Because they had the bronze cauldron with them, Xie Shuci and his companions hadn’t drained their spiritual energy.

Deng Fengming, however, didn’t dare to get too close to them and sat on the other side of the dome, his complexion growing paler by the moment.

Xie Shuci and the others didn’t have the luxury to worry about him. They worked together to drag Helian Zhu to the edge to assess his condition.

Chu Guiyi checked his pulse with one hand, frowning deeply. “The chaotic spiritual energy inside him has calmed down,” he informed the others.

Xie Shuci heaved a sigh of relief and sat down right there. “That’s good.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Xie An, who seemed unfazed by the earlier incident, not taking it to heart. And why should he? A bit of unintended friction between men was normal, wasn’t it? As long as one was clear in conscience, what was there to fuss about?

Wait a minute—

Xie Shuci’s heart skipped a beat. So was my inner turmoil earlier a sign that I wasn’t as clear-conscienced?

Could it be that I’m… into men?

The thought barely surfaced before Xie Shuci pushed it back down.

Impossible!!

He shook his head as if to clear out the intrusive thought.

“So, what do we do now? We can’t stay in here forever.”

Even though he was trying to brace himself, he still couldn’t face Xie An directly, so he kept his back to him while speaking to Chu Guiyi.

Chu Guiyi thought for a moment and then said, “Staying here might be the safest option for now.”

Xie Shuci nodded in agreement.

Chu Wenfeng, who seemed to have a particular dislike for Deng Fengming, didn’t join their conversation. His eyes were fixed menacingly on Deng Fengming, the whip in his hand tense, as if ready to lash out at the slightest provocation.

“Sigh, I wonder how things are going outside,” Xie Shuci sighed.

“Don’t worry, after all, Helian Yong can’t fight off everyone by himself,” Chu Guiyi reassured.

Something seemed to sadden Xie Shuci, and he leaned his head gently against the armrest of the wheelchair, murmuring, “What’s so good about the Floating Tower Realm? Why is everyone so desperate to get in?”

Li Song had sought the demon dog’s inner core to enter the Immortal Sect Selection to get a chance to compete for entering the Floating Tower Realm. And Helian Yong… he was willing to sacrifice his own disciples to enter it. What were they all chasing after?

Chu Guiyi watched Xie Shuci’s troubled expression and a faint smile touched his lips. He started to reach out to ruffle his hair, but he stopped midway and withdrew his hand instead.

“Shuci, you’ve been sheltered too well, almost out of touch with this world. Your humor and naivety… perhaps you can’t understand the cultivators’ pursuit of status and power, and more often than not, in order to protect ourselves, we must strive to become stronger,” Chu Guiyi said, his eyes narrowing, his tone indescribable.

Xie Shuci thought somewhat defiantly, Of course, I don’t fit in with this world—I’m not even from here.

“In the world of cultivation, the weak have little say, and the strong are revered. Even if you desire a simple life, there will always be someone ready to step on you. When the burden you carry is too much, too heavy, and one person’s strength isn’t enough to support the entire sect, your power becomes a burden to others.”

Perhaps it was the weight of his own words that cast a shadow over Chu Guiyi’s expression, he was unable to hide the sense of desolation.

Chu Wenfeng, too, lowered his head.

“But some people overestimate their own strength. The heavier the burden they can’t bear, the more they want to shoulder it, which inevitably leads to the sprouting of distracting and obsessive thoughts—a major taboo for cultivators,” Chu Guiyi said with a tone of mockery.

Chu Wenfeng’s gaze fell on the nine-section whip in his hands, which originally belonged to someone else. Now, it had become just an ordinary weapon in his grasp. 

This realization made him smile bitterly.

Sensing the downcast mood of the two, Xie Shuci patted Chu Guiyi’s arm and said cheerfully, “What does overestimating oneself really mean, anyway? Just because something seems impossible, should we not attempt it? Guiyi, we should always do our best and leave the rest to fate. Luck is also a part of one’s strength.”

