Si Ruo watched as that Bā appeared in the world with immense power, its aura and presence like some ancient god or demon.
Seeing the terrified look on the Yao Sage’s face, who was so scared her soul nearly left her body, Si Ruo herself began to doubt whether even a Da Luo Golden Immortal could subdue this Bā!
Zi Yunshu felt the oppressive aura radiating from Bā, remembered the legends of it “slaying dragons, swallowing clouds, leaving a thousand miles of scorched earth,” and, looking at the scene before her, turned pale with fright.
Seeing the Yao Sage also scared out of her wits, she instinctively wanted to grab Bao Gu and get out of there.
But when she turned around, she saw Bao Gu looking up at the sky, face dark and brows tightly furrowed.
Zi Yunshu followed Bao Gu’s gaze and looked up, only to see the sky dyed blood red.
But right now, it wasn’t just the sky that was blood red!
Zi Yunshu noticed that the Yue Kingdom’s army had already fully retreated, leaving only a few of them racing along in the empress’s imperial carriage.
The carriage was fast, but nowhere near as fast as the bloodthirsty deathly aura spreading from Bā.
She said to Si Ruo, “Your Majesty, can we break through the void and travel that way?”
Si Ruo thought to herself, “I’ve been wanting to break through the void and return to Cangdu City, but you all insisted on staying to investigate Bā…” She kept her face calm, nodded slightly, and went back into the carriage to control it, tearing open the void.
In just a few breaths, they appeared outside Cangdu City.
She said, “We’re here!” Immediately, she felt a heavy, imposing, and murderous atmosphere all around.
She wasn’t surprised—after all, there were fifty thousand troops stationed in Cangdu City now.
Bao Gu sensed something was off.
She looked up and saw the area was packed with soldiers standing in neat formation.
There were troops from both the Yue Kingdom and Kan Gang.
From the city gates to the main road of Cangdu City, Yue Kingdom’s army was lined up in perfect order.
Outside the gates, in front of the Yue Kingdom’s army, stood dozens of high-ranking Yue officials.
When they saw Si Ruo’s carriage appear, they all breathed a sigh of relief and hurried forward to greet her.
As for outside Cangdu City, that was occupied by Kan Gang’s elite soldiers.
From the city gates, along the walls on both sides, Kan Gang’s people stood in neat formations of a hundred per group.
At the very front were ten formations—two thousand elite Kan Gang guards.
The Zhan Yao Hall, Tiger Guard Hall, Shura Hall, and Dragon Cavalry Hall each had five thousand cavalry lined up in perfect order.
Over twenty thousand Kan Gang troops stood outside Cangdu City, a dark mass of soldiers whose sheer presence made it hard to breathe.
Bao Gu saw Kan Gang’s army in front of the Yue Kingdom’s troops.
At first glance, it looked jarring and strange—shouldn’t there be a fight if another power’s army showed up outside the Yue capital? Kan Gang doing this was clearly a bit of a provocation.
Even if Si Ruo wanted to win them over, she shouldn’t let Kan Gang go this far on such a matter of national pride.
Then Bao Gu thought of another explanation for this situation—an alliance! This was a sign that Yue Kingdom and Kan Gang were now united, standing together.
The Yue officials stepped forward to greet Si Ruo.
Wang Ding led the commanders of Kan Gang’s Zhan Yao Hall, Tiger Guard Hall, Shura Hall, and Dragon Cavalry Hall to welcome their leader.
The Yue officials and Kan Gang members all looked up at the people in the carriage.
Si Ruo glanced around at the officials and said, “Rise.” Then she looked up toward the Archaic Mountains.
Bao Gu said, “You may rise!” and also looked toward the Archaic Mountains.
In the direction of the Archaic Mountains, the sky was blood red.
This wasn’t the bloodthirsty aura, but a strange phenomenon caused by Bā’s emergence.
Heaven and earth, yin and yang, everything is interconnected.
When the restrictions on the Archaic Mountains were broken and the sealed spiritual power was released, Bā wasn’t the only thing to come out!
Everyone present had the same feeling: the cultivation world was about to enter a golden age, but also a chaotic era where demons would run wild.
Seeing that no one in the carriage was speaking, an impatient Yue official stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said, “Your Majesty, we have confirmed that none of the people from the various factions who entered the Archaic Mountains have come out.”
Si Ruo withdrew her gaze, sneered, and said, “They’re not coming back!”
As soon as she said this, all the Yue officials turned pale.
You have to understand, countless top figures from all the major factions had entered the Archaic Mountains, including sect leaders, city lords, and more.
To prevent fighting over the sacred artifacts, they’d brought every artifact they could.
If everyone who went in was wiped out, it would be a devastating blow to all the factions!
Yue Kingdom had also sent troops—fifty thousand soldiers, the empress herself—and yet they’d all returned without a scratch.
How would the other factions, who suffered heavy losses, feel about this?
The officials looked at each other, none daring to ask further.
They even suspected that the Yue Empress, leading fifty thousand troops, had wiped out all those powerful cultivators in the Archaic Mountains.
If that were true, the entire cultivation world would unite against Yue Kingdom, plunging it into crisis.
Bao Gu bowed to Si Ruo and said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your help.
