"Mmm... Thank you, Yi Shi..." Ye Jingyu nodded heavily. Of course he knew Zhuge Yi Shi had given his all. If he hadn't, how could things have ended up like this?

At this moment, Zhuge Siyu had turned her head, her expressive eyes fixed intently on Ye Jingyu, filled with silent pleading.

Looking into Zhuge Siyu's moving eyes, a wave of bitterness washed over Ye Jingyu. How he wished he could save Zhuge Yi Shi! No matter how aged his flesh had become, he had ways to restore it. But what was being consumed now was his very soul.

The soul—that was the root of a person. With Ye Jingyu's current divine abilities, even if a soul were torn apart, shattered into fragments, he could completely reassemble it, much like what Xuanyuan Ruoxing had done for Huangfu Buyue. After all, even if the soul was fractured, the pieces remained in the void. With immense divine power, they could all be gathered and slowly coalesced. This was true for Huangfu Buyue, and it was true for the Twelve Heavenly Witches.

But now, Zhuge Yi Shi had utterly incinerated his soul—at least ninety percent of it was burned away, transformed into nothingness. Even if he possessed unparalleled means, he was powerless.

Unless he could reach the legendary realm of Great God Pangu, capable of creating things from the void, only then might he be able to conjure the parts of the soul that Zhuge Yi Shi had consumed. Otherwise, no matter how powerful a person was, they could not grant Zhuge Yi Shi a new life.

"Sister, you don't need to put Brother Ye in a difficult position. I know my own condition..." Zhuge Yi Shi managed a faint smile, as if entirely unconcerned about his situation.

The tears that Zhuge Siyu had been suppressing finally broke free, cascading down her face without restraint.

Zhuge Yi Shi didn't know how to comfort his sister, so instead, he turned toward the black banner Liang Xiaoke was offering and continued, "Brother Liang, this banner was a magic treasure our ancestors found in a ruin. It is a supreme treasure of the Water Attribute. It also has another name, which perhaps both you and Brother Ye have heard of: the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner..." Zhuge Yi Shi spoke calmly, yet Ye Jingyu and Liang Xiaoke were once again struck with horror. The Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner? Was this truly the legendary Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner? The one representing the power of the Northern Water Element?

No wonder Zhuge Yi Shi, despite being only a Six Tribulation True Immortal, could withstand Huangfu Buyue's assault. No wonder even Xuanyuan Ruoxing acting personally hadn't immediately captured Yunjing City.

However, their shock was fleeting; their primary concern remained Zhuge Yi Shi's physical state.

"All my cultivation is now lost. I won't be able to accompany Brother Ye in the future. I leave the distribution of the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner to you, Brother Ye!" Zhuge Yi Shi said softly, his voice fading rapidly.

Ye Jingyu and the others felt a deep gloom. Especially Luo Ruofeng, who clearly understood that Zhuge Yi Shi had ended up like this protecting him. Otherwise, with his abilities and such a treasure at hand, leaving would have been effortless.

A profound silence settled over the scene, an ineffable sorrow blooming in everyone’s heart.

Seeing their demeanor, Zhuge Yi Shi suddenly laughed lightly. "You don't need to be sad. I have merely lost my strength for now; I won't die immediately. It’s a good time to finally do some of the things I’ve always wanted to accomplish!"

Hearing Zhuge Yi Shi’s words, Ye Jingyu sighed heavily and touched a finger to the center of Zhuge Yi Shi’s brow. The Ba Yuan Power within him surged continuously into his body, ceaselessly repairing it, rapidly restoring his body to its youthful appearance. However, although his physical form was mended, his soul remained incredibly weak, requiring Zhuge Siyu’s support just to stand.

Yet, Zhuge Yi Shi paid this no mind at all. He continued to comfort Ye Jingyu and the others, even boosting their spirits. Finally, Zhuge Yi Shi and Zhuge Siyu departed Yunjing City together; he had his own resolve, and Ye Jingyu did not detain him, nor did Luo Ruofeng.

As for Yao Rao, she was taken in as a disciple by Hanba. This made Liang Xiaoke ecstatic. What was "the one who resides near the water gets the moon first" if not this? Now was the chance! While Monike and Leilina were away, the proper course of action was clearly to get Yao Rao into his bed—this grand ambition had erupted the moment he first laid eyes on her.

Ye Jingyu paid no attention to Liang Xiaoke’s intentions regarding Yao Rao. After seeing Zhuge Yi Shi off, he took the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner from Liang Xiaoke and handed it to Jiu Feng. Currently, Jiu Feng's cultivation was the weakest; such an innate supreme treasure was perfectly suited for her. He himself, along with Luo Ruofeng, headed into the ruined remains of the Imperial Palace.

Within the vast palace grounds, only Luo Ruofeng and Ye Jingyu remained; even Luo Lixuan had not followed.

Gazing at the white-haired man who had defeated Xuanyuan Ruoxing with a mere gesture, Luo Ruofeng felt a surge of emotion. He had once been a dissolute young master who came to Yunjing seeking revenge, eventually climbing step by step to his current position as the foremost figure in the mortal realm. Was this fate's arrangement, or was he himself the variable woven into destiny?

"A'Yu, tell me, what happened to Ling'er?" Luo Ruofeng sighed deeply within his heart and spoke again.

No matter what level of power the man before him possessed now, he was still his sworn brother, his brother-in-law. But now that his sister was missing, as an older brother, he naturally needed a clear explanation.

As soon as Luo Ruofeng brought up the subject, a look of pain crossed Ye Jingyu’s face. He remained silent for a full fifteen minutes before recounting every moment of his journey into the Demon Realm...

After listening to Ye Jingyu’s account, a shade of grief flickered across Luo Ruofeng's expression, but it was only grief, not a shred of despair.

"A'Yu, with your current strength, do you think you can deal with those Abyss Demons?" Luo Ruofeng suddenly inquired.

"I don't know how strong those demons truly are, but I believe that as long as my power continues to grow, no matter how strong the demons are, I will be able to defeat them!" Ye Jingyu stated with profound confidence.

He had condensed three Golden Cores, and his physical strength had reached the Venerable Realm. He could handle several ordinary Venerable experts through sheer physical might alone. If he added the Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Array, the Eastern Emperor Bell, and the Heaven Overturning Seal, he was confident he could fight even those a realm above him.

He had no idea what level of power he would reach once he condensed the fourth, fifth, sixth cores, and perfected the Battle Techniques section. But one thing was certain: he would be a hundred, perhaps a thousand times stronger than he was now.

"Good. If you are truly that confident, perhaps Ling'er can still be saved..." Seeing the resolute confidence in Ye Jingyu's eyes, Luo Ruofeng said seriously, and Ye Jingyu's expression immediately lifted...