Star Martial Soaring Cloud

Lu Shu gazed into the depths of the miasma wall where An Shengyilang was shouting, a deep sense of dread flashing in his eyes.

It holds its own when fighting alone.

But what if it's one against five?

The invisible wood-elemental spiritual energy erupted once more, forcing An Shengyilang back. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lu Shu turned her head to look at Wang Xiao.

This glance is very complex.

There was scrutiny, hesitation, entrustment, and a hint of... relief.

The radiance of the Jianmu tree slowly floated up from above, drawing a verdant arc in the air, carrying a faint fragrance of grass and trees, before gently landing in front of Wang Xiao and hovering motionless.

Wang Xiao was stunned.

The Jianmu Flower, which he had been desperately trying to borrow, ended up in his hands without warning.

The brilliance of the Jianmu tree gently landed in his palm, warm and smooth as jade, exuding a faint fragrance of grass and wood. A surge of powerful wood-elemental energy flowed into his body through his palm, nourishing his meridians.

But he felt no joy.

Because he seemed to hear another sound.

It was not words, not a cry, but a deep resonance—like the whisper of the wind through the bamboo forest, the gentle sound of spring water flowing through the crevices of rocks, the sigh of fallen leaves returning to their roots.

That was the sound of farewell.

Wang Xiao suddenly looked up at Lu Shu.

The deer-like creature had turned around and was now facing An Sheng Ichiro again. Its back was straight, the wood grain flowing across its fur, and the green light was growing stronger, like a star about to burn out, emitting its last rays.

Will we never see each other again?

This is the deer-like creature that ignores him and looks at him like he's an idiot.

This deer-like creature that only gets close to Lin Yueyao and never shows any affection to him?

"Walk!"

Xiao He grabbed Wang Xiao's arm and dragged him back, his voice filled with urgency, "If we don't leave now, we'll all die here!"

Wang Xiao staggered backward, his eyes fixed on the green figure as Xiao He dragged him away, disappearing into the mist at the top of the cliff.

The five of them pushed their power to the limit, their feet barely touching the ground, and the journey that took them half a day was completed in just one hour.

Lin Shisan has disappeared without a trace.

From a distance, the campsite was a complete mess.

Most of the tents collapsed, some were burned to ashes, and others were smashed to pieces by swords; the ground was covered with marks of swords and bloodstains that had not yet dried.

Several still-burning fires were emitting black smoke, and the air was filled with a nauseating smell of burnt and blood.

Yan Zixi stood at the entrance of the camp, her scarlet gauze dress stained with blood and dust, her face pale to the point of being almost transparent, devoid of any color.

Her long hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and her once charming peach blossom eyes were now filled with bloodshot veins.

But when he saw the five people return, his eyes lit up slightly.

"You're back?" Her voice was a little hoarse, but still carried a hint of languor. However, beneath that languor lay a deep weariness. "Yang Xuan and the Tianyi Sect members he led have all stayed behind."

She paused, then added, her voice firm and cold, "Not a single one escaped."

Wang Xiao nodded without saying a word, just looking at the mess in front of him, his heart heavy.

If the Dongbin Alliance is already in such a dire state, I'm afraid the Beiyuan Alliance is in no better shape.

The group quickly walked through the ruins of the camp and arrived at a relatively intact area at the back.

There, the survivors were bandaging their wounds, each face etched with sorrow and fear, and a suffocating atmosphere hung in the air.

When Wang Xiao saw the scene before him clearly, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Of the more than one hundred members of the Dongbin Alliance, less than twenty remain.

Most of them were wounded; some had blood-stained bandages wrapped around their chests, with blood still seeping from the wounds beneath; others lay unconscious on the ground, groaning in pain…

The air was thick with the smell of blood and herbs, and the occasional low sobs could be heard, sounds that pierced everyone's heart like needles.

Wang Xiao and his group, ironically, were the least injured.

"Senior Brother Xiao!"

Zhao Shuheng rushed out from the crowd, his eyes red-rimmed, his face streaked with tears, his voice trembling, barely able to speak, "Wen Wen and Li Yan...they..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but bit his lip hard, tears streaming down his face. Everyone understood—Wen Wen and Li Yan, along with those familiar faces, were forever lost in that battle.

Xiao He swayed and steadied himself against Yuan Kong beside him. His face was ashen, and his lips moved a few times, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"Lu Yang!"

Lin Yueyao walked quickly out of the crowd, looking exhausted, her face covered in dust and blood.

She walked up to Wang Xiao, looked him up and down, her voice trembling with worry, "How are you? Are you hurt?"

Wang Xiao shook her head: "It's nothing."

His gaze passed over Lin Yueyao and landed not far behind her.

Su Qinhe stood there, her white dress stained with blood, her face pale and almost bloodless, leaning against the broken wall, breathing slightly.

She saw Wang Xiao's gaze, nodded slightly to let him know she was safe, but her eyes were full of exhaustion.

Wang Xiao nodded without saying anything, but her heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Lin Yueyao whispered to him that Su Qinhe and Yun Qingyao had played a significant role in this upheaval.

Su Qinhe helped Yun Qingyao cast illusions, turning the tide of battle several times and trapping the Tianyi Sect members and some strange beasts in the illusion, buying everyone precious breathing time.

