A heavy bloody aura enveloped the Tongtian Peak of Qingyun Mountain, and even the usually lazy town beast, Shui Qilin, was restless at this moment, constantly swimming back and forth in the icy water pool, making low-pitched screams. The Orthodox Taoist masters standing on top of the Jade Clear Temple had serious faces, looking down at the mountain below, where a fierce and cruel battle had been going on for a day and night on the Cloud Sea Square after crossing the Rainbow Bridge.

  Although the horror and cruelty of this beast demon war had been anticipated, the brutality on the scene still made many righteous people feel chilled to the bone. The demons attacked from the foot of the mountain, sweeping up like a stormy rain, and although the righteous people kept attacking from the side, the massive torrent formed by countless demons seemed to be completely ignoring those few enemies who were ambushing them. Like thunder and raging waves, they swept upwards, and in an instant, those who tried to block their way were left with a feeling of helplessness, facing a vast, dark mass, killing one or two, or even ten or more demons was almost meaningless!

  In an instant, the original righteous path's plan to rely on the mountain's terrain to slow down the beast's attack was destroyed by these seemingly cruel and ignorant wild beasts. The righteous people were forced to retreat to Tongtian Peak, until the beast attacked the Cloud Sea Square, Daoxuan True Person and others made a decisive decision, concentrating most of the righteous power, facing the enemy head-on on the vast Cloud Sea Square. For a time, amidst the flying treasures and brilliant lights in the sky, above Tongtian Peak's Cloud Sea, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and the miserable cries and screams were endless.

  Dark waves surged one after another, while in front of them, hundreds of righteous people stood half on the ground and half in the air, with countless dazzling lights standing out in front of the crowd, a colorful icy city wall that radiated cold light.

  The beast seemed to be completely unaware of the pain and fear, like a huge wave rushing forward, and in an instant, it crashed into the light wall that was almost a hundred feet wide with its flesh and blood. In an instant, the cold light trembled, the strange horns flashed wildly, and the terrifying sound swept over the top of Tongtian Peak like a dense rain, piercing deep into the heart.

  Hundreds of ferocious beasts were instantly frozen into shattered flesh and blood by the icy brilliant light, the thick bloody smell whizzed past the ear like a mad wind, the sky was filled with blood rain that suddenly exploded and then slowly fell down, bit by bit, falling on the faces and hands of the righteous people.

  It's nauseating!

  Before anyone could regain their composure, the next wave of demonic beasts surged forward. The originally flat light wall was instantly compressed by a massive force, with multiple areas being pushed in and presenting an irregular curved shape. In some places, where the disciples' powers were slightly weaker and their wills not firm enough, they slightly loosened their grip on their magical tools. As the massive force rushed forth, amidst the deafening roars, the demonic beasts pounced forward in an instant, sending several people tumbling to the ground. Amidst the anguished cries, no one saw them again.

  Outside the Jade Clear Palace, Dao Xuan Zhenren, Pu Hong Shangren and Yun Yi Lan had serious expressions. Dao Xuan Zhenren glanced at the two of them, and they nodded simultaneously. Yun Yi Lan said, "Everything will be decided by Brother."

  Daoxuan Zhenren turned his head expressionlessly and looked down the mountain for a while, only to see that on the sea of clouds, the light wall was being suppressed by a black giant wave, among which there were several weak points that were about to collapse. The air was filled with the smell of blood, and the cries of agony could be heard from time to time.

  He furrowed his brow, suddenly raised his head, and saw that high up in the sky, dark clouds were gathering, and amidst the swift movement of the wind and clouds, he seemed to catch a glimpse of that mysterious figure. Dao Xuan Zhenren gazed deeply for a moment before turning his head around, and Xiao Yi, who had been following closely behind him, took a step forward. Dao Xuan Zhenren said calmly, "You may go!"

  Xiao Yicai responded with a sound, quickly turned around, and with a wave of his right hand, he flew up first. Following closely behind him were nearly a hundred people from the Orthodox Dao, although their numbers were not as many as those on Yunhai Square, but the brilliance of their magical treasures was dazzling, far surpassing those disciples below. At a glance, they were obviously elite disciples and some scattered immortals from various Orthodox Dao schools. Under Xiao Yicai's leadership, this group flew towards the intense battlefield above Yunhai.

  ********

  The thunder boomed, and the lightning flashed across the sky, as if it had returned to that rainy day many years ago. But somehow, even on this rainy day, there was still a strange moon hanging in the sky, shining brightly and whitely.

  The feeling of rain hitting your face is so cool...

  Zhang Xiaofan turned back involuntarily, the wind and rain were rustling, that small village was quietly disappearing. He stretched out his hand unconsciously, wanting to grasp something, but it was empty. Behind him, Pu Zhi's eyes were quietly watching his figure.

  The next moment, he found himself in that familiar room. The unique aura of the Dazhu Peak seemed to emanate from all around, bringing with it a sense of warmth and familiarity. In the distance, he could hear the voices of his senior brothers chatting and laughing, as well as the playful shouts of Da Huang and Xiao Hui. Then, there was that familiar sound of footsteps, followed by a young girl with a bright smile, rushing into the room and exclaiming: "Lazybones, get up quickly! We're going to climb the mountain to do our homework and cut bamboo..."

