At that moment, a soft laugh drifted through the Yaochi Palace.

With mixed feelings, everyone looked up and saw that Zhong Li, who had been standing quietly next to Jiang Chengye, had made a move.

She laughed louder and louder, until her body trembled and she couldn't straighten up.

"Jiang Chengye, have you always thought that I have never revealed my true feelings to you?"

"Is a vixen like me just a liar with a heart of snakes?"

"Yes, I admit it. You saved my life, took me back to school... everything was a scheme, but, but..."

"'I really like you'!"

As Zhongli laughed, bright red blood streamed from the corner of her eye, a shocking sight.

Shen Qian frowned, a sudden unease creeping into his heart.

This unease came quite abruptly, more like a premonition, a vague perception of fortune and misfortune that martial artists develop after reaching a certain level.

He glanced at Cheng Qingqing beside him, only to find that she was also looking at him with a serious expression.

"You felt it too?"

"If things don't go well, you take the others and leave first, don't worry about me."

Shen Qian nodded slightly, but his gaze finally settled on Zhong Li.

If there is any threat at the scene, it most likely comes from Zhongli, whose mental state is clearly not right.

Although Zhongli was seriously injured by Jiang Chengye, it was not a fatal injury for a marquis or king.

Having clearly understood the division between the realms of kings and nobles, Shen Qian could no longer naively believe that his clone, with just two different flames, would be able to contend with Zhongli, who had undoubtedly opened the "Heavenly Gate."

This is also why Shen Qian had been observing the situation from the sidelines and had not acted rashly.

Although he couldn't win, he figured he could at least temporarily hold off the opponent with his trump cards, and if he really went all out, he wasn't without a chance of winning.

Unfortunately, the Star-level weapon "Tianming" that had already been successfully exchanged was not delivered to Shenqian by his sixth senior brother in time due to the hasty events. Otherwise, with "Tianming" in hand, and the already awakened Star Power clone, Shenqian would have a greater chance of defeating Zhongli.

Under Shen Qian's wary gaze, Zhong Li did not make any extreme moves. In fact, she didn't even notice anyone else in her eyes. She simply squatted down and hugged Jiang Chengye, who was kneeling on the ground, from behind as she spoke.

“I know you’ve never truly forgotten your people. I hate you, but that’s why I love you even more…”

"Jiang Chengye, how dare you be so indifferent to me on your deathbed? I won't allow it!"

As Zhongli spoke, his expression suddenly turned crazed.

Do you think you can get rid of me completely this way?

"Hehehehe..."

"Don't even think about it!"

"We agreed to be entangled for three lifetimes, totaling ninety thousand years. Where are we now?"

Buzz!

As Zhongli murmured, the light in the world gradually disappeared.

The already gloomy Heavenly Realm, shrouded in renewed decay, became even more oppressive at this moment. Thick, dark clouds, impossible to disperse, had gathered high above the sky.

"Sink forward!"

Cheng Qingqing realized something was wrong and called out.

In fact, Cheng Qingqing didn't even need to remind him. The moment the world changed, Shen Qian's figure transformed into lightning and shot towards Zhong Li and Jiang Chengye's location.

He didn't know what Zhongli was going to do, but in his sight, Zhongli's hand, which was tightly holding Jiang Chengye, suddenly seemed to shrink and begin to dry up.

A faint green light, yet imbued with an eerie aura, was rising continuously from Zhongli's body.

Knowing that this was the source of his previous threatening premonition, he couldn't just sit idly by and watch things happen.

"Stop him, with your lives."

Zhongli, still with a dazed look in her eyes, lay on Jiang Chengye's back, yet she issued the coldest command in the gentlest of words.

Unconsciously, ripples seemed to emanate from Zhongli, spreading outwards and reaching every scavenger warrior.

"kill!"

The nearly two hundred scavenger warriors suddenly had a blood-red light flash in their eyes. They drew their weapons and charged towards Chen Qian one after another.

Shen Qian frowned slightly, stretched out his hand, and pulled out the Mountain and River Blade out of thin air. With a swift movement, the dazzling blade light swept out.

Pfft!

Amidst the splattering blood, several scavenger warriors who were at the forefront were directly cut in half at the waist by Shen Qian.

With the enhancement of their armor, these scavenger warriors are mostly at the early stage of the Mountain and Sea realm, posing almost no threat to those who are about to sink.

Especially since they were in a state of mental frenzy at this moment, completely unaware of how to dodge, they could kill with ease, as if cutting melons and vegetables.

But precisely because of this, it became extremely difficult for Shen Qian to cross their defense line made of flesh and blood.

Just as he was preparing to risk exposing himself and summon his clone to launch a surprise attack from another angle, a terrifying aura that made his heart tremble suddenly rose from Jiang Chengye's location.

Startled, Chen Qian slashed again, clearing a space in front of him. His gaze pierced through the layers of figures, and he saw Zhong Li and Jiang Chengye again.

In that short moment, Zhongli, who was lying on Jiang Chengye's back, was no longer human. His whole body had withered away, except for his face, which remained intact.

Countless emerald lights gathered above the two of them, and as Zhongli chanted incantations, they coalesced into a strange symbol.

The symbol's overall shape resembles the Taoist yin-yang symbol, but it also has countless overlapping patterns that converge in the center to form a heart-like shape.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!