The dense talisman patterns gradually dissipate as Yan Zhexian’s voice rings out.
“Swish!”
The seven snow peaks in ghostly fiend form melt into vapour.
From Zhang Ruochen’s body, star-like radiance erupts, controlling the power of the Truth Form to assault the Ten Thousand Li Glacier Illusion Array.
The illusion fades, revealing the true scene outside the bronze temple.
A dim night sky, cold rain, three hundred eighty-four bronze steps, and chaotic battle fluctuations.
“Kill!”
“Boom! Boom!”
“Rumble!”
…
Shouts, clashing attacks, and collisions of saint qi intertwine.
Outside the temple, countless Yanluo Clan Great Sages fix their eyes on Zhang Ruochen, as if they could devour him.
To dare defile the revered Lady Zhexian is a capital offence.
“Zhang Ruochen, I urge you to release Lady Zhexian at once, or the Yanluo Clan’s cultivators will hunt you to the ends of the earth,” a Great Sage Talisman Master roars, eyes red with fury.
“Lady Zhexian is the pearl of our Yanluo Clan, sacred and inviolable.”
“Zhang Ruochen, unworthy grandson of the Blood Absolute War God, you lack the bearing of a true man, merely a sinister, despicable rogue.”
…
Though the Yanluo Clan’s Great Sages burn with rage, none dare act, resorting only to curses.
Without talismans and arrays, they are no match for Zhang Ruochen. If they provoke this deranged bandit into killing Lady Zhexian, who could bear the responsibility?
“Had enough? If you’re done, clear the way. I don’t want to kill you, don’t force my hands to be stained with more blood,” Zhang Ruochen says coldly, one hand gripping Yan Zhexian’s jade-like neck, pressing her against his chest.
In his other palm, strands of white Pure Extinguishing Divine Fire flicker.
“Whoosh—”
Demon Sound’s alluring figure emerges from a wormhole mirror above Zhang Ruochen, landing outside the temple.
Her hands transform into dozens of lightning-fire vines, swiftly spreading, entangling twenty-one Great Sage Talisman Masters. The lightning and divine fire on the vines instantly render them powerless.
She drags the twenty-one Talisman Masters to her side, suspending them around her.
Some vines coil around necks, others around waists, some pierce chests.
It’s not that the twenty-one Talisman Masters are so weak, but they are ill-suited for close combat and, caught off guard by Demon Sound’s assault, have no chance to resist.
Moreover, Demon Sound’s current combat power surpasses many Thousand Questions Realm Great Sages.
How could these Talisman Masters, mostly at the Immortal Realm, compare?
“All fresh, delicious Great Sages, I so want to devour them all,” Demon Sound says with a charming, seductive smile, eyeing the subdued Talisman Masters.
“Demoness, you’re courting death.”
The remaining Talisman Masters unite, swiftly drawing a grand talisman.
Dense talisman inscriptions weave into a towering Qi Beast, dozens of zhang high, radiating cold, deathly light, its aura domineering, its gaze ferocious.
“I could kill them with a thought. You’d best not force me,” Demon Sound licks her red lips, smiling.
The dozens of Yanluo Clan Talisman Masters hesitate, uncertain.
How could Yan Zhexian have imagined that Xi, leading nearly two hundred Great Sages, couldn’t stop five Hundred Shackles Realm Perfection Great Sages from the Immortal Blood Clan, allowing the Saint Devouring Flower to reach here?
Had the Yanluo Clan’s Great Sages set up a defensive barrier, the Saint Devouring Flower could never have opened a spatial wormhole mirror.
Below the bronze steps.
Blade Prison Emperor single-handedly holds off the two Nine-Lives Blood Crows and Xi, displaying top-tier Hundred Shackles Realm combat prowess. Each slash seems capable of cleaving mountains and stars.
Wind Empress, aware that the gods are watching this battle, exerts her full strength, revealing the true power of a Destiny Goddess candidate.
Behind her, the Gate of Destiny blazes with radiant light, each ray a rule of destiny, suppressing the Yanluo Clan Great Sages’ cultivation.
She holds a three-foot-long white feather.
With a wave, it stirs a gentle breeze.
Yanluo Clan Great Sages touched by the breeze act as if possessed—some eyes show struggle, others confusion, some turn murderous, attacking their own allies.
Despite their numbers, the Yanluo Clan Great Sages fall into disarray, attacking each other.
