to notice in time, and even if he had, he couldn't have withdrawn the Black Fire so quickly.
The Demon Beast slammed him to the ground. For a brief moment, the raging Black Fire weakened. Without hesitation, Lu Li charged into the flames. The scorching heat inside was unbearable, shadows flickering wildly. His eyes locked onto Baili Gelin, still entangled in the Black Fire. To his surprise, her skin showed no burns—she simply stood there, dazed.
Lu Li wasted no time, yanking her out of the Black Fire. Baili Gelin suddenly shrieked, her gaze unfocused as she stared at him, babbling incoherently, "Sister? Ye Ye? What... what am I seeing?!"
She must have been hallucinating from shock. Lu Li had no time to explain, hoisting her onto his shoulder and fleeing. Only after running hundreds of miles did he finally collapse, unconscious.
That was how it all happened.
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