Generally, the lifespan of a Nascent Soul cultivator is limited to a thousand years, but the Bai Patriarch has managed to extend his life by 200 years with various life-extending treasures and elixirs.

Unfortunately, no matter how many of these resources he uses, their effects have reached their limit. He cannot extend his lifespan any further. If he does not break through the Nascent Soul barrier and ascend to the Divine Transformation stage, death will be inevitable.

The Bai Patriarch is extremely unwilling to accept this. The idea of "reincarnation" sounds appealing, suggesting a chance for another life, but the cycle of six reincarnations is too illusory to count on.

Moreover, for someone like him, who has committed countless evil deeds, the likelihood of being reborn as a human is almost non-existent. Even if he miraculously reincarnates as a human, the odds of being blessed with spiritual roots necessary for cultivation are minuscule.

Therefore, the Bai Patriarch has placed all his hopes and ambitions on this current life. He will stop at nothing to avoid his demise. Even if he has to destroy all life and wreak havoc on the world, he will ensure his own survival.

The Five Yin Soul Sacrifice is a treasure the Bai Patriarch stumbled upon 300 years ago, and to him, it represents his entire future. After 300 years of preparation, he finally gathered all the materials required for the ritual, even obtaining the elusive Yellow Spring Flame by chance. With everything in place, what could possibly stop him from breaking through and ascending to Divine Transformation?

The Bai Patriarch believes this is destiny—fate guiding him. After enduring countless hardships, he is destined to walk this path and reach the pinnacle of power, with the Bai Family rising alongside him to become the world's most powerful family.

In the dim space, enormous chains floated in midair, and beneath them, cold and eerie flames burned—the very Yellow Spring Flame that Maoqiu yearned for. Locked within the chains were countless living souls forcibly extracted from sacrificial victims.

Though these souls had long since lost their consciousness, they were trapped in the chains, enduring the agony of being forged by the Yellow Spring Flame day and night, ultimately to be refined into soul tools for the ritualist's use.

Though also a flame, the Yellow Spring Flame was unlike any other—it had no heat but could still incinerate everything.

Zhang Yiyi's eyes were immediately drawn to this chilling flame, representing a dance of death. She couldn't help but wonder: after Maoqiu claimed this flame, would the souls trapped in the chains, not yet refined into soul tools, have a chance to reincarnate?

But now was not the time to be distracted.

"Ninth Master Bai greets the Patriarch!"

In the dark cave, an elder with a deathly aura sat motionless in a corner, as if he were a statue. If Ninth Master Bai hadn't visited this place before, it would have been difficult to notice the Patriarch's presence at all.

Having long exceeded his lifespan, the Bai Patriarch's body radiated decay. He was barely clinging to life with the help of longevity pills and treasures. To conserve his limited life force, he spent most of his time in a state of near slumber, avoiding action unless absolutely necessary.

Ninth Master Bai's arrival clearly disturbed the Bai Patriarch, and a trace of displeasure appeared on his withered face.

"What is it?" The Patriarch's dry throat rasped out the two simple words without moving an eyelid.

"Reporting to the Patriarch, I, Ninth Master Bai, have failed in my duties. A thief has infiltrated the cave."

Ninth Master Bai dared not hide anything, immediately reporting with utmost respect, "This thief possesses a powerful concealment artifact, making them difficult to locate. To prevent further disruption, I humbly request the Patriarch to grant me the Tracking Mirror, so we may expose and capture the intruder without delay."

Ninth Master Bai was a direct descendant of the Bai Family Patriarch, trusted enough to know the family's deepest secrets. Only he could freely enter and exit this cave, which housed the ritual's core.

However, even the closest descendant was just a pawn in the Bai Patriarch's eyes—useful only as long as they served his interests. If anyone threatened those interests, their existence would become meaningless.

"Useless fool!"

Hearing that Ninth Master Bai had come for such a reason, the Patriarch's irritation grew. Still, since the security of the cave and the success of the Five Yin Soul Sacrifice were at stake, he wasted no words in scolding his grandson. Without further ado, he retrieved the prized Tracking Mirror.

