On the city wall, a large number of cultivators displayed expressions of intoxication, as if they were seeing the very thing they most desired. Then, their souls and nascent spirits began to float out of their bodies, flying directly through the dark canopy above and rushing into the ocean of white lotuses outside the city.
Each soul wore a blissful, euphoric smile as it departed. They had undergone complete soul separation, drifting through the canopy and merging with the lotuses. The white lotuses, in turn, emitted a glow that grew ever more brilliant. The heavenly music they released became even more enchanting and captivating, increasing in their seductive pull.
In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of cultivators had their souls drawn out, vanishing into the white lotuses.
"What beautiful lotuses,"Yi Tianxing muttered, his pupils flashing with a strange glint. The celestial melody emitted by the lotuses couldn't shake his willpower at all—let alone draw his soul out. But the problem was that to the other cultivators of Dark City, this music was lethally dangerous.
Every cultivator here was steeped in desire—murder, greed, lust… none were exempt.
The celestial tune from the lotuses stirred their deepest cravings. With their weak mental resilience, how could they resist? One after another, their souls left their bodies, drawn away uncontrollably.
Soon, lifeless bodies piled up along the city walls, each wearing a serene, contented smile.
This bizarre form of death sent chills down the spines of the surviving cultivators atop the wall. Their hearts felt cold as ice—utterly helpless. They had been slain without the chance to resist.
Who could possibly suppress the fear rising within them?
"No! Shut down all five senses! Do not listen to the music! That melody is dragging away our souls!"
"What the hell are these lotuses? This is terrifying!"
"Attack! Destroy the lotuses! Anyone who knows sonic techniques—fight back! Otherwise, we'll all end up dead! This music is everywhere, unstoppable!"
Some cultivators began to play musical instruments, trying to counter the melody. One pulled out a massive trumpet; another slammed a copper gong with all his might. Various tones were deployed in a chaotic attempt to resist the celestial sound.
Unfortunately, it barely helped.
Souls continued to drift out and be absorbed by the lotuses.
Beyond the Dark City, an ocean of flowers had formed. The scene was breathtakingly dreamlike and surreal.
The lotuses did not stop—they continued to advance toward the Dark City. Each bloom radiated sacred, resplendent light, as if capable of driving away all darkness. The moment their glow touched the dark canopy overhead, it began to churn and twist violently.
This was a clash between light and darkness.
Where they met, the space itself distorted.
It was clear: the battle between these two forces had reached a fever pitch.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, dozens of white lotuses shot into the air, slamming into the dark canopy. Upon impact, they exploded, releasing waves of divine light that smashed against the darkness. The force caused massive ripples, but although the canopy twisted and thinned, it never shattered. Each time it seemed close to breaking, it recovered moments later—its resilience terrifyingly strong.
From the outside, it looked like it could collapse at any moment.
"White Lotus Celestial Maiden! Don't push things too far. If you keep this up, no one will come out of this unscathed! My son may have been in the wrong, and I let you vent—but if you insist on full-scale war, can you afford the consequences? You think I fear your so-called 'Dark Uprising'? Don't make me flatten your Forbidden Zone!"
A cold voice rang out from within the city—stern and chilling.
It carried a terrifying pressure.
"Dark City Lord, your son has constantly provoked our White Lotus Forbidden Zone with vile behavior. Isn't that a deliberate challenge? Don't think we don't know who you truly are. Your very existence is sin. Just wait. The Dark Uprising is coming. We will cleanse this realm. Restore it to peace. You… will not escape."
The reply came from within the lotus sea—icy and full of naked hostility.
"You speak of cleansing, yet it is you who seek to bury the entire domain in chaos. Billions will die. If anyone's guilty of sin, it's your side. Your so-called 'plan' will fail. The people of the Dark Domain won't let you succeed."
The Dark City Lord replied righteously.
"Hmph. In the face of true power, all talk is meaningless. The day the Dark Uprising begins… is the day your Dark City falls."
The White Lotus Celestial Maiden clearly had no interest in further debate. Whether due to some concern or having made her point, the entire sea of lotuses began to retreat—like a tide rolling back toward the White Lotus Forbidden Zone.
Within moments, the flowers vanished.
Had it not been for the thousands of soulless corpses atop the walls, many would've believed it had all been just a nightmare.
Yi Tianxing and Nannan exchanged a glance. Their faces bore deep solemnity.
They quietly returned to Wantong Merchant Guild.
"Brother, what do you think?"Nannan asked softly.
"This Dark Domain hides too many secrets. That White Lotus Celestial Maiden—there's no doubt she's at the Dao Proving realm. As for the Dark City Lord, I still can't see through him. Something is deeply wrong here."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath.
"Then what do we do next?"Nannan hesitated.
"We're already here. No reason not to visit some… old acquaintances. Tonight, I'll infiltrate the City Lord's Mansion and uncover what they're hiding."
Yi Tianxing said decisively.
"I'm coming too,"Nannan responded without hesitation.
"No. I'll only send a clone. If anything goes wrong, losing a clone won't matter. We need to understand the true background of the Dark City Lord. Then we'll visit the White Lotus Forbidden Zone. Some questions need answers."
Yi Tianxing shook his head.
"I have a clone life-aperture too. I'll follow you. It'll be fine."Nannan pressed. This was a rare moment to go on a mission alone with Yi Tianxing—she didn't want to miss it. Shared experiences were what made memories.
Yi Tianxing looked at her carefully, then smiled and nodded.
"Alright. You can come."
After all, it was just a clone. Even if it was destroyed, it wasn't a big loss.
Nightfall.
Wantong Merchant Guild had already evacuated Dark City. In fact, many cultivators were fleeing, trying to find more hidden places to lay low. What happened during the day had left a massive impact. Most simply wanted to get as far away as possible.
Near the outskirts of the City Lord's Mansion, within a patch of shadow, two figures appeared.
Yi Tianxing and Nannan.
Their auras were much weaker than before—these were just their avatars. Even so, they could still unleash respectable combat power. The Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda was also projected into Yi Tianxing's clone. If necessary, he could borrow its power to unleash devastating force.
The City Lord's Mansion remained shrouded in mist.
"Let's go."
Yi Tianxing grabbed Nannan's hand, and together they slipped into the shadow beneath them, entering a unique space of shadows, gliding forward rapidly. In a blink, they had infiltrated the mansion.
Inside, the mists carried strange rhythms. Emotions were amplified. Negative feelings surged. Hidden desires began to stir uncontrollably.
"Something's very wrong with this place. Even normal people would go mad in here. This place turns people into monsters."
Nannan said grimly.
Even she hadn't felt this during her last time here. It was worse than a demonic cave.
Yi Tianxing nodded silently.
Ghostly spirits floated through the mists, patrolling all around. Any disturbance would bring a swarm down on them. Thankfully, they moved through the shadows—hard to detect.
The mansion layout was much like last time.
Thanks to prior experience, finding their way was far easier. Before long, they reached a grand hall. Inside, faint voices could be heard.
"Father, do we really need to fear these natives? After all these years, we've gathered enough dark crystals to build a Void Gate. Once the army arrives, we can crush these primitive fools! Honestly, we should've captured that White Lotus Celestial Maiden today. I've longed for her… I'll make her understand what true power is."
A voice filled with arrogance echoed faintly.
Yi Tianxing could only hear it thanks to his incredible cultivation.
"Hmph! Always going on about that woman. Don't you know the old saying? 'Lust is a blade pressed against the neck.' If you can't control your urges, forget about achieving anything in this life."
Another voice, cold and dignified, replied.