Seeing Chi Yu still holding onto his hand, the System grew anxious: “Host, let go quickly, or you’ll really be dragged down by Shen Yanzhou!”
Chi Yu’s expression stiffened, but she still had no intention of letting go.
Suddenly, Shen Yanzhou shook her off: “Protect yourself!”
Then, he was swept into the earth pit by the Astral Wind, vanishing without a trace in an instant.
“Shen Yanzhou!”
Chi Yu instinctively wanted to follow him down, but she was interrupted by another round of attacks from King Nanshan.
King Nanshan’s severed arm and the wounds on his waist and abdomen were slowly healing under the continuous replenishment of the Hundred Ghosts’ Resentment.
If this continued, they would all die here. They had to deal with the resentful ghosts in the earth pit first to have any chance of victory.
Moreover, Shen Yanzhou was still in the earth pit.
She quickly made a decision and shouted to the side: “Mo Chongyang, hold them off! I’ll deal with the resentful ghosts below!”
After saying this, she relaxed her body and allowed the Astral Wind to sweep her into the earth pit.
Mo Chongyang gritted his teeth, feeling that Chi Yu was seeking death.
There were so many resentful ghosts down there; with her Cultivation Base, she would likely be devoured until not even her bones remained.
But now, King Nanshan was enraged. Although he hadn’t harmed Mo Chongyang due to the Marriage Pact, he was going all out against his junior brothers. Mo Chongyang had no choice but to engage in a fierce battle with him.
The black energy in the pit carried the Astral Wind, and as soon as Chi Yu began to fall, her entire body felt as if it were being sliced by knives.
The surrounding resentful ghosts sensed the presence of a living person and instantly swarmed around, trying to devour her.
Without hesitation, she opened the System Shop and exchanged her remaining 4 points for an item.
[Host exchanges item “Karmic Fire Barrier,” deducting 4 reward points. Current points: 0.]
[Karmic Fire Barrier: The Host forms a seal to summon karmic fire, burning all vengeful spirits and fierce ghosts within a 2-meter radius centered on the Host while inflicting a 25% slow effect. For each additional person inside the barrier besides the Host, damage decreases by 20%. Effective duration: 20 minutes!]
System: “Host, the item’s damage is determined by your Cultivation Base. Since your Cultivation Base is low, its base damage is also low, so you still need to be careful.”
“Alright, I understand.”
Chi Yu used her Spiritual Power to slow her descent, then clasped her hands together and quickly formed the seal: “The Heavenly Dao is boundless, all laws return to one, heaven and earth reverse, barriers unseen. I beseech the Fire God Zhu Rong to lend his power—crimson lotus burns ghosts, evil spirits retreat, annihilate!”
A crimson lotus barrier quickly condensed in her hands, carrying killing intent and surging karmic fire, burning all the low-level resentful ghosts trying to approach into smoke.
The resentful ghosts’ piercing screams echoed throughout the earth pit.
The barrier transformed into a net beneath her feet, and Chi Yu slowly landed.
Only then did she realize that below was an underground river, with human skeletons floating in the water.
While slaying resentful ghosts, she searched for Shen Yanzhou and the Soul Gathering Array.
As long as the array was broken, the hundred ghosts would dissipate.
But finding the array eye would take time.
At the end of the river, Shen Yanzhou leaned against a large rock, casually observing the resentful ghosts beside him.
There wasn’t a single patch of intact flesh left on his body, and his arms faintly revealed bone.
The resentful ghosts gnawed at his flesh while cautiously watching him.
Suddenly, one of them bit down too hard and immediately froze, terrified.
“Didn’t I tell you to know your limits?”
Shen Yanzhou curled his lips indifferently, grabbed that resentful ghost, and with a slight squeeze of his hand, it turned into a wisp of green smoke, completely dissipating.
The others trembled in fear, even more afraid to move.
Shen Yanzhou said indifferently, “Continue.”
His tone was so calm that even the Resentful Ghosts thought they weren’t the ones devouring him.
At first, they had indeed wanted to swallow him whole, but before they could even get close, they were crushed and had no choice but to give up.
Yet this man walked right into their midst and ordered them to gnaw at his flesh and blood.
But none of them dared to move.
It was Shen Yanzhou who cut his own arm. Half-Demon flesh and blood were a great tonic for evil entities. In the end, they couldn’t hold back any longer and finally obeyed, pouncing on him, but they still didn’t dare bite too hard—otherwise, this man would mercilessly destroy them.
