"I never expected even the Patriarch to fall. What a pity—I had only just finished Secluded Cultivation, yet now I have to enter Secluded Cultivation again."
Amid the bloody rain, a young man stood atop the ruins of the Corpse Herding Sect, holding a wisp of white aura in his hand—the strand of immortal qi that had leaked from the immortal gate. This man was Ji Xingchen, the Corpse Herding Sect's chief inner disciple.
It was also his good fortune that the cave mansion where he had been cultivating had not come under attack, allowing him to escape unscathed. In truth, he had long since noticed the fighting outside, but he had chosen to preserve himself wisely and stayed hidden. It was his luck again that he witnessed the mysterious being open the immortal gate and ascend—and even picked up this strand of immortal qi for free.
"Once I refine this immortal qi, perhaps I too will be able to open the immortal gate with a wave of my hand, just like that person."
Ji Xingchen felt little emotion over the destruction of the Corpse Herding Sect. He had only joined the sect halfway through his journey. To put it bluntly, he had merely used the sect's resources to cultivate. Rather than a sect disciple, he saw his relationship with the Corpse Herding Sect as one of employer and employee. Now that the Corpse Herding Sect had fallen, he naturally claimed this place for himself.
By then, Shen Yi and Hong Ling had already escaped. After several days of twists and turns, the two finally returned to Fengdu City.
The moment they entered the crystal barrier, they saw utter devastation inside, as though a fierce battle had just taken place. Vegetation had withered, houses had collapsed, and rubble lay everywhere.