"But what?" Si Ji asked.

Zu Xinchen looked towards the screen and said, "Ever since Yun Xiao and Feng Yao appeared, your Harmony Divine Palace has been undefeated. First suppressing the Southern Divine Dragon Realm, and now dominating the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe. Despite your decline, these two are brimming with endless hope. Everyone tends to think that the games of the youth are trivial and could never sway the grand scheme, but through these miracles, I can see your future.

"I can honestly tell you, if you can hold on until we see a hope of contending with the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe through them, I believe all those who wish to defend the Heavenly Deity Stellar River would choose to fight for this cause!"

Zu Xinchen spoke with genuine earnestness and gravity. He knew Si Ji was not one for beating around the bush; she had a kind of purity that was rare in middle-aged people, a purity that made it difficult for Zu Xinchen to deceive her, especially since they were of the same age.

After listening, Si Ji closed her eyes and remained silent for a while. Finally, she nodded and uttered a single word, "Good."

The discussion about taking a stand concluded there.

In this world, if you wanted others to desperately fight for you, you first had to have a light within you.

This light could be hope, benefit, potential, and more. Otherwise, why should others dealing with their own problems sacrifice their lives for you?

The Harmony Divine Palace lacked any strong bonds with the other members of the Heavenly Deity Alliance, and it had its own blemishes as well. Such sects were always the first to be abandoned in times of crisis.

Zu Xinchen made it crystal clear, fulfilling his moral obligation. He looked up at the enraged old Necrosquid...

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Its violent reaction foretold all the terrifying things to come.

Zu Xinchen's heart trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but warn, "Personally, I think your path to survival doesn't lie with you, but with these two monsters, especially Yun Xiao. Feng Yao is just his sidekick; Yun Xiao is the future archfiend of the Samsara Galaxy. If you can protect his growth and he survives the vengeance of the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe, then you have a chance to win! In short, do everything to protect him!"

Si Ji snorted and said, "I already understood, no need to spell it out."

"Uh..." Zu Xinchen fell silent, thinking to himself, "A thousand years old, yet still with the heart of a child. That’s rare in its own way..."

During Zu Xinchen and Si Ji's sincere conversation, from within the opposite Boundless Chamber, the old Necrosquid spoke in a gravely, aged voice to the Corpse Cloud Emperor, "This child must not be allowed to survive half a day. Send a message to the Ancestor Immortal Grotto, let all my minions spare no expense to kill him!"

"Yes!" Realizing the gravity of the situation, the Corpse Cloud Emperor hurried off.

According to the rules of the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects, they obviously could not send messages inside the Ancestor Immortal Grotto. But rules always had loopholes, and the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe were experts at finding them.

After the Corpse Cloud Emperor left, the atmosphere remained oppressively tense.

Only the Violet Dragon Emperor, having realized the implications, could barely contain his glee.

"His sword, sigil, and soul… all perfect counters! Who would have thought that the terrifying Blue Necrosquid demon tribe would encounter a nemesis who nullifies them in these three aspects?

"It’s just too bad that this nemesis is still but a fledgling, and loves to show off, flaunting himself around as if he's afraid of going unnoticed... In such a case, if the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe doesn’t destroy him, who else would?"

The Dragon Devil Clan was worried that the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe's assistance wasn’t resolute enough, potentially giving other sects like the Elysian Immortal Palace hope.

Now everything was perfect!

Yun Xiao killing a member of the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe was one thing. But he had directly exposed his heaven-defying ability to counter the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe!

How could he not die now?

The Southern Divine Dragon Realm only wanted the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm and Supreme Yin Cauldron. Their stance towards Yun Xiao was the same as that of the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe. He had to die! The sooner, the better!

The Violet Dragon Emperor was nearly mad with laughter, yet he had to contain himself.

"Little Violet," the old Necrosquid's voice, like dry wood, suddenly called out.

The Violet Dragon Emperor quickly knelt down and said, "Your junior is here!"

"Quickly gather all information about this child, from his birth to the present, including all recordings from the Grand Assembly of Myriad Sects," the old Necrosquid instructed.

"Yes! I will go immediately!" The Violet Dragon Emperor promptly took his leave.

This arrangement made it clear how intense their intent to kill Yun Xiao was.

