“Useless, Wu Yan. Without the Demonic Chi enhancement, I’m a genuine Soul Transformation Stage cultivator. Even if you recover, so what? What can you use to fight me?”
Lin Xiao had already returned to his original build. Though still burly, it was much smaller than the mountain-like form from before. He rolled his neck, his limbs making cracking sounds as he stretched. His bronze skin was now covered in a bloody sheen, and the serpent still crawled over his body.
He bent his right arm at his waist, extended his left hand, and crooked his finger at Wu Yan. “Come on. Today I’ll show you why fighting above your level is only a story in legends.”
Wu Yan did not reply. The Spirit Chi in the air had already condensed into a vortex around her. The Bronze Fragments attached to her exposed skin, her straight, slender calves faintly visible through the swirling currents.
The long-absent Spiritual Power nourished her meridians. Heavenly No-Thought greedily absorbed the surrounding Spirit Chi. In an instant, a green current surged, lifting Wu Yan’s smooth black hair.
“You’re right. If it were a one-on-one fight, I wouldn’t be your opponent.”
Wu Yan’s voice was soft, but it pierced through the howling wind and clearly entered Lin Xiao’s ears.
“But right now, I’m not alone.”
Bai Zhiqiu’s cute and lively face when she gave her the Bronze Fragment; Xia Lingshuang’s expression as she entrusted her back to Wu Yan, fighting side by side; Yu Qingyao’s trusting gaze before entering the Light Pillar—all of this turned into a warm current, flowing from her heart to every corner of her body.
“I will not lose!”
Boom!
The already cracked ground, after being stomped on by Lin Xiao, completely turned into rubble, with no foothold left. Like a blood-colored meteor, he crossed the limits of space in the blink of an eye, appearing before Wu Yan.
“All that useless chatter! Fall down!”
A simple straight punch was incredibly powerful. Just approaching Wu Yan tore space apart, creating a magnificent shockwave. Wu Yan did not block or dodge.
The tip of the sword touched the ground. Her breathing slowed, her heartbeat eased, her shoulders relaxed, as if she had completely given up resisting. Just as Lin Xiao’s fist was about to land on her chest.
“After all that talk, you’re surrendering?”
The world changed.
Silence fell.
Heartbeat, breathing, and the sound of Spiritual Power flowing through her body were exceptionally clear in Wu Yan’s perception.
Suddenly, black water seeped from the cracked, charred ground beneath her feet.
At first, just a few insignificant drops, but in an instant, the black drops gathered into a pool.
Spirit Chi was swallowed by the black water, turning the surrounding miles into its domain.
Lin Xiao was trapped by the black water, his originally formidable strike frozen in place.
“What is this?!”
His voice suddenly turned sharp as he tried to break free.
But it was futile. As he struggled, the confinement intensified, holding him firmly in place.
The black water did not just trap him—it was absorbing the power within him.
Wu Yan’s cold eyes stared straight at the fist before her and Lin Xiao’s terrified face.
She gripped Wunian with both hands, raised the sword tip, and made a sweeping motion.
The green blade, carrying an ink-black half-arc, stirred the ink underfoot. It raised a black wave dozens of zhang high, surging along the sword toward Lin Xiao, like a skilled boatman pulling an oar.
“Whether it’s my sins or her sins, I will bear them all.”
“Fairy Sister, thank you for the herbs! Now my father can be saved.” “Thank you for setting me free.” Liu’er’s grateful voice and Li Jingzhou’s silent lip movements echoed in her ears.
“You demon, I curse you to a horrible death!” “Wu Yan, you will go to hell sooner or later. I’ll be waiting for you there!” Amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, those harsh voices also came.
The black ocean stirred into waves. Countless blurry shadows rose and fell beneath the surface—gratitude, resentment, hope, curses.
The scene was exactly like the River Styx in the legends.
The black wave crashed down, smashing Lin Xiao beneath the surface, where countless shadows surged toward him.
“With this body as an oar, I will ferry you across.”
Lin Xiao struggled desperately at the bottom of the sea, trying to fend off the attacks.
“No! I won’t die like this! I don’t accept it!”
He let out a desperate roar, trying to explode the black water.
But the Cycle of Karma is inescapable; Karmic Retribution cannot be avoided.
The black water ignored his defenses, seeped into his pores, and poured into his mouth and nose.
The pale shadows grabbed his ankles, arms, and neck, dragging him into the abyss at the bottom of the river.
Gurgle.
The last bubble burst.
Lin Xiao’s figure completely disappeared into the black vortex.
The giant wave subsided.
The black river slowly seeped into the ground and disappeared.
Wunian fell from her hand, clattering to the ground with a crisp sound. Then, the earth shook and the mountains trembled.
The sky shattered like a mirror, revealing the pitch-black void behind.
The ground collapsed, rocks turned to dust.
This absurd Secret Realm, at the moment of Lin Xiao’s death, came to an end.
The world spun.
A lazy voice sounded in the square. Lin Xiao slowly opened his eyes and stretched luxuriously.
The feeling of power surging through him was very pleasant.
“Hey, how did I fall asleep? And it felt so comfortable.”
Lin Xiao scratched the back of his head, revealing his trademark honest smile.
He looked at Su Qianqian beside him, who looked dumbfounded, and cheerfully approached her. “What’s wrong, Junior Sister Su? You look like you haven’t woken up.”
But the moment Lin Xiao approached, Su Qianqian jumped straight back a large step. Then she scratched her head awkwardly and said, “Sorry, Senior Brother Lin. I don’t know why, but when you came close, I suddenly got goosebumps all over.”
What’s going on? Could it be that he was exposed?
Lin Xiao’s honest smile nearly froze on his face.
So he turned to Gu Jian behind him. “Junior Brother Gu, how are you feeling?”
The moment Gu Jian saw Lin Xiao’s rugged face, he subconsciously swung his left fist at Lin Xiao, knocking his face to the side. “Geez, sorry, Senior Brother Lin. I threw the punch unconsciously. I’m really sorry!”
Then, everyone else woke up one after another, except for Xia Lingshuang and Sun Elder.
Wu Yan was the last to wake up. When she slowly opened her eyes, those inky pupils refocusing, a familiar voice sounded in her ear.
“Hey, how was it? Without my dreams, did you sleep well?”
That red figure was sitting quietly beside her, her enchanting voice lazy and seductive, making Wu Yan feel as if a lifetime had passed.
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