I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.” Then she turned to Zi Yunshu and the Yao Sage and said, “Little Martial Aunt, Sage Aunt, let’s go.” With that, she stepped off the carriage.
Si Ruo called out, “Bao Gu!”
Bao Gu turned to look at her.
Si Ruo said, “About Bā, please come to the palace to discuss it.”
Bao Gu shook her head and said, “There’s nothing to discuss!”
Si Ruo asked in surprise, “What do you mean by that?”
Bao Gu asked, “Was it us who released Bā? Can we defeat Bā? Instead of asking me about Bā, Your Majesty should go talk to the factions who caused this mess.
Who broke the formation to get the sacred artifact? Who released Bā and brought this disaster? Whoever did it, Your Majesty should go talk to them!”
A Yue official, hearing Bao Gu push all responsibility away, said unhappily, “Is the Leader just trying to wash her hands of everything and stay out of it?”
Bao Gu snorted and said, “If you want me to deal with Bā, fine—first have the cultivation world give me back a sect base like the Archaic Mountains!”
That Yue official said, “Leader, that’s just venting! This isn’t the time for personal feelings…”
Si Ruo snapped, “Grand Marshal, stand down!”
The Yue official bowed and stepped back.
Si Ruo softened her expression and said gently to Bao Gu, “I know you’re angry, and so am I.
Yue Kingdom has suffered a disaster for no reason.
Bā’s rampage will hit Yue Kingdom first.
We can’t change what’s happened, but I hope we can work together to prevent and remedy it as much as possible.”
Bao Gu gave a bitter smile, shook her head, and walked toward the city.
Si Ruo called, “Bao Gu.”
Bao Gu said, “Since they wanted to break the formation and get the sacred artifact, since the cultivation world broke the seal and released Bā for their own gain, they can deal with the consequences themselves.
Blinded by greed, ignoring everything else—does the cultivation world even deserve saving? Do they need saving? Si Ruo, I know you want me to tell you how to stop Bā from wreaking havoc in Yue Kingdom, but I can only tell you—I have no way.
From the moment the seal was broken, I was powerless.
But don’t worry, this disaster isn’t just Yue Kingdom’s.
This whole world is about to become a living hell!”
A Yue official, seeing Bao Gu’s words as inciting panic, shouted angrily, “Spreading fear and confusion—Leader, watch your words!”
Si Ruo took a deep breath, furious, and shouted, “Stand down!” Her cold gaze swept over the officials.
“Anyone who interrupts again will be executed on the spot!” She was livid.
The Yao Sage saw Bao Gu’s face twisted with anger and pain, and pressed a spell mark to Bao Gu’s forehead.
A cool sensation swept through Bao Gu’s mind, snapping her out of it.
Her turbulent emotions instantly calmed, and she realized she’d been so consumed by anger and resentment at the disaster caused by the cultivation world that she’d even started thinking it would be satisfying to watch them suffer.
She’d almost let her rage cloud her reason and fall into a heart demon, straying onto the demonic path.
She couldn’t let others’ evil, even if it hurt her, make her want to see others suffer.
She couldn’t let others’ evil change her own path or cultivation.
The Yao Sage said, “Bao Gu, as a cultivator, you cultivate the Dao—but what do you practice?” She pressed her hand to Bao Gu’s chest.
“All suffering is a trial.
To reach the other shore, you must first cross the sea of bitterness.”
Bao Gu snapped out of it and sincerely thanked her, “Thank you, Sage Aunt.”
The Yao Sage said, “The Yue Empress has helped us many times.
In this disaster, it’s not just Xuantian Sect that’s suffered, but Yue Kingdom and countless innocents as well.”
Bao Gu nodded.
She understood what the Yao Sage meant.
The Yao Sage added, “Do what you can.
Don’t just stand by.” With that, she turned and stepped onto the Yue Empress’s carriage, then looked back at Bao Gu.
“Aren’t you coming?”
Bao Gu nodded slightly, then turned to Wang Ding and said, “Wang Ding, come with me.” With that, she boarded the Yue Empress’s carriage.
Wang Ding bowed and asked, “Leader, should the army come along as escort?” He was worried that, at this critical moment, someone from another faction might try to kidnap them.
Si Ruo said, “Left Envoy Wang, as long as we’re in Cangdu City, no one can take anyone from under my nose.”
Wang Ding heard this, nodded to Bao Gu, and went to order Kan Gang’s army to return to their branch hall and await orders.
He himself rode his fire qilin beast and followed in front of the empress’s carriage.
The carriage set off, escorted by the army, heading straight for the Golden Throne Hall in the palace.
As soon as Si Ruo entered the hall, she ordered, “Bring seats!” and welcomed Bao Gu, Zi Yunshu, and the Yao Sage inside.
The Yue officials filed in.
Palace maids and servants brought in tables and chairs, set them up, and served tea.
Bao Gu sat in the guest seat, silent and deep in thought.
The matter of Bā was already beyond her ability to handle.
As for destroying Bā, she didn’t even dare think about it.
Even if she had the power, she was afraid that if she rushed ahead to destroy Bā, the rest of the cultivation world would just sell her out! The selfish, ruthless actions of the various factions had completely chilled her heart.