This allows Demon Sound to open the spatial wormhole mirror and join Zhang Ruochen.
The white feather in Wind Empress’s hand, called the “Destiny Feather,” is a destiny treasure, imbued with numerous divine destiny patterns.
With her profound mastery of the Path of Destiny, a wave of the feather affects cultivators’ mental will, even altering parts of their memories.
Lower-cultivation Yanluo Clan Great Sages have their memories altered by the Destiny Feather, believing themselves part of the Immortal Blood Clan.
This is a terrifying destiny technique!
After all, a person, even if their body changes, remains themselves if their memory and spirit are intact.
But if their memory and spirit are altered, are they still the same person?
The mysterious power of destiny can effortlessly change someone. If Wind Empress’s mastery of destiny were deeper, a wave of the Destiny Feather could turn a Great Sage into a feeble ant.
Or transform a small stone into a mountain, heavier than a hundred stars.
Xi’s Great Witch Heavenly Path can somewhat counter Wind Empress, but pinned down by Blade Prison Emperor, he can only watch as the Yanluo Clan Great Sages slaughter each other.
Inside the temple.
“Swish!”
The blood-red Asura Sword flies from the ancient mirror at the Dragon Clan statue’s chest.
A flash of sword light.
The blade pierces the back of one of the five Hundred Shackles Realm Perfection Great Sages attacking Que. Lan Ying’s body emerges from the sword, dragging the Great Sage to the temple’s edge.
The next moment, Yan Huangtu pursues, shouting, “Lan Ying, you can’t escape.”
Lan Ying, though extremely weakened, sneers, “Let me leave the Yanluo Clan’s home star, or I’ll make him perish now, body and soul.”
Que seizes the moment, his sword forcing the remaining four Great Sages back, transforming into a shadow, rushing out the temple gate.
His body turns ethereal, merging with the heavily injured array geomancer’s body.
“Kill me, and you’ll have to kill this array geomancer too,” the geomancer’s lips move, but Que’s voice emerges.
“Rumble.”
Thunder roars above.
A bolt of lightning streaks across the sky.
Yan Huangtu’s spiritual power sweeps the situation, fully grasping the scene.
Though the Yanluo Clan suffered a crushing defeat, they still possess formidable strength. If the fight continues, few of the intruders on the Yanluo Clan’s home star will survive.
The Yanluo Clan still holds the advantage.
Yan Huangtu’s gaze falls on Que and Lan Ying, both at their limits.
Killing them would make dealing with Zhang Ruochen and the Immortal Blood Clan cultivators much easier.
But continuing this battle would force a desperate fight, with unimaginable losses for the Yanluo Clan.
Yan Huangtu’s eyes sharpen, cold as an emperor, “All who die today are heroes of the Yanluo Clan. I, Yan Huangtu, vow to care for your kin to the best of my ability. Your names will be inscribed in the Yanluo Temple’s annals.”
All Yanluo Clan cultivators understand Yan Huangtu’s resolve.
He will not back down from this fight.
After this battle, no one on the Hunting Heaven Battlefield will challenge the Yanluo Clan again.
For the Emperor-Grade Saint Will Pill and the Yanluo Clan’s supreme honour, Yan Huangtu must fight on.
The Yanluo Clan cultivators held by Que, Lan Ying, and Demon Sound grow dim-eyed, knowing they are now pawns to be sacrificed.
Yan Zhexian remains calm, neither sad nor joyful.
“Worthy of the cold-blooded Imperial Bone, splendid, truly splendid. Today, even if I’m refined or die here, I’ll take a batch of Yanluo Clan Great Sages with me,” Lan Ying roars, about to act.
“Stop.”
A deafening voice echoes from the temple.
Yan Wushen steps out, standing near Yan Huangtu, his gaze cold and sharp, “Let them go.”
The Yanluo Clan Great Sages, who thought themselves doomed, regain a spark in their eyes, staring at Yan Wushen.
Yan Huangtu says, “We can’t let them go. Releasing tigers back to the mountains invites endless trouble. Today is the best chance to eliminate them.”
Yan Wushen turns, meeting Yan Huangtu’s gaze, “The best chance? The Great Sages here are the Yanluo Clan’s elite of a thousand years, the pillars of our future. Sacrificing them for victory—what kind of ‘best chance’ is that?”
“The Yanluo Clan cannot accept today’s humiliation. To reclaim our honour, sacrifices must be made,” Yan Huangtu says.