  His whole body trembled, and in an instant, the dike of defense he had built up in his heart over the decades shattered and collapsed.

  He burst into tears!

  A withered hand stretched out from behind and gently patted his shoulder, that gentle voice asked in a low tone: "What's wrong, child, why are you crying?"

  Zhang Xiaofan suddenly turned his head, looking at the compassionate face, and his body couldn't help but tense up. He stared deeply into the eyes in front of him, wanting to see into the depths of this compassionate old monk's heart, but Pu Zhi's eyes were always so calm yet profound, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see through them.

  He asked word by word, as if growling: "Why, why did you choose me, why are you doing this?"

  Pu Zhi didn't respond, he just continued to gaze at Zhang Xiaofan with a sorrowful and compassionate expression, his eyes filled with kindness and calmness, without any emotional fluctuations, let alone any regret!

  Everything around him disappeared once again, and the whole world was left with only two people. Zhang Xiaofan, no, now he seemed to have transformed into a demon, his eyes occupied by a fierce blood-red glare, his entire body exuding an aura of killing intent. With a soft "pu" sound, his clothes ripped open, revealing the dark red glow of the Soul-Devouring Demon Rod rising up and hovering in front of his chest.

  Pu Zhi's gaze finally shook slightly, slowly looking towards that ominous object, the Soul Devouring Crown, where the "Blood Devouring Pearl" with its bright light and dark red blood vessels spreading all over its body seemed to be staring at him as well, carrying a cold and mocking intent.

  A bloody aura that cannot be withstood, suddenly appeared out of thin air from the front of Gui Li's body, and then rushed over like a mountain collapse, like a strong wind blowing by, Pu Zhi's monk robe fluttered, staring blankly at the fierce red light that carried despair, rushing forward like a trapped beast.

  He didn't flinch in the slightest, standing there motionless. The next moment, that desperate and ferocious red light pierced through his body, slowly coming to a stop behind him, condensing into a sinister figure.

  The old monk slowly lowered his head, looked at his body, and then, as if he let out a sigh, his head drooped down, and his body slowly fell to the side. Behind him, Gui Lie turned around abruptly, looking at Pu Zhi with an expression like a stormy wind, changing rapidly, and gradually, the fierce color faded away, replaced by pain and sadness, the red glow in his eyes dimmed, he stared blankly at the body that seemed to be losing life, and suddenly let out a heart-wrenching scream!

  "Ah!......"

  The black magic wand fell to the ground, and he seemed to lose all his strength in an instant. The sky was filled with thunderclaps, flashes of lightning, and a chilling wind that sent shivers down his spine.

  He stumbled towards Puzhi, the ground beneath his feet seemingly becoming more and more treacherous with each step, exhausting him completely. He fell repeatedly, only to get back up again, using every last bit of strength to crawl towards that frail body, until finally, he struggled to Puzhi's side.

  He grasped the withered hand tightly, and for the first time in over a decade, he felt the warmth of this familiar palm, his eyes welling up with tears.

  "Master...... Master......"

  He choked with sobs, shouting in a low voice, tears streaming down his face, as if with a hint of hysteria: "Why, why, why is this?"

  Pu Zhi turned his head laboriously, looking at the boy who seemed to have transformed back into the helpless youth of years ago. He didn't respond, his face was deathly pale, and his lips moved slightly, but ultimately he didn't say anything else.

  A withered palm slowly rose, reaching out to the face of the young man in front of him. The hand trembled constantly in the wind and rain, as if the wind and rain were all falling on his hands. Zhang Xiaofan stopped crying, lifted his head, and looked at him.

  The eyes of two people met in the wind and rain, looked at each other, solidified, stopped, became strangers, and drifted apart...

  Pu Zhi's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but didn't. Then his hand fell lightly, without making any sound.

  Life seems to be gone in an instant!

  The young man froze, his whole body stiffened, slowly lowering his head, looking at his own hands: "I killed him, I killed him..."

  It was as if the eerie atmosphere around him had also begun to undergo a strange transformation. One moment, his face would reveal a ferocious and sinister expression, transforming into a malevolent spirit, and the next, he would appear to be in unbearable pain, once again becoming the innocent Zhang Xiaofan, the former Qingyun disciple. He struggled in agony beside Puzhi's corpse.

  In the sky, under the vast expanse, it is still windy and rainy, desolate and bleak!

  ********

  Xiao Yicai and a group of elite disciples joined the battle, instantly stabilizing the situation. These disciples seemed to have had an unspoken understanding beforehand, gathering in groups of three or five and flying directly to the most intense battlefield. The gaps that were originally breached by the demonic beasts suddenly received strong support from these fresh troops, and in an instant, they counterattacked and slaughtered the invading demonic beasts. The entire light screen became even more solid and dazzling, unbreakable.

