Above the Void Realm, Jiang Ye's robes fluttered slightly, his expression as usual.
Below the sky, the Fire Lotus Grand Array roared and vibrated, Holy Weapons streaked across the sky, and layers of peach blossom illusions collided endlessly with the Killing Array set up by the Heaven Guards, shattering the firmament. The Great Dao intertwined, and Laws surged like ocean waves, sweeping in all directions.
Yet, he seemed to be an outsider, his eyes deep, a playful, faint smile on his lips.
Originally, seeing the Heaven Guards at a disadvantage, he had planned to have Su Hongye casually crush them.
But Su Qingmeng's sudden appearance made it irrelevant.
It was merely Fire Lotus City's final counterattack, the angry howl of the dying.
If Zhang Chaoxian had brought that beast skin paper and used his full power to bolster the Grand Array, it might have threatened an ordinary Great Emperor at their peak, and even seriously injure an Immortal Emperor.
But because of Ye Qingyun, its power was greatly weakened.
However, that was all it amounted to.
In front of the Jiang Clan, this power was clearly insignificant.
Or rather, when Jiang Ye discovered the remnants of Fire Lotus City, their fate had already reached its end.
Any counterattack was like child's play in front of the Jiang Clan.
In Jiang Ye's eyes, Li Shou was an important figure.
After Su Hongye came to the Eastern Barrens, Jiang Ye had Su Hongye personally search Granny Yun's Soul.
He learned a lot about Wangchen Village's hidden details.
Among the many remnants of Fire Lotus City, Li Shou was the most frequent in going out, with numerous schemes.
He was the one who arranged the marriage between Ye Qingyun and the Fan Family.
He was also the one connected to the Taiwei Star Palace.
Jiang Ye temporarily didn't plan to kill Li Shou; he intended to capture him alive and have Su Hongye search his Soul to obtain useful information.
"Aunt Meng, remember to capture him alive."
Peach blossoms danced lightly, and from within the misty shadows, a figure slowly stepped out.
"Brat, are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"
"Hehe, please help me out, Aunt Meng."
Jiang Ye immediately conceded, flattering her.
Su Qingmeng, with her peerless grace, robes fluttering, resembled an exiled immortal descending to the mortal world.
She exuded the terrifying aura of a Half-Step Great Emperor, and unlike the might of ordinary Emperors, it was a power of Origin that contained the force of illusion and the assimilation of the mind.
As she descended, the entire world suddenly fell silent, even the Heaven Guard's Killing Array paused.
Peach blossoms fell like rain, transforming into a vast illusory moon, quietly suspended between heaven and earth.
That was the image of the Illusory Spirit formed from Su Qingmeng's Origin; once manifested, it reflected the mind of heaven and earth, capable of suppressing all thoughts and disturbing the true self.
As she lightly stepped, countless petals, like stars pouring down, illuminated the entire battlefield with their brilliant glow.
Boom!
A vibration, formless and soundless, yet seemingly exploding from the depths of the Soul, caused the fiercely burning Fire Lotus Grand Array to experience its first disruption at this moment.
The Holy Weapons, summoned by Ye Qingyun, suddenly lost control, floating erratically, their spiritual fluctuations intense as if falling into slumber.
At the center of the Grand Array, Li Shou's expression changed, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood mist, the flame seal in his hand instantly blurring.
"This is... the power to sever the Divine Soul!?"
At that instant, he felt his Primordial Spirit being gently pressed by someone, his consciousness floating, and the entire space began to twist.
Su Qingmeng did not shout loudly, nor did she use even a hint of a killing Move; merely standing there, she had already brought the Fire Lotus Grand Array to the brink of collapse.
She gently waved her hand, and large swathes of peach blossoms unfurled with it, silently seeping into the array, bypassing all concentrations of Killing Intent, deconstructing the array's core nodes like spring water melting ice.
Shou Lao only felt his Sea of Consciousness churning, and his Dao injury throbbing with pain.
Even though he had long understood countless array Dao, he had never imagined that he would encounter a Half-Step Great Emperor who could directly dismantle an array with the power of illusion.
Shou Lao's mind wavered, knowing he could no longer wait.
