“What arrogance.”
The man narrowed his eyes, a staff materializing in his hand and plunging straight into the ground. Countless vines, intertwined like slender serpents, snatched up the cultivators still unconscious on the ground and hurled them into the formation.
Suddenly suspended in mid-air, many immediately woke up.
“What’s going on!”
“What happened to me? That water was definitely tampered with!”
After a few panicked shouts, they realized something even more urgent: they seemed to be on the verge of death.
In their terror, several tried to use spells to sever the vines binding them, only to have their incantations devoured by the formation the moment they formed.
It was like a monster, freshly awakened and starving, tearing ravenously at anything within reach, swallowing indiscriminately.
“Senior Brother, your hair… it’s turning white!” Elder Tengyao stared in shock at Elder Fusheng’s rapidly whitening hair, grabbing his arm tightly. “Senior Brother, it’s draining your spiritual power!”
Hearing this, another person looked down and cried out in even greater horror, “My hand is gone!”
Everyone looked. Sure enough, the sleeve hung empty by his side—his entire arm had vanished just like that.
Fear spread like ink dropped into clear water, rapidly contaminating everything.
Yuan Ji watched as these people desperately used their diverse abilities in an attempt to break the formation, only to have everything devoured completely. It was more like they were feeding it.
She shook her head.
A Sacrificial Heaven Formation wasn’t something easily broken.
“Master… uh, River God, what should we do?” Ruan Xuanxin anxiously moved closer to Yuan Ji. “Are we just supposed to accept our fate?”
Ruan Xuanxin’s voice wasn’t loud, but someone nearby heard and immediately saw a glimmer of hope.
He fell to his knees before Yuan Ji with a thud, his face pleading. “River God, please, think of a way to save us. You must have a solution!”
This single plea instantly enlightened the others. If the River God could deduce the tea was poisoned, perhaps she also had a way to rescue them from this predicament.
All eyes turned to Yuan Ji with earnest hope, their hearts clinging to expectation.
“Hahaha, it’s best not to harbor such futile hopes.” The old man possessing Guan Su’s body slowly lifted his head, his gaze fixed on Yuan Ji as a grin stretched wider across his face.
“However, if anyone manages to kill her first, I might consider letting them out early.”
Silence fell over the entire area.
The man kneeling before Yuan Ji narrowed his eyes, lowered his head further, and then suddenly erupted with astonishing power.
He manifested a long blade and fiercely slashed at Yuan Ji.
“Clang.“
A slender hand holding a sword in reverse blocked the attack. In the moment of the attacker’s shock, Qiguan Shang exerted force, using the sword’s scabbard to send the man flying.
The burst of spiritual energy fluctuation quickly drew the formation’s attention, sucking away most of the man’s spiritual power. He collapsed, barely breathing, on the ground.
Yuan Ji glanced at him dismissively, not particularly stirred by his betrayal.
Ruan Xuanxin, however, was hopping mad beside her. “The River God kindly warned you all about the tea yesterday and even sent antidotes to prevent you from becoming that villain’s puppets!”
“And you! A few words from the enemy and you’re ready to turn on her? Have you no shame?”
He scanned the crowd and muttered under his breath, “Ungrateful wretches.”
Hearing this, Yuan Ji was somewhat surprised by his sense of righteousness. A faint smile touched her lips, but she then felt an intensely familiar, heated gaze upon her.
That familiar warmth—Yuan Ji immediately met Qiguan Shang’s eyes. The envy, jealousy, and longing in his gaze were so palpable it seemed he wished to solidify them, to make Yuan Ji see them constantly.
He took a step forward, blocking her view of the others. His voice was low. “I won’t let them harm you.”
“Ah Shang.” Yuan Ji reached out, her fingers lightly brushing his in a comforting gesture. Warmth spread from that point of contact, like the pleasant, cool warmth of river water under a gentle sun. “You overestimate them. They lack the capability.”
Yuan Ji wasn’t boasting. Since regaining her memories and reforging her dragon bones, her strength had recovered to nearly ninety percent of its peak. Currently, no one present was a match for her.
A’Tong looked up at Yuan Ji, emitting a stream of small bubbles. But in a certain instant, the code within its system began generating wildly in an uncontrollable direction.
“Brother Ruan is right, we cannot be ungrateful. Let’s all work together to think of a way to break this formation!” Elder Tengyao’s booming voice instantly quelled many restless thoughts.
Those present were already aware of the chasm-like gap between themselves and the River God. Only overwhelming fear had driven them to consider attacking Yuan Ji.
Yet, a few cultivators exchanged glances, silently agreeing to join forces to eliminate Yuan Ji.
They nodded, preparing to strike.
An overwhelming pressure crashed down, slamming all of them to the ground in an instant.
Yuan Ji gently patted A’Tong’s head. “A’Tong, help them cool their heads.”
A’Tong looked up at Yuan Ji for a moment, a complex flicker in its eyes before it nodded firmly. “Chirp!“
Several water columns thicker than a person descended from above, drenching everyone present. These once dignified, immortal-esque figures now had disheveled hair and soaked robes, looking utterly pathetic.
A few even choked and spat out several bubbles.
One person thought bitterly, ‘What in the world? What kind of water can pierce through a Water-Aversion Charm?’
