"Oh?" Xing Tian, after all, was not as wholly invested as Yu Ci, and thus, some details were not as clear to him as they were to Yu Ci.

Yu Ci knew in his heart what was going on, but explaining it would be a waste of words. He simply smiled it off. Then, feeling something unusual atop his head, he reached up and touched a metallic mirror, which he promptly removed. Naturally, it was the Divine Bronze Mirror. Xing Tian, in the exertion of Tie Lan's power, had also rolled this mirror towards himself. Now holding it in his hand, the cyan light had not yet dissipated, and it retained its warmth.

"My old friend, I owe you thanks for this time."

Had it not been for the return of the Divine Bronze Mirror to its rightful place, which greatly enhanced its spirit and provided him with crucial reminders, Yu Ci might not have seized the opportunity to confront his enemy with the Demonized Yang Spirit and utilize the God Slaying Sting. Now, he was eager to see what changes would come over He Qing, based on his deductions.

In the time it took for a brief exchange with Xing Tian, they had traversed a thousand more miles. Yu Ci noticed that Xing Tian was continuously heading west. Looking back, he saw the sky behind them lightening with the approach of dawn, clouds spreading and glowing with color. Ahead, however, darkness still reigned, as if his path led ever into a deep, shadowy abyss.

But it would eventually brighten up, wouldn't it?

As this thought crossed his mind, a buzzing sound erupted above him. A golden halo hovered in the air, and the surrounding Primordial Qi solidified—it was He Qing invoking the Law Sky Prison.

"Would've been better if you'd changed direction on your way back!" Xing Tian scoffed coldly, still drawing upon Tie Lan's power, and in an instant, he tore through the Primordial Qi that was under the control of the Law Sky Prison, his speed unaffected. But such high velocity would soon come to an end.

"With someone of the Fang surname watching, unless there's a valid reason, I can't use my power beyond ten thousand miles from the Sect's Mountain Gate. Once I've taken you to the boundary, you'll have to go on your own... or perhaps return to squat in prison and accept your punishment?"

Yu Ci shook his head with a smile, about to speak, when suddenly he sensed something and looked up. The high sky, dyed ink-blue by the morning light, was streaked with several beams of light, swift as shooting stars, heading towards the Sect's Mountain Gate before vanishing from sight.

"I wonder which Immortal teacher has returned from the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens?" He was surprised to find himself idly curious about such matters, for the pursuit by He Qing showed no signs of abating.

"It's best to shake her off as soon as possible." Shadow Ghost had been silent for a long time, and when he spoke, it was the plain truth, "Otherwise, once you cross the boundary, you can be sure she'll grind you into nothingness!"

Before Yu Ci could reply, the Law Sky Prison in the high sky seemed to have locked onto its target even more decisively, rapidly descending. Xing Tian, disdainful in speech, was actually quite cautious, adjusting his speed slightly. But at that moment, he cried out:

"The epitome of shamelessness!"

Caught off guard by the outburst, Yu Ci's movement speed plummeted as the power lent by Xing Tian vanished. Although Tie Lan reacted quickly, exerting his strength fiercely, there was still a significant gap.

"Hey..." Yu Ci called out, but Xing Tian gave no response.

"He must have been restrained by someone of the Fang surname. Ha, that works too. Truly a disgrace to the Sword Competing Pavilion," Shadow Ghost didn't hide his schadenfreude, though his irritation was also unmistakable, "Always causing trouble at critical moments, just to throw us to that madwoman?"

Yu Ci thought further ahead than it had imagined; if only He Qing would leave it at that. But if Xing Tian was truly restrained at this moment, did it not indicate that Fang Hui, who had always been hidden behind the scenes, was finally ready to make a move?

A moment later, Yu Ci looked up at the sky again. It was still that deep ink-blue firmament, with the golden halo of the Law Sky Prison appearing particularly ethereal within it. Perhaps it was an illusion, but the darkness that had been fading seemed to press back slightly, and the brilliant clouds in the east seemed to have been covered by a layer of grey. Truthfully, the scene wasn't particularly beautiful, but it brought Yu Ci peace of mind—his judgment was not wrong!

And then, He Qing appeared under such a sky.

She maneuvered the Law Sky Prison, once again solidifying the Primordial Qi of the heavens and earth within a ten-mile radius. Following that, the Curse Sound echoed, a furious 'tide' of pressure converging from all directions. This was a force far beyond Yu Ci's endurance, and it was only thanks to Tie Lan that, even knowing they were no match, he still condensed vapor into a sword and, with a piercing cry, leapt to meet the challenge.

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A dull, thunderous explosion resounded. Tie Lan's body once again turned into a mist of ashes. With just one strike, Tie Lan could no longer maintain his form. If another attack followed immediately, there was no chance Yu Ci and he would escape unscathed.

However, at that moment, there was an unexpected gap in the assault from above, and Yu Ci seized this opportunity precisely, shouting aloud, "Is it really okay?"

He stretched out his arm, pointing to the higher sky, "Immortal He, won't you look? What is that?"

*********

Old Master Zhu had no idea how things were developing outside, but Fang Hui's actions had put him on alert. After a moment of thought, he too stood up and slowly walked to the railing to look out, wondering aloud:

"Is something the matter?"

