The overwhelming surge of vital energy locked the two figures completely. Once that massive seal descended, not only would the two be annihilated without a trace, but the surrounding several li would be razed to the ground. How could this fellow possibly possess such a formidable magic treasure? It must be something even mightier than that Fang Tian Tower!

There was no time for further thought. Ignoring how Fang Yuan could possibly activate such a potent artifact, Ye Jingyu simply raised one hand, and the ancient, greenish bell reappeared, hovering directly above his head...

"Please..." Ye Jingyu murmured silently, pulling Xiyang tightly into his embrace, allowing the greenish bell to take the brunt of the colossal strike...

At this moment of life or death, everything depended on the ancient, greenish bell...

Xiyang felt a wave of terror crash over her. Though she was an ancient divine beast, both the greenish bell and the massive black seal radiated immense oppressive power. Especially the descending black seal; its sheer pressure threatened to shatter her very core. With her current strength, blocking that strike was impossible; against such might, all she could do was await death.

Her heart was filled with fear and despair, yet when Ye Jingyu pulled her into his arms, the fear and hopelessness vanished without a trace...

Leaning wholly against Ye Jingyu, she felt an unprecedented sense of security—a feeling entirely different from when she used to rest in her father's arms.

She adored this sensation. At this moment, even if a seal weren't falling, even if the heavens themselves were collapsing, she would not feel a shred of fear...

She quietly raised her head, gazing at Ye Jingyu’s handsome face, observing the steadfast resolution in his eyes. Xiyang felt utterly blessed; even facing death, as long as she was by his side, what was there to fear?

With a deafening "Boom!", the massive black seal slammed viciously into the ancient, greenish bell. The enormous recoil forced Ye Jingyu to spew a mouthful of blood instantly. Having established a degree of connection with the bell, his entire spirit suffered a grievous blow...

Had his divine soul not been so tightly integrated with his physical body, this impact alone would have shattered his soul into dust...

However, the greenish bell proved truly resilient, managing to withstand the colossal seal. The residual shockwaves generated by the two artifacts spread outwards, pulverizing the surrounding trees and boulders. In mere moments, a vacuum zone spanning several li formed around Ye Jingyu...

Under this collision, the main body of the seal sustained a minuscule, almost negligible crack, and it was flung backward, eventually shrinking into an iron seal the size of a palm before clattering to the ground...

Fang Yuan, who had already collapsed unconscious, spat out another torrent of blood. Clearly, that strike had completely severed his connection with the black seal, causing his spirit to suffer another severe injury...

Xiyang's heart tightened, but shielded by the greenish bell, she felt only the powerful vibrations, sustaining no other harm. She watched as the greenish bell merged into Ye Jingyu’s body, while Ye Jingyu simultaneously coughed black blood from all seven orifices, his eyes rolling back as he fainted in her arms, his head resting perfectly between her proud peaks...

Such a monumental collision naturally attracted the attention of powerful figures across thousands of li. At least dozens of savage divine senses swept toward the location, with several emanations surpassing the Ninth Heaven realm actively rushing over. An artifact capable of generating such immense power was enough to drive any cultivator to madness.

Though Xiyang had lived in seclusion, she was no fool. Sensing those formidable divine probes, she knew she was no match for them. She clutched Ye Jingyu’s body, transforming into a streak of light, and sped toward her hidden grotto, conveniently snatching the black seal along the way. An artifact that could emit such powerful aura was no ordinary treasure; how could she possibly abandon it?

A towering pillar of crimson fire shot toward the heavens. At the speed of a Vermilion Bird, very few in this mortal realm could possibly keep pursuit, even if the pursuers were Ninth Heaven masters or even Venerable-level experts.

Less than a breath after she vanished, several figures materialized at the scene...

"Well, gentlemen, it's been centuries since we last met, and look now—it hasn't been long, yet here we are again. You all must have quite a bit of free time!" A man clad in a white long gown remarked mildly, though his gaze was fixed on Fang Yuan, the only one left lying on the ground...

"Lin Xingyun, don't even think about hoarding the treasure for yourself. Since we all discovered it simultaneously, it should be shared among us!" A man wearing garishly colored robes interjected as he saw the first man shift his attention toward Fang Yuan...

"Heh heh, Jun Longmin speaks truth. Perhaps we should interrogate this fellow together? I truly can't fathom how the Fang family manages to possess so many potent artifacts!" another man added.

"Agreed..." The five individuals present nodded in unison. These five were the patriarchs of the Lin, Jun, Hua, Zhan, and Yue families among the Nine Great Clans...

Immediately, the five descended near Fang Yuan. Five savage divine senses enveloped his Sea of Consciousness. Facing figures of the Seventh Heaven realm, they didn't even need to extract his memories; they could effortlessly breach his Sea of Consciousness and read everything he knew. Of course, this required the target to be completely unguarded; if someone was prepared, even reading the memories of an ordinary person could prove difficult.

But after sweeping their divine senses over him, the faces of the five twisted into expressions of awkward amusement. They discovered that Fang Yuan’s Three Souls and Seven Spirits had been severely damaged, with two souls and six spirits utterly pulverized, leaving behind only a single soul and one spirit. In other words, he had been reduced to an imbecile; his memories had completely dissipated, making retrieval impossible...

The five exchanged glances, confusion clouding their eyes. What kind of artifact was that, which could shatter a person's soul structure with mere recoil force? And where had the artifact gone? Even with their vast divine senses, they couldn't detect any peculiar aura...

"Lin Xingyun, Jun Longmin, Zhan Batian, Hua Wuhui, Yue Zhongtian, what are you doing? Do you truly think the Fang family is a pushover?" Just then, a powerful divine sense, equal in strength to theirs, swept over them. It was Fang Zhentian, who had rushed over upon hearing news of his son.