A useless person with five spiritual roots? I sacrificed the proud daughter of heaven.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, it's not that we don't want to hand it over, it's just that we really don't have any gold or stones on us!"

"Yes, Fellow Daoist Shen, you are a magnanimous person, please let us go!"

The man who had been leaning against the corridor without speaking suddenly stood up straight, as if his patience had run out, and impatiently stretched out his hand.

"Fool, why go through all that trouble?"

The next instant, Mu Yao suddenly felt her body being entangled by a powerful force. Before she could react, she was suddenly swept away from Xiaoxiang Terrace by this force.

"Senior Sister Mu!"

"Xiao Yao!"

The man grabbed Mu Yao by the neck with one hand and said slowly, "Hand over the gold and stone."

Yun Qianshan stepped forward and shielded Sheng He behind him, his face full of anger: "Jin Shi is not in our hands, you must release Xiao Yao immediately! We are direct disciples of the Qingyun Sect, if you dare to harm Xiao Yao, the Qingyun Sect will never let you off!"

"Really?"

The man chuckled softly, slowly increasing the pressure in his hands. Mu Yao quickly turned bright red from suffocation, while he leisurely smoothed the wrinkles in his robes and looked at Sheng He with a smile:

"Who cares whether the metal or stone is in your hands or not? If it is, hand it over. If it isn't, with so many people on Xiaoxiang Terrace, why don't you go and find them one by one?"

"I'm not in a hurry, it's up to you, my friend, to decide whether you are."

Yun Qianshan pursed his lips, glanced back at Sheng He's murderous glare, and still shielded her behind him, whispering, "Xiao He, don't be impulsive. That man's cultivation is not low. We'll find a chance to contact the elders guarding outside to come and rescue him..."

"No!"

Sheng He interrupted Yun Qianshan and pulled her behind him.

"Jinshi is with me, release her."

Sheng He stretched out her hand, and a fist-sized stone radiating golden light lay quietly in her palm.

Yun Qianshan's eyes widened slightly, and before he could even be shocked, he immediately shouted at the man, "I've given you the gold and stone, now release Xiao Yao!"

Seeing this, Shen Ci grinned and gritted his teeth as he took the gold and stone from Sheng He's hand: "First the mermaid, then the Dragon Island treasure, and now even the gold and stone are in your hands, Sheng He, you really have good luck!"

Sheng He didn't even glance at Shen Ci. She looked at Mu Yao, whose face was purplish-blue and who was already unable to struggle, and said in an icy voice, "Let her go."

The man looked at Mu Yao in his hand with feigned surprise, then a wicked smile suddenly appeared on his lips: "So she's that important to you? Then I can't let her go even more."

Sheng He's spiritual power surged, her eyes turned bloodshot, and crimson blood flowed from her nose. She looked at the man and said, word by word, "I'm telling you, release her!"

The lake water, crackling with electricity, surged upwards towards the man. The crackling sound of electricity filled the air. Shen Ci's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly tried to escape, but his escape route was blocked. Left with no other choice, he rushed towards Xiaoxiang Terrace.

"Senior Sister Yun, please help me!"

Yun Qianshan was stunned for a moment, but when he saw the spiritual energy vortex on Sheng He's body that was close to the Tribulation Transcending stage, he immediately reacted and took out his natal magic weapon, the white jade pipa.

With a "clang".

Sheng He's spiritual power surged again. She raised her head, her face covered in fine beads of blood, but she seemed oblivious. She looked up and gave the man a strange smile.

The water suddenly intensified, and the torrent of water rushed towards the man, only to be repelled by a tremendous force the instant it touched him.

"Just you?"

The man chuckled, wanting to say something more, but his voice was quickly choked in his throat. The corridor beneath his feet had long since crumbled, and the silt from the lakebed rushed towards him. He lightly touched the ground with his toes, trying to fly away from the silt.

But just as he took flight, countless vines suddenly surged up from the mud and tightly wrapped around his legs, pulling him back into the mud.

Several vines climbed up his legs and tightly wrapped around his hands and neck. The man gritted his teeth and finally managed to spare a bit of his attention to deal with the vines. He loosened his grip on Mu Yao's neck a little.

The moment he loosened his grip, the vines binding him suddenly tightened, and Sheng He lunged forward, thrusting his sword towards his left shoulder.

The man quickly dodged, but his right hand suddenly went empty as the cool water enveloped the unconscious Mu Yao and gently placed her on the Xiaoxiang Terrace.

The man's face darkened: "I didn't expect you to have this ability. I underestimated you."

Sheng He leaned against his sword, panting heavily, but still raised his head and laughed sarcastically, "Likewise, Xuan Xiao. I didn't expect you and your two disciples to be the same, willing to bear the crime of harming fellow disciples just to kill me. I overestimated you."

The melodious music continued, and her wounds seemed to heal little by little. Sheng He stood up again, the armor on her right shoulder faintly warm. She raised her sword and charged towards Xuan Xiao once more.

Xuanxiao gritted his teeth and finally gathered a sword aura, which he swung towards Shenghe. The cold and sharp sword aura struck Shenghe's face directly.

Sheng He did not dodge. The gentle water flowed up from the lake, and the lightning had already merged into the silt. The sword energy was blocked by layer after layer of water flow, and by the time it reached Sheng He, it was already so weak that it was almost non-existent.

Sheng He raised his sword and unleashed the ninth move of the Azure Cloud Sword Technique, slashing at Xuan Xiao's left shoulder once more. This strike seemed to possess the force of a thunderbolt.

A hint of panic finally appeared on Xuanxiao's face. He tried his best to move his legs and break free from the mud. The sound of cola grew louder and louder, and the armor on Shenghe's body gradually became scorching hot. The mud under Xuanxiao's feet seemed to have taken root and clung to him tightly.

"you……"

Before Xuanxiao could finish speaking, the Dragon Roar Sword had already fallen, instantly splitting him in two, and his figure gradually disappeared.

As the silt gradually settled, the water slowly flowed into the lake. Sheng He, supporting herself with the Dragon Roar Sword, managed to stand up. The water automatically formed a circle around her. Looking at the empty silt in front of her, she slowly bent down and picked up a light green ring.

But the moment she touched the ring, it vanished before her eyes like a phantom.

"puff!"

Xuanxiao, who was in seclusion at the Qingyun Sect, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. He pressed his chest and stared viciously at a certain spot in front of him.

That was a wisp of his soul.

He separated his soul to cooperate with Shen Ci, but now he not only failed to kill Sheng He, but also exposed himself.

Although that wisp of divine soul was not as powerful as the original body, it was still at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, yet it was killed by Sheng He with a single sword strike.

With his soul destroyed, his cultivation level also showed a faint downward trend.

Can't delay any longer.

Xuanxiao wiped the blood from his lips, his eyes dark and unfathomable. He took out the light green ring and played with it in his hand.

Yuan Chen, if you are unwilling, someone else will be.

I can help you, and I can help others.