“Die for me!” Wangchuan Fujun’s face twitched, and his murderous intent was almost palpable.

*Plop!*

Water splashed everywhere. In a moment of crisis, Qing Chi, without hesitation, plunged into the Wangchuan River like a moth drawn to a flame.

The instant her body touched the river water, colorful smoke erupted from her, like a spilled dye shop, or a shattered琉璃 dream.

Every wisp of colorful smoke that rose and swirled reflected vivid and warm memories of the past. However, these brilliant moments of her life were instantly, ruthlessly washed away and vanished by the icy river water.

Unlike Ning Zhuo, Qing Chi had no protective treasures and was utterly powerless to resist the scouring of the Wangchuan River water.

“Qing Chi!” Ning Zhuo’s mind reeled at the sight.

“No matter who you are, I will save you!” Qing Chi had completely forgotten Ning Zhuo’s identity, but the intense emotion filling her heart, deep to her bones and burning like magma, compelled her to risk her life to save him.

She dove down with all her might, swimming towards Ning Zhuo.

The Mingjiao Jian, bearing a thin layer of ice coffin, collided with Ning Zhuo, but at the last moment, Qing Chi blocked it.

The immense force of the impact made Qing Chi gasp, spitting out a mouthful of scalding blood that bloomed into a tragic crimson in the icy river water.

As the river water flooded into her mouth and body, it was as if a floodgate of memories had opened within Qing Chi. A massive amount of colorful smoke surged from her entire body, dissipating wildly.

The ice coffin, pushed by the injured Qing Chi, slammed into Ning Zhuo.

The two, the coffin, and the Jian were propelled fiercely by the power of the Mingjiao Jian, hurtling through the depths of the Wangchuan tributary.

Everywhere they went, colorful smoke and blood were strewn.

“This is bad.” Luo Si’s heart sank to the bottom, but he was already immobile, with only his eyes uncovered by the clay on his face. He could only watch helplessly as everything spiraled into the abyss.

“Qing Chi!” Ning Zhuo cried out in his heart. He pressed his hand firmly against Qing Chi’s back, sharing the power of his Wo Fo Xin Mo Yin with her.

Buddha light enveloped Qing Chi’s body and soul, significantly reducing the memories and emotions being washed away, but it couldn’t completely stop it!

“Is it because she opened her mouth earlier, and there’s still Wangchuan River water inside her?” Ning Zhuo was consumed by anxiety, but could think of no solution. Maintaining the Wo Fo Xin Mo Yin was already pushing him to his limits. Now, diverting power to save someone pushed him directly to the absolute peak of his capabilities!

“Hehe, struggling in vain.” Wangchuan Fujun revealed a sinister smile, his murderous intent fully exposed. “Mingjiao Jian, pierce them!”

The Mingjiao Jian vibrated violently, its sharp tips piercing through the last thin layer of ice and directly into Qing Chi’s abdomen.

Blood flowed freely!

“Ah—!” The intense pain made Qing Chi let out a broken whimper. Her instinct for survival made her unconsciously clasp her hands together, gripping the cold blade of the Jian that had plunged deep into her body!

Blood gushed out, seeping through her fingers and sliding down the blade.

Qing Chi felt only pain, but her heart was filled with concern for the person behind her. She only wanted to give her all to prevent this weapon from harming the one behind her!

Under Wangchuan Fujun’s distant command, the Mingjiao Jian cruelly pushed forward again, embedding itself even deeper into Qing Chi’s body.

Qing Chi resisted the forward thrust of the Mingjiao Jian with all her might, but how could her strength compare to that of a national artifact?

Ning Zhuo pressed tightly against Qing Chi’s back, clearly feeling the candle of her life rapidly extinguishing!

The Gui race girl was using her own life to build a fragile defense for him. She was willing to be a human shield, to die for him!

“No, Qing Chi! Wait for me!!” Ning Zhuo’s eyes were bloodshot and his face contorted with rage. He frantically squeezed every bit of potential from his Dantian, his Shi Hai, and his soul, once again activating…

…the divine ability Ren Ming Xuan Si!!

Invisible threads already connected the two. He transmitted information along the Ren Ming Xuan Si.

But Qing Chi showed no reaction at all. Her expression was bewildered, her eyes vacant.

Too many memories and emotions were lost, rendering her unable to react. She had even forgotten the desperate situation she was in, driven only by the intense love in her heart to desperately protect the person she loved behind her!

Ning Zhuo almost ground his teeth to powder.

Qing Chi couldn’t cooperate actively, so he steeled himself and, using the Ren Ming Xuan Si, attempted to manipulate her movements.

At the very least, he needed to change their position, otherwise, Ning Zhuo couldn’t even reach the Mingjiao Jian itself.

The Mingjiao Jian was almost completely through the ice coffin, with three-tenths of its blade already embedded in Qing Chi’s body.

It pushed Qing Chi, piercing deeper and deeper, moving at the speed of a meteor, hurtling through the Wangchuan tributary.

The Wangchuan tributary looped in a circle, allowing the two, the coffin, and the Jian to cycle endlessly.

