Xue Meng almost choked on his blood, but Mo Ran didn’t have the time to be angry. As soon as he heard these words, he turned around and returned to the horde of corpses, blocking them as the first line of defense.

     Chu Wanning had been helping Nangong Si adjust the obviously-tampered-with-machine. When he saw Mo Ran struggling in a bitter battle in front of him, he immediately flew to the door of the temple and shouted, “Mo Ran, come back!”

     “Shizun…”

      Chu Wanning threw down a golden barrier. The light from the barrier instantly rose up and violently pushed the horde of corpses back several feet. Then, he placed three barriers—on the long steps, in front of the temple, and in the gap in the stone door—before dragging Mo Ran back.

     “You stop first.”

     Mo Ran said anxiously, “Shizun’s barrier won’t be able to hold out for long inside Mount Jiao! Shizun, why are you doing this?!”

     Chu Wanning’s eyes were like blue frost and purple lightning. He gritted his teeth and pushed Mo Ran back into the hall, “You’re injured and still want to die. Go back and meditate. Shi Mingjing!”

     “Shizun, I’m here.”

     Chu Wanning sternly pointed at Mo Ran, “Heal his wounds.”

     Shi Mei nodded, “Yes, Shizun.”

     Mo Ran held Shi Mei’s outstretched hand down, and said to Chu Wanning, “They’re all superficial wounds. Shizun, your barrier can only last an incense stick’s time at most here. It will also consume a great deal of your spiritual power. You—”

     Chu Wanning stood in the light without even turning his head, “Then, I’ll hold on for an incense stick’s time.”

     Mo Ran still wanted to say something, but Shi Mei pulled him back. Shi Mei’s slightly cold hands touched his skin and rolled up his sleeves, so he could cast a spell to heal his wounds.

     Mo Ran looked at him and shook his head, then lowered his eyes.

     Chu Wanning called, “Xue Meng.”

     “Yes, Shizun.”

     “If I can’t hold on any longer, you take over. Don’t force yourself. If you feel that you can’t do it, let Sect Leader take over.”

     Xue Zhengyong said hurriedly, “Yes, it would be better to take turns.”

     Chu Wanning continued to channel spiritual energy into the barrier, and said, “There’s something else I’ll have to trouble Sect Leader with.”

     “Go ahead.”

     Chu Wanning gritted his teeth and said, “Ask that group of trash hiding in the back; other than those from Taxue Palace and Guyue’ye who aren’t good at close combat, get those who can fight to come over!”

     “...What if they don’t come over?”

     Chu Wanning said, “Then we can only let them break through the gate, and sit on the ground and wait for death. See if they come over.”

     Xue Zhengyong hurriedly went over. Nangong Si was staring at the broken lock in his hand with a gloomy face, not knowing what to do. He also didn’t know why the prohibition order from the First Sect Leader was suddenly broken. Logically speaking, as long as it was Nangong Changying’s order, no one could have ordered the evil dragon’s spirit anymore. Why would it suddenly become like this…?

     Xue Zhengyong asked those who could fight to go to the front.

     Ye Wangxi said, “I’ll do it.”

     Nangong Si immediately came back to his senses. He pulled her back and said, “You’re a girl, how can you—”

     Ye Wangxi stared at Jiangdong Hall’s submissive group of disciples, and said coldly, “Even if there are only two people in Rufeng Sect, they are not cowards greedy for life and afraid of death.”

     The middle-aged cultivators who had previously mocked Ye Wangxi for wanting to stand up even though she was a girl were now silent, their gazes diverting away from Ye Wangxi’s face.

     Just like that, Xue Zhengyong gathered some people. Suddenly, he was stunned, “Hanxue? Why are you also… No, no no, you’re not good at this sort of thing. You go back.”

     Mei Hanxue looked cold and collected today. He said, “Uncle, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. I won’t play around.”

     Xue Zhengyong looked at the Palace Master of Taxue Palace. Seeing that she didn’t object, he had no choice but to let Mei Hanxue join the group.

     Jiang Xi frowned, “Is it best to only keep holding them off like this? It’s better to leave some people who are suited for close combat and send them to the back hall to see what’s going on.”

     Xue Zhengyong said, “Let’s deal with this for a while first and see if we can fix the machine. The best plan is to go together. If we really can’t fix it, then we can only divide into two groups, one to resist, and one to check the situation in the back hall.”

     Jiang Xi said, “...That’s good. But who can fix the machine?”

