Chapter 1063: Nothing Accomplished, Sparing Yao Yao; Suddenly Enlightened to the Saintly Path

"Impossible!"

Rao Yao Yao spat the words through her tightly clenched, blood-stained teeth. "Jiang Buyi, you’ve seen everything, you know it too—Teng Shan Hai... he cannot die!"

"But if he doesn't die, I will!"

Jiang Buyi was frantic, intensifying the Zhu Sheng Yun Guang without a hint of mercy for Rao Yao Yao.

"You people from the Sheng Shen Dian Tang are always so high and mighty, so protective of your own. Have you ever spared a single thought for me?"

"Don't push me..."

Jiang Buyi shook his head, his eyes wild with madness. "I don't want to harm you!"

With a "thud," under the overwhelming pressure of the Zhu Sheng Yun Guang, Rao Yao Yao vomited blood like a fountain, her entire body cracking and splintering, yet she still struggled to hold on. "I promise you, as long as he lives, he won't harm you or the Bei Yu Jiang Shi ever again..."

"Your promise is worthless!" Jiang Buyi roared.

Who was he? If he believed such empty words, how could he have survived and risen to the rank of Ban Sheng in the harsh environment of the Bei Yu? Those naive fools had long been wiped out in the relentless waves, leaving only those who climbed over piles of bones—refiners who dared not harbor even a shred of hope.

Teng Shan Hai had to die!

No one, not even the heavens, could save him now!

"Get out of the way!"

Jiang Buyi pushed harder, and Rao Yao Yao finally couldn't hold out, sent flying by the blast. The Zhu Sheng Yun Guang was controlled with exquisite precision—it only repelled her while directing all its purifying force onto the speck of Teng Shan Hai's blood she had tried to protect.

A "hiss" sounded as it evaporated and vanished.

Techniques like rebirth from a drop of blood or regeneration from flesh might seem like fantastical dreams to mortals, but Jiang Buyi had used such methods countless times to escape death in his own rise. If he could do it, then the Sheng Shen Dian Tang certainly could too!

So Jiang Buyi knew that not a trace of Teng Shan Hai's flesh, soul fragments, or spiritual will could remain in this world. Afterward, he would use his Ban Sheng will to erase it all completely!

What he feared most wasn't his own weakness, but that after giving his all, the enemy might still cling to life, only to revive years later, hide in the shadows, cultivate to perfection, and return for revenge.

That was the true despair.

Jiang Buyi didn't want to trap his future self in such a deadlock.

While the Zhu Sheng Yun Guang might not match the full power of a mature demon god in quality, the force of a demon god wielded by someone at the Tai Xu level couldn't even unleash one ten-thousandth of its potential. Thus, the Zhu Sheng Yun Guang was the best solution at hand.

Teng Shan Hai, reduced to shreds, was utterly defenseless, forced to watch as every trace of his existence in this world faded away bit by bit.

"Purify."

Jiang Buyi pronounced the judgment softly, and within the sacred domain, holy light swirled, reducing everything to nothingness.

Spirit, flesh, will, and hope...

Teng Shan Hai was utterly erased!

A "hiss" echoed from the deep pit in the ground, where Rao Yao Yao leaned on her sword, stabbing it into the earth to prop herself up. Witnessing this, her delicate frame trembled.

Teng Shan Hai was dead...

Right before her eyes, Jiang Buyi had shown no mercy, wiping him out completely.

Glancing back at the battlefield, all that remained was devastation—no trace of Teng Shan Hai's bloodstains lingered.

In the sacred domain, nothing in the Tai Xu could hide.

Every possible trick Teng Shan Hai had for turning the tables had been crushed and obliterated.

"Jiang Buyi..."

Rao Yao Yao pulled out the Xuan Cang Shen Jian, murmuring in disbelief.

She flew out of the pit and landed in front of Jiang Buyi, shaking her head gently with a long sigh. "You won't want to know the consequences of killing Teng Shan Hai—you won't be able to bear them..."

Jiang Buyi stared silently at the woman before him.

The person was dead—what could the Sheng Shen Dian Tang do to him? Attack a Ban Sheng over a corpse?

"My condolences," he said, closing his eyes.

"Ha!" Rao Yao Yao was infuriated, sheathing her sword and turning to leave. "Jiang Buyi, all I can say is... you've been used as a pawn!"