Shen Yanzhou looked at the wounds on his body, already tainted with black energy, which was extremely severe. Yet the corners of his mouth still carried a faint, mocking smile.
Watching Chi Yu make choices didn’t seem all that interesting. Whether indulging in his injuries or protecting him with all her strength—it was all too boring.
So he decided to change the situation.
Since he had decided to counter-seduce, he naturally had to consider everything for her sake.
What could be more heart-stirring than him, in order not to burden her, actively giving up on survival and willingly facing death?
Since it was all mutual scheming anyway, he might as well put on a full act.
Seeing that the wounds on his body were almost ready, he used his hands, now exposed to the bone, to form a spiritual seal. The Resentful Ghosts were crushed, transforming into black energy that merged into his body.
The black energy surged through his Meridians, as if steel blades were piercing his blood vessels. The wounds bled even faster, bringing immense pain. Yet Shen Yanzhou remained expressionless, channeling the energy into his Dantian.
In an instant, his Cultivation Base reached the late Foundation Establishment stage.
But he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He simply stayed where he was, waiting for Chi Yu to find him.
Chi Yu walked for who knows how long before finally reaching the place where the Resentment Energy was most concentrated—this was the location of the array eye.
She was just about to eliminate the surrounding Grudge Spirits and destroy the array eye when she spotted a youth lying to the side, looking as tattered as rags.
“Shen Yanzhou?!”
The mottled bloodstains on the ground startled her. She hurried over to help him up, somewhat flustered. “Shen Yanzhou, don’t scare me like this.”
But he remained unconscious. Chi Yu was truly anxious this time. “System, he isn’t dead, is he?”
If he died, what would happen to her one billion?
System: “Don’t worry, even if you die, the male lead might not necessarily die. He’s just severely injured from being devoured by Grudge Spirits and is temporarily unconscious. Judging by these wounds, he’s suffered quite a bit.”
As it spoke, Shen Yanzhou slowly opened his eyes in her arms. Seeing her, he spoke weakly, “Why did you come? Leave quickly.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll only hold you back.”
Chi Yu didn’t have time to think too much. “Don’t speak for now. I’ll get you out of here.”
Shen Yanzhou lay there, barely breathing. “Protect yourself…”
“As long as you’re safe, that’s enough.”
[Target character Favorability Level +1. Reward: 1 point. Current points: 1.]
[Target character’s Cultivation Base has reached Qi Refining Fifth Stage. Reward: 3 points. Current points: 4.]
The announcement rang out, and Chi Yu was momentarily stunned.
System: “Congratulations, Host, on completing the mission. I told you before—making Shen Yanzhou suffer in the mass burial ground would definitely be useful.”
It’s just that before, she had refused to do it because the points were too few.
Now, by sheer coincidence, she had completed the mission. The System was overjoyed.
Chi Yu should have been happy too.
But as she looked at the boy’s gruesome wounds, the continuous flow of blood, and the faintly exposed bones, recalling what he had just said, her emotions became inexplicably complex. For the first time, she was so silent, not uttering a single word, only using her Spiritual Power to heal him.
After Shen Yanzhou regained some strength, she stood up and walked toward the array eye.
The array eye was located on a small circular platform in the middle of the underground river, which was filled with Grudge Spirits protecting that spot.
Chi Yu swiftly drew her blade, eliminating all the Grudge Spirits, and only then could she clearly see the array eye.
It was also a crystal stone.
She retrieved the crystal stone to disrupt the array, and all the vengeful spirits and fierce ghosts around vanished instantly, leaving the place empty.
Before disappearing, they emitted piercing screams, causing the river water to boil and the ground to tremble.
This place was about to collapse.
Chi Yu grabbed Shen Yanzhou and headed upward, channeling her Spiritual Power to burst out of the earth pit.
The disciples of the Azure Flame Sect had all been defeated.
King Nanshan was gripping Mo Chongyang’s neck, making him gasp for breath, his face turning blue and purple.
King Nanshan wept profusely: “My dear wife, how could you help outsiders against me?”
Mo Chongyang struggled desperately, tightening his grip: “I will punish you, punish you…”
“Punish what ghost!”
Chi Yu, with overwhelming momentum and relying on crimson lotus protection, cleanly severed his arm with one swift strike, rescuing Mo Chongyang. Her expression was icy to the extreme: “You are the one who deserves punishment, scum!”