The black-clad woman did not grow angry; instead, she smiled. Curling her lips, she said, “Record it. His name is ‘Your Father’!”
The crowd was stunned.
The attendants were dazed.
Even the old man was a bit bewildered.
That actually worked?
Ignoring their reactions, the black-clad woman gave the old man a deep look before walking away with graceful, swaying steps. As she left, she didn't forget to add airily, “Except for him, slaughter all the others.”
Everything that needed to be said had been said. There was no difference between them being alive or dead now.
“Understood!”
The dozen or so people who had truthfully confessed glared with vicious eyes. Even though they had no strength left, they still cordially cursed the black-clad woman's ancestors.
Only the old man was utterly speechless.
Unbelievable!
Just as the black-clad woman and her dark guard attendants left, shrill wails and screams began to echo from the prison...
They gradually faded.
They were dead!
They died a miserable death!
Such was fate.
They had racked their brains to ascend to the heavens, to leave that mortal land and catch a glimpse of a higher, broader sky. Yet what awaited them was only despair, terror, and the end of their lives...
However, the great path of cultivation had never lacked withered bones.
At least they were luckier than those who had died in the Death Spirit Tide. They had ultimately left something behind in this world.
They had also seen this surging, gargantuan city that once housed hundreds of millions of living beings!
On the other side, after Dark Tiger left Black Spirit City, he led several trusted followers and hurried toward the location the captives had mentioned.
He did not dare delay for a single moment on the road, fearing he would arrive too late and find the place empty again.
The Spirit Lord might usually appear charming and full of smiles, but in reality, she was ruthless and cold-blooded enough to make one's heart skip a beat.
She did not have much patience!
Before long,
Dark Tiger and his group arrived at that rock forest. Looking down from the sky, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. However, when they used divine abilities to investigate closely, they were shocked to find that two layers of restrictions existed here.
Inside was a trapping formation that was difficult for divine sense to penetrate, and outside was an illusion formation capable of deceiving the eyes.
It was no wonder.
They had searched nearly the entire region but had missed this specific spot.
“A lower realm being actually possesses such means. No wonder we failed to notice him. This youth is not simple,” Dark Tiger said.
A guard beside him looked tense and proactively pointed out, “My Lord, look over there.”
Dark Tiger looked toward the sound. Visible to the naked eye, a splash of bright red clothing hung between the grey sky and the desolate earth, her long skirt fluttering.
Dark Tiger's brows instantly furrowed. She hadn't been there a moment ago, appearing as if she had stepped out of the void itself, making her presence impossible to grasp.
“It's her!”
The followers behind him immediately lost their nerve. One of them asked:
“What do we do?”
Dark Tiger’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, trying to hide his nervousness.
“She”
She was the outlier he had spoken of.
Ever since he had arrived in Jianzhou to guard the Spirit Tower, she had always existed in this province. Just as she was now, she would stand alone atop a mountain peak, either sleeping with her eyes closed or gazing affectionately at this land.
Why was she called an outlier?
Because she had been assimilated by the darkness, yet she existed outside of it. She was not controlled by the darkness, nor was she bound by the Spirit Code.
Like them, she could traverse the darkness at will and manipulate the Breath of Darkness. She was immortal and indestructible, yet utterly unfettered.
He had never been able to see through her because she was incredibly powerful. Even the Ancestral Spirits had tacitly allowed her existence; it had been this way for ten thousand years.
Yet, like them, she had never once left Jianzhou from beginning to end.
He signaled for his guards not to move and to stay on alert where they were. He then braced himself to approach, speaking in a formal, scripted tone:
“By the order of Great Spirit Lord, Venerable Ling Tang, I have come to seize a prisoner. I hope you will not interfere.”
Li Shuhe remained motionless, merely gazing at him calmly.
Dark Tiger knew perfectly well that her showing herself was enough to explain everything. She intended to protect the person, even though he didn't know the reason why.
He spoke again, “It has been ten thousand years. Black Spirit City has lived in peace with you, and our Lord has never made things difficult for you. Do not push your luck.”
Li Shuhe still said nothing.
Dark Tiger's heart burned with suppressed rage. He wished she would at least give him an answer so he could report back. This act of playing deaf and mute was infuriating.
“If you do not speak, I will take it as your tacit consent.”
