The air inside the great hall seemed to freeze at this moment, with a silent atmosphere permeating everyone present.

Not only Ke Mengzhan, but also He Zhiqing, Yu Gejing, and the Zhou brothers were all wearing grave expressions.

Among those present, only Liang Yi and Su Youyi showed little change in their countenance, merely hesitating briefly before returning to normal.

For Su Youyi, the existence of the Abyss posed a direct threat to the life safety of her senior brother and master; if she could sever such a threat, she would not hesitate to transform into an Asura and slaughter the Abyss!

As for Old Master Ju, who once embodied the Heavenly Dao, he was completely indifferent to the life within the Abyss; even if it were obliterated, he would only clap and cheer, with the extent of death being of no concern to him.

"This is no time to entertain pointless benevolence..."

Liang Yi, observing the expressions of the others from the corner of his eye, realized that in such a moment, someone had to take the lead in setting an example.

"Moreover, this is the karmic consequence between the Abyss and the Mystical Mechanism Continent!"

"That's right, this is karma! I didn't expect that you would be the first to understand this, I thought it would be He Zhiqing, that lad!"

Hearing Liang Yi's words, Chen Hua was somewhat surprised but then nodded in approval with a smile.

Others like Fang Zhi and company also looked at Liang Yi with surprise. Given that Liang Yi could voice such a sentiment, it was clearly not flattery or empty talk.

But that was precisely what surprised them.

A pure Sword Cultivator was unexpectedly the first to grasp this concept, how strange indeed!

"Liang brother, you..."

Suppressing the thoughts in his mind, He Zhiqing gazed enquiringly at Liang Yi.

In his memory, Liang Yi was definitely not the sort to be cold and emotionless, treating all beings under heaven as inconsequential. If they were successful, the ensuing slaughter would be overwhelming, and he could not believe that Liang Yi would be entirely indifferent.

"He Zhiqing! You must understand that we are now facing the Abyss! If the Abyss Cultivators hide and cultivate for decades, even a hundred years, they will easily conquer the Mystical Mechanism Continent, like dry rot falling before them!"

Liang Yi suddenly turned around, interrupting He Zhiqing with a solemn face and a serious tone. These words were directed not only at He Zhiqing but also at everyone else present!

"When that time comes, those whom you respect, those whom you admire, and those who love you, or whom you love, will all be devoured by the Abyss! You possess Star Eyes, allowing you to see the future, but the scene I've described is definitively the last thing you wish to witness!"

Listening to Liang Yi's words, He Zhiqing's face showed varying expressions; the visages of his master and parents, and finally Yu Gejing's smiling face, surfaced in his mind.

Ke Mengzhan, Hui Zhi, Zhou Wudao, and others also wore similar expressions to He Zhiqing at this time, each of them saddled with countless ties. They continually strived in their cultivation, not only driven by the innate desire to stand atop the peak but also by the important motivation to protect those they wished to guard.

They were not uncomprehending that war is inherently life-and-death, yet suddenly confronting the issue still made them momentarily forget their stance, pondering it solely from the perspective of "humans."

"This is the fundamental difference between us and the Abyss Cultivators..." lamented the Grand Saint of Nine Spirits.

"If we are considered 'innately good', then the Abyss is undoubtedly 'innately evil', devoid of any goodness in their hearts, harboring only pure malice!"

If an Abyss Cultivator faced the same choice, they wouldn't even experience a moment of hesitation.

Liang Yi and Su Youyi were somewhat silent because they knew that what the Grand Saint of Nine Spirits said was entirely correct.

According to the information provided by Wan Tinggui, Abyss Cultivators were truly inhuman. If a cultivator spent years raising a spirit pet and developed a deep bond, even if the spirit pet contained a rare treasure within its body, most cultivators on the continent would still choose not to kill it.

But it was different for Abyss Cultivators; if it benefited them, then without hesitation, they would act decisively, with no consideration for emotional ties.

Not pondering for too long, He Zhiqing finally showed a relieved smile, looking up and bitterly smiling at Fang Zhi: "It was naive of me. With different stances, it's you or me; this is war."

"Thank you!"

Ke Mengzhan exhaled softly, finally thanking Liang Yi. As a fellow Sword Cultivator, he was far from Liang Yi's level!

His dispersed Sword Intent re-coalesced, his mental shackles completely removed, Ke Mengzhan's mindset thereby ascending to a higher level! At this moment, he was like a freshly polished sword, emitting an awe-inspiring sharpness that demanded attention!

Others like Yue Bai also had their epiphanies, subtly sensing that they had become one step closer to the Eighth Realm.

Although they had been on battlefields before, their horizons had still been a bit narrow.

Their predecessors from the past two epochs had made life their lesson, but because of the passage of time, it hadn't left them with a strong sense of reality. Only now did they clearly recognize that this was a life-and-death war between two worlds, with one side destined to perish!

Observing the change in the demeanor of their juniors, Chen Hua and the others finally nodded in satisfaction, glad not to be disappointed!

"By the way, Master, who all are going this time?"

Su Youyi suddenly remembered this matter. Previously, the Grand Saint of Nine Spirits had mentioned they wouldn't be throwing everyone into the Abyss, so Su Youyi guessed there must be some selection involved.