This single strike unleashed an illusionary attack upon at least several thousand people, rendering them unable to distinguish friend from foe, causing them to grab whatever weapon they held and hack wildly at those around them... Such a large-scale illusionary attack would be immensely difficult even for a Soul Master in the Spirit Manifestation realm.

At the very least, after unleashing this technique, Xiao Taotao plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground, while the monstrous beast in the heavens let out a resentful roar before dissolving into a black shadow that surged back into Xiao Taotao's body... Seeing the enemy lines descend into such chaos, Chi Yixiu suppressed the surging killing intent within his heart, stepped forward, snatched up Taotie, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and bolted toward the north...

Hu Yanqi glanced at Bieli, who had already vanished into the enemy ranks, and sighed helplessly, then followed closely behind Chi Yixiu, rushing north... The remaining Chi Yi warriors, along with those four hundred-plus others, ignored everything else and followed Chi Yixiu at full speed, fleeing north...

But whether it was due to the loss of Taotie's deterrence or the lingering influence of Taotie's Phantom Dragon Wave, the Manticore Lions began charging heedlessly toward the Shadow Army soldiers who were entirely ensnared in the illusion... Forced to act, many soldiers leapt from Taotie's back and fled northward at top speed; however, a contingent of soldiers chose to stay.

The moment they witnessed Ye Jingyu injured, an inexplicable pain shot through them, as if the sword that struck him had pierced their own flesh... Their eyes alight with grim resolve, they mounted their Manticore Lions, gripping their now-dulled sabers, and charged into the defenseless Shadow Army soldiers...

The Shadow Army formation had already been thrown into disarray by Ouyang Lengcan's (For complete novel reading, visit .1.(1..Literature.Net) being pierced by arrows, and then further muddled by Taotie’s illusion, driving the vast majority into madness. Officers like Lin Zuo were too occupied suppressing their frenzied troops to pay any mind to Ye Jingyu, who was escaping...

However, two figures darted out from the main army, one ahead and one trailing closely behind, heading east: Yue Youqun, who had delivered the fatal sword strike to Ye Jingyu, and Bieli, who doggedly followed in his wake... Seeing Bieli descend into absolute frenzy, Yue Youqun did not pause, maintaining his full sprint.

As the Eldest Young Master, achieving the feat of slaying Ye Jingyu at this critical juncture was merit enough to earn the favor of the Young Master, with a bright future awaiting him—he certainly had no desire to fight Bieli, the madman... He had conserved his strength throughout the previous battle, so he was confident that Bieli, who had exerted himself fully, could never catch him...

Bieli, trailing behind, was already running on fumes, utterly exhausted. Yet, a single obsessive thought—to kill Yue Youqun and avenge Ye Jingyu—drove him onward.

His consciousness was already hazy, but this fixation alone supported his relentless pursuit of Yue Youqun... Hundreds of miles away, beside a small river in the canyon's center, Ni Bo, running with all his might, was gasping for breath, utterly spent.

Despite possessing the bloodline of the Qilin, despite being a descendant of the Primeval Bo, he was still only a juvenile Bo. In mere moments, he had covered hundreds of miles; this was no longer a matter of foot speed, but of divine ability...

He collapsed beside the small river, panting continuously. Ye Jingyu, lying on his back, rested nearby.

His garments were soaked crimson with blood, his face frighteningly pale, his breathing shallow—like a candle flickering precariously in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any second... Ni Bo struggled to lift his head and looked toward Ye Jingyu, seemingly wanting to convey something, but the exertion was too great, and he finally succumbed to unconsciousness...

Ye Jingyu’s heart was pierced by a bloody hole, and fresh blood continued to spray out. Any other person would have been long dead; only his cultivation of the Hegemon Primordial Art kept him clinging to life...

Yue Youqun’s Innate True Qi had been devoured by the Primordial Hegemon Force within his body. However, while the Primordial Hegemon Force was tyrannical, it lacked Zhuge Siyu’s wondrous healing arts that could mend wounds swiftly...

Although the rate at which Ye Jingyu’s wounds healed was significantly faster than for ordinary people, this time the wound pierced straight through his sternum. The healing speed was far outpaced by the rate of blood loss.

Furthermore, as his heartbeat grew weaker, the healing process slowed down... It seemed the speed of his body’s regeneration was intimately linked to his systemic functions...

If things continued this way, Ye Jingyu would inevitably bleed to death... In that moment, his mind was swimming in a haze, devoid of sensation, only feeling overwhelmingly tired—so tired he wished he could just sleep, sleep forever, and never wake up...

Finally succumbing to extreme fatigue, the eyes Ye Jingyu had intended to open remained closed. He lost consciousness completely, while the blood from his chest continued to flow, his breathing growing fainter and fainter...

Just then, a song drifted down from upstream on the river. The sound was sweet, as if a celestial fairy were singing a clear melody, echoing in the canyon, refusing to fade—legendary reverberations were nothing compared to this...

It was simply that our little Ye-fellow was in critical condition and could hear none of this beautiful music... As the song drew nearer, a single, slender skiff drifted down from the river’s upper reaches.

A young woman stood upon it, her lips moving slightly; clearly, the exquisite song emanated from her... Yet, unlike the heavenly, fairy-like voice, the girl possessed long, deep purple hair that trailed all the way to her ankles, resembling a cascading purple waterfall...

She was entirely enveloped in a tight, sheer black gauze dress that clung to her form, revealing a figure of devastating beauty with exquisite curves. If Ye Jingyu had been conscious to see this, he would have instantly thought of Yao Yao, for only Yao Yao possessed such breathtaking proportions...

The girl’s features were beautiful, but hers was a beauty distinct from Yao Yao's seductive allure, and also different from Zhuge Siyu’s ethereal, otherworldly grace. Her beauty was unique, encompassing all the loveliness of heaven and earth, yet seeming separate from any beauty found within them...

At her waist, the maiden carried an exquisitely crafted curved saber. The blade had no sheath, appearing like a purple crescent moon...

But the most arresting feature was her eyes—a pair of purple irises, resembling a nebula or a vortex. Merely gazing into them felt as if one's very soul would be instantly drawn in...

"Eh? Someone's here?" Noticing Ye Jingyu on the bank, the girl’s song abruptly ceased, replaced by a sharp intake of breath of surprise.

She then stepped directly off the skiff and began walking toward the shore, treading upon the water's surface step by step... This was not the 'Lingbo Weibu' nor 'Water-Strolling Mastery'; it was a natural, measured stride, as if she were walking across level ground—so effortless, so harmonious...