Tang Wanzhuang hesitated for a breath, then released the fake River of Stars. The black mist surged forward, sweeping the sword up into the skies. The mist turned and shouted at Ling Ruoyu, “You there! Hand over Dragon Bird!” Tang Wanzhuang’s voice remained calm, “Taking River of Stars is one thing. But what do you want with Dragon Bird?” The mist that now held the sword chuckled darkly. “River of Stars is aloof and indifferent. Even if it senses that you’re on its side, it won’t follow willingly. Only the presence of its lifelong companion, Dragon Bird, might convince it to come along.” Ling Ruoyu was dumbfounded. So the whole frantic chase for Dragon Bird... was just to coax River of Stars? Dragon Bird was dumbfounded, too. Wait a minute... So all this time you were trying to steal me just for the sake of River of Stars? What am I then? A candied hawthorn to trick a child? Ling Ruoyu glanced down at the saber in her hand, unsure what to do, and looked pleadingly toward the ancient demon god senior at her side. Zhao Changhe smiled faintly. “The third layer of the Profound Control Realm... As expected of Him. Thirty years of preparation, and He has nurtured a truly mighty force.” The third layer of the Profound Control Realm? Ling Ruoyu’s heart skipped a beat. She whispered, “Senior, what should we do? The sword is fake, so if it gets taken, it’s fine. But Dragon Bird is real. We can’t let them steal her!” “It’s fine. It looks like Dragon Bird’s already gone berserk. They’ll have their hands full....” Ling Ruoyu eyed the saber nervously. The saber was shaking violently in her grip, clearly enraged. “You’re treating me like a candied hawthorn... Me?!” The trembling intensified. She could not even hold onto it anymore. Dragon Bird shot into the sky, slashing furiously at the demonic face with a blood-red saber light. “How dare you treat me like a candied hawthorn?!” The demonic face: “?” I didn’t say that you’re a candied hawthorn... A faint dragon’s roar echoed overhead. The blood-red saber light morphed into a form with a dragon’s head and a bird’s body, soaring skyward. “You’re just a mid-tier heaven-grade saber. Do you really think you can strike me down? Be a good girl and stay put!” The demonic face extended a hand, reaching through the void to grasp Dragon Bird by the throat. Ling Ruoyu looked up, breath held tight. “Birdy...” She did not notice the man beside her, Zhao Changhe, gently raising a hand and slicing casually through the air. A devastating shockwave erupted above. The demonic face shattered apart with a howl of agony. “You. This isn’t your power! Who’s channeling power through you?!” Dragon Bird burst into maniacal laughter. “Small fry! You think you can capture me? Go to hell! Who’s the candied hawthorn now?!” The broad saber hacked and slashed wildly. Demonic qi scattered in all directions. The fake River of Stars exploded with a deafening crack, its fragments dispersing and congealing into a canopy of darkness. Like a divine net cast across the heavens, every trace of demonic qi that tried to flee was trapped, crashing helplessly against an inescapable prison. From within the mist came an anguished cry, “Ye Jiuyou?! This... This isn’t the real River of Stars!” A graceful figure shimmered into view. It was Ye Jiuyou herself. “You’re only realizing that now? It’s already too late.” “You lured us here, but the real River of Stars is at the Eastern Sea! This was all just bait! But don’t think we came unprepared! You drew us here, but we’ve lured you into our trap as well!” Ye Jiuyou smiled faintly. “Then, by all means, spring your trap. Just remember, the three realms already belong to us. Scurrying rats like you are only fit to be crushed in a jar.” “You treat lives like pieces on a chess board! What difference is there between you and us? And yet you dare call this your era? Enough nonsense! Kill them!” On cue, the demonic agents moved to slice the throats of the guests held hostage. However, their weapons did not budge. Piaomiao’s form materialized in the air, a soft smile on her lips. “Didn’t learn from last time? That’s the second time I’ve done this to you. Now, Yangyang, let’s make our move.” Outside Tiger Hill, Cui Yuanyang, commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau, charged in with elite troops who had long been lying in wait. Meanwhile, Tang Wanzhuang struck from within Tiger Hill. In the blink of an eye, their coordinated assault ensnared every last demonic agent—over a thousand—and they captured all of them. Ling Ruoyu drew her sword to join the cleanup when a sudden, bone-deep chill stabbed through her. She spun toward the east, and there, by the sea, the sky had darkened, the air turning oppressive as if night itself had descended upon the world. A massive sword slowly rose from the ocean, hovering above the waves, then climbing ever upward toward the heavens. Its sheer size and suffocating presence overwhelmed all life below. Compared to it, the River of Stars at Tiger Hill was nothing but a joke—the light of a firefly in comparison to the sun. Over the surface of the sea, Lady Three reached out toward the sword. “There, there, River of Stars. The idiots have taken the fake. Come home with Auntie now.” But River of Stars refused to move. Lady Three’s brow furrowed. The demonic face back at Tiger Hill had not been