Chapter 582: Yin Candle (4/10, bonus chapter for

Taking a deep breath, Fang Yue forced himself to calm down.

After sensing that his heart had 【turned into ghost-paper】 and confirming there were no further disturbances, the suspended tension in Fang Yue's heart finally eased.

Since his heart turning into ghost-paper in the game was harmless, surely it would be the same in reality, right?

As for the ghost-paper-ification of his right thumb, compared to the major issue of his heart, it was utterly trivial!

What had happened had happened—this was the backlash price of using the parchment's power; there was nothing to be said about it.

He had been gambling with his life from the start; surviving now was his own victory!

Suppressing the unease in his heart, he pocketed the 1 【Gold Stone】 obtained from killing Bai Xiaoya.

Fang Yue strode off in the direction You Sisi had fallen earlier.

Lord Han's corpse was gone, exploding into a skyful of Blood Rain; there was no hope of survival.

At the very least, Fang Yue wanted to confirm You Sisi's condition.

Yet Fang Yue knew in his heart that hope was exceedingly slim.

Because that had been a strike from a Rain-grade anomaly, a strike carrying a fierce killing intent.

The image of the massive bleeding in midair back then, and the picture of her bloodstained fall, both made it clear to Fang Yue in his heart that it was basically impossible.

But as long as he hadn't seen a corpse, Fang Yue wanted to try—even if it meant bringing back her body and setting up a gravestone for her and Lord Han.

Fang Yue's nose stung with sorrow; memories of Lord Han and You Sisi flickered through his mind one after another.

Lord Han's care for him, the inheritance and protection he had given.

You Sisi's feelings for him, her sincere emotions, and the reckless courage she had shown for his sake.

"That idiot…"

You Sisi never had to intercept Bai Xiaoya; she, a mere Post-Heaven realm cultivator, intercepting a Rain-grade was utterly meaningless.

But she still struck out, only to buy Fang Yue that tiny bit of breathing room, to keep Bai Xiaoya from pursuing the fallen Fang Yue.

And Lord Han too—burning his Origin and his life to restore a single Rain-grade strike, leaving behind the hope of victory for him!

Fang Yue clenched his fists tight.

Too weak… he was far too weak!

If only he were stronger, such things wouldn't have happened right before his eyes!

What if next time, it was Yuan Jie standing in front of him? Could he just watch her die for him with his own eyes?

He couldn't! He couldn't do that!

He had to grow stronger, far stronger!

Boom!

Just as Fang Yue thought this, he was walking when suddenly, as if struck by a heavy blow, his whole body froze on the spot.

A hair-raising feeling abruptly rose from the depths of his heart!

An inexplicable chill crawled up his spine like a swarm of dense ants.

After a brief daze, he sensed that something—something cold and eerie—seemed to be right in front of him.

As if that thing had reached out a hand, pierced through his body, pierced through every layer of his defensive power, easily run him through, and reached in to grip his ghost-paper heart!

Gulp!

Fang Yue swallowed hard; in the darkness, there was nothing in front of him.

And just then…

Boom!!

Thunder suddenly cracked.

In the flash of lightning, Fang Yue saw a translucent, hunched humanoid figure, one hand holding a faintly flickering 【Yin Candle】, the other plunged into Fang Yue's chest, gripping his heart.

Thump! Thump!

A martial artist's heart was usually strong and powerful; even after turning into ghost-paper, it was beyond what an ordinary person's heart could compare to.

Yet even so, when his heart was gripped by it, Fang Yue felt himself so fragile and helpless, like a newborn infant.

As if the other party only needed to exert a little force, and Fang Yue's life would come to an end.

Instinctively, Fang Yue wanted to retreat, wanted to counterattack, but these were only thoughts; the moment his heart was seized, his body became utterly unable to move!

He felt his soul power and Origin Power being drawn out of his body in some peculiar manner, sucked into that 【Yin Candle】!

Perhaps it was an illusion, but in just that short while, the flame of the 【Soul Candle】 seemed to have grown somewhat.

Yin… messenger??

For a moment, those were the only two words that surfaced in Fang Yue's mind.

Fang Yue was seized by both terror and dread; facing this unknown existence, he had not even a shred of power to resist!

The Yin messenger's translucent humanoid body was so indistinct that even its features couldn't be made out—only the outline of its form could be seen.

Earlier, Fang Yue had sensed it as a translucent body.

Now, Fang Yue understood: the 【Yin Messenger】 existed between reality and illusion, flickering in and out, seeming to exist and yet not, yet utterly lethal!

Just when Fang Yue, in his panic and dread, thought he was surely doomed, the 【Yin Messenger】 suddenly withdrew its hand; it looked at the somewhat enlarged 【Yin Candle】, then at the still-living Fang Yue, seeming somewhat puzzled.

Hiss—

Only then did Fang Yue shudder, gasping for breath as if escaping death, while his form violently retreated; he stared at the 【Yin Messenger】 in mingled terror and dread, his whole body trembling, cold sweat streaming down his back.

In that instant just now, he had truly felt he was done for, with no means of resistance whatsoever, his life stripped away so easily!

What the hell was a Yin messenger?!

Weren't they said to only appear for those whose Yang lifespan had been exhausted…

Fang Yue's thoughts stalled.

Legend has it: cultivate the Ghost Root, and the Yin Messenger appears!

Damn! So the legends weren't fake—you really do run into those Underworld Enforcers!

"Ye Ge? What are you doing? And what exactly is going on here…"

Jing Yan looked over innocently and bewildered, raising his voice with a question.

Of course it's to hide from the Underworld Enforcer! Can't you see—

Fang Yue suddenly stopped short, because he realized that whether it was Jing Yan, the Green Guard, or even those eerie things, none of them could see the Underworld Enforcer whose form was exposed in the lightning!

Could it be… that I'm the only one who can see it?

Is it my wall-breaker??

On the forums, the players who died from exhausting their Yang Lifespan were countless.

But not a single one had ever seen the Underworld Enforcer's appearance—they all died without understanding why; the moment their consciousness severed, the person was simply gone.

When those Native strongmen had their Yang Lifespan exhausted and were taken away by the Underworld Enforcer, it was much the same.

Only he himself could barely make out an outline…

Is it… the effect of the Analysis Pupil? Or the effect of Night Rain's thunder? Or perhaps the two layered together?

Fang Yue couldn't figure it out, but as the illuminating effect of the thunder gradually faded and the Underworld Enforcer slowly vanished before his eyes, Fang Yue's hair stood on end!

Retreat! Violent retreat! Frenzied violent retreat!

Under the gazes of the others who couldn't make sense of it, Fang Yue retreated at top speed.

Yet when the next peal of thunder lit up…

Boom!

The entire Qingsi County was illuminated bright as day.

And the moment Fang Yue glanced back, he nearly stopped breathing from fright.

He saw the Underworld Enforcer's faintly visible form actually pressed right up against his back.

All that retreating along the way—he'd just been carrying the Underworld Enforcer along with him!

This time the Underworld Enforcer seemed to be in a decent mood, holding an Underworld Candle, reaching out to stab it into the back of Fang Yue's hand.

His pupils contracting, Fang Yue slashed straight at it with his black blade.

But he really did just slash through it.

The black blade passed clean through the Underworld Enforcer.

Just like two things from different dimensions that don't overlap at all—not even a spark of damage emerged.

(End of this chapter)