Mo Ran clenched his fists in the shadows, his heart beating like a drum. The veins on his temples throbbed as he stared at the tense situation in front of him, and a crazy thought roared in his mind. Nangong Changying could take Nangong Si’s life at any time. Was he really going to just stand here like this? Could he really stand here with a clear conscience?!

     He trembled. He was suffering, but fortunately, no one else could see anything strange about him. The line between life and death within the boundary was like fine sand absorbing water, and everyone’s gaze was focused on it.

     The sharp sword could be stained with blood at any moment.

     Hundreds of trees rustled in the wind. Mo Ran grasped the concealed weapon in his sleeve, his fingers rubbing the sharp edge of the arrow. He wanted to do something, but that something made his fear grow like wild grass…

     Suddenly, Nangong Changying’s body trembled.

     The trembling was so obvious that anyone could see it clearly.

     Xue Zhengyong was shocked, “What’s wrong?”

     Nangong Changying couldn’t see where Nangong Si was, so his sword was actually raised slightly out of position.

     However, Nangong Si couldn’t afford to make a sound. Even the slightest sound or strange movement of the wind could make Nangong Changying react.

     He stared at his ancestor’s face with a pale, but stubborn expression, and pursed his lips. The corners of his lips were stained with blood that hadn’t dried yet.

     “You are… Nangong… Si?”

     “!!!”

     This time, not to mention Xue Zhengyong, even the people standing in front of him who heard these words shuddered.

     Nangong Changying had regained consciousness?!

     Mo Ran’s expression also changed. The arrow he was about to use was withdrawn in a flash of cold light from his sleeve. His back was soaked with a cold sweat and his heart pounded wildly.

     So close… to exposing myself…

     He felt lucky that he didn’t have to make a move, but then felt sickened and uneasy by the luck he’d just had.

     In front of Mount Jiao, the two spirits of his past life and present life were fighting fiercely, biting and ripping, tearing at each other until blood was dripping and flesh was badly mangled.

     He didn’t know how much longer he could hold on.

     “Nangong… Si… seventh…”

     No one dared to say anything.

     Inside the boundary, Nangong Changying’s sword moved slightly; little by little, inch by inch.

     Xue Zhengyong was shocked, “Did he really regain consciousness?”

     No, not completely. But he was recovering it, restoring the last remnant of consciousness in this corpse.

     Mo Ran knew that Xu Shuanglin, who was hiding somewhere on Mount Jiao, was like a clumsy puppeteer. He had never danced with such a large and complex puppet before, and was on the verge of collapsing. He couldn’t hold on any longer.

     Nangong Changying was about to break free of his—

     Swish! Before Mo Ran could finish his thought, the muffled sound of flesh being pieced caused his scalp to go numb and his pupils to contract.

     In that instant—

     Blood splattered everywhere!

     After a moment of silence, a bone-chilling scream suddenly exploded in his ears, like a cold sword piercing through his bones, “A-Si!!!”

     “Miss Ye!”

     “Ye Wangxi!”

     The surrounding cultivators clamped down on Ye Wangxi, whose eyes were bloodshot, on the verge of going insane.

     They were afraid that she would do something rash, but they soon realized that it was unnecessary. What could she do? She wasn’t a member of the Nangong family. No matter how good she was, in front of Mount Jiao, she was only an outsider.

     She could not enter at all.

     Nangong Changying’s sword mercilessly pierced through the back of Nangong Si’s shoulder. If he had been able to see with his own eyes, this attack would have surely opened a gaping hole in Nangong Si’s chest.

     Nangong Si stiffened for a moment. He seemed as if he wanted to say something, but then Nangong Changying pulled his sword out, and blood flowed violently, causing Nangong Si to fall to the ground and vomit a mouthful of blood. He couldn’t even support himself anymore. After struggling a few times, he finally collapsed into the mud, spitting a huge mouthful of blood.

