You Can Run If You Want, But Why Did You Have to Take Me with You?

The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, crashed against the barrier of the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain, stirring up countless icy blue ripples.

Ganlong Venerable's wide sleeves billowed, and her Mystic Ice Chi Armor shimmered with a chilling light under the moonlight. Before her toes even touched the ground, twelve streams of light of different colors tore through the chaos of the snowy night, causing the surrounding snow mist to swirl. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that twelve powerful figures of great renown and authority on the sacred mountain had surrounded Ganlong Venerable, who was carrying You Su.

Venerable Chengliang, his back hunched, his withered fingers stroking the jade tablet at his waist:

"Why is Your Excellency in such a hurry, making a nighttime patrol?"

Ganlong Venerable narrowed her sharp eyes and followed the sound, looking at the old man who had devoted himself to the sacred mountain for many years. He was one of the few people she could trust.

The old man no longer addressed her Sovereign Lord" to express his respect, but instead called her "Head," the title that held the least significance for him.

There are very few people on the entire sacred mountain whom she can trust, because such a person not only needs to be capable, but also have the ambition to govern Northern Ao Continent, and be willing to serve her. The fact that Venerable Chengliang appeared here made her instantly understand something.

"A life has been lost in Frost City, and the Divine Mountain has already imposed a curfew on four cities. Your Excellency should set an example and go back to rest."

Within the twelve beams of light, someone offered kind words of dissuasion. After a moment's thought, Ganlong Venerable recognized the voice as belonging to a Venerable with whom she had almost no connection.

She was slightly surprised. If all the people who came were acquaintances, it would mean she had been betrayed. But this couldn't break her, because even her closest 'friends' had betrayed her. The road to her ideals was destined to be lonely, and she had long been prepared for that.

But the fact that there were several unfamiliar people involved meant that far more people knew about Sea Well's affairs than she had imagined. This wasn't a simple betrayal; it was a premeditated attempt to undermine her authority!

"Having heard that evil spirits are causing trouble in Changshan City, I, as the head of the Evil Warding Department, intend to investigate personally." The Ganlong Venerable's skirt, embroidered with dragon patterns, brushed against the snow, each step leaving a trail of blooming ice lotuses. "According to the laws of the Divine Mountain, I am not bound by this curfew. It's remarkable that everyone has arrived in such a complete manner; did you perhaps know I was going down the mountain?"

Venerable Ningshuang stepped out of the shadows, his sinister eyes gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light. "Your Excellency is too kind. We only came because you caused such a commotion."

Ganlong Venerable frowned deeply, knowing that her reason was extremely lame. She had only made a sound by breaking through the prison wall, yet these people had arrived so quickly.

"A bunch of hypocrites!" You Su cursed in a low voice. He was bound by ice armor and forcibly held in this wicked woman's hand. He was already furious, and hearing these people's words made him even angrier.

"Insolence!" A bronze counting rod flew out from Venerable Chengliang's sleeve, but it was shattered by the illusory ice dragon the instant it touched You Su's forehead.

The old man's cloudy eyes turned to Ganlong Venerable, "Does Your Excellency know who this man in your hands is?! He's not only the madman who killed Young Master Shuang, but also Evil Demon wanted throughout the Five Continents! This boy must not be allowed to live!"

"The execution of a candidate for Immortal Official requires a three-day trial before a verdict is reached; this is the law." Even surrounded by twelve people, Ganlong Venerable's robes billowed wildly, yet her tone remained as noble and unyielding as ever.

The original intent of this law was that the death of the celestial official was of great importance, and the cause and effect of the murderer's crime had to be clarified. However, at this moment, the three-day interrogation period seemed to have become You Su's temporary get-out-of-jail-free card.

"In that case, I would like to request that Your Excellency return to conduct the interrogation." Venerable Chengliang raised his right hand in a gesture of invitation.

"Didn't you understand that I said I was going out to investigate a case?!" Ganlong Venerable spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice not loud, but penetrating enough to cut through the howling mountain wind. "Or are you deliberately trying to prevent me from leaving here?!"

As she finished speaking, Ganlong Venerable lightly tapped the void with his fingertips, and the blizzard suddenly condensed into hundreds of ice swords that hung behind her.

Just as tensions were about to rise, starlight suddenly shone on the mountain ridge, and seventy-two crystal lanterns were lit one after another.

Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, Ganlong Venerable recognized the faces of all of them, causing the countless ice swords in the sky to tremble slightly in surprise.

"Your Excellency misunderstands." Venerable Chengliang's withered face appeared bluish-gray under the lamplight. Such flashy moves did not frighten him. On the contrary, he keenly caught the fleeting hint of retreat in Ganlong Venerable's eyes.

She knew she was no match for the twelve of them.

This was a feeling he had come to more and more directly over the past thirty years: although this Ganlong Venerable's aura was still a notch higher than his own, a mid-stage Void Realm cultivator, she was making fewer and fewer moves, which was definitely not in line with her personality.

In the past, the twelve of them would never have dared to stand in her way, because having cultivated to this level, they were all afraid of death. But now, looking at this imposing Ganlong Venerable, they couldn't even conjure up the word 'death'.

"Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?" Ganlong Venerable sneered. "Could it be that I have misunderstood Venerable Chengliang's treachery?"

Venerable Chengliang stroked his beard and shook his head. "You flatter me, Chief Abbot. I have never been a treacherous person. I still remember the first words you said to me when you first met me."

"Do you want to save Northern Ao Continent?" That was the question the once-glorious Ganlong Venerable asked him.

"My answer has always been the same. I think, I still think, my goal has never changed. I hope that the Chief can cooperate. You have done more than enough. You just need to rest for a while, and we will definitely give you a prosperous Bei'ao."

A look of earnestness appeared on Venerable Chengliang's deeply lined old face, Ganlong Venerable seemed lost in thought as if the old man was still on his side.

"Fool! If you can't save Northern Ao Continent, then let me go!" You Su had already been tormented by Ganlong Venerable for a long time, and now that he was bound by ice armor, he was even more unable to move, but he still didn't let up with his words.

Ganlong Venerable's gaze was drawn to his curses. You Su met his gaze fiercely, but found that the woman's eyes no longer held the same determination to kill him as before. Her complex gaze seemed to be stained with ink.

"I racked my brains and poured my heart and soul into coming up with this method for the rise of Bei'ao. Now that it's all done, you want me to just wash my hands of it. If you were in my shoes, would you be willing to do that?" Ganlong Venerable shook his head and asked rhetorically.

The old man paused slightly, but did not answer. He simply continued, "Please return to the mountain, Chief."

Ganlong Venerable suddenly gave a cold laugh, a sorrowful and bitter laugh, "I only ask you one thing—"

"Was the Evil Tide in Changshan City caused by you?!"

Upon hearing this, the aura of the twelve people surged simultaneously, making it difficult for You Su to breathe. The accumulated snow also rolled down due to this pressure, like a small avalanche.

Venerable Chengliang, with his hands behind his back, said, "My Sovereign Lord once told me that if Bei'ao wanted to prosper, it needed extraordinary measures. I have always kept that in mind and deeply agree with it. But my Sovereign Lord's method is still too idealistic. Covering Bei'ao's vast territory with Black Soil is no different from the story of the Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains. We cannot save the entire Northern Ao Continent, nor do we need to save it."

He suddenly raised his arm and shouted, "When this is accomplished, all the living people of the Northern Ao Continent will thank you, Your Sovereign Lord! You have completed your mission. Now that you have returned to the mountain, you will be crowned with a glorious name for all eternity! Cheng Liang, please return to the mountain, Your Sovereign Lord!"

In these words, he unconsciously referred to the female immortal as "Your Sovereign Lord," demonstrating the True Intention of his deep reverence for this noble female immortal.

But Ganlong Venerable trembled violently, her black hair flying wildly. This trusted old woman had admitted that her plan had been altered, and it seemed that only she, the one who had originally devised the plan, was unaware of it. Complex and painful emotions surged through her chest, and she slowly spoke:

"And what about those who have died...? Will they thank me too...?"

She seemed to be asking a question, or perhaps questioning herself.

Venerable Chengliang remained silent for a long time before finally saying softly, "The gratitude of the deceased is meaningless."

"Hahaha..." Ganlong Venerable burst out laughing upon hearing this.

The woman who topped the Heavenly Immortal Ranking should have had a smile of Celestial Person beauty, but her laughter at this moment was more unpleasant than the sharp whistling of the mountain wind passing through the cracks in the rocks.

Everyone stared in awe at her seemingly deranged state, while the twelve immortals stood ready for battle.

