Ye Wen tiptoed a bit further ahead. Fortunately, the structure of the cave was well-suited for concealment. Upon reaching a corner, Ye Wen cautiously peeked out, allowing him to clearly observe everything happening inside while keeping his own silhouette perfectly hidden.

Dongfang Kui stood there, while Dongfang Wuji lay on the ground, his four limbs pierced and pinned to the stone by four daggers, rendering him completely immobile. Judging by the clotted blood around the wounds, the eldest son of the Dongfang family had been held in this agonizing posture for quite some time.

Dongfang Yi leaned against the cave wall, this elder man’s face etched with extreme exhaustion. Not only had his hair turned entirely snow-white, but his eyebrows matched, and the wrinkles on his face looked as if someone had carved them deeply with a knife.

“How did it come to this?”

Dongfang Kui flipped a small iron hammer in her hand a few times, then gave the heavily gasping Dongfang Wuji a kick. “Big Brother, how does it feel now that your bones and sinews are shattered piece by piece?” After a long bout of panting, perhaps having somewhat adapted to the searing pain, Dongfang Wuji finally managed to speak again. This time, however, his voice lacked its former vigor; instead, it sounded like he was moments from taking his last breath. “I beg you, please, for the sake of our brotherhood, just end it quickly! Stop this torment…”

Dongfang Kui merely snorted. “Brotherhood? When you poisoned me back then, why didn’t you mention brotherhood? You still have the audacity to call yourself my brother now?”

At these words, a deep flush spread across Dongfang Wuji’s face, though it was impossible to tell if it was from the immense pain or overwhelming shame.

Dongfang Yi, seated by the cave wall, also let out a long sigh, unsure how to respond to Dongfang Mang’s accusation.

If not for today’s events, he never would have imagined his eldest son would conspire in secret by poisoning him, merely out of fear that his exceptionally talented younger sibling would overshadow him and seize control of the Azure Dragon Society’s leadership. When he first heard the news, Dongfang Yi’s reaction was disbelief. Compared to his second son—who had become something monstrous, neither fully male nor female, with a drastically altered mind—he had always been more inclined to believe his eldest son.

He hadn't realized that his own reaction had only hurt Dongfang Kui, who already harbored deep resentments toward him, thus leading to the scene currently unfolding.

Dongfang Kui vowed to torture Dongfang Wuji to death right in front of Dongfang Yi, and moreover, to force Dongfang Wuji to confess everything he had done with his own mouth!

She succeeded. Unable to bear the agonizing torment, Dongfang Wuji confessed everything immediately after Dongfang Kui shattered three of his fingers with the hammer. Upon hearing it, Dongfang Yi instantly lost all strength; the man who had been shouting curses like “Beast! Rebellious son!” was suddenly struck speechless.

Dongfang Kui showed no sign of letting Dongfang Wuji off the hook, and his wretched screams continued to pierce Dongfang Yi’s heart like sharp swords. In just over half a day, the once high-spirited Master of the Dongfang family had been reduced to his current state.

A faint sense of self-reproach for never truly understanding his eldest son, which led to the ensuing tragedy, coupled with his guilt toward his second child, stripped Dongfang Yi of all ambition in that single instant.

Yet, thinking of the Dongfang bloodline, he still hoped his second son would spare his elder brother. However, Dongfang Kui responded with a scornful laugh. “Even now, you side with Big Brother… You have never truly treated me as your son!” Dongfang Tu pointed to herself. “Who is responsible for the way I look now? For all the suffering I have endured?”

With that, the small hammer in Dongfang Yi’s hand slammed down violently. After a sharp, piercing shriek, Dongfang Yi stared dumbfounded as his eldest son instantly passed out from the massive pain combined with a fatal blow to a vital spot. Simultaneously, the realization that the Dongfang line was about to end right then and there nearly caused him to faint as well.

“You… what are you doing? You wicked child!”

After a moment of stunned paralysis, Dongfang Yi erupted into another roar. Dongfang Kui’s action was utterly treasonous, a disgrace to all the ancestors of the Dongfang family.

Dongfang Kui tossed the small hammer aside and threw her head back in wild laughter. No matter how Dongfang Yi cursed, she offered no retort, watching as her elder brother, though knocked unconscious by the blow, quickly woke up due to the pain only to die in agony moments later.

“Quick… save him!”

