Chapter 27: Chapter Twenty-Five: Earth-Shattering Battle

With a boom, Mu Ze's defensive barrier collapsed under Makasu's full-force strike. Pei Er hadn't even had time to react when her body involuntarily flew up. Yet she felt no pain at all.

What's going on? Has she been swallowed by this endless power? Why does she feel nothing at all?

When Pei Er came to, she had already slowly landed. It seemed something was supporting her waist; falling from that height, she drifted down lightly, without a single injury.

"Stay right here and behave," she heard Mu Ze's voice say, extremely soft. "If you don't want to die… I don't have the ability to save you a second time."

"Mu Ze, is that you?" Pei Er turned her head instinctively, only to see a pale face. "Mu Ze?" She was genuinely startled. "What's wrong with you?" "Don't worry about it." Mu Ze suddenly raised his hand, a force pushing Pei Er aside. "When I was fighting Makasu, you must not get close. Otherwise, there might not even be a corpse left."

"Hahaha..." Makasu sneered. "Little Death God, that move just now couldn't have felt good, could it?" "Cut the nonsense." Mu Ze waved both hands, forming another barrier in an instant. "Any other moves, just bring them on."

However, although he said that, his magical power surged uneasily within him, and his breath also became somewhat disordered. Earlier, to save Pei Er, he had recklessly re-entered the center of Makasu's "Night of No Light" attack; although he rescued Pei Er, that strike broke through his barrier and pierced his body. The Dark God Makasu—what a figure he is; in the past he fought hundreds of moves against the Supreme God who could destroy heaven and earth, and he is the sole person on the entire continent who survived the showdown with the Supreme God. This move is the condensation of his lifetime's power, its power truly terrifying. Though Mu Ze had inherited the Death God's power, his training time was still short; under Makasu's all-out strike, his protective barrier could not resist at all, instantly shattering into countless fragments, and he himself suffered serious injury. Originally his strength was already slightly inferior to Makasu's; now, having been wounded right at the start, he was naturally even more at a disadvantage. Fortunately, after Makasu unleashed that move, his own magical power poured out completely, leaving him temporarily unable to continue. Moreover, since that battle hundreds of years ago left him gravely injured, he can exist only in a gaseous state in the world, unable to fully exert his strength. Nevertheless, even so, Mu Ze still felt hard-pressed in his duel with him. This was a feeling he had never experienced since inheriting the Death God's power.

Dark power flowed within Makasu, and in an instant he shot out seven waves of light beams, each stronger than the last, all heading for Mu Ze's heart. Mu Ze knew the terror of this move lay in the seven layers of beams overlapping; even if one could gather power to block several of them, it was difficult to deflect all seven beams of different power and direction. As long as one beam got through, serious injury was unavoidable. So he simply dropped his protective barrier, crossed his hands and waved them, and countless magic light beams of varying colors and thicknesses instantly appeared at his fingertips, dancing freely like a vast colored net. At the moment Makasu's attack was about to reach him, he suddenly let out a long cry; all the beams sprang into action—some striking Makasu's magical light, some sweeping past to hit Makasu himself! This move was ingeniously defensive turned offensive: while the opponent attacked with full force, he diverted part of his power to strike the opponent himself. Even if Mu Ze's defensive beams could not block all of Makasu's attacks, when Makasu went all out his own defenses would surely be weak, so if even one of his attacking beams landed, Makasu would certainly be severely wounded. In that case, even if Mu Ze were hit and injured, it would become a mutual loss, which actually favors him, the weaker side. After all, the two combatants are now supreme gods; their power is so great that if placed in the human world they would deserve the title of 'human gods'. For such mighty beings, suffering even a single move is enough to sustain grave injury and lose combat ability.

Seeing Mu Ze not only fail to defend but actually launch an attack, Makasu guessed his intent and his heart tightened. A mutual loss was certainly not what he wished, but by now there was no time to withdraw power for full defense. Helpless, he shouted loudly, and the seven beams instantly shifted, forming an impenetrable net. The force Mu Ze emitted struck it, producing a piercing metallic clang, and could advance no further.