Seeing that the Patriarch, though annoyed, had granted his request, Ninth Master Bai sighed in relief. He believed that since the Patriarch had sensed no disturbance within the cave, the intruder must have been scared off and had not followed him inside.

Just as Ninth Master Bai's thoughts settled on this assumption, the Tracking Mirror emitted a faint hum and, with a sudden flash, pointed directly at the Yellow Spring Flame near the ritual core.

"Audacious thief! How dare you touch my Yellow Spring Flame!"

The Bai Family Patriarch's face twisted in rage as he raised his hand and launched an attack toward the hidden location of Zhang Yiyi and Maoqiu.

Never in his wildest imagination did the Bai Family Patriarch think that such a brazen thief would dare come right under his nose to covet the Yellow Spring Flame.

Whether the intruder intended to destroy his Five Yin Soul Sacrifice or simply to steal the precious Yellow Spring Flame, it was something he absolutely could not tolerate.

Meanwhile, the Ninth Master stood utterly stunned. He never expected the intruder to ignore his warning at the cave entrance and, after sneaking in, make a move on the Yellow Spring Flame.

If not for the Tracking Mirror detecting the intruder's presence in time, even the Patriarch, at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, would have been unable to notice the intruder.

This made it clear just how powerful the intruder's concealment treasure was, and while the Ninth Master was shocked, his greed also instantly surged. Once the Patriarch dealt with the intruder, he would find a way to claim that concealment treasure for himself.

Under the combined pressure of the Tracking Mirror and the Bai Family Patriarch's attack, Zhang Yiyi had no choice but to reveal her location.

Thanks to her previous combat experience with the two Nascent Soul puppets in Jia Fangge's cave, Zhang Yiyi had prepared herself well. Though she was in a rather precarious and difficult situation, she managed to evade the Patriarch's strike. Contrary to their expectations, she wasn't seriously injured or killed.

"Who exactly are you?" the Ninth Master asked, clearly surprised.

He hadn't expected the intruder to not only dodge his family Patriarch's strike but to appear as a rough-looking middle-aged man accompanied by what seemed to be an ordinary rabbit.

A rabbit? Or was it a demonic beast?

the Ninth Master was momentarily confused, but he quickly realized that this man and rabbit pair were not who he had initially suspected—Han Lin—but rather completely unrelated intruders.

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that you'll be a corpse soon enough!"

Though the Patriarch was a bit surprised that his attack had been dodged, he wasn't too concerned.

After all, Zhang Yiyi was currently disguised with an ancient jade that made her cultivation level appear to be at the mid-stage of the Golden Core level. Given that she dared to come here, she was undoubtedly well-prepared. It wasn't too surprising that she could exchange a few moves with someone at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

But no matter what, daring to target his Yellow Spring Flame was equivalent to seeking his life and destroying his path to immortality. No matter how many tricks she had, he would never let her leave here alive!

"The Bai Family Patriarch is full of surprises. I can't believe you're still alive after all this time." Zhang Yiyi laughed heartily, her voice rough. "Just how many life-extending treasures did you have to swallow to last this long? Too bad, it's all for nothing. If you can't break through to Divine Transformation, you'll die sooner or later. No amount of evil deeds will change that!"

As she cursed and laughed, Zhang Yiyi quickly communicated her next move to Maoqiu through her thoughts. The appearance of the Tracking Mirror had disrupted their original plan, so Zhang Yiyi had to adjust their approach on the fly, directing Maoqiu to follow the new strategy.

"How arrogant! I may not have left my seclusion for a century, but I never expected a fool like you to show up in Jiagu Guan City during this time!"

The Bai Family Patriarch laughed angrily. In hundreds of years, no one had ever dared to insult him to his face like this.

Such audacity! How could a mere mid-stage Golden Core cultivator be so bold? No matter how powerful she was, to challenge him head-on was an act of supreme recklessness. Death would be the greatest mercy he could grant her.

"Arrogant? I'm just stating the truth. You've long outlived your time, yet here you are, shamelessly clinging to life by any means necessary. If people outside knew, no one would tolerate it!"

