Hate Moths, born of enmity, thrive by devouring hatred. What transformation would they undergo if mingled with other emotions?

The Dao Technique, Jealousy Fire, was poised to provide this very answer.

Those Hate Moths, their eyes ablaze with scarlet light, instantly plunged into disarray. Before, they were like hounds, obedient to Jiang Yan’s command, their movements orderly as they surged towards the God Soul Flame Sparrows. Now, their formation fractured, their momentum vanished, and they even turned upon each other.

The swarm of Hate Moths verged on collapse.

Under Jiang Wang’s precise control, the God Soul Flame Sparrows immediately concentrated their might, piercing through the chaotic moth swarm and hurtling directly towards Ming Zhu. This golden opportunity presented itself – a chance to swiftly and decisively end Ming Zhu’s threat.

In the grand tapestry of military strategy, this was a direct assault on the enemy’s vital core.

Yet, Ming Zhu’s spectral light flickered, and the scattered Hate Moths instantly reassembled. As if suddenly infused with a unified will, they reformed.

Ten became one group, ten groups a team, ten teams a regiment.

That dense, teeming mass of Hate Moths, which should have succumbed to the Jealousy Fire’s chaos, not only recovered instantaneously but transformed into a disciplined army!

This level of control was truly terrifying, a meticulous command over tens of thousands of Hate Moths, capable of directing each individual.

Compared to this, Jiang Wang’s manipulation of the God Soul Flame Sparrows seemed like mere child’s play, utterly outclassed.

The Hate Moth formation was strict, their cooperation exquisite. In a flash, they encircled the intruding God Soul Flame Sparrows and then submerged them.

A grey tide devoured the fiery light.

Only a series of muffled thuds echoed.

Jiang Wang could only fruitlessly detonate the besieged God Soul Flame Sparrows one by one, yet he was utterly incapable of shaking the Hate Moth legion.

His ingenious flash of spiritual insight, his decisive tactical choice, had from beginning to end, perfectly aligned with Jiang Yan’s machinations.

Jiang Yan had never lost control of the Hate Moths!

Even his utterance of the Hate Moth’s name had been a deliberate enticement.

He understood Jiang Wang’s Dao Technique system intimately, fully aware of Jealousy Fire’s effects, and knew precisely the choice Jiang Wang would make. Naturally, he had prepared his countermeasure well in advance.

The Hate Moths, far from fearing the invasion of Jealousy Fire, were able to transmute jealousy into hatred, thereby strengthening themselves.

He had deliberately misled Jiang Wang, making him believe he saw an opportunity for victory, thus prompting a strategic error – concentrating the assault with the God Soul Flame Sparrows.

And he, in turn, commanded the Hate Moths to encircle and, in one fell swoop, extinguish that portion of God Soul power.

Simple, brutal, direct, and efficient.

This was the true mark of a seasoned general.

Jiang Wang’s manipulated God Soul power, split into two forces – half as God Soul Hidden Snakes, entangled with the Black Pupil Star Python, and the other half as God Soul Flame Sparrows – had now been utterly wiped out by Jiang Yan.

If this were a clash of armies, a single charge had already cost Jiang Wang half his strength; the signs of defeat were already evident!

At this moment, the Black Pupil Star Python restrained the remaining God Soul power, and the Hate Moths suddenly spread out, a sky-obscuring tide surging towards Jiang Wang’s God Soul body.

Following the Hate Moths, Ming Zhu also drifted closer, the encroaching candlelight rapidly approaching.

In an instant, Jiang Wang seemed cornered, forced into a desperate plight.

But within this Heavenly Passage Palace, seemingly isolated and without aid, Jiang Wang’s God Soul body exhibited neither retreat nor panic nor disarray.

He simply raised his head and gazed at the sky.

Jiang Wang’s Heavenly Passage Palace was ancient, simple, and lofty, imbued with a heavy sense of history. And at this very moment, a radiant full moon rose within its dome.

That was Long Xiang Si!

The bright moon hung inverted, its moonlight cascading down.

And that moonlight was none other than sword light.

An infinite, endless torrent of sword light poured forth, cleaving the Hate Moths surging towards Jiang Wang into fragmented pieces.

The sword light, swirling upon the ground, suddenly coalesced, forming a long sword that descended into Jiang Wang’s hand.

This was, in fact, the manifestation of Long Xiang Si’s sword spirit.

Unknown when, this sword had already given birth to a spirit!