However, both of them were too exhausted; one was half-lying down, and the other was still fast asleep and had not yet woken up.

Yan Zixi managed to keep Yang Xuan alive on her own, but even after taking the Righteous Qi Pill, he would not recover for a while.

Li Yu and Zhang Lian supported each other, their bodies wrapped in strips of cloth, their faces bruised, yet they continued to bicker and curse. However, their voices lacked their usual vigor, as if they were forcing themselves to stay upright and not collapse.

Wang Xiao even saw Li Xin, whom he had once reprimanded. She sat on the ground, dazed, with empty eyes and no words. Her former arrogance had vanished without a trace.

Most of the people Wang Xiao knew are still around.

He gave a wry smile, unsure whether it was good fortune or misfortune.

The alliance of over a hundred people has dwindled to just over a dozen. This tragic situation is more real, more shocking, and more despairing than the death threat on Qingming Cliff.

"Now is not the time to be sad."

Xiao He's voice suddenly rang out, hoarse yet firm. He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, gripped the long sword in his hand tightly, as if encouraging himself, and also as if encouraging everyone else.

He straightened his back, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "An even greater crisis awaits us..."

He wanted to continue speaking, but was stopped by Wuchen beside him.

Wu Chen gently shook his head, his eyes filled with solemnity—adding insult to injury, he feared that some of the remaining people would simply go insane.

"Brother Xiao is right," Wang Xiao continued, his voice not loud, but clear enough to reach everyone's ears. "But we still have a chance."

All eyes were fixed on him, filled with doubt, despair, and a faint glimmer of hope.

"Lu Yang, what are your thoughts?" It was Yan Zixi who spoke. She was the only one among those who stayed behind who knew what had happened on Qingming Cliff. Her expression was solemn at this moment.

"We're charging ahead at the last minute," Wang Xiao said, emphasizing each word. "The restrictions on Demon Island have been broken."

Everyone was stunned; they had indeed heard the sound of breaking.

The primordial energy between heaven and earth is even more abundant. With each breath, one can feel the immense primordial energy flowing through the meridians.

The feeling was like being trapped in a closed room for a long time, and suddenly someone opened the window.

"We can also attempt to reach the Dragon Gate Divine Realm," Wang Xiao continued, his voice firm.

Wu Chen suddenly interrupted him, his voice calm as still water, yet carrying an undeniable resolve. His gaze swept over Wang Xiao, Ling Cheng, Yuan Kong, and Xiao He, and he said, word by word, "Lu Yang, Ling Cheng, Yuan Kong, Xiao He. I'm entrusting this to you."

Wang Xiao was taken aback and looked at Wu Chen with confusion.

"Immortal Epiphyllum." Wuchen turned to look at everyone, his gaze steady. "If any of you have Immortal Epiphyllum flowers, please take them all out and give them to these four people."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

The Immortal Ephemeral Flower is a supreme treasure that can help cultivators enter the Dragon Gate, a treasure that everyone dreams of.

A moment later, someone took the lead in placing the fairy epiphyllum on the ground, followed by the second, the third... Soon, there were more than twenty fairy epiphyllum flowers piled up in front of them, each flower pure white and emitting a faint spiritual light.

As long as there is a single fairy epiphyllum flower, it can help you break through to a higher realm.

Whether one can break through to a higher realm depends on one's own destiny.

Entering the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, the Immortal Epiphyllum is indispensable.

This does not mean that having the ephemeral epiphyllum flower guarantees entry into the Dragon Gate Divine Realm.

Now, they have no time; the Five Ninja of Fusang could attack at any moment.

At this moment, they could only hope that each additional Immortal Epiphyllum flower would increase their chances of breaking through to a higher realm and their chances of survival.

Wuchen divided the celestial epiphyllum flowers into four portions and pushed them in front of the four people. His voice remained calm, but it carried a deep sense of entrustment: "These are enough for you to break through to the next realm. Hurry up!"

Looking at the few pure white fairy epiphyllum flowers in front of her, and then at Wuchen, Wang Xiao felt a pang of sadness: "What about you? You've also reached the peak of the Fish Leap, and you can break through to the next realm too."

Wu Chen didn't answer, but turned to look at everyone and said calmly, "I know some formations. It's most suitable for me to stay and set up defensive formations. Now, everyone has defensive treasures on them, so give them to me!"

After he finished speaking, he squatted down, took out a carving knife and array stones from his pocket, and began to carve array patterns on the ground. His movements were swift, yet extremely serious.

"Wuchen, what do you mean by this?" Ling Cheng was anxious, grabbing Wuchen's arm, his voice trembling. "You were the one who stood in front of us on Qingming Cliff, and now you want to shoulder the burden alone again? Do you think you're made of iron? You can break through to the next realm too, we can do it together!"

Wu Chen didn't look up, but gently pulled away from Ling Cheng's hand and said calmly, "Breaking through realms isn't something that can be done in a short time. I have some knowledge of formations, so I'm better suited to guarding them than you are. Only after you break through will everyone have hope."

He paused, then finally looked up at Ling Cheng, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes. "There's no time. Get ready quickly, please!"

Ling Cheng opened his mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately could not utter a word.