Seeing the now-subdued and obedient crowd, Yuan Ji patted A’Tong’s head contentedly.
A’Tong: “…”
A’Tong lifted a tentacle as if to touch Yuan Ji’s hand, but retracted it the moment it made contact.
Watching this, Qiguan Shang seemed to think of something, his expression growing complicated. “Yuan Ji, A’Tong, it…”
“Well done, A’Tong.” Yuan Ji said casually.
Qiguan Shang opened his mouth, then closed it, finally nodding silently. “Mm.”
With the noisy insects dealt with, Yuan Ji turned her attention to the soul hiding within Guan Su’s body. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Everything Guan Su did, was it on your orders?”
The man seemed surprised Yuan Ji would care about Guan Su even now. He let out a derisive chuckle.
He spread his hands. “Guan Su was an obedient pawn. He carried out my instructions… quite well.”
Yuan Ji understood now.
Of course, she thought. Someone as useless as Guan Su could never have orchestrated all this.
“Did you have a hand in the massacre of the Guan family, then?”
The man paused, as if taken aback by the question.
Beside him, Guan Rou immediately turned to Yuan Ji. “River God, what do you mean?”
“Given Guan Su’s abilities, assembling a force capable of taking on a clan versed in the Art of Mechanisms wouldn’t have been easy.”
“Unless someone provided him with assistance.”
Guan Rou’s eyes widened with dawning, horrific understanding. She stared at the figure wearing her brother’s body, her teeth clenched, eyes blazing with intense hatred.
Perhaps feeling confident with the Dragon Bones nearly in his grasp, the man saw no need to hide anything. “You’re correct. I provided him with the power. That was my… gift to him.”
“Otherwise, how could Guan Su have been so devotedly loyal?”
He watched as the formation, absorbing power, grew brighter. A mad laugh escaped him. He had nothing left to fear.
[Ding: Congratulations, Host, for uncovering the truth behind the Guan family massacre.]
A dark glint flickered in Yuan Ji’s eyes. To secure one person’s loyalty, he had slaughtered so many. A nameless fury surged within her.
She let out a light laugh, as if hearing a joke.
Yuan Ji raised her eyes, tilting her head slightly. “Are you so confident this formation can hold me?”
She lifted her hand. A torrent of white light erupted from her fingertips, countless threads converging into a single point that smashed fiercely against the formation.
Stars seemed to shift. The formation rapidly absorbed all the spiritual energy it could reach.
Within the formation, many could no longer hold on, collapsing unconscious to the ground.
A deluge of power poured in, yet the formation showed not the slightest sign of cracking—on the contrary, it seemed to grow more solid.
Despair spread. Those who had earlier clamored to escape fell silent, their hearts turning to ashes as they watched Yuan Ji’s back, clinging to their last shred of hope.
“River God, save us.”
“River God!”
“River God!”
The pleas echoed in her soul sea. Yuan Ji’s heart stirred.
“Heh, a final struggle before death.” The man snorted coldly, calmly observing how Yuan Ji would exhaust her last bit of spiritual power.
The divine power within her gradually dissipated. A wave of dizziness assaulted her, and Yuan Ji’s vision darkened.
Suddenly, a warm stream of spiritual power flowed into her palm.
Leaning against Qiguan Shang’s chest, Yuan Ji looked up to meet his firm, gentle gaze. “This time, I’m with you.”
A smile touched Yuan Ji’s lips. She gave a soft reply. “Alright.”
This time, they were together.
She slowly closed her eyes, calling out softly in her mind.
“Come.”
In the next instant, a massive wave of “white cotton” flew out from the River God’s Mansion, rushing towards Yuan Ji.
“Guan Su” watched in disbelief as Yuan Ji, after seeming drained, could still calmly pour power into the formation.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Thirty breaths.
Time for a cup of tea passed.
Yuan Ji’s expression showed no change. In fact, her power seemed to grow even more formidable.
It was as if the spiritual energy of heaven and earth were scrambling to pour into her body.
Watching the expressions of the trapped cultivators shift from despair to hope, and now to outright worship, “Guan Su’s” face contorted with growing fury.
What is happening? Why hasn’t she been drained yet!
A sliver of unease pierced his heart, causing it to thump heavily.
Sure enough, inside the formation, Yuan Ji lazily yawned, as if bored with the tedious wait.
Yuan Ji beckoned. Even more “white cotton” surged towards the formation.
Crack.
A fine fissure appeared on the formation.
Yuan Ji raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with disdain. “This formation… seems rather inadequate, don’t you think?”
“You…!” “Guan Su” glared at Yuan Ji, utterly unable to comprehend how she possessed such vast spiritual power!
His expression shifted several times before his gaze finally settled on her with naked greed. It must be the power of the Dragon Bones.
Once he obtained those Dragon Bones, he would be the undisputed ruler of this world!
He quickly stepped forward, releasing all the vines at his command to reinforce the formation.
This ten-thousand-year-old formation—he absolutely would not allow it to shatter again, not now.
Seeing his manic desperation, Yuan Ji finally shook her head.
“Reckless fool.”
As the words fell, the sky filled with “white cotton” descended all at once.
The formation.
Shattered.