Fang Hui did not respond; he was busily clenching his left hand, within which Divine Light flickered and jostled, slowly coming together. In response, the Sect's Ancestral Master Hall, which had returned to normal, suddenly burst forth with light waves, forcefully activated, startling the Sect's Mountain Gate Cultivators who were celebrating nearby.

At the same time, a brief exchange took place in the void:

"You've been quite active lately, Daoist brother."

"***What matter?"

"I have no desire to restrict your actions, Daoist brother, but why interfere in the affairs of the younger generation?"

"It's rich of you to say that..."

Unable to reach an agreement, and unwilling to completely offend the other party, Fang Hui could only maintain this stalemate. Meanwhile, Old Master Zhu, standing by the railing, suddenly uttered a soft "Eh?" "Where did this Thunderbolt Tribulation evil come from?"

Fang Hui's face was as still as water. From atop the Star Plucking Tower, the sky still looked like the scene before dawn, yet the newly formed layer of grey made it difficult to breathe. Cultivation is deeply intertwined with the communion between heaven and man, and for a Great Thunderbolt Tribulation Cultivator like Fang Hui, it was possible to deduce quite detailed information from this:

"It's not the Thunderbolt Tribulation of water, fire, blades, winds, or lightning, but the Great Ordeal of Inner Demons, drawing upon the Outer Realm Sky Demon for an attack both internal and external. This is not good!"

With a single step, he seemed to tear through space, and in the blink of an eye, he was outside the Sect's Mountain Gate. Old Master Zhu was too late to stop him, and his expression also darkened.

**********

"The sky?"

He Qing glanced up but had no interest in looking closely. From her superior position, she focused on the young man below, who seemed as insignificant as an ant. The second wave of spells was already taking shape. With its launch, she could pulverize this person into dust, and this time, no one would interrupt.

But her movements froze!

It wasn't a sudden onset of compassion, but simply an inability to act: all at once, her limbs seemed to disobey her commands.

The harmonious unity of the True Form and Physical Body with the Indestructible Yang Spirit was the greatest reliance of a True Immortal, even more fundamentally stable than those who cultivated the Yang Spirit alone. Although she had previously utilized the "Heart-Splitting Sword Lock" to divide her Yang Spirit, causing a depletion of her vitality, this in turn purified her Dao foundation, making it more responsive to her will—as evidenced by the series of actions she had just executed.

However, at this moment, the very foundation upon which her Attainment of Dao rested had become a burdensome mountain, inadvertently connected to myriad strands of Aura, each movement stirring the surrounding Primordial Qi of heaven and earth with the force of a landslide. Yet, as time passed, her ability to mobilize it became increasingly sluggish.

She knew the reason all too well—the void left by the True Essence of the Heavenly Dragon could not be filled! That accursed "Witness Ultimate Skill" sword strike had erased the True Essence of the Heavenly Dragon, turning her once flawless Dao foundation into one riddled with a thousand holes. How could she possibly bear and manipulate those myriad Auras and mobilize the Primordial Qi of heaven and earth?

The situation was rapidly deteriorating to the worst possible state. As the feeling of sluggishness intensified, she became helpless before the intricate and dense structure of Aura. The once crystal-clear perception had vanished entirely, and even the Law Sky Prison, which she had just been manipulating, now felt alien to her.

Why was this happening? Hadn't it all been so effortless before?

She pressed her forehead, suddenly realizing that a fire was burning within her body, causing a scorching pain in her entrails, even reaching her Spiritual Wisdom and Divine Soul, showing no signs of abating and threatening to spread uncontrollably.

It was at this moment that Yu Ci's voice resounded again: "What's the matter, is it difficult to drive the Taoism Immortal by yourself?"

The young man was slowly increasing the distance between them, cautiously avoiding any Aura that might provoke her immediate reaction. He Qing discovered that she was utterly powerless! Moreover, the young man's voice continued to penetrate incessantly:

"Indeed, aside from the Fish-Dragon, aside from the Yin and Yang Dao foundation nurtured for you by Fang Hui, what else do you have?

"The Way of the Fish-Dragon, the method of choice, the Yin and Yang Method, truly formidable. You've practiced it and taken it to its extreme. But what do these have to do with you? The Fish-Dragon's, Fang Hui's—where is yours?

"I see you, but I do not see He Qing, I only see a Fish-Dragon; looking even further, I still do not see you, there is just one more Fang Hui. Now that you've severed 'Fang Hui', and I've severed 'Fish-Dragon', let me ask:

"Can you alone bear it?"

Saying so, Yu Ci burst into a loud laugh, his thoughts sharp as a sword, piercing straight to the heart.

Can you bear it?

He Qing did not respond, but a layer of ashen flames ignited from below, quickly spreading over her entire body, and in an instant, the female cultivator's eyes turned blood-red.

Beneath the ink-blue sky, Ghostly Whispers chirped, and Outer Realm Sky Demons swarmed down like flies chasing a foul scent.

***********

As I write this, I suddenly remember, I'm not penning the grand finale, it's merely the first part, and I'm immediately energized...