Chapter 22: Stratagem

"Hey, I tell you, why are you so stubborn? Never mind that Luo Shan is your big brother; now Luo Shan has done you a huge favor. Good or bad, you should at least listen to what he says, right?" At that moment Pei Er spoke up, pointing with her left hand at Mu Ze, shouting, "Big brother." Mu Ze glanced at Pei Er, then turned his head. "Is this woman your lover?" "No…" Luo Shan shook his head quickly. "Pei Er and I are just friends." "Just friends?" Mu Ze nodded. "Very well, then I'll spare her this time and not kill her. You also tell her that anyone who dares to point fingers at the Death God, shouting and making a fuss, even ten lives wouldn't be enough." "What about the Death God?" Pei Er, hearing such arrogant words, felt her anger rise. She wasn't usually so hot‑tempered, but after days of fatigue and the joy of reuniting with Luo Shan, she became willful for a moment. "Can the Death God just ignore reason? Someone like you, how can you manage so many tribes?"

"Ding!" a muffled clang of metal rang. Before Pei Er could react, Luo Shan had already thrust his sword across her front. The light from Mu Ze's fingertips had not fully faded, and looking at him, his eyes held an inexplicable gleam. In that instant of electric thunder, Mu Ze had launched a lethal spell at Pei Er. Luo Shan reacted astonishingly fast, knowing Pei Er was powerless to resist; without a second thought he swung his long sword and hard‑blocked Mu Ze's attack. The Death God's spell was immensely powerful; even though he hadn't used his full strength, Luo Shan barely deflected the blow, and his whole aura was thrown into disarray. At the moment the magical forces clashed, his power was clearly outmatched. The protective barrier remained unbroken but was severely damaged. Between his chest and abdomen he felt a crushing suffocation, and when he opened his mouth, he actually spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Luo Shan!" only then did Pei Er realize what had just happened, and she panicked. Her heart raced, and tears instantly fell. "It doesn't matter." Luo Shan waved his hand, closed his eyes, and strained to steady the chaotic magical energy inside him. "Mu Ze, sister, Pei Er only angered you with words; why resort to killing?" he said with a wry smile. "If you intend to strike, come at me. Pei Er knows no magic; she is certainly not your opponent."

"Big brother, since I called you big brother, Mu Ze, I won't strike you." Mu Ze sighed. "In that case, I won't kill this woman. However, the affairs within the Nine Nether Realm, big brother, you would be better off not getting involved."

"Lord Death God!" At that moment the Wind God staggered to his feet, using all his strength, and shouted, "We are not your opponents today; whether you wish to kill or maim, it must follow Lord Death God's decision. Yet even in death, I, the Wind God, still cannot accept Lord Death God." A strange grin twisted his face. "Lord Death God, if you have the courage, come to the 'Pure Black Land' with the Fire Spirit, Wind Spirit, Frost Spirit, the Seven Absolutes, the Seven Suns, the Seven Ridges Six Divisions—all gathered now—to invite the Evil Spirit Death God Tribe to battle. In the Nine Nether Realm, whoever rules the tides speaks by strength. Of course, if Lord Death God dares not go, then it's settled." His gaunt visage was stained with blood, looking grim. "Though the Wind God is defeated now, his heart still earnestly hopes to meet Lord Death God again in the Pure Black Land for another showdown!"

"As for the pact of the Pure Black Land, I shall go myself," Mu Ze said proudly. "But you, Wind God, no longer have that chance."

A dull clang sounded, and a knife‑sharp beam of light shot from Mu Ze's fingertips; the Wind God's body instantly shattered into several pieces and crashed to the ground with a boom.

"Ah!" Pei Er, seeing such a terrifying sight, let out a scream and clutched tightly to Luo Shan's arm.

Even Luo Shan could not help but feel sorrow. "Mu Ze, brother," he sighed. "Cruel slaughter is ultimately wrong."

"Big brother, you are unaware. This Wind God is full of tricks and adept at warfare. I will soon lead the whole tribe to the Pure Black Land for the pact; if this person lives, he will be a formidable enemy." Mu Ze glanced at the Wind God's mangled corpse and sneered, "You think you can freeze me with words so I won't kill you? This scheme is overly clever. Moreover... since you, big brother, have a blood‑thirsty soul, doesn't my killing these two also help you increase your power?"

"This..." Luo Shan stared at the slowly dying Fire God and the incompletely dead Wind God before him, suddenly at a loss for words. He truly felt his own power swelling. Both were masters on par with him; compared with the Auldren power he had previously absorbed, they were more than twice as strong. Though these forces could not be fully wielded instantly, they accumulated within his body just as the power Xiao Yushan once passed to him, causing his cultivation to advance a thousand miles a day.

"Then, Mu Ze, brother, what exactly is this 'Pure Black Land'?" He had to change the subject. "The Pure Black Land is a hidden spot within the Nine Nether Realm. This place has a strange property: no matter how powerful a mage, upon entering the Pure Black Land they cannot wield magic, just like ordinary people, so it is also called the 'Forbidden Magic Land.' Hundreds of years ago the Fire Spirit Tribe discovered this place and built a castle here as a stronghold. Even other tribes with skilled mages find it useless here, forced to fight with flesh and blood. Now the Wind God has challenged me; the tribes opposing me have surely gathered heavy forces here, waiting for me to walk into the net. Hmph, a net— even if it were a heavenly‑earthly net, what fear does Death God have?"

"So, a great battle is coming?" Luo Shan sensed the bloodiness in the words and slightly frowned. "Since magic cannot be used, then Death God's power likely can't be unleashed either, right? Mu Ze, brother, the opponent has six divisions, you only have one; the enemy outnumbers us, you must think carefully."

"Big brother, you needn't say more; a brother has his own plans." Mu Ze gave a slight smile. "Speaking of which, big brother endured countless hardships to escape this place, and now returns, yet we don't know why."

"It's all because we fell under someone else's spell, which trapped us deep inside," Luo Shan said with a wry smile. "Mu Ze, brother, do you know any way to return to the mortal world?"

"The mortal world?" Mu Ze withdrew his smile, speaking seriously. "The passage between the Nine Nether Realm and the mortal world can only be opened by power. If you wish to leave, you must expend an equal amount of power. Big brother, think— what in this world could compare to the life force of you two?"

"Life is priceless; what could possibly compare to it?" Luo Shan said calmly.

"Indeed. Since nothing equals life, then how shall you open the passage to survival?"

Mu Ze stared at Luo Shan, speaking word by word.

"You die, she lives; or she dies, you live. Apart from that, I don't know if any other method exists."