The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"A legacy of eternal infamy—do you think you can bear it?"

"A sinner?"

Upon hearing this, Jiu Fangzhi's lips curled into a faint smile, as if he had heard an utterly absurd joke.

His expression remained unchanged.

"So what?"

"teacher."

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze meeting that of the Palace Master of Guixu Palace in mid-air.

At that moment, it was as if a silent thunderclap exploded in the air.

Do you think I care?

"How the world judges us, how posterity writes about us, whether it's condemnation or praise—I've never cared about any of these things."

"You've taught me for so many years, don't you understand your student?"

He was never a good person to begin with.

From the Valley of Divine Medicine to the Kingdom of Thousand Machines, from the fearsome Ghost Doctor to the ruthless Emperor.

He does everything according to his own heart, never caring about his reputation or what people say.

What do people think or how they see him have to do with him?

"Who cares what unimportant people say? Reputation is such a trivial thing; teachers should understand this best."

He finished completing one of the array seals in his hand, and then focused all his attention back on the light wall in front of him that was on the verge of collapse.

The silvery-white array patterns had been blasted open by the attack of the Palace Master of Guixu Palace, leaving countless cracks.

The wall of light was trembling and collapsing at a visible speed.

"Too light indeed."

The Palace Master of Guixu asked in return.

"Since your reputation is so insignificant, what about your own life?"

Every word he uttered was like nails to the bone.

"Are you going to treat your life as something so insignificant as to throw it away here today?"

"Teacher, you're too kind."

Jiu Fangzhi slowly raised his head, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

But his hand seal speed did not slow down at all.

"Let the students experience your true abilities."

His hands flew swiftly through the air, his ten fingers like butterflies, forming one intricate and ancient array after another.

With each hand seal he formed, the color drained from his face, leaving him as pale as paper and his lips so pale they were almost invisible.

But his movements remained as steady as a rock, without the slightest tremor, carrying an almost ritualistic composure.

Tangxi Xue is at a critical moment in her recovery.

The returned soul needs to re-integrate with her physical body, and she needs to control and govern the immense power of destiny with her own will.

The power within the pool surged into her limbs and bones like a tide, repairing her frail body and nourishing her meridians that had been parched for many years.

She too underwent a transformation and rebirth in the absence of a pool.

She is temporarily unable to take action.

But as she looked at her senior brother Jiu Fangzhi's back, as he stood firmly in front of her, shielding her from all the storms of the world.

A sense of peace suddenly welled up in her heart, as if she were a boat returning to shore.

"This is a good opportunity for you to see that the students haven't wasted their time all these years."

Jiu Fangzhi's voice was calm, yet resolute.

"Then let's see how much you've improved over the years."

The moment the Lord of Guixu Palace finished speaking, the wall of light shattered.

Countless fragments of silvery light scattered in mid-air, like millions of silver butterflies making their final flapping of wings in the end.

The fragments traced arcs of light in mid-air before silently dissipating into the darkness, leaving not a trace.

"Master of Xuantian Pavilion."

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace walked forward step by step, each step carrying a heavy sense of oppression.

"You can't stop me."

Jiu Fangzhi raised his hand and slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

How will you know if you don't try?

He slowly raised his hands, his ten fingers spreading out in the air.

Countless beams of light responded and shot out from the four walls, fell from the dome, and surged from the ground, weaving together in the void to form an upside-down cage.

The cage was made of the purest array patterns, each pattern containing the primordial power of the beginning of heaven and earth, and each ray of light carrying the core laws of the ancient forbidden array.

The cage hung upside down, golden light swirling, array patterns flashing, trapping the Palace Master of Guixu Palace inside.

"Teacher, please give me your guidance."

Jiu Fangzhi's voice was unhurried, as if he were inviting someone to a tea party or discussing philosophy.

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, it's futile and overestimating one's own strength."

The Palace Master of Guixu raised his hand and waved.

As the long black-gold robe billowed, a golden aura descended like divine punishment, transforming into an invisible giant hammer that slammed down on the upside-down cage with earth-shattering force.

"boom--"

The entire grotto trembled violently, and pebbles fell from the mountain wall, some as big as fists and some as small as sand, splashing into the pool and creating ripples.

Chu Qiao's body is still being nurtured in the Wuchi Pool and has not yet recovered.

Feng Zhuo and Mu Liang made their moves almost simultaneously.

The flames of the Crimson Flame Sword intertwined with the sword light of Dusk Cool, blasting away all the rubble that was hurtling towards Wuchi, causing it to explode into sparks in mid-air.

"Teacher, you need to eat more. Do you really have that little energy?"

Jiu Fangzhi swayed, his face paled even more, and the bloodstains at the corner of his lips became even more glaring.

He gritted his teeth, a metallic taste rising in his throat, which he swallowed back down.

His steps were so steady that he seemed rooted to the spot, completely still.

"How long can the formation hold out?"

Mu Liang had already drawn his sword.

The sword that had been with him for many years gleamed with a cold, sharp light in the flash of light, reflecting his expression at that moment.

His lips were tightly pursed, his brows slightly furrowed, but his eyes burned with a fighting spirit that no one could ignore.

