"Oh my God, how did I age ! I have aged without achieving the Sword Spirit Realm, it’s over! Completely over!"
"My lifespan, it has suddenly vanished by three hundred years! Heaven is set to destroy me!"
"Zhou Yan, is this the way out you wanted to give us? Go to hell!"
"Ah, how could I be so old! No, it can’t be, this is an illusion!"
Many Cultivators had gone mad, driven to insanity by the draining of their life force.
At this moment, Zhou Yan too faced numerous targeted attacks, but although these struck the Void, they were all swallowed by it, leaving Zhou Yan unscathed.
Moreover, the bodies of those who had attacked began to wither and crack, resembling the bark of a pine tree, already splitting.
This was a woeful outcome, even Chen Tianjian and Feng Yunyan had gained a more seasoned look, becoming much more composed.
Even though these two hadn’t completely fallen into the mysterious and despairing melody of the flute, their Life Energy was being silently drained at this moment.
"Feng Lingzhu, don’t worry, it will get better. The change in the Array, as I said earlier, is the extreme of life and death. Once we’re past this point, just a little further and we can get out."
Zhou Yan comforted Feng Lingzhu. Among these people, she was the only one he truly cared about.
But his words not only comforted Feng Lingzhu, many Cultivators clung to them like a lifeline, looking at Zhou Yan with eyes full of hope.
"He who is strong is strong, the breeze brushes the mountain; he who is domineering does as he pleases, the bright moon shines upon the river. This flute melody carries an ancient tone, it is a path of hopelessness, those who are not cultivators of this path, should not listen to it, as it will lead to your absolute demise.
Considering all the way here, you’ve stopped troubling me, I’ll save you once more as an act of mercy."
Zhou Yan spoke calmly. He said this not just to save these Cultivators, but because he had other arrangements in mind.
Additionally, to assist Feng Lingzhu, he also needed to reveal certain things. This place suppressed any transmission of secret techniques, making his actions a necessary compromise.
Otherwise, with his temperament, he wouldn’t have cared if all these people died.
Zhou Yan’s speech enlightened many Cultivators, even Feng Yunyan couldn’t help but show admiration in her eyes, as Zhou Yan became even more unfathomable to her.
"Young master, thank you."
Feng Lingzhu pursed her lips, slightly disheartened since the loss of Life Energy meant no progress for hundreds of years, a significant blow to her.
However, she harbored a sliver of hope and didn’t want to burden Zhou Yan with her displeasure, so she responded warmly.
"Cultivator Zhou, you have my thanks." A Cultivator bowed respectfully.
"Cultivator Zhou, I cannot thank you enough; if there’s anything needed, just say the word, and I, Yang Fan, will not hesitate."
"Cultivator Zhou, we truly owe you a lot this time, on behalf of the three sisters of my Bai family, I thank Cultivator Zhou for saving our lives."
At this moment, the Cultivators sincerely expressed their gratitude. The sudden danger Zhou Yan had alerted them to had saved everyone’s life, and naturally, the more sensible Cultivators offered their thanks.
Zhou Yan simply nodded in response, then said, "Some dangers are abrupt, which is why I mentioned that everyone should be vigilant.
As for this extreme of life and death, with the draining of death energy, there is also the gift of Vitality Energy, so don’t worry too much.
However, if a place truly brimming with the energy of life exists, as I have mentioned before, it will be extremely dangerous, but that is a matter for later.
Soon, nine unopened Channels will appear, each a path of life and a chance. But before the Channels manifest, Demon Beasts will emerge.
We must kill these Demon Beasts. Thus, my request is for everyone to assist me in slaying them, to help me gather ancient Bloodline and achieve the Sword Spirit Realm.
Only by reaching this realm can we open the nine Channels.
On this matter, I have not uttered any lies. I believe Cultivator Chen, Cultivator Feng Yunyan, and Cultivator Jia Yongheng here understand this well. Do you find any issue with what I’ve said?"
Zhou Yan casually spoke, then glanced at Chen Tianjian and Feng Yunyan, finally resting his gaze on Jia Yongheng.
This man, together with him, was the second person unaffected by the flute’s melody, undoubtedly no ordinary individual.
"Of course, what Cultivator Zhou says is true, this is certainly the case," affirmed Chen Tianjian.
"Indeed, my Master has said the same. Indeed, we need Cultivators of the Sword Array within the Sword Spirit Realm to open the Nine Lives Gate!"
Feng Yunyan confirmed firmly.
At this point, she actually spoke in favor of Zhou Yan, a rare occurrence indeed.
But her credibility was heightened by the fact that she even mentioned ’Nine Lives Gate,’ suggesting she was well-informed.
The Cultivators buzzed with surprise and began whispering among themselves, their gaze increasingly focused on Jia Yongheng, whose features had not aged but seemed to have grown younger! Sensing this, the Cultivators felt a chill and understood why Zhou Yan had specifically grouped this person with Chen Tianjian and Feng Yunyan—Jia Yongheng was surely a formidable figure.
Now, seeing his still incredibly youthful appearance, they had no choice but to treat him with caution.
All were geniuses, but among geniuses, some stand out. Encountering such an extraordinary individual naturally warranted extra caution to avoid a dire fate.
In turn, Zhou Yan, witnessing Jia Yongheng’s savvy and smooth manner, was even more certain of his distinction but didn’t delve deeper, simply turning away to quietly observe a light blue arc in the distance, quietly awaiting the Array’s automatic activation.
With his state of mind, he was quite eager to delve deeper and behold the lonely silhouette of the mysterious flute player, even if just to glimpse her desolate figure.
Yet, delving further, even with the massive Life Energy of the Flame Lotus Seed, might be too much for him to endure.
So, suppressing this intense desire and the strange pull of the call, he waited patiently for the Array’s operation.