Jiang Ruyi raised her head and gazed at the heavens, where the thick clouds churned incessantly, leaving an oppressive atmosphere.

In front of her, the two Shanwei believers kneeling and pleading fell silent for fear of disrupting their young leader.

In just one battle, the two had changed masters yet again.

And this ruthless, cold-natured girl in the white dress seemed no easier to serve than the West Desolation believers...

Jiang Ruyi suddenly asked, "What exactly exists up there in the heavens to cause such commotion?"

Immediately, the Jade Talisman believers raised their ears.

The two Shanwei disciples glanced at each other nervously before one of them stammered, "W-we don't know, it could... perhaps be..."

"Only gods and demons could create such a ruckus," a voice echoed from afar.

Jiang Ruyi turned her head and saw the upright, confident West Desolation female disciple.

Jiang Ruyi nodded thoughtfully; over time, she had discerned certain patterns.

Whenever the heavens erupted in commotion, within half a day, Holy Spirit Energy would drift into the Mountain Realm.

This so-called Holy Spirit Energy was a power surpassing Divine Power!

Human believers could neither cultivate nor control it, forced only to let their physical bodies absorb the energy as it fused into them automatically.

Her previous deductions seemed correct.

Above, gods and demons were engaged in battle!

With every clash, energy from the very essence of gods and demons would scatter, while human believers dutifully gathered it like obedient servants for the divine.

But how exactly did the gods retrieve this energy from humans?

Jiang Ruyi furrowed her brows.

Either way, humans fighting amongst themselves was already an inevitable reality in this realm!

Every great human power, intended to guard Da Xia and protect its people,

was instead chosen by the gods and thrown relentlessly into Holy Spirit Mountain.

To perish on Holy Spirit Mountain.

Is this... right?

Shouldn't gods have as many believers as possible?

After all, greater numbers of believers would yield more Power of Faith, with purer energy provided by believers of higher realms!

But in truth, gods seemed intent on sending their believers to die instead.

As she mulled over this thought, Jiang Ruyi's face grew colder.

With her sharp mind, she had realized something!

Gods and demons... colluding together?

Gods feed on human faith.

Demons feed on human negative emotions.

Generation after generation, humans matured, only for the strongest among them to be selected by the gods and ripped from the human world, tossed into the slaughterhouse that was Holy Spirit Mountain.

This stable arrangement kept humanity's structure intact.

Evil Gods could feast endlessly.

Gods, in turn, could remain relied upon and worshipped by humans, perpetuating their faithful offering—generation after generation, era after era...

"Lady Luo Xian." Xue Fengchen clutched his Divine Weapon Axe as he approached Jiang Ruyi.

But Jiang Ruyi showed no reaction.

At that moment, her entire world was crashing down!

Now that she had unraveled certain truths, she felt as though she was living within a colossal lie—a world controlled by gods and demons.

Indeed, most human believers resigned themselves to their fate, acknowledging their role as servants of the gods.

But Jiang Ruyi now saw things on a deeper level.

Humans weren't even worthy of the term "servants."

They were livestock cruelly herded by gods and demons—forever exploited, butchered, and denied freedom without end.

"Lady Luo Xian?" Xue Fengchen's body tensed.

The girl before him, though several years younger and slightly weaker in realm,

exuded an aura far exceeding that of anyone nearby!

Gao Yunyan quickly stepped forward upon seeing this scene.

"Lady?" Song Yu came to stand behind Jiang Ruyi, gently reminding her.

"Hmm." Finally, Jiang Ruyi returned to herself.

Though her lower face was covered by a veil, it was obvious to everyone that her expression was grim!

Jiang Ruyi suppressed the emotions churning inside her. Certain thoughts must remain unsaid.

At least until she possessed absolute control, she could never voice them aloud!

After all, every single person under her command was a believer in the gods...

"I lost track of my thoughts," Jiang Ruyi said softly, apologetically nodding at Xue Fengchen.

Xue Fengchen knew better than to probe further. Following proper etiquette, he presented the Divine Weapon Axe to his leader.

Gao Yunyan stood silently behind him, her vigilance heightened.

As the saying goes, "Companion to a ruler is as companion to a tiger."

No matter how young the girl in the white dress might be, she was a revered sect lady and, more importantly, the absolute leader of their team!

Their experiences at Tianhuang Mountain had taught Gao Yunyan and Xue Fengchen well:

Such a figure must be served with utmost caution!

"You two prefer axes; you should keep it," Jiang Ruyi said softly.

Upon hearing this, Gao Yunyan looked at Lady Luo Xian with newfound respect.

This was no ordinary weapon—it was a Divine Weapon!

In the human world, Divine Weapons and Magic Artifacts were priceless treasures, let alone in this perilous realm of Holy Spirit Mountain.

"Thank you, Lady," Xue Fengchen expressed his gratitude earnestly.

He turned to Gao Yunyan and held out the large axe: "I already have a weapon, but Sister Yun doesn't have anything suitable."

The Tianhuang Mountain faction had stockpiles of weaponry, owing to their enslaving numerous humans.

But most of their arsenal consisted of swords, spears, and daggers; axes were relatively uncommon.

After Gao Yunyan's battle axe shattered several months ago, she had been fighting barehanded.

"Hmm." Gao Yunyan reached out and accepted the Divine Weapon Axe, humming with vibrations.

Her gaze carried meaningful undertones as she looked at Xue Fengchen.

Not bad—you deserve my care~

Jiang Ruyi composed herself and said gently, "Earlier in the battle, I must thank you two for your assistance."

Her demeanor now was vastly different from the relentless questioning she had displayed before the fight.

