Because they carried the bronze cauldron with them, Xie Shuci and the other three did not suffer any loss of spiritual power.

However, Deng Fengming dared not get too close to them, and sat alone on the other side of the sky, his face growing paler and paler.

Xie Shuci and the others had no time to pay attention to him. They worked together to drag Helian Zhu to the edge and check his condition.

Chu Guiyi placed one hand on his pulse, frowned, and said to the three of them, "The disordered spiritual energy in his body has calmed down."

Xie Shuci immediately breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the ground. "That's good."

He glanced at the blind boy out of the corner of his eye; the latter remained calm and composed, seemingly unconcerned about what had just happened. But that was normal, too; minor squabbles between men were only natural. As long as one's conscience is clear, what was the big deal?

etc--

Xie Shuci's heart skipped a beat. So, his guilty conscience was because he wasn't completely honest with himself?

Do I like men?

The idea had barely surfaced when Xie Shuci suppressed it.

Absolutely impossible!!

Xie Shuci shook his head, trying to clear the water out of his brain.

"So what should we do next? Staying inside isn't a solution."

Despite his efforts to prepare himself, he was still somewhat afraid to face Xie An, so he kept his back to him and spoke to Chu Guiyi and Xie An.

Chu Guiyi pondered for a moment and said, "Staying here might be the safest option."

Xie Shuci nodded in agreement.

Chu Wenfeng didn't seem to like Deng Fengming. He didn't participate in their conversation, but glared fiercely at Deng Fengming, occasionally straightening the whip in his hand, as if he would have to lash him with the whip if he made any move.

"Sigh, I wonder how things are outside," Xie Shuci sighed.

"Don't worry, after all, Helian Yong can't fight four fists with two hands," Chu Guiyi comforted him.

As if recalling something, Xie Shuci's eyes revealed a trace of sadness. He gently rested his head on the armrest of his wheelchair and whispered, "What's so good about the Floating Pagoda Realm? Why does everyone want to fight tooth and nail to get in?"

Li Song initially sought the dog demon's inner core to participate in the Immortal Sect Selection and to enter the Floating Pagoda Realm. But Helian Yong was willing to sacrifice his own disciple to enter the Floating Pagoda Realm. What were they after?

Chu Guiyi looked down at his troubled expression, a faint smile appearing on her lips. She reached out to pat his head, but stopped halfway through and withdrew her hand.

“Shuci, you’ve been protected too well, to the point that you’re completely out of place in this world. You’re humorous and witty, but naive and perhaps can’t understand why cultivators strive for status and position. More often than not, we have to work hard to improve ourselves in order to protect ourselves.” Chu Guiyi narrowed his eyes, his tone inscrutable.

Xie Shuci thought with a touch of self-abandonment, "I'm not from this world to begin with, so of course I don't fit in with you guys."

"In the cultivation world, the weak have little influence and the strong are respected. Even if you want to live an ordinary life, there will be people who will step on you. When you carry too much on your shoulders, and your strength is not enough to support the entire immortal sect, your strength becomes a burden to others."

Perhaps it was out of genuine feeling, but when Chu Guiyi said these words, her expression betrayed a deep sense of melancholy.

Chu Wenfeng, who was standing to the side, also lowered his head.

"But some people overestimate themselves. The more they can't bear the burden, the more they want to take it on. Naturally, they will develop distracting thoughts and obsessions, which is a major taboo for cultivators," Chu Guiyi said mockingly.

Chu Wenfeng lowered his eyes, looking at the Nine-Section Flying Bird Whip in his hand. It originally belonged to someone else. But now, in his hands, it had become an extremely ordinary weapon.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Xie Shuci noticed that the two were in low spirits. He patted Chu Guiyi's arm and laughed, "What do you mean by overestimating yourself? Just because you can't do something doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. Guiyi, do your best and leave the rest to fate. Luck is also a part of strength."

Chu Guiyi was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Xie Shuci to utter such profound truths. Seeing his righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor, which was quite unlike the usual Xie Shuci, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, gently covering the back of Xie Shuci's hand, and said, "You're right."

Xie An, who had been deliberately forgotten by Xie Shuci, sat to one side, clutching the bell at his waist, his face growing increasingly gloomy.

Because Deng Fengming was keeping a close eye on Xie An, he noticed the displeasure emanating from him. He huddled up, afraid to make a sound, lest he attract Xie An's attention.

Before long, Helian Zhu on the ground slowly awoke.

He opened his dry eyes and stared blankly at the sky for a long time before he realized where he was.

