“What?”

At dawn, within the Dantai clan’s encampment, each felt tent was abuzz as the Confucian scholars heard the message relayed by the Dantai warriors, their expressions all shook in unison.

“The Celestial Maiden has a way to heal the Li family’s young master?”

Li Qingshan said incredulously.

What exactly is going on? Wasn’t Dantai Jingyue intent on killing the boy? Now she’s trying to save him?

He didn’t believe for a second that Dantai Jingyue would use saving someone as a pretext to deliver another blow to Li Ziye.

Let alone the necessity of such an act, they weren’t fools, especially the Confucian Scholar, a great cultivator of the Fifth Realm. If Dantai Jingyue tried any tricks, it would be immediately obvious.

“Eldest senior brother.”

Inside the tent of Li Ziye and his two companions, Wen Xiuru turned to his eldest senior brother and asked in a serious tone, “What exactly is going on?”

“Let her save him first.”

Bai Wangyu said gravely, “If she truly harbors ill intentions, the consequences… she should be well aware of them!”

“Perhaps, it has something to do with that copper piece.”

At that moment, Chen Qiao’er entered the tent and spoke.

“Copper piece?”

Bai Wangyu’s expression faltered upon hearing this, then as if recalling something, he said, “The copper piece that the Sword Enthusiast senior gave to Brother Li?”

“Sword Enthusiast?”

Chen Qiao’er expressed her surprise, “That item was given by Sword Enthusiast?”

“Yes.”

Bai Wangyu nodded and continued, “Before we set off, the Sword Enthusiast senior not only imparted all his martial insights and experiences to Brother Li but also gave him a copper piece, claiming it was a gift from an old friend in the Desert North.”

“Then there’s no mistake.”

Chen Qiao’er said with certainty, “If I’m not wrong, the old friend mentioned by Sword Enthusiast is none other than the Great Sovereign of Dantai.”

“I have heard something about this.”

Just then, Li Qingshan stepped into the tent and added, “Twenty years ago, when Dantai was but a small tribe, it is said that the Great Sovereign was once ambushed by an adversary and nearly lost his life. It was a mysterious strongman who saved him, allowing the Great Sovereign to survive and eventually lead the weak Dantai tribe to its present glory. Who would have thought that the mysterious savior was Sword Enthusiast.”

“Perhaps, this is what they call a twist of fate.”

As he spoke, the Confucian Scholar also entered the tent, his gaze falling upon the young man on the bed, he said, “The cause of the past yields the fruit of today. It seems everything is predestined. The Li family’s young master was fated to face this calamity, yet his life is not meant to end here.”

“But with Brother Li’s injuries so severe, how can the Celestial Maiden save him?” Wen Xiuru posed the question.

“Perhaps, she has methods unknown to us.”

The Confucian Scholar replied calmly, “The Nine Provinces are vast, filled with extraordinary individuals and events. Even the Confucian Scholar cannot fully comprehend them, let alone us.”

“Regardless, let her attempt to save him first.”

Chen Qiao’er suggested, “Wangyu, Xiuru, help the Li family’s young master up and take him to the Dantai Celestial Maiden.”

“Understood.”

Bai Wangyu and Wen Xiuru nodded, then carefully lifted the unconscious young man from the bed and cautiously made their way outside.

In the distance, in front of the Great Sovereign and Celestial Maiden’s tent, hundreds of Dantai warriors had been busy since before dawn, jointly erecting a massive altar.

Atop the altar stood Dantai Jingyue, clad in a light blue fur robe, her long hair dancing in the wind, her eyes shining like stars.

Before long, Bai Wangyu and Wen Xiuru brought Li Ziye over, their eyes filled with doubt as they looked at the Celestial Maiden on the altar.

How was this woman going to save someone?

“Bring him up here,” Dantai Jingyue instructed calmly upon seeing the two men.

Bai Wangyu and Wen Xiuru exchanged a glance, said nothing, and together helped the man up onto the altar.