     At this time, Villa Master Ma Yun, who had just been scolded by Jiang Xi for being a coward, raised a trembling hand. He stuck his head out and said weakly, “T-this is mechanical and technical work. I-I think I can still give it a try.”

     Jiang Xi was both angry and amused, “Then why aren’t you going?”

     Ma Yun dragged Nangong Si and stumbled over.

     Xue Zhengyong also led the welcoming party away.

     Jiang Xi turned around and looked around at the hall that was divided in two—purgatory and the nine heavens.

     He fell into deep thought.

     His gaze swept across the Zhenlong chess pieces who were still laughing and chatting on one side, or being tortured on the other side. Finally, his gaze fell on Nangong Liu, who was crouching over his basket of oranges with a blank expression.

     He felt it was very strange. Why didn’t Nangong Liu or the other chess pieces in the hall go berserk like the corpses on the outside? Why weren’t they trying to get up and kill people?

     If Xu Shuanglin controlled the Zhenlong chess pieces in the hall and began attacking at this moment, they were bound to fall into a dilemma, facing both internal and external difficulties.

     Why didn’t he do it?

     He didn’t want to do it? Or… he couldn’t do it?

     Jiang Xi was surprised, but Mo Ran wasn’t at all.

     He could clearly sense that all the Zhenlong chess pieces in the hall retained their temperament and obsession. These puppets even had some memories of when they were alive. They were completely different from the corpses outside controlled by the Shared Heart Formation.

     The zombies outside were marionettes, while the puppets inside were all living-dead with individual temperaments.

     Xu Shuanglin didn’t control these living corpses for a single reason—his spiritual energy had reached its limit.

     “Chu-zongshi, give me a hand!”

     A weak call came from the bottom of the stone steps.

     Chu Wanning looked up and saw Hua Binan leading about a dozen cultivators up the mountain, struggling to break out of the encirclement.

     They had been bitten by poisonous snakes, and had been resting in place. They hadn’t expected to encounter a second group of berserk corpses. Half of the twenty-or-so cultivators were wiped out in an instant. At this moment, those who had struggled and fought their way to this point were all seriously injured.

     Chu Wanning immediately raised his hand and cast another barrier around them to protect them. Then, he whipped Tianwen to repel the zombies surrounding them.

     “Come here!”

     Chu Wanning stretched out his hand towards Hua Binan.

     Mo Ran, however, was suddenly alert. He didn’t care that Shi Mei was only halfway through applying the medicine. He immediately stood up to stop him, “Shizun, be careful!”

     However, there was nothing unusual about Hua Binan. He held Chu Wanning’s outstretched hand, and Chu Wanning pulled him into an even stronger protective barrier behind him. He turned around and shouted, “I need a few people to come help!”

     One by one, the survivors were pulled back and carried into the main hall, groaning and gasping for breath. Their faces were covered in blood, looking extremely pained and miserable.

     Jiang Xi led a group of Guyue’ye’s disciples forward. He bent down in front of Hua Binan, showing a rare expression of anxiety, “Why are your injuries so severe…”

     “I’m still fine. Sect Leader, you should go check on the others first.” Hua Binan leaned against a pillar. His bamboo hat and veil had been cut, and his robes were stained with blood. Jiang Xi wanted to check his pulse, but he raised his hand to stop him, “It’s nothing, just a small injury. It’s the little disciple of Sect Leader… cough, cough, who is badly injured. Sect Leader, you should go and treat him quickly, no need to worry about me…”

     This group of people’s injuries were all very serious; some of them even had their legs broken. Compared to them, Hua Binan, who could still speak normally, indeed had lighter injuries.

     Jiang Xi cursed under his breath. He glanced at Hua Binan, then turned back to treat the others.

     Hua Binan trembled as he fumbled for a bottle of hemostatic powder from his qiankun pouch. Just as he was about to sprinkle it over his wounds, a hand suddenly grabbed the porcelain bottle from his hand.

     Mo Ran said, “Let me help you.”

     “...No need.”

     Mo Ran looked at him with deep, dark eyes, “It’s just applying the powder. It’s no trouble.”

     Hua Binan snatched the porcelain bottle and said softly, “I’m not used to others touching me. Besides, you’re not a medical cultivator at all, you’re just adding to the mess.”

     “Then I’ll help you.”

     “Shi Mei?” Mo Ran turned his head and saw that Shi Mei had already put down a medicine pouch. Hua Binan saw the medical pouch and brushed it off, no longer saying anything else to resist.

