The cold night was bleak, the zither's melody ethereal. Above the void, Yama played, slaughter began, divine artifact and Immortal Bell echoed one another, and the Yellow Springs welcomed their guests.
An unspeakable terror swept forth. Blood-colored zither waves surged through the air; wherever they passed, the void collapsed and all things crumbled, a sight that shook the heavens.
The divine zither stood before them, the Immortal Bell behind them. The venerables' plight grew ever more dire. They could neither block nor refrain from blocking as wave after wave of zither sound spread outward, heedless of life or death.
Within the mountains, young powerhouses watched the scene in the sky, unable to conceal their shock. Did the Ninth Son of Ink Sect truly intend to bury every Star Venerable here?
"Dong!"
The zither wave crashed into the Immortal Bell. The Eastern Emperor trembled, bell waves rippling out. Zither notes and bell chimes intertwined as terrifying destructive power shook the world and drained heaven and earth of color.
Slaughter unfolded beneath the night. Plain clothes fluttered in the wind, and not a trace of mercy could be seen in those icy eyes. Yama claimed lives, cutting off all future trouble.
The battle in Central Province had been carved into his bones. Qing Ling had sacrificed herself to protect him. That memory, one he never wished to recall, made Zhiming's heart several shades more ruthless.
In the mountains below, tears filled the eyes of the woman in azure robes. Drop by drop, they fell and soaked her clothes.
Beside her, Airan stood quietly in pink-red robes. She watched the Plain-clothed Figure in the sky, then, after a long while, sighed softly in her heart and turned her gaze toward the woman beside her.
In this world, she was the only one who