Ling Luo Yi's body slowly turned into fragments, mending the cracks in the barrier. In the end, only a bracelet and two golden orbs remained where she had stood. The bracelet fell to the ground, and the orbs melted into the barrier.
This scene was completely unexpected by everyone, leaving the area in a deathly silence.
At the same time as Ling Luo Yi disappeared, the plaques for Luo Yun Hall in the Saint Halls of various realms and in the Sacred Palace of the Holy Domain all changed to Si Zhan Hall. The sacred bell in Si Zhan Hall also chimed a mournful melody, signifying the death of its owner, the Si Zhan Saintess, and that it awaited its next master.
In an instant, everyone except those in the lower realms knew that the current Si Zhan Saintess, Ling Luo Yi, had died, sacrificing herself in Xia Ning City, just like previous Saint Sons and Saintesses. Like those who had sacrificed themselves before, everyone felt sorrow for her. Even the Mu family, who had always been displeased with Ling Luo Yi, felt a pang of pain at her untimely demise.
The five little ones in the demon realm also suddenly felt the contracts they had with Ling Luo Yi severed at the same time. Their contracts were all equal, so Ling Luo Yi's death did not affect them physically.
However, while their bodies were unaffected, their hearts were not. Wei Yu and Chen Sha were deeply saddened, with Wei Yu crying out in grief.
Guan Yue also felt a heaviness in her heart. While her expression remained neutral, her mind replayed the moments she had spent with Ling Luo Yi.
Jing Chen and Xin Tan exchanged glances, their emotions clear in each other's eyes.
Would she truly succeed?
On the demon realm battlefield, upon sensing the loss of connection with the bone jade, Gu Yun Cheng felt a searing pain in every bone of his body. He knew what this meant: she was dead.
Unable to bear the soul-deep agony, Gu Yun Cheng curled up on the ground, his eyes turning a deep blue.
"Luo Luo, you must succeed!"
Seeing Gu Yun Cheng in such a wretched state, Xing Yu quickly stepped forward, crouching down and looking at him with concern.
"Your Excellency, are you alright? His Highness won't..." have failed, he almost said.
"Xing Yu, she will definitely succeed!" Gu Yun Cheng could not accept the possibility of Ling Luo Yi's failure this time, as the price was too high for him to bear.
"This subordinate admits his mistake. I beg Your Excellency to punish me." Xing Yu also did not want Ling Luo Yi to fail, but the probability of success in such a matter was too low.
The pain throughout Gu Yun Cheng's body continued, leaving him too weak to speak or to blame Xing Yu.
On the human realm battlefield next door, because Ling Luo Yi's divine bone had also merged into the barrier, and because her soul harbored something the extraterrestrial demons desired most, the fragment of the Heavenly Star Cauldron in Ri De's hand could no longer control the souls of the fallen soldiers. This time, Ri De and Nuo Yi Si's plan was thwarted once again.
Ri De watched the dissipating little human girl, his eyes burning with a rage that seemed to solidify. Unfortunately, Ling Luo Yi's sacrifice had only strengthened the barrier. Ri De could see the domain lords and others on the other side of the barrier, but they could not see Ri De, only dense masses of black mist.
At this moment, they had not yet recovered from their shock. It was the sound of Ling Luo Yi's bracelet hitting the ground that startled them back to awareness.
"Domain Lord, His Highness Si Zhan..."
The Domain Lord, still unable to suppress his shock, looked back at the barrier, which had already returned to its pristine state. He slowly landed, picked up the bracelet Ling Luo Yi had dropped, and a tear slid down his cheek.
This was not the first time he had witnessed someone use a sacrificial array, but Ling Luo Yi was the youngest among them all.
He still remembered Ling Luo Yi's arrival at the Holy Domain. She was only fifteen years old then. Her entry into the Holy Domain at that age was unexpected by everyone. Even though her cultivation was not yet sufficient to enter the Holy Domain, possessing the initial stage of the Immortal Realm at that age was something many dared not even dream of. Although Qiu Yuan Xi was also chosen by the first generation Si Yao Saintess at fifteen, her cultivation at that time was only at the Spiritual Master realm.