The blood and tears had dried on his face, and no more tears could flow from his eyes, only bloodshot veins remained. He silently processed the conversation in his mind and sat up from the ground expressionlessly.

Xie Shuci was startled when he suddenly sat up. It was a habit he had developed since he met the little blind man that made him instinctively burrow into the little blind man when he was frightened. He jumped back and pressed against Xie An's arm, but the latter calmly moved back to prevent him from getting closer.

In his haste, Xie Shuci failed to notice Xie An's unusual behavior. However, Helian Zhu's expression was too calm. He pulled Chu Guiyi and Chu Wenfeng to his side with both hands and feet, and asked anxiously, "Are you... are you alright?"

Helian Zhu glanced at him, his eyes devoid of emotion. "Thank you."

He nodded to Xie Shuci, knowing that it was Xie Shuci who brought him into the Sky Dome, saving him from being controlled by Helian Yong.

Seeing that he seemed to have returned to normal, Xie Shuci relaxed. "No need, no need. Um, what do you plan to do?"

Helian Zhu fell silent. He stared at the blood-soaked Red Tassel Cloud-Piercing Spear on the ground. After a long while, he said, word by word, "Kill Helian Yong."

Let Helian Yong's life bring this matter to a close.

Chu Guiyi frowned and said, "But once you leave here, even if you seal your spiritual veins, you may still be controlled by him."

Helian Zhu shook his head. "He can't control me anymore."

Chu Guiyi glanced at him hesitantly, but Chu Wenfeng asked bluntly, "Why should we believe you?"

Helian Zhu raised his head. "I have no way to make you believe me, but I must get out of here and kill Helian Yong."

Chu Guiyi suddenly turned the conversation to Xie Shuci, asking, "Shuci, what do you think?"

Xie Shuci glanced at the group and chuckled dryly, "It's not a solution for us to stay inside forever. We might as well trust him this once. I don't think Helian Zhu has any reason to lie to us. Besides, even if he's controlled by Helian Yong again, we can take the others and hide in the Sky Dome together."

Helian Zhu pursed his lips and glanced at Xie Shuci with a complicated expression.

Chu Guiyi pondered for a moment, "That makes sense."

The Fulong magical artifact now only recognizes Xie Shuci's spiritual power. He separated the artifact from the sky, and as the artifact, wrapped in golden light, slowly descended into the air, cracks began to appear in the sky, and rays of sunlight shone in. The surrounding walls also slowly turned into dust and scattered away.

The sounds of fighting outside gradually reached everyone's ears, and some disciples of the Helian family also joined the melee.

When the people from the Sky Dome appeared before everyone, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at them.

"Oh no! How did Helian Zhu get released?"

"We were no match for Helian Yong to begin with, and with Helian Zhu by our side, we are like a tiger with wings. We have no chance of winning at all!"

Helian Zhu gripped the Cloud-Piercing Spear in one hand, his steps slow but firm, as he approached Helian Yong in the crowd.

His entire being exuded undisguised killing intent, and his chilling aura caused all the cultivators in his path to stop their fighting.

Yes, they shouldn't have fought each other.

Everything is because of Helian Yong.

Once he's killed, everything will be over.

"Child, how about we make a deal?"

"What?"

"If you willingly become my sacrifice, I will send those who die at your hands into the cycle of reincarnation."

"Really? Are you serious?"

"Perhaps not now, but you have no choice but to trust me."

"Fine, I promise you. But before that, I will make Helian Yong pay for his crimes in blood!"

"Go ahead, I will lend you a hand."

Taking advantage of the chaos, Xie Shuci pulled Chu Wenfeng to the other side, each carrying a corpse on their backs, and carried the bodies of Helian Jue and the other man to a safe place. They then took off their outer robes and covered the two men with them.

“Zhu’er.” Helian Yong quietly watched Helian Zhu approach.

The tip of the Cloud-Piercing Spear left a mark on the ground. Sensing its master's current state of mind, the spear continuously radiated spiritual energy, ready to unleash its power.

“Patriarch.” Helian Zhu’s voice was extremely hoarse, like a low wind blowing through the stone building, “If you die by my hand, you will never be reincarnated, and the Helian family will forever lose the chance to enter the Floating Pagoda Realm.”

Helian Yong laughed dismissively, "You think you can kill me? Zhu'er, how could you be so foolish?"

His laughter was chilling and sinister. "Perhaps, I should use some special methods to turn you into a fool, so that you will only obey my commands."

