As the white-robed scholar was forced to step forward, the dark-red blade light cutting from afar also suffered a significant impact. Flashing once, the intense dark-red glow dimmed considerably, allowing the giant man's massive sword and silver lance to successfully deflect the great blade's strike. The giant wavered slightly, seizing the moment to attempt a sudden, oblique thrust away. "Uncle, where do you intend to flee?" the scholar said firmly, his gaze fixed on the distant figure. "The Black Blood Blade is a treasured heirloom of the Ye family and the very instrument used by our clan to deal with rebels. Since you have allied yourself with this ancient demonic sage-ancestor and abandoned the Ye family, it is only fair that we treat you without leniency. This Eight-Spirit Ruler is a vital possession of the Ye family. If you wish to present it to that demon, then first offer up your life." The scholar paid no attention to the wound on his chest, his voice resolute. Upon hearing these words, the giant's face flushed with a mix of red and white, but then he laughed coldly, displaying complete indifference—offering no defense or explanation at all. Seeing the stranger's indifferent expression, a flash of anger crossed his face, and his brows gradually arched upward, transforming him into an unusually fierce figure—dramatically at odds with his previously composed and refined demeanor. The black-robed woman had already been somewhat surprised when her first strike failed to kill the scholar. Now, witnessing the scholar radiate such fierce intensity, she furrowed her brows and, without a word, reached out with a gentle, composed gesture. Her movements were calm and unhurried, showing no trace of urgency or agitation. Yet almost immediately, a sharp "crack" of rushing air echoed as five slender, translucent, sharp streaks shot forth from her hands, swiftly darting through the air before vanishing and arriving at the scholar's side—so fast they seemed to have instantaneously materialized. The white-robed scholar's eyes narrowed suddenly, yet strangely, he did not attempt to dodge. Instead, he simply opened his mouth and expelled a round, crimson magical artifact. As it spun slightly, a thousand radiant beams of red light burst forth, completely engulfing his form. The five sharp beams of luminous power failed to strike the treasures, as a large white hand suddenly materialized before the scholar and, in a flash faster than anyone could perceive, seized them. With a mere pressure of his fingers, the translucent, radiant beams were crushed and dispersed. Upon witnessing this, the black-robed woman's gaze flickered, and a serious expression settled upon her face. At that moment, a cold laugh echoed from within the palace, belonging to Long Meng: "Master Yuansha, you can summon human beings to fetch treasures for you—so can I, and I can even collaborate with human cultivators. Don't think it will be easy for you to break the seal of the Eight Spiritual Rulers. I shall see just how much of your once-dominant magical prowess, which you wielded so freely across the human realm, remains when faced against the spiritual treasures of the Buddhist sect after being suppressed for so many years. Even if you manage to succeed in breaking the seal of the Eight Spiritual Rulers, I shall wonder—when finally facing me personally—how much of your magical essence, drawn from external sources, will still remain." The black-robed woman heard this and her face slightly tightened, her gaze suddenly growing cold, yet she spoke calmly: "No matter how much magical energy remains, I am confident in overcoming a fragmented soul without a physical form. Besides, with so many precious elixirs and medicinal potions here, what concern is there if I expend a little of my own magical energy?" "Precious elixirs and medicinal potions? Old Mage, you mean..." Long Meng paused, then suddenly recalled something, and her tone changed instantly. But before she could finish speaking, the black-robed woman gave a strange, enigmatic smile, and with a flick of her hand, lightly struck the black wind banner floating in the air. Instantly, a green spell shot forth and struck the celestial artifact, embedding itself within it. The previously still, dark giant banner trembled, its tip sinking slightly, and a burst of black light flashed across its surface, launching a column of dark light. This column vanished as soon as it left the banner, appearing instead in front of the middle-aged cultivator at a distance, where it then burst into splendor. After the scattered points of black spiritual light, a towering column of dark wind surged upward instantly, unexpectedly engulfing the medium-faced cultivator who had not anticipated it. Within the column, a piercing howl rose, revealing countless strange black wind blades that spun violently, as if thousands of sharp blades were slashing toward the center with relentless force. The medium-faced cultivator was startled, quickly channeling his entire spiritual energy into the bone rings encircling his body. The bone rings shimmered and reformed, generating a brilliant yellow glow that solidified into a protective shield, fully enclosing the cultivator. Yet, the black wind blades were too numerous and densely packed, and seemed to carry a special divine technique—each blade striking the shield vanished without a trace, as though they never made contact, and the shield itself never cracked. Within moments, however, strange palm-sized ruptures began to appear on the shield's surface, densely clustered, as if they had simply disappeared into thin air. Under such an eerie assault, although the luminous shield formed by the yellow light was thick and resilient, it instantly fragmented into scattered pieces. Then, to the disbelief of the broad-faced cultivator, the black whirlwind roared and spun with ever-increasing intensity, and as countless black streaks flashed within it, the shield collapsed completely, and the bone rings began to crack and break piece by piece. The broad-faced cultivator grew pale, then gritted his teeth, exhaled a blade of jade-green light from his mouth, and with a low roar, fused body and sword into one, launching forth as a streak of jade-green light. He abandoned the clearly crumbling celestial bracelet on the ground. It seemed clear to him that staying any longer meant certain death—he had no choice but to make a desperate effort. "NO!" The white-robed scholar, upon seeing this, instantly grew alarmed and cried out urgently. But it was too late. As the jade-green streak just entered the dark, swirling whirlwind, its green light flickered wildly, and then a piercing, desperate cry rang out—followed immediately by a complete burst of light—and the streak shattered into fragments. The broad-faced cultivator was instantly torn apart by the But a sharp cry erupted