Jubei City.

Even after nightfall, Jubei City remained brightly lit.

The battle beneath the city walls had not ceased for the entire day, leaving countless corpses behind.

Not to mention the city guards, even the cultivators from various sects and families suffered heavy casualties. Only until late at night did the Deserters sound the retreat signal, allowing for a brief respite, yet they still had to guard against a possible night assault.

Anyone could see that the Deserters were determined to capture Jubei City this time, which meant that the battles ahead would inevitably become even more brutal.

During the daytime battles, the disciples of the Profound Moon Sword Sect displayed formidable combat power, yet oddly enough, the most renowned figures, Luo Qingxuan and Wang Junze, were nowhere to be seen.

There was much speculation about the whereabouts of these two.

In contrast, the disciples of the Four Symbols Sect were exceptionally active. Unlike before, when only a few disciples ventured into the Northern Domain, this time the Four Symbols Sect sent dozens of disciples, and it's rumored that more reinforcements would be on their way.

At the forefront, Jing Lei, with his Cyan Dragon Dharma Aspect, achieved the terrifying feat of single-handedly slaughtering over a thousand Great Snow Wolf Riders, making a name for himself throughout the Northern Domain.

By comparison, the performance of the Profound Moon Sword Sect's disciples without Luo Qingxuan and Wang Junze appeared much weaker.

At this point, many have deduced that the Four Symbols Sect harbors ambitions to encroach on the Northern Domain, yet positioned between the Profound Moon Sword Sect and the Four Symbols Sect, others dared not show any allegiance.

Moreover, the most pressing matter now is to repel the Deserters. The covert conflict between the Four Symbols Sect and the Profound Moon Sword Sect can be put aside for now.

City Lord's Mansion.

Yuan Shouyi sat quietly in his study, listening to his subordinates report on the day's battle losses and intelligence. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"So, besides Jubei City, no other places reported any unusual battle reports today?"

Looking up, Yuan Shouyi asked in a deep voice.

"Yes!"

The black-clothed commander below responded in a deep voice, "Messages from surrounding towns and villages indicate no anomalies, and there's no trace of Wang Junze or Luo Qingxuan."

"That's strange. Could they have disappeared? Investigate further—I must know their whereabouts by tomorrow!"

With a cold expression, Yuan Shouyi ordered again.

"Understood!"

The black-clothed commander saluted and quickly retreated.

The next moment, Jing Lei's figure slowly emerged from the void. Yuan Shouyi spoke lightly, "You heard, it's not that I haven't tried, but there's really no trace of Wang Junze or Luo Qingxuan."

"Forget about Luo Qingxuan, but Wang Junze must die!"

Jing Lei replied calmly, "You know very well, this is not just a grudge between my Four Symbols Sect and him, but also Prince Yu's will."

"Don't worry, I want to kill him even more than you do!"

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Yuan Shouyi replied sternly, "But tell me, what did you promise the Deserters in the Extreme North Wilderness? You don't intend to abandon Jubei City, do you?"

"You're overthinking it." Jing Lei shook his head and replied, "The Four Symbols Sect wouldn't be so without principles!"

"That's good!"

Nodding slightly, Yuan Shouyi spoke softly, "Remember the conditions you agreed to before, and I'll fully support you... even if it means flattening the Profound Moon Sword Sect!"

After a moment's pause, Yuan Shouyi continued, "Of course... Zhou Dongfei is someone your Four Symbols Sect needs to handle on its own."

"Let's kill Wang Junze first."

Without further comment, Jing Lei replied flatly, then disappeared into the void.

At the same time, in the Deserters' tent outside Jubei City, Jing Yuan looked at the surrounding map and spoke leisurely.

"No need to search anymore; Wang Junze and Luo Qingxuan must be in the Medicine King Valley!"

What Yuan Shouyi could discover, the Deserters naturally could as well. After eliminating all other possibilities, only one answer remained.

"Impossible, Hu Qianqian is a Transformed Great Demon, she should have been able to retreat even if she couldn't defeat Luo Qingxuan. Why hasn't any news come back?"

Beside him, a Deserter expressed disbelief.

"Nothing is impossible. Whether it's Luo Qingxuan or Wang Junze, they can't be judged by their realm alone."

Shaking his head, Jing Yuan replied indifferently.

"Then what should we do?" the Deserter asked urgently, "Should we send people to the Medicine King Valley?"

"No rush!"

With a smile, Jing Yuan replied calmly, "The Four Symbols Sect and Yuan Shouyi want them dead more than we do. Besides... if Hu Qianqian really fell into their hands, they might use this to send false information, it's not too late to set a trap then."

"I'm also curious, if things are what I think, how Wang Junze will utilize Hu Qianqian."

Stretching lazily, Jing Yuan stood up and said softly, "It's late, go rest, this battle... will be protracted!"

...

While others had already rested, for Wang Junze, the night seemed endless.

Demon Qi pervaded the room, almost incessantly. Wang Junze desperately circulated his True Qi, resisting the incursion of Demon Qi, a struggle only he could fully understand.

Even with Clear Heart Grass, the attack method that directly penetrated the Divine Soul was still excruciatingly painful.

During the entire process, Wang Junze never once cried out in pain, nor did he ask Qianqian to stop.

This kind of madness even moved Qianqian.

At such close proximity, she could also feel the increase in Wang Junze's Power of the Divine Soul.

Previously, she hadn't thought much of Wang Junze, even attributing the breaking of her Charm Technique to the uniqueness of Clear Heart Grass. After all, this type of spirit medicine had long vanished, only found in Ancient Ruins. She considered her failure a mere accident.

However, once up close, she realized how powerful this young man, seemingly only at the Refining God Realm, truly was.

Not much was needed; as long as Wang Junze could break through to the Heaven-Stepping Realm, she believed that even without Clear Heart Grass, she couldn't possibly Charm him again.

Throughout the process, Qianqian contemplated killing him more than once.

Unfortunately, Luo Qingxuan's presence would intermittently manifest, eliminating any false hope she had.

Though she didn't enter the room, Luo Qingxuan stood guard outside throughout the night, so any disturbance couldn't escape her perception.

One stalk of Clear Heart Grass after another was consumed, and before they realized it, dawn slowly approached.

Under the constant release of Demon Qi, Qianqian's strength steadily waned, until eventually, exhaustion overcame her.

As daylight broke, Qianqian almost completely depleted her power and had to stop and rest.

At that moment, Wang Junze's aura erupted abruptly, propelling his Divine Soul to undergo a qualitative transformation, achieving a breakthrough.

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