His entire demeanor changed.

Like a leopard about to pounce on its prey, every muscle in its body is stretched to the limit, waiting for the right moment.

"It won't last long."

Jiu Fangzhi replied.

"Wait a minute, you take her and go first."

"I'll cover the rear."

Mu Liang gritted her teeth, gripping the sword tighter and tighter until her knuckles turned white.

In his heart, His Highness has always been the most important person, the only meaning of his life, and the person he is willing to protect with everything.

Others, including himself, can be sacrificed.

Thank you.

His voice was terribly hoarse.

Behind him, the Palace Master of Guixu Palace's second attack had already landed on the cage.

The golden energy surged like a raging torrent, with overwhelming force, causing the entire upside-down cage to shake violently.

"You'll cover the rear alone?"

Feng Zhuo stepped forward, and the flames on the Crimson Flame Sword surged in the wind.

His voice was filled with barely suppressed urgency.

"Are you crazy? That's the Lord of Guixu Palace."

Although he was unwilling to admit it, everyone knew that the Palace Master of Guixu Palace was unfathomably powerful, one of the few people in the world at the tenth rank, not to mention that he also had the assistance of the Heavenly Dao.

For one person to cover the rear is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, a path to certain death.

"I know."

Jiu Fangzhi interrupted him.

He finally turned around and glanced at Tang Xixue.

Then he withdrew his gaze and faced the Palace Master of Guixu Palace again.

"Take her away. There's a secret passage at the end of the tunnel, which I built myself and only I know about. The secret passage leads to the outside world, where there's a teleportation array that can send you away."

"you--"

"Walk."

Jiu Fangzhi's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, carrying an undeniable determination.

His hands suddenly clasped together.

At that moment, all the light in the great formation converged on his body simultaneously.

He was like a lit lamp, radiating a dazzling silver-white light that illuminated the entire grotto as bright as day.

He used himself as the core of the formation, pushing its power to its limit.

This is the formation master's last trump card, and also their most brutal fighting style.

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace finally changed his expression.

"You're insane! Using your body as the center of the formation, you're determined to fight to the death!"

Jiu Fangzhi stood behind the shattered wall of light, his black robes billowing in the light, his radiance growing ever brighter and more dazzling.

He was like a sword finally drawn from its sheath, unleashing all his life's sharpness in this moment, regardless of the destination, the cost, or whether it was worth it.

"Ah Xue—"

Feng Zhuo shouted at Tang Xixue, his voice filled with urgency.

"How are you now? Are you ready to leave?"

The snow in Tangxi did not move.

She stood in the pool, the water reaching her waist, the deep blue light reflecting her expression.

She gazed at the figure ahead who was using his body as the center of the formation, and her eyes suddenly felt warm.

Today, when she learned that her senior brother was the Xuan Tian Pavilion Master of Guixu Palace, she was shocked and even incredulous.

She never imagined that her senior brother, who had protected her in every way in the Divine Medicine Valley and was the emperor of the Thousand Machines Mysterious Kingdom, would have such an identity.

Is he a friend or foe?

But at this moment.

He wouldn't back down for her sake.

He took himself as the core of the formation, disregarding his own life and death.

Her feelings were incredibly complex, like a jumble of emotions—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty—all surging into her heart at once, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Let's go!"

Jiu Fangzhi's voice came from ahead.

He didn't turn back; he couldn't turn back.

But everyone could tell that the voice was a little softer than before.

It's just a tiny bit, like a drop of snow melting from a millennia-old iceberg.

That was his tenderness towards her.

"Sect Master Xuantian! You think this will save her? Where do you think she can escape to?"

The voice of the Palace Master of Guixu Palace came from within the formation, filled with a furious disappointment and a condescending sense of judgment.

"Those whom the gods wish to kill—will die no matter where they flee!"

"That's for later."

Jiu Fangzhi's voice was calm and steady.

Is it worth it?

The voice of the Palace Master of Guixu Palace suddenly turned somber.

"Your father also disobeyed a divine decree for someone."

"You were there when he died. You should know that fate is hard to defy."

"I know."

The nine directions know the way.

"You know, you still have to follow in his footsteps."

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace couldn't understand why his intelligent student would make such a mistake.

Jiu Fangzhi raised his head.

The light made his face appear as pale as snow, making the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth stand out even more, revealing a breathtakingly tragic beauty.

"Father went his own way."

I'll go my own way.

"Whether it's a path to life or a path to death, it's ultimately my own choice."

He paused for a moment, and then said the words that had been hidden in his heart for far too long.

"As long as I live, I will protect her."

He smiled, a smile carrying an emotion so complex that even he himself couldn't quite grasp it.

"Teacher, what do you think my reason for joining the Guixu Palace was?"

The Palace Master of Guixu Palace remained silent.

He looked at his student, whom he had never been able to understand, and suddenly he understood.

It turns out that Jiu Fangzhi was on his junior sister's side from the very beginning.

"At least outside the Guixu Palace, the world is vast, and she still has a path to take."

Jiu Fangzhi slowly raised his hand, his ten fingers spreading out the last array seal in the void.

The great formation roared.

Ten thousand rays of light shot into the sky.