Li Shuhe still didn't open her mouth.
Dark Tiger’s eyes narrowed as he waved a hand. “Go!”
Several followers looked at each other, their eyes full of hesitation. However, constrained by orders, they had no choice but to move forward. The veins on their hands bulged as they gripped their weapons, their eyes filled with dread and awe...
Before they could cover much distance, they saw the woman in the bridal gown lift the thumb she had resting on her sword's hilt. The sword that hadn't been drawn in ten thousand years was revealed by half an inch.
Clink!
With a soft sound, a flash of brilliant cold steel flickered like a shooting star in the polar night.
A chill surged from the depths of everyone's hearts.
Almost instantly, the group stopped, not daring to take another step forward. Panic flooded their blood-red eyes.
“This...”
After a moment of gasping, their pleading gazes fell upon Dark Tiger. Dark Tiger's already greyish-black face turned even darker.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Li Shuhe moved her thumb forward just a bit more.
The meaning was self-evident.
Dark Tiger's gaze moved from her face to the sword that was about to be unsheathed. He heard a silent hum from the blade—loud, restless, and hungry for blood.
He knew very well she wasn't joking.
If they took another step,
The sword would come out!
And it was unlikely any of them would make it back alive.
He didn't persist, leaving behind what he considered a harsh parting shot: “You cannot protect them. They must die.”
With another wave of his hand, he led his group in a retreat. Their figures moved quickly, vanishing into the horizon and sinking back into the darkness.
Li Shuhe said nothing, only silently releasing her thumb from the sword's hilt.
The ancient sword returned to its scabbard with a hint of reluctance!
Li Shuhe knew they had been discovered after all. Those who had left had ultimately betrayed Xu Xian.
However,
She didn't find it surprising.
When the darkness descended in the past,
Countless beings had died in battle in this world. Yet there were still those who, despite possessing the power of immortals, chose to actively seek the protection of the darkness for their own selfish ends, bowing their heads to it.
They became the Grey Spirits, Dark Spirits, Small Spirit Lords, and Great Spirit Lords of today.
Some had even become Ancestral Spirits.
She could have become an Ancestral Spirit herself, ruling over dozens of provinces.
But she did not.
The blood in her body would not allow her to fall!
Even though she was eventually assimilated within the darkness, she still strictly adhered to her pride and her unyielding nature.
The Spirit-Devouring Tribe admired her back then just as much as she detested them.
It didn't matter anymore.
Just as it didn't matter to her that those people had betrayed Xu Xian.
Ultimately,
They were bound to cross paths sooner or later.
It was unavoidable.
While the confrontation took place outside the formation, those inside were completely unaware. Within the formation, Xu Xian was still deep in meditation.
In that world within the sea of swords,
The sixth floor had begun to take shape. Spirit stones were constantly being refined and absorbed into the tower.
Seven days had passed.
The floor was not yet complete!
The time required seemed even longer than before.
Xu Xian remained calm throughout, focused solely on consuming spirit stones.
Dark Tiger returned empty-handed.
Ling Tang had expected this.
The intelligence had already mentioned the woman in red.
They said,
She was a vision in red, with tears in her eyes.
At that time,
She had already guessed the truth.
If that woman wanted to protect someone,
Ten Dark Tigers wouldn't be enough. Even she alone might not be enough. But when Dark Tiger returned, she still acted angry for a moment, taking the opportunity to pressure him.
She said to him, “Dark Tiger, you've disappointed me too much. I was originally thinking of requesting the Ancestral Spirit Hall to bestow the ‘Ling’ surname upon you, but now... we'll see.”
Dark Tiger knew perfectly well that her disappointment was a facade, while the pressure was real.
Even in a world of darkness, there was no shortage of intrigue and deception.
But what could he do?
Under the laws of the Spirit Code, a higher rank could crush those beneath it.
He could only restrain his edge and meekly accept her criticism.
He then inquired, “What does the Lord plan to do? Shall we report this matter to the Ancestral Spirits?”
Ling Tang gave a wicked smile, full of confidence. “That won't be necessary. I can handle this matter and share the burden of the Ancestral Spirits myself.”
Dark Tiger remained silent.
Ling Tang dismissed him, and he left.
But he knew in his heart that a storm was about to sweep across this province.
END
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