Chapter 43

Amidst Xue Luo Sha’s roar, dark light like ink spread outward, and fine threads of extreme yin power rose from her body.

Snap!

A pitch-black whip cracked through space, twisting it, as frost-bloomed flowers erupted and vanished.

Xue Luo Sha strode angrily toward Lu Fang—she clearly intended to “whip” not Lian Yi, but the “despicable” Lu Fang.

Lu Fang crossed his arms, watching her with calm composure.

He Zixuan, by contrast, jumped back two steps in alarm; the furious Xue Luo Sha resembled a bristling she-tiger, terrifying to behold.

A stone chime rang out!

Xue Luo Sha slammed into the edge of the black lotus platform’s shadow.

It was an invisible wall, trapping her inside; no matter how she whipped, it only produced ripples like black water.

She wouldn’t be able to break free anytime soon.

“Both of you, vanish from my sight before I subdue her—or die!”

After warning the two outside the black lotus barrier, Lian Yi clasped his hands and stepped forward.

With each step, a lotus bloomed; the slowly rotating petals darkened with ink, Buddhist sutras alternating between serene and fierce, accelerating hearts, stirring unease.

Lian Yi’s voice echoed ethereally: “Luo Sha girl…”

“Shut your mouth!”

Xue Luo Sha, in foul temper, snapped: “Remove this barrier at once—don’t delay me from teaching that human a lesson!”

“You—”

Lian Yi fell silent, his eyes fixed on Xue Luo Sha like vultures.

More words were useless.

He believed in conquest through violence!

“Om, Ma, Ni, Ban, Mi, Hong!”

The six-character Buddhist mantra issued from Lian Yi’s lips, manifesting as six ink-black characters.

Amidst obscure, incomprehensible Buddhist chants, they swelled into monstrous characters tens of feet tall, descending from the sky to crush Xue Luo Sha.

“Noisy!” Xue Luo Sha narrowed her eyes and lashed her black ink whip upward.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

The whip struck the six-character giants; her extreme yin frost froze them solid—CRACK!—they shattered into nothingness.

Lian Yi visibly paused, then smiled—not in fear, but delight—and chanted faster, the re-manifested six characters growing denser.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

This time, Xue Luo Sha’s whip failed to break the giants; instead, the massive characters struck her head-on. Her throat tightened, blood trickling from her lips.

Xue Luo Sha was enraged!

Her eyes shifted from lively to cold, her battle intent surging forth like solidified force.

If her sword were a metaphor, she had been an unsharpened blade before—now she was a razor-edged sword blazing with fierce battle will.

Visible extreme yin energy gathered, then exploded into five or six shadowy duplicates of herself.

The temperature plummeted; sand began to frost over.

BOOM!

Extreme yin energy burst like fireworks, and Xue Luo Sha vanished from her spot.

With ghostly speed, invisible to the naked eye, she appeared behind Lian Yi and swung her whip.

Lian Yi, frowning as he scanned the surroundings, suddenly saw the black lotus platform flash—shooting toward his back.

Snap!

A whip cracked, sparks flying!

When Lian Yi turned, Xue Luo Sha had vanished again.

Xue Luo Sha and her shadows moved in perfect sync, striking Lian Yi over a hundred times in seconds—all perfectly blocked by the black lotus platform.

Xue Luo Sha grew more frantic.

Lian Yi remained calm, repeatedly chanting Buddhist mantras.

“Are they this strong?”

He Zixuan’s hair stood on end; seeing Xue Luo Sha losing ground, he muttered, heart aching:

“Aren’t we going to help?”

After waiting a moment and getting no reply from Lu Fang, He Zixuan turned curiously.

Crack!

A faint sound echoed.

Lime dust fell from Lu Fang’s clenched fist, carrying the aura of ten thousand paths.

“Don’t worry—she won’t fall so easily.”

Lu Fang’s eyes gleamed sharply.

He had absorbed two low-grade Ten Thousand Paths stones but failed to break through to the seventh rank—so close, yet why was it so hard?

If he reached the seventh rank, he wouldn’t fear underestimating Lian Yi and letting someone else or Xue Luo Sha strike like the heron behind the cicada.

Even now, he didn’t fully trust Xue Luo Sha.

Lu Fang gritted his teeth, deciding to consume the last wisp of book-scent—he must reach the seventh rank.

Raising his realm would massively amplify his momentum.

The transcendent ability, “Dirge of the Fallen Flowers,” could suppress any being from the Upper Realm by two-fifths of their total power and transfer it to himself.

This was a quantum leap!

“But… I can’t just leave her to die—it weighs on my conscience,” He Zixuan murmured.

Normally, He Zixuan wore a smile; those who knew him saw him as a smooth, adaptable fatty.

He lacked Chen Ji’s “chivalrous” aura!

He had no grand ambition to serve country or people.

But he carried a righteous, unyielding spirit!

“I—”

Lu Fang had just opened his mouth.

When he saw He Zixuan raise a “heroic brush” and strike the black lotus barrier.

“Damn it!” Lu Fang began gulping down book-scent in large mouthfuls—just wait a little longer… almost there…

“Amitabha!”

Lian Yi chanted, and a towering, fifteen-zhang figure of a wrathful Arhat materialized.

BOOM! The Arhat’s palm slammed out, sending Xue Luo Sha’s true body flying.

Xue Luo Sha steadied herself, spat blood, her expression weary—but she glanced at He Zixuan attacking the barrier and smiled faintly.

There are still good people in this world.

“Since you seek death, come in.”

Lian Yi glanced sideways at He Zixuan; the black lotus barrier rippled and surged outward, engulfing him.

As soon as He Zixuan entered, his face paled.

Outside, the barrier seemed harmless—but inside, crushing pressure pinned him; merely standing made him feel dizzy, his righteous qi struggling to coalesce.

Yet Xue Luo Sha matched Lian Yi nearly blow for blow.

How strong was she?

How strong must Lian Yi be?

“I detest those with good hearts—so… you must die!”

Lian Yi sneered as he advanced on He Zixuan; behind him, the Arhat’s hand slowly rose—just as it prepared to strike—

Pink peach blossoms rained from the sky, swirling around Lian Yi in a gentle breeze, forming a perfect circle in an instant.

Lian Yi halted, swept his sleeve—yet the blossoms could not be dispelled. He sensed something, turned, and stared at Lu Fang beyond the barrier.

Xue Luo Sha and He Zixuan also turned.

Lu Fang’s gaze was lethal as he locked eyes with Lian Yi; behind him, Guan Yu materialized.

Perhaps it was because he had reached the seventh rank, his body and momentum surging.

Or perhaps “Dirge of the Fallen Flowers” had suppressed two-fifths of Lian Yi’s total power and transferred it all to him.

Guan Yu’s power gathered with startling speed, his form vividly lifelike.

“Spiritual Soul—Green Dragon Crescent Blade!”