Under the silent gaze of the Buddha statue, Chang Jin and Mi Ling stood frozen, their bodies tense as the looming Golden Palm descended upon them. The oppressive force pressed down on their spirits, leaving them unable to move, as if even resistance had lost its meaning.
Chang Jin glanced at Mi Ling, and she met his gaze without hesitation. Neither spoke, yet the meaning was clear—there was nothing left to do. The weight of despair settled heavily upon them, suffocating the last traces of hope.
"Seems this is the end…" Chang Jin muttered.
Mi Ling said nothing, but her eyes remained steady, unwilling to yield even in the face of death.
But just as the Golden Palm was about to descend—
A radiant star suddenly appeared.
Its brilliance illuminated the entire sky, hanging silently in place as if detached from all logic and order.
Chang Jin and Mi Ling instinctively raised their heads, squinting against the overwhelming light. The pressure around them vanished in an instant, and the Golden Palm froze mid-air, unable to advance any further.
"…What is this?" Chang Jin whispered.
Within the glow of the star, a figure slowly took shape, surrounded by a halo of starlight. His presence alone seemed to suppress everything around him.
"Cease the battle. There is no need for further bloodshed."
The monk frowned slightly, his gaze unwavering as he replied, "I did not initiate this conflict. I merely sought to protect myself."
Before the words could settle, another figure descended from above, his form equally ethereal, yet carrying a different kind of authority.
"Hmph. I hope you will bring justice to this matter. The junior monk was merely defending himself."
The star-cloaked figure turned slightly, his expression unchanged. "My sincere apologies, Brother Bi. I will ensure they are educated."
He paused briefly before continuing, "As compensation, we invite you to travel with us to the Heaven Will Palace. With the junior monk's incense guiding the way, the journey will be smooth. As for the rewards… they will be given to those with fate."
Bi Tian nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face. "As expected of you. You remain righteous as ever."
He turned slightly, glancing at the others below. "Since that is the case, we will take our leave. Let the cultivators in the city handle the rest."
The two figures exchanged a final glance before their bodies were engulfed in radiant light. The brilliance intensified, swallowing their forms completely until nothing remained.
As the light faded, an emptiness settled over the area, as if something fundamental had been taken away.
Moments later, the Buddha statue began to crumble.
Fine cracks spread across its surface before it collapsed into dust, scattering into the air and vanishing with the wind.
The oppressive presence that had once filled the land disappeared entirely.
In the distance, the monk departed alongside Xue Ren, Zhang Shi, and his family, their figures gradually fading into the night.
Left behind, Bai Shuan, Li Yan, Chang Jin, and Mi Ling remained where they stood, their expressions heavy.
Bai Shuan watched in silence before letting out a bitter laugh. Without another word, he turned and left.
Chang Jin shook his head as he watched him go. "That battle… it shook his Dao heart."
Li Yan let out a soft laugh, her gaze indifferent. "He should have been more careful."
Mi Ling remained silent, her eyes lingering on the sky for a brief moment before she too turned and left.
One by one, their figures disappeared.
The land returned to silence.
The wind drifted across the barren ground, erasing the last traces of their presence, as if nothing had ever happened.
Ji Fang stood at a distance, observing everything with a calm, unreadable expression. A faint trace of nostalgia surfaced in his eyes.
"Heaven Will Palace… to think it still exists," he murmured.
His gaze shifted slightly as his thoughts moved elsewhere. "Good thing I sealed the surroundings with world energy the moment I arrived… otherwise those two would have noticed me."
He fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly. "Now… I need to find a way to recover my cultivation."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
In the next instant, his figure dissolved into the air, disappearing without leaving behind a single trace.
Not long after, another figure stepped out from the shadows.
Yang Wu's expression was tense, his eyes still carrying the remnants of fear.
"That was too close…" he muttered, glancing back toward the distance.
"If I had stayed any longer, I would have been discovered."
Moments earlier, while observing the battle, an overwhelming sense of danger had surged within him. The moment the radiant star appeared, that feeling intensified to the point where it left no room for hesitation.
"I would've died."
Trusting his instincts, he had fled without looking back, even burning a portion of his blood essence to ensure his escape.
Thinking back on it now, he couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"That crazy old man… how could he even think of going against monsters like that?"