Chapter 1219: Alien Will

Wang Tie swiftly drove several silver needles into Xiao Ran's acupoints, stabilizing his injury, and said in a deep voice: "The demonic flames rage to the heavens, demanding a healer's benevolent heart. I, of Hundred Herb Valley, am willing to join you fellow cultivators in facing this calamity!"

Qinglin gripped his spear tightly, the tip striking the ground with resonant force: "Where the master is, Qinglin is there! Even in death I shall not regret!"

The survivors of the Flowing Cloud Alliance, Xun Wind Valley, and Heavenly Craft Sect gradually restored order from Chaos. Several Elders of the Refining Void Stage exchanged glances, each seeing resolve in the other's eyes.

"Flowing Cloud Alliance, we are willing to appoint Senior Han as Alliance Leader, to jointly slay the demon lord!"

"Xun Wind Valley concurs!"

"Heavenly Craft Sect, we shall act only under Alliance Leader Han's orders!"

At this moment, the cohesion of the Demon‑Slaying Alliance was not shattered; instead, through the baptism of blood and fire it grew stronger. A tragic yet steadfast atmosphere replaced the earlier panic.

Han Wuxian watched the gathered comrades whose fighting spirit had re‑coalesced, and nodded slowly. He knew that resolve alone was far insufficient.

"Yan Buji's 'Way of My Desire' is bizarre and unfathomable, striking straight at the heart. Ordinary formations and defenses cannot repel it," Han Wuxian said gravely, "We must find a countermeasure."

He looked at Wang Tie: "Wang Valley Master, does Hundred Herb Valley possess any pill or method for calming the mind and resisting external demonic invasion? We need it on a large scale."

Wang Tie replied immediately: "Yes! Our valley has the 'Pure‑Heart Jade Dew Pill' and the 'Guardian Spirit Pill', which can help cultivators steady their mind and counter desire's pull. I will send a message back to the valley at once, order the craftsmen to expedite production, and dispatch the stock!"

"Good!" Han Wuxian turned to an Elder of Heavenly Craft Sect, "Elder Li, your sect excels at forging implements and arranging formations; perhaps you can set up a large‑scale 'Pure‑Heart Tranquil Qi' formation that might interfere with or weaken the domain of desire's law?"

Elder Li of Heavenly Craft Sect stroked his beard, pondered briefly, and solemnly said: "Yes! Our sect possesses an ancient residual array called the 'Ice‑Heart Pure‑Spirit Array'. If successfully deployed, its coverage is vast and can greatly weaken heart‑demons and external evil interference. However… the materials required are exceedingly rare, especially the 'Ten‑Thousand‑Year Ice Soul' used as the array's eye, which is extremely hard to find."

"We will pool resources for the materials together!" the Flowing Cloud Alliance Leader declared immediately, "We will spare nothing to set this array!"

Han Wuxian finally looked at the crowd, his voice low yet powerful: "Everyone, Yan Buji's might exceeds imagination. We may have to pay a tremendous price, perhaps even… the lives of all. Yet some deeds, though known to be impossible, must still be done! This is not only for revenge, but also to prevent the countless beings of this world from being completely devoured by that demon lord!"

He raised his hand, a strand of Chaotic Return‑to‑Void Qi coiling around his fingertip; though it seemed faint, it contained a terrifying power that could bring all things to Silence.

"My Dao is Return‑to‑Void, it is the end, and also the starting point of all cycles. Yan Buji seeks to devour everything with his 'My Desire'; I will bury his desire with 'Return‑to‑Void'! This battle is not merely a clash of force, but a contest of Dao!"

His words ignited an undying lamp in everyone's heart. Though the road ahead is dim and fraught with danger, they finally possessed a clear direction and core.

"We will faithfully obey the Alliance Leader's command!" the crowd answered in unison; the sound, though not as grand as at first, was more solemn and resolute.

While the Demon‑Slaying Alliance hurriedly prepared countermeasures, Han Wuxian found a secluded stone cave, set a seal, and began a closed‑door healing session, simultaneously processing the insights gained from clashing with Yan Buji's divine thought.