Teng Shan Hai, right up until his death, still believed that the Jiang Buyi who killed him was a disguise of Xu Xiao Shou.

There had to be a reason for that!

Rao Yao Yao thought that before she arrived, and before Jiang Buyi got there, something must have already happened at this place.

Teng Shan Hai must have encountered Xu Xiao Shou.

He had truly obtained the Xiao Shen Qiang from the other man and heard that "Jiang Buyi" speak through Xu Xiao Shou's mouth.

That's why Teng Shan Hai was so convinced that the Jiang Buyi attacking him was Xu Xiao Shou in disguise.

But alas, the dead couldn't speak...

The real Ban Sheng Jiang Buyi hadn't given him a chance; he hadn't even asked for the full story before executing him.

Was Jiang Buyi foolish? Rao Yao Yao knew in her heart that if she were in his position, her choice would be the same.

Offend someone, and if they might grow strong later, the only option was to offend them to death!

It wasn't about being foolish—it was the situation forcing his hand.

And the one who set this trap was brilliantly cunning!

"Xu Xiao Shou..."

"Heh, ha... hehehehaha..."

Her footsteps tapped along, echoing with Rao Yao Yao's increasingly desolate laughter.

The sound faded into the distance.

Jiang Buyi remained where he was, eyes still shut tight.

He had broken his word.

He had originally planned to keep Teng Shan Hai's head and take it to Gui Zhe Sheng Shan to confront Dao Qiong Cang, but now, Jiang Buyi dared leave no opportunity for him.

"Used as a pawn?"

"Xu Xiao Shou?"

Jiang Buyi was well aware that he might have truly been manipulated by that unfamiliar junior, Xu Xiao Shou.

But Teng Shan Hai couldn't be spared!

Just for that foul mouth of his...

If he truly believed the Sheng Shen Dian Tang and the Sheng Nu would collaborate, Jiang Buyi might have thought Teng Shan Hai was trying to frame him with his life, labeling him as the hidden tenth Sheng Nu!

Teng Shan Hai was too devoted!

Delivering his head on a platter—if he didn't take it, how could he curb such arrogance?

In a way, Teng Shan Hai brought his own death with his filthy words.

Jiang Buyi didn't even think Xu Xiao Shou could manipulate hearts to that extent, guiding Teng Shan Hai into such blasphemous acts.

Or perhaps the scheme didn't account for sacrificing a piece—it was simply letting things play out freely.

Teng Shan Hai was incompetent...

Yet, from another angle, he was remarkably capable!

"Tap, tap, tap..."

At the edge of the sacred domain, the footsteps were about to leave the area.

Jiang Buyi took a deep breath, pushing aside those pointless worries.

With Teng Shan Hai dead, the matter was significant or insignificant depending on how he handled it. Whether it blew over would depend on his next moves.

"Wait," he finally opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the departing Rao Yao Yao.

Rao Yao Yao paused, gripping the Xuan Cang Shen Jian in reverse, turning back in fury. "Jiang Buyi! You've killed the man and shown no face—now you want to keep me here too?"

"You're overthinking it, Rao Jian Xian..."

Jiang Buyi's eyes shifted from the woman's beautiful face, down past her blood-soaked skirt, and settled on her jade feet—more precisely, on the shoes she wore.

"You can go, but leave the shoes."

Jiang Buyi didn't linger on the sight, averting his gaze.

In the sacred domain, nothing escaped notice.

Rao Yao Yao thought her tricks were hidden from the world, but Jiang Buyi had everything under control.

Propping herself with the Xuan Cang Shen Jian while stepping in the blood—trying to smuggle away Teng Shan Hai's blood with that sleight of hand?

Did she think Jiang Buyi was some sheltered weakling?!

"Click!"

Hearing this, Rao Yao Yao clenched her fist, realizing her little scheme was exposed. She kicked off her right shoe and sent it flying over.

"Here."

With a hiss, the Zhu Sheng Yun Guang descended. Jiang Buyi didn't dare touch it with his hands, fearing it might be used against him, so he obliterated the shoe from afar.

"The other one," he said.

Rao Yao Yao was angry.

She had only used the right shoe to step in the blood; the left one hadn't touched it. If Jiang Buyi had noticed her move, he couldn't have missed that detail.

"I'm sorry." Jiang Buyi showed no sign of backing down, meeting her rage with calm. "You know, walking with just one shoe is inconvenient."

