Yu Yui's body was trembling like a leaf in the wind, muttering to herself over and over in hysteria.
"Lies... This is a lie... My master is still alive..." With each word spoken with difficulty, tears fell from her eyes. It seemed she was trying to convince herself that it was all just a lie.
However, deep in her heart, she knew the truth. Her master was dead—she was the one who killed him while trying to protect him. She had failed in her duty.
Flashes of memories surged through her mind. The scene of the avatar taking his own life repeated itself. A tool that failed its purpose—a shame and a complete waste.
Maybe I should do the same as the avatar... Maybe if I die, I can see Master again... In the next life, I'll try to be useful...
As these thoughts passed through her mind, her trembling hands slowly moved toward her neck.
Yu Yui's intention was clear, but before she could touch her neck, her body collapsed unconscious to the ground.
"Sleep well..."
After putting Yu Yui into a deep sleep, the eyes of the outer god turned toward the golden cocoon.
"The divinity contained within this cocoon may be of use to me."
"A shame you won't have the chance to use it." A cold, feminine voice echoed through the void.
The outer god didn't seem surprised by the voice—it was as if he had expected it. Han Xinrou deactivated her concealment, as if she already knew it would be useless against the outer god.
"So the little ant decided to crawl out of her hiding place and join the fun." All of the outer god's eyes drifted through the void. "But I see there are still ants trying to hide, even knowing how pointless it is."
Left with no choice, the nine elders deactivated their concealment, trying to maintain some dignity:
"We weren't hiding—we were assessing the situation."
"That's right."
"Exactly."
Han Xinrou stared coldly at the nine elders, well aware that they wanted her to face the outer god alone so they could intervene later and reap the benefits once both sides were exhausted.
However, she said nothing. Her face was a mask of cold indifference, but inside, she was burning with fury—for her Han Ling.
"Elders, I believe we should put our differences aside and unite to face this outer god." Her words were spoken with a tone of cold authority, as though she weren't asking—but commanding.
A heavy silence settled over the void for a few seconds after Han Xinrou's words. The nine elders exchanged glances, their expressions grim with the weight of wounded pride. The young woman before them not only met them with disdain—she now sought to command them.
The first to speak was Elder Bai Xuan of the Eternal Dragon Peak. His voice was deep, like a thunderclap held back.
"Hmph... A junior daring to command elders who were cultivating when she was still drinking milk? What a joke."
"I agree," muttered Elder Qiu Lan of the Thousand Flowers Peak, eyes half-closed. "We are the pillars of the Open Sky Sect, not the subordinates of a spoiled child."
Elder Lei Wu of the Celestial Thunder Peak laughed mockingly.
"If not for your overwhelming talent, you'd be nothing more than an arrogant girl playing immortal."
"A freak who thinks she can dictate the rules of the heavens just because luck smiled on her," added Elder Mo Fan of the Shadow Lotus Peak, his voice cold and venomous.
Han Xinrou watched them without changing her expression. But inside, her rage was a volcano on the verge of eruption. They didn't understand... They didn't know the pain she felt, the fury in her chest, the desire to annihilate anyone who dared touch Han Ling.
Her crystalline eyes gleamed, and for a brief moment, the aura of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm surged like a tide of destruction. The nine elders felt their hearts tremble, even though they were at the Mahayana Realm—a level above the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
"Useless old men," she said, her voice like a fine blade ready to cut. "Don't you dare pretend nobility when you were hiding like rats. If you want to fight, then fight. If you want to flee, then flee. But if you get in my way... I'll deal with you myself before I face that outer god."
The elders remained silent. Despite their indignation, all of them felt a chill upon looking at the young woman who now resembled an emperor of ancient eras.
It was Elder Jin Zhi, the oldest among them, who finally stepped forward.
"Hmph. Very well... since the enemy is shared, we will join forces. But let it be clear, girl," his sharp eyes stared at her like blades, "this does not mean we're under your command. We're here for the Open Sky Sect... and for our own interests."
"So be it," murmured Han Xinrou, not even looking at him. "As long as you stay out of my way."
The outer god laughed, his voice echoing like a distorted chorus.
"How delightful... a group of snakes pretending to be dragons. Very well, gather together. This will make my hunt even more entertaining."
His smile widened, laced with disdain.
"But... what do mere ants think they can do? Your attacks can't even scratch me, let alone kill me."
With those words, the gravity of the situation seemed to weigh down on the nine elders. What they were facing wasn't a cultivator—it was a god. And gods could only be harmed by something equivalent. Even if this god was weakened and using a vessel, it didn't mean they were anywhere near the same level.
Some of them were already planning escape routes. It didn't matter if the outer god destroyed the world—preserving one's own life was more important to a cultivator.
Han Xinrou's eyes were cold as she observed the elders, guessing their thoughts, but she decided to offer them a sliver of hope for glory—to push them into taking more risks.
"Funny you say that, but even an ant wielding an immortal weapon can wound a god." She said, pulling a red spear from the void. This spear bore golden runes along its shaft, and the blade at the tip had some cracks. It exuded a suffocating aura even as it floated motionless in the void. "Even damaged, I think it's enough."