     Shi Mei spread out his cloth containing silver needles, and said in a low voice, “Hanlin-shengshou, this junior was inconsiderate, please forgive me.”

     Hua Binan: “...”

     His injuries were so severe that it was useless to use spells on him directly to stop the bleeding. He had to use spiritual needles to stop it first. A cold light suddenly flashed, Shi Mei’s eyes reflecting the light of the silver needles. In the blink of an eye, he had inserted more than ten needles.

     “Senior’s veil and bamboo hat…”

     A trace of gloom flashed through Cold Scale Sacred Hand’s eyes, but he also knew that there were a few acupuncture points that needed to be pierced on the face, so he said with a ruthless expression, “I’ll do it myself.”

     The blood-stained veil fell, revealing Cold Scale Sacred Hand’s face, which he never showed to others. It was an extremely strange face; the upper half could be considered delicate and pretty, but from the bridge of his nose down, his entire face was twisted and burned.

     Hua Binan raised his head, a faint trace of hatred and ridicule in his eyes, “What is it Mo-zongshi? Why aren’t you leaving yet? Do you think it’s nice to stay here?”

     “...I’m sorry.”

     Hua Binan sneered, “I already told you not to stand here a long time ago, but you didn’t listen. Now, you’re saying sorry, but I don’t know what you’re thinking in your heart. You’re probably thinking ‘This Cold Scale Sacred Hand is really ugly,’ huh?”

     Mo Ran shook his head and left without another word.

     Villa Master Ma was still fiddling with the broken bronze lock. At the front of the Heavenly Palace gate, Chu Wanning’s spiritual power was almost depleted.

     He turned to Xue Meng and said, “Xue Meng, take over!”

     Xue Meng immediately understood, and raised his sword. The two of them completed the handover so smoothly that not a single zombie had the time to squeeze in during the exchange.

     As soon as Chu Wanning removed the barrier, he couldn’t help but take a step back. Seeing his pale face, Mo Ran felt very distressed, but he couldn’t do anything in front of the crowd; he couldn’t even hold Chu Wanning’s hand. He could only suppress himself and ask, “Wann… Shizun, are you alright?”

     “I’m fine.” Chu Wanning coughed lightly, “I just used up a little more spiritual energy.”

     However, Mo Ran knew that Chu Wanning’s spiritual core was already very fragile to begin with. To others, expending more spiritual energy might not be a big deal, but to Chu Wanning…

     Mo Ran closed his eyes.

     In his previous life, the master and disciple pair went up against each other. Chu Wanning had exhausted all of his spiritual energy in the battle, and his spiritual core had instantly shattered. From then on, he became no different from a mortal. In fact, his body was even weaker than a mortal’s…

     How could he be fine…?

     Mo Ran’s heart was in pain, and his eyes were slightly red. He silently put the robe Chu Wanning had given him over his shoulders. Only at this moment could he gently squeeze Chu Wanning’s shoulder through the robe.

     All of his abounding love for him could only be hidden in the light touch of his fingers at this moment.

     He helped Chu Wanning to the side. He especially found a place that was less crowded, a quiet place, then sat down with him. While no one was looking, Mo Ran quietly held Chu Wanning’s hand.

     It was very cold.

     It was the same coolness as when Chu Wanning was defeated by his blade that year, when he leaned over to step on his chest before reaching out to cup his jaw.

     Mo Ran lowered his eyes. His fingers were trembling slightly.

     Chu Wanning was about to pull his hand away; after all, there were too many eyes here. However, he felt that weak tremble. The hand that was about to pull away turned to interlock their fingers.

     “Let me see.” Chu Wanning raised his other hand and had Mo Ran lift his face. There were wounds on his cheek and the bridge of his nose, “Does it hurt?”

     Mo Ran shook his head as he stared at Chu Wanning’s face. He looked at the man who was concerned for him even though his own lips were already blue and white.

     He felt that it was very painful.

     It wasn’t the wound.

     It was the heart.

     He finally learned to lie like Chu Wanning, and said, “It doesn’t hurt.”

     “Why are you shaking if it doesn’t hurt?”

     He didn’t make a sound; he wasn’t able to make a sound. So, Chu Wanning misunderstood that he was still trembling from pain, and a faint green light rose from his fingertips.

     Mo Ran’s pupils suddenly shrank. He grabbed Chu Wanning’s hand that was about to touch his cheek, “Are you crazy? How can you use your spiritual power?!”

