Tu Shanjun dragged the barely-alive Cui Guang to Wen Yue’s side.

Wen Yue was in a terrible state; various types of malevolent energy raged uncontrollably within his body.

And because he had consumed too many Yin Soul Pills, the Yin malevolent energy erupted, constantly eroding his body.

Looking at Wen Yue now, he appeared as if he were already fifty or sixty years old.

Tu Shanjun picked up the healing pills and malevolent energy dispelling pills from the ground, forced open Wen Yue’s mouth and stuffed them in.

He tore open Lin Hui’s storage talisman, took out the pills inside, crushed them, and smeared them on Wen Yue’s wounds.

Thud.

Tu Shanjun threw Cui Guang in front of Wen Yue.

He didn't deliver the final blow to Cui Guang, because compared to himself, his disciple would surely prefer to take revenge with his own hands.

A glimmer of light appeared in Wen Yue’s murky eyes, and his voice was hoarse. “You spoke my name.”

“Someone created the conditions for you to kill me. Who was it?”

Cui Guang had no strength left. Through the slits of his swollen eyes, he stared at the white-haired man before him, managing a strained smile. “You… will never know. They… will be like venomous snakes, striking you again.”

“Even if you don’t say it, I know who it is,” Wen Yue’s sorrow had not yet faded from his face, and a look of loathing flashed in his eyes.

He looked back in the direction of Tong Pass City.

He had thought that as long as he avoided that damned slaughterhouse in Liang City, he could protect the borders and bring peace to the people, that as long as his military achievements were outstanding, he would be invincible.

But today's lesson told him that simply avoiding conflict wouldn't allow him to escape unscathed.

Since there was no avoiding it, he would clear away all obstacles.

No matter what fiends or demons, nothing could stop him.

Wen Yue faced Cui Guang, raised the Soul Banner in his hand and plunged it down fiercely, piercing Cui Guang’s heart.

The Qi Refining seventh-layer Yin Soul was immediately dragged into the Soul Banner.

The Soul Banner now contained two Qi Refining sixth-layer and one Qi Refining fifth-layer living souls.

The corpses turned to dust under the erosion of malevolent energy.

With four more living souls of Qi Refining cultivators, Tu Shanjun’s strength advanced further, directly breaking through to the eighth layer of Qi Refining.

The color of the fleshy horn on his forehead deepened, seemingly on the verge of shedding its dark-green hue and developing into a fully keratinized layer.

Amidst the battlefield's slaughter, the Soul Banner once again reaped a large amount of malevolent energy.

“Master, Sanhu’s body?”

Wen Yue held Sanhu’s head, dazedly searching for Sanhu’s body.

Tu Shanjun shook his head. While he was fighting for his life with Cui Guang, Sanhu’s body had simply run off.

Furthermore, Tu Shanjun hadn't found Sanhu's living soul within the area either.

It didn't seem like it had been dispersed by the battlefield's malevolent energy, nor did it seem to have vanished on its own. Rather, it seemed to have disappeared along with the body.

That demonic hand clearly possessed its own consciousness, though perhaps that consciousness was very weak, like an instinct.

But when facing him, the demonic hand showed fear. Perhaps it was the demonic hand that had taken Sanhu's body away from the battlefield, and simultaneously taken Sanhu's living soul.

Tears poured from Wen Yue’s eyes like a breached dam. The white-haired Wen Yue trembled, clutching Sanhu’s head.

Sanhu was his kin and possessed an innocent heart; how could he not be moved?

He had also promised his wife that he would bring Sanhu back safely. How was he to explain this to his wife at home now?

How was he to explain to his in-laws?

At this moment, Wen Yue's mind cleared considerably. He quickly wiped the tears from his face and said, "Father-in-law is still trapped deep in Jiangyun Valley."

However, his body was now nearing exhaustion, his foundational essence damaged, taking a large chunk of his lifespan with it. Moreover, he was entangled by malevolent energy, his body riddled with wounds.

If he were to rush off to rescue someone again, he might die on the way.

“Teacher.”

Wen Yue looked at Tu Shanjun with hope.

With his revered teacher before him, and something he needed to ask of him, this was his only recourse.

Tu Shanjun scanned his surroundings, picking up the Daoist robes and storage talismans of the Primordial Spirit Sect cultivators.

He walked to the cliff face, digging out a deep pit with a few powerful claw strikes, and placed Wen Yue inside.

He then tore open a storage talisman and meticulously arranged healing pills before Wen Yue, within easy reach.

Currently, malevolent energy was coursing wildly through Wen Yue’s body; only rare treasures capable of organizing malevolent energy could suppress it.

Tu Shanjun opened his monstrous maw and spat out an object.

