This was Liu Ruyan's very Dao, radiating the aura of a true Supreme Realm expert! Yet, Ye Chen had shattered it with such effortless ease! Nangong Baixue watched, her face a mask of utter disbelief, as Liu Ruyan's painting shattered into countless fragments. This was the ultimate trump card Liu Ruyan had left behind, a power once hailed as “Invincible below the Supreme Realm!”
“No! No!” Beneath Lu Xuan's foot, Dao Yi's ancient corpse thrashed, a skeletal hand reaching out desperately for the scattering fragments. These were Liu Ruyan's fragments! He would not permit anything belonging to Liu Ruyan to be harmed, not even her image! His obsession was so profound it transcended death itself.
Lu Xuan gazed down at Dao Yi's corpse, a flicker of exasperation in his eyes. Speechless. The man's obsession with Liu Ruyan was truly something else. Even after his corpse had developed a faint sentience, he remained so pathetically “loyal.” Lu Xuan's foot pressed down, a casual, almost dismissive gesture. With a soft crack, a fresh fissure appeared on Dao Yi's ancient form. “Urgh...” A choked groan, barely audible, escaped the decaying body.
Just then, Ye Chen's will surged. A colossal, illusory hand, shimmering with golden Martial Dao power, materialized and clamped around Nangong Baixue's throat. “This ends now!” he declared, his voice devoid of mercy.
The golden hand lifted Nangong Baixue effortlessly, her lithe body thrashing, choked by an unbearable suffocation. Her delicate jade feet kicked wildly, the divine radiance around them flickering erratically. “Don-don't kill me...” she gasped, clawing at the golden fingers. “Cough, cough... You're hurting me... Ye Chen...” A desperate plea escaped her lips. “Ye Chen, please!”
Ye Chen's expression remained cold, his voice flat. “I should have killed you back in Cloud City.” His grip tightened, the golden hand flexing with immense power.
Just as Ye Chen's grip threatened to crush her, a woman's voice, cold and imperious, boomed from the depths of a Spatial Rift. “If you dare harm her, I will make every living soul in the Tai Chu Realm pay the price for Nangong Baixue's death!” It was Liu Ruyan.
The next instant, a deafening BOOM ripped through the air, followed by a shattering CRACK! The void tore open, and Spatial Distortion violently. From the gaping Spatial Rift, a figure of unparalleled beauty and alluring charm emerged. It was Liu Ruyan, her Seven-star Supreme Avatar.
Everyone watched, utterly stunned. She was precisely as depicted in the Ancestor's Reincarnation Painting. Her jade feet, fair and crystalline, radiated a soft divine splendor. Her long, slender jade legs, like pillars of pure jade, were exquisitely pale and tender. Her flowing gown billowed just enough to reveal their captivating length, her perfect, curvaceous figure a truly alluring sight.
On Liu Ruyan's breathtaking face, a flash of fury and killing intent appeared. “How utterly audacious!” The moment her voice rang out, a profound wave of Rule Power surged, blanketing the entire area. Everyone present felt an uncontrollable urge to side with Liu Ruyan, to verbally condemn Ye Chen! This was because Liu Ruyan had secretly activated the Charm Sect's Supreme Secret Art. The vast majority of cultivators in the square instantly fell under the spell of her technique. “Ye Chen, release Nangong Baixue!” countless voices roared in unison. “Ye Chen, release Nangong Baixue!”
Even Ye Chen felt a momentary tremor, but he swiftly channeled his Martial Dao power, delaying the Charm Art's full effect. Liu Ruyan's icy gaze swept across the crowd, then narrowed on Lu Xuan. “Hm?” In the entire vast square, only Lu Xuan stood completely unaffected, his expression as unbothered as ever.
Lu Xuan let out a dismissive chuckle, then casually flicked his sleeve. Whoosh! All traces of Liu Ruyan's Rule Power and Charm Art instantly vanished, as if they had never existed.
Ye Chen's golden, illusory hand clenched. CRACK! Nangong Baixue's neck snapped with a sickening sound. Blood splattered, painting the air crimson.
Nangong Baixue's eyes, wide with disbelief, slowly dulled. “No! Ye Chen, why...?” Her voice was a ragged whisper. “If I hadn't broken off our engagement back then, would things have been different...?” A profound regret blossomed in her heart. She was actually dying! She had believed, with Liu Ruyan's Seven-star Supreme avatar present, that she was untouchable. But the White Robe Supreme was simply too formidable!
