The moment Tao Wenshu drew her sword, the area around the watchtower dimmed, as though all light had gathered onto the blade itself.

The Brightnight Sect master tapped her toes and leapt from the watchtower, racing toward the Zhen estate as though treading the void and riding the wind.

Her black robes billowed as she flew faster and faster, descending lower and lower. In merely the blink of an eye, she transformed into a swath of darkness and plunged into the small building that had been shaken apart by the gale.

Within that darkness, a shooting star suddenly appeared and streaked across the sky, illuminating all before it as it hurtled with tremendous force toward the crown of Ji Hanyi’s head.

This was Tao Wenshu’s sword beam.

Flying Star Piercing Dawn!

As the sword came slashing down from above like a celestial being descending from the heavens, Ji Hanyi’s expression did not change. Instead she revealed the physical abnormalities that the Divine Art of Heaven and Earth Transmutation had been concealing.

Her ears transformed into rounded, tawny tiger ears. Sharp spines erupted from her palms like tiger claws as patches of brown canine-fur covered the backs of her hands. Two teeth protruded from her mouth, pointed and razor-sharp. And behind her trailed a tiger’s tail over ten feet long.

That black-and-yellow-striped tail snapped taut and lashed upward, striking the Flying Star on its side.

Amid the clang, Yan Changqing, who had crashed into the ruins of the small building, opened his eyes.

He had been battered about by the violent tempest earlier, yet aside from tattered clothes, not a single wound marred his body.

At that moment, his dark pupils grew ever deeper, as though he had drawn the night sky that Tao Wenshu had brought with her into the depths of his gaze, yet without plucking a single star.

In an instant, the entire Zhen estate along with North Water Street plunged into abnormal darkness. The bright summer afternoon became a scene of black clouds pressing down upon a city before a violent storm. In many places, one could barely see one’s hand before one’s face.

Divine Art of Heaven and Earth Transmutation!

"Get me on your back! Channel the qi to the soles of your feet!"

Yan Changqing’s aged, hoarse voice resonated within Ding Songyan’s consciousness.

Ding Songyan had no time to think, nor the capacity to. Pure instinct drove him to follow Yan Changqing’s words, transferring the remaining hazy "seed" to his feet.

With a single leap, he vaulted from the underground cell up into the ruins of the building above. He hoisted Yan Changqing onto his back, and while the sky was pitch-black and Ji Hanyi was locked in fierce combat with Tao Wenshu, he picked a direction at random and fled in great bounding leaps.

He had only qi, with no movement technique to speak off.

As they fled, Yan Changqing channeled fresh qi into his consciousness, condensing a new hazy "seed." Out of the corner of his eye, Ding Songyan thought he glimpsed Master Yu lying dead among the flowers and shrubs.

Master Yu’s face was frozen in obvious shock and surprise.

Ding Songyan had no time for sentimentality. Another great leap carried him away from the area around the small building.

...

Qi Xiaoxiang moved through different courtyards, setting multiple buildings ablaze.

Along the way, she encountered Su Qingli and her maidservant fleeing with Ren Youyang in tow. She did not block them, nor did she attack.

Only one sentence of Ji Hanyi’s specific instructions echoed in Qi Xiaoxiang’s mind: "Do not provoke Ren Youyang."

Before long, the sky suddenly went utterly dark, as though a violent storm was imminent. Qi Xiaoxiang paused briefly and murmured to herself, "Heaven-Man Realm... The former sect master?"

With that realization, Qi Xiaoxiang immediately tore off her short jacket and paired apron, revealing the gray-blue cloth dress hidden beneath.

She disheveled her hair, making herself look like a kitchen woman fleeing in panic. Then she left the courtyard, blended into the crowd, and ran toward the estate’s exits amid the fires breaking out everywhere.

...

While the qi had not yet dissipated, Ding Songyan leapt over a low wall and landed in a sizable courtyard.

Just then, a figure came charging from the side, eyes filled with obvious killing intent, and threw a punch at Ding Songyan.