Zhang Yiyi sneered coldly. "Because of you, the entire Bai Family has been corrupted to its very core. No family would want to end up as a pile of corpses beneath your feet, aiding in your rise to power!"

"Heh, you seem to know quite a lot. Let me guess—you must be from one of the four great families or the City Lord's mansion?"

The Patriarch smirked. "But so what? You're right—eventually, everyone will become stepping stones for the Bai Family's rise. What can you do about it? Do you think you'll live long enough to reveal the secrets of this place to the world?"

"Secrets? Have you grown senile? There's no such thing as a secret that can be kept forever. Do you really think no one knows about the atrocities your Bai Family has committed?"

Zhang Yiyi was deliberately stalling for time. Meanwhile, Maoqiu sat obediently on her shoulder, showing no intention of helping at all. "Just wait and see. In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, this vile, blood-soaked lair of yours will be wiped out."

"What do you mean by that?" the Ninth Master's face changed dramatically upon hearing her words, and he instinctively asked, "Have you already contacted outsiders? That's impossible! The Bai Family's grand formation is still active. You couldn't have sent out any messages!"

"Why not? You all believed no one could enter this place because of your formation, but here I am, standing in front of you."

Zhang Yiyi grinned triumphantly. "No need to thank me. I'm just doing the world a favor. After all, something as evil and cruel as the Five Yin Soul Sacrifice shouldn't exist in this world. And neither should the Bai Family, who practices it!"

"You're full of yourself! Do you really think you can destroy my great ritual and act as heaven's righteous agent?"

The Bai Family Patriarch's face darkened to the extreme. He had no intention of letting Zhang Yiyi continue her insolence any further.

Despite her young age, she was perceptive enough to identify the ritual as the Five Yin Soul Sacrifice, which meant she was not here by coincidence.

Ha, it seemed that the Bai Family had indeed been targeted for some time. The more they tried to stop his rise, the more determined he became to survive and bring the Bai Family to the top.

"Prepare to die. Once you're gone, everyone else who dares to oppose me will follow you to oblivion!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Bai Patriarch brandished a strange whip. He swung it in a circle through the air and viciously lashed it toward Zhang Yiyi.

The whip seemed to be enhanced by a spell, and in that instant, Zhang Yiyi found herself completely immobilized, helpless as the whip came hurtling toward her.

A full-strength blow from a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, combined with the spell's binding power, left Zhang Yiyi with no chance of escape. If struck, no matter how strong she was, death was inevitable.

"Die!"

The Bai Family Patriarch's face contorted with cruel satisfaction, already imagining Zhang Yiyi's brutal death under the force of his whip.

"Ahhh!"

In the next moment, a scream pierced the air.

But to everyone's surprise, the scream didn't come from Zhang Yiyi—it came from the Bai Patriarch, his face twisted in disbelief.

The Ninth Master was equally stunned. The person who should have been struck dead by the Patriarch's whip had suddenly disappeared without a trace. Cold sweat broke out all over him.

Then, to their horror, they noticed that the Yellow Spring Flame, which had been burning steadily at the formation's core, had vanished as well.

"The fire... the Yellow Spring Flame is gone!" the Ninth Master shouted, unable to believe his eyes.

Moments ago, Zhang Yiyi had been trapped, unable to move. There was no way she could have done anything. Yet, in an instant, everything had completely reversed.

It was as if they were witnessing a ghost!

"Damn it! Whoever dares steal my Yellow Spring Flame will beg for death!"

The Bai Patriarch cursed furiously, using the Tracking Mirror to search for Zhang Yiyi. But she was no longer in the cave, and the faint spatial disturbance where she had stood revealed that she had used a powerful method to escape.

Despite all his precautions, he hadn't expected his opponent to possess a treasure capable of tearing through space to flee. The Patriarch was so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of blood.

But his fury was futile. The most important thing now was to retrieve the Yellow Spring Flame.

Before the Ninth Master could fully process what had happened, the Patriarch had already dashed out of the cave like lightning, hot in pursuit.