Within the vast formation, smoke billowed and spiritual light shattered. The fellow cultivators and Chan Sect disciples all around had fallen and vanished. Across that immense expanse, only Jiang Ziya remained, standing alone amid the ruins.
He gripped the God-Beating Whip and the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner with both hands, his knuckles white. His arms shook uncontrollably, and cold sweat soaked his palms.
His usual composure had vanished. His eyes were hollow and unfocused as he stared at the devastation around him, where every immortal figure had fallen. A boulder seemed to pin his chest beneath its weight, and even his breath carried a bone-deep chill.
He muttered the same words over and over, his voice hoarse and trembling, filled with despair as he fell apart:
"We lost... we all lost..."
The road ahead was uncertain, every pillar of support gone. The great undertaking of God Conferment teetered on the brink, and all their countless schemes had collapsed.
Boundless helplessness swept through him. His shoulders sagged, his body swayed, and dejection and fear filled his eyes. Only despair remained in his heart, spreading silently through the deathly still formation.
The formation clouds lay in tatters, and a desolate wind howled.
Suddenly, a figure appeared silently in midair.
Shen Gongbao hovered above the formation with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down at Jiang Ziya, who stood alone amid the wreckage.
Mockery and delight filled his expression. He immediately burst into wild laughter, every note dripping with scorn.
"Ha ha ha ha! Jiang Ziya, I never thought I'd see you like this!"
His gaze swept over the trembling, bedraggled Jiang Ziya, his tone arrogant and unrestrained.
"With the Three Immortal Maidens of our Interception Sect presiding over the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation, your Chan Sect was doomed to defeat today.