As she spoke those words, Han Xinrou was not targeting the Outer God, but rather the nine elders. She wanted to ignite their greed, to make them desire such an immortal weapon, to make them join her in the battle against the Outer God. Whether for the glory of defeating an Outer God—which would earn them merit with the immortals—or for the chance to steal the immortal weapon when Han Xinrou was weakened from the fight.
Just as Han Xinrou had imagined, the elders' thoughts of fleeing changed instantly upon seeing the spear. While some were calculating their chances of victory against the Outer God, others were already thinking about how best to seize the weapon. In the end, all thoughts converged on helping Han Xinrou—not because they wanted to, but because they had no other choice.
With cold eyes and the immortal spear floating beside her like a harbinger of destruction, Han Xinrou said nothing more. She knew she had already planted the seeds of greed. And cultivators were like hungry beasts—all it took was showing a sacred bone, and they would leap like desperate dogs.
Elder Lei Wu was the first to react, his once-mocking eyes now fixed on the spear with a hungry desire. Even though he tried to disguise it with a soft cough, the golden gleam in his pupils betrayed his intentions.
"Even so, a weapon like this... Hmph... it doesn't change the fact that we're facing a superior being." He crossed his arms but took a subtle step back, as if positioning himself strategically for a future retreat—or strike.
"True," murmured Mo Fan with sinister calm. "But maybe... it's enough to force the vessel to collapse. And in that moment, an opening might appear."
"No doubt," whispered Qiu Lan, discreetly licking her lips as if already tasting victory—or betrayal. "An opportunity like this might never come again."
Jin Zhi stood firm, his eyes sharper than before. Unlike the others, he did not covet the spear, but the chance to etch his name into eternity as the one who faced a god—and survived.
"Then it's decided," he declared, his voice cutting through the air. "We'll cooperate... for now."
The Outer God watched everything unfold with malevolent interest. Its eyes—hundreds of them—widened at different rhythms, as if silently laughing. When it spoke, its voice seemed to come from all directions:
"Ah... Now this is it... the true cultivators reveal themselves. Petty fools... selfish... greedy. Just the way I like it. But you're dreaming if you think you can win."
It raised one of its countless arms stretching out from the void. The void itself seemed to tremble with the energy gathering in its palm.
When the Outer God struck, a pillar of destructive energy burst from its hand toward the golden cocoon.
But before it could reach its target, Han Xinrou moved.
In an instant, her figure appeared before the attack, spinning the spear with mastery. Golden runes along the shaft lit up, and the divine aura around her exploded like a scarlet sun.
BOOOOM!
The impact shook the entire space, making the void tremble. A shockwave spread like a cosmic storm. Even protected by their defenses, the elders were thrown back, blood trickling from their lips.
Han Xinrou fell to her knees for a brief moment, spitting blood—but the golden cocoon remained intact.
As she rose, her eyes were sharper than ever. Any internal injury had already healed within moments.
"If you're just going to watch, then die with him!" she snarled, her power rising even higher, as if she were about to transcend the heavens themselves.
Elder Bai Xuan wiped the blood from his mouth and laughed, despite the pain.
"Hmph... What a wild woman... But now that the game's begun, let's see who's left standing at the end."
The nine elders positioned themselves around the Outer God. Not for honor. Not for glory. But for ambition.
Each of them activated their most powerful techniques. Ancient seals and forbidden curses began to burn like living flames.
Han Xinrou raised the spear again. The spear's shaft trembled, as if it wanted to break free—longing to devour a god, or perhaps fearing that existence and wanting to flee—but Han Xinrou's grip left no room for escape.
"Attack now," she said, her eyes like frozen abysses. "Or stay in my way… and I'll pierce you first."
The attacks from the nine elders were powerful. Their combined impact also caused the void to tremble, though on a smaller scale.
Unfortunately, all those attacks were intercepted by black arms extending from the void—unable to even get close to the Outer God's main body.
Han Xinrou swung the spear toward the Outer God. The spear's red energy lit up the entire void, carrying the intent to slice through even the void itself.
However, the Outer God raised a black arm to intercept the strike. Its long, sharp fingers radiated destructive energy that clashed with the runed steel of the spear's shaft, generating a blast of red light and swirling shadows. The impact created a shockwave so intense it drew cries of pain from the nine elders, who were thrown backward, their energy shields shattering into bursts of force.
Han Xinrou stepped back only once, bracing the spear with both hands, dragging red sparks across the void's ground. Her chest exhaled seas of life force flowing into the spear, the golden runes glowing brighter with the blood coursing from her. Even so, her eyes remained locked on the shadowy figure of the Outer God.
"You really think you can shake me with a simple block?" she growled, her voice filled with contempt and determination. "It is I who will decide the fate of this vessel!"
The Outer God let out a rumbling laugh, as if the void itself mocked human courage.
"Foolish? Arrogant? There's no difference between you and the others who tried to destroy me. All of them fell. But at least you offer a bit of… entertainment." Its voice reverberated in countless tones, as if coming from infinite directions at once. "But the other elders are ruining my fun with their pitiful attacks. I think I'll kill them first."
As those words were spoken, the nine elders felt a sense of crisis—danger rising from the depths of their souls.