"Ah!"
Wei Yunqing's miserable scream rang out as the thunderball struck, her body thrashing wildly on the ground. Purple lightning threads wrapped around her completely, crackling as they tightened with every roll.
Li Li covered her eyes with her claws and muttered softly to Dian Dian: "Tell me, is she smart or just stupid? Even I, a beast, wouldn't believe in some spirit stones dropping from the sky. She's a Divine Transformation cultivator, yet she still fell for something like this!"
Her tone carried more pity than ridicule.
Dian Dian flicked his ears and replied, "Master said that seeking benefit and avoiding harm is instinct for cultivators. She probably thought instinctively that this would bring her some kind of advantage!"
Just as Wei Yunqing was on the verge of fainting from pain, Xun Kun, Han Lian, and Yun Chen appeared aboard Yunxi's flying boat, arriving just in time to witness the scene.
Han Lian raised an eyebrow. "What happened here?"
Yunxi didn't want to repeat Wei Yunqing's foolishness. Instead, she tossed Han Lian a jade slip.
Han Lian swept it with her divine sense, then passed it to Yun Chen. Xun Kun didn't need to read it; he already knew Wei Yunqing's movements in the Southern Region. He hadn't expected that after nearly overturning the entire Weiyu Realm in search of her, she would appear here over a so-called ancient estate.
Yunxi summarized what had just happened, rubbing her temple. "She was tricked by Long Ya's blade spirit. That estate is about to open. We need to activate the 'Heavenly Gang North Star Demon-Slaying Formation' ahead of schedule. Otherwise, the Weiyu Realm will fall before we even implement the ascension plan."
That was what gave her the biggest headache. It was true what they said: plans never keep up with changes.
"Amitabha. The formations in the Eastern Region are fully deployed. They can be activated at any time."
Han Lian handed the jade slip to Xun Kun, continuing, "The Northern Region's formations are ready as well. I can return to oversee everything."
Xun Kun scanned the jade slip's contents with his divine sense and returned it to Yunxi. "Perhaps we can suppress this estate temporarily and find an opportunity to break this situation."
Before he could finish speaking, a streak of light shot out from Wei Yunqing's dantian, trying to escape. A long staff glowing with purple-gold radiance slammed it back violently.
Yunxi gripped Wei Yunqing's Tianqing Waterwood Sword, her voice cold. "Long Ya, we meet again."
The sword trembled slightly, then played dead, making no response.
The blade spirit remembered clearly. This crazy woman had detonated an immortal artifact, severely injuring its body and nearly erasing its consciousness. If not for its quick thinking, dodging the most fatal strike, it would already have vanished.
It had struggled to escape the Shanhe Scroll using the hands of upper realm evil cultivators, found itself a new master, put on a disguise, and even discovered the place where its old master was sealed. After painstakingly persuading its new master to unlock the first seal, it had once again fallen into the clutches of this madwoman. The spirit felt that since meeting her, its life had been cursed.
The lightning around Wei Yunqing began retracting after purging her body of evil qi, shrinking toward her dantian.
Wei Yunqing realized what was happening. She bit her lip, trying to control her trembling body, and looked up at Ran Xi, who was gripping her natal sword. Her voice shook. "Ran Xi, please... don't destroy... my dantian, I beg you!"
Yunxi looked down at Wei Yunqing, who was struggling to hold herself up. "Even if your dantian was 'restored,' it was nothing but an illusion cast by an evil cultivator. Will you keep lying to yourself?"
"No! Stop talking!"
Wei Yunqing clutched her head and shook violently, eyes squeezed shut.
Yunxi didn't relent. She grabbed at the illusion over Wei Yunqing's dantian, shattering it with an explosive surge of lightning spiritual power.
"Ugh!"
Wei Yunqing let out a muffled groan, collapsing again. Pain surged from her dantian. She knew now the restoration had been fake. She had been completely used by the evil cultivators.
Tears rimmed her eyes as she looked up. "Why? Why me? Is it just because I'm your sister?"
Han Lian snorted coldly. "Why? Because you are greedy. Because your jealousy consumed you. Every step here was your own choice!
What right do you have to question Ran Xi? If not for her mercy, do you think you could have left the Shanhe Scroll alive with just your Nascent Soul cultivation? So many cultivators with better talent, who worked harder than you, died there. Why should you live?"
Xun Kun spoke coldly, "Han Lian, there's no need to waste words on her. Let's focus on what she's done and prepare accordingly. Cultivators will soon start gathering here."
"Amitabha. Allow me."
Yun Chen pressed his palms together, performing a Buddhist gesture, then placed his hand over Wei Yunqing's head. He was about to perform a soul search.
"No! Stop! I was wrong! Please! Yunxi, I'm your sister! I'm your sister!"
Wei Yunqing was truly terrified now. Her usual arrogance was gone as she sobbed, begging Yunxi for mercy.
But Yunxi was unmoved. Wei Yunqing had survived this long only because of false heavenly dao intervention. Now, true heavenly will had chosen to act through Yun Chen Fózǐ. Yunxi was happy to let it happen.
Wei Yunqing's gaze grew vacant. Moments later, all light faded from her eyes. After Yun Chen withdrew his hand, she sat stiffly on her knees like a lifeless puppet.
Li Li and Dian Dian had been watching the entire time, heads propped up by their little paws. They sighed inwardly at Wei Yunqing's fate. In the next breath, Li Li leapt out of her spirit beast pouch. With claws gleaming, she slashed at Wei Yunqing's position. A shrill scream echoed around them.
The soul bell at Xun Kun's waist trembled. His eyes hardened as he infused it with dark spiritual power. The bell flew above Wei Yunqing's head, sucking in a translucent white soul as angry cries rang out:
"You can't do this to me!"
With a dull thud, Wei Yunqing's body collapsed. She was dead.
Yunxi flicked her finger, sending out a burst of Zi Yan flames. Wei Yunqing's corpse turned to ash instantly, her crimson bracelet incinerated along with it. None of them cared for her possessions.
The Tianqing Waterwood Sword in Yunxi's hand developed a crack. Its master's death had gravely damaged it, pushing its blade spirit even closer to annihilation.
Li Li jumped onto Yunxi's lap and whispered through spiritual transmission, "Zūnzhě, that wasn't Wei Yunqing's original soul."
"Mm. I saw."
Though Xun Kun had been fast, all four of them were Out-of-Body stage cultivators. Their perception was sharp.
Xun Kun retrieved his soul bell, inscribing a seal with his fingers before speaking. "That was only a fragment of her soul."
Han Lian's eyes widened. "From above?"
Yunxi rubbed her fingers thoughtfully. "It's not that simple."