Chapter 998

At this moment, Ba Wei's heart was filled with utter despair.

Previously, she had seen the system still recognizing Fang Yue as alive, which was why she had taken his "corpse" away.

Now, not only did the system no longer recognize Fang Yue as alive, but even his corpse had fragmented and vanished without a trace—there was absolutely no possibility of revival.

Ba Wei stared blankly in the direction where Fang Yue's corpse had dissolved, lost in thought.

【Ba Wei…】

Qi Ba Jiu Daren clearly wanted to comfort her, but before the words could leave his mouth, he suddenly sensed something and sharply extended his perception toward the direction where Fang Yue's fragments had scattered.

【Ba Wei! Something's wrong—something is approaching! Leave this place immediately!】

Ba Wei's mental state was still unstable; she was dazed and paid no attention to Qi Ba Jiu.

Just as Qi Ba Jiu gritted his teeth, preparing to expend his last strength and forcibly descend to take control of Ba Wei's body…

Swoosh—swoosh—swoosh—

Particle-like fragments suddenly appeared before them.

These fragments, as if materializing out of thin air, spun without wind, surging toward them and coalescing into a shape within Ba Wei's arms.

"What is this?!"

Ba Wei froze on the spot; upon closer inspection, she realized these fragments were nearly identical to those from Fang Yue's corpse when it had disintegrated.

【Could it be?!】

Swoosh—swoosh—swoosh—

The speed of the fragments' coalescence accelerated abruptly; what had been a vague circular outline suddenly expanded into a human silhouette, rapidly forming bones and internal organs.

Everything accelerated— the fragments spun faster and faster, until their motion became invisible to the naked eye; only blurred black shadows flashed wildly before their eyes, carrying sharp gusts of wind that carved cuts into Ba Wei's palms.

【Ba Wei, retreat! Something is about to appear!】

Ba Wei finally snapped back to awareness, quickly stepping away from the coalescing fragments. When she looked back, her pupils shrank in disbelief.

For before her, the rapidly coalescing human form was none other than Fang Yue—who should have been dead beyond revival!

Even the clothes and weapons Fang Yue had worn before fragmentation had fully reformed, the only difference being that, the moment his body fully solidified, a special mark—a bud-like flower—appeared on his forehead.

As Ba Wei remained stunned, the swirling fragments finally ceased. Fang Yue, still maintaining the same reclining posture he had before disintegration, slowly opened his eyes.

"Who am I?"

"Where am I?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

The instinctive soul's three questions left Fang Yue himself bewildered; but as he gradually regained clarity, he saw Ba Wei right before him, clutching her mouth in excitement, tears like pearls continuously slipping down her cheeks.

"Ba… Wei?"

The moment Fang Yue spoke, Ba Wei suddenly lunged forward, throwing herself onto him.

Her falling tears soaked his shoulder.

Her trembling body revealed the turmoil within her heart.

But Fang Yue was still dazed—he truly didn't understand the situation, and the weight clinging to his neck left him at a loss.

"Ba Wei, if you squeeze any tighter, my neck's going to break…"

"Ah!"

Hearing this, Ba Wei snapped back, hastily pulling away, her face flushed as she turned her head aside.

"Ye Ge, don't misunderstand—I just thought… I thought you were dead, and then you suddenly came back to life, so I got carried away…"

"So I really did die…"

Fang Yue fell into quiet thought; at this point, he had regained his composure.

"Since you're here, that means we're in… Qing Guo?"

"Of course—we're all in Jingcheng," Ba Wei replied, though faint blushes still lingered on her cheeks, she had gradually returned to her usual self.

"Jingcheng? You actually made it here from Ji Bing Sect—that's far too dangerous. Jingcheng is extremely perilous right now…"

Fang Yue was about to say more, but his gaze fell outward—the endless crimson rain and the churning black clouds in the night sky silenced him.

It was too late now; Ba Wei was already entangled in Jingcheng's crisis. Any further words would be futile.

Still, he deeply appreciated Ba Wei's actions.

