“I’m here.”
Jiang Ke’er landed lightly with a leap.
Before Lord Zuo could speak, Yiqin frowned, displeased, “In the third bar, your Gong note is lacking; in the fifth bar, your Shang note is unsteady… Have you not been practicing the xiao these past days?”
Your master is always your master.
“Hey, hey,” Jiang Ke’er scratched her head and changed the subject, “After all, it’s the secret realm—we’re just trying to stay alive… Master, I know I was wrong.”
“If you know you’re wrong, then practice more diligently. Always remember: people more talented than you are working even harder at this very moment!” Yiqin admonished her earnestly, just as always.
Yet, after speaking, she muttered softly to herself, “Though I’ve never seen anyone more talented than you…”
“I’m here; I am Jiang Ke’er.”
By now, Jiang Ke’er had removed her disguise and reverted to her original appearance.
Her lips were purple; she was obviously deeply poisoned.
This time, the poison was something she’d taken willingly.
“The poison has already reached my heart vessels. As soon as I release Essence Confinement, I’ll die immediately,” Jiang Ke’er pressed a hand to her chest,
“I know you’d rather have a living body you can use as a Furnace, rather than a Fox Demon’s corpse… Let’s make a deal.”
Lord Zuo already knew what sort of deal Jiang Ke’er meant.
He smiled and said, “Fine, I’ll order them to withdraw. For ten years, they won’t touch Taiming Sect. You, cure yourself.”
“Straightforward!” Jiang Ke’er smiled, pulled out a pill, and swallowed it without hesitation.
Seeing her complexion improve and the signs of poisoning fade, a sneer appeared on Lord Zuo’s face.
“Do it! There’s no longer any need for Taiming Sect to exist.”
“Knew you Immortals were never trustworthy,” Jiang Ke’er sighed and suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood.
That shocking pool of black blood wiped the smugness from Lord Zuo’s face, but he only smiled indifferently,
“Whether you live or die means little. My Tribulation Immortal Hall has already captured plenty of Fox Demons; you’re nothing special… And Taiming Sect’s ideology is far too dangerous. Today, it must be destroyed. You’re not really part of that.”
Jiang Ke’er frowned tightly, glancing left and right.
But she didn’t see any trace of the heads of the major sects.
“Trying to sway me with words? Save it. I knew you’d try something like this. Tribulation Immortal Hall has already given them new Dan Fang—they’re no longer restricted by the current ones… Any last words?”
It seemed the other side had prepared thoroughly this time.
Her own strength was still far too thin.
No matter how dazzling her display, it would be effortlessly crushed by their deep reserves.
Jiang Ke’er simply neutralized the poison.
Then she dropped to one knee before Yiqin.
“Alive, I am the youngest of Taiming Sect; dead, I am its ghost… Master, thank you.”
Beneath a sunset set aflame by fire, Yiqin turned her head aside.
A single tear rolled down her cheek as her voice trembled, “You foolish girl, you shouldn’t have come back.”
“Some things must be faced, even if it’s too soon.”
Jiang Ke’er stood up, gripping Peerless Beauty and Frost Shadow in each hand.
“Esteemed Immortals whose names I do not know, you made a promise with Taiming Sect, didn’t you?”
Lord Zuo was momentarily startled, “That’s right.”
“Then you cannot harm me,” a sly smile appeared on Jiang Ke’er’s face, “for I am a disciple of Taiming Sect.”
Lord Zuo opened his mouth, only just now realizing this loophole.
Still, it didn’t matter. With the strength of the Dan Sect Alliance, dealing with Jiang Ke’er would be simple enough.
“Dan Sect Alliance, act.”
There was no Honored One of Eight Trigrams realm present—the Honored One was on another battlefield.
Yet even the countless cultivators at the 567th realm here were enough to overwhelm her.
Faced with that torrent of spells, she’d be lucky to last even three seconds.
Jiang Ke’er’s heart sank to the depths, but she did not give up resisting.
Even with no hope left, she would struggle.
She had always been this stubborn—tens of thousands of deaths had not made her yield, much less this time.
Essence surging, the sword in her hand blazed with light; Charm Enchantment activated.
“Meihuo Technique? Close your eyes!” Lord Zuo’s heart skipped a beat. He shouted in alarm, urging the surrounding cultivators to shut their eyes.
The brilliance of flames and spells blocked their vision; the enchantment failed to take effect.
However, the killing intent from behind took them completely off guard.
The thunder of iron hooves shook the earth. From beyond the glowing clouds, from all directions, a roaring torrent of blades and beasts surged forth!
Before the sound even reached them, the attack arrived first—a barrage of hammers, rakes, cleavers, even rolling pins…
These seemingly crude and ridiculous weapons, by force of overwhelming numbers, bombarded the Dan Sect Alliance cultivators in the sky with a counter-barrage!
“Yao Tribe Warriors! Kill every human cultivator except those of Taiming Sect! Find Jiang Ke’er… and take her… home!”
A rain of objects pounded down, leaving the Dan Sect Alliance cultivators dumbfounded.
They even saw toilet plungers—and saw comrades bludgeoned to death by those very plungers.
What… what kind of ragtag mob was this?!
Bombarded, they had no time to care about Jiang Ke’er, forced to turn and defend themselves in panic.
Lord Zuo frowned. He couldn’t bear to watch.
Those outside weren’t Taiming Sect disciples; he could attack them.
But a pure white figure blocked his path.
She wore a white robe patterned with clouds, tapping her long staff lightly on the ground. A milky-white halo encircled her, barring Lord Zuo’s advance.
