The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

He struggled to sit up, the metallic taste of blood rising in his throat reminding him of what his master had said—only those with an innate Dao physique could shake the soul of a high-level cultivator with mere words.

"Hahaha!"

The dark figure suddenly burst into laughter, causing rubble to tumble down from the ruins.

He casually raised his hand, and the black vortex that appeared in his palm completely swallowed the evil moon's purple light.

"What a sharp-tongued little girl! With such a fiery temper, she'll probably be something else in the future—"

Yu Youwei suddenly appeared beside Jiang Chuan. The moment the soft touch pressed against his waist, Jiang Chuan froze.

The girl's arms, fragrant with orchids, wrapped around his waist, and her fingertips subtly drew a calming spell on his lower back.

"Who are you, a wisp of black mist, to criticize the person I've chosen?"

She raised her chin, and the silver bells in her hair jingled.

"As for you, with your secretive and evasive behavior, could it be that you were abandoned by your partner and that's why you've become so strange and eccentric?"

Jiang Chuan felt the hand around his waist suddenly tighten. The ripples of the Bitter Sea phenomenon traveled along the skin pressed against his, washing over his eroded soul sea like a clear spring.

He then realized with a start that while the shadowy figure was speaking, the bone beads had been secretly releasing soul-devouring blood threads.

"interesting."

The shadowy figure's voice suddenly turned cold, and all twelve bone beads lit up simultaneously.

"I'd like to see how long you can protect him!"

Crimson lines spread across the void, instantly weaving into a vast, inescapable net.

Yu Youwei suddenly pushed Jiang Chuan behind her, and a lotus-shaped Dao pattern appeared between her eyebrows.

In an instant, the sound of the tide rose from the ruins, and a phantom of an endless sea of ​​suffering appeared beneath her feet, with countless floating corpses vaguely visible in the raging waves.

"A golden lotus growing in a sea of ​​suffering?!"

The shadowy figure took a half-step back, looking surprised and uncertain.

"You are from the Yu clan of the Eastern Wilderness."

The moment the Blood Net collided with the Sea of ​​Bitterness, the Taotie's roar shattered the surrounding ruins, which stretched for hundreds of feet.

The bone bead at the very center of the shadowy figure's wrist shattered, and a ferocious beast phantom emerged, opening its enormous maw to devour the heavens.

Jiang Chuan saw blood trickling from the corner of Yu Youwei's lips, yet she stubbornly stood in front of him, her dark sleeves torn to shreds by the violent spiritual power.

"enough."

A hoarse male voice came from deep within the ruins.

Ye Qiu staggered over, leaning on his broken sword. His moon-white robe was soaked in blood, and each step left dark red footprints on the bluestone.

The suffocating pressure suddenly dissipated, and the Taotie phantom roared unwillingly, but obediently retreated back into the bone bead.

The shadowy figure turned around, stirring up a chilling wind.

"I thought you had died in the Southern Ming Fire Formation."

"I will naturally keep my promise to you."

Ye Qiu wiped the blood off his face and glanced in Jiang Chuan's direction.

"Let them go."

The bone beads emitted a piercing grinding sound. The dark figure remained silent for a moment, then suddenly sneered.

"You're willing to become my servant just for these two juniors?"

"So much nonsense."

Ye Qiu interrupted him directly, took out a pitch-black jade slip from his pocket and tossed it over.

"I want to see Zhu Lu's head before midnight tonight."

Jiang Chuan coughed violently.

The moment he saw the dark figure catch the jade slip, Ye Qiu's right little finger silently turned to ashes—a sign of the backlash from the Heavenly Oath.

Yu Youwei seemed to sense something was wrong as well, and her hand supporting him trembled slightly.

"interesting."

The dark figure pressed the jade slip into his chest and suddenly said meaningfully in Yu Youwei's direction.

"Girl, do you know about the Yu Clan of the Eastern Wilderness and the Central Plains?"

"roll."

