As Fu Xuan fell into bewilderment, Wei Zhentu slowly woke up in a dark cave in West Shu.

He stared blankly at the top of the cave and suddenly sat up. “Ruan Jiu?!”

“You’re awake.”

It was not Ruan Jiu who answered him, but Jing Yue.

In the darkness, Wei Zhentu saw the other party kneeling on the ground. Cultivators could see in the dark, so he clearly saw Jing Yue's pale complexion and a pair of eyes filled with sadness.

Wei Zhentu felt a sudden pain in his heart, and instinctively stopped thinking about a certain matter, but stared straight at Qin Yanzhi who was resting on Jing Yue's lap, and said blankly, “How is Qin-zhenjun?”

“He has been seriously injured.”

Wei Zhentu was suddenly startled. “His face…”

Qin Yanzhi’s face was covered in black energy.

“It’s the curse from the Great Mountain Protection Formation. It’s okay. As long as he can wake up, there’ll be a way to break the curse,” Jing Yue said calmly. “That’s right, as long as he wakes up.”

But Wei Zhentu felt a huge sadness sweeping over him, and he didn't dare to ask anymore.

He didn't ask, and Jing Yue said no more.

The two were silent in the dark.

After a long time, Wei Zhentu's low and hoarse voice sounded in the cave, “Where's Ruan Jiu?”

Jing Yue was silent for a long time, and finally said, “He’s gone.”

“…”

Wei Zhentu's hand on his lap was stained with a hot tear. “I know. I saw.”

At this moment, he finally admitted and faced the truth.

Ruan Jiu had died from self-destruction and saved Wei Zhentu before he died.

He couldn't tell exactly how he felt, and he was not in the mood to analyze it now. He was even calm.

Wei Zhentu had heard many people describe the pain of losing a companion, a close friend, a loved one, or a lover, but it was difficult for him to accept it at this moment.

He kept recalling that scene, recalling the moment when the sky was torn apart. His memory seemed to control time, and he could see every detail so clearly.

He saw the splashing dust, Han Guang's malice, and even the complicated smile on Ruan Jiu's lips, as well as the other party's shallow dimples.

Wei Zhentu suddenly remembered that Ruan Jiu had stood beside him intact, saying that they should accompany each other for at least 200 years, and they still have 1,000, 10,000, and a million years in front of them.

But Ruan Jiu was dead. A year, a day, an hour, a minute, gone in a flash.

Moreover, Ruan Jiu died of self-destruction, with not a shred of divine consciousness left.

This person would no longer exist in the world of reincarnation.

“It’s all my fault.”

“If you say that, I'm afraid Xiaojiu will be angry,” Jing Yue said. “Besides, it was my idea to go to the Yao world. I was the cause.”

“No…”

“Xiaojiu definitely wouldn’t want us to blame ourselves. With his character, he should only want us to avenge him.”

Wei Zhentu clenched his hands tightly and said nothing.

Suddenly, he heard a crisp bell ringing. Wei Zhentu looked at Jing Yue in a daze, and he heard him say, “Xiaojiu's spirit is broken, but I've put it in this bell.”

Before they left the fox tribe that day, the Fox Emperor had given Jing Yue three treasures.

One was the Soul Ingesting Mirror, which he had used on Kang Xi.

One was the Soul Protecting Bell, in which he took away Ruan Jiu's remaining soul.

Another item was the treasure that helped them escape Han Guang's pursuit.

It was precisely because of this that he was able to bring Qin Yanzhi here and set up a formation to escape Han Guang’s search.

“When we leave West Shu, I’ll ask Grandmaster Kong Miao to deliver Xiaojiu to the afterlife so that his soul can be reincarnated.”

But after reincarnation, would Ruan Jiu still be the original Ruan Jiu? Could he remember the past? Jing Yue didn't know, and neither did Wei Zhentu. He said to Jing Yue, “Can you give me the bell?”

Jing Yue was taken aback. “Of course, and I’m sure Xiaojiu will agree too.”

Wei Zhentu reached out and took the bell, which felt cold to his touch, but it contained Ruan Jiu’s warm soul inside.

“I’ll send him for reincarnation.”

–I will accompany you for 200 years, 1,000 years, 10,000 years, a million years.



Meanwhile, in Lurking Ghost Sect, Han Guang was furious. When the righteous Dao came the last time, he suffered a great loss. This time, he even lost the only Return to Void demonic cultivator in his sect as well as a Heavenly Grotto elder.

There were only two Heavenly Grottoes in the whole sect, and he had sent the other one to the Yao world to question the Yao emperors. If not for this, those people wouldn’t climb the stone mountain so easily, activate the mountain protection formation, and render him in such a passive predicament!

What irritated him the most was that at this moment, he still didn't know who the other two were except Jing Yue and Qin Yanzhi. How would he pay attention to ordinary juniors?

“Search for them! You fools cannot even find one person! I don’t believe they can run that far!”

The Amethyst Abode demonic cultivator in front of Han Guang lowered his head and responded timidly, but thought to himself: You couldn’t find them either, can you?

At this moment, the Amethyst Abode demonic cultivator saw a change in Han Guang’s expression and heard him say, “So fast? How is that possible?”