Both Gao Yunyan and Xue Fengchen clasped their hands in salute, saying nothing further.

Jiang Ruyi understood their sentiments and changed the topic: "You're both high-level River Realm cultivators?"

Xue Fengchen answered truthfully: "Peak! Both of us are Fifth Rank in the River Realm!"

Jiang Ruyi nodded lightly.

Xue Fengchen was ranked low, just eighty-seventh among Da Xia's Heavenly Prides.

But his combat prowess and realm were far from weak!

It was precisely because Xue Fengchen had advanced in cultivation earlier that the evaluators of the "Heavenly Pride" rankings gave him lower marks.

Poor thing.

For most, weak performance garners sympathy; Xue Fengchen suffered because he was too skillful.

Even by the end of the yearlong rankings, Xue Fengchen still hovered in the lower tiers...

"Today, you two severed ties with such filth completely!" Jiang Ruyi expressed admiration, "Your mental realm and future paths have already undergone significant transformation.

Perhaps this will be an opportunity for you to transcend realms."

Such insightful words revealed her exceptional judgment.

Both Xue Fengchen and Gao Yunyan clasped their hands again:

"Thank you, Lady!"

"We appreciate Lady Luo Xian's auspicious words!"

The Divine Weapon Axe still buzzed restlessly in Gao Yunyan's hands, attempting to shake free.

But as a West Desolation disciple, blessed by the Divine Technique and Desolate Power, Gao Yunyan, being a River Realm Peak cultivator, would never let a First-rank Divine Soldier escape her grasp.

Nonetheless, Jiang Ruyi offered a gentle reminder.

Gao Yunyan nodded repeatedly, promising to tame the weapon soon.

"Boom—rumble!!"

Once again, deafening sounds erupted above the Cloud Sea.

When the noise subsided, Xue Fengchen tactfully reminded her, "Lady, we cannot linger here! Tianhuang Mountain has captured eight Shanwei believers, and there are six more in the mountains.

They'll soon discover their team is missing and come this way."

Jiang Ruyi nodded lightly: "Which direction is Tianhuang Mountain, and what's their strength?"

Xue Fengchen quickly explained in detail.

Jiang Ruyi's expression grew increasingly serious.

Tianhuang Mountain's faction included countless River Realm cultivators, as well as over a dozen Sea Realm elites?

Such powerful figures, if stationed in Human World Da Xia, could guard untold cities and shield innumerable civilians!

And yet... the gods forbade it!

This further validated Jiang Ruyi's previous theories.

After a moment, she asked, "Do you know the direction of the sea?"

This question left Gao Yunyan and Xue Fengchen perplexed.

Since entering Holy Spirit Mountain, they had been struggling to survive in the Ten Thousand Blade Mountain area, having neither seen nor heard anything of the sea.

"Clear the battlefield and gather everyone. We must leave quickly," Jiang Ruyi instructed gently.

Behind her, Song Yu responded solemnly, "Understood!"

A few minutes later, Jiang Ruyi led a group of four Jade Talisman disciples, two West Desolation disciples, and twelve Shanwei disciples, as they resumed their journey eastward in search of the sea.

Above them, terrifying sounds continued to ripple through the sky, gnawing at everyone's nerves.

Song Yu flew to stand just behind Jiang Ruyi and sought permission to speak: "Lady."

"What is it?"

"Our forces are growing stronger and larger each day. Should we adopt a name like Tianhuang Mountain or Rift Mountain Gang?"

"Hmm..." Jiang Ruyi pondered briefly.

Choosing a name was trivial; organizing and clarifying internal roles was far more important.

Song Yu's suggestion likely stemmed from his desire to formally receive an official title and secure his authority.

A group should indeed have a name—to enhance management, to instill collective pride, and to foster a sense of belonging.

After some thought, Jiang Ruyi remembered the words "Fallen Immortal."

As the proverb goes, "A bird's cry is its lingering echo."

Traveling through the Holy Spirit Mountain Realm with her growing team, the name of their faction would inevitably spread.

If, someday, somewhere, the words "Fallen Immortal" reached Lu Ran's ears...

He would understand everything!

Considering this, Jiang Ruyi said, "Fallen Immortal."

Strangely, Jade Talisman disciples adopting the name of a sect within the Immortal Sheep faction...

An Xian, standing beside her, couldn't help but mutter inwardly, though she dared not voice dissent.

She hesitated for a while before cautiously asking, "Fallen Immortal... sect? gang? palace?"

Jiang Ruyi turned to look at An Xian's petite and charming expression, her mood lifting slightly.

She couldn't help but think back to Xiao Tiantian from her memories, always by her side.

Jiang Ruyi reached out to gently ruffle An Xian's hair: "What about pavilion—Fallen Immortal Pavilion?"

Unlike Tiantian, An Xian had a lively personality and was even a little feisty.

Despite being six years older than both Tiantian and Jiang Ruyi,

she behaved like a meek little sister in front of Jiang Ruyi, nodding repeatedly: "Uh-huh, it sounds lovely!"

Fallen Immortal Pavilion!

Far more melodious than sects or gangs!

Secretly, An Xian thought to herself that from now on, Lady Luo Xian would be Pavilion Master.

Lu Tianjiao would be... Pavilion Master's husband? Pavilion Lord's consort?

"Boom—rumble!!"

Sky-shaking cacophony sounded again.

"You bastards! Why don't you just kill me with this racket!"

In the plateau region of Holy Spirit Mountain, at a junction of green grasslands and arid deserts,

the voice of a young man cursed.

"Neighhhh~"

"Neighhhh!!"

His curses were drowned out by chaotic hoofbeats and relentless neighing of horses.

...

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