But it was still not enough; Chen Yi steeled his heart and continued to chant, "Donggong Ruoshu... Min Ming... Empress An... Lu Ying, and... Zhou Yitang."

Figures of peerless beauties flashed before his eyes, some in deep passion, some in the joy of new marriage, some with fresh grievances against old enemies, and some with unresolved obsessions. They all smiled sweetly, gazing at him from afar as they gradually shed their few remaining garments... Chen Yi’s desire burned to its peak, merging into the Sword Qi.

Chen Yi used a finger technique, and the Sword Qi filled with turbid energy spilled forth. The imperial children couldn’t evade in time, and as the Sword Qi touched their bodies, it spread like ink dripped into clear water, sizzling as it diffused into a pool of murky gray! For the first time, the movements of the figures became sluggish; their blurred faces seemed to turn toward the murky patch, emitting a silent buzz, surrounded by intense flashes of white light as if pure laws were repelling the invasion of impurities.

Then they were obliterated like a rain of white moths.

Chen Yi charged into the midst of the imperial children; Zhou Yitang did not lend a hand to help but directed her vertical pupils to the sky, as if the two had a tacit understanding, each choosing a different target.

And she could see that this group of so-called imperial children was desperately stalling for time.

Interweaving Sword Qi surged toward the vertical pupils.

The vertical pupils withstood one wave of Sword Qi after another; even though cracks appeared more and more, they never blinked an eye. More shadowy white figures emerged from cocoons, singing in unison while slowly pulling apart the eyes, stretching wider and wider until fixed, revealing an old and putrid fragrance inside. Looking up, one could see black clouds rolling within, with thick white Heavenly Thunder snaking around.

Almost simultaneously, the vertical pupils in the sky suddenly moved. All the white figures turned their heads in unison, their hollow "gazes" locking onto Chen Yi. A frigid, lifeless beam fell silently like divine punishment! Space peeled away in layers along the path of the beam, exposing the void’s underlying color.

Chen Yi, caught up in the thrill of killing, suddenly turned his head, and white Heavenly Thunder descended from the sky.

The figure of a one-armed woman suddenly stepped in front of him.

Using her hand as a sword, she withstood the thunder, her body erupting into a blazing white.

After the lightning dispersed, the protective golden light around Zhou Yitang was as thin as fragile paper, her face pale.

She stood before Chen Yi, her gaze unwavering, coldly saying, "Go!"

Chen Yi remained silent.

Zhou Yitang retrieved the high-hanging moon, instantly casting the mountains into darkness. Ruoque Sword fell into her hand; she unhesitatingly slashed at a void, a crack opened like cut paper, and she turned to grab Chen Yi to throw him in, but her hand found nothing.

On the somber and oppressive Cangwu Peak, a streak of thunder split the darkness, heading straight for the small building.

Zhou Yitang realized what he was about to do, biting her silver teeth, too late to pursue. She slowly raised her head, those vertical pupils were suspended high above, staring intently at her!

With a loud rumble,

a white Heavenly Thunder crashed toward Zhou Yitang.

Zhou Yitang had no time to worry about Chen Yi’s flight; she faced the thunder and struck with a sword.

Tens of thousands of Sword Qi exploded, colliding with the thunder, shattering into mixed fragments of lightning and Sword Qi.

Chen Yi glanced back at her, then stepped on the Peak Stepping Cloud, his body breaking through the wall, landing in front of Tongxuan.

Tongxuan’s expression was slightly complex, yet not too surprised; she had seen Chen Yi’s choice from the chessboard.

"Dear Master, please lend a hand," Chen Yi smiled gently, saying, "While she’s preoccupied, guide these obsessions into my Heart Lake."

As soon as the words fell, a talisman flipped out in Tongxuan’s hand. She chanted a spell, pointed several times in the air over Chen Yi, and finally pasted the talisman on his forehead.

The talisman dissolved like water into his brow, a feeling of devouring everything swelled up. Chen Yi thanked her, saying, "Many thanks."

Tongxuan shook her head, unable to resist asking softly, "No matter how much you devour the obsessions, you can only manage thirty percent. Even if she returns to First Grade, she’d only rank ninth in the world."

The implication was that even if Chen Yi absorbed all the obsessions, a ninth-ranked master would still be unable to break through Vacuum Home. And within the implication of the implication was that ninth in the world was not Zhou Yitang’s limit; she had a shackle, and that shackle was Tongxuan as the Heart Demon.

Chen Yi laughed it off without replying, and Tongxuan could only shake her head and sigh.

She stood on the small building, watching him leave, gazing at his back.

Chen Yi turned and leaped into Cangwu Peak.

Breaking into Fir, leaping toward this withered Heart Lake.

Tongxuan, drawn into his Heart Lake, had shifted from shock to intense unease. If Chen Yi were to absorb all these countless obsessions into his Heart Lake, it would surely birth countless demons, leading to death alone.

Landing with Peak Stepping Cloud, Chen Yi moved without hesitation, crossing the flowing Sword Qi, and charged toward these thousands of obsessions.

He would not die.

Sword Dao is a faith; if not believed unwaveringly, it would be himself who perished. This was what she had taught him.

A standing obsession with a sword appeared before him, seeming both sad and angry, raising its sword to slash, but Chen Yi vaguely remembered something, sidestepping it as it was drawn into the Heart Lake.

A pang of piercing pain shot through his forehead, waves surged in the Heart Lake, as though his very Three Souls and Seven Spirits were in agony, yet he barely kept them under control.

Thus in a haze, he remembered, that was when she had just broken her sword not long ago, stubbornly raising the sword to cleanse the door, striking down him, the traitorous disciple... Chen Yi’s face was a mix of sadness and anger, the obsession fell into the Heart Lake, and that intense emotion instantly affected him.

Wavering for a moment, Chen Yi snapped back to attention, rushing toward the next obsession.

Breaking through the door, he suddenly saw many obsessions inside the room; he did not distinguish between them, devouring them gluttonously. The Heart Lake stirred into upheaval, his face twisted and contorted, dozens of emotions intertwined indiscriminately on his face, as if he was being cut into small pieces.