  In the midst of the crowd, the most dazzling place was at the very center of the light screen. Lu Xueqi held the Tianyuan Sword, standing proudly like a nine-heavenly fairy on the clouds. Amidst the ten-thousand-zhang aurora, the Tianyuan seemed to transform into a bloody slaughter knife. Wherever it passed, blood rained down and bones piled up, forming a small mountain at her feet.

  After a while, even those ferocious beast demons couldn't help but show some restraint towards this icy woman in white clothes who had turned pink. Even the righteous people behind Lu Xueqi were shocked by her. On this battlefield where life and death were at stake, Lu Xueqi charged forward fearlessly, killing her way into the midst of the beast demon horde again and again, stirring up wave after wave of bloody rain.

  But on her face, there was not a hint of expression, no fear of pain, no horror or disgust. Even when the bloody and foul-smelling beast blood splattered onto her body, which had always been meticulous about cleanliness, Lu Xueqi did not react in any way. She simply continued to fight with all her might, her icy yet elegant face, seemingly even more captivating amidst the rain of blood and wind, making people's hearts skip a beat yet dare not take a step closer.

  An hour slipped away quietly, the black torrent continued to suppress that light curtain, but ultimately did not break through. On the Cloud Sea Square, which was once like a paradise, there were lifeless bodies and bloody stains everywhere. In the dark sky, dark clouds hung low, coldly watching all of this.

  Suddenly, from the depths of the beast demon group, a strange and eerie sound emerged from an unknown place, like a horn call, also like a howl. The sound was mournful and desolate, as if on a moonlit night, a lone wolf was wailing at the moon. As this sound was emitted, the originally fearless and unrelenting beast demon tide suddenly stopped in its tracks, halted its attack, and slowly retreated backwards, pulling back from the righteous path.

  And just as the fight temporarily stopped, the light curtains also dimmed one after another. What followed was the sound of countless people's heavy breathing filling the sky in an instant.

  Every single person seems to be carrying a bloody aura, the bleak and eerie blood color has dyed the entire cloud sea. In the empty space in the center of the cloud sea that was torn open by both sides, there are corpses everywhere, some are beast demons, others are human disciples.

  Most of the Orthodox disciples who were flying in mid-air fell to the ground, grasping for breath. No one knew when those mad beasts would attack again. Only a few disciples with deep cultivation were still vigilantly flying in mid-air, gazing forward.

  Xiao Yicai furrowed his brow, withdrawing his gaze from afar. The beast demons were a dense black mass, and he couldn't see the end of them even with a glance. This life-and-death battle still had no bright prospects in sight. He let out a soft sigh in his heart, turned his head around, and suddenly froze. There, not far away from him, Lu Xueqi stood quietly suspended in mid-air, her clothes stained red with blood fluttering gently in the bloody wind.

  That breathtaking face had no hint of vitality at this moment, only staring intently at the black torrent in front.

  Xiao Yicai's eyebrows furrowed, instinctively sensing that Lu Xueqi's emotions were off, and just as he was about to go ask her, a loud howl suddenly erupted from the front of the beast demon group. A moment later, thunderous footsteps shook the ground, and an endless black tide surged forward once again. This time, among the beast demons, in addition to those ferocious ones, there were also several enormous giant demons mixed in, their jaws wide open as they charged towards the righteous path.

  In an instant, the Orthodox crowd stood up one after another, and the brilliant treasure of Hao Guang flew into the sky, once again forming a magnificent light curtain city wall.

  Xiao Yicai was immediately drawn over, the slight doubt he had about Lu Xueqi earlier was instantly forgotten. At this moment, in everyone's eyes, there was only that black torrent, rushing from afar with a deathly aura, surging forward wildly.

  It was as if a thunderclap had burst forth in the silent depths, tearing apart heaven and earth. This time, the deafening roar erupted above the black torrent that surged against the light screen dam. The pressure of death seemed to have grown heavier in an instant, shattered bones falling like fine rain once more, bodies torn asunder were flung into the air, impaled on sharp claws.

  The mighty demonic beasts that joined the battle had a combat power far surpassing ordinary demon beasts. Generally, when righteous cultivators' magical artifacts hit them, they didn't have any effect at all. As these demonic creatures' sharp claws flew by, in an instant it was a bloody storm. In the blink of an eye, the unprepared righteous cultivators were suddenly broken through by these seven or eight giant demonic beasts, and several openings appeared, causing the entire light screen to shake violently, struggling to hold on.

  High up, the faces of Yun Yiluan and Pu Hong Dashi changed, Yun Yiluan furrowed her brow, looking towards Dao Xuan Zhenren. However, she only saw Dao Xuan Zhenren's face set in a serious expression, gazing down at the battle below. The mournful cries echoed up, his eyes seemed to be twitching slightly, but somehow, his usually calm face still didn't show any emotion, nor did he utter a single word.

  Yun Yiluan withdrew her gaze, fell silent for a moment, and then looked down at the mountain again.

  The battle grew more intense, and the Orthodox disciples on the Cloud Sea all knew that at this critical moment, everyone was fighting for their lives with all their might. Many people even let out deafening roars from their mouths, which were almost indistinguishable from those of the beast demons. Perhaps, even cultivators like themselves had little difference with these beast demons when facing life and death.