Luck shifted.
Mysterious and unfathomable.
For a brief moment, Jiang Chen felt as if heaven itself favored him. An indescribable sensation welled up in his heart—his mind suddenly cleared, the lingering haze dissipating like mist under sunlight. A faint smile rose at the corner of his lips.
He reached out with a thought.
The Great Phoenix Sutra.
The Sword of the Nation.
The Mysterious Inheritance.
All three were firmly in his grasp.
Whoosh!
As he took a step forward, his figure vanished from that world and returned to reality. Junior Brother Lu and the others, who had been guarding outside, were still there and had not left.
"Senior Brother!"
"Senior Brother Jiang!"
"Big brother!"
Voices rang out one after another, filled with excitement and admiration. Junior Brother Lu froze for a moment upon seeing Jiang Chen. He felt that something about Senior Brother Jiang had changed—something subtle yet profound. He wanted to describe it, but no words came. That strange feeling only strengthened his admiration, and he said enthusiastically,
"Congratulations, Senior Brother, on taking another step forward!"
Jiang Chen nodded lightly. His gaze toward them was gentle. These people were his most loyal supporters. From the beginning until now, they had followed him without wavering—whether facing Venerable-level inheritances or even Human Emperor-level temptations. Upon reaching this place, they had remained outside obediently. Their loyalty spoke for itself.
Jiang Chen had never been one to keep everything for himself. Inside the small secret realm, there had been more than just the Great Phoenix Sutra and the Sword of the Nation. Without hesitation, he waved his hand and took out several items.
"These are for you."
"Human Emperor–level scripture!"
"Hiss—!"
"A Venerable-grade magic weapon!"
"And this secret treasure fits me perfectly!"
Seeing their genuine joy, Jiang Chen smiled.
"These are nothing. When your cultivation improves, there will be even better things for you. For now, since you can't fully control them, I'll keep them for you."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Junior Brother Lu led the others in a deep bow, then said seriously,
"Senior Brother, something big happened in the Yin Ruins while you were away. A fierce battle broke out in the imperial city, and soon after, streams of light tore through the void and returned to the outside world one after another!"
"Hm."
Jiang Chen pondered briefly. He already knew this. According to the life simulation, a great demon had been hidden within the Yin Dynasty ruins. Not only that—his cousin Jiang Jue would meet Ye Chen here, and the two would form an inseparable bond, colluding step by step. After Jiang Chen's death in that timeline, Ye Chen would even take his place.
Jiang Chen curled his lips slightly, letting out a self-mocking chuckle.
"I wonder whether Ye Chen, whose opportunity I took, has already met Jiang Jue."
But it no longer mattered.
His fate had already changed the moment he became Elder Chu's disciple.
He said calmly, "Let's go."
The greatest opportunity had already been obtained.
There was no need to stay any longer.
…
Outside.
Elder Wang He sat anxiously at the bow of the flying boat, glancing downward again and again as he muttered,
"Master Xiao, why don't we retreat first?"
Earlier, the sect masters of the Six Holy Lands had emerged from the Yin Ruins one after another, each of them heavily injured. Not only that—leaders of other forces were also shaken to the core. The Six Holy Lands represented the strongest combat power of the Eastern Region, yet even they had suffered so badly inside the Yin Ruins. One could imagine how terrifying the danger within was.
Even after learning the reason later, those top forces were still terrified. If even peak Human Emperor sect masters had fled in haste, what were they waiting for? One by one, they withdrew.
In the blink of an eye, the area before the Yin Ruins was completely empty.
Compared to the earlier bustle, when countless forces had gathered, it was now desolate beyond belief.
"Hold on."
Xiao Rongyu's weak voice sounded.
Soon after, several figures flew up from below.
It was Jiang Chen and his group.
"Let's go!"
Elder Wang He was overjoyed. He swept them into the flying boat and immediately steered it away at full speed, treating the Yin Ruins as an ominous land.
As they left, the region became utterly silent—a forbidden zone without guards, yet one no one dared to enter.
…
Donglin Sect.
"Haa…"
As the flying boat entered the sect, Elder Wang He finally let out a long breath. Even a cultivator at the Human King Realm had sweat beading on his forehead—it showed just how tense he had been.
Now fully relaxed, he smiled and said,
"Master Xiao, we're back."
"Mm…"
A weak response came from inside the boat.
At first, Elder Wang He was puzzled. But when Xiao Rongyu stepped out, his expression changed drastically.
"Master… you—!"
Her green hair had turned snow-white. Her vitality was visibly draining away. Though her appearance still looked youthful, the price she would have to pay to recover would be unimaginably heavy.
"Don't make a fuss," Xiao Rongyu said weakly.
Even so, Elder Jiang and Elder Wang soon arrived—especially Elder Wang, who was in charge of suppressing the forbidden area of the Donglin Sect. When Elder Wang He had summoned him, he had been confused, but the moment he arrived at the sect master's cultivation grounds, his expression changed sharply.
"Master Xiao, who did this to you?!"
A steady loss of life essence.
A rapidly weakening body.
She had clearly suffered an unprecedented blow.
Lu Nantian?
Qin Yu?
Elder Jiang's eyes burned with anger as he said in a low voice,
"These two sects have gone too far! Are they really not afraid that the saint of the Donglin Sect might return from death and descend upon them?!"
"It wasn't them," Xiao Rongyu replied softly.
After Elder Wang He explained everything, the area fell into silence.
Who could have imagined that a demon would be hidden within the Yin Ruins—the Green Bull Demon Lord, whom even saints had once failed to kill.
"My life is nearing its end," Xiao Rongyu said quietly.
"My only concern now is the Donglin Sect. The three of you should discuss who will take charge next and become the new sect master."
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
"The Donglin Sect's foundation still stands!"
"I know of a holy medicine!"
"I'll bring it back for you!"
The elder responsible for suppressing the forbidden area had reddened eyes. He had watched this once-innocent girl join the Donglin Sect and climb step by step to where she stood today—careful, restrained, dedicating her entire life to the sect. If her master had not passed away early, with her talent and devotion, her achievements would have far surpassed her current level.
Now that the Donglin Sect faced such a crisis, how could they possibly stand by?
"It's useless."
Xiao Rongyu forced a weak smile.
She understood her own body better than anyone.
She had been taken in by the previous sect master because of her Phoenix Physique—but that physique also concealed a terrible flaw, something that had never truly awakened. Even after reaching the Human Emperor Realm, it remained dormant. At most, she could forcibly awaken it through forbidden techniques, burning her essence and blood.
Each awakening exacted a price.
The longer it lasted, the more devastating the damage.
Within the Yin Ruins, the Green Bull Demon Lord had targeted her specifically, seeking to eliminate the greatest threat. She had been forced to burn her essence and blood without restraint.
Now—
She was powerless.
Holy medicine was useless.
Saints were useless.