What was so fast? The Amethyst Abode demonic cultivator couldn’t figure it out when Han Guang exclaimed in shock, “Quick! Retreat! Withdraw to the Blood Lake!”

The always high and mighty leader of Lurking Ghost Sect couldn’t conceal his panic. He was about to activate the mountain protection formation that had just stopped when he heard a clear female voice, “Han Guang-laomo, get out here!”

“It's Liu Feng!” The Amethyst Abode demonic cultivator finally understood why the sect leader was so flustered. His mind was in a mess as he scurried around like a headless fly, looking for a way to escape.

But before he could find it, Liu Feng had already rushed in.

Liu Feng and Han Guang were both at Tribulation Passage, but the former just got promoted a few decades ago. Han Guang shouldn’t be afraid, but one of his projections had just been shattered and he was in a weak state at this moment, so he wasn’t confident that he could defeat Liu Feng immediately. If the fight went on for several days and nights and the bunch of old things from Frostcloud Sect arrived, he would be doomed.

Therefore, Han Guang fled without even thinking about it, and he was even more puzzled. How could Liu Feng arrive so quickly?

Behind him, the halls of the sect were destroyed by Liu Feng, and thousands of disciples who couldn’t escape in time were killed. Now that the mountain protection barrier of Lurking Ghost Sect was not activated, while Han Guang was only concerned about fleeing, Liu Feng faced no obstacles at all. In a flash, she demolished half of Lurking Ghost Sect!

Han Guang felt his heart aching, but he didn't dare to stop. Now, he could understand Jing Yue’s earlier situation. Han Guang fled without turning back.

But no matter how fast he was, he couldn't be faster than Liu Feng in her peak condition. In the blink of an eye, Liu Feng had chased him within a hundred feet.

“Where’s my Laozu?” Liu Feng took out a pipa as she asked. With a light pluck, the sound waves from the strings made the air stationary, and Han Guang's figure also froze.

Although only for a moment, it was enough for Liu Feng to reach him.

She plucked the strings again, and eight shadows suddenly appeared in the sky, all of them women, looking beautiful, charming, or exquisite. They were obviously to Han Guang’s taste, but how would he be in the mood to appreciate them?

He knew that this was Liu Feng’s famous cultivation technique—the Eight Tones Demon Destruction Formation!

Each shadow held a musical instrument that could create a type of sword energy. When one played, the other rested; when one went faster, the other slowed down. The cycle continued endlessly with a never-ending mystic.

Han Guang immediately unleashed his domain to suppress it, but Liu Feng's domain was also at the same level. Two domains collided and the earth trembled for a while, and the whole West Shu felt it!

Countless demonic cultivators in West Shu were stunned and quickly dodged. They felt the almighty pressure from a fight between two Tribulation Passage cultivators, and everyone trembled in fear.

What the hell was going on?

Similarly, Jing Yue in the cave also noticed it, and he immediately released mini Canglan sword.

Mini Canglan’s sword shrill echoed in the mountains and forests, causing the birds and beasts in the forest to scatter.

By now, the Eight Tones Demon Destruction Formation had undergone sixteen changes. Han Guang was trapped in it and faced obstacles from left and right. Sword energy swept across his head and shattered the crown that tied his hair back. Half his hair fell, making him look miserable, and he no longer looked the part of an imposing sect leader.

Han Guang had to allocate another projection to block the attack.

Liu Feng's eyes narrowed and she threw the pipa up. The pipa flew up and controlled the formation while she already held a long sword in her hand.

Her slender waist danced like a willow and her robes swayed in the wind. The sword streams brought forth storms and snow. Combined with the complicated yet unified eight tones, one sword split Han Guang's projection into two halves!

Han Guang howled angrily. He had lost a projection earlier and another was destroyed now. Although the projection could be regenerated as his strength recovered, a projection was almost equivalent to a thousand years of cultivation. How could he not feel the pain?

Suddenly, he saw Liu Feng turn her head sharply, and knew that the sword shrill in the forest had attracted the other party’s attention. Han Guang took this opportunity to release his life-saving magic weapon and disappeared from the spot in an instant.

Liu Feng had no intention of chasing after him. On her way from Frostcloud Sect to give reinforcements, she received another message. She already knew about the demon spawn and that Laozu was in danger.

She hurried all the way and now that she had found her Laozu, other things could be put aside for the time being.

Moreover, the magic weapon used by Han Guang was for protecting his life. Now that she had forced him to use it, it was equivalent to consuming one of Han Guang’s lives.

Liu Feng performed the Earth Traversing Technique and quickly rushed to the place where the sword shrill came from.

Then, she met the dark eyes of her Laozu, like an abyss.



Ten days later, Yi Ye-laozu of Frostcloud Sect announced to the world that all great forces of the righteous Dao were to gather at Evernorth.

Outsiders didn't know what they discussed, but there were rumors that when each great force left, their faces were very ugly.

Thus, many people speculated that perhaps the catastrophe related to the fate of the righteous Dao would be upon them.

Author’s Notes:

Fox Emperor: Why are my gifts so accurate?

Jing-jing: Next, Mr. Hu Fox will talk about the art of giving gifts.