On the altar, twelve peculiar stone steles stood at twelve different positions, each covered in dense, ancient-looking runes.

Bai Wangyu’s face showed a flicker of surprise upon seeing the steles.

These steles bore some resemblance to the sacred texts of the Confucian School.

“Step down now, and no matter what happens later, you must not come up.”

Dantai Jingyue emphasized to Bai Wangyu, “If you don’t want him to die, that is!”

Bai Wangyu shuddered at her words, then nodded and turned to walk down from the altar.

After the two men left the altar, twelve young girls in white approached, each kneeling before one of the twelve positions of the altar.

The twelve girls, none older than sixteen, were in the prime of youth, like budding flowers, so beautiful.

As the appointed time approached and the ceremony was about to begin, all twelve girls closed their eyes, their hands in prayer, murmuring something.

Then, an astonishing scene unfolded!

All twelve girls radiated three dazzling lights from their bodies, their three Divine Hidden Techniques thundering incessantly.

To be in the Third Realm before the age of sixteen, and to have twelve appear at once, was utterly astounding.

“Eldest senior brother, am I seeing things?”

Wen Xiuru, his heart churning with shock, asked upon witnessing the scene.

“No.”

Bai Wangyu’s expression also darkened. What was going on?

Even extraordinary talents like Yan Xiaoyu and San Zang hadn’t unlocked the Third Divine Hidden Technique before the age of sixteen. How did these twelve girls achieve it?

Li Qingshan and the others approaching from behind also wore expressions of amazement at the sight before them.

“Master, do you know what’s happening?” Chen Qiao’er asked in a serious tone.

“I’m not sure.”

The Confucian Scholar shook his head, “But the cultivation of these girls is definitely not from normal practice. It’s likely some kind of inheritance, and usually, there are significant restrictions.”

As everyone was in shock, Dantai Jingyue raised her hand on the altar, and immediately, the Genuine Qi from the twelve girls below began to converge towards her.

At the same time, the runes on the twelve stone steles lit up, bolstered by the girls’ True Essence, their brilliance shooting straight into the sky.

“A miracle! It’s a miracle from the Eternal Heaven.”

Around them, the Dantai clanspeople, upon seeing this, immediately knelt down, excitedly proclaiming.

At this moment, the entire Dantai clan, men and women, young and old, all knelt and prayed, hoping for the Eternal Heaven’s blessing for good weather for the crops and safety for their families.

“Great Sovereign.”

Not far from the tent, Dantai warriors knelt and paid their respects, and the Great Sovereign, who had been bedridden for years, walked out with the help of a maid, looking at his daughter on the altar with a complex expression in his eyes.

He knew he might have made a decision very detrimental to the Dantai clan, a decision that could bring endless trouble to his daughter in the future.

But he had no choice.

A man must keep his word!

Atop the altar, Dantai Jingyue stood amidst dazzling radiance, her long hair fluttering in the wind like a goddess.

“Eternal Technique, Blood Devouring Life Ban!”

Using the Eternal Forbidden Technique, exchanging life for life, Dantai Jingyue harnessed the power of the stone steles to forcibly absorb the vitality from the twelve girls to extend Li Ziye’s life.

In an instant, beneath the altar, all twelve girls let out a muffled groan, and drops of fresh blood silently fell from the corners of their mouths.

Even though the twelve shared the backlash of the forbidden technique, its power still severely wounded the girls, their vitality rapidly draining away.

“What a terrifying forbidden technique.”

Not far away, the Confucian Scholar watched the scene unfold, deeply shocked, “Exchanging life for life, if it weren’t for the fact that there were so many bearing the technique, these girls would likely have died on the spot.”

“What’s more terrifying is this Dantai Celestial Maiden.”

Chen Qiao’er said gravely, “A forbidden technique of this level is not something an ordinary person can perform. This Dantai Jingyue is probably even more unfathomable than the rumors suggest.”