within the scattered bodies, instantly launching three luminous orbs of different colors. Each orb contained a Yuan-Embryo about an inch tall. The three orbs linked together and flew off in the same direction. Not only the square-faced cultivator's Yuan-Embryo, but also the other two Yuan-Embryos from the Ye family that he had previously collected, were now forced to flee again. However, surrounded by dense, interwoven wind blades, they had no escape—only a short distance beyond their initial flight did they become entangled by numerous wind blades, threatening to be torn into countless fragments. Yet, as the hurricane surged, a sudden surge of black light flashed, causing all the wind blades to tremble and vanish. The three Yuan-Embryos were first startled, then immediately joyful, their protective light shimmering brightly as they prepared to take flight once more. Upon seeing this, the black-robed woman, who had just moved, smiled faintly at the corner of her mouth, gently curling her five fingers and slowly reaching out to grasp the hurricane with a single hand. Several Yuan-Embryo cultivators suddenly felt the air around them flash with a white glow, then instantly solidify, rendering their hands and bodies completely immobile. At the same time, countless black luminous points emerged within the gale, gathering around the Yuan-Embryo cultivators and enveloping them, forming three distinct black luminous spheres. At this moment, the black-robed woman pressed her palms together and uttered a strange, profound incantation. A flash of black light caused the three spheres to vanish completely within the gale. Yet, the very next instant, a brilliant aura surged before her, and the three spheres slid mysteriously out of the void, seemingly transported by the great power of Yuan-Sha Sage Ancestor to her immediate presence. "Monster! What do you intend to do? Stop!" the white-robed scholar exclaimed, growing increasingly urgent, and quickly pointed at a floating black-blooded blade nearby. The blade immediately brightened and surged forward, ready to cut through to save the cultivators. "It's too late," said Long Meng calmly. As the words fell, the black-robed woman's beautiful eyes flashed with a crimson hue, and suddenly, her red lips parted, spewing out a wave of blood-like splendor that pierced through the light sphere, enveloping the three Yuan-Infant cultivators within. The Yuan-Infants, faces filled with shock, rapidly shrank in the radiance, shrinking to the size of a fingertip, then being swiftly drawn down and wrapped in the glow, before being directly sucked into and swallowed by the woman's mouth. This sequence of actions, though seemingly elaborate, was completed seamlessly within the span of her breath and exhalation, as if it were second nature. Even the scholarly elder, accustomed to remaining composed, now had a pale, strained complexion. The black blood-blade, which had just begun to glow brightly, trembled slightly. After a moment, the elder finally suppressed his astonishment and anger, restoring calm to the blade. "Senior Long Meng, what is the meaning of this? Why do you not save my Ye family cultivators? With your abilities, such a feat should be entirely within your reach. Could it be that the alliance we previously discussed was merely empty words!" the scholar exclaimed sharply. "Hmph!" Why should I save him? He's merely a cultivator at the mid-period of Yuan Ying stage. Though he holds a replica spiritual artifact, its power is pitiful—barely one-tenth of the original. With my limited spiritual energy, what good would it do to save someone who is of no use? Moreover, don't misunderstand—my alliance with the Ye family is not a permanent one. It's merely a temporary collaboration with you." Long Meng replied coldly from beneath the palace. "Even so, wouldn't you be afraid that this demon might consume his Yuan Ying, restoring his spiritual essence entirely?" The scholar's expression remained grave. "What do you know? While consuming a Yuan Ying can temporarily enhance a cultivator's spiritual energy, the cost is that the cultivator must forcibly refine the Yuan Ying using magical energy over a short period, which in turn greatly depletes the demon's own magical reserves. It seems he intends to draw upon my silver wolf spirit body's abilities, thus willingly expending substantial magical energy. Have I not stated this correctly, Yuan Sha?" Long Meng said sternly, the final words directed at the black-robed woman. "Indeed, I had no intention of concealing this from you." Your own body is formidable—no need for me to emphasize that. Originally, I had intended to conserve my spiritual energy, relying solely on the Black Wind Banner to break through the seal of the Eight Spiritual Rods. But now, I suddenly feel that such a course of action has been too prolonged. To avoid any unforeseen developments, my holy ancestor has decided to sacrifice a great deal of magical energy, drawing upon this late-stage Transcendent wolf spirit body, and swiftly eliminate you all. The black-robed woman spoke without hesitation. Immediately, she exhaled gently, then pressed her palms together in a series of gestures. Her entire form was enveloped in a radiant silver glow, so brilliant and intense it seemed like a silver sun, making it impossible to look directly at. Within the glow, a deep, resonant howl of a wolf echoed, shaking the heavens. Then, an extraordinary surge of spiritual pressure materialized, suddenly filling the space. Under the influence of this powerful pressure, the entire space hummed softly, the earth trembling violently and cracking into fissures of varying sizes. As the silver light swelled and contracted, it surged tenfold before gradually subsiding, revealing a colossal double-headed silver wolf, as massive as a mountain. One head was black, the other silver. The silver head's eyes were closed, gently lowered; the black head lifted its head, teeth bared, eyes blazing with fury. The sharp claws on the giant wolf's forepaws, resembling massive blades, and the sheer, awe-inspiring spiritual pressure emanating from its two heads—each as large as a gallery—left neither the white-robed scholar nor the imposing, heady figure standing opposite breathless. Both held their gaze fixed upon this magnificent creature without blinking. (Second update yesterday! Off to bed now—will wake up and finish today's chapter later. In the meantime, kindly support with a guaranteed monthly ticket. We're currently in the double-ticket period—please don't miss this opportunity. Your support during this time is greatly appreciated. We hope you'll continue to enjoy the story throughout the coming year, and will strive to deliver even more engaging content. Thank you for your enduring, unwavering support over such a long period.) Wang Yu sincerely says "Thank you" to everyone!