The dazzling red light, seducing the heart, revealed a palace-like structure within, appearing and disappearing.
Looking at the faintly visible building, He Mu's expression turned increasingly sinister and manic. "It's finally opening, finally opening. My divine palace, my divine palace..."
Just then, a gunshot rang out, shattering the silence.
He Mu's expression changed drastically as he looked in the direction of the gunshot. Many people were running towards them, led by Shangguan Wen. Behind him were Bai Han, Han Rui, Xuan Feng...
Han Rui shouted, "Quickly release Xiao Xi'er!"
Bai Han ran directly towards Bai Xi.
Xuan Feng, holding a knife, fiercely lunged at the hooks suspending Bai Xi.
Seeing so many people coming to stop him, He Mu gritted his teeth. "Your arrival is useless. Now that the divine palace is about to open, your presence is merely futile."
He then turned to Bai Xi, "Goddess, tell them to retreat, or your mother will die before your very eyes!"
He had always known that Lin Yun was his last resort.
As soon as he spoke, his gaze fell upon the most crucial spot.
There, where all his hopes should have been placed.
In at most five minutes, just five more minutes, Bai Xi's blood would outline the entire totem, filling every indentation.
Then, the Altar of Heaven would be complete, and the true divine palace would appear. At that moment, he could enter the Spiritual Source and seize its core – the Chaos Celestial Bead.
With the Chaos Celestial Bead, he would possess eternal life, no longer needing to rely on others. He could also cultivate with the Chaos Celestial Bead, achieving ascension within a century, rather than needing millennia.
Only through ascension could he see the person he wished to see again!
It had been a thousand years... He truly missed her.
Therefore, he absolutely could not let this plan fail! Never...
However, as his gaze fell upon the altar, the person who had been hanging from the hooks had vanished. Only the bare altar remained, along with the still glowing red light, within which the divine palace faintly appeared.
The next second, Bai Xi stood before He Mu. She pulled out the last hook embedded in her body, blood flowing from the wound. "Xuan Ji, your dream is shattered!"
Hearing this, Xuan Ji's eyes widened. "No, no..."
He was so close.
Shangguan Wen said calmly, "He Mu, all the people you controlled have been rescued. Give up!"
"Bai Xi, aren't you going to look after your mother?"
He then looked at Bai Xi's phone. On the video call, Shen Mingxun had rescued Lin Yun. "God of War, I have rescued your wife. For her safety, I can only restrain her for now. Please forgive me."
Bai Xi leisurely picked up her phone. "It's good that she's rescued. Thank you."
Shen Mingxun immediately replied, "God of War, you are too kind. This is my subordinate's duty."
Bai Xi raised an eyebrow and looked at He Mu, her eyes serene. "Your plan has completely failed."
At this moment, her clothes were already soaked in blood. Her face was pale, her eyes sharp, making her look like a soul-reaper just returned from hell.
Xuan Ji had spoken countless nonsensical words to her today, but one sentence held truth: "Compared to something just out of reach, the feeling of being merely one step away is truly more maddening!"
Now, he had ample time to savor this madness.
He Mu gritted his teeth, his expression frantic. "How did you do it?"
Bai Xi said calmly, "I told you long ago that I am very fast. Is your brain not working?"
She knew Xuan Ji must have a plan, so she had remained vigilant, feigning trust, allowing him to bring her to the blood sacrifice without reservation.
It wasn't until Lin Yun called that He Mu's words made her realize his true intentions.
Therefore, before answering the call, she had sent a message with the utmost speed to Shangguan Wen, who was on standby, and Shen Mingxun, who was in City M. Then, she accepted the video call.
It was relatively simple for Shangguan Wen to deal with his team members, as they were nearby.
However, Lin Yun was an unexpected variable. Thus, it took Shen Mingxun a longer time to provide aid.
This was also the fundamental reason why she kept talking to stall for time.
Fortunately, before she bled out, both of them had completed their rescue missions, and Shangguan Wen had even followed the location to find her.
He Mu looked at Bai Xi incredulously, staring for a long while. After a pause, he began to laugh maniacally. "Failed? How could my plan possibly end like this? As long as my soul is not extinguished, it will only be another cycle. How long can you imprison me?"
Bai Xi raised her eyebrows. "Don't worry, I will definitely find a way to ensure your soul is completely annihilated. Then, you will be the only one in the world to die."
She knew best how dangerous Xuan Ji was to this world. Such a person, if allowed to remain, would bring no peace to the world.
Han Rui looked at her with heartache and handed her a bottle. "Quick, take one. Han Mo gave this to me earlier. It's really effective."
After saying this, he realized he had mentioned someone he shouldn't have and quietly closed his mouth.
Bai Xi showed no particular expression. She took the bottle, poured out a pill, and swallowed it, then quietly put the rest into the pocket of her work pants.
Seeing the bottle taken away, Han Rui's charming phoenix eyes were filled with distress. "Ah, this, this..."
Bai Xi raised her eyebrows. "Any objections?"
Han Rui quickly forced a smile. "How could I dare! Xiao Xi'er, you truly are the God of War. You can't possibly die from this..."
Bai Xi glanced at him calmly. "You wanted to say I'm Ultraman, didn't you?"
Han Rui pursed his lips, his charming eyes lifting slightly, revealing his guilt.
Bai Han looked at Bai Xi with a hint of relief. "Xiao Xi, I'm glad you're alright. If you had a plan in mind, why didn't you tell me?"
Bai Xi said softly, "I was afraid."
Bai Han was slightly stunned.
Yes, although he was Bai Han now, he was actually Han Luo. The one who had hurt her and her family in the previous life. It was understandable that she was afraid of him and didn't trust him.
Seeing his expression, Bai Xi continued softly, "I was afraid you wouldn't be able to act convincingly and he would notice. I was also afraid you would object to me luring him into attacking me... And I was afraid he would harm you."
The more people she told, the greater the risk. Most importantly, she didn't know what the so-called Altar of Heaven was, nor what Xuan Ji's plan entailed. She could only take things one step at a time.
Hearing Bai Xi's concern, Bai Han was somewhat taken aback.
Seeing this, Bai Xi thought he was still feeling uncomfortable. She hesitated before saying, "Brother, don't overthink it."
The soft address, filled with relief, made Bai Han's heart stir.
This was the first time she had called him "Brother" since learning he was Han Luo.
"Xiao Xi..."
Bai Xi nodded.
In the previous life, he had paid his debt with his life.
In this life, he had protected her, and because of this, he had been simple-minded for over a decade, suffering humiliation and abuse from the Bai family.
Now, since he was her brother, they could continue to interact as they were in this life.
After taking the medicine, Bai Xi felt a little better. She looked at Shangguan Wen. " Commander-in-Chief, please take He Mu away now. Blindfold him, cover his ears, mouth, and restrain his hands to prevent him from playing any tricks!"
She would definitely ensure he died a complete death, avenging the former Bai family and the countless lives lost by his hand.
The moment He Mu was captured, he became frenzied. "No, no, I will not fail. Bai Xi, I'm telling you, as long as you open the divine palace, I can help you resurrect Han Mo!"