Dark clouds cloaked the sky, and a drizzle fell unceasingly.
Between the mountains, trees were toppled; pits and holes covered the landscape, reeking of the burnt aftermath that extended for a hundred miles—a testament to the battle that had occurred.
At this moment, three women stood in a standoff: Zhen Qin, Jiang Qiong, and the Ghost Mother of Ephemera, each bearing injuries.
The Ghost Mother of Ephemera, with disheveled hair, stood amidst the wreckage, her face smeared with blood as she scanned her surroundings, trapped by an array of eight flags.
Outside the formation, Jiang Qiong hovered in the air; her injuries were not as severe as the Ghost Mother's, but her heaving chest betrayed her exhaustion.
Zhen Qin stood atop a cliff, wielding a treasure sword, surrounded by spinning blades that glittered with golden light.
She looked down at the Ghost Mother of Ephemera with a gaze cold as ice.