Both were now exerting their full strength; two powerful forces collided and came to a deadlock. At this moment, all of their magical power surged out, leaving every part of their bodies exposed, yet neither Makasu nor Mu Ze had any strength left. Even if they tried to launch a surprise strike at the other's opening, they lacked the power to do so; withdrawing even a trace of force would cause total collapse, and before they could cast another spell they would be struck head-on by the overwhelming force and smashed to pieces.

Originally Makasu's power held a slight edge, and Mu Ze was wounded, so in this head‑on magical duel Mu Ze could not avoid defeat. However, Makasu was originally on the offensive while Mu Ze, defending, suddenly launched a counterattack; thus Makasu's long‑range, close‑range approach greatly affected his power. The outcome of a magical power contest depends purely on the force each side exerts; Mu Ze's force was applied closer, giving him a large advantage, and his beams naturally crept forward. Yet for every increment his power advanced, it weakened by the same amount with distance, while Makasu's side gradually gained the upper hand. Their powers ebbed and flowed, eventually stabilizing at a certain distance. Mu Ze could no longer advance even a fraction, and Makasu had no way to win.

Both are peerless gods; their magical power is so immense that no ordinary person could hope to match it. Yet now they are locked in a stalemate, and although their magic is abundant, it is being drained bit by bit. Both know that if this continues, they will eventually exhaust their strength and die from magical depletion. But now they are in a situation where retreat is impossible—whichever side first withdraws power will be struck by the opponent's incomparable magic, and under such tremendous force even their bodies might be reduced to ashes.

Pei Er watched from the sidelines, her anxiety growing. At that moment Luo Shan remained unconscious, fallen beside Makasu, and the tremendous power clashed just a short distance from him. She couldn't help but feel anxious. No longer able to heed Mu Ze's repeated warnings not to approach, she dropped her longsword and rushed forward. Fortunately, at that time Makasu and Mu Ze were locked in distant combat, having no strength left to strike each other. She sprinted all the way, crossing the battlefield where the two peerless masters fought, and emerged completely unharmed.

"Silly kid..." she cried, holding Luo Shan's body, tears streaming down. Cold drops fell one by one onto his cheeks, his eyelids twitching. "Silly kid, you must not come to any harm." Pei Er closed her eyes. "If anything happens to you… then I, too, will not live."

"Silly kid, can you hear me speaking?"

"You must not come to any harm, absolutely not. My master is long gone, Linquan Town has been destroyed; now, in my world, only you remain."

"I know you don't love me… I know, I've accepted it; it's all my fault for appearing in your world too late, too late. You said, if I had met you before Qin Yan did, would your heart then belong to me alone?"

"If we ever get out… if that's really possible. As long as we can get out, I promise I won't cling to you and cause you trouble. I know you love her, so go be with her. I don't mind… I, too, won't be heartbroken, for that's your choice. I'll wish you happiness. But… I will always wait for you."

"Hah..." Pei Er muttered to herself, then suddenly laughed. "What's all this about waiting or not waiting? I think I simply don't have that fortune. After all, to leave these Nine Abyssal Lands one must expend a force equal to one's life; what else besides life itself could match that?"

"I am willing to trade my life for the chance to let you return to the human world. I have no regrets; I do this willingly. After all, at least you will remember me for the rest of your life, right?"

"Remember, there was once a woman named Pei Er-Andrea-Avensi who sacrificed her life for you."

"Wouldn't that be too cruel for you? To remember my name for a lifetime. But that is already the greatest happiness you can give me."

Pei Er smiled, held Luo Shan's body, and closed her eyes.

Boundless power still clashed around her, the Death God and the Dark God—deities that made the whole continent tremble—were fighting desperately, disregarding life and death. Around her lay the endless darkness of the Nine Abyssal Lands; in her arms was the boy she constantly longed for. At that moment she closed her eyes, feeling the icy wind brought on by the clash of forces. In fact, simply holding him like this was already happiness. As for the future, those endless, hopeless worries that force us to look up—let them stay in the future. For now, this moment of peace need last only a instant; a single instant is enough for it to hold warmth sufficient to illuminate this entire life.