Ye Qiu's sword was aimed directly at the black figure's throat.

"If you dare to say another word, then this matter is off."

The shadowy figure laughed three times, and new bone beads flew out from his sleeve to complete the number twelve.

The void cracked open, revealing a dark, otherworldly gate. The gluttonous phantom bared its teeth at Yu Youwei one last time before disappearing into the distorted vortex along with its master.

Yu Youwei suddenly released Jiang Chuan.

She wiped the blood from her lips, took out a small jade bottle from her sleeve, and placed it in Ye Qiu's hand.

"Do not practice your internal energy for the next three days."

"Thank you, Miss Yu."

Ye Qiu tilted his head back and swallowed the pill, then suddenly frowned.

"This is... the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill?"

The figure in black had already turned and headed towards the outer edge of the ruins.

Jiang Chuan instinctively took two steps to catch up, when a sudden, excruciating pain shot through his chest from the broken blade.

He gritted his teeth and pulled out the blood-stained weapon, using his spiritual power to seal the gushing blood.

"Where are you going?"

Yu Youwei didn't stop walking. The night wind lifted her tattered sleeves, revealing a faint lotus tattoo on her wrist.

"See you next time."

Her voice mingled with the distant sound of drums.

I hope you can stand shoulder to shoulder with me.

Jiang Chuan stared blankly as the figure disappeared among the ruins.

He didn't come to his senses until Ye Qiu slumped on the broken stone pillar and coughed.

"She removed 70% of the Soul-Devouring Blood Veins from you."

Ye Qiu patted the spot next to him.

"Sit down and talk."

The dampness from the strange phenomenon of the Bitter Sea still lingered on the bluestone slab.

Jiang Chuan stared at his trembling palm—there was a small lotus flower drawn with blood, left by Yu Youwei before she let go.

"Uncle Ye, what did you promise that shadowy figure?"

"Children, don't ask."

Ye Qiu tore open his clothes, revealing a strange black curse mark on his chest.

"Anyway, someone has to pay back the debts your master owed back then."

Jiang Chuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

He was all too familiar with the patterns of that curse mark; it was the Rebirth Curse engraved on Xie Xuan's sword sheath.

He took out a wine jug from the storage box, tilted his head back, and gulped down a large mouthful of spicy liquor.

"Is it because I refused to accept the inheritance?"

Ye Qiu snatched the wine pot and drank three mouthfuls in a row. As his Adam's apple bobbed, scale-like patterns appeared on his neck.

"If Xie Laogui were so easy to die, he would have died in the snowy plains of the North twenty years ago."

He suddenly lowered his voice.

“That girl deliberately provoked the shadowy figure to buy time to activate the Bitter Sea Phenomenon—she already knew your soul had been corrupted.”

The hooting of an owl came from afar.

Jiang Chuan touched the jade pendant at his waist and noticed a crack that had appeared sometime during the last time Yu Youwei had hugged him.

"Uncle Ye, do you recognize that dark figure?"

"Old acquaintance."

Ye Qiu gazed towards Zhongzhou.

"The string of Taotie bone beads on his wrist was originally your master's sword tassel."

The wine jug suddenly fell to the ground.

Jiang Chuan recalled the "Central Plains" mentioned before the shadowy figure disappeared, and then he thought of the lotus flower on Yu Youwei's wrist—a mark that was clearly unique to the Holy Maiden of the Yu Clan in the Eastern Wilderness.

All the clues tangled in his mind, but he dared not think any further.

Ye Qiu suddenly coughed violently, and black blood seeped from between his fingers.

He smiled wryly and opened his palm, where a melting ice crystal was visible.

"The pills that girl gave me were mixed with her life essence."

Jiang Chuan suddenly stood up, but was then pressed back down onto his shoulders.

"No hurries?"

Ye Qiu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and suddenly said in a serious tone.

"If you and Miss Yu eventually get married, remember to treat me to a cup of wine to thank the matchmaker."

