150: Chapter 15: Prepare for Battle!

In the early morning, faint light pierced through the mist, falling upon the meditating figure of Jin Mei.

The branches and leaves of the old locust tree beside the dilapidated hut trembled gently in the wind, emitting a faint rustling sound, like a silent lament.

At that moment, a piercing, mournful cry suddenly came from inside the house, sharp enough to shatter the morning tranquility.

Jin Mei shuddered. She knew—Tu Shan Xiaoxiao had finally perished.

That fox demon woman, who had given everything for her senior brother, had departed just like that, silently.

Jin Mei raised her hand to wipe away tears that had unknowingly fallen, her heart aching fiercely.

Tu Shan Xiaoxiao's bravery, her unwavering devotion to love, pierced Jin Mei's heart like a needle.

She couldn't help but wonder: if it were her, would she have the courage to Sacrifice everything for the one she loved?

This question swirled in her mind, but she could find no answer.

After a long while, Jin Mei finally took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy wooden door.

The room was dimly lit. The first thing she saw was Chen Zilong sitting there in a daze.

Two trails of bloody tears streaked down his face, starkly visible against his pallid skin.

What was most shocking was that amidst his black hair, the hair at his temples had turned completely white, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

Jin Mei's throat tightened. Silently, she retrieved a square wooden box from her storage pouch.

When the box was opened, Ye Xishui's body lay quietly inside.

"Xishui!" Chen Zilong lunged forward, his voice hoarse.

With trembling hands, he probed her condition—her vitality was completely extinguished.

However, a faint restriction remained within her Sea of Consciousness, a life-preserving measure left by the Head of the Ye Family.

It was this restriction that protected the last wisp of her life soul, preventing her soul from being completely refined.

Wait...

Chen Zilong suddenly thought of something and hurriedly probed Tu Shan Xiaoxiao's Sea of Consciousness.

Sure enough, there was also a similar restriction there, guarding her life soul.

Finally, a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.

As long as the life soul remains, there is still hope for rebirth!

He turned to Jin Mei, his voice still choked with sobs: "You and I... do you still plan to return to the Hehuan Sect?"

Jin Mei lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes:

"I was sold to the Hehuan Sect by my parents... Young Master Chen, rest assured, I won't use what happened between us to threaten you."

"For this mission, I originally intended to leave the Hehuan Sect, but..."

She pointed to the faintly visible red mark between her eyebrows, "I was implanted with a restriction."

Chen Zilong nodded and, without another word, began forming hand seals and casting a spell.

As a red light dissipated, the mark on Jin Mei's brow vanished.

She touched her forehead, a genuine smile finally appearing on her face:

"Thank you, Young Master Chen."

Chen Zilong then took out a jade slip and pressed it to his forehead, seemingly recording something.

"This contains my message and the method to break through the outer mist of Tianji Village. Now that I know it's the Yin-Yang Reversal Five Elements Formation, I can break it."

He handed the jade slip to Jin Mei, "Take Xishui and Xiaoxiao's bodies to the Chen Family and give this jade slip to my wife, Liu Mei."

"From now on, you are one of my people. You may stay and cultivate with the Chen Family or go to the Xuantian Sect, as you wish."

Jin Mei was first overjoyed, then tilted her head in confusion:

"And what about you, Young Master? From the sound of it, you're not coming with me?"

Chen Zilong's expression turned grave, his gaze resolute:

"I must stay. There are some scores that haven't been settled yet."

He paused, "Leave quickly. You must bring the truth of this place back."

Jin Mei bit her lip, took a deep breath, and nodded solemnly.

She carefully stored the two bodies, took one last look at Chen Zilong, and turned to leave.

Watching Jin Mei's receding figure, Chen Zilong let out a long sigh.

It was time to settle accounts with Su Hao.

He took out a Nascent Soul Nurturing Pill from his storage pouch.

This was the best auxiliary pill for breaking through minor realms within the Nascent Soul Stage.

Facing Su Hao, who had already reached the Nascent Soul Early Stage, his Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivation was far from sufficient.

He had to break through to the Late Nascent Soul Stage to have a fighting chance.

After swallowing the pill, he immediately began circulating the Dream Dao Secret Technique taught by Liu Mei—the Great Dream of Ten Thousand Ages.

This secret technique allowed him to cultivate for ten years within a dream, while only an hour passed in the outside world.

Of course, this technique could only consolidate cultivation and assist in breaking through minor realms; it couldn't achieve a breakthrough from Nascent Soul to Nascent Soul Early Stage.

Two hours later, Chen Zilong slowly opened his eyes.

His cultivation had now reached the peak of the Late Nascent Soul Stage, just one step away from Nascent Soul Early Stage—commonly known as the 'Half-God Realm'.

He stood up, lightning flickering around him. The azure-blue five thunders heavenly heart armor silently covered his entire body.

Leaping into the air, he transformed into a streak of lightning, charging straight towards Su Hao's location.