He initially thought the bone age test had made a mistake, that either her cultivation or her age must be wrong. It wasn't until he personally witnessed Ling Luo Yi's performance in the ancient battlefield, where every attack and defense was executed with perfect balance, though her movements were somewhat hesitant, that he realized her combat instincts were nothing like those of a fifteen-year-old child.
Seeing Ling Luo Yi's abilities, he believed he had finally seen the future of the human realm. However, when he discovered Ling Luo Yi's divine bone, he was once again disappointed. Knowing that Ling Luo Yi would die because of her divine bone, he had reduced her missions, hoping she would live a little longer. Unfortunately, she still died before his eyes, and he could not stop it.
"Domain Lord..." Seeing the Domain Lord's profound sadness, several elders tried to comfort him, knowing that he had doted on Ling Luo Yi like a daughter.
The Domain Lord waved his hand, cast one last look at the barrier, and said weakly, "Let's go back. She has bought us a hundred years to recuperate. Do not let her sacrifice be in vain."
"Yes."
In this battle, the human realm had sent a total of two million soldiers, with over half of them falling. Among them was the human race's youngest Si Zhan Saintess, and also the Si Zhan Saintess with the shortest tenure. The entire race mourned and observed a period of mourning for the fallen.
On the demon realm battlefield, Gu Yun Cheng's pain had subsided, but his eyes remained fixed in the direction of the human realm battlefield.
"Your Excellency, the news just received is that the human realm's Domain Lord has led his people back to the Holy Domain, leaving only a few messengers in Xia Ning City. His Highness voluntarily initiated the sacrificial array and died for the human realm. She should have won her gamble."
Gu Yun Cheng stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes. "If she won her gamble, there are only two places she could have gone."
Xing Yu, who had followed Gu Yun Cheng for many years, knew what he was thinking by his demeanor and exclaimed, "Your Excellency, are you going to...? But His Highness asked you to wait for her return in Luo Xing Hall when she left."
"I can't just wait." Gu Yun Cheng tried to find any trace of Ling Luo Yi, but he found none. Therefore, he was unsure if Ling Luo Yi had won her gamble, and he was now very anxious.
Xing Yu no longer tried to dissuade him. "This subordinate will send people to investigate immediately."
Xing Yu naturally knew the two places Gu Yun Cheng was referring to. One was the Underworld, where the souls of all living beings within the domain went after death before reincarnation. The other was...
"Yes, you go investigate the Underworld. This humble one will go to..." Gu Yun Cheng uttered two words silently.
"Yes." Xing Yu took the order. He could enter the Underworld, but that other place was beyond his reach.
Gu Yun Cheng looked in the direction of the human realm battlefield and murmured, "Luo Luo, I'm sorry, I can't listen to you this time. I can't just wait for you in Luo Xing Hall."
While the Domain Lord led his people back to the Holy Domain for recuperation, he went to Cang Lan Continent and found Qiu Yuan Xi, whose eyes were filled with tears but refused to let them fall. "Si Yao."
Qiu Yuan Xi was currently refining a new medicinal formula. Hearing the Domain Lord's voice, she stood up and bowed, "Domain Lord."
The Domain Lord hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Si Yao, you know everything, don't you?"
"Yes. Not long ago, the sacred bell of Si Zhan Hall chimed a mournful melody. I estimate everyone knows by now."
"Si Yao, I know you and Si Zhan were very good friends. You... please accept my condolences." The Domain Lord, fearing Qiu Yuan Xi would be heartbroken, spoke the last two words softly.
However, Qiu Yuan Xi's expression was not one of the sadness the Domain Lord expected, but rather a hint of surprise at his words. The Domain Lord became uneasy and asked worriedly, "Si Yao, are you alright?" Could it be that Si Zhan's death had caused you great distress?
Qiu Yuan Xi chuckled lightly and said, "Domain Lord, Si Yao is fine. You don't need to worry."
However, the Domain Lord became even more worried. Knowing that her close friend had died and there would be no chance of reincarnation, she shouldn't be reacting like this.