Once the Grand Sacred Hall's people had departed, the others from the various sects understood that in the current situation, the more people gathered together, the greater the danger. They stepped forward to thank Jiang Chen and bid their farewells.
The Myriad Manifestations Domain had suffered a catastrophic blow, and everyone now grasped the gravity of the situation. After all, these geniuses were all individuals of firm resolve. Though shocked—even frightened—they largely managed to keep their composure. Having made their decisions, they each said goodbye and departed.
Soon, only three people from Danqian Palace remained.
"Junior Brother Jiang Chen, what do we do next?" Shen Qinghong had fully adjusted his stance, deferring to Jiang Chen as the leader.
"What do you plan to do?"
Shen Qinghong thought for a moment. "Everyone says the people from Danqian Palace broke out first. I'd guess the Palace Master and the others headed back to Danqian Palace. Either way, I want to go back and check."
Ling Bi'er nodded as well. "I want to go back too."
Both of them shared the same sentiment, and naturally Jiang Chen wouldn't object. Besides, his subordinates were still at Danqian Palace—he would have to return regardless.
Seeing that Jiang Chen didn't object, Shen Qinghong asked, "Then should we leave now?"
Jiang Chen said nothing, merely waving his hand to signal that they should wait a bit longer. Huang'er had lured away those two Imperial Realm experts and would certainly return to rendezvous with them.
Sure enough, Huang'er's voice echoed from the void: "Young Master Jiang, go on ahead. I'll follow behind."
Clearly, Huang'er didn't want to reveal herself.
Jiang Chen considered this briefly and didn't object. He waved his hand. "Let's move."
The entire Myriad Manifestations Domain had fallen into endless flames of war almost simultaneously. No matter where they went, they could see the brutal aftermath of battle.
Clearly, the sudden influx of nearly twenty fourth-rank sects from the Crimson Cauldron Middle Domain had brought catastrophic devastation upon the Myriad Manifestations Domain.
Along the way, the three deliberately took detours to avoid the fighting.
Ling Bi'er's face was cold as frost, while the corners of Shen Qinghong's mouth kept twitching as he muttered curses under his breath.
The journey was far from smooth. Winding this way and that, the three finally made their way back to Danqian Palace.
But what awaited them was nothing but ruins. The three stood in the shadows, staring at the devastation left in the wake of battle, and every last trace of warmth drained from their hearts.
Smoke from the ruins had yet to fully dissipate. The entire sect's Mountain Protection Grand Formation had been completely destroyed, and the entrance to Danxia Valley had been blown wide open.
The place was a complete wreck. Collapsed cave dwellings lay everywhere, and throughout the entirety of Danqian Palace, corpses littered the ground—not a single living soul could be found.
Ling Bi'er was horrified. She flew to the entrance of her own cave dwelling, only to find it had long since been reduced to rubble, with no sign of life whatsoever.
Jiang Chen quickly made his way to his own cave dwelling. To his shock, even the upgraded Nine Gates Burning Heaven Formation had been broken through!
A chill seized Jiang Chen's entire body, every hair standing on end. His worst fears had come true.
He spread his spiritual sense to its fullest, searching through the cave dwelling.
His heart pounded furiously in his chest.
He was terrified—terrified of seeing his subordinates lying dead on the ground.
Fortunately, his spiritual sense swept through every area without finding a single corpse. There were some signs of fighting within the cave dwelling, but the struggle didn't seem to have been especially fierce.
Jiang Chen held his spiritual sense active for a moment, piecing things together.
"This fight wasn't particularly fierce. Some supreme powerhouse must have broken through the formation and forcibly captured Gouyu and the others. Otherwise, the scene would have been much messier."
Not having seen their bodies, the knot of anxiety in Jiang Chen's chest loosened slightly.
"Young Master Jiang, I'm sorry. I should have stayed behind to keep watch." At some point, Huang'er had appeared at Jiang Chen's side, her voice carrying both apology and regret.
Jiang Chen's eyes were rimmed with red as he shook his head bitterly. "This isn't your fault. It's me... I overestimated the power of this formation."
He truly regretted it, though he knew the enemy's overwhelming strength was the real cause.
But in the end, his own strength simply wasn't enough. If he'd been a bit stronger, if the formation he'd set up had been a bit more powerful, perhaps the defenses could have held out until his return.
It was too late now. No amount of words could change that.
Jiang Chen slammed his fist into the ground.
Suddenly, he remembered something and shot toward the Wood Spirit Spring at full speed.
The moment he reached the entrance, he found the ground carpeted with the corpses of Sword Birds. Jiang Chen's fury surged anew.
The Sword Birds—all of them—lay dead on the spot, their deaths utterly gruesome. Flesh and blood were mangled beyond recognition, their innards burst open.
The sight made Jiang Chen feel as though his chest would explode.
His bloodshot eyes burned with rage, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Looking further inside, the Wood Spirit Spring was completely empty—it too had been taken.
At this, not only Jiang Chen but even Long Xiaoxuan lost his composure, darting out from Jiang Chen's body in an instant.
He circled the site of the Wood Spirit Spring three times, letting out long, furious cries.