Ning Zhuo, pressed against Qing Chi’s back, exerted all his effort to maintain the Wo Fo Xin Mo Yin, able to allocate only a tiny amount of power to attempt adjustments.

He was the arrowhead, at the very front. The immense pressure from the rushing water made Ning Zhuo feel as if he was burdened by a mountain, making even his slightest movement incredibly difficult.

He tried several times, but always lacked sufficient strength, making it hard to mobilize the divine ability.

One of Luo Si’s eyes was already covered by clay.

Qing Chi’s body grew colder and colder. She had lost too much blood, and her severe injuries had disrupted her internal balance, allowing death qi to permeate and overwhelm her vitality. The Gui race girl’s life was like a candle in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment.

“No, Qing Chi, hold on a little longer, wait for me, wait for me!” Ning Zhuo’s eyes were red, his expression fierce, but he failed again. For a moment, a tremendous sense of powerlessness almost overwhelmed him.

“Xiao Ma, Xiao Ma!” Qing Chi’s expression was numb, her lips moving to produce a faint whisper, barely audible, yet feeling as if it tore at one’s heart. With each utterance, more precious fragments of memory peeled away from the depths of her soul, transforming into colorful smoke and dissipating.

Ning Zhuo, behind her, quickly reminded, “Don’t speak! This is in the Wangchuan River!”

Qing Chi seemed not to hear, or perhaps was reminding herself not to forget: “Xiao Ma, Xiao Ma—”

Her calls grew weaker and more ethereal, as if from a distant sky. Her eyes began to roll back, and her consciousness completely sank into chaotic darkness.

Just at the last moment of her life, an indescribable power suddenly erupted from her ravaged body!

That was her natural talent.

Qing Yan!

Azure flames surged from within her, rapidly igniting her entire being.

Her blood, touched by the Qing Yan, also burst into roaring flames with a whoosh.

The azure flames could actually exist in the Wangchuan water. Not only did they not extinguish, but they burned even more fiercely!

Ning Zhuo, pressed tightly against her back, was also covered by the Qing Yan. His face and figure seemed to melt, his disguise dissipating, transforming back to his original appearance!

Luo Si, with only one eye remaining, witnessed this scene, his pupils suddenly contracting. The great mystery that had lingered in his heart was instantly solved with a *boom*.

He finally understood the misunderstanding, realizing that his master had merely been impersonating someone else. This was why his fishing technique hadn’t worked before. The one Qing Chi had sacrificed her life to save was not the “Xiao Ma” she longed for!

From the very beginning, this was a destined futility, a misplaced devotion, a tragedy.

It was like Yun Xiao wanting to win back Yue Yi, leaving only the Wangqing Du and an empty returning boat.

“General Qing.” Even Luo Si, at this moment, couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh in his heart.

The Qing Yan blazed fiercely, burning throughout the entire Wangchuan tributary.

The Mingjiao Jian, pushing Qing Chi, darted through the water at high speed, having circled an untold number of times. The Wangchuan tributary was already filled with Qing Chi’s blood.

Her blood was burning fiercely!

This was the final cry of her life!

“Xiao Ma, Xiao Ma, Xiao—” Her voice rapidly weakened, until she no longer called out.

She had forgotten the name etched in her heart.

But the love in her heart still surged, driving her to protect the person behind her at all costs!

As if in response, the azure flames flowed over the Mingjiao Jian, engraving colorful traces of blood.

Wangchuan Fujun was shocked!

“What… what kind of fire is this?”

The Wangchuan water couldn’t extinguish it; it burned freely in the water.

What puzzled him even more and filled him with terror was that his connection with the Mingjiao Jian was rapidly diminishing—the Mingjiao Jian was being forcibly refined by Qing Chi’s blood!

The Qing Yan rose, scorching the Ren Ming Xuan Si.

As if a soft sound, the divine ability Ren Ming Xuan Si was broken.

“Divine ability broken?!” Ning Zhuo’s heart pounded violently. Suffering a backlash, he directly spat out a mouthful of blood.

“This is bad!!!”

This was his first time enduring the backlash of a failed divine ability, and this power was so ferocious. Caught off guard, Ning Zhuo suffered severe injuries to his body and soul, his three seas vibrated, he was instantly engulfed by darkness, and actually passed out.

Without him to maintain the Wo Fo Xin Mo Yin, the precious seal was like water without a source, and the Buddha light rapidly dimmed.

Once the Buddha light shield collapsed, Ning Zhuo, immersed in the river water, would also be washed away, inevitably losing all his memories and emotions.

Don’t forget, his physical body was in the water.

When the time came, he would undoubtedly die!

However, even though he had passed out, one of his hands still gripped the Tian Gui’s skull tightly.

Under the scorching of the Qing Yan, the skull unbelievably began to melt.

The Tian Gui skull gradually melted into a puddle of deep blue liquid, profound as the night sky.

This liquid was absorbed by Ning Zhuo’s palm, penetrating into his body, passing through his tendons and bones, until it drilled into his Shen Hai.