Their aura had long since sealed off this world; even the Lord of Flesh and Blood did not receive such treatment when He appeared in the mortal realm.

The stars and moon in the sky were dim, and a biting wind swept across his face. The seventy-two celestial lamps flickered incessantly, Ganlong Venerable stopped smiling.

"Old Cheng, ask yourself, do you really want to save Bei Ao?"

Venerable Chengliang flicked his sleeves, raised his head and puffed out his chest, "Your Excellency need not doubt my original intentions. You only need to go back, and you will soon understand our good intentions."

This answer was clearly not what Ganlong Venerable wanted.

You Su watched as the peerless female immortal, whose eyes had always burned with fire, now saw the fire in her eyes dim.

That Celestial Person beautiful face suddenly turned towards him. Although she was looking down, her eyes no longer held the arrogant disdain of before, but were filled with dejection. You Su, who had been spitting out a string of curses, found himself unable to utter a single one.

"You're right, I was mistaken... There are no like-minded people of mine here. I thought they were here to save the entire Northern Ao, but actually... they just want to save themselves in this barren land."

As soon as she finished speaking, the illusory ice dragon behind her roared to the sky, and a large area of snow around her swirled up and shot into the air!

The Ink Pine Sword at You Su's waist seemed to sense the overwhelming fighting spirit and trembled violently, as if it also wanted to show its skills. You Su quickly realized that this woman wanted to force her way in!

"Let me go. I'll go and plug those six Sea Well. When I get back, I won't punish you with death." Her voice was utterly cold.

Venerable Ningshuang was the first to form a powerful Dharma image, and he roared, "Stop using your power to bully others! The dignified head of the Evil Warding Department, yet you stubbornly persist in your evil ways, digging wells to treachery! It is you who should be spared the death penalty!!"

The others, who had initially felt a slight fear due to the sudden surge of power from Ganlong Venerable, knew they would be powerless against her if she were still at the Upper Void Realm or even at its peak. However, upon hearing Venerable Ningshuang's words, they quickly realized that there was no turning back now.

Leaving Ganlong Venerable behind is something they absolutely must do!

The snow mist was shredded into dust by the gale, and the ice lotus beneath the feet of the Ganlong Venerable suddenly exploded into countless shards. The seventy-two glazed immortal lamps went out in response, leaving only twelve dazzling pillars of light in the world, like divine punishment descending upon the earth.

"Nine Revolutions of Heavenly Frost!"

The Venerable Ningshuang's Dharma form swelled to a hundred feet, and as he pushed out his palms, frost patterns spread from the void, and even the invisible wind condensed into ice shards wherever it passed.

As Ganlong Venerable's wide sleeves billowed, nine Mysterious Ice Chi Dragons sprang forth, their mouths wide open, spewing out ghostly blue ice flames—Bai Ze recognized at a glance that this madwoman was using a desperate Technique Method!

The moment the ice flames collided with the frost patterns, the entire Kong Yuan Divine Mountain trembled. You Su was dizzy from being swept up by the shockwave, but he was also surprised that the Ganlong Venerable had been protecting him all along, refusing to abandon him even in the face of death.

He looked up and saw Venerable Chengliang's withered fingers Hand Seals, and the Twelve Star Constellations Array rising from the snowfield, while the ice lotus beneath Ganlong Venerable's feet shattered inch by inch.

"The dragon returns to the void!"

Ganlong Venerable bit her tongue, and the nine dragons began to tear and devour each other, eventually transforming into a ferocious blue dragon that charged towards the star formation, determined to break free of its restraints.

"Stop her!"

Before Venerable Chengliang could finish his roar, twelve pillars of light had already woven a net of heaven. The blue dragon crashed into the net of light, bursting out with thousands of golden rays, like shattered stars falling to earth. The attacks of the other eleven immortals also came in response. You Su was in such a powerful storm of Mystic Qi, and he felt as if his internal organs were about to be crushed, and even space itself was distorted.

Ganlong Venerable staggered, her dragon-patterned skirt torn to shreds by the Formation Technique. She glared furiously at the group of acquaintances who used to fawn over her, lamenting that there were simply too many of them. She was confident that she could hold her own against two or three opponents with her newfound strength after her soul split, but they had gone so far as to use twelve Void Realm Immortals to stop her.

"Your Excellency, please stop." Venerable Chengliang produced bronze counting rods from his sleeve, each engraved with the name of the city of Bei'ao. "If you behave yourself, fewer people will die."

