The Empress of the Jade Pool wore a mocking expression on her face.
So what if she had lost control over the Haotian Mirror?
She had no concern whatsoever about being unable to track down her husband.
Xiao Fan was now clinging to his last thread of consciousness, barely sustained by the Haotian Mirror.
Moreover, the Immortal Execution Array had been specifically designed for Xiao Fan, with the Haotian Mirror serving as its core, tightly ensnaring him.
Although Leng Ruoxue had managed to enter the Haotian Mirror earlier and was rescued, freeing Xiao Fan would require fully dismantling the Immortal Execution Array.
As the core of the array, the Haotian Mirror was intricately linked to it—disrupting one would affect the entire structure. To save Xiao Fan, they would need to sever the connection between the Haotian Mirror and the Immortal Execution Array first.
But doing so would also mean temporarily cutting off Xiao Fan's connection to the Haotian Mirror. The moment this connection was severed, Xiao Fan's last thread of consciousness would dissipate entirely.
At that moment, she finally understood why Xiao Fan's state had felt so strange when she sensed him earlier. Although his physical body and soul had already collapsed, she could still detect a faint trace of his consciousness.
Now, it all made sense.
Xiao Fan's current state was reminiscent of the consciousness form that Xuanwei had once observed when he ascended to the Immortal Realm. Ordinary people couldn't perceive Xiao Fan; only those who had controlled the Haotian Mirror could detect the presence of his consciousness.
For the Haotian Mirror, time was an irrelevant concept. Even though Xuanwei had only recently gained control of the mirror, she could still perceive Xiao Fan's consciousness in the past.
It was this last thread of Xiao Fan's consciousness that had barely kept his physical body and soul from completely disintegrating. But if this final thread vanished, Xiao Fan's body and soul would be annihilated in an instant.
At that point, Xiao Fan would truly cease to exist in the world.
So, she was certain that the Divine Empress Xuanwei, upon realizing this, would never dismantle the Immortal Execution Array to save Xiao Fan. Doing so wouldn't be a rescue but a complete erasure of his existence.
To uncover the secrets of the past, understand the reasons behind Xiao Fan's actions, or even find a way to save him, Xuanwei would have no choice but to continue using the Haotian Mirror to trace back through Xiao Fan's life experiences.
In this way, even if she wasn't the one controlling the Haotian Mirror, she could still use Xiao Fan's memories to find out where he had hidden the Soul Nourishing Bottle of her husband!
A sarcastic smile played on the Empress of the Jade Pool's lips.
She had long since taken control of everything.
Now, neither the Haotian Mirror nor the position of the Heavenly Court's ruler held any significance to her.
The only thing she wanted now was to find her husband, so they could become an immortal couple and withdraw from worldly matters forever.
Hearing the Empress of the Jade Pool's mocking and threatening warning, Leng Ruoxue, Wen Yaxian, Huo Ling'er, and Long Xiaoxiao all had cold expressions on their faces.
They had been so close to rescuing their master, Xiao Fan, which should have been a joyful event, but this Empress had to stir up trouble.
It was truly infuriating!
However, none of them paid any heed to the Empress's words. To them, her words were nothing more than the ramblings of a sore loser, trying to cause unnecessary strife.
Yet, just as they were waiting for the Immortal Execution Array to be dismantled and Xiao Fan to be freed, the Divine Empress Xuanwei suddenly stopped activating the Haotian Mirror, her face gradually becoming more and more somber.
Seeing this, Leng Ruoxue and the others immediately sensed that something was wrong. They turned their serious gazes toward the mocking Empress of the Jade Pool.
Could it be that what she said was true?
Xuanwei's face grew increasingly grim, her fingers turned white from clenching so tightly, and her eyes were filled with helplessness and anger.
"The Empress of the Jade Pool wasn't lying. Once the Immortal Execution Array is fully dismantled, Xiao Fan will be completely annihilated, disappearing from this world forever."
Xuanwei's voice was low and filled with sorrow.
Leng Ruoxue, Wen Yaxian, and Huo Ling'er were stunned by her words, as if their souls had left their bodies.
Meanwhile, Gongsun Yarou, who was the most obsessed with Xiao Fan, furrowed her brows slightly as if she had thought of something, then fell into deep contemplation.
It was Long Xiaoxiao, with her simple thoughts, who suddenly shouted with conviction, "No! Master will be fine! Didn't we see it ourselves earlier?"
"Even if Master's physical body and soul are destroyed, his consciousness still exists! Master won't disappear completely!"
Determination filled Long Xiaoxiao's eyes.
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruoxue, Wen Yaxian, and Huo Ling'er looked at Xuanwei as if they had found a lifeline.
Yes! Even if Xiao Fan's body and soul were destroyed, what did it matter? As long as his consciousness still existed, he would never completely disappear.
However, after hearing Long Xiaoxiao's words, Xuanwei's expression only grew more sorrowful.
Seeing Xuanwei's silent and sorrowful demeanor, the four of them felt as if they had been struck by lightning, their minds going blank, their expressions wooden, and their eyes empty, as if they had been struck dumb.
Even Gongsun Yarou, who had managed to remain calm until now, finally lost control.
She had initially shared Long Xiaoxiao's belief that as long as Xiao Fan's consciousness remained, there was a chance for his resurrection.
But seeing Xuanwei's expression, she realized that even Xiao Fan's consciousness might cease to exist.
Realizing this, Gongsun Yarou's last shred of sanity finally shattered.
"Yao Xi, you wretched woman, I'll kill you!"
With overwhelming killing intent, Gongsun Yarou charged at the Empress of the Jade Pool.
Her attack came so suddenly that the Empress, already severely injured by the backlash from the Haotian Mirror, had no time to dodge and could only take half a palm strike from Gongsun Yarou head-on.
"Poof!"
The Empress of the Jade Pool spat out a mouthful of blood, her face instantly turning deathly pale, her aura weakening further.
"Cough... cough..." The Empress wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.
Her hair was disheveled, her aura diminished, and her complexion was dreadful, yet her eyes remained sharp.
Though Gongsun Yarou's half-palm strike had shaken her foundation and nearly caused her cultivation to drop, it would take her thousands of years to recover.
But this wasn't her most pressing concern.
As Leng Ruoxue, Wen Yaxian, Huo Ling'er, and Long Xiaoxiao, who had been in a daze, witnessed Gongsun Yarou's sudden attack, their eyes filled with raging flames.
Without hesitation, they too charged at the Empress of the Jade Pool!
Surrounded by the five Empresses, the severely injured Empress of the Jade Pool showed no fear. Instead, she laughed wildly.
"Hahaha... Do you really think I alone could have pushed Xiao Fan to this point?"
Her voice was filled with ridicule as she looked at the five Empresses with a mocking expression.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8