“This is bad! They’re heading straight for Xuanji Holy Lord’s domain!” The Silent Destruction Old Man’s face was a mask of ice. “Go! Intercept Ji Fuyao and Ye Chen, now!” Several elders shot forward like arrows, chasing after the two disciples.
A series of booming impacts echoed as Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao, still in their feigned death state, remained utterly oblivious to their surroundings. Their forms streaked through the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone, where endless Eerie Dao Patterns twisted and flowed, constantly shifting into grotesque, unsettling shapes. A thick, suffocating mist shrouded the desolate mountains and rivers, making the entire landscape appear hazy and terrifying. Humanoid Creatures, their bodies covered in patches of Red Hair, drifted through the dense fog like specters. Unseen, the two disciples traversed terrifying terrains, their very presence seemingly distorting the fabric of heaven and earth. Their bodies were now tainted with Eerie Power and Ominous Power, their vital energies growing increasingly stagnant and lifeless. A faint tremor ran through them, signaling a sinister transformation taking hold.
As Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao drifted through the void of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone, numerous powerful presences stirred within the ancient great tombs. Their Divine Senses probed the newcomers, a flicker of confusion in their ancient thoughts. “Where did these Low-star Great Emperors come from?” one Eerie entity rasped, crawling out from a tomb. “From outside the Forbidden Zone!” A gray-robed elder, his face like ancient, peeling bark, frowned deeply. “Someone etched Spatial Array Patterns, teleporting these two into the Forbidden Zone. What a pity. Two mere Low-star Great Emperors, already tainted by Eerie Power and Ominous Power. They won’t last long.”
Back at the Grand Dao Sect, Lu Xuan, clad in his pristine white robe, sat cross-legged, still purifying the Eerie Power and Ominous Power from the sect members. Suddenly, a cataclysmic roar ripped through the heavens. The earth trembled, mountains shifted, rivers violently broke their banks, and a palpable Rule Power surged through the air. “Boom! Boom! Boom!” The Grand Dao Sect disciples and Old Ancestors looked up, their faces etched with shock. “This is it! The Heaven and Earth Change!” they cried out. The Second Heaven and Earth Change! Lu Xuan’s brow furrowed slightly. This Second Heaven and Earth Change had arrived earlier than he’d anticipated. But a Heaven and Earth Change didn’t automatically mean the Supreme Path would fully evolve. Not when his third disciple, Chen Changsheng, was still missing with the Bronze Ancient Palace, nowhere to be found in the Southern Wilds! A moment later, the surging energy of the Heaven and Earth Change began to settle. From deep within the Grand Dao Sect’s ancestral lands, an ancient, decaying aura stirred, filled with Declining Vitality, before quickly receding into silence. The Old Ancestors had chosen not to emerge. With the Supreme Path not yet fully open, their dwindling lifespans and depleted vitality meant every moment outside was a massive drain. Lu Xuan glanced at the sect members. A significant amount of Eerie Power and Ominous Power still lingered within them. This had to be purified immediately. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire. At the same time, Lu Xuan recalled the Yao Family’s grand event. “Once I’ve helped everyone purify all this forbidden power,” he murmured to himself, “I’ll pay a visit to the Yao Family.” He mused, “Perhaps the Saint Son’s Lineage are just a bunch of reckless fools. With the Heaven and Earth Change upon us, do they really think they’re hot stuff again?” The System gave a dry cough. “…”
Far away, deep within the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone, nestled in the heart of a collapsed mountain range. Xuanji Holy Lord, Baili, sat in meditation. Her Three Thousand Zang of White Hair suddenly unfurled, cascading around her like a magnificent waterfall. Each strand pulsed with brilliant Great Emperor Dao Patterns, enveloping her exquisite form. Her slender, jade-like hands shifted through complex Spirit Arts, radiating divine light as her aura grew increasingly Eerie. She gazed into the void. “The Heaven and Earth Change!” The Second Heaven and Earth Change had begun so quickly? She was still in the midst of deriving a cultivation technique that utilized Eerie Power, and only a small portion was complete. She needed more time! The source of Eerie Power originated from outside the Primordial Realm, governed by rules entirely different from this world’s. While Ancient Great Medicine could suppress Ominous Power, it could only temporarily hold back Eerie Power. To completely eradicate the Eerie Power within her, she had to fight fire with fire—or rather, Eerie with Eerie. The forbidden power had already invaded her Meridians, bones, and Divine Soul. With this thought, Xuanji Holy Lord continued her derivations, Ancient Characters shifting and coalescing before her.
Just then, a thunderous crack echoed through the air. “Boom!” “Crack!” Above Xuanji Holy Lord, dazzling Spatial Array Patterns surged, like a river of stars descending. A profound spatial force swirled, and suddenly, Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao, enveloped in dense Eerie Power and Ominous Power, plummeted from the sky. “Hmm?” Xuanji Holy Lord’s delicate brows furrowed. Her beautiful eyes, shimmering with divine light, held a trace of confusion on her flawless face. Whoosh! A single strand of her white hair shot out like a divine rainbow, gently catching Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao, drawing their unconscious forms before her. The two forbidden powers intertwined on their bodies, actively invading their Meridians and Divine Souls. Xuanji Holy Lord glanced at Ye Chen, noting two large, crooked characters scrawled across his face: ‘Karma!’ A fleeting memory flashed through her mind: the first time she saved Ye Chen in this very place, then again with Ji Fuyao in the Bronze Ancient Palace, and now, once more, they had appeared before her. The threads of Causality were undeniable. She could no longer remain aloof. She wondered where this karma would ultimately lead her. With a decisive thought, Xuanji Holy Lord resolved to save Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao.
“Boom!” Xuanji Holy Lord extended a slender, pale hand. It shifted through a series of Spirit Arts, designed to absorb the Eerie Power and Ominous Power from Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao. Forbidden powers adhered to a principle of conservation; she couldn’t annihilate them, only transfer them. For her, the amount of forbidden power on the two disciples was negligible. Soon, several black threads of energy flowed from their bodies into hers. “Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!” As the two forbidden powers were drawn out, Xuanji Holy Lord’s pristine white palm struck down, effortlessly shattering Yao Feng’s sealing power. The disciples’ faces began to regain a healthy flush. Not long after, Ye Chen stirred awake. He looked around, his gaze falling upon Xuanji Holy Lord’s white hair, flowing like a divine rainbow, and her exquisitely beautiful face, sculpted as if by the Hand of Creation itself. He was utterly captivated. “Senior, thank you for your timely assistance!” Xuanji Holy Lord inclined her graceful neck, acknowledging him with a faint nod.
Beside him, Ji Fuyao, clad in her fiery red dress, stirred. Her curvaceous body shifted, and her beautiful eyes fluttered open. She scanned her surroundings, quickly grasping the situation. Xuanji Holy Lord was absorbing the forbidden powers for them! “Thank you, Senior!” Xuanji Holy Lord nodded again.
Just then, a violent tremor shook the air. “Boom!” “Crack!” The void tore open, space twisting violently as several Silent Destruction Sect Elders stepped out of a Spatial Rift. They bowed towards Xuanji Holy Lord. “Xuanji Holy Lord, please hand over Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao…” Before they could finish their demand, whoosh! Several crystalline strands of Xuanji Holy Lord’s hair shot forth from above, slicing through the void like divine rainbows! These strands, imbued with terrifying Dao and Rhyme, moved with the speed of white lightning, piercing directly through the elders’ heads. “Pfft!” “Pfft!” Instant Kill! Blood splattered as the bodies plummeted from the sky.