Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable saw Rainbow Court Mistress Rainveil fall to the ground and sensed something was wrong. With a powerful sword strike, he knocked the Skysoar Sect Master flying and quickly rushed to Elena Rainveil’s side.
"Elena, what happened to you? How did you end up like this? Are you poisoned?" Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable asked in shock, staring at Elena Rainveil. He knew full well that Elena was Evan Chu’s woman—if he failed to protect her, Evan would definitely settle the score once he emerged from seclusion.
"Blue‑Shade, I’ve been poisoned—hit by that wretched Tia Thorn’s peerless God-Chasing Powder. I’m afraid there’s no cure this time. If Evan returns, tell him I can’t be by his side anymore. Just being able to see him one last time is enough for me. Tell him not to grieve."
"And please look after Kelly Qin for me. She’s had a hard life, never had her father around since she was little. While Evan’s wings aren’t fully grown yet, I’ll have to trouble you with her care. One day, Evan must avenge me—bring that wretched woman’s head to my grave as an offering." Elena Rainveil said helplessly.
Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable instantly panicked. He never imagined Elena Rainveil would be giving her last words at this moment. The sudden, dramatic change left even someone who’d weathered countless storms at a loss, unable to believe what was happening before his eyes.
"Elena, stop! For Evan’s sake, you have to live! You two finally reunited—how could you leave him now? I won’t let you die! Otherwise, how could I ever face him again?" Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable roared, his hatred for Poison Maiden Tia reaching the limit.
"Blue‑Shade, don’t be sad. This is my fate. You should leave here—I don’t want you to die because of me, or I’ll never rest easy." Elena Rainveil said.
"Hahaha! Who knew you two were so affectionate? Could it be that Zoe Rainveil is actually yours, Blue‑Shade? No wonder you’ve kept your distance from women all these years—turns out you and that wretched Elena have been together! But her life won’t last much longer. If she makes it to tomorrow, it’s pure luck. If you want to join her in death, I’ll gladly fulfill your wish." Tia Thorn laughed.
Hearing Tia Thorn’s words, Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable was instantly furious. Such vile insults from a woman with no sense of shame were the greatest humiliation to him; he wished he could kill her on the spot.
Just as Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable was about to rise, Elena Rainveil grabbed him and said, "Don’t fall for it! She’s trying to provoke you into attacking so she can use her peerless poison on you. We need to leave now. I want to see Evan one last time before I die—if I can do that, I’ll be content."
To keep the grand array running, immense energy from God Crystals was required. Before leaving Rainbow Court, Elena Rainveil personally placed God Crystals at several array-eyes. With that terrifying energy supporting it, the array could endure for a thousand years without collapse.
To break through this energy barrier would take several late-stage God-Venerables attacking relentlessly for days—an impossible feat. Anyone inside was trapped; even if they wanted to leave, there was no way out. That was one reason Elena Rainveil dared to leave and search for Old Goldwing and Shadow.
The subordinates struck at the guardian array with all their might. The energy barrier shimmered before them, but every powerful blow was swallowed up, leaving them increasingly frustrated.
"Sect Master, our attacks seem useless. It's like we're hitting nothing at all—what should we do?" one subordinate asked timidly.
"Fools! You're all worthless! Can't even break a measly grand array—what a waste of resources! Step aside and let me show you how it's done!" the Skysoar Sect Master roared.
He focused his will and slashed out with his sword, but just like before, the attack was swallowed without a trace. Only the space around him trembled violently when he struck.
Tia Thorn shot the Skysoar Sect Master a cold glare. She almost wanted to call him useless too, but with so many underlings present, she held her tongue. Still, her look was sharp enough for him to notice.
The Skysoar Sect Master felt a chill in his heart—being humiliated in front of so many was intolerable. He drew upon Stellar Power, cloaked himself in starlight, and unleashed a sword strike that shook the heavens. Energy storms swept out in all directions, but the result was the same: his attack was swallowed whole, without a trace…
Blue-Shade God-Venerable was deeply conflicted, but in the end he chose to leave. "Tia Thorn, what you did to Rainbow Court today will be repaid double in the future. Don't celebrate too soon."
With those words, Blue-Shade God-Venerable unleashed a massive palm strike, sending dust and debris flying. He grabbed Elena Rainveil and soared into the sky, vanishing from sight after a few leaps.
Seeing Blue-Shade escape with Elena, Tia Thorn stomped her feet in fury. "No one can save you, Elena. You have at most one day to live—enjoy your last moments with your old lover!"
Tia Thorn shouted her words using thousand-mile voice transmission. Although Blue-Shade had flown far away, he still heard her vicious taunts clearly, which made his anger burn.
"Now that Elena is poisoned, Rainbow Court is as good as defeated. Their escape makes things easier—we can attack the guardian array now. Once we break it, Rainbow Court's wealth will be ours," said the Skysoar Sect Master.
As for the gravely wounded Drifting Cloud Guild Pavilion Master, they didn't spare him a glance. So-called allies were just pawns to be used—now that he's injured, he has no value, and his life or death means nothing to them. Not killing him outright was luck enough.
"You're right, husband. It's time to attack the guardian array. Let's go!" Tia Thorn laughed. She had wanted to toy with the Pavilion Master, but it seemed impossible now.
Among the crowd were several important figures from various factions. Qin Heavenly Sword Sect sent an elder, but Sect Master Shangguan did not come—his presence would have signaled the sect's interest in Rainbow Court, which would be inconvenient.
Tia Thorn and the Skysoar Sect Master led their disciples to the guardian array in front of Rainbow Court. "You, attack the array with everything you've got!"
The so-called guardian array was actually a powerful energy barrier. Ordinary attacks were absorbed like stones sinking into the sea, leaving no place to exert force—hence its terrifying defensive power.