Sensing something was terribly wrong with Dongfang Wuji, Dongfang Yi shouted desperately, but all he received was Dongfang Kui’s ice-cold gaze. That brief delay was all it took; Dongfang Wuji drew his last breath.

“I have nothing more to do with the Azure Dragon Society, and you are no longer my father. I am no longer Dongfang Sheng; from now on, my name is Dongfang Mang. I am just myself… If you wish to save your son, then come and kill me!” Dongfang Yi stared blankly at his second son, suddenly feeling utterly defeated.

“I, Dongfang Yi, am ashamed to have been a son, ashamed to have been a father!”

With a long cry toward the heavens, he suddenly raised his palm and struck the top of his own head. The Qinglong Yin energy exploded outward, and the dragon’s roar sounded like the mournful cry of a dying giant beast. Following a dull thud, everything returned to silence. Dongfang Yi fell straight down, his eyes wide open.

“Sect Leader Ye, do you think I did the wrong thing!?”

Dongfang Kui looked at the fallen Dongfang Yi and Dongfang Wuji at her feet. After gazing at them silently for a long time, she finally spoke. She did not turn around, nor did she even glance back. After speaking, she merely picked up a nearby weapon and began digging a pit in the ground with it.

Ye Wen stepped out from the corner, watching Dongfang Kui bent low, digging. He knew this person was doing what she felt she must do.

Dongfang Ying, who had expected Ye Wen to jump out and berate her as a lunatic or a pervert, waited for a long time but heard nothing. When she finally turned back, revealing a delicate face streaked with tears, she was surprised to see Ye Wen looking at her with an expression of sympathy.

“What is this? Pity me? I don’t need your pity!”

She screamed hysterically for a moment, but Ye Wen remained silent. Dongfang Kui wiped her face, then continued digging until two large pits, capable of holding one person each, were ready. She then tossed her father’s and elder brother’s bodies inside before burying them securely.

“You aren’t taking their bodies back to the Central Plains?”

Dongfang Kui shook her head. “From this day forward, I have nothing to do with the Azure Dragon Society or the Dongfang family! I will never return to the Azure Dragon Society!” She paused, then suddenly grew curious. “Sect Leader Ye, since you witnessed me killing the Young Master of the Azure Dragon Society, why didn't you carry out justice and kill me?”

Ye Wen shook his head. “The fault was not yours; how can one reverse right and wrong?” He who harms others shall be harmed by others. Dongfang Wuji poisoned and harmed Dongfang Kui; it was only reasonable that Dongfang Mang killed him.

Dongfang Kui gave a bitter smile. “But I am a brother-slayer and the one who caused my father’s death!”

Ye Wen offered no reply, only shaking his head before turning to leave. Seeing him walk away, Dongfang Kui suddenly flicked her wrist. A searing, ultra-fine stream of qi shot toward him from behind. Ye Wen acted as if he noticed nothing, allowing the thread of energy to whiz past his ear and embed itself in the wall, leaving a hole the size of a pore.

Glancing at the wall where Dongfang Kui had struck, Ye Wen merely stated, “If Miss Dongfang wishes to die, find an uninhabited place and end it yourself! I have no intention of being the prop for your suicide…”

In Ye Wen’s estimation, Dongfang Tu now possessed a strong tendency toward self-destruction, which had peaked after killing her own brother and forcing her father to commit suicide. However, Dongfang Kui kept insisting to herself that she had done the right thing, leaving her without the necessary justification to finally resolve to end her life.

Under such circumstances, finding a master to kill her seemed like a suitable outcome that she could accept. She had been somewhat pleased when she first sensed Ye Wen’s arrival, but she never expected Ye Wen would absolutely refuse to act, as if he saw through the fact that she was only trying to scare him, not truly attack him.

“If you won’t kill me, then I’ll kill you!”

Dongfang Tu activated her qinggong. Ye Wen only felt a cool breeze sweep past as the tragic figure instantly stood before him.

But Ye Wen remained unmoved, continuing to walk slowly forward, not even taking any defensive posture. As he passed by Dongfang Kui, he merely said, “You won’t, I know you are not that kind of person!”

Watching Ye Wen walk past her, as if circumventing the most ordinary wooden post, Dongfang Mang’s hand trembled for a long time before she ultimately failed to strike. When she turned back, Ye Wen was standing at the cave entrance, looking at her.