"Take it!"

Rao Yao Yao kicked off the remaining shoe and flung it over.

Hiss—obliterated!

But Jiang Buyi still wasn't done; his eyes locked back on Rao Yao Yao.

"Hah?" Rao Yao Yao laughed mockingly. "What now? Can't even tell which blood on me is mine and which is Teng Shan Hai's? Do I need to strip off my skirt for you too?"

"I wouldn't dare." Jiang Buyi shook his head.

He wasn't looking at her skirt—he was eyeing the Xuan Cang Shen Jian!

That sword hadn't touched any of Teng Shan Hai's traces, just like her skirt. But as one of the five great Chaos divine artifacts, it might have some hidden mysteries.

"A treasure that suppresses the fate of the Sheng Shen Dian Tang—you want to inspect it too?" Rao Yao Yao read his gaze, her expression turning cold.

Jiang Buyi did want to check it!

But he knew he lacked the ability to decipher the mysteries of the Xuan Cang Shen Jian. Even if he took it, he couldn't analyze it.

Besides, both Rao Yao Yao and the sword had been cleansed by the Zhu Sheng Yun Guang earlier—if anything had been hidden, it was probably washed away.

The shoes were just because Jiang Buyi wasn't taking any chances.

"Farewell then."

He decided not to press further and let her go.

Some things were better left alone; you didn't want to provoke what you shouldn't.

After all, the woman before him wasn't just any Tai Xu or Jian Xian... she bore the surname Rao!

"Hmph!"

Rao Yao Yao snorted coldly, summoned the Xiao Shen Qiang, and turned to leave the sacred domain.

"You can go, but the spear stays."

Jiang Buyi intercepted it midway, claiming the Xiao Shen Qiang for himself. Facing her furious glare, he added, "Later, the Bei Yu Jiang Shi will present an equivalent legacy monument artifact and return it to the holy mountain."

Rao Yao Yao ground her silver teeth.

This damned old man was leaving no room for retreat at all!

"Huff."

She exhaled deeply, deciding not to argue, and strode away with her sword.

A rumbling thunder erupted as she exited the sacred domain, and the scene shifted dramatically.

The oppressive gloom from the Ban Sheng's rage vanished, replaced by the completely fractured sky of the Qi Ji Zhi Sen.

This pressure was even more terrifying than facing Jiang Buyi in the sacred domain!

"A forbidden land..."

Rao Yao Yao paused, realizing what had happened.

Jiang Buyi's full-force attack had triggered the Qi Ji Zhi Sen.

As one of the nine great forbidden lands, its properties were now activated, turning it into a massive, devouring maw that hunted all refiners trapped within.

Heaven's way had abandoned her entirely...

Her Qi Hai spiritual energy was draining away rapidly, impossible to stop...

The once ruined and chaotic Qi Ji Zhi Sen saw ancient trees rising again, denser and more vibrant, as if the broken wood had reformed.

And these ancient trees were no longer passive.

Instead, they twisted and writhed, lashing out like living entities, whipping vines at her without warning.

"Swish!"

The Xuan Cang Shen Jian sliced through the wood effortlessly.

But upon contact, Rao Yao Yao's already weakened state deteriorated further—her blood essence was siphoned away, and her emotions grew more irritable, a dark haze enveloping her.

It was as if the entire world was turning against her!

"I can't stay here any longer..."

Rao Yao Yao's heart tightened as she assessed her condition. In less than the time for a cup of tea, the Qi Ji Zhi Sen would drain her Qi Hai spiritual energy and vital blood dry.

Then, as helpless as a lamb, even with the Xuan Cang Shen Jian, if she couldn't escape, the forest would grind her down and exhaust her to death!

"Jiang Buyi, aren't you leaving?"

Rao Yao Yao glanced subtly at Jiang Buyi, still in the sacred domain behind her. Seeing his gaze fixed on her, she had no choice but to distance herself.

Even a Ban Sheng couldn't withstand the awakened nine great forbidden lands—Jiang Buyi would have to leave eventually.

But he was watching her depart, likely not wanting her to notice why he was lingering.

Unfortunately...

Rao Yao Yao understood all this but couldn't force herself to stop and wait.

First, she couldn't afford the time.

Second, Jiang Buyi wouldn't allow it.

"What a failure..."

