467: Wife sacrificed to heaven, boundless power.

Xiao Jingyan suddenly raised the po sha sword, intending to rush out and fight to the death with Zhuge Mo.

Both were at the Golden Core Peak; logically, Xiao Jingyan did not fear Zhuge Mo.

However, unexpectedly, Zhuge Mo simply took out a bell and shook it.

Xiao Jingyan's whole body went limp.

It turned out that the Guilt-Heart Curse planted back then only seemed to have disappeared, but in reality, it had just lurked deeper.

Xiao Jingyan's expression changed drastically: "Damn it, you, you..."

Zhuge Mo: "Hahaha! Xiao Jingyan, do you feel powerless? So what if you're at the Golden Core Peak? In my eyes, you're still just a dog at my beck and call. You think you can get your revenge with just this bit of strength? How laughably naive!"

Unwilling to die here, Xiao Jingyan burned his Divine Soul to forcibly break free from the control temporarily and fled back to the imperial palace.

The imperial palace was protected by a special Ba-Shu region Formation, along with a defensive array composed of Zhen Chou Puppets and Hundred Puppet Dark Guards; for a short time, outsiders could not break in.

Sitting on his throne, Xiao Jingyan's eyes grew dimmer. Could he really only die so humiliatingly? Could the Xiao Family's grievances never be cleared? No! He was unwilling! He absolutely refused to accept this!

Just as Xiao Jingyan was on the verge of collapse, a record from the final page of the "Nine-Turn Puppet Heart Manual" he Cultivated flashed through his mind.

The handwriting on that page was blurred and the content extremely eerie; back then, he had dismissed it as nonsense and paid no heed.

But now, those words surfaced clearly in his mind: "At the peak of the Puppet Dao, the Golden Core can be broken. If the Meridians are completely ruined, making it hard to reach the Nascent Soul, one may seek an extreme method—sacrificing one's closest kin. Using the Bloodline as a guide and the soul as fuel, burning away all familial ties can cause the Puppet Qi to run wild and forcibly Breakthrough the Realm. This method is extremely dangerous; success brings the hope of the Nascent Soul, but failure leads to Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, as well as the growth of Heart Demons, leading to eternal madness..."

Blood sacrifice of one's closest kin!

Xiao Jingyan's pupils suddenly constricted, and a storm of emotions surged in his heart.

Sacrificing his closest loved ones, using their Bloodlines and souls to exchange for a chance to Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul! What a cruel, what a mad method!

Familiar faces involuntarily surfaced in his mind—his gentle and virtuous first wife Su Wanqing, his lively and cute young daughter Xiao Lingxi, and his steady and sensible sons Xiao Lie and Xiao Wen... These were his closest people, his only ties to this world.

But at the thought of Zhuge Mo's mockery, his eighty-three years of endurance, the Xiao Family's collective grievance, and his destiny of being controlled like a toy, the hesitation in Xiao Jingyan's heart was gradually swallowed by the desire for revenge.

He had no way back; he would either die in humiliation or step over the bones of his kin to Breakthrough his Realm and take revenge on Zhuge Mo!

"Zhuge Mo... you want me to die? I will live! Not only will I live, but I will also Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul and tear you into ten thousand pieces with my own hands!" A glimmer of madness flashed in Xiao Jingyan's eyes as he suddenly sheathed the po sha sword and turned to fly toward the palace.

At this moment, only one thought remained in his heart—Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul!

Inside the palace of Jiangzhou City, the atmosphere was exceptionally eerie.

Following Xiao Jingyan's decree, the eunuchs gathered all the concubines, princes, and princesses in the palace into the main hall.

A hundred concubines and over two hundred and thirty princes and princesses filled the entire main hall, their faces marked with doubt and unease.

"Why did Your Majesty suddenly summon us? What on earth happened?" a young concubine asked in a low voice, her eyes filled with fear. The sounds of battle outside the city were drawing closer; they all knew the Ba Kingdom had reached its moment of life and death.

"Indeed, His Majesty was just on the city walls fending off the enemy; why did he suddenly return?" another prince frowned, his heart full of unease.

Amidst the hubbub of discussion, Xiao Jingyan appeared at the entrance of the main hall. Faint black Puppet Qi swirled around him, and his eyes were cold and crazed, devoid of his usual majesty and gentleness, leaving only a heart-chilling coldness. He walked into the hall step by step, his gaze sweeping over everyone as if inspecting sacrificial offerings.

"Husband, you're back." A gentle voice sounded as his first wife, Su Wanqing, stepped forward. She wore a plain long dress, her face gentle and her eyes carrying a hint of worry.

She reached out, wanting to straighten Xiao Jingyan's disarrayed armor, and said softly, "Is the battle outside the city very difficult? Don't overwork yourself. I'll massage your head to help you relax. Don't worry, we will live and die with you."

Su Wanqing was Xiao Jingyan's first wife and the only woman he had ever truly loved.

Years ago, after Xiao Jingyan was expelled from the Chu Kingdom by Zhuge Mo and ended up in the Ba-Shu region with his Meridians ruined, it was Su Wanqing who had resolutely married him despite her family's opposition.

During his most difficult years, Su Wanqing never left him, meticulously caring for his daily life and encouraging him not to give up hope.

Later, when Xiao Jingyan seized the Ba Kingdom and Su Wanqing became the Queen, she was virtuous and capable, managing the harem and bearing Xiao Jingyan two excellent sons, Xiao Lie and Xiao Wen, becoming his strongest support.

Looking at Su Wanqing's gentle face, a hint of hesitation flashed in Xiao Jingyan's heart.

He remembered the afternoon they met by a small stream in the Ba-Shu region; he was lying on the ground in a pathetic state when Su Wanqing passed by with a bamboo basket. There was no trace of disdain in her eyes; instead, she took the initiative to help him.

At that moment, the sunlight falling on her face made her look like an angel, illuminating his dark life.

"Wanqing..." Xiao Jingyan's voice trembled slightly, a flash of pain in his eyes.

How much he wanted to give up that mad idea and flee with her and the children.

But at the thought of Zhuge Mo's mockery and his controlled fate, that trace of pain was instantly replaced by madness.

Su Wanqing noticed Xiao Jingyan's abnormality; she frowned slightly and asked softly, "Husband, what's wrong? Your eyes are so frightening."

"It's nothing." Xiao Jingyan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

Looking into Su Wanqing's gentle eyes, he said slowly, "Wanqing, I'm sorry. In the next life, I will surely repay you."

Before his voice had even faded, Xiao Jingyan suddenly drew the po sha sword from his waist and stabbed it into Su Wanqing's chest without hesitation.

The blade was sharp, instantly piercing through Su Wanqing's body; blood gushed out, staining her plain long dress red.

"Husband..." A flash of shock appeared in Su Wanqing's eyes as she looked at Xiao Jingyan in disbelief, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something.

But soon, the shock in her eyes turned into understanding and relief.

She knew that Xiao Jingyan must have his reasons for doing this.

With the enemy army pressing outside the city and the Ba Kingdom in imminent danger, he was afraid she would fall into the enemy's hands and suffer humiliation.

Su Wanqing reached out and gently hugged Xiao Jingyan, using her last ounce of strength to whisper in his ear, "I... I don't blame you... Being able to marry you, I... I am very happy..."

Having said that, Su Wanqing's body slumped down, her eyes closed forever, a trace of a gentle smile still on her face.

"Queen!"

"Your Majesty, have you gone mad?!"