The Ganlong Venerable's blood-stained fingertips brushed across the abacus beads as he looked at those familiar names. His icy eyelashes trembled, and the blue dragon behind him cried out as it vanished into the snowstorm.

"I can stay here... but you must block up all those Sea Well!"

The method of digging this Sea Well was known only to her and Venerable Chengliang. Now that she was all alone, if she could not close the well herself, she could only hope that these traitors she hated the most would help her.

"My lord, the abandoned cities are far from the sacred mountain. They are of no value to the Northern Ao Continent. Why should they suck our blood to feed them? You have already reached the summit; to you, they are like ants. Why should you care about their lives and deaths..."

Venerable Chengliang was still trying to persuade Ganlong Venerable to give up, implying that it was impossible for them to close the Sea Well.

Ganlong Venerable's brows and eyes were sharp as knives. She already understood the fundamental difference between herself and these people in high positions, but she also felt powerless because she could not change this difference.

But she was by no means one to give up easily! She had already discerned that the Twelve Great Immortals were hesitant in their attack, and that they did not want to risk her life in a fight!

She could sense that it wasn't just that they didn't want to be the unlucky ones dragged into this mess, but also that they seemed to want to avoid making a big fuss and completely exposing the matter to the public...

That's it! She's definitely not the only one who's been deceived! She doesn't believe that all the immortals on this sacred mountain would abandon the thousands of people of Bei'ao!

She quickly realized that they didn't want things to get out of control either. Their house arrest was not only to prevent her from sabotaging the Sea Well, but also to prevent her from gathering enough power to disrupt their plans!

Therefore, she must break through the encirclement!

Like that teenager who killed someone in the street, the bigger the commotion, the better!

At that moment, the constellation array in the northeast corner suddenly rippled. Bai Ze stepped on the mandala formed by ice crystals and broke through the array, the beads in her hair shattering into dust amidst the surge of spiritual energy. Behind her, Wangshu Fairy's snow sword drew a mysterious trajectory, and wherever the tip of the sword pointed, the snowflakes in the sky all turned into crystal clear ice lotuses.

"Walk!"

Bai Ze formed hand seals, and an icy blue Divine Mark appeared on his forehead. The snow covering the mountain roared into the air, solidifying into an ice mirror maze that blotted out the sky. Each mirror reflected the shattered figure of the Ganlong Venerable, and even the killing moves of the Twelve Great Immortals immediately lost their aim.

Ganlong Venerable stared blankly at 'himself'. Bai Ze's dress was soaked with blood, yet he stubbornly maintained this heaven-defying Technique Method that burned Source Qi —Ice Shard Mirror. This Technique Method had no killing power, but it was one of the world's top imprisonment techniques.

"Why?" she asked hoarsely, as hundreds of versions of herself echoed in unison in the shattered mirror.

The ice mirror began to crack. Even with Bai Ze's perfected Transformation Realm cultivation, this technique was ultimately no match for the brute force of the twelve Void Realm experts.

Bai Ze smiled radiantly amidst the swirling ice shards, "We are kindred spirits."

Ganlong Venerable seemed lost in thought, as if he were seeing himself again at the age of twelve, determined to save Northern Ao Continent.

"Now!"

Bai Ze roared and pushed her toward the only exit in the Ice Mirror Maze.

Twelve deadly attacks arrived at that very moment!

Wangshu Fairy's swordplay suddenly changed, and she turned sharply, actually charging into these deadly attacks. Her snow sword caused a waterfall of ice and snow to pour down.

She had no idea what had happened at this broken sacred mountain; all she wanted to do was protect her junior brother!

Knowing that there was no way to avoid it, the locked-on Ganlong Venerable was preparing for a desperate fight when, at that very moment, a hymn of Brahma resounded through the heavens!

The once desolate sacred mountain suddenly became radiant, the Kongyue was clear and bright, the wind and snow stopped abruptly, and the twelve incredibly powerful killing moves were completely neutralized!

Someone has activated the Mountain Protection Grand Formation!

Ganlong Venerable no longer had time to think about who had risked their life to activate that great formation to help her. Without the lock-on of the twelve Void Immortals, she finally had time to Dragon Escape Technique and vanished in an instant.

Only You Su, who was being held under her armpit, struggled incessantly.

If you're going to run away, why did you have to take me with you?!