Yun Ze stood in place for a moment, never expecting his seniority to skyrocket so rapidly!
If he wanted to, couldn't he directly have Patriarch Zu make a move and capture Chen Xiao and Ji Kun in one fell swoop?
After all... he already had the evidence in hand!
It was that very pill!
As long as he handed that pill to Patriarch Zu, as the Sect Master of Guiwu Sword Sect, eradicating a hidden threat within the outer sect for so long would be as easy as pie!
Then, if he were to speak up and personally eliminate the spy, it would also count as avenging himself with his own hands!
Yun Ze's face lit up with joy. Just as he was about to speak, he heard movement from Xiao Shu's side!
"Pfft!"
Wei Lanshu spat out a mouthful of blood. Her already pale face turned a sickly shade of blue, completely devoid of color.
However, her eyes were now open, signifying she had woken up.
"Xiao Shu!"
Yun Ze rushed forward, crouching before Wei Lanshu and asking, "Are you alright? Do you feel any discomfort? Perhaps I should still..."
"Brother Yun."
Before Yun Ze could finish his sentence, Wei Lanshu interrupted him with a weak smile.
Her voice was incredibly faint, like a kite whose string was about to snap, "Don't worry, I... I'm fine."
"Rest assured."
Mu Siyue also walked to his side. "This girl's sea of qi has stabilized. It's just extremely empty and needs to be slowly replenished with spiritual energy to recover."
"That's good then."
Yun Ze finally breathed a sigh of relief.
No matter what, at least Xiao Shu's problem was resolved.
However... that thing was supposed to be returned.
Yun Ze looked at Wei Huang and found that she had already let go and helped Wei Lanshu up from the ground, seating her on a stone chair.
"Senior, aren't you going to take that thing back? Now that Xiao Shu's condition has been treated, if that drop of blood is used to suppress her sea of qi, wouldn't she recover faster?"
That belonged to Wei Lanshu in the first place.
Yun Ze knew it was a divine object, but he also knew it didn't belong to him.
He understood the principle that an innocent man is guilty for possessing a treasure more than anyone. No matter how good an item was, one needed to be alive to use it.
Returning that drop of blood to Xiao Shu now would not only maintain his relationship with the Wei family but also help Xiao Shu recover quickly, a win-win situation.
"Mm."
Wei Huang didn't say much, only responded with a hum, and then stepped towards Yun Ze.
"Mother!"
But as she took a step, Wei Lanshu tugged at her sleeve, and Mu Siyue also blocked the path between her and Yun Ze.
Wei Huang ignored Xiao Shu behind her and looked at Mu Siyue, narrowing her eyes. "Are you going to stop me?"
"Little Huang, others may not know, but I do," Mu Siyue said calmly. "Your Wei family was merely safeguarding this Heavenly Mandate Blood. Now that its true owner has appeared, you still intend to take it away? Aren't you afraid of the Heavenly Mandate's backlash?"
"Heh, Heavenly Mandate."
Wei Huang sneered, and the firebird on her shoulder suddenly opened its eyes, its crimson-gold gaze fixed on Mu Siyue!
"I, am the Heavenly Mandate!"
The surrounding temperature instantly soared!
Yun Ze, standing behind Mu Siyue, suddenly felt his throat dry and a fine sheen of sweat cover his forehead.
Mu Siyue frowned slightly and with a casual flick of her wrist, a slender ice-blue sword materialized in her hand!
The surrounding temperature did not decrease; instead, it fluctuated wildly!
Sometimes scorching hot, sometimes bone-chillingly cold!
Even though Yun Ze was at the peak of Qi Refining fifth level, he could barely withstand such drastic temperature changes, his body trembling slightly!
"Both of you, both of you!"
Patriarch Zu stepped forward hastily, pulling Yun Ze behind him. He looked at the two women with a smile and said, "We are still on Lone Peak, after all. If you two can't talk things out, please don't resort to fighting!"
Neither Wei Huang nor Mu Siyue spoke, as if they hadn't heard Patriarch Zu.
After a few breaths, Wei Huang spoke first.
"Five hundred and fourteen years ago..."
Wei Huang's lips curved upwards, as if anticipating something. "Back then, you unleashed a sword that tilted the heavens, forcing all the prodigies of our generation to bow their heads. Now, five hundred years have passed, and I wonder if you can still overturn the heavens."
Mu Siyue rolled her eyes. "Can you speak properly?"
"Flame, come!!"
As soon as the words fell, a ball of blazing fire exploded before Yun Ze's eyes!
Fortunately, Patriarch Zu stood in front of him. With a block from his black sword, the flames were extinguished.
When he came to his senses, the two figures had already torn through the sky and ascended to the heavens!
He looked up, feeling as if the world had instantly lost its color. His eyes could only see two figures, one azure and one crimson, suspended in the sky.
"Heavenly Flame: Nine Sparrows!"
Nine streams of blazing fire appeared behind Wei Huang, quickly transforming into nine crimson spiritual sparrows!