In the Sea of Awareness, the intrusion of the 'My Desire' will was suppressed yet left an indelible trace. It was the most direct experience of the law of desire. Han Wuxian's Chaotic Return‑to‑Void Qi, in its struggle and annihilation of it, seemed to have seized a certain opportunity.

"Return‑to‑Void… Silence Extinction… Desire… The desire of sentient beings is also a force that drives the world's evolution, fierce and powerful, yet it will eventually burn out. My Return‑to‑Void perhaps should not be merely passive annihilation, but also encompass an understanding of the essence of Existence, including these myriad desires…"

He immersed himself in a deeper extrapolation of his own Great Dao, his breath wavering between injury and sudden insight.

After an indeterminate span, when he opened his eyes again, his wounds were still unhealed, but his gaze had grown deeper. He faintly sensed that his Return‑to‑Void Dao had brushed against the threshold of the next realm—not mere annihilation, but a deeper "Transformation Return" and "Reincarnation."

He emerged from the stone cave and found Qinglin still guarding outside.

"Master, are you all right?" Qinglin asked with concern.

"No problem," Han Wuxian shook his head, gazing toward the distant horizon where heavier dark clouds seemed to gather, "Yan Buji will not give us much time. Qinglin, issue the orders, follow the plan, and prepare for battle with all force. Also, dispatch elite scouts to closely monitor the Nether Darkness Sect and its affiliated forces."

"Understood!" Qinglin took the command and left.

Han Wuxian stood alone on the cliff edge, his robe fluttering in the wind. He knew that the real storm was about to arrive. The setback at Soul‑Breaking Cliff was only the beginning. Yet he and this newly‑born Demon‑Slaying Alliance now had no retreat.

They would seek hope within despair, pursue rebirth amid Silence Extinction, and with flesh, blood, and Dao Heart, confront the soon‑to‑arrive demon lord who controls desire.

This Dao contest is destined to shake the entire cultivation world!

The surviving cultivators mostly sat cross‑legged, circulating Qi to heal, yet the air was filled not only with the scent of blood but also an inescapable chill. It was the lingering intrusion of Yan Buji's 'My Desire' will, like maggots in the marrow, continuously tormenting their souls and gnawing at their spiritual power. Ordinary healing pills were of negligible effect.

Wang Tie moved among the wounded, brows knit, his expression unusually grave. His silver needles fluttered, the emerald life force continuously flowing into the patients, yet could only barely keep the injuries from worsening. The "Desire Poison" that had penetrated their souls and Dao Foundations proved a thorny challenge even for his medical cultivation.

Han Wuxian finished his brief breath regulation, stepped out of the stone cave, and beheld this scene. The combat strength of the entire Demon‑Slaying Alliance was steadily waning due to this ongoing intrusion. If not resolved quickly, the team would collapse on its own, even without Yan Buji's true form descending.

"Wang Valley Master, how is the situation?" Han Wuxian approached Wang Tie and asked gravely.

Wang Tie withdrew his hand that had been pressing on a Flowing Cloud Alliance Elder's chest, sighed, and shook his head: "It's far from optimistic. Yan Buji's will intrusion is extremely bizarre; it is not a simple soul attack, but more like a 'Dao Injury', stirring their own heart‑demons and desires, and undermining their cultivation from within. My 'Qinglin Revitalizing Technique' can only mend the surface, not eradicate the root. Over time, their cultivation will keep regressing, even… fall into the demonic path, wholly controlled by desire."

He looked at Han Wuxian, eyes bearing the physician's persistence and inquiry when facing a baffling ailment: "Alliance Leader Han, you bear the Return‑to‑Void Dao; perhaps… with the power of Silence Extinction, you could forcibly annihilate the alien will within them?"

Han Wuxian pondered briefly, extended a finger, and a filament of extremely subtle Chaotic Return‑to‑Void Qi slipped into the body of a nearby unconscious Xun Wind Valley disciple. The grayish flow meandered cautiously, attempting to envelop and erase that stubborn strand of 'My Desire' will.

However, the moment the Return‑to‑Void Qi made contact, the 'My Desire' will seemed to possess a life of its own; not only was it not instantly erased, but it subtly began to push back and assimilate along the Qi's path! Worse still, the very nature of Return‑to‑Void Qi, which ends all things, also placed a considerable burden on the wounded disciple's fragile meridians and soul.