The fierce river water had gradually receded.
The scene was littered with corpses.
There were also a few who had not drowned and had escaped.
Some of these people had their clothes soaked, some clung to pillars and were not swept away, and some jumped onto rockeries to escape disaster.
As the river retreated, Gu Qianying opened the barrier, and those behind her all stepped forward.
Bai Ze was the first to fly towards the蛟龙 (Jiao Long) A Mu lying on the ground.
He wanted to rescue A Mu.
However, before he could get close, he was entangled by the divine beast Tian Wu, who was licking the green blood from its eight hands.
Bai Ze held his long sword and swung it wildly at Tian Wu's eight heads and eight faces. He gripped the sword and moved with incredible speed, attacking Tian Wu from different directions.
However, in terms of offensive power, Tian Wu was far more powerful than Bai Ze.
Using all eight hands and eight feet, like a snake, it coiled around Bai Ze.
Bai Ze threw his long sword into the air. As the sword fell, tip downwards, just as it was about to pierce Tian Wu's head, he roared furiously, opening his blood-red maw and biting down on Bai Ze.
Xuan Ling was residing in his sea of consciousness to cultivate. He was unable to transform into a beast because he had to use his own spiritual power to protect Xuan Ling, and his internal spiritual power was weaker than usual.
At this moment, he was naturally no match for Tian Wu.
Blood flowed from his mouth. The sword that had pierced Tian Wu's arm also fell to the ground as Tian Wu, while gnawing on Bai Ze and flinging him around, dropped it.
Like prey in a hunter's mouth, Tian Wu dragged and bit Bai Ze, throwing him mercilessly onto the ground.
At this very moment, a golden net descended from the sky, covering and binding Bai Ze and the dying 蛟龙 (Jiao Long) A Mu lying on the ground.
Meanwhile, on Wulala Na's side, she held Gu Zi Yi and looked at Gu Qianying with a sinister smile, "You want me to let go of this little child? Fine, then kneel down and beg me!"
With more than half of the Imperial Guards dead, Nangong Cong did not feel any regret. With a command, he summoned another fifty thousand Imperial Guards, surrounding Gu Qianying and the others.
Several of the white-robed youths following Gu Qianying had also died.
The remaining ones, holding their long swords, confronted the Imperial Guards present. Without Gu Qianying's command, they did not move, remaining in place, awaiting orders.
"Despicable!
Hateful!"
"Damn it!"
Lan Qingqing, Caixia, and Leng cursed.
The three of them stepped forward and stood together with Gu Qianying.
None of the three carried swords. Lan Qingqing took three swords from the fallen Imperial Guards near her and threw two of them to the other two.
"Let go of my daughter, you disgusting monster! Hurry and let go of my daughter!"
Nangong Xuanning cried.
"Monster? Haha, Xuanning, I remember you used to call me Empress Dowager all the time, and you often acted spoiled in front of me. What? Xuanning, you don't remember me anymore?"
The familiar voice fell into Nangong Xuanning's ears.
Nangong Xuanning's eyes widened in horror.
She looked at Wulala Na Yixiu in disbelief, "You... you are the Empress Dowager? How is that possible?"
"Xuanning, you actually don't remember me. My heart aches."
Wulala Na Yixiu tightened her grip on Gu Zi Yi.
White hair, a face full of wrinkles, red eyes, and a pair of arms with long, non-human fingers.
At this moment, Wulala Na Yixiu looked vastly different from her previous appearance.
If she hadn't recalled past events, no one would have known that the person before them was the Empress Dowager who lived in Fushou Palace during Nangong Qi's reign!
While speaking words that were difficult to decipher, Wulala Na Yixiu, in front of Gu Qianying and the others, fiercely scratched Gu Zi Yi's face with her slender, sharp fingers.
Leaving a bloody gash on Gu Zi Yi's face.
"Wah!"
Gu Zi Yi immediately burst into tears.
Gu Qianying's gaze turned cold.
Nangong Xuanning knelt on the ground, crying, "Empress Dowager, for the sake of Xuanning serving you by your side in the past, Xuanning begs you to release my daughter. Empress Dowager, Xuanning begs you."
At that time, she had heard that the Empress Dowager was dead, but now she appeared here, with such a strange face. She did not know the reason, nor did she know the Empress Dowager's true identity.
But at this moment, she only wanted to beg her to release her daughter.
Her daughter was innocent.
"Release your daughter? Alright, didn't I say it? Let Gu Qianying kneel down and beg me... However, I've changed my mind. Xuanning... as long as you kill Gu Qianying for me, I will release your daughter!"
Upon hearing this, Lan Qingqing, Caixia, and Leng surrounded Gu Qianying.
They wanted to protect their sect leader.
Nangong Xuanning's eyes widened in shock, and she shook her head in disbelief, "No... I can't do it, no..."
Gu Qianying was her best friend. How could she kill Gu Qianying for her daughter!
"Can't do it? Heh! Then I can't help either..."
As she spoke, Wulala Na Yixiu directly grabbed Gu Zi Yi's neck.
"Don't!"
Nangong Xuanning exclaimed.
Lan Qingqing, Caixia, and Leng all looked towards Wulala Na Yixiu.
Meng Shi, standing behind Gu Qianying, covered the young emperor's eyes. She remained silent.
She and Nangong Xuanning were friends, but even so, she had no intention of stepping forward for Nangong Xuanning.
She could do anything for Gu Qianying, but between her and Nangong Xuanning, she felt it was none of her business and she could disregard it.
"Tsk..."
Just as Nangong Xuanning didn't know what to do.
Her hand was suddenly grabbed by someone.
As she looked down, a long sword appeared in her hand.
"Mmm..."
She looked up, her eyes filled with shock, at the person before her.
"Qian... Qianying...!"
"Sect Leader!"
"Sect Leader!"
"Qianying!"
"Godmother!"
Lan Qingqing, Caixia, Leng, Meng Shi, and the young emperor exclaimed.
Everyone showed expressions of shock.
The white-robed youths present were also the same.
Gu Qianying held the sword and released Nangong Xuanning's hand. She was dressed in a red robe, its color no different from blood. The sword had already been stained red with blood.
Nangong Xuanning instinctively let go of the sword.
Tears streamed down her face.
Her lips trembled, and she didn't know what to say.
Instead, Gu Qianying pulled the sword from her chest, dropped it on the ground, clutched her bleeding chest, and looked at Wulala Na Yixiu, "Are you satisfied with this?"
Her fingers loosened slightly, and Gu Zi Yi's complexion eased a little.
"Just like this... of course, I'm not satisfied. Gu Qianying, I know your abilities best. You escaped from my hands back then. Today, with just this one sword, you won't die."
Wulala Na Yixiu put down the child in her hands, and her terrifying, slender palm landed on Gu Zi Yi's head.
Gu Qianying... I..."
Before she could finish her words, Gu Qianying's cold voice interrupted, "Release everyone here, and this sect leader will stay and let you deal with me as you please, how about it?"