The spiritual sparrows soared across the sky, obscuring the entire firmament and streaking towards the faint azure figure!
Yun Ze's heart trembled, and he couldn't help but sweat for Mu Siyue.
"By decree, Thunder Sword hangs in the sky."
Mu Siyue's voice echoed from the heavens. "Slash!"
A colossal thunderous sword descended from the sky, striking precisely at the heads of the nine sparrows!
With just one strike, the offensive of the nine spiritual sparrows was neutralized. And in the very next instant...
"Nine Sparrows Unite, Transform into Luan!"
The crimson flames that had dissipated earlier condensed once more, forming a single azure luan bird!
With a single flap of the azure luan's wings, flames billowed, instantly shattering the thunderous sword in the sky.
With another flap of its wings, an endless sea of fire surged towards Mu Siyue!
"Hiss!"
Yun Ze felt his heart tremble. Beside him, Patriarch Zu gasped in admiration, "Nine Sparrows Transform into Luan! The Earth-tier secret art of the Phoenix Return Valley, she has actually cultivated it to such a degree! If she takes one more step... she might be able to summon a true phoenix's rebirth!"
Just as Yun Ze was about to ask what a true phoenix's rebirth was, he heard Mu Siyue's voice.
"By decree, Drowning Water fills the heavens..."
Upon hearing this command, Patriarch Zu hastily tossed the black sword in his hand into the air!
As the black sword ascended, it continuously expanded until it towered above the entire Lone Peak, becoming a colossal sword that completely obscured the entire mountain!
"Sword Rain, fall!"
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted!
The sky instantly became overcast, and countless raindrops fell from the sky!
Yun Ze looked up at the sky. He could feel that each drop of rain contained a heaven-shattering sword intent!
Buzz!
Innumerable sword intents descended simultaneously, resonating in the air and causing his sea of qi to churn!
"Sword Domain, rise!"
Yun Ze heard Patriarch Zu grit his teeth and utter three words. Only then did the sound of sword chirps dissipate from his ears!
This was merely the resonance of sword intent. If he were caught in this sword rain, he probably wouldn't last a single breath!
He looked at the horizon as if he were looking at a monster.
At this moment, Wei Huang stood unmoving, bathed in the sword rain, her gaze fixed on Mu Siyue from atop the firebird.
The flames on the firebird seemed to be able to ward off the sword rain, which was why Wei Huang was unharmed.
However, the azure luan she had summoned had already dissipated, not even a speck of residue left.
"Is that all?"
Wei Huang questioned coldly, "Five hundred years! Is this all the progress you've made? Mid-stage Golden Core? And this is all?"
As Wei Huang's voice grew louder, the surrounding temperature continued to climb.
The dark clouds in the sky, the fine rain in the world, seemed to ignite, all dyed crimson!
Even the black sword was tinged with a reddish hue, like a red-hot brand.
"Mu Siyue, you have disappointed me far too much."
Wei Huang's voice was laced with a hint of excitement. With a flick of her finger, the vast rain instantly transformed into a sea of fire!
Moving against the current, it converged upwards!
Her eyes were filled with excitement, as if she were anticipating something. "If this is all, then... don't blame me for becoming the first to step on you and break free from this endless darkness!"
"..."
Mu Siyue was speechless, seemingly unconcerned by Wei Huang's words. She asked helplessly, "You just can't speak properly, can you?"
"Heh."
Wei Huang said no more, only sneered, then raised her hand, drew a line across her brow, and flicked a drop of blood forward!
"Nirvana, Phoenix Return!"
As soon as the words fell, the sky-filling flames converged towards that drop of blood!
In an instant, another firebird was formed!
Although both were firebirds, this one was vastly different from the one Wei Huang stood upon.
The latter possessed a spiritual aura, while the former's eyes were devoid of spirit, like a carved puppet.
The moment the firebird formed, it pounced towards Mu Siyue!
But in the very next instant, a familiar melody rang out.
This melody... he seemed to have heard it somewhere before.
That's right!
Yingqing Pavilion!
Just as Yun Ze was shocked, everything in the sky seemed to freeze.
He saw a faint azure figure step forward in time with the melody, her toes tapping on the firebird's head.
With just one step, the firebird instantly dissipated, scattering into the purest spiritual energy throughout the heavens and earth.
Wei Huang's lips bled, and a trace of terror appeared in her eyes!
Second step!
Mu Siyue's toes landed on the head of the real firebird!
Its body trembled incessantly, wanting to escape, but it was utterly unable to break free from the oppressive aura.
Its entire body continued to descend, as if... burdened by immense weight!
"Little Huang, you seem to have forgotten one thing."
Third step!
Mu Siyue reappeared before Wei Huang. She held a sword in her hand, but merely placed her palm on the other's shoulder and gave it a light pat.
"My main cultivation has never been swordsmanship."
Boom!
As the words fell, the crimson figure plummeted from the sky, leaving only a faint azure silhouette in the air, as if declaring something.
The world fell silent.
Mu Siyue glanced around and said calmly.
"Today, is there anyone else who wishes to fight?"