In this battle, he would both rescue Lu Bingyun and slay that traitor!

Meanwhile, on the other side of Tianji Village, the former residence of the female Village Chief, Su Yue'niang, had been reduced to ruins.

Upon the ruins, a tall throne stood abruptly.

Su Hao, draped in the black and white robes of the Tianji Sect Leader, lounged lazily on the throne, examining Lu Bingyun, who was bound to a cross, with keen interest.

A playful smile hung at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

A pitch-black dragon soul circled above his head.

It was actually the dragon soul of Ye Wushuang's master, the Taixu Divine Dragon, which he had now refined into a Soul Slave.

Suddenly, thunder roared in the distant sky!

"BOOM—!"

Deafening thunderclaps echoed across the heavens. Instead of being startled, Su Hao smiled, the corner of his mouth curling into a long-anticipated arc.

He knew his good Junior Brother had arrived.

A bolt of lightning crashed down before the ruins. Chen Zilong, clad in thunder armor, wielded a war spear, standing atop multicolored auspicious clouds.

Lightning swirled around him, as if a deity had descended.

"You're here." Su Hao chuckled lightly.

"Here to kill you!" Chen Zilong glared furiously.

"About Junior Sister Ye... I'm sorry."

Su Hao spread his hands, "I truly didn't expect my elder sister to attempt Possession of her. However, my elder sister has already been killed by Junior Sister Lu."

"This humble Chen truly misjudged you. I always thought Senior Brother Su was a gentle and refined gentleman. I never expected..."

"Never expected I was a spy?"

Su Hao laughed heartily, "Junior Brother Chen, there are many more unexpected things in this world."

"Release her!" Chen Zilong pointed his spear directly at Lu Bingyun, high above.

Su Hao glanced at the bound Lu Bingyun, his tone flippant:

"Junior Sister Lu is no longer chaste, and with that Hehuan Sect female disciple in your team... I suppose when you were poisoned by the soul-eroding powder, it was Junior Sister Lu who saved you using Hehuan secret arts, right?"

"So what if she did? Today, you will undoubtedly die!" Battle intent burned in Chen Zilong's eyes.

"Hahaha!"

Su Hao laughed until he doubled over, "Junior Brother Chen, isn't it ironic? What kind of people are the self-proclaimed righteous sects—the Qingyun Sect, the Jinguang Temple, the Haoran Academy? Yet, the one who saved you was a demonic path seductress, and Junior Sister Lu actually learned demonic path secret arts to save you!"

"What do you mean?"

"Junior Brother Chen, haven't you figured it out yet? What justice is there in this world of cultivation!"

Su Hao suddenly stood up, his voice turning sharp, "Back then, when our Tianji Sect fought a bloody war against the demon race for the common people, what did we gain? As soon as the great war ended, the Qingyun Sect allied with the Jinguang Temple, the Haoran Academy, and the demonic path sects—the Tiansha Sect, the Moyan Valley, and the Hehuan Sect—to annihilate the Tianji Sect while we were weakened! We could only hide in this remote backwater, clinging to life!"

"You controlled this village and committed countless evils. Are you fit to speak of justice?"

"Evil?"

Su Hao sneered, "Is there a single good person in this village? They fabricated a thousand-year miscarriage of justice for their own selfish gain! Wang Lin's family died so tragically, but what about the Su Family? Unscathed! The main culprit, Su Mu, actually died of old age! The villagers who knew the truth all pretended to be deaf and mute! What did our Tianji Sect do wrong? We merely controlled this village. What's wrong with that!"

"You lured cultivators here for Demon Suppression, but in reality, you used them as Sacrifices for Princess Zixia, using the Yin-Yang Inverted Five Elements Grand Formation to boost cultivation. How many people have you killed!"

"So what?"

Su Hao's face twisted ferociously, "The disciples of the Qingyun Sect, the Jinguang Temple, the Haoran Academy, and those demonic path sects—they all deserve to die! When they slaughtered my Tianji Sect disciples back then, did they show any mercy?"

"Then what about my Xuantian Sect? We never harmed the Tianji Sect. Why did our disciples who came here die so tragically?"

Su Hao paused, his tone softening slightly:

"Indeed, the Xuantian Sect has done nothing to wrong the Tianji Sect. But you also didn't lend a helping hand in our time of crisis! Blame it on the ruthlessness of the Great Dao. To achieve one's goals, one must be unscrupulous!"

"Sophistry!"

"Enough, Junior Brother Chen,"

Su Hao resumed his nonchalant demeanor, "I'll give you a chance. As long as you're willing to join the Tianji Sect, when I step down, the position of Sect Leader will be yours."

"Enough talk!" Chen Zilong brandished his spear, "We are already locked in a life-and-death struggle!"

Su Hao slowly rose to his feet and sighed: "Very well!"

Upon the ruins, killing intent suddenly erupted.