In times of crisis, true loyalty is revealed.

Ba Wei had risked everything to come to Jingcheng and help him—this bond, he would forever remember.

Indeed, this was a true friend!

"By the way, what's the current situation in Jingcheng? Has You Sisi been rescued?"

At the mention of You Sisi, Ba Wei's expression stiffened briefly, then returned to normal as she gave a slight shake of her head.

"Captain Wu is trying to find a way, but a powerful anomaly has appeared—one even Qi Ba Jiu Daren isn't certain he can defeat. The situation in Jingcheng is far worse than we imagined."

"Stronger than Qi Ba Jiu Daren?!"

Fang Yue's face darkened; when he had seen An Dong'er's spirit tree, he had already felt overwhelming pressure.

Now, another anomaly stronger than Qi Ba Jiu Daren had emerged… Was Jingcheng truly doomed?

He shook his head slightly, forcing himself not to dwell on such complex matters.

Rescue You Sisi, rescue An Dong'er, then get everyone out of Jingcheng—that would be success enough.

Just as Fang Yue thought this, a massive upside-down head suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Its posture suggested the body stood on a bridge, while the head hung downward.

The fleshy, bulging head slowly twisted into a grotesque smile as its gaze met Fang Yue's.

"Ye Ge, watch out?!"

【Damn it—we've been spotted by the Wu Yu tribe's anomaly!】

Tail and Qi Ba Jiu reacted almost simultaneously.

But Fang Yue stood frozen, as if stunned in place.

Because Fang Yue felt power.

A special power.

At the instant he saw that ugly head, Fang Yue had instinctively gathered his inner force, ready to strike down the anomaly.

But as he gathered strength, he heard the system's voice.

Then, the power surged into his body like a prisoner released after days of unjust detention!

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, you have slain 【Wu Yu Clan Noble: Fifth Prince】, reward: Control Force +400000, Dissipate Force +400000, Lifespan +500 years, 【Anomaly Realm】 progress +100%.

Control Force: 1000000 【Reached realm limit】

Dissipate Force: 1000000 【Reached realm limit】

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, your Control Force and Dissipate Force have reached realm limit, converted into 【Realm Breakthrough Degree】.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, your 【Realm Breakthrough Degree】 has reached 100%, accumulated strength breaks through, realm advanced, reward: Special Attribute 【Comprehension】 +100.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, under 【Full Attribute】 conditions, accumulated strength breaks through, realm advanced, reward: Special Attribute 【Comprehension】 +100.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player has broken through 【Cloud Grade High】 realm, elevated to 【Rain】 realm, reward: HP +800000, 【Spirit Value】 +1 point, Lifespan +1000 years.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player, by completing every realm breakthrough under 【Full Attribute】 and 【Realm Breakthrough Degree】 conditions, condition 【Solid Foundation】 and 【Accumulated Strength】 triggered, special effect 【Attribute Conversion Rate x10】 activated.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player has reached 【Rain】 realm, 【Control Force】 and 【Dissipate Force】 will integrate and convert proportionally into 10 points of 【Spirit Value】.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, 【Anomaly Realm】 has reached 100%, 【Anomaly Realm】 advanced to 【Rain】 realm!

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, 【Anomaly Realm】 has reached 【Rain】 realm, 【Anomaly Value】 converts proportionally into Anomaly Force.

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, 【Anomaly Realm】 and 【Martial Realm】 have synchronized to 【Rain】 realm, triggering 【Anomaly Spirit Root】 special effect, 【Anomaly Force】/【Spirit Value】 will take the higher value and synchronize.

His previously nearly exhausted lifespan was nourished like parched earth after rain.

In the instant this power flooded him, his essence, energy, and spirit underwent a qualitative leap!

Explosive power filled every part of his body; though he had only advanced one realm, it felt as if he had crossed some barrier and entered an entirely new domain!

Rain Grade… this… is the power of Rain Grade?

Fang Yue, stunned by the overwhelming transformation in his body, watched as the anomaly's head twisted spirally around its own nose into a drill shape, lunging straight at his face!