Bitter at the corners of her mouth, Rao Yao Yao looked up at the sky and forced a self-mocking smile.

The shattered heavens mirrored her current state of mind. From the start of this operation, she'd achieved nothing—not only had Yi died, but she couldn't save Teng Shan Hai either.

"What have I even done?"

Rao Yao Yao felt her heart twist in pain.

Shou Ye was all alone and had even captured Sheng Nu Wu Xiu.

What about her?

What had she accomplished?

—Nothing at all!

Yi's death, Teng Shan Hai's death—they all circled back to the name "Sheng Nu Xu Xiao Shou," yet Rao Yao Yao still couldn't figure out how he had done it.

She had never taken that junior seriously before.

Fly high? A kid who only knew how to fly high—what schemes could he have?

Now, Rao Yao Yao realized the Sheng Shen Dian Tang's greatest threat might truly end up bearing the surname "Xu."

Looking back, she had started targeting Xu Xiao Shou after Shou Ye's persuasion.

But when had Xu Xiao Shou made his move? When had he counterattacked? What methods had he used? And what was his goal?

Rao Yao Yao still couldn't piece it together!

She hadn't even focused on him yet, and somehow, she was already caught in his web.

Just as Shou Ye had said, the best way to deal with Xu Xiao Shou wasn't to maneuver around him—it was to strike directly and take him down...

Rao Yao Yao finally understood what Shou Ye's words meant back then!

But these lessons, paid for in blood, seemed unable to sustain her steps forward.

"Shou Ye..."

Thinking of Shou Ye, Rao Yao Yao recalled those desperate cries for help from the deep sea.

She closed her eyes heavily.

In the end, even Shou Ye seemed to have learned something and might choose to betray them.

The only somewhat positive outcome was that Zhan Dao was inevitably swallowed by the deep sea, doomed to a pathetic death...

"Heh!" Rao Yao Yao let out a miserable laugh.

Alone as she was, all that remained was the Xuan Cang Shen Jian by her side.

Gripping the Xuan Cang tightly, Rao Yao Yao shook her head, her gaze firming once more.

"Let it go, Rao Yao Yao. Let everything go!"

"You're not that young lady anymore—it's time to pay the price for your actions!"

Only now did she realize she wasn't cut out for this kind of leadership.

Why, decades ago, had the tasks handed to her been about the Red Garb, dealing with mindless ghost beasts, where she could just be a figurehead, instead of the White Garb, facing the cunning dark forces on the continent?

Rao Yao Yao seemed to understand now.

Trying to use the power she gained through influence to prove her wisdom wasn't inferior to Dao Qiong Cang's would only lead to a reputation stained with failure.

Perhaps, like Hua Chang Deng, sitting in seclusion for thirty years and achieving sainthood in an instant, would have been the greatest respect to the Sheng Shen Dian Tang.

"Dao Qiong Cang, did you foresee all this..."

Rao Yao Yao gazed silently at the sky, but received no answer.

If Dao Qiong Cang could calculate everything, how could he not have foreseen Yi and Teng Shan Hai's deaths? Under those circumstances, how could he still let her lead in the Dong Yu?

If he couldn't...

"Clang!"

Gripping the Xuan Cang Shen Jian, Rao Yao Yao stopped overthinking and soared directly out of the area, leaving the Qi Ji Zhi Sen behind.

As she had just realized...

Admit you're a fool!

Ask what needs asking face-to-face, kill who needs killing with your sword... that was her sword path. Why waste decades chasing after so-called "power," "influence," "schemes," and "strategies"?

Whoosh!

In the ancient forest, her figure vanished, leaving only a rippling vortex that spread faint saintly waves.

"Saintly power..."

Jiang Buyi withdrew his gaze, narrowing his eyes in thought.

So, Rao Yao Yao had already touched upon that level?

But earlier, when she acted, there was no trace of her having reached the saintly path.

Without dwelling on it, Jiang Buyi sensed the changes in the Qi Ji Zhi Sen and knew his time was running out.

Matters had to be handled one by one.

With Teng Shan Hai's business settled, it was time to settle accounts with that boy who had used him as a pawn!

"Xu Xiao Shou? That's your name, right?"

Jiang Buyi clasped his hands behind his back and paced slowly, speaking calmly to the void. "I've sent the others away. Now it's just you and me here—come out and talk?"