It was crystal clear, like a large, glistening water droplet.

A malevolent ghost's tear.

This tear was born from a malevolent ghost's body, and malevolent ghosts were the embodiment of negative emotions; thus, it should have been the most impure thing.

But Tu Shanjun was different. He retained his clear consciousness. Were it not for his current non-human body, he was no different from a normal person.

His emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness had never changed.

Therefore, this sincere tear, precisely because it emerged from the mire unstained, became the purest thing. Its simplest use was to absorb and purify malevolent energy.

Wen Yue's condition was dire now. To save him, Tu Shanjun had no choice but to bring forth this item.

He placed the ghost tear on Wen Yue’s forehead.

Leaving only one instruction: “Survive.”

With that, he lifted a rock and sealed the cave entrance.

Hearing this, Wen Yue could no longer suppress his tears. The desire for life reignited in his eyes.

He had to hold on so that Teacher could rescue his father-in-law.

He still had many, many promises to fulfill.

His enemies were still alive and well; how could he die?

In fact, the moment he saw Xiang Hu, Wen Yue understood that after his death, he would inevitably enter the Soul Banner.

Whether it was what he hoped for or simply the reality, Wen Yue didn't consider it a big deal.

If one achieved longevity, one could command the Soul Banner without dying.

If one's cultivation ended and one died, what did it matter if one entered the Soul Banner?

Teacher was already within the Soul Banner.

Without Teacher's help within the Soul Banner, this life would have been confined to a sickbed, and merely surviving would have been a luxury. If one day he died, he would calmly enter the Soul Banner and become one of its souls.

But he could not die yet.

Wen Yue sat cross-legged, digesting the healing pills and the pills for solidifying his foundation and cultivating his vitality.

The malevolent energy within him was tangled into several strands, rushing about and destroying his body. His already severely wounded and near-death body was further exacerbated. If not for the life-saving pills and his own strong divine soul, he would likely have long since exhausted his oil lamp.

Now, with the ghost tear in place, it immediately began to furiously absorb the malevolent energy, greatly alleviating the pressure on Wen Yue’s body.

Wen Yue simultaneously activated his visualization method.

Mind-Ape Settles Will.

The mountain specters and ghosts within the Soul Banner emitted roars, and faintly, the phantom of a blood ape shimmered.

The one-zhang tall Soul Banner standing behind Wen Yue actually helped Wen Yue suppress the malevolent energy within his body.

This was something Wen Yue had not anticipated either.

To separate and wear down the malevolent energy, his spiritual power automatically circulated, unconsciously covering the Soul Banner as well. He hadn't expected that the Demonic Ape's Resolve visualization method would actually activate that trace of the blood ape phantom that the mountain ape spirit within the banner had.

With the help of the true intent of the Demonic Ape's Resolve Fist, Wen Yue could suppress the malevolent energy within his body even more quickly.

“Exhale.”

“Inhale.”

The breathing technique operated.

The crystalline ghost tear shimmered with light, still pure.

…

“Marquis, reinforcements have arrived!” The old soldier excitedly reported the intelligence to the Marquis Annan.

His long-time personal guard beside him spoke with a puzzled expression, “Could it be that Geng Lie sent reinforcements?”

“How could that be? We’ve been trapped for half a month and haven’t seen Geng Lie’s reinforcements. It must be Young Master and Young Miss’s husband who received the news and have come,” the old Song family soldier scoffed. He simply didn't believe that scoundrel would send troops to rescue them.

On the day of the great battle, it was clearly Geng Lie who advocated for sending troops, yet he was so thoroughly defeated by Yuwen Xing that he lost his temper, and even his central army was split in two.

For over ten days, the soldiers who had broken out to seek aid had vanished without a trace, neither seen alive nor found dead.

Later, everyone understood that those who went for help had most likely been killed by Geng Lie; this had clearly become a suicide mission.

But what if they hadn't sent the message? They were out of supplies.

During the heavy snowfall, countless soldiers died from drinking melted snow. If they were trapped for another half a month, once the last of their rations were consumed, the entire army would truly be annihilated.

The Marquis Annan leaned on his long spear, feeling an unsettling unease in his heart.

And after so many days, he had thought deeply, even suspecting that Geng Lie had intentionally kept his distance that day.

Otherwise, how could it have been such a coincidence?

Most importantly, Yuwen Xing had never intended to wipe them out.

To surround but not kill was to set a trap for reinforcements.

If Yuwen Xing and Geng Lie were colluding, then the target was obvious.

Therefore, upon hearing the news of Wen Yue and Sanhu coming to their aid, not only did he feel no relief, but a sudden jolt of alarm.

They had fallen into a trap.

(Chapter End)