Chu Guiyi paused, seemingly surprised to hear such profound reasoning from Xie Shuci. Seeing him stand so earnestly, which was quite unlike his usual self, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly, gently covering Xie Shuci’s hand with his own. “You’re right.”

Sitting aside, Xie An, whom Xie Shuci had deliberately been avoiding, clenched the bell at his waist, his expression growing darker.

Deng Fengming, ever watchful of Xie An, noticed the displeasure radiating from him. He curled up, trying to make himself as small as possible, not daring to make a sound that might draw Xie An’s attention.

It didn’t take long for Helian Zhu on the ground to slowly come to.

Opening his dry eyes, he stared blankly at the dome overhead, taking a long while to realize where he was.

Blood and tears had dried on his face, leaving only the bloodshot remnants in his eyes. He silently digested the conversation in his head and emotionlessly sat up from the ground.

Xie Shuci, startled by Helian Zhu’s sudden movement, instinctively sought refuge with Xie An, a habit he had developed since knowing the ‘little blind’. He bounced back, resting against Xie An’s arm, who sternly shifted backward, not allowing him to get close.

In his urgency, Xie Shuci didn’t notice Xie An’s odd behavior. Instead, he was more concerned with Helian Zhu’s overly calm demeanor. He hastily pulled Chu Guiyi and Chu Wenfeng closer to him, asking with a hint of anxiety, “Are you… are you alright?”

Helian Zhu gave him a glance, devoid of much emotion, “Thank you.”

He nodded at Xie Shuci, acknowledging that it was Xie Shuci who had brought him into the dome, sparing him from Helian Yong’s control.

Seeing that he seemed to be back to normal, Xie Shuci relaxed. “No, no need to thank me. So, um, what are you planning to do now?”

Helian Zhu fell silent. His gaze landed on the blood-soaked Cloud Piercing Spear on the ground. After a long pause, he spoke word by word, “Kill Helian Yong.”

To settle this matter once and for all with Helian Yong’s life.

Chu Guiyi frowned, “But once we leave here, even if you seal your spiritual veins, you might still be controlled by him.”

Helian Zhu shook his head, “He can no longer control me.”

Chu Guiyi looked at him hesitantly, while Chu Wenfeng asked bluntly, “Why should we believe you?”

Helian Zhu lifted his head, “I have no way to make you believe me, but I must go out there. I must kill Helian Yong.”

Suddenly, Chu Guiyi turned to Xie Shuci for his opinion, “Shuci, what do you think?”

Xie Shuci glanced around at the group and chuckled awkwardly, “We can’t stay in here forever, so why not trust him this once? I feel that Helian Zhu has no reason to deceive us. Plus, even if he is controlled by Helian Yong again, we can take others and hide inside the dome.”

Helian Zhu pressed his lips together, giving Xie Shuci a complex look.

Chu Guiyi pondered for a moment, “That makes sense.”

Now, the Subduing Dragon artifact recognized only Xie Shuci’s spiritual energy. He separated the artifact from the dome, and as it descended wrapped in golden light, the dome began to crack. Slivers of daylight streamed in, and the walls slowly crumbled into dust and dispersed.

The sounds of battle from outside gradually reached their ears, and some of Helian family’s disciples had also joined the fray.

When the people inside the dome appeared before everyone, all hands stopped their movements, and all eyes turned toward them.

“This is bad! How did Helian Zhu get out?”

“We were no match for Helian Yong in the first place, and with Helian Zhu, it’s like adding wings to a tiger. We stand no chance!”

Helian Zhu held the Cloud Piercing Spear in one hand, his steps slow yet resolute, as he approached Helian Yong in the crowd.

The unmistakable intent to kill emanated from him, the chilling aura halting the fighting cultivators in their tracks.

Yes, they should not have been fighting each other.

All of this was because of Helian Yong.

Just kill him, and everything…everything will be over.

“Child, would you make a deal with me?” a voice proposed.

“What kind of deal?”

