The moment the Yuan Qi transmission to the Lingkong Palace was severed, Jiang Wang understood he had miscalculated.

The Cloud Top Immortal Palace was not Jiang Yan’s threat, at least not yet.

At Mount Chi Yun, Jiang Yan had urged him to seize the Cloud Top Immortal Palace, certainly not for his benefit… The reason, most likely, was that Jiang Yan wanted it for himself! Once he fully occupied this body, everything he experienced and gained along the way would naturally belong to Jiang Yan.

Therefore, Jiang Yan never interfered with Jiang Wang’s gains and often proactively offered assistance.

In this decisive moment, a misjudgment could mean death.

Perhaps the last chance for a counterattack had been lost.

Perhaps he was already in a desperate situation.

But Jiang Wang still drew his sword.

Of all his Human Dao Sword Styles,

This ‘Involuntary’ sword was the most desperate, yet also the most resilient.

Never give up resistance, never forget the struggle.

This most resilient sword was unleashed in the most desperate moment.

Light as a feather, it drifted slowly.

A hand of azure mist reached out and grabbed it!

Jiang Yan had witnessed all of Jiang Wang’s battles in the mortal world.

He had memorized all of his Human Dao Sword Styles.

Other than Jiang Wang himself, the one who knew the Human Dao Sword Styles best was Jiang Yan.

And now, he had caught Jiang Wang’s sword.

The most desperate, most resilient struggle was forcibly stopped.

The sword spirit of Lasting Yearning emitted a violent tremor.

It was a sound of agony.

With just this one grab, the nascent sword spirit of Lasting Yearning was nearly destroyed.

Jiang Wang’s entire soul essence trembled as well!

In this moment of pain, Jiang Wang suddenly opened his eyes wide, glaring and shouting through gritted teeth, “Jiang Yan! Move again, and I’ll kill her!”

The Nether Candle’s faint light flickered slightly, and the azure mist hand that firmly grasped the sword spirit froze.

Outside the fiercely contested Tongtian Palace, in the empty underwater demon cave.

Without knowing when, Jiang Wang’s body had stumbled into the left inner cave, stopping before the glass coffin.

And Jiang Wang’s hand held Lasting Yearning. The tip of Lasting Yearning’s blade hovered over Song Wanxi’s brow!

At this time, Jiang Yan had not yet finished his struggle in the Tongtian Palace, and had not completed the occupation of the entire body. The control of the body was still in Jiang Wang’s hands, although his soul was already on the verge of collapse.

Jiang Yan was focused entirely on the Tongtian Palace, eliminating the inner demon, isolating the Lingkong Palace, and guarding against Jiang Wang’s counterattack, so he had not noticed the body’s actions.

In his view, as the absolutely weaker party, Jiang Wang would not have the spare capacity to focus on anything outside the Tongtian Palace.

But Jiang Wang surprised him once again.

At this moment, Jiang Yan immediately recalled the moment Jiang Wang severed his soul essence, the intense pain spreading from within.

It must have been at that moment that Jiang Wang, enduring the agony, diverted a portion of his mental strength to control his body’s actions.

What terrifying willpower!

“How about a deal?”

He heard Jiang Wang say.

The soul essence, powerful yet insignificant in his eyes, now seemed somewhat dazzling.

“What did you say?” Jiang Yan smiled, a rare occurrence, and the laughter that echoed through the Nether Candle carried a chilling quality: “You wouldn’t use the means of threatening the weak to preserve yourself? Remember?”

Jiang Wang stared fixedly at the Nether Candle, not daring to relax even slightly: “She’s not weak. She has the potential of a true demon, you said so, do you remember?”

“We were originally one, Jiang Wang, ask yourself, would you care about a demon? Using a demon to threaten me, isn’t that a bit laughable?”

“Drop the pointless chatter, how about it?” Jiang Wang said coldly, “If it were truly laughable, you would have killed me already, wouldn’t you?”

“Perhaps I just want to hear what you have to say. After all, we’ve been together for so long. There must be some feelings involved. And we were born from the same source, so I can feel your pain and sorrow as well.” Jiang Yan said slowly, “Actually, you don’t need to resist so much. Letting me take over this body is just a new beginning for us. A more powerful, more perfect new beginning.”

“What ‘originally one’, you are me. No need to say more!”

Jiang Wang moved his sword, signaling Jiang Yan to release his grip: “But you’re right about one thing, we’ve been together for so long. So you know me, right? You know that before you destroy my soul essence, my sword will definitely pierce her brow.”

Jiang Yan’s voice fell silent for a moment, and the hand of azure mist actually released its grip: “It seems you’ve guessed something. Did I underestimate your intelligence, Jiang Wang?”

“I admit you’re intelligent, able to concoct an almost perfect lie immediately after being discovered by me in Qingyang Town. For a long time, I really thought you were me, the negative side of me after being tainted. But we’ve been together for too long, experienced too much. Even if you hide it perfectly, you can’t avoid all the details.”

Jiang Yan naturally knew this, which was why he later tried to avoid communicating with Jiang Wang as much as possible. But perhaps it was a common fault of intelligent people, he couldn’t help but ask, “For example?”

“For example, when you saw the Qi Autumn Kill Army charging on the battlefield, you sighed and said, ‘So this is the Qi Nine Battalions.’ I asked you then, how would the White Bone Divine know even about the Qi Nine Battalions? You said that to achieve divinity in the mortal world and usher in the Era of White Bones, how could you not pay attention to the powerful nations of the era?”

Jiang Wang said: “But the truth is, the White Bone Evil God no longer understood Qi at all. He didn’t even know about Fierce Butcher, so he was shattered before the two armies. So you were lying. Your understanding of Qi didn’t come from the White Bone Divine, and you aren’t me at all. Then… who are you?”

Jiang Yan searched his memories, recalling that scene, and couldn’t help but sigh: “You actually repeated my words verbatim, it seems your vigilance against me wasn’t just for a day or two.”

The black-clad inner demon had been eliminated, and the Star-Entwining Serpent slumped back to the ground. This was probably the most pitiful inner demon in the history of cultivation, from birth to growth to death, all a pawn in someone else’s game. From beginning to end, it had not a single chance.

Jiang Wang said seriously: “I know I’m not more intelligent than you, so I just work harder. Just be more careful, more vigilant.”

“So who do you think I am?” Jiang Yan asked again.

“I never knew who you were, until this time…”

Jiang Wang, holding the sword spirit manifested as Lasting Yearning, slowly moved away while saying: “You understand the Clear River Water Mansion too well. So well… as if you lived here. I think, even among the Clear River Water Tribe, there aren’t many who know about a place like the underwater demon cave, right?”

“I knew this might lead to my exposure. But to save you, it was unavoidable.” Jiang Yan’s voice replied: “I thought your spirit was suppressed, perhaps you would overlook it. I was ultimately careless.”

Perhaps it wasn’t carelessness, but simply that there was no longer a need to hide, right? Jiang Wang thought in his heart.

But he just continued: “Most importantly…”

“What is it?” Jiang Yan was also very cooperative.

“When I saw Song Wanxi, a huge wave of sorrow welled up in my heart. I don’t even know her, so that sorrow could only come from you. This sorrow was so profound that even the Nether Candle couldn’t shield it, and it infected me.”

“Hehehehehe.” Jiang Yan chuckled, his voice carrying a slightly desolate sarcasm: “A guy like me, can even be sad?”