Yue Wugou fell in battle, and the Moonwheel Halberd once again became an ownerless relic.
It was just the right tool to seal the rift to the Netherworld.
Moonlight descended like a patch, covering the karmic traces left by its former master.
Luo Luo stretched out a hand, swiping through the silvery, dreamlike pool of moonlight.
After a long moment, she slowly lifted her eyes. "Nothing."
With Yue Wugou's death, the stolen True Breath he had taken also vanished—it hadn’t clung to his lifebound artifact.
Li Zhaoye nodded. "Figured as much."
This was exactly like when they had slain Chen Xuanyi—the True Breath dissipated without a trace.
Li Zhaoye pulled out his corpse puppet from his Qiankun bag and patted its back. "Go!"
The puppet stiffly raised its arms and hopped forward like a zombie.
Luo Luo: "..."
When this thing was first made, wasn’t it supposed to be a cold, aloof, and ascetically handsome man?!
Why was it moving like this?!
Li Zhaoye shot her a sidelong glance, smirking inwardly.
Keep staring. Why aren’t you looking now?
Luo Luo was thoroughly bewildered.
The puppet hopped ahead until it finally stopped at the ruins where Luo Luo had slain Yue Wugou, motionless.
The two exchanged a glance and hurried over, peering down at the lingering pool of blood—Yue Wugou’s blood.
"It sensed Qing Xu in Yue Wugou’s soulblood?" she asked.
"Yep."
The reason Li Zhaoye had crafted this corpse puppet was because his own corpse shared a deep karmic bond with Qing Xu. Using it, they could track the escaped "malicious soul."
If the puppet had detected Qing Xu’s aura on Yue Wugou…
Then the conclusion was obvious.
Luo Luo mused, "If Qing Xu could breach even Daoist Qin Wuyi’s mental defenses, let alone a coward like Yue Wugou—manipulating him would’ve been child’s play."
Li Zhaoye nodded repeatedly. "Yue had a guilty conscience. Too scared to even confide in his elders—easy prey."
Luo Luo sighed. "Seems Yue Wugou also fell victim to the Grand Nightmare Art, willing his 'inheritance' to Qing Xu."
The fate of the Tianyin True Breath was clear.
Just like Qin Wuyi, whose mind had been shattered by that cruel dream, willing to sacrifice everything for 'Brother Amiao’s' happiness.
And in the end, he’d been devoured whole.
Li Zhaoye chuckled. "For Yue Wugou, an illusion of Ji Chunhong would’ve been enough."
Luo Luo fumed. "And you’re laughing about it?!"
Li Zhaoye blinked. "What’s wrong with laughing?"
She huffed. "Aside from us, who else would kill Yue Wugou? Now Qing Xu’s got the Tianyin True Breath—he’ll be laughing himself to sleep."
Li Zhaoye: "..."
Truly, no one knows a son like his father.
He clicked his tongue, slinging an arm over her shoulder with a solemn reminder. "You’re wrong."
"Huh?"
He smirked. "It’s not just the Tianyin True Breath. Think about how much Chen Xuanyi trusted him. No doubt—he’s got the Taiyi True Breath too."
Luo Luo: "...Right."
After a dazed pause, she turned to him with a wary look. "What’s he planning?"
"Doesn’t matter." Li Zhaoye remained as arrogant as ever. "Just kill him."
Luo Luo nodded seriously. "Got it!"
"Let’s move!"
Night fell, the moon occasionally peeking through the clouds to cast faint silhouettes on the ground.
Ahead, the corpse puppet bounded forward with vigor, followed by two figures swaying in its wake.
After seeing the puppet so much, Luo Luo was starting to forget what Li Zhaoye even looked like originally.
The puppet chased the lingering traces of Qing Xu’s malicious soul, leading them north.
The world was in turmoil, everyone gripped by fear.
Passing through a town, they found its streets desolate, suffocated by an air of impending doom.
"Whoosh—splat."
Luo Luo stared, horrified, at the rotten persimmon that had landed at her feet.
Why did this feel… eerily familiar?
Before she could react, more projectiles—vegetables, eggs—rained down on them.