“Offer yourself willingly as my sacrifice, and I will ensure those who died by your hand will enter the cycle of reincarnation.”

“Truly? You mean it?”

“Perhaps not now, but you have no other choice but to trust me.”

“Fine, I agree. But before that, I will make Helian Yong pay in blood for his debts!”

“Go then, I will lend you my strength.”

Amidst the chaos, Xie Shuci pulled Chu Wenfeng to one side, and each of them picked up a body. They carried the corpses of Helian Jue and Miss Lu to a safe place and covered them with their robes.

“Zhu’er,” Helian Yong watched quietly as Helian Zhu approached him.

The tip of the Cloud Piercing Spear dragged a trail on the ground, sensing its master’s current state of mind, the spear’s body kept spreading spiritual energy, restless and eager.

“Patriarch,” Helian Zhu’s voice was hoarse as a low wind sweeping over ancient stone, “If you die by my hand, you will never enter the cycle of reincarnation, and the Helian family will forever lose its chance to enter the Floating Tower Realm.”

Helian Yong laughed dismissively, “Do you really think you can kill me? Oh, child, why are you so foolish?”

His laughter was chilling to the bone, “Perhaps, I should have turned you into a fool from the beginning, one that would only obey my commands.”

“You should have made me a fool earlier; alas, now it is too late.”

Helian Yong sneered, ready to confront him, but suddenly, a strange formation appeared under his feet. From within the formation, countless chains emerged, wrapping around his legs and binding him completely.

“What is this?” Helian Yong’s face changed instantly as he found himself unable to move. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t budge the chains an inch. They dug tightly into his flesh, and all he could do was watch as Helian Zhu steadily approached him.

The cultivators present were stunned by this sudden turn of events, clueless about what was happening.

Even Xie Shuci and his group watched speechlessly.

“What kind of formation is this?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Realizing the gravity of the situation as he faced the murderous Helian Zhu, Helian Yong finally grasped the severity of his predicament.

“Listen to me, Zhu… everything I did was for the Helian family…” Helian Yong, who had never imagined he would fall at Helian Zhu’s hands, hoped to delay the inevitable.

Even if it meant self-destructing his golden core, he could not allow himself to die at Helian Zhu’s hand!

If he died, he could start over, but if he perished by Helian Zhu’s hand, he would be expelled by the laws of heaven and earth, doomed to never enter the cycle of reincarnation!

Helian Zhu’s eyes were as dark as thick ink, calmly observing Helian Yong, the once patriarch now struggling like a dying ant. Yet there was not a trace of satisfaction in his heart.

How does a proud man of heaven change so drastically in such a short span of time?

With a “pfft,” right before Helian Yong could self-detonate his golden core, the Cloud Piercing Spear pierced through his dantian.

The blood made the tassel on the spear even more vividly red, and the droplets covered the cold gleam at the tip, adding a touch of tragic grandeur to the scene.

“You…” Helian Yong’s eyes split with rage, blood, and foam spewing from his mouth, unable to utter a complete sentence. His gaze, filled with hatred and resentment, was chilling to witness.

The others, upon seeing this, couldn’t help but tense up.

Yet Helian Zhu remained expressionless. With a reverse grip, he pulled out the Cloud Piercing Spear. A sweep of the spear in the air allowed the wind to cleanse its blade of the filthy blood.

With his dantian destroyed, the formation under Helian Yong’s feet vanished abruptly. He staggered, his knees buckling, and he fell to his knees before Helian Zhu.

He lifted his head, defiant to the end, wishing his gaze could put Helian Zhu to a thousand deaths. “Everything… everything I did was for the Helian family… all that I did… was for…”

Helian Zhu looked down at him, his lip curled in a cold sneer. “Patriarch, congratulations. From now on, there will be no place for the Helian family in the realm of cultivation. You can now rest in peace.”

Helian Yong shuddered, his pupils dilating dramatically. He fell backward, stiff and lifeless, his eyes wide open in death.