"Why are you attacking me? This isn't fair!"
Ye Ling copied the tone and mannerisms of the Demonic Sect followers he had seen earlier, deliberately trying to provoke Qin Rushui.
The last thing he wanted was to be targeted by someone at the Sect Leader level. The Heavenly Demon Sect might look as though it had been wiped out, but as long as Qin Rushui, a Great Ascension Stage Sect Leader, was still alive, he could gather a new batch of followers at any time.
It might not amount to a top-tier demonic sect, but a single Great Ascension Stage cultivator was more than enough to make his life miserable.
He couldn't hide inside the Heavenly Gate Sect forever.
So right now, he had only one thought in mind.
Just die already!
What he didn't realize was that the Heavenly Demon Sect's appearance here had everything to do with him. He had already attracted the attention of many.
"Very good. Very good!"
Qin Rushui trembled with rage, yet his voice instead grew eerily calm.
Gripping his scepter tightly, he forcibly activated the Heavenly Demon Scepter once more. In the next instant, every cultivator except Ye Ling was frozen in place.
The cost of that forced activation was immediate. The two Soul-Seizing Stones embedded in the Heavenly Demon Scepter crumbled into ash.
"Boy, you've successfully angered me!"
Heavenly Demon: Annihilation of All Things!
The entire Golden Sparrow Tower began to quake violently, and faintly, the scenery of the outside world started to show through.
An inexplicable force began devouring everything around them. The power leaking out from the Golden Sparrow Tower corroded the surrounding space itself, tearing open cracks from which chaotic void currents surged.
Under the might of a Great Ascension Stage cultivator, the outside world was unbearably fragile.
The space within the Golden Sparrow Tower was sturdier, but only to a point. Faced with Qin Rushui's full-force assault, it too began to collapse.
Tie Chunsheng, the master of the tower, remained completely unaware of what was happening outside. He was unconsciously sustaining the Golden Sparrow Tower with his own True Essence. Without that support, it would have fallen apart long ago.
But Qin Rushui's attack was not directed at the tower alone.
Cultivators below the Golden Core Stage were instantly erased by the formless force.
Nascent Soul Stage cultivators managed only the briefest resistance before dissolving into nothingness.
Soul Formation Stage cultivators held on a little longer, but death was inevitable.
The invisible force spread with terrifying speed, and soon it would reach even the Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivators.
All of this happened in less than the blink of an eye.
A suffocating pressure gripped Ye Ling's chest, as if an invisible hand had seized his heart.
Only at that moment did he truly understand.
This was a real world.
A cultivation world soaked in blood and violence, where the strong ruled and the weak were trampled.
Beneath the tower, he had seen plenty of corpses, yet he had felt nothing.
But the people Qin Rushui had just killed were the very ones he had rescued, floor by floor. That was different.
Even if he hadn't spoken much with them, he had received Emotion Points filled with goodwill and gratitude from them.
They could have become his friends.
And now, those future friends had turned to nothing right before his eyes.
No.
I have to think of something.
Right. Enhancement.
Under crushing pressure, Ye Ling's mind had never been clearer.
The System's enhancement function was his only option now.
[Congratulations, Host. Examiner's Judgement Brush enhanced +5 (Lower-grade Artifact)]
[Congratulations, Host. Examiner's Judgement Brush enhanced +10 (Middle-grade Artifact)]
[Congratulations, Host. Examiner's Judgement Brush enhanced +15 (Upper-grade Artifact)]
[Congratulations, Host. Examiner's Judgement Brush enhanced +20 (Lower-grade Dao Artifact)]
Ye Ling had no idea how far he needed to enhance it. He simply pushed his thoughts to their absolute limit and poured every last Emotion Point he had into the Examiner's Judgement Brush.
Right now, the only thing that could turn the tide was this brush.
The moment the enhancement was complete, dizziness slammed into him.
His True Essence and Mental Force were swallowed as if by a starving beast, drained at a terrifying speed, as though it meant to squeeze him dry.
System-produced artifacts were inherently bound to him. Even with a vast disparity in power, he could still force himself to use them.
But the price was staggering.
In that instant, his body felt hollowed out. Darkness crept into his vision as he nearly lost consciousness.
He bit down on his tongue, the sharp pain snapping him back. Even so, he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
However…
Compared to what Ye Ling had paid, Qin Rushui's price was far worse.
The more powerful the spell, the more severe the backlash.
Just moments ago, he had suddenly found himself able to do only one thing: solve problems. He couldn't move, couldn't act, couldn't even run.
Though that state lasted only an instant, it was enough to interrupt the spell he had been casting. The violent backlash struck immediately, leaving him heavily injured.
This was different from merely exhausting his True Essence. This time, he was truly hurt. Badly.