The man wore a broad hat. Every patch of exposed skin bore tortoise-shell patterns. His left hand held the battered, ruined head of Zhen Quanwang, droplets of blood still falling steadily to the ground.

Facing this sudden and blindingly fast punch, Ding Songyan simply could not react, nor could he make any blocking motion.

The qi could not elevate his cultivation realm. Nor could it improve his eyesight, reflexes, judgment, or combat instincts.

Earlier, he had been the one initiating the attack against Ji Hanyi, which was the only reason he managed to exchange a single palm strike. If the order had been reversed—if Ji Hanyi had struck first—he wouldn’t have even been able to raise his hand.

At this moment, all Ding Songyan could do was sink the hazy "seed" downward, merging it into his consciousness.

When protecting the soul, it shields the body!

BANG!

The punch landed on Ding Songyan’s chest but was blocked by an invisible layer of qi, separated by a dim, ethereal void.

Ding Songyan felt no pain. He was simply sent flying backward involuntarily, crashing through a wooden window with a snap of splintering wood and tumbling into the building attached to the courtyard.

He had barely hit the ground and hadn’t yet rolled to his feet when he noticed the man outside muttering "slaughter all the Zhens" and "leave none alive" while charging toward a side chamber, apparently having gone the wrong way.

Uh... Ding Songyan quickly got to his feet. By the faint light filtering through the window, he saw Miss Qingli with her back against a wooden pillar, fists tightly clenched. He saw Ren Youyang crouched in a corner, his tall cap askew and clothes in disarray.

Su Qingli’s face was pale. Her lively eyes had turned dark and dim, reflecting the image of a chaotically laid-out building with multiple side chambers. Her little maidservant stood guard beside her.

"The Great Void Illusory Realm." Yan Changqing, carried on Ding Songyan’s back, spoke in his aged, hoarse voice. "A pity her cultivation is too shallow. She can’t sustain it for long. That Grandmaster whose mind has been consumed by killing intent will break free very soon."

As the old man spoke, he channeled fresh qi, replenishing Ding Songyan’s hazy "seed."

Sweat already beaded Su Qingli’s forehead, giving her a pitiful appearance. Nearby, Ren Youyang—his canine-ears flopping—was cheering her on, "Hold on! Hold on!"

BANG!

The Grandmaster outside smashed through the wall and emerged, tossing Zhen Quanwang’s head to the ground.

He turned around suddenly, eyes full of killing intent and violent hostility. They reflected the room where Ding Songyan and the others were hiding.

Blood seeped simultaneously from the corners of Xiao Qing’s mouth, her nose, her ears, and her lips in thin threads.

Her body suddenly went limp, and the dim Great Void Illusory Realm in her eyes vanished.

Ding Songyan’s heart sank immediately. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and said quickly, "I’ll hit him once. Miss Xiao Qing, lure him into chasing you outside the courtyard.

"We’ll use the chance to change hiding spots. His targets aren’t limited to us, so he shouldn’t pursue us relentlessly."

Ding Songyan was cognizant of the situation by now: Brother Youyang was useless. It was down to him and Miss Xiao Qing.

Is the Useless Divine Art truly without any use at all?

Su Qingli looked at Ding Songyan with considerable surprise.

"You?"

Ding Songyan, who needed to keep hold of Yan Changqing to prevent him from sliding off, half-turned his head, using the gesture to indicate the old man on his back.

"I have help!"

With that, he carried Yan Changqing toward the shattered window.

Su Qingli’s gaze shifted several times before she gritted her teeth.

"Okay."

Ding Songyan barely managed to free one palm and was about to transfer the hazy "seed" into it when a figure appeared before him.

It was Ren Youyang, walking over while straightening his tall cap and feathered robes. Looking at Ma Hanjiang of the Small Boat Gang—who was growing more and more certain of their hiding spot and gathering himself to strike—Ren Youyang forced out a smile and said, "Brother, leave this to me to handle this. Allow me to show you my true strength." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Does he actually have any? And that man out there is a Dharma Realm Grandmaster! You only rank last on the Orchid Fresh List, assessed at Form Transfigured! Ding Songyan looked toward Miss Xiao Qing.