     “This little bit is nothing.” Chu Wanning said, “It’s just the tiniest healing spell to stop the pain.”

     His fingertips touched his wounds.

     It was to stop the pain.

     But his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. Death by a thousand cuts was probably nothing more than this.

     Mo Ran naturally knew that this was just a little bit of spiritual energy, like a drop in the ocean, a cup of water. Chu Wanning gave almost all of his spiritual power to everyone, with only a little bit to him.

     In his previous life, he had resented Chu Wanning because he always gave too much to the world and too little to himself.

     But at that time, he didn’t know.

     In fact, the little things Chu Wanning gave him, even though they were very pitifully little, was all he had left.

     “Alright! It’s fixed, it’s fixed!”

     Suddenly, a cultivator under Villa Master Ma hurriedly rushed to the door. His cheeks were flushed red as he shouted, “Prepare to retreat! We’re closing the door! It’s going to close soon!”

     At this time, Mei Hanxue had already taken place as the person resisting the horde of zombies. After Xue Meng retreated, he was also injured, however, his injuries weren’t serious. He wrapped himself in gauze and tied a knot while watching Mei Hanxue retreat.

     It was strange. He remembered that Mei Hanxue clearly had a water and wood type spiritual core, so he didn’t know why he was able to use a fire type technique. He was alone, strumming his fingers across a zither, his face cold. He attacked with a fiery-red barrier of flames, pushing back all the corpses that attempted to approach him.

     “It’s closing! Mei-gongzi!”

     Mei Hanxue let the harp hang in the air, and he retreated step by step to the door. Xue Meng suddenly realized something was wrong. He turned his head and said, “Can you open the door a little more? This zither is too wide. I can’t get it through—”

     “No need.”

     Mei Hanxue interrupted Xue Meng coldly and concisely. He suddenly put the zither back into the music box, and after losing the suppression from the zither’s sound and the spiritual fire, a group of zombies surged forward in an instant.

     Xue Meng knew that he wasn’t good at close combat. His expression changed, and he pulled out Longcheng to rush out and help.

     Unexpectedly, before he could even go over, he saw a flash of light, and a silver sword appeared in Mei Hanxue’s palm. The sword’s qi was so powerful that it cut off a piece of his hair. He only saw the sword dance into a snowy shadow before retreating abruptly.

     Before the door was about to close, Mei Hanxue raised his hand and shouted sternly, “Shuofeng, come back!”

     The sword turned into a snow-white light and flew through the crack. Mei Hanxue caught it swiftly, and brought it back to his side.

     The Heavenly Palace gate closed shut with a bang.

     There was a muffled sound from outside, the sound of corpses and blood vines smashing into the door, but it seemed like it came from very far away. The palace gate forged by the Nangong family wasn’t that easy to break through.

     Everyone let out a sigh of relief. There were quite a few disciples of the upper cultivation world who had never seen the world, and their legs went weak as they fell to their knees. Some of them even wailed, “What the hell is going on…?”

     Mei Hanxue, who was at the back, also breathed a small sigh of relief. However, this was no different from his usual appearance. If it weren’t for Xue Meng watching him from the side, he probably wouldn’t have noticed the slight opening of his lips as he exhaled lightly.

     Suddenly, he discovered a terrifying gaze beside him. Mei Hanxue turned his head, “...What? Why are you looking at me?”

     Xue Meng’s throat was a little dry, “That sword of yours…”

     Mei Hanxue cast a sidelong glance at the sword flowing with silver light, “Shuofeng.”

     Xue Meng’s face was clouded and uncertain for a good while before he opened his mouth and asked, “When did you learn how to use a sword? …No, no, no, it should be, since when did you have a holy weapon?”

     “Always.”

     Xue Meng asked in surprise, “Then why didn’t you use it during the Spiritual Mountain Competition?”

     “...” Mei Hanxue was silent for a moment, then said, “...I didn’t want to use it.”

     Xue Meng seemed very puzzled, and even a little angry, “Are you looking down on us? If you took out your holy weapon, you may have been first… second?”

     Mei Hanxue rolled his eyes. His ice-cold eyes seemed to be somewhat mocking. He looked at Xue Meng for a while, whose cheeks were slightly red with anger. After a while, he said, “Third place is very good. First…” He pursed his lips and walked over to Xue Meng. A few words casually fell into Xue Meng’s ears.

     “First place is too stupid.”