"Ling'er!"
A heart-wrenching scream tore through the hall.
Chen Luo shoved aside the people around him, his body trembling violently as he stared at the pool of blood on the ground. Despair painted his face.
The others were slow to react, but when they did, they staggered backward in horror.
"Stand on guard!"
A middle-aged cultivator barked the order sharply, his eyes instinctively darting toward Yang Jian.
To have killed Xu Ling in their presence without leaving a trace—such a feat could only be achieved by a Sacred King.
Yang Jian raised his gaze, his divine sense sweeping across the area, but he failed to detect any suspicious presence.
Chen Luo knelt before the bloodstained floor, his mind refusing to accept the truth. Just moments ago, he had felt like the happiest man in the world. Now, he had plunged into the depths of hell.
In Yang Jian's arms, Xiao Chuan sensed something amiss and wailed uncontrollably. But Chen Luo was too shattered to even look at him.
The Chen Family patriarch stepped forward, his brow deeply furrowed.
"Sacred King, what happened?"
Though he had never liked Xu Ling—after all, she was the descendant of the Xu Family, their sworn enemy—her death in their home would tarnish the Chen Family's reputation if the news spread.
"I don't know either," Yang Jian replied, his expression grave. "This is truly bizarre..."
As he spoke, he handed Xiao Chuan over to the Chen Family Patriarch and then disappeared into thin air.
The Chen Family cultivators, having finally recovered from their shock, quickly exited the hall to reinforce their defenses.
Chen Luo suddenly lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot as he grabbed his father's sleeve.
"Father! Save Ling'er! Bring her back!"
The Chen Family Patriarch took a deep breath. "Her soul has already dispersed… There is no way to bring her back…"
Even he was filled with fear.
If Yang Jian wasn't responsible, then who was?
Xu Ling's death was too strange. It wasn't just Chen Luo who was shaken—everyone present was terrified.
The patriarch's greatest fear was that Chen Luo might be next. But he was powerless. He didn't even dare touch his own son, fearing that whatever force had taken Xu Ling would come for him next.
Far away in Tai Xuan Sect, Gu An had witnessed everything.
It happened too fast.
But in that instant, he had managed to seize Xu Ling's soul, using his own karmic power to protect it from being completely annihilated.
Whoever had killed Xu Ling—were they capable of doing the same to others?
That was what worried Gu An the most.
He couldn't constantly watch over Xu Ling, so he made the decision to hide her soul.
Fortunately, nothing else happened afterward.
Only Xu Ling had died.
Back at the Chen Family, Yang Jian reconvened with the family elders to discuss Xu Ling's death.
But just as they were speaking—
Chen Luo suddenly severed his own meridians and shattered his own Golden Core, intending to end his life.
Yang Jian reacted instantly, preventing him from dispersing his soul.
But despite his intervention, Chen Luo was left crippled, his cultivation completely destroyed.
Seeing this, Gu An let out a sigh.
His interference had saved Chen Luo and Xu Ling from one fate, only to lead them into another.
A thought struck him—
If some hidden force was truly plotting against him, why target Xu Ling specifically?
Why not go after his close companions instead?
After all, many of those important to him had yet to surpass the Mahayana Realm.
Unless…
This entity wanted Xiao Chuan to embark on a dark path.
And perhaps, it sought to lure Gu An away from this universe.
While safeguarding Xu Ling's soul, Gu An had been able to analyze the mysterious karmic force that had attacked her.
It was undeniably powerful. Not as strong as him, but clearly originating from another universe.
Had this force fully crossed into his realm, determining its strength would be difficult.
Gu An stood up and leaped down from the tree.
He turned to Zhu Xi.
"Continue cultivating. I have something to take care of."
With those words, he vanished from sight.
A single step took him to the depths of the Submerged Spirit Palace, hidden beneath the ocean.
Within the vast undersea domain, the Deep Sea Dragon Koi was in the midst of cultivation, entirely unaware of Gu An's arrival.
Raising his right hand, Gu An released Xu Ling's soul.
Then, using the ambient spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, he began reconstructing her body.
Her lifespan was still intact.
As long as her natural time had not run out, she could be revived.
For Gu An, this process was simple. The difficult part was avoiding interference from the cosmic will.
A moment later, Xu Ling was reborn.
Her body, even her clothing, was restored exactly as it had been at the moment of her death.
The Deep Sea Dragon Koi felt the shift in energy and opened its eyes.
Seeing its master, it immediately became excited, rushing forward to greet him.
Meanwhile, Xu Ling awoke in a panic.
She gasped for air, her entire body drenched in cold sweat.
She looked up and saw Gu An, his figure like that of a celestial immortal.
Her eyes filled with fear.
"There's no need to be afraid," Gu An said calmly. "I won't harm you. But you cannot return."
"A being beyond the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Dao seeks to harm your son. You were killed because of it."
"From now on, you will remain here and cultivate."
"In due time, I will bring your husband here. You will manage my Medicine Valley, and one day, your family will reunite."
Having said his piece, Gu An disappeared.
Left alone in the deep-sea palace, Xu Ling—though overwhelmed—was, after all, a Mahayana Realm cultivator.
It wouldn't take her long to accept reality.