“See? I told you so!”

With that, he walked straight out of the cave. Dongfang Kui could only stare in stunned silence as Ye Wen left, meandering through the forest before vanishing from sight…

After exiting the cave, Ye Wen returned directly to where they had been resting. Ning Ruxue had already recovered, and Bei Cheng Yan, with Huayi’s assistance, had regained her spirit. The few people exchanged glances, and Ye Wen was the first to speak.

“It’s time for us to move on. Among the righteous factions, only a few people remain. I wonder if Venerable Huixin and Sect Leader Li can handle that Demon Lord!”

The Demon Lord naturally referred to Situ Haolong. As the esteemed leader of the Demonic Cult, he certainly deserved the title.

Although Bei Cheng Yan had appeared deeply despondent earlier, she was no young girl in her twenties; moreover, she was a strong woman. Realizing this was not the time for grief, she had already composed herself.

“Sect Leader Ye is right. We must quickly reinforce Master Huixin and Sect Leader Li; we absolutely cannot let these two fall to the Demonic Cult’s schemes!”

Recalling the spirited departure for the joint campaign against the Demonic Cult and their current desolate situation, Bei Cheng Yan felt an overwhelming sense of irony.

They had genuinely believed that with the unified strength of the orthodox sects, they could easily wipe out the skulking Demonic Cult. Who knew that while the Cult suffered heavy losses, the righteous path’s losses…

“Alas!”

The group stood up, packed their belongings, and were about to set off when suddenly a person emerged from the depths of the forest. Dongfang Kui appeared from behind a large tree and softly said, “I will go with you!”

Her sudden appearance startled the group. Except for Ye Wen, who was somewhat prepared, the other three women instantly drew their weapons: green light swirled around Ning Ruxue’s fingertips, Bei Cheng Yan drew a long sword she had picked up earlier, and Huayi held two short swords in her hands.

The events of the past two days had kept this group on high alert; the slightest disturbance provoked an extremely intense reaction. Ye Wen understood this was the result of prolonged danger and continuous trauma. People in such a state could not withstand any shock, so he immediately spoke up: “It’s Miss Dongfang. I just encountered her inside!”

“Miss Dongfang?”

Bei Cheng Yan had little impression of Dongfang Kui, having only caught a fleeting glimpse of her. She only knew that the second son of the Dongfang family had become gender-ambiguous after cultivating the Phoenix Nirvana Skill. Although she had heard that the skill, when fully mastered, made one indistinguishable from a true woman, Bei Cheng Yan felt something was inherently strange.

Simultaneously, she held a poor opinion of this mysterious divine skill. However, seeing Dongfang Kui in person now, she had to admit the cultivation art was indeed bizarre and formidable. This person before her was clearly a woman; where was any hint of masculinity to be seen?

“Is she from the Azure Dragon Society?”

Ye Wen nodded. “When I went to investigate just now, Miss Dongfang was burying the bodies of Young Master Dongfang Yi and Dongfang Wuji…”

“Is that so? Even the Azure Dragon Society’s…”

Bei Cheng Yan put away her long sword. Hearing that even the Azure Dragon Society was almost wiped out, she felt a surge of goodwill toward the “Miss Dongfang” whose face was still streaked with tears, feeling that this person was, like herself, someone pitiful.

Ye Wen offered no explanation. In reality, the Azure Dragon Society had been destroyed by the woman before him. In any case, these were all family disgraces; there was no need for the whole world to know. Furthermore, having forced her father to commit suicide and killed her own brother—these deeds, if spoken of, would certainly not reflect well. It was possible that Dongfang Kui, who was not yet entirely insane, might truly become a universally hunted demoness, stirring up further bloodshed in the martial world—something Ye Wen couldn't bear.

“Say no more, stir up no trouble!”

He prayed silently in his heart. Whether Dongfang Kui heard him or not, she truly did not speak further. She simply wiped away the lingering tears from her eyes and repeated her statement: “I will go with you to find that Demon Lord!” Hearing this, Ye Wen understood her plan immediately.

Damn, she still wants to get herself killed!

He rolled his eyes in exasperation, leaving Huayi and Ning Ruxue beside him utterly bewildered. However, Ye Wen didn't elaborate, instead quickening his pace and heading directly toward the seaside.