Voices rose from the streets—
"You’re trying to get us all killed!"
"Selfish bastards! Go offer yourselves up already! Stop dragging us down!"
"The Profound Mystery Sect is shielding the Divine Master, that scourge! All of you should just die!"
Luo Luo blinked in bewilderment after catching a few shouts: "..."
What’s going on? Isn’t this the kind of treatment saints get?
Li Zhaoye, however, was nothing like a saint. He laughed sharply and flicked a hand—the rotten cabbages and eggs reversed course, splattering onto their throwers’ faces.
His gaze swept coldly across the street.
Amid the flying vegetables, chaos erupted. A child wailed, "The Divine Master hit us!"
Li Zhaoye casually stuffed a crushed rotten egg into the kid’s mouth.
Luo Luo: "..."
Li Zhaoye arched a brow. "Teaching him manners. Understand?"
Luo Luo nodded rapidly. "Understood, understood."
With a sharp eye, Li Zhaoye soon singled out a scholar-looking man from the crowd and flung him to the ground. "You’re the instigator, huh?"
The scholar tried to deny it, but one look at Li Zhaoye’s impatient, sinister glare made him cave instantly.
"I-It wasn’t me! I just heard it from the immortal elders! They said if the Divine Master refuses to sacrifice himself, the world is doomed! I—I was doing this for everyone! I didn’t take any bribes, I swear!"
A woman rushed out, shielding the scholar as she glared at Li Zhaoye.
"I won’t let you hurt him!" she snapped. "If sacrificing just one person can save thousands, why won’t you do it? Disgusting coward!"
A few weak murmurs of agreement rose around them.
"Yeah! Exactly!"
"Every past Divine Master did this—who are you to be so selfish?"
"No morals at all!"
Li Zhaoye laughed.
"Want me to sacrifice myself? Fine." He scanned the crowd. "Come on, who’s volunteering to join me? Let’s go right now."
The street fell dead silent.
Wherever his gaze landed, people shrank back in fear.
Li Zhaoye: "Tch."
He made a move to grab the scholar, who paled and stumbled into the crowd with the woman clinging to him.
"Seriously?" Li Zhaoye scoffed. "When it’s your turn to be the 'noble sacrifice,' suddenly no one’s eager anymore?"
"Pathetic." He dusted off his shoulder and jerked his chin at Luo Luo. "Let’s go."
Luo Luo: "Right."
As they walked on, leaving the town behind, footsteps suddenly pounded after them.
"Divine Master! I heard you’re recruiting!" A simple-looking young man caught up, panting. "I’ve got plenty of brothers at home—I can be your volunteer!"
"Brother A-Qiu, wait for me!" A rosy-cheeked girl hurried after him.
Soon, a few more people followed.
"Divine Master, for the sake of our folks, I’ll gladly die!"
"Me too!"
Luo Luo looked at these people—each face unfamiliar. None of them had been among the crowd throwing rotten vegetables and eggs, nor were they the ones shouting about grand righteousness while demanding others sacrifice themselves.
The petty say, "You go."
The noble say, "I'll go."
Li Zhaoye beckoned mysteriously, "Come here, come here."
"Aye!"
The crowd gathered around.
Li Zhaoye said with a smirk, "I’m recruiting people to do things for me. If you’re not willing, you can scram now."
Everyone clamored, "I’ll do it! I’ll do it! I’m not afraid to die! I’ll go through fire and water for anything!"
"Good," Li Zhaoye said darkly. "Go back and get some sacks. Lurk in the alleys. You recognize those who threw vegetables and shouted nonsense, right? Catch them and beat them up—every single time!"
The crowd: "……"
"What? You dare go back on your word to me?"
"No, no! We’ll do it! We’ll do it!"
"Fine, go." Li Zhaoye shared his expertise, "Rub some oil inside the sacks—makes it easier to swing and hurts more."
The crowd: "……Aye!"
Luo Luo stifled her laughter until her stomach ached.
Of all people to offend, they had to offend Li Zhaoye.
Served them right.
This little episode meant one thing—the siege against the Divine Sovereign had begun.
Building momentum in the mortal realm, pressuring the Tai Xuan Sect.
"Huh?"