"You should have turned me into an idiot a long time ago, but unfortunately, it's too late now."

Helian Yong sneered and was about to step forward when a strange array suddenly appeared beneath his feet. Countless iron chains extended from the array, wrapping around his calves and binding his entire body.

"What is this?" Helian Yong's expression changed instantly. He was unable to move his body. No matter how much strength he had, he could not budge the iron chain even a little bit. The iron chain was tightly wrapped in his flesh. He could only watch helplessly as Helian Zhu approached him step by step.

The cultivators present were all stunned by this sudden change; no one knew what had happened.

Even Xie Shuci and his three companions stared in disbelief at this scene.

"What kind of formation is this?"

"I've never seen this before!"

Helian Yong looked at Helian Zhu, whose face was full of murderous intent, and then realized the seriousness of the problem.

"Zhu'er, listen to me... Everything I did was for the Helian family..." Helian Yong never expected to be defeated by him and hoped to buy time.

Even if it means self-destructing his golden core, he cannot die at the hands of Helian Zhu!

He has a chance to start over if he dies, but if he dies at the hands of Helian Zhu, he will be banished by the laws of heaven and earth just like Helian Zhu, and will never be reincarnated!

Helian Zhu's eyes were as dark as ink as he calmly looked at Helian Yong, the former head of the family, who now looked like a dying ant. However, he felt no pleasure in his heart.

How did a prodigy undergo such a dramatic transformation in such a short period of time?

With a "poof," just before Helian Yong self-destructed his golden core, the Cloud-Piercing Strike pierced through Helian Yong's dantian.

The blood made the red tassels even more vivid, and the blood droplets covered the cold light emanating from the spear tip, adding a touch of tragedy to the scene.

“You…” Helian Yong’s eyes were bloodshot, and blood foam gushed from his mouth. He couldn’t utter a complete sentence. His eyes stared straight at Helian Zhu with a vicious look. The hatred and resentment in his eyes were enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle.

Seeing this, the others couldn't help but tense up.

Helian Zhu remained expressionless, and with a backhand motion, he drew out the Cloud-Piercing Spear. He swept the spear through the air, letting the wind wipe away the filthy bloodstains on it.

With his dantian destroyed, the array beneath his feet vanished abruptly. He staggered, his knees buckled, and he knelt before Helian Zhu.

He raised his head unwillingly, wishing he could tear Helian Zhu to pieces with his eyes, "Everything... everything was for the Helian family... everything I did... was for..."

Helian Zhu looked down at him, coldly raising one corner of his lips, and whispered like a demon: "Patriarch, congratulations. From now on, the Helian clan will have no place in the cultivation world. You can die in peace."

Helian Yong shuddered, his pupils dilated suddenly, and before he could catch his breath, he fell straight down, dying with his eyes wide open.

"Helian Yong is dead? Then we..."

"Helian Jue and Lu Jin are also dead."

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, none of them expecting that Helian Yong would die so easily at the hands of his own disciple. The process was too rushed and even felt unreal.

"Please calm down, everyone. Although Helian Yong is dead, the danger is not truly over." Deng Fengming was the first to step forward.

Upon hearing the disciples of the Free and Unfettered Sect speak, everyone echoed their agreement:

“That’s right. Helian Zhu used his body as a formation, which is an extremely evil and sinister method. Even if he was unaware of it before, he can’t be considered innocent.”

"Fellow Daoists, if we do not kill Helian Zhu here as a warning to others, it will likely cause considerable trouble in the cultivation world."

"Yes! Kill Helian Zhu and report this matter to the Hundred Sects, and ban the Helian clan from the Immortal Sects!"

Helian Zhu coldly observed the righteous and awe-inspiring disciples of the immortal sects, feeling neither sorrow nor irony.

Yes, how can he be considered innocent? He personally killed his forty-seven fellow disciples, his senior brother, and Miss Lu... He was smug and complacent about the talent he had stolen. How could he be innocent?

"They're not going to kill Helian Zhu, are they?" Xie Shuci asked worriedly.

Chu Guiyi was silent for a moment, then said, "He was destined to die. Shuci, this matter is no longer something we can interfere with."

Chu Guiyi is right. Now that Helian Yong is dead, if they interfere, they will be classified as the same kind of people as Helian Zhu. Helian Zhu is now truly isolated and helpless.

Xie Shuci felt that this world was too strange. He didn't like it here and wanted to go back to his original world, a peaceful world.

At such times, he would subconsciously want to get closer to Xie An, because Xie An was almost his only concern in this world.

