When the villainous forces threatened the Celestial Immortal Sect, Shen Yi rose to the occasion, turning the tide in the face of peril.

The bronze bell’s chime suddenly sharpened in the dusk, frost flowers on Shen Yi’s hairpin humming softly. The moment he leapt down from the Sword Pavilion, a crimson star burst into a swirling blood-red vortex on the southwestern horizon. A sulfur-scented gale swept through, toppling the wine jars of the celebration banquet.

“The feathers of the Blue-Eyed Golden Plume Sparrow warn of evil qi!” Haoyu wiped sauce from his sleeves as he charged into the crowd. Over twenty spirit sparrows pecked wildly at the glazed lamp covers. “These feathered pests have ruined three merfolk lanterns. I’ll have Elder Xuanfeng reimburse us later…”

Before he finished, the stone tablet on the Sword Testing Platform oozed ink-like mist. Silver needles clinked against the sandalwood compartments in the Spirit Rhythm medicine box. Staggering, Haoyu grasped the alchemy furnace in alarm: “The earth vein’s spiritual energy is reversing!”

Shen Yi’s jade pendant glowed with a pale blue light. The system’s display flickered wildly inside his pupils: [Warning! Demon energy concentration has exceeded critical threshold. Recommend expending 300 merit points to activate the Mountain Guardian Formation.]

He reversed the frost-step hairpin into his hair knot and kicked Haoyu, who was still gnawing on a chicken leg. “Get all the talismans you carved for the formation, now!”

As the clouds tore apart, Nightshade’s black iron war boots crushed the last sliver of moonlight. Three thousand bronze swords wailed in unison. The blood-eyed curved blade licked the icy crystals on its edge, and the flowing light of the Mountain Guardian Formation peeled away like frost.

“Futile struggles of ants.” Nightshade’s cloak billowed with stardust. Raising his hand, seven crimson stars morphed into chains that coiled around Elder Xuanfeng’s whisk broom. “Let’s see how long the so-called leader of the righteous path can withstand the Heartburn Curse.”

Suddenly, Gao Yao’s flowing cloud silk wrapped around Shen Yi’s wrist. The crescent hairpin she wore blossomed a shield in the fierce wind, blocking three bone spikes hurtling through the air. “The formation’s eye at the southwestern Xun position! Haoyu’s cinnabar talisman…”

A scream cut her off.

Three outer disciples clutched their bleeding ears, rolling on the ground as the azure stones they used for the formation oozed black water. Shen Yi flicked three golden lotus seeds to seal the demon energy and turned to see the blood-eyed curved blade closing in on Gao Yao’s back.

“Yao’er!”

The frost-step hairpin exploded in icy mist, momentarily delaying the blade. Gao Yao spun, her flowing fairy skirt spreading lotus patterns, but the blade still slashed her jade belt at the waist. She staggered beneath the Spirit Rhythm’s open Medicine King Umbrella, pale fingertips gripping a half-torn formation flag.

Nightshade’s laughter mingled with the clang of chains: “Love is the sweetest poison, isn’t it?” His crimson stars suddenly transformed into a cage, trapping Shen Yi amid the frost flowers scattered on the ground. “Watching your beloved bleed but not even able to touch her…”

Golden light flashed in Shen Yi’s pupils. The system blared in his ear: [Detected emotional threshold exceeded. Activate ‘Ephemeral Bloom’ skill? Note: This skill consumes all spiritual power reserves.]

He bit his tongue to stay conscious and caught sight of Elder Xuanfeng’s whisk broom being corroded by the crimson chains. The blood-eyed curved blade struck again at the Medicine King Umbrella; silver needles sparked against the blade’s edge.

***

Blood stained Gao Yao’s skirt as she swept it across the scattered talismans, then plunged the crescent hairpin into her heart. “Return to origin at the Dui position, blood as sacrifice!”

“You’re mad!” Shen Yi’s roar shattered three frost flowers. The pale blue light from his jade pendant momentarily suppressed the crimson star cage.

He saw the blood at Gao Yao’s heart transform into a phoenix shadow crashing toward the formation’s eye. Seizing the moment, Haoyu slammed the cinnabar talisman into the earth vein’s crack. Elder Xuanfeng’s whisk broom finally broke free.

Nightshade’s cloak singed at one corner from the phoenix’s true fire. The blood-eyed curved blade cracked.

As the system’s display flashed, Shen Yi clenched the frost-step hairpin tightly. Gao Yao’s weak voice carried through the battlefield: “Don’t come closer… the formation only lacks the last…”

The crimson star on the southwestern horizon flared even brighter. Shen Yi eyed Nightshade’s newly formed crescent blade wheel, suddenly noticing that the demonic runes matched the bronze corrosion on the Sword Pavilion’s base.

He swallowed the metallic sweetness rising in his throat. The bloodstain on the frost-step hairpin flared with icy flames in his palm.

When the cracks on his jade pendant spread to a third, the system emitted an unusual mechanical tone: [Detected homogenous energy fluctuations. Demon energy tracing progress 92%.]

Nightshade’s blade wheel’s slashing trajectory aligned with the bronze corrosion in Shen Yi’s memory. Facing the wind blade, he raised his right hand. The frost-step hairpin’s ice crystals trapped the residual warmth left by Gao Yao when she pinned her hair.