Luo Luo gazed into the distance and suddenly realized something was off. "This place looks so familiar, but I can’t remember when I’ve been here."
Li Zhaoye reminded her, "Dried chicken wings."
"Oh—"
Luo Luo had a flash of recognition, then gasped. "Those were the chickens under the Divine Mountain?"
Li Zhaoye: "……"
Of course. She didn’t remember the massive Divine Mountain or the vast wilderness—just the chickens in the woods.
Judging by the direction of the corpse puppets, Qing Xu’s malevolent soul had gone straight to the Divine Palace.
"The Divine Palace only has Wu Xie left," Li Zhaoye said, his tone eerie. "Now there’s Qing Xu too. Birds of a feather."
Luo Luo kindly reminded him, "She’s your relative."
Li Zhaoye: "……"
"Boom!"
Luo Luo slashed out with her sword energy, sending the Divine Mountain’s Eight Trigrams Golden Seal trembling.
The guardians of the seal had long perished—some dead, others crippled.
The golden seal was dim, much like the fallen glory of the Divine Mountain.
Luo Luo swung her sword repeatedly.
Blows like the rising sun struck one after another, shaking the entire mountain with thunderous force.
Just as the golden seal was about to crack, a pale, slender hand appeared in the wind.
Wu Xie, clad in golden robes, stepped forward with the breeze, moving slowly. When she raised her hand, the golden seal instantly stilled.
Through the overlapping golden light, their eyes met.
"Saintess," Luo Luo shouted at her, "Have you been tricked by Qing Xu? Do you know he’s already gathered three True Breaths? He’s the one who ruined the Sealed God Hall!"
Wu Xie’s expression remained blank, her golden robes and long hair fluttering behind her. "So what?"
Luo Luo was almost stunned by her response. "Then the demons will escape!"
Wu Xie: "So what?"
Luo Luo: "Demons eat people."
Wu Xie: "So what?"
Luo Luo: "……"
This person was impossible to reason with.
Li Zhaoye sighed and pulled his silly wife behind him.
He said, "You’re trying to end the world, aren’t you?"
Wu Xie curled her lips slightly. "Not quite."
Before Luo Luo could relax, Wu Xie continued in her cold, indifferent tone, "How can humanity alone be called 'the world'? If humans die out, will the world stop turning?"
Luo Luo: "……"
That… kind of made sense?
Wu Xie said, "If all beings are equal, why are demons inferior to humans?"
Luo Luo quietly poked Li Zhaoye. "Is she a demon?"
Li Zhaoye: "Human."
Luo Luo said, "You’re human too! Demons will eat you!"
Wu Xie sneered. "Demons didn’t exist in the beginning—they were born from the evil in human hearts. Are the demons at fault? No. Humans are. Since human hearts are so vile, let the natural order teach them a lesson. I don’t care if I die. To die for this cause is a sweet sacrifice."
Luo Luo: "……"
Li Zhaoye sighed. "She’s stalling for time."
"Just a conversation," Wu Xie said, swinging her staff as golden light gathered around it. "If you don’t want to talk, then fight."
Li Zhaoye twirled his sword. "Wife, if I fight her, it’ll take a while. Can you handle Qing Xu alone?"
Luo Luo: "Mhm!"
Only after nodding did she realize—why did he say it so smoothly?!
Blame that Daoist Cang Yue, always saying things like "your wife this, your wife that," putting ideas in his head.
Li Zhaoye moved.
Countless sealing threads shot out like golden needles in a waterfall, crashing onto the golden seal in an instant.
"Clang clang clang—"
The crisp sounds merged into a deafening roar.
Wu Xie swung her staff, her body transforming into a blazing sun.
Standing behind Li Zhaoye, Luo Luo saw nothing but golden light—and his silhouette against it.
"Let’s go."
Li Zhaoye’s figure shot forward, his sword piercing the heavens.
Sword light clashed with golden radiance. Where they met, the golden seal shattered, and the palaces trembled.
Luo Luo moved in perfect sync with him. The moment the seal broke, she teleported onto the Divine Mountain, swiftly weaving through the halls and releasing the corpse puppets.
"Take me to him!"