     He didn’t know what Xu Shuanglin had done. Perhaps he gave up the power of his spiritual core, or perhaps he used all of his consciousness to control Nangong Changying. But the body that had been on the verge of regaining consciousness suddenly turned into a puppet that killed decisively.

     He held firmly onto his sword, blood dripping from the blade and onto the ground. Under the moonlight, it gathered into a small pool of dark, gloomy liquid.

     Once again, Nangong Si tried to crawl up from the ground, but to no avail. In the mud, he barely managed to raise his face.

     Mo Ran’s eyelashes trembled, and he closed his eyes.

     He would rather not let anyone see Nangong Si’s face now.

     His face had always been proud, arrogant, clean, and handsome. But now, he was covered in blood and mud, his features almost indistinguishable. He was in such a sorry state that it was enough to make anyone with a conscience feel sorrowful.

     Although, there was no sadness in his eyes.

     There was still a fire in those eyes, still light.

     Nangong Changying wanted to strike again, but a white light rushed over and started to fight with him. Naobaijin roared and howled, full of killing intent, and did not care about anything else.

     “A-Si…”

      Ye Wangxi was on the verge of collapse, but Nangong Si did not look at her. He only stared at Jiang Xi, his bloody lips moving.

     At this moment, he couldn’t make a sound, but Jiang Xi understood lip-reading. He put his hands behind his back, his brown eyes staring unblinkingly at the movement of Nangong Si’s lips.

     Nangong Si finished speaking.

     Jiang Xi said, “...Okay. I know.”

     “Awoo—”

     With another dull thud, Naobaijin was struck by Nangong Changying’s one hand, falling with far greater force than his master. Naobaijin’s snow-white body smashed into the trees, crushing a large area of branches and leaves.

     Immediately after, his spiritual power couldn’t support it anymore, and a cloud of smoke rose from the ground. Before the smoke cleared, a fluffy white puppy, no bigger than a human palm, staggered out and bit Nangong Changying’s robes with all his might.

     It was Naobaijin’s cub form.

     Nangong Si turned his head and coughed softly, “Go, go quick.”

    “Awoo, awoo—” Naobaijin wouldn’t leave.

     However, the little bit of strength of Naobaijin’s bite onto Nangong Changying’s body was like a clay ox entering the sea, never to be returned. Nangong Changying could not be bothered with it at all.

     He moved his fingers, causing the ground to shake, and all the hundreds of corpses that had been tied up by Nangong Si were instantly pulled out of the ground.

     He had the strength to pull up mountains.

     This was only like pulling apart weeds.

     Nangong Si’s eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he actually pressed his hand down hard against the ground. In an instant, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. His spiritual core had been shattered!

     He used his spiritual core, which he had cultivated for more than twenty years, and the blood he’d cultivated through the heat and cold of winter, to risk everything with one move, never looking back.

     He shouted with bloodshot eyes, “Sink!!!”

     Crack. He could clearly feel the core in his heart, which had accompanied him for twenty years, collapse in an instant.

     It was very light, the wind passing over a spring lake, causing small ripples across the surface.

     It was very heavy, as if mountains and rivers had shattered, causing rocks and soil to tumble down.

     In the end, it was all turned into dust.

     At that moment, Nangong Si felt a vague sense of relief. So this is what it was like to have one’s spiritual core shattered to pieces. Although it was painful, it wasn’t a heart-wrenching agony.

     Then, when Mother died, she shouldn’t have suffered too much, right?

     In just a moment, there was nothing left.

     The evil dragon’s spirit actually trembled slightly because of his sacrifice. The blood vines that were about to loosen suddenly tightened again, tightly restraining the zombies that were about to break free.

     Nangong Changying raised his chin slightly, and said in a low voice, “Hm?” He walked step by step to stand in front of Nangong Si.

     At this moment, Nangong Si could not even take a single step. Without his spiritual core, he was no different from an ordinary person. He couldn’t even summon back his sword.