Nangong Baixue's head, now stained with blood, looked tragically beautiful. She uttered three final words: “I was wrong.” The words hung in the air, echoing mournfully. Her entire life flashed before her eyes, a fleeting carousel of memories. She remembered being in Ye Chen's arms, his warmth a comfort. She remembered her sickly youth, her frequent visits to the Ye Family in Cloud City, and how Ye Chen would sneak into her room at night, exhausting himself to the point of drenched sweat and fatigue, just to help her cultivate before quietly slipping away...
The onslaught of dying memories assaulted her. She had thought she could rely on the Qin Family, but they were annihilated! She had thought she could rely on the Supreme Profound Sect, but they were no match for the White Robe Supreme! She had thought she could rely on Liu Ruyan, but Liu Ruyan couldn't even protect herself! Damn it... there was no one to rely on! Not even herself! Her death felt far too abrupt, too... casual.
Nangong Baixue's head slowly turned towards Ye Chen, her fading eyes searching for an answer. Everyone present gasped, a collective realization dawning. In her final moments, was Nangong Baixue finally acknowledging the grave mistake she had made so long ago?
Liu Ruyan's voice cut through the air, cold and sharp. “We women never admit fault, even when it's true.”
Nangong Baixue offered a tragic, self-mocking smile, her gaze fixed on Ye Chen. Ye Chen's face remained utterly impassive. “You don't know you were wrong,” he stated flatly. “You just know you're about to die.”
Nangong Baixue's heart clenched. Pain. Then, silence. Her breath gave out.
A profound silence descended. Then, an endless, furious killing intent erupted from Liu Ruyan. Her slender jade arm shot out, her eyes blazing with crimson fire, as she unleashed a devastating strike towards Lu Xuan and Ye Chen. “BOOM!”
With a flick of her hand, she unleashed the Charm Sect's Supreme Secret Art: “Star Sea Collapse!” Endless Starry Sky Power was instantly siphoned by Liu Ruyan, coalescing into a raging storm that violently churned the very fabric of this realm. Countless illusory stars began to form, swirling with destructive energy. Above Lu Xuan and Ye Chen, several colossal star projections materialized. Liu Ruyan's lips barely moved. “Explode!”
The next instant, the colossal star projections detonated! A terrifying, cataclysmic force erupted, unleashing a torrent of brilliant, yet infinitely deadly, starlight. Everyone watched, utterly stunned. This power was enough to shatter the heavens and devastate the earth! Every single being present would be caught in its destructive wake!
But Lu Xuan remained utterly unbothered, his expression as calm as a summer breeze. He simply flicked his sleeve. “BOOM!” A river of divine radiance shot forth, sweeping across the vast sky. The terrifying, world-shattering power of the Star Sea Collapse vanished in an instant, utterly annihilated. The heavens returned to their pristine, azure clarity.
Liu Ruyan was utterly dumbfounded. Every single person in the square stared at Lu Xuan, their faces etched with profound shock. This was Liu Ruyan, a Seven-star Supreme! Yet her power was utterly insignificant before Lu Xuan! It was terrifying! The White Robe Supreme was indeed as formidable as legends claimed!
Suddenly, Lu Xuan moved. He simply extended a hand, and a casual slap shot forth. SMACK! Liu Ruyan was sent flying tens of thousands of feet, slamming into a distant mountain range with bone-jarring force. “Pfft!” She immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood.
“Ruyan!” Dao Yi's corpse bellowed, a frantic, desperate sound. His heart was consumed by an unbearable anxiety, but Lu Xuan's power held him captive, forcing him to witness the scene unfold, helpless.
The next instant, Lu Xuan clenched his fist, and a single, devastating punch descended! “BOOM!” The strike was like a falling star, slamming directly onto Liu Ruyan's delicate form. CRACK! The very earth beneath her tore into countless fragments, and a chasm ten thousand feet deep ripped open. Liu Ruyan was instantly reduced to a dying flicker of life.
“Who... who are you?” Liu Ruyan gasped, painstakingly dragging herself from the abyss. She felt an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity with Lu Xuan. Yet, this man was even more powerful than her Seven-star Supreme Avatar! How could the Tai Chu Realm possibly harbor such an unfathomable expert?
Just then, “BOOM!” “CRACK!” The void tore open once more, and Spatial Distortion violently. From a fresh Spatial Rift, a colossal sun of golden Buddhist light erupted, bathing the sky. Wuwu, radiating profound power, stepped out.
CRACK! From yet another direction, the void ripped open. Chen Changsheng, calm and composed, slowly emerged.
Lu Xuan casually stepped back, withdrawing from the immediate vicinity. “I'll leave this to you two,” he said, his voice utterly unconcerned.