In Qin City, Luo Heng had been the favored prodigy of Heaven for eighteen years.
All he ever heard was that he was the strongest, the future, the hope.
Although Luo Heng knew this was largely because Qin City was too small, and his actual achievements were only a few dozen points above the Four Great thresholds, where many geniuses like him existed.
But knowing this and truly experiencing it were two completely different feelings.
Among the Four Great, talents were as numerous as fish swimming across a river.
Luo Heng realized just how ordinary he was—ordinary admission, ordinary schooling, and then ordinary efforts that barely allowed him to graduate within five years.
If everyone was like this, Luo Heng thought he could maintain his psychological balance.
But his friend was just so lucky.
He felt that in every way, his friend was inferior to him, except for the fact that the weapon he wielded was more powerful.
If only he had………
Luo Heng recalled the helplessness he felt just moments ago while battling the strange beast, along with the ever-present fear of death.
He watched his companion, who had exhausted their weapon, with their spirit and spiritual power heavily drained, now completely weakened.
Luo Heng stretched out his hand.
A pristine spirit sword suddenly thrust toward his companion.
The companion stared at Luo Heng in shock; having just emerged from combat, their body had not yet fully left battle mode.
They immediately shifted into a ghostly form.
The spirit sword passed through the ghost without causing the slightest harm.
At that moment, the two locked eyes—one filled with inexplicable terror, the other with ruthless savagery.
Regardless of their doubts, there was no other choice now.
The two clashed.
***
As the fight went on, Luo Heng saw himself falling behind.
It made sense; after all, this was the deadliest scenario. If he wasn’t losing, how could it be so dangerous?
Director Wu stared at the screen for a while before speaking, “It seems Luo Heng has broken free from the memory restraints. He’s attained Golden Core consciousness.”
On the screen, Luo Heng’s swordsmanship and movements were completely different from when he first fought the strange beast.
Director Wu cared deeply about Luo Heng, but Li Yunxian paid little attention—she was still controlling the killing array.
Upon hearing this, Li Yunxian glanced again at the box bone’s screen and smiled faintly, “How do you know he only just gained consciousness now, rather than having it all along?”
One sentence left Director Wu stunned.
Pondering Li Yunxian’s words, Director Wu looked at Luo Heng on the screen and suddenly lost the desire to speak.
No matter how the viewers reacted, the killing array’s illusion continued.
The battle did not become easier just because Luo Heng ‘awakened’ his consciousness.
As Luo Heng grew stronger, his companion also grew stronger.
After all, this was a life-or-death killing array; breaking out was never simple.
As long as the thought “I couldn’t beat him before” lingered in one’s mind, the opponent would always have the upper hand.
In short, among the three Golden Core cultivators inside the array, Huang Dao was the first to be defeated.
Inside the formation, Huang Dao’s body suddenly collapsed, signaling the death of the Hunter’s Pillar outside Jincheng.
He had been the main force behind the banquet incident.
Li Yunxian didn’t even flinch; controlling the killing array, she tore his body into pieces.
The second Golden Core to fall was none other than Luo Heng.
On the screen, Luo Heng’s spirit sword broke, blood spilled from his mouth, and he collapsed weakly on the ground, seemingly unable to move.
His companion looked deeply at Luo Heng and withdrew the final strike meant to end his life.
“Luo Heng, what happened today—I’ll tell the teachers about it,” his companion finally said.
Without a doubt, this comrade still remembered when they were close friends and couldn’t bring himself to be the killer.
He dispelled his ghost form.
After two consecutive battles with high-intensity use of the box weapon, the companion’s face was as pale as paper.
He kept his form stable and took out a rope to tie up the limp Luo Heng.
He intended to bring Luo Heng back to the academy.
Seeing this, Director Wu sighed deeply.
He already knew what was about to happen next.
Picking up his weapon, Director Wu prepared himself for Luo Heng’s breakout and their upcoming duel.
The scene unfolded exactly as he expected.
After confirming Luo Heng was tied tightly, completely drained of energy and without a weapon, the companion relaxed fully.
In that moment of utmost relaxation, Luo Heng’s hidden spirit sword shot out from his wrist.
- Which swordsman doesn’t keep a spare spirit sword, even if it’s low or substandard?
Such a move was useless against strange beasts but was perfect against humans.
The exhausted companion couldn’t dodge in time.
Staring wide-eyed as he fell into a pool of blood, the young student looked at Luo Heng in disbelief.
Those eyes still held the joy from moments before.
But what met them was only Luo Heng’s deep, dark, and emotionless gaze.
***
If the companion had been more ruthless, after defeating Luo Heng, he could have left him to perish in the dense forest—and Luo Heng would have surely died.
But he chose to take Luo Heng back.
He underestimated the cruelty of demonic cultivators.
Or perhaps, he refused to believe that his former friend had completely lost his humanity.
Director Wu took a deep breath and gripped his long sword.
In his understanding, once the opponent in the illusion died, Luo Heng would immediately break free.
The screen before him shifted.
Luo Heng was once again back at the beginning of his memory.
He stood beside his companion, facing that mid-Foundation Establishment strange beast that had rendered him powerless.
The illusion looped.
Director Wu was astonished.
Regarding this scene, Li Yunxian was calm: “Like I said, if you can’t break the illusion, you’ll be trapped inside forever.”
“Reliving your memories again isn’t breaking the illusion.”
Li Yunxian focused on fighting the bird demon, which was nearing its end.
She glanced at the rebooted box bone’s ugly expression and said, “Unexpectedly, in his mind, the most dangerous and fearful thing is this.”
“A problem.”
“He believes on one hand that he can’t beat the opponent, but on the other hand is absolutely convinced the opponent won’t kill him.”
Li Yunxian assessed coolly, “He’ll break the illusion sooner or later.”
Director Wu was shocked: “You mean he’ll have an epiphany and return to the righteous path?”
Director Wu had lived for hundreds of years and had only ever seen righteous cultivators fall to the demonic path, never the reverse.
Li Yunxian stared at Director Wu speechlessly: “The Great Way isn’t only the righteous path.”
Director Wu: “……”
The reality unfolded just as Li Yunxian predicted.
At the end of Luo Heng’s latest loop, the bird demon let out a tragic screech and collapsed into a ball of flame.
After stripping its bones and flesh, Li Yunxian finally turned her gaze to the last remaining screen.
This was the third time.
On the screen, Luo Heng watched the strange beast fall, his eyes pitch-black as he observed his companion dispel his battle mode.
This time, Luo Heng did not make his move at the moment recorded in his memory.
He watched his companion sheathe his weapon, joyfully walking toward him.
“Ah Heng, we actually killed a mid-Foundation Establishment strange beast, oh my god!!” His companion’s voice couldn’t hide his excitement.”
Luo Heng smiled faintly, reaching out naturally as if to celebrate with him by slapping his shoulder.
The instant his hand fell, a spirit sword hidden in his wrist shot out, piercing through his companion’s neck.
Blood gushed forth.
His companion clutched his neck, eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at Luo Heng.
Those eyes still held the joy from moments ago.
But what he faced was only Luo Heng’s deep, unflinching black eyes.
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