Primordial Era: Cultivation level equals the sum of the Jie Sect's total; the Three Pure Ones a

Jin Qi's massive body suddenly stopped, and the dark red light in his empty eye sockets abruptly froze.

The withered, eerie green eyes suddenly widened, and the bluish-gray chains hung in mid-air, unsure of which direction to fall.

Wuyin's withered hand froze in mid-air, his crimson eyes fixed on the face before him that was identical to Xuandu's. His figure within the mist stiffened slightly.

Deep within the ruins, gray-white mist surges ceaselessly.

But amidst the churning, no one moved.

Jin Qi's decaying scales trembled slightly, his voice hoarse, carrying a dryness he had never experienced before, even at a billion-dollar event:

"A clone?"

"You've cultivated such supernatural powers?"

Xuan Du stood still, hands behind his back, his blue robes fluttering slightly, his black hair flowing over his shoulders.

He gazed at Jin Qi, at Mu Ku, at Wu Yin, his calm eyes showing not a ripple of emotion.

"I've already said I never said I came alone."

"Are you trying to stall me?"

"These three bodies of mine are all exactly the same as me."

"Each one is at the initial stage of Hunyuan Taiji."

"How can you two hold off four Hunyuan Taiji?"

As the sound faded, the gray-white mist deep within the Ruins of Guixu suddenly fell silent.

Jin Qi's massive body took a slight step back, the dark red light in his empty eye sockets flickering uncertainly.

The withered figure stood still, its eerie green eyes fixed on the three figures in blue robes, the gray chains trembling slightly between its fingers.

Wuyin slowly withdrew her withered hand, her crimson eyes churning uncertainly in the mist.

Three decaying beings, the remains of three beings who perished in the mid-stage of Hunyuan Taiji.

But at this moment, they were facing four beings at the early stage of Hunyuan Taiji.

One original self, three Dao bodies.

Although their cultivation levels were a minor realm lower than when they were alive, it was still a four-on-three battle, and each of them was a fully-fledged fighter. Their decaying remains could not easily crush them.

Kim Chil fell silent.

A dark red light churned within his empty eye sockets for a long time, as if he were weighing something.

After a moment, he spoke again, his voice hoarse, but with less of the killing intent he had shown before:

"You have certainly surprised us."

"Such supernatural powers have been lost for billions of years. How could you, a cultivator who has only just entered the early stages of Hunyuan Taiji, have mastered them?"

Xuan Du looked at him, his voice calm:

"It was just luck."

"However, if the three of you still wish to make a move, my three Dao bodies would not mind exchanging a few blows with you."

"But with their current weakened bodies, the three of you probably can't withstand much more torment."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Qi's dark red eyes suddenly narrowed.

He sensed the deeper meaning behind Xuandu's words.

Although the three of them perished at the mid-stage of Hunyuan Taiji, they had still lost billions of yuan, and their remaining bodies were kept afloat by the death energy within the Ruins of Return.

The mutilated body was already decayed and rotten, and every attack it made consumed its already limited source of energy.

If one were to fight against four fully-fledged early-stage Hunyuan Taiji masters, even if one could gain the upper hand, one would inevitably suffer enormous losses.

Even if they kill Blood Abyss, his crippled body won't last long.

Jin Qi slowly turned his head and looked at Mu Ku.

Mu Ku's dark green eyes were also looking at him. The bluish-gray chains between his withered fingers slowly unraveled, turning into wisps of green smoke and dissipating into the mist.

The mist retreated to its original position, and the grayish-brown mist slowly dissipated, causing the crimson eyes to dim again within the mist.

Jin Qi remained silent for a long time.

Under the suppression of the auras of the four Primordial Tai Chi beings, the gray-white mist deep within the Ruins of Return slowly subsided and ceased to surge.

The three decaying beings stood in the void, neither advancing nor retreating.

Jin Qi spoke, his voice hoarse, yet carrying a complexity he had never experienced before, even at a billion-dollar event:

"You can protect Blood Abyss today, but can you protect him for a lifetime?"

"The debt he owes us cannot be erased with just a few words."

Xuan Du gazed at him, his eyes calm as still water:

"I didn't intend to erase it."

"I have said before, what the Blood Abyss owes you is the karma of the Intercepting Sect."

"I'll take the blame for him."

"If you want him to pay with his life, you'll have to get past me first."

"If you want him to make amends, tell me what you want."

Jin Qi's dark red eyes flickered slightly.

He gazed at Xuandu, at the three figures in green robes, and at that young yet composed face.

After a long silence, he spoke, his voice low and deep:

"You, a cultivator at the early stage of the Primordial Chaos Taiji realm, can you bear this karmic burden?"

"Do you know that the three of us have been trapped in the Ruins of the Billion Dollar Club, suffering from this deathly aura day and night, and are no longer human or ghosts?"

"If you truly have the ability, then give us a new lease on life."

"Instead of spouting empty rhetoric."

Xuan Du looked at him, the smile on his lips slowly deepening.

"I said I'm here to give you a chance."

"By becoming my disciples, I will restore your life and allow you to return to the world."

"This is not an exaggeration."

"This is a deal."

Kim Chil fell silent.

The withered tree fell silent.

The mist remained silent.

Three decaying beings stood in the void, their three empty and aged gazes falling on Xuan Du, on the three figures in green robes, and on the gray-white figure that was rebuilding its Dao foundation.

After a long silence, Jin Qi spoke again, his voice slightly hoarse:

"You just said... you want me to be your disciple?"

Xuan Du looked at him and nodded slightly.

Jin Qi's dark red eyes were filled with turmoil.

He didn't say anything more.

However, the massive dark gold body slowly retreated half a step, and wisps of deathly aura seeped out from the gaps in its decaying scales.

The withered, eerie green eyes slowly lowered, and the dry, lifeless fingers were devoid of any light.

The crimson eyes of the mist-hidden figure slowly closed, and the grayish-brown mist returned to silence.

Xuan Du sensed the changes in the three auras and knew that they had no intention of making another move.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the gray-white figure in the center of the platform.

Xue Yuan remained seated cross-legged, his lingering resentment surging slightly.

Those blurry eyes slowly opened, gazing at the three former fellow Daoists, remaining silent without uttering a word.

Xuan Du did not urge him.

He knew that Blood Abyss needed time to face those three gazes.

Deep within the Ruins of Guixu, gray-white mist flows slowly.

The three decaying figures stood motionless in the void, yet they did not leave.

It's as if they're waiting.

Waiting for an answer.

Xuandu stood at the edge of the platform, with his three Daoist bodies each standing in one of the four directions, firmly locking the three decaying beings into his field of vision.

He didn't rush to speak; he just stood there, waiting.

Because he knew that the three beings would make a decision soon.