And with the long sword in hand, Jiang Wang hesitated no longer, but counter-charged towards Ming Zhu.

With one sword in hand, a myriad army could be faced. There was no opponent he would not confront, no foe he would not slay!

In that instant, Jiang Yan’s understanding clarified. Why had Jiang Wang continuously stroked the sword hilt before, continuously touched Long Xiang Si? He was merely using a feigned state of nervousness to conceal the nascent sword spirit of Long Xiang Si.

Long Xiang Si’s pregnancy of a sword spirit had shown early signs. In the face of the advancing Long Guang She Dou, it had exhibited a reaction. Perhaps in that process of protecting its master, it had completed the final segment of its journey, and the sword spirit had successfully taken form.

Jiang Wang, as Long Xiang Si’s sword master, was the first to detect its transformation. But he had hidden this matter, reserving it as a means of turning the tide.

“Unexpected, truly unexpected!” Jiang Yan’s voice, carrying a hint of a sigh, emanated from Ming Zhu. “From what moment did you begin to be vigilant against me?”

“What moment? You ask that? Jiang Yan!”

Jiang Wang’s form was already close, one sword cleaving forth!

“Since discovering your existence, I have not known a single day of peaceful sleep!”

From discovering Jiang Yan within the Yang Emperor’s spirit, until now, Jiang Wang had not relaxed his vigilance for even a day.

That rainy night outside Xin An City, the first time he sensed something amiss with himself, even with Ming Zhu seemingly quiescent and Jiang Yan faint, he had chosen to cover Ming Zhu with the God Soul Flower Sea and then summon the God Soul Hidden Snakes to stand guard.

But Jiang Yan was truly too terrifying.

Even with such precautions, he had been struck unaware.

Using hatred to conceive a heart demon, and then borrowing the heart demon for complete possession – this stratagem was exquisitely crafted. In the initial confrontation, Jiang Wang was virtually powerless to resist.

He could only stubbornly defend his spirit platform, using his remaining will to sustain himself.

This resilience endured until Du Ru Hui’s appearance.

Sensing crisis, Jiang Yan was forced to abandon his attempt at possession, choosing instead to awaken Jiang Wang and facilitate his escape.

This was a forced, helpless choice.

But Jiang Yan understood Jiang Wang well. To prevent his resistance, he immediately fabricated the lie that the heart demon was suppressed, while in reality, he was using the heart demon to control the Dao Pulse True Spirit, preparing for the decisive battle that was to come. Simultaneously, while commanding Jiang Wang to escape, he utilized the heart demon to continuously pressure Jiang Wang, preventing clear thought.

And, immediately after the crisis was averted, Jiang Yan acted without delay. For he knew well that given a certain amount of time, calm reflection would inevitably lead Jiang Wang to discover the truth.

However, Jiang Wang still exceeded his expectations…

After waking up on Wu Ming Xiao Shan, Jiang Wang had indeed been trapped in chaos for a long time. But amidst the impact of intense emotions, he gained several moments of brief clarity.

And to escape danger, Jiang Yan was forced to repeatedly relax his suppression.

It was in these short gaps that Jiang Wang was able to fully assess his situation.

The answers to all the problems pointed directly to Jiang Yan.

The remaining issue was simply to fight. And Jiang Wang never evaded a fight.

Although this day arrived so suddenly, Jiang Wang had long prepared for it.

The God Soul Flame Sparrows he completed in the deepest room of his inner mansion were just one such preparation.

He had cataloged all his advantages, and naturally, he had noticed the change in Long Xiang Si. He had noticed that this famous weapon, with which he spent day and night, had already conceived a spirit.

In Mo Ku, in Shui Fu, Jiang Wang had seized every moment to communicate with Long Xiang Si, precisely for this moment – for the sword spirit to manifest within the Heavenly Passage Palace and aid him in striking down Jiang Yan!

This sword thrust forth horizontally, like a fallen scholar, drunk on wine, wielding a brush; though impoverished and destitute, there was still a glimpse of infinite romance.

The sword light, a single horizontal line, divided the sky and earth.

Jiang Yan’s voice, faint and resonant, echoed from within Ming Zhu.

“This caliber of sword Dao talent truly leaves me in awe.”

Above the candlelight, a wisp of green smoke gently curled out, gathering into a hand.

And the dim yellow candlelight converged, condensing into a sword.

The hand formed of green smoke grasped the sword condensed from candlelight.

And with it, another sword came horizontally!

This too was the posture of a destitute scholar!