Zui's heart pounded. He had no love for Ruyu, but if the Mowei Sect was going this far, his elder sister would be in great danger.
A horrible image flashed through his mind-one he refused to accept.
No. I can't lose her, I can't lose my elder sister.
Instinct took over, and he moved to summon his wind ability-but Wang Zhu caught his wrist, stopping him with a firm grip.
"She's fine." Wang Zhu's voice remained steady as she pulled something from her sleeve-a bracelet.
Zui's breath hitched. He recognized it instantly. It was the one his sister had given him. A faint light pulsed from its center.
"She's in the left district, away from the chaos," she explained further.
"Left district? What was she-Did she manage to escape? What about the others?" Zui asked.
"Asking questions won't bring us any closer to your goal. Action will. Follow me." Wang Zhu shoved the bracelet back into his hand and let go of his wrist.
Zui swallowed hard, forcing himself to steady his breath. His fingers curled tightly around the bracelet before he slowly relaxed. Without another word, he silently followed Wang Zhu. She didn't slow her pace.
"Panic has already engulfed the public. The Mowei Sect won't distinguish between ally and enemy in a situation like this." She halted, extending a hand toward him.
"Hold my hand and don't let go-there are no second chances in this arrangement."
Zui exhaled sharply and nodded, pushing his anxiety aside and holding onto Wang Zhu left hand. He had to trust her.
As they stepped further outside, the distant sound of fighting reached their ears-shouts of civilians, clashing weapons, and the unmistakable hum of spiritual energy rippling through the air.
The city was indeed already in chaos.
The streets were a battlefield of panic and desperation.
Civilians ran in all directions, their terrified cries blending with the clash of steel and the crackling of energy as cultivators engaged in combat.
Zui tightened his grip on Wang Zhu's hand as they maneuvered through the panicked crowd.
The once orderly market stalls were overturned, their goods trampled beneath the fleeing masses.
A group of cultivators in white and blue robes; Mowei Sect disciples, rushed past them, their blades gleaming with spiritual energy.
Zui's breath hitched.
"What if they see us?" he muttered under his breath.
"They won't," Wang Zhu replied coolly.
He swallowed hard and forced himself to focus. They weaved through the crowd, careful to avoid drawing attention.
Then, our of nowhere, a blast of golden energy surged ahead, striking the ground with enough force to send a ripple through the ground.
Zui barely managed to keep his footing as a group of Mowei Sect disciples descended from the rooftops, their flowing robes billowing with spiritual energy.
"By order of the Mowei Sect, all citizens are to remain in their homes until the purification is complete!" one of them bellowed, his voice amplified by spiritual force.
But the people were beyond listening.
A mother clutched her child and ran in the opposite direction. A man stumbled and fell, only to be trampled in the frenzy of bodies rushing past him.
Zui felt his stomach tighten. The Mowei sect's presence wasn't just about Ruyu; it was an outright purge.
Wang Zhu pulled him to the side, weaving through the chaos.
"Keep your head down," she murmured.
"If they sense your energy, they won't hesitate."
Zui swallowed hard and nodded, suppressing the instinctive flare of wind energy coursing through him.
As they turned a corner, a surprised explosion erupted from a nearby temple, sending a shockwave through the district.
The golden formation above pulsed violently, as if reacting to something or someone.
"Ruyu," Zui muttered, his brows furrowing.
A deafening roar split through the air, followed by another surge of energy. The golden bell above trembled, its radiant glow flickering.
The Mowei sect wasn't just trying to contain Ruyu.
They were trying to break him.
Then, abruptly, Wang Zhu halted.
Zui nearly crashed into her but managed to stop himself in time.
"What now?" he whispered.
Her gaze was locked onto something ahead; a line of Mowei Sect disciples standing in formation, their hands raised as they reinforced the Divine Formation.
The massive golden bell in the sky pulsed with energy, its tolling reverberating through the streets.
But it wasn't just the disciples that caught Wang Zhu's attention.
A group of people had been forced to their knees before them—captives.
Zui's stomach twisted.
He recognized some of them. Merchants, street performers, even a few beggars.
People who had no connection to Ruyu, yet they were bound by shimmering golden chains, their faces contorted in agony.
One of the Mowei Sect elders stepped forward, his long silver hair cascading down his back. He radiated power, his presence suffocating.
"These people were seen aiding demons," he announced coldly.
"The punishment for treason is death."
A sharp intake of breath rippled through the crowd.
"They're just killing anyone they suspect?"
Wang Zhu didn't answer immediately. Instead, she observed, her brows furrowing.
Then she spoke.
"We don't have time for this. We need to get to your sister."
Zui turned to her sharply.
"We can't just leave them! They're innocent; no demon blood, no cultivation, nothing. Just ordinary people!"
"If we get caught now, you'll never see your sister again."
Her words stung, but she wasn't wrong.
Zui inhaled sharply, his jaw tightening.
He knew what it felt like to be accused of something he didn't do; to be punished until death loomed near. He knew it too well because he had lived it, suffered it firsthand.
He knew the suffocating weight of helplessness, the agony of being powerless. To be human with nothing but flesh and soul
Every instinct in him screamed to do something, but—
A sudden surge of spiritual energy cracked through the air like a whip.
One of the captives; a young woman gasped as golden flames ignited around her.
She let out a strangled cry, her body convulsing as the fire consumed her. The onlookers recoiled in horror, some covering their mouths to muffle their screams.
Zui's breath came fast and shallow until a sharp smack landed across his cheek.
"Focus. We need to move," Wang Zhu said.
Zui blinked, dazed, his hand instinctively moving to his stinging cheek. He turned to her, unblinking.
"Did you just—"
"Now, Zui," she cut in.
"If they complete the seal—" another explosion sounded.