wrong. The real River of Stars was cold and aloof, never one to follow anyone easily. They had assumed that without a sword spirit, it would be easy to subdue. Yet even without consciousness, it remained stubborn. Was this some residual instinct? Or just its nature? Neither of Zhao Changhe’s two “children” ever made life easy. Just as she was thinking that, River of Stars suddenly thrust forward, aiming straight for her abdomen. At the same time, the demon trapped by Ye Jiuyou sneered, “Did you think we came unprepared?” And indeed, they had not. Creatures of demonic qi and all manners of illusion beasts existed not only on land but the ocean as well. The arrangements they had made on land had been triggered by the fake sword, but those in the ocean were still at the ready. The moment the real River of Stars pierced the veil and emerged from its sealed realm, it was already tainted by the demonic qi in the sea, setting the stage for a possession attempt. With no sword spirit to resist, a demonic spirit could take its place. The sword would then become theirs. Unfortunately for them, the Four Idols Cult had come prepared as well. At the moment River of Stars lashed out, a dense tortoise shell armor shimmered across Lady Three’s abdomen. The demonic spirit had not yet fully seized control of the sword and thus could not breach her defenses. Instead, it was violently rebounded and sent spinning several times through the air. It did not linger. Instead, it tore through space, fleeing toward the skies above Tiger Hill, hoping to rescue its trapped comrade. Gusu’s coast was not far. It was barely a breath’s distance for such entities. Reaching its ally would only take an instant. At the same time, the sea itself began to darken. A thick black fog rose, rapidly coalescing into the form of the heavenly demon. Overhead, flames erupted. A shower of meteors burst through the clouds, forming the brilliant shape of the Vermillion Bird, descending like a phoenix streaking toward the demon. “I’ve been waiting for you.” A vortex of binding waterspouts surged around the manifestation of the heavenly demon, twisting the sea into a prison. Atop the dragon-shaped funnel stood Lady Three, her whip in hand, smiling playfully. “When River of Stars emerged, Changhe awakened. By now, he should be crawling out of whatever hole he’s been sleeping in. You thought we’d let you snatch River of Stars ahead of schedule while we just stood around watching?” Her whip lashed out while flames howled across the sky as a firebird descended in its wake. The heavenly demon within the sea had not even fully materialized before being smacked around like a spinning top by two venerables of the Four Idols Cult, left with nothing but impotent, furious howls. Under the influence of the demonic spirit, the true River of Stars was already cutting toward the stalemate between Ye Jiuyou and the demonic face. It was just about to tear through their prison when another surge of swordlight burst across the sky. River of Stars was flying westward from the Eastern Sea when the setting sun appeared, bathing the sky in radiant gold. Through that glow soared a red figure, ascending to the heavens. Ling Ruoyu clenched her fists, elated. “Master!” A sword tip pierced through the sky, striking River of Stars dead-on. Yue Hongling grunted, staggered by the backlash, and sent tumbling through the sky. Ling Ruoyu’s face froze mid-expression. In that instant, she saw the ancient demon god senior appear behind her master, reaching out to wrap an arm around her waist. Her master glanced back at the man’s face, and for once, the ever-composed beauty broke into a sweet, tender smile. “Had your fill of fun?” “I have,” replied the ancient senior. Ling Ruoyu was petrified. She looked like she might crack apart at the seams. Though Yue Hongling had been forced back, River of Stars did not come out unscathed either, its trajectory faltering as it plummeted toward the sea. A delicate, jade-like hand appeared out of the void, reaching to snatch it away. At that critical moment, Ling Ruoyu saw the ancient senior abruptly seize Dragon Bird and lunge at that pale hand. “I’ve been waiting for this moment to gut the Heavenly Dao. And here you are, still sticking your hand in. You damned blind woman, get over here!” From below came a gasp. “Is that... Scattering the Gods and Buddhas?” “Yes! I’ve seen the Blood God Cult’s Cult Leader Xue use that exact move. No doubt, that’s definitely Scattering the Gods and Buddhas!” “Could it be Dragon Bird’s own manifestation?” “Manifestation, my ass...” Ling Ruoyu stared upward in disbelief. Everything suddenly made sense. Ye Wuming’s hand, unable to reach River of Stars, was forced to redirect and slap aside Dragon Bird. In the clash, River of Stars broke free and plunged downward. High above, Zhao Changhe’s voice echoed across the battlefield. “Ruoyu! Take the sword!” “Huh? Me?” Ling Ruoyu blinked in confusion. River of Stars doesn’t even respect the likes of Venerable Black Tortoise. How could a small fry like me dare lay my hands on it? Wouldn’t I be diced into ribbons? But her body moved before her mind could object. In that same instant, Zhao Changhe was struck by Ye Wuming and sent flying. As Ye Wuming lunged again to seize the sword, a young girl soared upward and grasped River of Stars with both hands.