He suddenly conjured a blood talisman, which was formed from his last spark of Primordial Spirit fire, trading injury for life, attempting to reverse the situation and break free.
But it was ultimately too late.
Su Qingmeng pointed a finger, and a peach blossom imprint condensed in her palm.
With a single point, the array core where Li Shou was located instantly sank into an illusion, and he felt as if he had fallen into the Reincarnation of three lives.
Images of the past, present, and future flashed rapidly through his Divine Soul, his Sea of Consciousness gushed like a flood, and his thoughts became chaotic.
"Ugh..."
Shou Lao grunted, his Protective Aura instantly exploded, and amidst the trembling of the array foundation, the entire Fire Lotus Grand Array collapsed with a crash!
Rumble!
All Holy Weapons sank, and the array core was annihilated!
Li Shou's figure was enveloped by an invisible illusory force, as if frozen in a dream, his body stiff, his Divine Soul sealed, unmoving.
He was not dead, but he was powerless to resist.
And Li Shou had been completely suppressed, his body floating in the peach blossom light, silent as a stone statue.
At this scene, Ye Qingyun was instantly stunned.
He had originally thought that the situation had turned around, and Shou Lao, with the might of the Fire Lotus Grand Array, had suppressed the Thirteen Sky Guards, even gaining a slight upper hand for a brief moment.
However, in just an instant.
That pink-robed figure, like a dream and an illusion, arrived treading on blossoms.
The entire battle situation was completely overturned in a flash.
Shou Lao's face also froze.
He stared blankly at the familiar figure, and after a long while, he let out a bitter laugh:
"Su Qingmeng..."
"I didn't expect even you to attack my Fire Lotus City."
His voice was low, carrying an extreme desolation and unwillingness, as if tens of thousands of years of steadfastness had been crushed in an instant.
"Heh heh, indeed, the world is without Dao..."
Li Shou was helpless, his heart feeling as if it had been severely pierced.
How could he not remember?
Back then, Su Qingmeng had little interaction with Fire Lotus City, but Su Qingmeng's temperament was relatively gentle, and before Fire Lotus City fell out with Su Hongye, they had helped Su Qingmeng with some cultivation resources.
Not for alliance, but out of friendship.
And now, this woman, whom he once regarded as gentle and uncontentious, at this very moment, with a crushing posture, shattered their last hope.
If it had been anyone else who made a Move, Li Shou would not have felt so pained.
But it was precisely Su Qingmeng.
This woman who had once received favors from Fire Lotus City.
Above the Void Realm, Su Qingmeng's figure was graceful, her robes gently fluttering, like a Heavenly God from the Nine Heavens.
She smilingly appeared beside Jiang Ye, gently pulling the young man into her embrace with her slender fingers.
At that moment, only the lingering scent of peach blossoms and the flowing illusory light remained.
Jiang Ye's cheek pressed against her chest, feeling only softness.
"Ye'er, did you miss your sister?"
"You ungrateful brat, you haven't come to see me for so long, hmph." Su Qingmeng's soft murmur, like a lover's sweet whispers, was filled with tenderness and doting.
As for Li Shou's resentful words below, she seemed not to have heard them at all, giving no response.
Jiang Ye said in a low voice, a little embarrassed: "I did..."
Upon hearing this, Su Qingmeng's smile instantly blossomed like an opening flower.
But in the blink of an eye, she seemed to sense something, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her beautiful eyes.
She then looked towards the depths of the Void Realm.
A subtle Qi lock had settled on her.
She knew without needing to sense it that this was Su Hongye expressing her dissatisfaction with her.
"What's wrong with me hugging my little nephew for a while?"
Her voice was soft, yet Li Shou and Ye Qingyun below heard it clearly.
The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with shame and indignation.
Especially Li Shou, his blood and Qi surged, and his complexion became even darker.
They had poured everything into it, bearing countless years of burden, solely to support Ye Qingyun and revive the former glory of Fire Lotus.
And at this moment, amidst the playful banter between Jiang Ye and Su Qingmeng.
Their mission, which they had carried, seemed to have become a laughingstock, not worth a single smile, like dust.
It was as if they had never been taken seriously.