Yan Wushen retorts, “Today’s humiliation is our responsibility, not theirs to bear through sacrifice.”
Yan Huangtu stares deeply, his gaze sharp as a blade.
Yan Wushen looks away, softening his tone, “Many Yanluo Clan Great Sages are gravely injured, their lives at stake. Our priority is to save them.”
“The Hunting Heaven Battlefield isn’t a life-or-death arena. We don’t need to fight to the death. Sacrificing so much for a moment’s honour isn’t worth it.”
“The Yanluo Clan has sat as the supreme clan too long, and many believe themselves truly supreme. Today’s humiliation is a lesson for us all. From now on, let’s strive with courage to reclaim our lost honour—that’s true glory.”
The Yanluo Clan’s current generation has always been led by Yan Huangtu.
Thus, all follow his lead.
Though Yan Wushen is close in age to Yan Huangtu, he lingered too long in the Saint King Realm. Despite his reputation as a supreme genius, his strength lagged far behind.
Moreover, Yan Wushen spent most of his time in solitary cultivation, rarely involving himself in the Yanluo Clan’s affairs.
Until today, when he and Yan Huangtu clash over differing views, many Yanluo Clan cultivators see a regal aura in Yan Wushen.
The Yanluo Clan is no longer dominated by one but boasts twin prodigies.
“Fine! This is your decision. If the Yanluo Clan loses the Hunting Heaven Battle, you’ll bear full responsibility,” Yan Huangtu says.
“I made this choice, and I’ll bear all consequences, whatever they may be.”
Yan Wushen’s gaze sweeps over Que, Lan Ying, Zhang Ruochen, and the others, “You may leave.”
The battle on the bronze steps halts.
All Yanluo Clan Great Sages step back.
Que, Lan Ying, Zhang Ruochen, and Demon Sound, each holding Yanluo Clan captives, join Wind Empress, Blade Prison Emperor, Great Senluo Emperor, and Yue Tinghai, departing the Arctic Glacier Continent and flying beyond the Yanluo Clan’s home star’s atmosphere and protective array.
Zhang Ruochen travels with the Immortal Blood Clan cultivators.
He asks Wind Empress, “Is everything arranged on the Yanluo Clan’s home star?”
“Rest assured, mere low-cultivation Yanluo Clan members— I can handle them with ease,” Wind Empress smiles.
In the cosmic void, after flying ten thousand miles, no Yanluo Clan cultivators pursue.
Demon Sound, still entangling the twenty-one Great Sage Talisman Masters with her vines, laughs, “Master, since the Yanluo Clan isn’t chasing, why not grant me these as nourishment?”
Zhang Ruochen shakes his head, “No need. Killing Yanluo Clan Great Sages would deduct massive points and create irreconcilable enmity. It’s unnecessary. Yan Wushen was right: the Hunting Heaven Battle isn’t a life-or-death battlefield. The gods won’t disregard these elite Great Sages’ lives.”
Demon Sound, slightly disappointed, releases the twenty-one Talisman Masters.
Zhang Ruochen seals Yan Zhexian’s spiritual power, pushing her gently toward the Talisman Masters.
He takes out the green brush, sniffing it lightly, catching a trace of Yan Zhexian’s fragrance, “Consider this brush a gift from you. We’ll meet again.”
Zhang Ruochen performs a grand spatial shift, taking everyone hundreds of miles away in an instant.
Yan Zhexian, fuming, glares at the fleeing Zhang Ruochen and company, “Shameless rogue, next time we meet, I’ll be stronger and will personally sever that hand and cut out your tongue.”
…
After escaping the Yanluo Clan’s home star with his captive Hundred Shackles Realm Perfection Great Sage, Lan Ying opens his mouth, swallowing him whole. Merging with the Asura Sword, he transforms into a blood-red streak, vanishing into the six-coloured star mist.
Gravely injured, only by devouring this Great Sage can he quickly recover.
Yan Wushen stands above the Yanluo Clan’s home star’s atmosphere, pointing at the Asura Sword’s escape path, “Within ten days, I’ll visit the Shura Clan’s home star and raze your Qinglu Divine Hall. Henceforth, I’ll kill every Qinglu Divine Hall cultivator I see.”
From the Yanluo Clan’s home star’s depths, swarms of blood-devouring insects emerge, reducing countless Yanluo Clan members to withered corpses.
This was Wind Empress’s doing.