"This kid is still tormenting us, unaware that he has now provoked a killing intent many times greater than that of the Dragon Devil Clan...

"Those who are arrogant and lawless will eventually cause great disasters. No matter how talented you are, if your wisdom does not match, you will ultimately meet a grave end!"

▬ι══🪦✧⚰️✧🪦══ι▬

Back in the Ancestor Immortal Grotto…

"AH… AHHHH!" Squidit was still screaming in agony, his cries more heart-wrenching than ever, revealing the extent of his torment.

He wished for nothing more than death right now!

"Yun Xiao!!" Squidit stared intensely at the young man in white, and cried out bitterly, "All my kin will see my terrible fate. You may counter my Blue Necrosquid demon tribe. But for you, this is not good. This is destined to be the greatest disaster of your life! You... are doomed, haha..."

"You're quite something, making your death worth something," Yun Xiao shrugged.

"You have no idea what terrifying forces you've offended..." Squidit sneered miserably.

"Your clan also has no idea why I have the upper hand over you," Yun Xiao said.

Squidit was taken aback.

Yun Xiao didn’t waste any more words. The Prison Warden Sigil returned to the middle of his forehead.

Soulfire Eye!

"Uh..."

Within the vortex-like divine gaze, Squidit gradually lost his senses.

"Where is Yun Lingchen detained?" Yun Xiao asked.

Squidit, trying to be clever, had kept Yun Lingchen away as leverage. He failed to realize that Yun Xiao wouldn’t play along.

He directly and brutally extracted Squidit's soul for questioning.

"That way, 100 miles away... Fed her a Soul Calming Pill, she's just passed out..." Squidit said blankly.

As Yun Xiao had expected, Squidit hadn’t been too harsh on Yun Lingchen.

This was because the current strategy of the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe and Southern Divine Dragon Realm was to isolate the Harmony Divine Palace, trying to prevent other factions of the Heavenly Deity Alliance from getting involved.

"Alright, you're of no use now." Yun Xiao stood up and closed his Soulfire Eye.

At this moment, within the Supreme Dragon Cauldron, Squidit was nothing more than a charred mass of flesh and viscera, only managing to form a pained expression.

"I've heard that a demon in the Fourth Dao Tribulation can condense a Demon Source Sword Ring, which is quite powerful, incorporating the core of their tribulation power. However, because demons, represented by the Blue Necrosquid demon tribe, are dominant in the Samsara Galaxy, they've enacted strict laws against Sword Cultivators. Anyone daring to refine a Demon Source Sword Ring faces the extermination of their entire family..." Yun Xiao spoke indifferently.

"What, what are you planning to do?!" Squidit stammered.

"I'm alone, without a family, so I might as well make one for fun," Yun Xiao suddenly smiled.

"You... Ah, ahhhhhh!"

This was the most agonizing scream from Squidit yet. His demon body, burned and charred, still contained his Demon Source, the core of a Fourth Dao Tribulation demon, which held six different kinds of calamities!

Amid Squidit's horrific screams, Yun Xiao liberated his soul and refined his body and Demon Source into a shimmering blue and white Sword Ring, which he then affixed directly onto the Heaven Burial Sword Soul.

CLICK!

As the Sword Ring snapped into place, deathly screams and the fierce tribulation power were unleashed, endowing the Heaven Burial Sword Soul with an even more deadly might.

Yun Xiao burst out from the Supreme Dragon Cauldron, wielding the three-foot blade now adorned with the blue and white Sword Ring, lighting up the Ancestor Immortal Grotto!

The Million Starlight Palace immediately went into an uproar. The entire place seemed to turn over.

"What?!" Zu Xi, Mu Xihe, and others stared dumbfounded at the blue and white Demon Source Sword Ring, completely breathless.

"Yun Xiao, you..." Zu Xi tried to speak, his voice hoarse, unable to finish.

They all just pointed dumbly at the Sword Ring on Yun Xiao's Sword Soul.

"What? Just one Sword Ring looks lonely, doesn't it?"

Yun Xiao chuckled dryly, then glanced towards Feng Yao, nonchalantly adding, "No worries, I'll snap 32 more on there soon."

JustLivingJL's Thoughts