Ye Ling only slumped to the ground.
Qin Rushui, on the other hand, fell flat on his back, his mind completely blank.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I supposed to be doing?
The absurdity of it left him stunned.
I was born poor and joined the Heavenly Demon Sect to pursue cultivation.
Then the Heavenly Demon Sect was destroyed.
I labored for a thousand years to rebuild it.
Then it was destroyed again.
I sacrificed the sect's most precious treasure just to kill these people and vent the hatred in my heart.
And in the end, I'm the one who ends up gravely wounded.
Why won't this damned Heaven open its eyes?
I've worked so hard. Why don't I get anything in return?
I refuse to accept this.
I won't accept this!
The more Qin Rushui thought about it, the angrier he became, until he slipped into a near-deranged state.
But while he was drowning in rage and disbelief, Tie Chunsheng and the other survivors gradually regained their senses.
Moments earlier, they too had felt that suffocating aura of death, yet they had been powerless to resist.
Just when they thought everything was over, they suddenly found they could move again. Meanwhile, the great demon Qin Rushui was lying on the ground instead.
They had no idea how Ye Ling had pulled it off, but they reacted instantly, burning the last of their strength as they unleashed their attacks toward Qin Rushui.
A flurry of spells shot toward him.
But just before they could land, a towering surge of Baleful Qi erupted from Qin Rushui's body, blocking every single one.
"Why?"
"Why? Why?"
"Why? Why? Why?"
Qin Rushui shot to his feet. Dark, almost black blood seeped from his seven orifices, and a strange, sinister aura spread from him.
"Tsk… do bosses all get a second phase?"
Ye Ling let out a bitter laugh.
Honestly, he had hoped this would be over by now so he could hurry back to the Heavenly Gate Sect and focus on cultivating in peace.
And next time he went out, he absolutely, absolutely, absolutely would not bring the Nine Heavens Jade Pendant. That thing was truly cursed.
At least this time he didn't need to panic. No matter what, he could still escape.
And since he had two pieces, taking Eve with him while fleeing was doable. As for Tie Chunsheng and the others, they would have to rely on their own luck.
He was kind. He did want to save them.
But he also understood his limits.
He wasn't at the point where he would throw away his own life to save others. Tie Chunsheng and the rest weren't exactly beautiful young women.
Sorry.
I'll avenge you.
Even so, a trace of regret lingered in his heart. Ye Ling resolved to remember this painful feeling.
It would become fuel for the strength he would gain in the future.
"Everyone, protect him!"
What stunned Ye Ling was that Tie Chunsheng and the others did not wait passively for death.
Instead—
"At the very least, we have to send him out!"
The remaining experts all understood that they were certain to die this time, but—
"Young brother, the future of the Orthodox Dao depends on you!"
"Live on for our sake as well!"
"Make sure you tell people about our heroic deeds out there!"
"…"
Ye Ling's talent and potential had shown them a glimpse of hope.
They could die.
But Ye Ling had to live.
"I…"
Ye Ling started to say something, but the words caught in his throat.
He suddenly felt ashamed.
He had been thinking about how to escape, while these people were thinking about how to send him away.
They were strangers to him. In a moment like this, they should have been trembling in fear of death.
But instead…
Ye Ling clenched his teeth, unable to sort out the emotions surging in his chest.
Was it gratitude? Sorrow? Or something else?
"Grandmaster, could I trouble you to act once more?"
Ye Ling knew that the Avatar inside the Nine Heavens Jade Pendant was fully aware of what was happening outside.
In the most sincere tone he had ever used, he said, "Whatever the price, I will accept it. Even if you demand that I ascend to the Immortal Realm within five years, I will agree."
"Please show yourself and save them!"
Ye Ling could swear he had never humbled himself like this.
Ever since he learned how to disguise himself, he had rarely suffered losses, and he had never begged anyone.
But now, for the sake of these people, he was willing to bow his head and plead with his Grandmaster.
If he did nothing, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Time seemed to freeze.
Everything before Ye Ling's eyes slowed, then came to a complete standstill.
Qin Rushui had risen to his feet, chanting an incantation brimming with eerie, dangerous power. Tie Chunsheng and the other experts appeared to be activating some secret technique, preparing to teleport Ye Ling to a safe location. If they died here, the area around Tianqiong City would surely be reduced to ruins.
At that moment, a clear, pleasant voice rang out beside his ear.
"Phew… I thought you were really going to run."
The Avatar sounded almost relieved.
"Was that a test?"
Ye Ling asked in a low voice.
"No," the Avatar replied. "They are not worth saving. Or rather, they are not worth the price you would have to pay. Even if you had chosen not to save them, I would not have blamed you."
"Then…"
"But if you would not even save people like them, how could I trust you to remain by their side?"