The seductive voice reached their ears. Regardless of sex, everyone's mind swayed, and a strange fragrance suddenly entered their nostrils, like musk and orchid. Their bodies seemed to drift and float, as though they had fallen into the clouds.
Fire clouds hung low, surrounded by blazing light. Qingqiu descended above Yanling Island, holding a long spear in one hand and carrying it behind her back. Her crystalline eyes reflected the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation ahead.
The Lady had suddenly issued an edict, ordering her to come reinforce the formation. Was this meant to open the curtain on a new round of Other Shore contention? Or had she already "seen" that Lady Sanxiao was merely bluffing, relying on the Human Emperor's reluctance to escalate the conflict lightly and using an "empty-city stratagem" to scare off the enemy?
If it was the former, then on closer thought, it was not without reason. Given the current situation, Amitabha Buddha, Wusheng Laomu, and Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable Su Meng all wished to preserve the relative calm before Gu Xiaosang's assault on the Other Shore, rather than let variables multiply and create an unpredictable future.
—At present, Amitabha Buddha had solidified his alliance with Bodhi Ancient Buddha. The Gold Sovereign had somehow reached an understanding with the Heavenly Emperor and Demon Buddha, perhaps even secretly joining forces with them at some price. Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable Su Meng, meanwhile, had continuously cultivated good relations with the Azure Emperor. It was easy to imagine that when Gu Xiaosang attempted to break free of the Sea of Suffering and bring Amitabha Buddha and Wusheng Laomu closer to the Dao Fruit, the Other Shore Great Figures who would stand forth to stop her would clearly be at a disadvantage. If they did not seize this opportunity to muddy the