"Uncle Ye!"

"I will set off for Zhongzhou tonight."

Ye Qiu took the token out of his bosom.

"Take it."

Ye Qiu tossed it over without turning his head.

Jiang Chuan reached out and caught it, feeling the cool touch of metal on his palm.

It was a completely black token with a "Shadow" character engraved on the front in a flamboyant style, and the edges of the token had a slightly wriggling pattern as if it were alive.

"This is."

"It might come in handy later."

Ye Qiu finally turned around, the rain outlining sharp contours on his face.

“The Central Plains are not like this Longhai County; the waters there are much deeper.”

Jiang Chuan tucked the token into his robes, feeling its weight pressed against his chest. The token seemed to resonate with his heartbeat, causing him to feel a moment of disorientation.

Ye Qiu suddenly grinned, a smile that stood out starkly against the rain.

"By the way, those two girls, Fan Su and Xiao Man, you can take one of them with you, and I'll take the rest to Zhongzhou." Jiang Chuan frowned.

"What nonsense."

"Why, you can't bear it?"

Ye Qiu took a step closer, and the rain formed a strange ripple at his feet.

“On the path of cultivation, confidantes are nothing but fleeting clouds. If you don’t choose, I’ll decide for you—that girl Xiaoman is quite nice, innocent and carefree, suitable for a quiet person like you.”

"I won't treat them like merchandise."

Jiang Chuan's voice turned cold.

Ye Qiu laughed loudly, his laughter piercing through the rain.

"Jiang Chuan, Jiang Chuan, you're still so boring."

"Then it's settled. Xiaoman is yours."

He turned to leave, but then stopped.

"By the way, it's best to use your sword, the Demon Prison, sparingly."

Jiang Chuan's heart skipped a beat, and he gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist tightly.

The sword sheath seemed to sense its master's emotions, emitting a faint hum.

"What do you mean?"

"The sword is a fine sword, but..."

Ye Qiu turned his face to the side, raindrops dripping down his eyelashes.

"It will devour your heart. Do you think all that killing intent in battle is truly your own?"

Jiang Chuan recalled the murderous urge that almost consumed his reason on the battlefield in Xicheng, and his fingers trembled involuntarily.

Ye Qiu said no more, and his black figure gradually disappeared into the rain.

Jiang Chuan stood there, the rain washing away the bloodstains on his body, but it couldn't wash away the chill in his heart.

"Zhongzhou."

He murmured softly, his gaze piercing through the rain as he looked into the distance.

"Li Muzhi"

The ruins of the western city were even more devastating than those of the southern city. Severed limbs and remains were soaked in blood, and fragments of spirit weapons lay scattered on the ground, carrying an eerie air in the rain.

Jiang Chuan sat beside a collapsed beam, holding the unconscious monk Kong Chan in his arms.

The young monk's robe was soaked in blood, and the faint rise and fall of his chest proved that he was still alive.

"Brother!"

A piercing scream came from afar.

The young monk Kongkong stumbled over, and upon seeing Kongchan's appearance, his face turned deathly pale.

"My senior brother is dead?"

"Alive."

Jiang Chuan's voice was hoarse.

"But the injury was very serious."

Kong Kong knelt on the ground, trembling as he took out a small jade bottle from his bosom.

"This is... a life-extending pill given to me by my master."

Jiang Chuan took the jade bottle, poured out a pill that glowed with a bluish light, and carefully fed it into Kong Chan's mouth.

The elixir melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and Kong Chan's breathing seemed to become more steady.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from afar; the people of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect had finally found their way here.

Upon seeing the scene before him, Chen Ping, who was in charge, turned extremely pale.

Behind him, several disciples carried a stretcher on which lay the unconscious Pei Guoguo, held tightly in the arms of a spirit soldier.

"Where is Su Wen?"

Jiang Chuan asked.

Chen Ping shook his head.

