There, a prohibition talisman enveloped the trapped souls, ancient and difficult to unravel.

All the trapped souls crowded there, densely packed, looking at her with despair and restlessness.

Yao Yao held her Divine Sword and fiercely struck the central point of the prohibition.

What if there were many opponents?

How could she let Chong Yan bear it alone?

Here, there were also thousands upon thousands of “people.”

They should reclaim their belongings.

Yao Yao’s tiger mouth soon suffered a wound, but enveloped in her maximized spiritual power, she finally struck a hole in the center.

Then, gritting her teeth, one strike, two strikes, three strikes…

The prohibition gradually cracked under her relentless blows, and finally, it completely collapsed.

Countless trapped souls surged in at once.

Yao Yao was almost overwhelmed by them, but soon, all the trapped souls rushed towards a further place, drawn by the golden light that had condensed over thousands of years while they were trapped here, living in despair and dying at nightfall.

The souls that had their legs broken crawled on the ground. The ones with their heads crushed darted around aimlessly. For a moment, it was as terrifying as a horde of zombies.

“What is that?”

“What is that thing?”

“Kill them and protect Sword Saint Li Cangyan!”

Yao Yao flew back again, stumbling upon landing due to severe exhaustion of her spiritual power. She urgently said, “Chong Yan, stop!”

Don’t attack in a suicidal manner.

Let Li Cangyan face the “people” he truly should face, let him bear what he should bear.

Yao Yao didn’t look away, only looking at him covered in blood.

Chong Yan was at a loss for a moment, but finally lowered his hand.

Under his relentless assaults, the golden dragon formed of merits had become transparent many times over and could no longer maintain its dragon form. The scattered starlight fell on the surging souls, restoring a trace of clarity to their hollow expressions.

She was clever.

However, Chong Yan didn’t turn to look at her.

Under the blood forbiddance, the decay on his body had almost reached his face, making him even more terrifying than these withered souls.

But Yao Yao didn’t run to him or forcibly bring him over.

She knew that he didn’t want to be seen.

So she only watched as the souls crossed the water’s surface, crawling one after another onto the golden dragon’s body. Though small as insects, countless insects could still overwhelm the massive dragon.

Using the most primitive gnawing to reclaim the awakening that should have belonged to them.

Now, Li Cangyan could no longer hide behind the defensive formation. As he broke free, he frantically absorbed the golden light.

“Don’t attack those people, go save the golden dragon, quickly!”

“What are all of you doing?”

“If it is damaged, none of you will be able to escape!”

In the palm of Li Cangyan’s hand, a surging divine power was absorbed. But the next moment, all the souls that were charging at the golden dragon turned their heads towards him.

Li Cangyan instinctively took a step back.

Then he realized, what could he retreat from?

He raised his hand, intending to use the power of merits to break through these strange creatures.

However, he forgot that these merits were shaped by these “strange creatures” year after year, through countless pains and prayers.

They were not afraid of the golden light.

They gained consciousness within it.

Finally, they remembered how they lived a long time ago.

Farmers diligently guarded the farmlands in the mountains, thinking only about this year’s harvest.

Craftsmen diligently repaired the tombs in the imperial tomb, thinking about receiving their wages and returning home to their wives and children.

These people, countless ordinary people.

Unable to leave this place, they could only day after day pray to the “gods” for illusory happiness, briefly living like “people.”

However, at this moment, the unconscious souls finally realized why they were trapped here.

The vast golden light, every speck, was their desperate and devout prayers.

He caused it.

He caused it.

He was not a god, not a god.

Those faces of despair and anguish surged towards him, even without giving him a chance to react, quickly submerging Li Cangyan.

“Go away!”

Some were scattered by his sword aura, only to be replaced by others.

Layer upon layer, tightly trapping and devouring him, trying to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

Su Yilin had long been frightened mad.

She sat dumbfounded on the side.

“Sword Saint!”

“Sword Saint, hold on!”