Natural talent—Ben Wo!

A brilliant blue radiance erupted from within Ning Zhuo’s body.

The azure flames still burned, but they couldn’t block this sky-piercing blue light.

At the same time, the Mingjiao Jian, now covered with blood-refinement patterns, had completely changed ownership, losing all connection with Wangchuan Fujun. The Mingjiao Jian transformed into a stream of light, actively plunging and integrating into Qing Chi’s body.

*Puff—!!!*

At this instant, Wangchuan Fujun suddenly threw his head back and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Blood splattered five feet!

His hair broke off in strands, his breath weakened to its lowest point, as if his spine had been directly pulled out. He fell straight back, collapsing on the spot and passing out.

Luo Si’s vision was gradually covered by yellow earth.

In the last faint light, he vaguely saw a white-clothed youth, holding the Gui race girl, emerging from the tributary. And the background behind the youth was the Wangchuan tributary, constantly scorched by the Qing Yan, almost dried up.

Luo Si felt as if he, too, had sunk into the Wangchuan River.

“Wake up, wake up quickly!” His strong consciousness constantly urged him, feeling like a grain of sand at the bottom of the river, slowly, with difficulty, struggling to float upwards.

He finally managed to let out a faint gasp, opening his eyes with difficulty.

His eyelids were heavy as if welded shut, and his narrow vision was blurry, a gloomy haze.

*Clop-clop—clop-clop—*

Clear, strong, and rhythmically hard hoofbeats resonated in his ears. Mixed with them was the sound of cartwheels turning.

“Luo Si is awake!”

“Master Ning Zhuo, Luo Si is awake!!”

Luo Si immediately heard someone calling out this. Soon, a white figure entered his vision, and then he was helped to an upright position.

The white figure cast a spell on Luo Si, making his vision clear and accelerating the recovery of his physical sensations. A warm current flowed through his body, transforming into strength.

He slowly turned his head first, shifting his gaze to observe his surroundings.

He was now lying on a simple mechanism flatbed cart, with two huge wooden wheels spinning frantically. In front of the flatbed, it was being pulled by two black-blood paper horses galloping.

On his abdomen rested an eight-cornered palace lantern, the Qian Mo Deng.

It was by relying on it to regulate and manage the earth’s energy that Luo Si was gradually released from the thick clay seal.

Ning Zhuo smiled, “It’s good that you’re awake. You can now circulate your magic power on your own to accelerate your recovery. You can borrow this lantern for now; it will be very useful for expelling the earth’s energy from your body.”

“Gongzi.” Luo Si spoke with difficulty, his throat so dry that after vaguely uttering just two words, he had no strength to say anything more.

Ning Zhuo nodded, “I know what you want to ask.”

He transmitted information with his divine sense, telling Luo Si what had happened after he passed out.

The Qing Yan was actually able to melt the Tian Gui skull, allowing Ning Zhuo to absorb this acquired natural talent.

The natural talent Ben Wo enabled Ning Zhuo to constantly remember himself, which perfectly counteracted the effects of the Wangchuan River water.

Ning Zhuo no longer fully supported the Wo Fo Xin Mo Yin, and even when the Wangchuan tributary washed over him, he remained unharmed.

He then had the strength to escape the Wangchuan River.

Qing Chi had also unexpectedly refined the Mingjiao Jian and passed out.

Ning Zhuo then took Qing Chi and left the Wangchuan tributary to rescue Luo Si.

He couldn’t immediately help Luo Si escape, but he did his best to protect Luo Si’s life.

Then, Ning Zhuo hurriedly cleaned up the battlefield, fearing that Wangchuan Fujun might personally lead his army there, so he took Luo Si and left the sacrificial altar battlefield.

After descending to the ground, he revealed his true identity to the Qingjiao Army, informing them of his real identity and the general battle situation, omitting the matter of him absorbing natural talent.

The Qingjiao Army, upon learning of their victory and the disruption of Wangchuan Fujun’s century-long plan, were greatly invigorated and cheered loudly.

Jiao Ma’s birth father, however, felt endless regret. He had long suspected that his son was an impersonator.

Ning Zhuo’s主动坦白 surprised the Jiao family. Qing Chi’s unconscious state also troubled the Qing family.

Jiao Ma’s birth father stepped forward first, immediately expressing his support for Ning Zhuo. His choice quickly gained the support of the entire Qingjiao Army.

Ning Zhuo then led the Qingjiao Army, rushing towards the agreed-upon meeting point.

Upon arriving there, Ning Zhuo did not see Fo Yi Meng Yao Yin or Sun Ling Tong, but Luo Si was already able to walk.

Here, he found a flying letter delivered by Fo Yi Meng Yao Yin. The letter told Ning Zhuo that if she did not arrive for a long time, he should lead the army to Shuizang Gu.

Luo Si’s heart immediately filled with a sense of foreboding when he saw the letter.

The Old Man of Grey Bones had shown him great kindness, and he always wanted to repay him.

Ning Zhuo, Luo Si, and the still unconscious Qing Chi rushed non-stop to Shuizang Gu.