     He gasped for breath and looked up. His eyes reflected the moonlight, as well as Nangong Changying’s face against the moonlight.

     “Grand Sect Leader…”

     Nangong Changying’s blindfold ribbon fluttered in the cold wind. He stood in place for a while, then moved his fingertips again. However, due to the sacrifice of Nangong Si’s spiritual core, the evil spirit of Mount Jiao couldn’t immediately respond to the command of its original master’s corpse.

     As a result, the blood vines remained unmoved. In fact, they even slowly dragged the rampaging corpses and continued to sink them into the ground.

     However, Nangong Si knew that he couldn’t hold on much longer. As long as Nangong Changying was determined to give the order, Mount Jiao would definitely listen to the first master’s orders. He could not change anything.

     However, even though he couldn’t change it, he would still pay such a price to do it. He would try his best to do it.

     He had no regret in his heart.

    Outside the barrier, Mo Ran gritted his teeth. The arrow in his sleeve was at his fingertips again, and the lines on his face were extremely tense as he trembled slightly under his robes.

     Inside the boundary, Nangong Si said, “Grand Sect Leader… I’m sorry. I still… couldn’t do anything… Nothing at all…”

     His ancestor raised his sword again, and Nangong Si slowly closed his eyes.

     Suddenly, just as he was about to be killed, he saw Nangong Changying turn his neck with difficulty, and squeeze out a sentence from between his teeth, “You… are called… Nangong… Si?”

     Nangong Si suddenly froze. He said hoarsely, “Grand Sect Leader? Are you… Are you conscious? You… Can you understand what I’m saying?!”

     Mo Ran could no longer hear the rest of the words spoken. However, everyone could see that Nangong Changying’s movements had suddenly slowed, and his lips moved slightly. It was obvious that he was talking to Nangong Si.

     “I… shouldn’t… fight… with… you…”

     Nangong Changying’s sword was still hanging in the air, but he was now speaking very softly.

     “My heart… still has… memories of the past… Before I died, I was worried that there would be changes in the future…” He had just recovered his consciousness, so his words were not clear. He said hoarsely, “But I never imagined… there would be such a day.”

     Nangong Changying paused for a moment, then continued, “Nangong… Si. In a moment… after I have finished chanting the incantation… you immediately take the bow and arrow…”

     Bow and arrow?

     What bow and arrow?

     Nangong Si’s mind was buzzing, and he didn’t react for a moment. However, Nangong Changying had already turned his sword and slashed at the ground. He let out a long roar, like a dragon’s cry.

     A moment later, he flew back a few feet, his robes fluttering in the wind, looking like an immortal that had been exiled from the heavens.

     Nangong Changying was trembling. At this moment, he was barely able to free his lips and tongue from the spellcaster’s control. Every word he said required a great deal of strength.

     “Piercing Cloud, come.”

     As soon as the words left his lips, a clear and melodious cry suddenly came from the heart of Mount Jiao. The ground in front of Nangong Changying suddenly split open, and a dark blue horned bow appeared, illuminating the endless night.

     Everyone was frightened, and even a man as calm as Chu Wanning was shocked.

     The legendary holy weapon buried with the First Sect Leader of Rufeng Sect—

     Piercing Cloud!

     “Quickly, take it away!” Nangong Changying said hoarsely. His hands trembled violently, as if he was fighting against an invisible spider web, and did his best not to let himself go forward to pick up his divine bow.

     “Cloud-Piercing arrows can burn flesh and blood… burn…”

     Nangong Si actually already understood what he meant. However, the rush was too great. He couldn’t believe it, and asked hoarsely, “Burn what?”

     “Me!” Nangong Changying suddenly shouted in rage.

     “Grand Sect Leader!”

     “Do not let my corpse… do… the thing I hated most… in life.” Nangong Changying stood tall and straight, his robes fluttering in the wind. He left behind his last word after a hundred years, “Burn.”