"Seriously injured, he has already been sent back to camp."

He looked around, his voice low.

"The Sword-Holding Hall was completely wiped out?"

Jiang Chuan did not answer, but his silence spoke volumes.

Rain lashed against Pei Guoguo's pale face. The wound on her right arm was so deep that the bone was visible. The spirit soldier mechanically covered the wound with his hand, and blue spiritual liquid kept seeping out from between his fingers.

"We need to get back to Tianzhu Mountain as soon as possible."

Chen Ping wiped the rain off his face.

"It's not safe here."

The lone city emerged from the shadows, its black robes spotless.

"hold on."

"What are you waiting for?"

Chen Ping frowned.

"Every moment we stay increases the danger."

The lone city gazed at the gloomy sky in the distance.

"The Immortal Sect will send someone to meet us."

Chen Ping wanted to say something more, but seeing Gu Cheng's unquestionable gaze, he could only sigh in the end.

"Then let's wait one more night."

As night fell, the rain subsided. In the makeshift camp, the wounded were housed in several simple tents.

Jiang Chuan sat by the campfire, mechanically wiping the blade of the Demon Prison.

In the firelight, the patterns on the sword blade seemed to writhe like living things, reminding him of Ye Qiu's warning.

It will eat your heart.

"Senior Brother Jiang."

Kongkong walked over timidly, holding a bowl of hot soup in her hands.

"You should have some too."

Jiang Chuan took the bowl, the steam blurring his vision.

He suddenly remembered something.

Where are Xiaoman and Fan Su?

He shook his head in vain.

"I don't know, I haven't seen them since the start of the battle."

Jiang Chuan's heart tightened, and he put down his bowl and stood up.

"I'm going to take a look at the Liang Prince's residence."

"Now?"

Kongkong exclaimed in surprise.

"It's still raining outside, and..."

Jiang Chuan strode into the night. Rain soaked his robes, but he didn't care.

After passing through several dilapidated streets, the outline of the Liang Prince's Mansion came into view.

The once magnificent building is now just ruins, with the gate hanging crookedly on the frame, creaking in the wind.

"Fan Su? Xiao Man?"

Jiang Chuan called out, his voice echoing through the ruins.

A faint sobbing sound came from the direction of the backyard.

Jiang Chuan walked quickly and stopped in front of a barely intact side room.

A faint candlelight shone through the crack in the door, and the crying was coming from inside.

Pushing open the door, Xiao Man, huddled in the corner, looked up sharply at the sound, her swollen eyes filled with terror, and only relaxed when she saw that it was Jiang Chuan.

"Brother Jiang Jiang!"

She stumbled forward and lunged at Jiang Chuan, grabbing his sleeve.

"I thought, I thought you all..."

Jiang Chuan gently patted her back.

"It's okay, it's all over."

He looked around.

Where is Fan Su?

Xiao Man's tears welled up again.

"She...she left with Young Master Ye. She said she was going to Zhongzhou and told me to wait for you here."

Jiang Chuan felt a tightness in his chest. Although he had a premonition, hearing the confirmation still made him catch his breath.

Ye Qiu, as expected, kept his word.

"She told me to give this to you."

Xiao Man took out a handkerchief embroidered with simple and elegant patterns from her bosom. A small character "安" (peace) was embroidered on it with red thread.

Jiang Chuan took the handkerchief, and a faint fragrance wafted from his fingertips—the unique scent of Fan Su.

He carefully put the handkerchief away, looked at Xiaoman who was crying her eyes out, and said softly.

"If... if Ye Qiu and Fan Su don't come back, I'll take you to Zhongzhou to find them."

Xiao Man raised her head, tears glistening in the candlelight.

"Really?"

"real."

Jiang Chuan nodded and reached out to wipe away the tears on her face.

"Now, pack up and come back to camp with me."

It's not safe here.

Xiao Man stopped crying and started laughing, quickly packing a few simple pieces of luggage. (End of Chapter)