Loufeng did not speak immediately.
He stood slightly sideways, gazing toward the Death Valley that was not yet visible from Mount Qingshui, as if distance posed no obstacle to him.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"He already knows," he said softly.
Yafei glanced at him.
"Yunxihua's objective?"
Loufeng nodded.
"Death Valley is no ordinary territory.
Soul pathways, remnants of ancient wars, and a secret entrance to the Soul Refining Sect."
He chuckled lightly.
"Tightening the guard there means one thing."
"Strangling their breath."
Loufeng did not object.
Did not offer advice.
He simply waited.
"If my guess is correct," he continued casually, "they will move."
"And if they move…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…we'll know who loses patience first."
In the distance, five thousand Soul Formation cultivators moved in neat formation toward the valley's border, while ten thousand troops under Xubailong and Xufangyu drew closer.
Loufeng briefly turned his gaze toward Yunxihua. Not a word was spoken.
Yet in his heart, he acknowledged one thing— that silver-white-haired woman was forcing her enemies to reveal their cards.
After everything was settled, the sect leaders did not linger.
Ghulai and Rulai returned to the Buddhist Sect.
Luoshen and Lingfeng left without many words, just as they had arrived.
Loufeng and Yafei vanished into the shadows, returning to the Holy Demon Sect.
Mount Qingshui became silent once more.
Yunxihua returned to cultivation.
She sat in the same place, sealed all her aura, then entered comprehension of the Primordial Dragon God Technique—the technique once given directly to her by the primordial dragon.
Within her understanding, she replayed the scene of her battle with Loufeng.
The primordial dragon strike she unleashed back then did not fully restrain the endless slaughter demon hand, but Yunxihua realized something important.
The energy pathways of Loufeng's giant hand had momentarily become chaotic.
Not because of raw power.
Not because of realm disparity.
But because of the purity of origin qi from her primordial dragon technique.
Yunxihua slowly opened her eyes.
"So that's how it is…"
Extremely pure origin qi—even without intent to suppress—was able to disrupt the structure of demonic power, even at a much higher purification level.
It was not destruction.
It was disruption.
And disruption, in the right hands, could be fatal.
She closed her eyes again.
This time, she did not pursue great power. She did not pursue a majestic dragon form.
She began refining the core of the technique.
Qi flow.
Pathway structure.
Points of impact.
She broke the primordial dragon technique into small parts, then reassembled them.
Making it more concise. Sharper. More focused on disrupting the enemy's energy.
In another dimension, her ancient god body stood still, observing without intervening.
Days passed.
Outside, troops moved.
In the valley, defenses strengthened.
Behind the scenes, the Soul Refining Sect began to feel uneasy.
And on Mount Qingshui—Yunxihua continued honing one simple thing: how to wound an enemy stronger than herself.
Time flowed slowly.
On Mount Qingshui, Yunxihua barely moved.
She repeatedly practiced the primordial dragon technique, not at full power, but with increasingly refined control.
Every qi flow was tested, every small change carefully observed. She began to find a pattern.
If origin qi was condensed and directed at a specific point, not only demons—even soul energy itself could be disrupted for an instant.
Not long, but enough to open a gap.
"That's enough," she murmured softly.
Outside the mountain, news began to circulate.
Five thousand Soul Formation cultivators in Death Valley stood unmoving, but the pressure in the region had changed.
Several small sects that usually came and went from the valley began to disappear.
Hidden routes were sealed one by one.
Xubailong sent a brief message: "There are already observers watching from afar."
Xufangyu added: "Not small sects."
Yunxihua did not open her eyes when she received the news. "Let them be," she replied.
"As long as they don't move."
A few days later, in another region, a branch sect of the Soul Refining Sect suddenly lost contact.
Not attacked, not destroyed—just cut off from their main soul pathways.
Within the Soul Refining Sect, the elders began to grow restless.
Someone mentioned Death Valley.
Someone else mentioned the Devouring Star Alliance.
And finally, that name surfaced again—Yunxihua.
On Mount Qingshui, Yunxihua opened her eyes.
Her silver-white hair stirred gently.
"Finally," she said briefly.
She stood.
The primordial dragon technique she had refined all this time no longer took the form of a massive dragon.
Her qi was thin, almost imperceptible—yet far more dangerous.
She gazed toward Death Valley.
"This time," she said calmly, "we're the ones knocking on the door."
In another dimension, her ancient god body opened its eyes.
Not to act. Only to ensure— if that door shattered, the world was ready to receive it.