The sudden abnormality on stage caused an immediate uproar throughout the auditorium. Most of the audience hadn't processed what happened yet, assuming it was part of the planned spectacle, shouting and gasping in shock.

A small fraction of the students sensed something was profoundly wrong. They shouted, "How did Zhao Ling'er team up with the Sword Saint?" "That’s absurd! Has Zhao Ling'er betrayed us?" "Damn, who wrote this script? It’s so unconventional! How postmodern can you get? How did the Sword Saint end up with Zhao Ling'er?" "Ugh, poor Li Xiaoyao!" "The Sword Saint is so cool; if I were Zhao Ling'er, I’d defect too!" "Hey, you fickle... man! Are you a Communist?"

As the students down below started to agitate loudly, the actors on stage were utterly dumbfounded. They exchanged bewildered glances, slack-jawed. Especially those actors lying on the floor, feigning death, who desperately wanted to sit up and see what was going on.

Those whose heads faced away from the stage were slightly better off; by keeping one eye squinted open, they could secretly glimpse the recent action. Even the actors lying flat on their backs could catch a sliver of a view if they angled their eyes sharply.

But those whose heads faced inwards, or who were lying face down, were truly suffering. They heard the deafening clamor from the audience and the terrifying sound of the disturbance, yet they had no idea what transpired. Stuck pretending to be dead, they were tormented, twitching and scratching internally as if twenty-five mice were clawing at their hearts!

An actor playing a 'corpse' near Li Xiaoyao couldn't stand it any longer and tugged softly at Li Xiaoyao’s trouser leg, whispering, "Hey, what scene is this?"

Zhong Xiuguo, playing Li Xiaoyao, was already staring blankly, his eyeballs nearly popping out. He stammered, "I—I—I have no idea!"

A few other nearby 'corpses' whispered to each other while still playing dead, "Is this an impromptu addition?" "Doesn't look like it!" "Then what's going on?" "How should I know!" "What do we do? How do we continue the play?" "You ask me? Who am I supposed to ask? We are dead right now, sister! Just lie still! Watch the show—yeah, watch the show!"

Feng Na backstage was equally stunned, watching the stage with a vacant stare, completely unaware of why such an event had suddenly erupted.

The effeminate makeup artist beside her leaned over, his face a mask of shock, and asked Feng Na, "Nana, when did you add this scene privately? Why didn't you tell us?"

Feng Na’s cheek twitched, and she forced a smile that looked uglier than a grimace. "I didn't add anything!"

The effeminate man gasped audibly, looking back at the stage in disbelief. "Then what was that just now?"

Cheng Cheng in the audience also stared dumbfounded, muttering, "What in the world is this? The play isn't supposed to go like this!"

Only Zhou Qin understood what had just happened. This wasn't the first time she had witnessed Li Yundong and Zi Yuan using spiritual power. She looked at Li Yundong and Zi Yuan with a complex expression, her gaze shifting with deep contemplation.

Zhong Xiuguo stood on stage feeling helpless. He could clearly hear the shouts and jeers from the audience. He knew he needed to improvise something immediately, or the entire performance would die in an awkward silence, turning into a joke.

Zhong Xiuguo pointed sharply at Li Yundong and shouted, "Where exactly are you taking her!"

This line was pure improvisation on his part, intended as a subtle reminder to Li Yundong and Zi Yuan: Hey, you two big shots, we are still performing here, don't cause real trouble!

But Li Yundong, facing a life-or-death crisis, had no time to mind the play. His eyes were fixed solely on the area near the auditorium ceiling, where the Luo Mother Soul-Severing Pin was hidden, concealed just outside the reach of the spotlights—like a venomous snake poised to strike!

Li Yundong lowered his voice, speaking to Zi Yuan, "What is going on here!"

Zi Yuan also lowered her voice, whispering softly, "I don't know, but what just happened was..."

As she was about to say more, the Luo Mother Soul-Severing Pin suddenly shot towards Li Yundong like lightning! Its speed seemed to tear the very air apart!

Zi Yuan instantly thrust out a hand, intending to shove Li Yundong away, but Li Yundong was hardly willing to let a seemingly delicate woman protect him. He swiftly pulled Zi Yuan behind him, let out a mighty roar, shook the Liu E Sword in his hand, and executed a sharp wrist movement. In an instant, that single sword flourish split into two, then four, forming an impenetrable barrier in front of him!

The audience saw a surge of white light erupt before Li Yundong, resembling a churning wall of steel. Within this white light, a glittering gold shimmer appeared, like inescapable, fine threads. As this golden light made contact with the white light, a dense, rapid tinkling sound erupted. At first, the crowd could discern the gaps between the sounds, but soon the tinkling became so tightly packed it sounded like a continuous line, utterly suffocating!

The moment Zi Yuan was pulled close by Li Yundong, her entire body stiffened. In her entire life, this was the first time a man’s skin had touched hers. A faint blush crossed her cheeks. Just as she was about to react, she saw Li Yundong engaging the Luo Mother Soul-Severing Pin.

