Ren Yuan exhaled slowly.
Yao Xi's instincts screamed.
She spun, her palm flashing upward—
Ren Yuan's fist, wreathed in golden divine power, collided with her light-infused strike. The impact sent spatial cracks spiderwebbing through the battlefield.
His Heaven's Eye pulsed, enhancing his movements beyond mortal limits.
Yao Xi's eyes narrowed.
She wouldn't let him dictate the pace.
With a thought, ten thousand spears of light materialized in the air around her, each one humming with lethal intent.
They shot forward like a storm of falling stars.
Ren Yuan's third eye flickered.
The spears turned mid-air, now aiming back at Yao Xi.
She snapped her fingers.
The spears detonated prematurely, filling the battlefield with a blinding supernova.
Ren Yuan shielded himself, but Yao Xi was already upon him, her knee slamming into his ribs with enough force to shatter a continent.
He was sent flying, crashing through several mountain ranges before skidding to a halt.
Chun Yue, locked in battle with Long Si and Long Wu, paled.
Ren Yuan stood slowly, dusting off his robes. A trickle of golden blood escaped the corner of his lips.
"You've grown ruthless," he mused.
Yao Xi didn't answer.
She simply raised her hand—
And the entty of the endless abyss was bathed in her radiance.
The Law of Light: Absolute Purity.
Under this light, all illusions shattered, all deception burned away.
Ren Yuan's Heaven's Eye flickered weakly, its power suppressed.
For the first time in centuries, he felt…
Yao Xi's voice was soft, but it carried the weight of a divine decree.
"This time, you won't escape."
Just pure, overwhelming power.
The two clashed again, each strike shaking the foundations of the world.
While the battle between Yao Xi and Ren Yuan raged in the endless abyss, another storm was brewing in Nine Firmament City.
Yun Lingwei walked through the gate of the Nine Firmament City, her expression calm, her steps measured. To any observer, she appeared completely normal—her usual composed self.
But beneath that calm exterior, something was wrong.
As she arrived at the tower, she happened to encounter Yun Qingrou.
"Fourth Sister," Yun Qingrou greeted with a warm smile. "How is the situation outside?"
Yun Lingwei returned the smile, but her eyes lacked their usual warmth. "Nothing unusual. Just a few Chaos creatures probing the Divine Realm's defenses. Nothing we can't handle."
Yun Qingrou nodded. "Good. We must remain vigilant."
A brief silence passed between them before Yun Lingwei excused herself. "I need to check some formation records. I want to strengthen the Divine Realm's defenses further."
Yun Qingrou smiled. "Diligent as always. Don't overwork yourself."
Yun Lingwei bowed slightly before turning away.
As she walked down the corridor, she passed by Tang Suyin, a beautiful woman with long black hair draped in earth-yellow robes. Tang Suyin possessed the Imperishable Soul, granting her unparalleled sensitivity to the state of others' souls.
Yun Lingwei greeted her with a polite nod. "Sister Tang."
Tang Suyin returned the greeting, but as Yun Lingwei walked past, her brows furrowed slightly.
The moment Yun Lingwei disappeared around the corner, Tang Suyin's expression darkened. Without hesitation, she turned and strode toward the war council room, where Yue Yun and Yun Qianxue were presiding over the battle situation.
At this moment, the war council room was filled with the hum of discussions as Yue Yun and Yun Qianxue analyzed reports from the frontlines.
Yun Qianxue, with her long white hair and striking blue eyes, was deep in thought when the doors swung open abruptly.
Tang Suyin entered, her usually serene face tense.
Yue Yun, the ever-calm strategist, raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here?"
Tang Suyin wasted no time. "Something is wrong with Yun Lingwei."
Yun Qianxue's gaze sharpened. "Explain."
Tang Suyin took a deep breath. "I just saw her. Her soul… it's contaminated. There's something foreign inside her."
Yue Yun's expression turned grave. "Are you certain?"
Tang Suyin nodded. "My Imperishable Soul doesn't lie. That woman is not the Yun Lingwei we know."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
"What happened to her? And who did it?" Yun Qianxue frowned.
Yue Yun furrowed her brow. Yun Lingwei had already reached the threshold of the True God Realm. With her strength and knowledge, it was impossible for anyone to touch Yun Lingwei's soul… Who was it?
Before they could act, a communication jade on the table lit up.
Long Wu's voice echoed urgently.
"Ren Yuan has appeared in the endless abyss! He's trying to take the World Tree! Yao Xi is fighting him now!"
Yue Yun and Yun Qianxue exchanged surprised glances.
If Ren Yuan was in the endless abyss… then it meant he had sneaked into the Divine Realm without them knowing, and Yun Lingwei in Nine Firmament City was like his doing
Yun Qianxue didn't hesitate.
She vanished from the room in a blur, heading straight for Yun Lingwei's last known location.
Yue Yun turned to Tang Suyin. "Alert the others. Lock down the city."
Then, without another word, she teleported, rushing toward the endless abyss.
Meanwhile, Yun Lingwei—or rather, the puppet controlled by Ren Yuan's will—stood before the Nine Firmament City's core formation.
Her hands moved methodically, altering the intricate runes that maintained the city's defenses.
If she succeeded, the entire city would become a graveyard.
But just as she was about to complete the modifications—
A cold voice rang out behind her.
Yun Lingwei turned slowly to see Yun Qianxue, her blue eyes burning with icy fury.
Yun Lingwei's fingers paused mid-air above the formation core. She turned with practiced calmness, her face the picture of innocent confusion.
"Sister Qianxue?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "What brings you here?"
Yun Qianxue stood at the chamber entrance, her white robes pristine, blue eyes sharp as frost. She didn't immediately answer. Instead, she took a slow step forward, her gaze sweeping across the activated formation diagrams.
"I could ask you the same," Yun Qianxue replied, her voice deceptively light. "What are you doing with the city's core formation at this hour?"
Yun Lingwei smiled, gesturing to the glowing runes. "I'm studying the formation structure. The Divine Realm's defenses need upgrading, especially with the Chaos creatures growing bolder. I planned to deploy a new formation array soon."
Her words were smooth, her tone perfectly natural. But Yun Qianxue noticed—
The way her fingers twitched ever so slightly when lying!