Countless souls died under the fire and swords of the outer cultivators, but countless others followed in their footsteps.

Li Cangyan felt countless maggots crawling all over his body, gnawing at every part.

He struggled to peer through the gaps and saw in the distance, the devil whose half of his body was soaked in blood, being supported by Yao Yao, flying towards the heart behind the collapsing golden dragon.

“No, no!”

If Li Cangyan obtained the heart, it would be even more difficult to overcome that thing.

He went crazy, burning these souls, but countless new ones rushed into the raging fire, seeking rebirth.

“They no longer seek survival.

But a swift death.

To leave this illusory and delusional tomb.”

“Help, help me!”

Li Cangyan finally felt bone-chilling fear.

“Help me!”

But his mouth was also bitten to shreds.

The golden dragon was devoured.

The protagonist was swallowed.

The remaining Jun Capital people and Wuji Sect cultivators didn’t even know who to prioritize. The entire imperial tomb fell into chaos.

Yao Yao carefully supported Chong Yan with his intact arm, lowered her head, and realized that even her spiritual power couldn’t do much at this stage.

She felt uneasy, but quietly asked, “Once we retrieve the heart, will everything be alright?”

Chong Yan didn’t know, but he nodded. “Mm.”

The Black Snake dragged its injured tail and said to them, “Come up.”

Supporting Yao Yao, Ji Rong, and the half-disabled Chong Yan, they glided over the water’s surface and arrived below the suspended heart that was collapsing.

This enormous heart carried thousands of years of darkness within the imperial tomb, storing countless souls’ prayers of anguish.

But now, the souls that had devoured the merits of golden light regained their own contributions within the illusion, dissipated in the pain and awakening of centuries, finally able to enter the cycle of reincarnation.

The scattered specks of golden light finally transformed into their true selves.

And so, those souls in the flames gradually dissipated their blurred expressions.

Chong Yan’s heart now belonged to him.

In the distance.

Li Cangyan, almost consumed completely, suddenly ignited a string of crimson flames. The eerie flames glanced around and then charged straight towards them.

These flames came mysteriously, but it was obvious that they were aimed at the heart of the demon.

But behind the demon, there was Ji Rong, who held a sword, and the two big-eyed giant snakes, his companions.

They shouted, “Quickly retrieve your heart!”

Yao Yao also looked at Chong Yan. “Chong Yan, retrieve your heart.”

Chong Yan closed his eyes, held her hand, and pressed it against the cold heart.

Zeng! Instantly, a bright light shone.

The silver-white light clashed with the crimson flames, and the red flames disappeared in an instant.

This light was not as radiant and splendid as the golden light of merits, but it was calm and serene.

Within the light, the decay on Chong Yan’s body quickly healed, and flesh grew back on his white bones.

A vacant space in his chest pulsated intensely.

Then he looked down at Yao Yao.

Since her appearance, his body, his world, had been filled and completed.

And now, the ancient demon, feared by the heavens, earth, and gods, had been restored to seventy percent of his power by her.

However, what concerned Yao Yao was not how strong Chong Yan’s power would become.

She carefully examined Chong Yan’s body and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She remembered that the books mentioned how the two hearts of a demon represented divinity and demonic nature.

Would the suddenly regained heart, like the Divine Meteor Eye, need to bear pain?

Yao Yao’s mind was in a mess, recalling that the Illusory Emotion Demon had mentioned that Chong Yan currently had no emotions, but once his demonic heart was restored, his emotions would increase exponentially, becoming profound and obsessive. At that time, he would no longer be able to escape the influence of the Emotion Demon and Enchantress Demon.

Chong Yan had one heart sealed with ice and the other just recovered.

She cautiously extended her palm and pressed it against his cold chest, finally feeling a heartbeat in the emptiness.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Yao Yao raised her eyes and asked him, “So is this heart the demonic one or the divine one?”

Chong Yan lowered his eyelashes and carefully enclosed her precious, tender being in his entirety.

“It’s yours.”

They are all yours.