"We swear to follow you to our dying breath! We wish to remain by your side even after death! We beg you, Imperial Preceptor, grant our wish!"
All the soldiers, whether they still had legs or not, whether they were near death or gravely wounded, "knelt" before Luo Yunji. Summoning every last ounce of strength, they shouted in unison.
"I... agree!"
The sorrow in Luo Yunji's eyes turned to tears that slid down his cheeks.
A flash of blue light. Every soldier before him wore a joyful smile as they slowly bowed their heads to the ground, swearing their allegiance.
Luo Yunji took the Treasure Umbrella from his back and opened it gently. Countless black shadows appeared in an instant, then transformed into figures indistinguishable from the living.
The Treasure Umbrella blazed with a deep, eerie light, enveloping the soldiers kneeling before him. Then, to the astonishment of the Prince and the others, one Spirit Entity after another floated out of the soldiers' bodies. Bathed in the eerie glow, they became whole again, just as they had been in life!
"We pay our respects to the Imperial Preceptor!" The soldiers, granted "new life," knelt before Luo Yunji once more, their faces alight with joy.
"Rise!"
Luo Yunji's voice seemed to have changed. It was clear and bright, yet tinged with a hint of coldness.
He didn't put away the Treasure Umbrella. Holding it over his head, he walked to one side as the shadows followed close behind. Beneath the umbrella's eerie glow, everyone saw a man appear before them, his face clouded with confusion.
"You killed my fellow students. Even if it wasn't your intention, you still have to pay the price. Death isn't my punishment for you," Luo Yunji said coldly to the confused spirit.
A beam of eerie