But when he turned around, he found that there was no one behind him.

Xie Shuci's expression froze. "Xie An..."

Helian Zhu withdrew his gaze from the crowd. His breathing was steady and heavy, and he was not afraid of what was about to happen.

He flicked the Cloud-Piercing Spear upwards, using the force to drive the spear deep into a crack in the ground.

Immediately, his spiritual power overflowed, forming a magic array around the Cloud-Piercing Spear. Countless spells danced in the array like willow catkins, gradually enveloping the entire Cloud-Piercing Spear. The array continued to shrink, eventually condensing into a single point.

The Cloud-Piercing Spear gathered its power and trembled, causing the ground to tremble.

Deng Fengming and the others' expressions changed drastically. "He used his entire life's cultivation to seal the Cloud-Piercing Spear?!"

After doing all this, Helian Zhu calmly raised his head and said without any emotion, "You can take my life, but not the Cloud-Piercing Spear."

Like the Nine-Section Whip of Flying Birds, the Cloud-Piercing Spear is a rare and precious artifact in the cultivation world. How many of those cultivators who claim to be killing Helian Zhu for the sake of stability in the cultivation world are not after this Cloud-Piercing Spear that can "cut through the nine provinces with one spear"?

"Senior Brother, will it be able to wait until the day you return?"

Helian Zhu looked at the dull spear tip and murmured softly.

"Kill him!"

"He really is a beast who practices evil magic!"

"superior!"

Numerous cultivators swarmed forward, their sharp swords piercing his body, causing blood to gush out.

As everyone withdrew their swords, the boy's body crashed to the ground, staining a large area of ​​the surrounding land red.

Xie Shuci's search for Xie An also froze on the spot.

Is yet another person about to disappear from his sight forever?

The young cultivator, still seething with anger, raised his longsword, about to stab Helian Zhu's body again, when he was blown to the ground by a violent gust of wind.

"What happened?"

"what happened?"

Suddenly, a blinding white light shone from the blood-soaked soil beneath Helian Zhu, enveloping him in a holy glow. The light gradually expanded into a transparent cylinder, radiating intense and surging spiritual power that stirred up a fierce wind and whipped up a cloud of sand and stones.

A clear bird song suddenly rang out in the sky. Immediately afterwards, a large bird formed from spiritual energy pierced through the high clouds, flapped its wings and swept towards the ground, heading straight for Helian Zhu.

“The startled bird…” Chu Guiyi murmured.

Xie Shuci was stunned by what he saw, because the formation under Helian Zhu was exactly the same as the formation he had seen on the dog demon before his death!

The formation was devouring Helian Zhu's life force, and the startled bird was powerful, stirring up a huge storm that made everyone unable to open their eyes.

In the chaos, a gust of wind blew a long sword from the ground, which swiftly swept towards the unsuspecting Deng Fengming.

The sword's cry was hidden among the calls of the startled bird, and no one even noticed that in the blink of an eye, Deng Fengming, a disciple of the Free and Unfettered Sect, had already been decapitated.

"Helian Zhu, did you make a deal with someone?!" Xie Shuci pushed his way through the crowd. His confused mind made him feel like he had caught something in an instant, but it flashed by too quickly for him to make out clearly.

Helian Zhu heard Xie Shuci's voice and saw Xie Shuci's bloodshot eyes.

It's that annoying alchemist...

Was he the last person I saw...?

But he doesn't seem so bad...

Helian Zhu opened his blood-stained lips and silently uttered two words.

Of all the cultivators present, only Xie Shuci knew what he was saying.

— To ward off evil spirits.

In that instant, this name overlapped with the name in Xie Shuci's hazy memory.

"You...how could your fate be like this..."

"How could you be... Kid, listen carefully, you must cultivate diligently..."

"Go find someone named Bixie, he can help you..."

"Remember...you must remember..."

The hazy memories finally became clear, and Xie Shuci finally remembered the dog demon's dying words.

Ward off evil spirits?

Who is Bixie?

Did he make a deal with the idiot? Or did he make a deal with Helian Zhu?

What do you mean by "he can help me"?

What does it mean exactly?

All of this left Xie Shuci completely baffled.

As the startled bird swooped down towards Helian Zhu at the center of the formation, it disappeared after its last cry. Helian Zhu closed his eyes completely, his life force draining away until his body turned to dust inch by inch and vanished into the formation.

When his body was completely devoured, the array that had suddenly appeared on the ground suddenly disappeared, along with Helian Jue, Lu Jin, and the corpse of Helian Yong.