Su Qingli quietly let out a breath of relief and nodded.

"We’ll be counting on you, Brother Youyang." Ding Songyan hurriedly retreated several steps.

Ren Youyang braced one hand on the broken window frame and heaved himself out with a heavy leap.

Then, with the bearing of a genuine master, he walked step by step toward Ma Hanjiang of the Small Boat Gang, whose mind was consumed by killing intent and utterly beyond reason.

Meanwhile, Yan Changqing on Ding Songyan’s back turned his gaze toward Su Qingli and spoke with evident feeling, "Young lady of the Su family, give my regards to your aunt."

"And you are?" Su Qingli examined the man who had neither arms nor legs with curiosity.

"Yan Yong of the Sage-Severing Way," Yan Changqing said with a smile.

"Uh..." Su Qingli’s beautiful eyes went perfectly round. "The former sect master of the Sage-Severing Way? You used ’Yan Changqing’ as a false name to deceive Ding Songyan?"

Wait—how are you two just chatting? Aren’t you even slightly worried about Brother Youyang facing a Dharma Realm Grandmaster? What if he loses? Even with the qi, I most likely can’t outrun that man! Ding Songyan was stunned.

Yan Changqing laughed and said, "Indeed, I did tell Ding Songyan many lies, but ’Yan Changqing’ is my real name. ’Yan Yong’ is the alias I used when traveling the jianghu."

Only then did Su Qingli exclaim in enlightenment.

"I haven’t seen my aunt in over a year either. She often immerses herself in the mortal world, seeking the Spirit Platform."

Yan Changqing was taken aback.

"She’s reached that step?"

The former sect master of the Sage-Severing Way’s expression changed several times. He lowered his gaze to look at himself.

After a breath, he smiled bitterly.

"What a pity that these white hairs have grown..."

Ding Songyan listened to Yan Changqing and Su Qingli’s exchange while nervously watching Ren Youyang approach the Dharma Realm Grandmaster blinded by killing intent.

Ren Youyang walked with hands clasped behind his back, facing the poised-to-strike Ma Hanjiang who had locked eyes on him. With a smile more wretched than crying, he said, "Come then. Just not the face."

Red-eyed Ma Hanjiang closed the distance in a single bound, pulled back his shoulder, and smashed a vicious punch straight into Ren Youyang’s left cheek.

With a cracking sound, Ren Youyang was sent flying sideways. His cheek completely caved in, brains splattered out, and his canine-ears went entirely limp.

Thud!

Ren Youyang hit the ground. Dead on the spot. The state of his corpse was too horrible to look at.

"..." Ding Songyan’s mind went completely blank.

Then Su Qingli’s soft, sweet voice reached his ears.

"That’s how the Useless Divine Art is. Completely useless; it can’t do this, can’t do that."

Then what do we do? The instant that thought crossed Ding Songyan’s mind, he heard a moaning wind rise outside and felt a deathly chill spread instantaneously.

Ma Hanjiang, who had just killed Ren Youyang with a single punch and was about to charge into the room for a massacre, found his body frozen in place.

He seemed to be restrained by an invisible force, temporarily unable to move.

The moaning wind coiled into a spiral, encircling Ren Youyang’s corpse and slowly lifting it from the ground.

Ren Youyang’s corpse moved. The collapsed cheek gradually pushed itself back out as shattered bone reassembled into wholeness.

He rapidly took on an intertwined glow of spectral green and golden yellow, rising to his feet inch by inch.

The "revived" Ren Youyang touched his cheek and said to Ma Hanjiang with icy coldness, "I told you, not the face."

Ding Songyan stared in stunned disbelief. Miss Xiao Qing praised the sight with keen enthusiasm, "Amazing, right? The Useless Divine Art is exactly like this: Useless in life, divine after death!"