It was him!
That thought flashed through Ling Xiya’s mind like a bolt of lightning!
It was him!
He was the one who released that damned pillar of light!
Although she didn’t know why the pillar of light had ultimately hit Master Yisha, in the end, it was all because of him!
If he hadn’t tried to kill her, if he hadn’t released that destructive skill…
Master wouldn’t have… wouldn’t have…
A bone-chilling hatred, like a venomous snake, instantly coiled around Ling Xiya’s heart and rapidly spread to her four limbs and every bone in her body.
This hatred was a thousand times more intense than the hatred she had felt when she stood against the Demon King’s Army as the Hero!
Master… was the single light in this cold world, her everything, the very meaning of her existence!
It was Master who had pulled her from the abyss of despair, given her a new life, and provided her with warmth and a place to belong!
She had once sworn to protect Master Yisha forever, to clear away all obstacles for her, even at the cost of her own life!
But now, Master… because of the man before her, because of this man who released that damned pillar of light… was dead!
“Heh… hehe… hehehehe…”
A low, bone-chilling laugh suddenly escaped Ling Xiya’s throat.
That laughter was filled with endless sorrow, madness, and a hatred that reached deep into her marrow.
She slowly raised her head and looked at Kai.
At that moment, Kai felt as if he were looking at a vengeful spirit from the depths of hell.
Ling Xiya’s eyes had turned a vivid crimson, and deep within her pupils burned the raging fires of destruction.
Tears still clung to her face, but the corners of her mouth curled into an extremely distorted, maniacal smile.
“It’s you…”
Ling Xiya’s voice was hoarse and cold, as if it originated from the Nine Serenities Hell.
“It’s you… you killed Master…”
She carefully placed Yisha on the ground as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.
Then, she slowly stood up.
As she rose, a completely different aura erupted from her body.
It was no longer the despair and helplessness she had shown before Kai; it was something… violent, bloodthirsty, and filled with a craving for destruction!
This aura even surpassed the strength she possessed during her peak as a Hero, carrying a heart-stopping madness!
A faint black mist began to drift around her body, containing thick, negative emotions—hatred, pain, and insanity!
“…Kai…”
Ling Xiya recited Kai’s name one syllable at a time.
Each word sounded as if it were squeezed through her teeth, carrying the scent of blood.
“You… deserve to die…”
Her body suddenly lunged forward, moving so fast she left a trail of afterimages.
A longsword condensed from pure dark energy appeared in her hand at some unknown moment, thrusting straight toward Kai! Kai’s pupils shrank as he felt an attack several times stronger than before, saturated with a frenzied killing intent.
He subconsciously raised his sword to parry.
Clang!
The screeching sound of clashing metal rang out.
Kai felt a massive force transfer through his blade, numbing his arm and actually forcing him back several steps!
He looked at the demonic Ling Xiya before him, and a strong sense of unease finally welled up in his heart.
Something was wrong!
Something was very wrong!
Ling Xiya’s power had grown stronger, and… her eyes, her aura—everything had completely changed!
It was a state of… total abandonment of reason, a madness that existed solely for the sake of revenge!
“Why… why are you doing this…”
Kai couldn’t help but ask.
He was referring to Yisha’s death and Ling Xiya’s current state.
“Why?”
Ling Xiya let out a shrill, piercing laugh.
“Because you killed her! You killed my Master!! I will make you… follow her to the grave!!”
She pounced again.
Her attacks became even more frenzied and reckless, each strike aimed at Kai’s vitals, every move infused with world-ending hatred.
While Kai struggled to defend himself, the doubts in his heart grew deeper.
Ling Xiya’s transformation was too extreme.
Could this level of madness… really be solely because of Yisha’s death?
And was Yisha really dead?
He subconsciously glanced at Yisha lying on the ground.
Her figure remained motionless, as if she truly had lost all signs of life.
But Kai still felt that something was off.
At that moment, from an angle no one could see, the corner of Yisha’s mouth—hidden by her long hair—seemed to curl upward ever so slightly.
She wore an undetectable smile filled with amusement and satisfaction.
‘Good… very good…’
Yisha nodded inwardly with satisfaction.
‘The plan… is proceeding perfectly.’
This was exactly what she wanted.
She had directed this play with her own hands.
First, she used her own power to forcibly distort Kai’s attack, making it seem as though that **[Divine Judgment: Light of Extinction]** had hit her by accident.
This wouldn’t just plunge Kai into confusion and suspicion; more importantly, it would push all the “guilt” onto Kai’s head.
Then, she “perfectly” lapsed into a “heavily wounded coma.”
She knew Ling Xiya far too well.
This former Hero’s heart had long since become fragile due to her past experiences.
It was Yisha who had given her something to lean on, leading her to view Yisha as her sole spiritual pillar.
Under Yisha’s deliberate guidance, this dependence had long ago quietly fermented into an extreme sense of possessiveness…
Yisha loved this feeling.
She loved being relied upon by Ling Xiya with her whole heart and soul, being seen as the girl’s only world.
But that wasn’t enough.
She wanted a deeper bond, a firmer grip of control.
And now was the best opportunity.
She would let Ling Xiya witness her “being killed by Kai” with her own eyes.
She would let the girl’s world completely collapse, and then, upon the ruins, she would ignite an unquenchable fire of revenge against Kai.
This hatred would become Ling Xiya’s new driving force.
It would also become an inseparable chain between the two of them, forged with blood and madness.
She wanted Ling Xiya to hate Kai completely—to hate him to the point of insanity, to the point of being willing to sacrifice everything for “revenge!”
This way, Ling Xiya would never be able to leave her side again.
She would be Ling Xiya’s only obsession, her only goal, her only deity!
Watching Ling Xiya fall into a frenzy for the sake of “avenging” her—watching her power and killing intent explode several times over—Yisha’s heart was filled with delight.
‘Look at her. This is my masterpiece.’
‘What a perfect… madness.’
She could clearly perceive the emotions in Ling Xiya’s heart.
That hatred was as thick as a physical substance.
That “love” for her had also become distorted and fermented because of this “death,” becoming more obsessive and morbid.
…It had deepened significantly.
Yisha satisfiedly closed her eyes and continued to maintain her “unconscious” state.
She quietly “appreciated” this grand play of revenge, directed by her and starring Ling Xiya.
Kai was merely a… pawn used to deepen her bond with Ling Xiya.
Now, the pawn had served his purpose, and her Ling Xiya was walking step by step into a deeper madness that belonged only to her, just as she had hoped.
Everything was playing out perfectly according to plan.
At the edge of the deep crater, the battle continued.
The maddened Ling Xiya was like a tireless demon, charging at Kai again and again.
In her eyes, there was only hatred.
In her world, only the single thought of avenging Master Yisha remained.
And the mastermind behind it all lay there “peacefully.”
With a smile that no one noticed, she enjoyed the “fine performance” she had created with her own hands.
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