These four people vanished from the world as if they had never existed.

Xie Shuci stared blankly at the spot where Helian Zhu had disappeared. Apart from the Broken Cloud Spear stuck in the ground, everything was as calm as if nothing had happened.

Just then, a disciple's pitiful cry rang out: "Senior brother!!"

Everyone was startled back to their senses by the sound.

Xie Shuci's gaze shifted blankly, first seeing the blood splattered on the ground, so shocking. Just as he was about to look further down, a figure suddenly appeared, blocking Xie Shuci's way, and at the same time, the familiar sound of bells rang out.

"Xie An?" Xie Shuci looked at Xie An, who had suddenly appeared, with a bewildered expression. The two were quite close, so Xie An's body completely blocked Xie Shuci's view.

Whether it was Xie Shuci's imagination or not, the voices behind Xie An suddenly seemed to become indistinct, which made Xie Shuci forget what he originally wanted to see.

"Where did you go? It's so dangerous, how could you run around like that?" Xie Shuci said blankly.

Xie An raised the corners of his lips and said silently, "I went to return something."

"Oh..." Xie Shuci nodded, her mind a little slow to process what she was seeing.

At this moment, Chu Guiyi walked over to the two of them.

"Let's go back to the inn."

"Oh... okay."

Perhaps because too many things happened at once, Xie Shuci felt his mind was in complete chaos, and he didn't even know what emotion to use to express this chaos. In a daze, he returned to Manjiangtang with the three of them.

On the way back, the streets were bustling with activity, just as they had been when they arrived.

Xie Shuci suddenly had a feeling that everything that happened today was a nightmare he was having.

But unlike when they arrived, none of them spoke to break the silence.

Compared to the bustling streets, they seemed to be isolated in another space.

Back at Manjiang Hall, the four prepared to return to their rooms, but Chu Guiyi thought it over and over again and finally called Xie Shuci back.

"Shuci, are you alright?"

Xie Shuci was somewhat bewildered. "Me? What could possibly be wrong with me?"

Chu Guiyi looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.

Xie Shuci hadn't realized that her usually boisterous personality—arguing when she needed to, laughing when she needed to, and crying when she needed to—had never been so silent before.

"Shu Ci, do your best and leave the rest to fate." Chu Guiyi then returned these words to Xie Shu Ci.

Chu Wenfeng seemed no different from usual, glancing at Xie Shuci with a hint of disdain before turning around and returning to his room with Chu Guiyi.

Normally, if Chu Wenfeng dared to provoke him like this, Xie Shuci would at least curse him if he couldn't beat him, but today he really wasn't in the mood, so he led Xie An back to his room.

The waiter, unaware that his two former employers were dead, approached with a smile, "Where have you two been on your chivalrous adventures? Why are you covered in blood? Shall I fetch a doctor for you?"

Xie Shuci paused for a moment, remembering the little blind man's injury. He turned around, took the man's arm, and after taking the healing pill, the wound had basically healed and no trace could be seen.

However, the two of them looked quite disheveled with bloodstains all over their bodies. Although Xie Shuci was very tired and needed time to recover, he still couldn't accept rolling onto the bed covered in blood.

So he said to the waiter, "Please boil some hot water for us so we can bathe and change."

The waiter nodded in agreement, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen!"

Upon arriving outside the room, the two pushed open the door and entered.

As Xie Shuci stepped inside, he felt a moment of disorientation, and Xie An caught him from behind, supporting his waist.

Xie An's movements were somewhat forceful as he turned Xie An's body around, making him face him.

"Were you scared?"

Xie An gently touched his cheek with his fingers, tracing the contours of his face.

Xie Shuci grasped his wrist; only when he touched the little blind man did he feel a sense of groundedness.

To make herself more comfortable, Xie Shuci simply snuggled into his arms, wrapping her arms around Xie An's waist, not minding the bloody smell all over Xie An.

At this moment, he didn't care about men or women; none of that mattered. He just wanted to lean on Xie An, which made him feel very safe and secure.

Even though the little blind boy looked just as weak as he did, Xie Shuci felt fearless as long as he was by his side, as if the little blind boy could protect him.

However, the little blind man clearly didn't even have any cultivation level.

This thought made Xie Shuci laugh; perhaps this is what is known as self-suggestion.

As usual, Xie An let Xie Shuci hold him.

She lowered her eyes gently, her large hand resting on his back, stroking him slowly and tenderly.