The bet between the Princess Chunshuis and Zhou Bo was set!

Countless writs scattered across the ruins. Each one landed on a Princess Chunshui, causing glowing green shackles to materialize upon them.

The Princess Chunshuis had nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. Whether they screamed or fled into the Void, the glowing green shackles followed them relentlessly.

BANG!

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

On the ruins, dozens of Princess Chunshuis screamed as they spontaneously exploded.

Soon after, the same number of Princess Chunshuis emerged from the Void. Then, something even stranger happened.

These Princess Chunshuis, having just re-emerged from the Void, were still bound by the glowing green shackles!

Zhou Bo withdrew his Doubi and gently stroked the Raccoon Dog Slave in his arms. He smiled. "The bet is made. What’s the matter? I had the courage to wager, but do you not?"

The Princess Chunshuis all tugged at their shackles, their faces contorted with rage.

Demon Horns sprouted from their heads, and with a SWISH, Snake Tails shot out from beneath their skirts.

Countless Snake Tails, like long whips, lashed out in unison toward Zhou Bo as more furious cries tore from their throats. "You bastard! Scholar, how dare you deceive us!"

Then, a soft, gentle female voice began to weep piteously. "What are these shackles? My dear lord, did you not know that I despise these things above all else?"

"You bind me with shackles. Why should I honor our bet?"

"So what if the bet was to make you fall for me? Are you really that amusing?"

"Just die! Die, die, die!"

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

CRACK CRACK CRACK!

Three hundred and sixty-five Princess Chunshuis—the number of a full Circulation—lashed Zhou Bo with their Snake Tails in unison.

"AARGH!"

But the ones who screamed in agony were not Zhou Bo, but the three hundred and sixty-five Princess Chunshuis.

As it turned out, the moment they lashed their long tails at Zhou Bo, the shackles upon them simultaneously and suddenly constricted.

The shackles tightened, biting into their snow-white necks, and the Princess Chunshuis cried out in pain.

And yet, despite the agony, the Princess Chunshuis’ Snake Tails stubbornly continued to lash out at Zhou Bo. It was obvious the shackles had constricted because the Princess Chunshuis had violated the bet—

according to the bet, they should have been using every wile at their disposal to captivate Zhou Bo and make him fall for them.

But the Princess Chunshuis did just the opposite. They broke the pact, choosing to harm Zhou Bo directly through violent means.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

A furious crackling, like a storm of sparks, erupted.

The Snake Tails lashed against Zhou Bo, causing the green light around him to flicker violently. Within moments, the once-dense glow had faded and was on the verge of shattering.

Ye Sheng, who had been quietly watching all this, could no longer bear it. He spoke in a low voice, "Brother Lu, Zhou Bo can’t hold on much longer. His Righteousness Shield is about to shatter. Once it breaks, he will surely die."

Song Ciwan said, "Are you thinking of saving this Jieyuan Gong, Brother Ye?"

Ye Sheng replied, "He is a great talent of the Human Race. Having seen him in action today, I can tell Zhou Bo is truly an extraordinary man. If he can be saved, I certainly want to save him."

As he spoke, he extended a palm, made a pushing motion through the air, and then smiled bitterly. "But there’s nothing I can do."

"Brother Lu, you said that no one in this world is indispensable, and that we must learn to accept our own powerlessness. However, now that it’s come to this, watching a great talent of the Human Race die before my very eyes... it doesn’t sit right with me."

In the ruins, Zhou Bo shielded the Raccoon Dog Slave with one arm while his other hand was formed into the Gentleman’s Finger, held rigidly at his side.

He chanted, "Form of self, form of human, form of sentient being, form of life-span—none of these exist. A beauty is but a skeleton, white bones in flesh... Witch, you are illusion, and I am reality! You cannot harm me!"

The chant was not without effect. As he persisted, the green light enveloping him gradually began to intensify once more.

But this brief surge could not withstand the relentless lashing of the Witch’s Snake Tails, and soon, the green light around Zhou Bo grew faint again.

Clearly, the two sides were locked in a stalemate, one waxing as the other waned.

Ye Sheng stood silently for another moment. Seeing Zhou Bo steadily losing ground, he suddenly pursed his lips and dashed toward the depths of the Yao Fang Courtyard ruins.

Ye Sheng’s speed was as fast as ever. He moved like a gust of wind, covering dozens of yards in an instant.

Song Ciwan followed like a shadow, keeping pace with him as always.

She asked, "Brother Ye, where are you going?"

Ye Sheng said, "I know where Princess Chunshui’s true form is. Brother Lu, I’m ashamed to admit that I intentionally concealed this before. It’s because..."

Because of what?

Ye Sheng didn’t explain further. He only said, "Brother Lu, please follow me."

Song Ciwan followed Ye Sheng, covering hundreds of yards in the blink of an eye.

For two people of their speed, a few hundred yards was nothing more than the blink of an eye. But it was also just enough distance to bring them in a straight line to the edge of the Yao Fang Courtyard’s ruins.

On the other side of the ruins, a street stretched into the darkness.

In the distance, lanterns bobbed in the night, and from amidst the lights came the sounds of music and dancing, of a life lived in debauched oblivion.

Of course, farther in the distance, there seemed to be panicked running and chaos. Not everyone in Bright Moon Square was willing to revel until death; some were fleeing in a desperate search for a sliver of hope.

Ye Sheng stopped at the very edge of the Yao Fang Courtyard ruins. He said gravely, "Brother Lu, Princess Chunshui’s true form might be right here."

He pointed to a pile of junk that looked like splintered wood, broken picture frames, and ruined Scrolls.

And then he claimed that "Princess Chunshui" was here!

On Wangjiang Mountain, a Cultivator witnessed this and frowned. "Ye Sheng... Has Young Master Ye cracked under the pressure? Is he spouting nonsense?"

Of course, others glanced at this person and sneered inwardly—

At what, you ask?

They were sneering at this person’s ignorance and shortsightedness, of course. ’What kind of man is Ye Sheng? Would he really speak carelessly?’

Whatever he says, true or false, must be given serious consideration.

The one sneering in the shadows immediately and discreetly sent out a Communication Talisman.

He certainly wasn’t going to remind the first Cultivator. But little did he know, the very man he was mocking—the one who claimed Ye Sheng was "spouting nonsense"—had, in fact, also secretly released a Communication Talisman.

In that moment, a flurry of Communication Talismans—some sent openly, some in secret—once again descended from Wangjiang Mountain like snowflakes.

「Bright Moon Square Yao Fang Courtyard, the edge of the ruins.」

Ye Sheng pointed at the pile of junk, having just declared that Princess Chunshui’s "true form" was within it.

Then he turned to Song Ciwan and said, "Brother Lu, I’ve always had one other question. I am indeed powerless in this current world... but Brother Lu, is the same truly said of you?"

Song Ciwan met his gaze. Ye Sheng smiled and continued, "Brother Lu, you are far more composed than I am. Therefore, I have always privately believed that you might actually have a solution. May I ask you, Brother Lu... is that truly the case?"