With a casual wave of her hand, she soothed all the wounds on Yiqin’s body.
Yiqin stared in shock, then hurriedly said, “Greetings, Ancestor Master!”
Luyia waved her hand dismissively, saying nothing, simply standing in Lord Zuo’s way.
Her appearance was nothing like the scruffy, reclusive state Jiang Ke’er usually saw; Jiang Ke’er had never imagined she could look so dignified.
Though it was the gentle, milky light of life, it made Lord Zuo deeply wary. He gave a cold snort and dared not take a step forward.
“They are not Taiming Sect disciples,” Lord Zuo said, unconvinced.
Luyia’s expression didn’t change. “They are now.”
Jiang Ke’er bowed deeply to Luyia.
“Go quickly; we can’t hold out for long,” Emperor Taizong of Tang hurried over, clutching a Resonance Grade Eight Defense Talisman and raising a light barrier,
“The suppression army from the Northern Grand Si State is already on the way. We must withdraw to safety immediately… Wait, why are they here?!”
As he spoke, Emperor Taizong of Tang’s face changed dramatically. He looked toward the sky in the northeast.
Five pitch-black shadows flashed across the sky, each radiating the presence of an Honored One. Without a word, they struck at Jiang Ke’er.
“Clang! Clang! Clang—”
A towering man in black armor blocked in front of Jiang Ke’er, swinging a heavy sword to deflect the attacks, and said, “After all, we fought as comrades—must you really wipe us out?”
The five pressed their attack, unceasing. “Traitor. It is our shame to have ever worked with you.”
Li Yuan’s face was twisted in pain.
“Min’er, take her and run. Get as far away as you can… Your eldest brother, Uncle Li Jing, and I will do our best to buy you time.”
Emperor Taizong of Tang bowed with tears in his eyes, knowing this might be their final farewell.
The scale of this war was rapidly expanding.
He could see the regular army of the Great Sima Nation closing in, surrounding them.
Before their might, these impoverished, ill-equipped Yao Tribe Warriors could not withstand a single blow.
All the Yao Tribe Warriors who had come here would die.
To win Jiang Ke’er’s escape; to purchase one final sliver of hope.
Emperor Taizong of Tang dragged Jiang Ke’er, flying at top speed on his sword, but the progress of their breakout drove his heart to despair.
Even with all his Resonance Grade Eight Symbols and all the Li family’s treasures, it was almost impossible to break through the layers of encirclement…
The Tribulation Immortal Hall’s brainwashing was too successful.
There were now countless Dan Sect Alliance cultivators willing to sacrifice themselves for the “Great Righteous Cause”— charging in, dying if they must, just to kill Jiang Ke’er.
Fearless of death, they took pride in their own bravery.
Blood surged within them as they shouted that the fiends must die, attacking Emperor Taizong of Tang’s talisman defenses with righteous fury.
No number of talismans could last under such consumption.
All of this left Jiang Ke’er cold to the bone.
She felt like a sinner.
Perhaps she should never have been born here.
If she’d died beneath that carriage the instant she transmigrated, there would have been no such sacrifice or suffering.
…No, in a short while, there would be even more.
Even without her, things would have ended up like this. This world was rotten to its core.
Too many things lower than swine and dogs, wearing human skins, waving the banner of civilization while trampling civilization underfoot.
Or perhaps civilization is just like this: a never-ending cycle where the many oppress the few, then the victors rewrite history as righteousness…
In the past, standing with humanity, she enjoyed the blessings earned by ancestors’ struggles, never having witnessed such a bloody era, thus naïvely believing all was well.
Now, she stood on the other side.
She saw a completely different world.
She wanted to change something, but maybe none of this was truly wrong.
If she had to choose one fault, it wasn’t with humanity—the only mistake was that the Yao Tribe was too weak.
She was too weak.
A dark purple meteor shot across the horizon, blending with the light of spells. No one noticed.
The nebula behind Jiang Ke’er seemed to respond, silently spreading across her body.
[We welcome, Creator God, Supreme Lord of the Void Myriad Worlds…]
That mournful feminine voice began chanting once more.
[We welcome, Infinite Darkness, Primal Will that devours all…]
On this battlefield of blood and flesh, Jiang Ke’er closed her eyes serenely, reveling in the song.
[With the myriad worlds as offering, with all living things as kindling…]
[In the name of Epsilon…]
[We beseech our Lord to return…]
[We beseech our Lord to return…]
“…Return…”
Unconsciously, Jiang Ke’er hummed along with the voice.
Suddenly, the whole world went quiet.
Every cultivator stared around in terror.
An endless, profound darkness spread outward from Jiang Ke’er, in an instant enveloping everyone.
The darkness swept across all of Shenzhou with ease.
They could see nothing—only the growing, thunderous chanting remained.
It was an ancient song, laden with endless age.
The eerie dominance within its lyrics made every soul shudder and weep.
The darkness lasted but a moment, yet in that instant, all who touched it would never forget.
Jiang Ke’er floated in midair, colored specks in the nebula behind her outlining the shape of the Nine Provinces.
Before anyone could recover from the terror of that darkness, the meteor at the edge of the sky crashed down with unstoppable force!
It struck the very center of Jiang Ke’er’s brow.
A tiny, dark purple, diamond-shaped crystal embedded itself in her forehead.
And the instant it fused and set, an overwhelming, awe-inspiring power exploded forth—so vast it made one want to kneel in worship.
“Epsilon, as you wish.”
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