Suddenly, the icy flames in Shen Yi’s palm condensed into a nine-palace bagua disk. As Nightshade’s blade wheel clashed with the bagua’s hexagrams, it rang out a clear, bell-like chime.

Using the counterforce, Shen Yi tumbled back onto the Sword Testing Platform’s broken pillar. His boot scraped a crack inscribed with the character “Suppress.” At that moment, he recalled the evening primrose he had planted three days ago.

“So that’s it!” Shen Yi wiped the blood from his mouth and quickly formed hand seals.

The newly matured seven-star yarrow in the system’s warehouse transformed into flowing light, weaving a Big Dipper formation around him.

Nightshade’s cold sneer froze on his lips—the seemingly scattered stars had precisely filled the gaps in the crimson star chains.

Haoyu dashed over with a half-shattered formation plate on his head. “Old Shen, take it easy! Last time you blew up the furnace and lost thirty spirit stones…” Before he finished, Shen Yi grabbed him by the collar and flung him toward Elder Xuanfeng. “At the Dui position, supplement with three Fire Departure talismans!”

Nightshade’s cloak suddenly swelled, shrouding the entire Sword Testing Platform in a mist of stardust.

The system display in Shen Yi’s pupils flickered wildly: [Demon energy homogeneity 97%. Recommend activating ‘All Things Thrive’ passive skill.]

He reversed the frost-step hairpin into his left arm; the ice crystals wrapped in blood droplets exploded midair, freezing the mist into shards of glazed glass.

“This move is called ‘Chilling the Star River,’” Shen Yi grinned, his blood-stained teeth stark white and terrifying under the moonlight.

Nightshade was about to mock him but suddenly noticed the glass shards rooting into the ground, sprouting thorny ice vines—the very frost thorns Shen Yi had failed to cultivate by the cold pool last month.

The blood-eyed curved blade struck the ice vines, sparking fire. “Master, these weeds…”

“Silence!” Nightshade’s crimson stars surged, but twisted strangely upon touching the ice vines.

Seizing the opportunity, Shen Yi leapt into the air atop the wildly growing vines. Suddenly, golden seeds spilled from his bosom.

The system’s alert rang through his mind: [Merit points -200. Successfully exchanged for ‘Demon Devouring Sunflower.’]

***

“Please enjoy some sunflower seeds,” Shen Yi snapped his fingers. The golden flower disk instantly emitted thousands of rays of golden light.

Nightshade’s black iron war boots smoked from the scorching light; the blood-eyed curved blade melted into molten iron.

The disciples of the Immortal Sect stared blankly at the golden rain filling the sky. Someone shouted, “Brother Shen, mighty as ever!” Cheers erupted, startling the mountain sparrows into flight.

Shen Yi staggered, clutching a broken pillar, forcing down the rising metallic taste in his throat.

Out of the corner of his eye, beneath the Medicine King Umbrella, Gao Yao traced a healing talisman on Ling Yun’s hand with bloodied fingertips.

Sensing his gaze, the girl suddenly looked up. Her pale lips curled into a familiar mischievous smile—just like the day she was caught sneaking a sip of the hundred-flower brew he’d buried under the peach tree.

“Fool,” Gao Yao mouthed silently. The tassels dangling from her crescent hairpin swayed with her head’s movement.

Shen Yi suddenly felt the pain in his fractured meridians ease—after all, the girl still had the strength to tease him, proving Ling Yun’s medical skills were worth the twenty spirit stones he paid monthly.

Nightshade’s roar shattered his thoughts: “You think it’s over?”

His burned right hand plunged into his chest and pulled out a bronze bell etched with corrosion patterns.

Shen Yi’s system display turned blood red: [Warning! Sword Pavilion’s sealing artifact detected.]

Elder Xuanfeng’s whisk broom suddenly slipped from his hand, flying straight toward the bronze bell in Nightshade’s grasp. “So the traitor from years ago was…” Before he could finish, three crimson star chains sealed his throat.

Shen Yi threw the last three golden lotus seeds but was blocked mid-air by the blood-eyed one’s body.

“The master’s grand ambition is beyond you mere ants.” The single bloodshot eye blazed fanatically as the broken curved blade plunged into his own heart.

Demonic blood gushed onto the bronze bell. The entire Sword Pavilion groaned with a soul-chilling creak.

Shen Yi’s frost-step hairpin shattered in response. The Mountain Guardian Formation’s flowing light extinguished completely.

Nightshade’s cloak flapped wildly in the gale. The sound waves from the bronze bell pulverized the ice vines into powder.

Shen Yi dropped to one knee, gasping. His hand brushed his waist, finding the jade pendant—somehow, the spreading cracks had formed half a bronze bell’s pattern.

“The game has only just begun.” Nightshade’s figure grew ethereal with the bell’s sound. Before leaving, he cast a crimson star that struck precisely at the formation flag by Mingxin’s feet.

The disciple who always shrank behind the crowd suddenly screamed and stumbled back, knocking over the spirit stone at the formation’s eye that Haoyu had just repaired.

Shen Yi forced himself upright, noticing that his shadow under the moonlight had turned bronze.

Nightshade’s final sneer drifted on the wind: “Enjoy the consequences you’ve sown, humble farmer.”