This first physical contact with a man caused Zi Yuan's composure to momentarily falter, and her emotions surged. Watching his figure from behind Li Yundong, she became momentarily lost in thought. In a trance, she suddenly saw her Master; years ago, he was the one who shielded her from the storm with such a broad, sturdy back. For that single instant, Zi Yuan felt as if the world around her had gone silent; her eyes held only this familiar silhouette. But the feeling was fleeting. Soon, her Master's image dissolved, replaced by the back of Li Yundong.

At this moment, everyone in the auditorium was gaping, utterly unable to comprehend what was happening, mesmerized as if watching a blockbuster movie.

After blocking the barrage of attacks from the Luo Mother Soul-Severing Pin, it suddenly retreated, instantly fragmenting into countless golden needles. These needles coalesced into a fiercely menacing face that glared viciously at Li Yundong before rapidly merging back into one form and escaping through an open window in the auditorium.

Li Yundong shouted, "Where do you think you're going!" He leaped up and gave chase.

Zi Yuan cried out, but it was too late to stop him. After a moment of hesitation, she immediately followed, chasing close behind. Their forms flashed, and with several powerful bounds, they too jumped out the window.

The auditorium fell silent, every mouth agape, as if unable to trust their eyes. Because what had just occurred was so bizarre and shocking, the vast majority of them still hadn't fully processed it, still believing it was part of the play, and that the unbelievable elements were special effects.

After a moment of stunned silence, a male student finally shouted out loud, "Holy crap, Zhao Ling'er eloped with the Sword Saint!"

This loud cry was jarringly abrupt in the quiet auditorium, instantly causing the students to erupt into uproarious laughter. "This is too much! Zhao Ling'er actually ran off with the Sword Saint!" "Li Xiaoyao is so, so pathetic!" "His own woman ran off with an old man!" "Who wrote this? It’s hilarious enough to win a Nobel Prize for Pranks!" "Brilliant! Truly talented! This play is a profound satire of modern society! The Sword Saint, as a man of wealth, power, and status, naturally attracts beautiful women, and Zhao Ling'er is no exception!" "Whoa, my friend, your analysis is spot on! I salute you!"

On stage, Zhong Xiuguo stood utterly alone, tears streaming down his face. "I just want to act! Is it that hard to play Li Xiaoyao? Who did I offend?" He looked left and right. He saw Feng Na and the others backstage frozen in shock, and the actors who were supposed to be dead were lying on the floor, chuckling softly. The stage manager, that scoundrel, hadn't called for the curtain, leaving him stranded alone on stage, unsure whether to advance or retreat, completely lost.

Fortunately, a spark of inspiration struck Zhong Xiuguo. He suddenly let out a mournful shriek, then yelled loudly, "Ling'er, wait for me!" With that, he bolted offstage towards the backstage area.

The audience below nearly died laughing. Some bored students shouted, "Hey, you’re running the wrong way!" "Why are you crashing an old-age romance?" "Can men be the third party too?" "Damn, the most tragic Li Xiaoyao in history has been born!"

The auditorium was in hysterics, but Li Yundong, who had rushed out in pursuit, remained completely oblivious. Having only recently mastered flight, his speed wasn't exceptional, and he soon lost sight of the Luo Mother Soul-Severing Pin.

Zi Yuan quickly reached his side and said in a low voice, "Stop chasing!"

Just as she spoke, Ruan Hongling also caught up, her face filled with shock. "Sister Zi Yuan, what happened just now? What kind of magic artifact was that golden pin?"

Zi Yuan’s expression turned grim. "That was the Luo Mother Soul-Severing Pin belonging to Mo Ashi, the senior disciple of the Fox Zen Sect!"

Ruan Hongling burst out angrily, "Does the Fox Zen Sect feel they've lived too long? Dare to assassinate you?"

Zi Yuan shook her head, her gaze shifting to Li Yundong. "No, she wasn't trying to kill me. She was targeting Li Yundong!"

Li Yundong's face was dark. "I also felt that the Luo Mother Soul-Severing Pin was coming for me. But why would she want to kill me? I have some connection to the Fox Zen Sect, after all. Why attack me?"

Zi Yuan pondered for a moment. "I will investigate this matter thoroughly. However, compared to Mo Ashi and the Luo Mother Soul-Severing Pin, I am more concerned about something else."

"What is it?" Li Yundong and Ruan Hongling asked simultaneously.

Zi Yuan's expression was strikingly calm. "Why did the Liu E Sword suddenly recognize me as its master when the Luo Mother Soul-Severing Pin appeared?"

Li Yundong suddenly remembered the moment he saw the Liu E Sword leap out of its sheath and cry out with a sword-song. He gasped sharply. "You mean our Second Martial Aunt was nearby at that time?"

Ruan Hongling was equally startled. "Second Martial Aunt? She came here?"