A breeze gently brushed by and rustles could be heard akin to fluttering sands. In this case, it was the princess.

The princess in her mid-air pose was blown away by the wind as if she was made from smoke. In the previous moment, she was turned to ashes by the terrible flame.

She didn’t scream in pain; no blood either. She simply disappeared from the world without leaving any trace behind. The halberd became ashes as well.

This death could be described as beautiful but the crowd had cold sweat in their palms. They thought that it was worse than a bloody death because nothing was left of her in this case.

“Skylight Princess…” One spectator softly said, feeling very complicated.

Her admirers were speechless as well. Their goddess was dead now for Bai Jianchan’s sake.

“An admirable woman.” One ancestor sighed and praised.

Many didn’t know whether this was a good result or not. She died but still successfully allowed Jianchan to escape.

“This is it?” The girls among the audience felt their soul leaving their body. This was one of the worst possible outcomes, a stark contrast to their confident expectation.

The image of the perfect man in their heart shattered; their scorn and derision towards Li Qiye turned out to be a slap on the face or worse, a stomp keeping their head down in embarrassment forever.

Most stared at Li Qiye with a fearful expression, not daring to open their mouth. By this point, it didn’t matter if it was the power of the phoenix or something else, Li Qiye truly defeated Bai Jianchan in front of them.

The number one genius of the north couldn’t stop a single blow from him. How could people not be afraid of Li Qiye now?

Those who made fun of him earlier were particularly nervous, no longer having the courage to look straight at him.

“That’s what you get for not listening to adults. Should have listened to me and left earlier to avoid this.” Li Qiye chuckled and said before turning to leave.

He walked slowly down the steps, seemingly without strength. Shi Qingjian came up to help him down.

This was a familiar scene that was met with ridicule. Now, the crowd didn’t dare to breathe loudly lest they bother him.

A few were afraid that Li Qiye might turn around and wave his feather, completely obliterating everyone here. They heaved a sigh of relief after he disappeared from sight.

They had no idea why he exerted such unbearable pressure on them just now. He was still the same as he was at the start, not displaying any aura or might.

Perhaps his nonchalant expression, whether it be deliberate or not, made it more terrifying. Others didn’t know what the hell he was thinking, that his mood could randomly change.

“At least this is over.” One spectator said as the pressure dissipated.

“No, this is only the beginning of the show.” An ancestor disagreed: “The landscape has changed, a war is inevitable.”

Those nearby exchanged glances after hearing this. Don’t forget, the armies of the behemoths were still waiting outside Ancestral.

Would they be able to accept this outcome? Of course not, hence an inevitable storm.

The end of the battle painted a different mood in Ancestral City. The liveliness and rampant discussions were nowhere to be found. The girls, in particular, were out of control.

Now, they no longer spoke about this matter just like everyone else. It pertained to both Li Qiye and Bai Jianchan. Losing like that for the latter was utterly humiliating.

***

A while later after the battle, one could feel the ground shaking from inside Ancestral City.

Banners fluttered and dust filled the air. The million-strong armies were no longer staying by the outskirts; they started marching closer.

The horns of war could be heard; they were answered by similar horns in other regions of the north.

“Yin Yang Gate is summoning their forces.” One listener said.

Skylight Country and Firmaments Gate followed suit not long after.

“Rumble!” Troops from all over northern West King began marching towards Ancestral City, accompanied by rotating yin and yang affinity, a royal aura, and the presence of the sword dao.

It didn’t take long before they made it to Ancestral. The outer regions became packed with an ocean of troops.

“All three sects are fully mobilizing.” The spectators became afraid.

“A siege is coming.” Another ancestor noted.

The neutral parties were eager to give it a go as well. This would be a great opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

“Raaa!” An azure dragon emerged above the sky.

“Ancestral, hand over Li Qiye or face destruction!” The voice contained wrath and fury.

“Azure Dragon Ancient King.” People knew that the battle was going to happen soon with this ancestor here.

“I hope Ancestral will not harbor a villain.” A sword dao surged after this person spoke. It engulfed the entire region and frightened everyone.