At this time, quite a few Demonic Cult members were still scurrying about the island. Some were injured, apparently beaten by someone, weaving crookedly toward secluded areas, likely trying to hide. Others, however, were fully clothed and armed, moving under the direction of apparent leaders, rushing toward the southeast of the island just like Ye Wen and his group.

When such a situation arose, if the opposing number wasn't too large, Ye Wen’s group would attack and scatter them. The leader-like figures would invariably be killed, and then they would watch the routed remnants flee.

They moved intermittently along the way, consuming a considerable amount of energy. Fortunately, the person who engaged the most on this path was the relatively intact Dongfang Kui, so the others didn't feel overly fatigued.

However, the martial prowess Dongfang Kui displayed greatly astonished everyone, especially Ye Wen.

“No wonder she could render both Dongfang Yi and Dongfang Wuji powerless. This Phoenix Nirvana Skill, even at the peak of its Fifth Transformation, grants such formidable combat strength? If she mastered the Sixth Transformation, how many people in this world could stand against her?”

He then considered the Seventh Transformation, rumored to be unachievable, and estimated that upon achieving it, one would immediately ascend beyond the void; otherwise, it would hardly justify the terrifying combat prowess displayed by the previous transformations of the Phoenix Nirvana Skill and the year-and-a-half-long state of suspended animation.

While contemplating what level of martial arts mastery he needed to reach to even brush against the so-called 'shattering the void,' the group arrived at the coast where they had first landed.

In this area, countless Demonic Cult members were surging forward, interspersed with occasional bursts of cheering.

In the distance upon the sea, a figure stood at the bow of a ship, gazing arrogantly at the cluster of people surrounded by his ant-like followers on the shore.

“It’s Situ Haolong!”

Ye Wen’s eyesight was the best, and he immediately recognized the one striking a pose at the ship’s prow as the Demonic Cult Leader, Situ Haolong. The man had indeed brought a large contingent of the Cult to annihilate the remaining strength of the righteous factions.

Although Li Xuan and Venerable Huixin had returned in time to stabilize the situation, Situ Haolong simply stood on the large ship, refusing to disembark, continuously ordering his subordinates to assault the small group protected by the two great masters.

What shocked Ye Wen even more was when Situ Haolong waved his hand, and a troop of soldiers armed with Pili Thunder Fire Bombs suddenly rushed forward, throwing the already lit bombs into the crowd.

“What the—Grenadiers?”

Fortunately, the old monk and Li Xuan had countermeasures. As long as they avoided the blast radius of the Pili Thunder Fire Bombs and used powerful remote qi to knock the incoming bombs back, they would be safe—the blast radius of a single bomb wasn't large, and there were no fragmentation designs; success relied purely on numbers. If the old Daoist hadn't been betrayed by Xuanyuan Wudi, he wouldn't have met such a tragic end.

So, this group could temporarily manage the threat. Moreover, the disciples of the Shu Mountain Sect were not easy targets either. Asking them to defeat peak masters was impossible, but dealing with a group of minions… Huang Rongrong led a formation of her direct disciples to form the True Martial Seven Interception Array, while Xu Xian moved like a phantom, weaving freely through the crowd—relying on his superior qinggong, this Young Master Xu specifically targeted the leaders or aimed for the archers. As soon as the grenadiers appeared, after throwing just one round of Pili Thunder Fire Bombs, a swath of sword shadows flashed through the ranks, leaving only corpses strewn on the ground.

On the ship, Situ Haolong remained unconcerned, watching the scene leisurely. “No matter how skilled you are in martial arts, how many can you kill? I suspect within another half an hour, every one of you will be exhausted, and then won’t you all be slaughtered?”

Looking at this scene, Situ Haolong’s conviction for his future path grew firmer. “My father warned me long ago that the Holy Cult could never succeed because it was too heavily burdened by martial world sentiment. Now I have thoroughly cleansed the Cult of that sentiment. This world will surely belong to my Situ lineage!” Just as he was enjoying his pose immensely, a dazzling purple light suddenly shot toward him. The chilling sword qi erupting from this purple light forced him to abandon his position at the ship’s bow and leap backward to evade.

“Die, Situ Haolong!”

Following a ferocious roar, the terrifying purple light flashed fiercely, then erupted with boundless sword qi. Not only he, but the personal guards and soldiers behind him were all enveloped in this sweeping net of swordsmanship.