Wuuuuh!

The high-pitched whirring filled his eardrums; the spinning drill struck his face directly.

The moment the drill touched Fang Yue's face…

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The flesh-colored drill shattered as if striking something impossibly hard, like two disparate layers colliding — it burst apart into blood, and the inverted headless corpse tumbled off the bridge, landing on the ground; its insect-like body immediately scrambled wildly in all directions, panicked and disoriented.

As the target of the attack, Fang Yue remained utterly unharmed; even the blood was repelled by a faint, invisible barrier — not even a drop could touch him.

【Impossible?!】

"Ye Ge?! You, what did you do?"

Tail cried out in shock, face filled with disbelief.

The anomaly had undeniably radiated terrifying energy, yet after attacking Fang Yue, it had instead suffered severe self-inflicted damage, nearly dying on the spot.

How… how was this possible?!

Before Fang Yue could answer, Qi Ba Jiu, residing within Tail, spoke up.

【No mistake — this aura is… Rain Grade! He has reached Rain Grade realm! And from the aura, he appears stronger than ordinary Rain Grade by more than tenfold, nearing conventional Rain Grade Peak!】

【How is this possible? Legend says only warriors who push their cultivation to its absolute limit before each breakthrough can gain far superior power beyond their new realm — could he be…?】

【Just months ago in Mo Cun, this kid hadn't even reached Human Grade — now he's reached the peak of the mortal realm, Rain Grade! Could he truly be… the Pillar of Fortune?!】

For a moment, Qi Ba Jiu's heart surged with emotion.

Upon hearing Qi Ba Jiu's words, Tail was utterly stunned.

Rain Grade — the legendary realm, the same as Lord Han's!

Ye Ge, without anyone noticing, had reached such a terrifying realm! Of course… Ye Ge is the strongest!

Meanwhile, Fang Yue himself had fully absorbed this power.

He crushed the headless anomaly, which had rolled to his feet in its frantic tumbling.

With a thud, the anomaly's corpse shattered; only then did Fang Yue silently call out to 【System】.

But strangely, every function icon in the system menu was grayed out, each bound by a locked chain, as if sealed.

The only one still clickable was… the Attribute List.

Name: Yese Liming.

Realm: Rain Grade.

Anomaly Realm: Rain Grade.

Spirit Root: Anomaly Spirit Root.

Status: Anomaly Curse 【Demon Eye】.

Spirit Value: 11.

Anomaly Force: 11.

Comprehension: 550.

Talent: Night's Breath 【??? Rank】.

Anomaly Talent: Stilled World, Anomaly Ring.

Technique: Void Ice Sword Scripture 【Layer Six】.

Lifespan: 1501 years.

【Force Control】, 【Force Disarm】, and many other attributes had all vanished, leaving only the newly added 【Spirit Value】 and 【Eerie Force】.

Fang Yue didn't quite understand the meaning of these two values, but he could clearly feel that he had become stronger—far, far stronger than his previous self at the high stage of Cloud Realm. The gap was simply enormous, like two creatures of entirely different dimensions.

"The current me, perhaps… can really rescue An Dong'er and You Sisi!"

Fang Yue clenched his fist; the surging power did not make him lose himself.

In truth, when he had seen An Dong'er earlier, and when he learned that even Lord Han was helpless against An Dong'er's spirit tree, he had truly gone to rescue You Sisi with the resolve to die.

But now, he was confident he could rescue those two people and lead everyone safely out of Jingcheng!

Splash splash splash!

The rain grew heavier and heavier.

The dense raindrops falling from the Black Cloud had already shifted from pale red… to the color of blood!

The true Blood Rain had descended!

Every living creature that had not found shelter from the rain would face utter catastrophe!

Yet Fang Yue, at this very moment, stepped out from beneath the bridge and bathed himself in the Blood Rain!

This was the first time Fang Yue faced the blood-colored Night Rain directly with his own strength.

Standing in the Blood Rain where no one but those of the Rain Realm could stand!

Feeling the surging, razor-sharp power of the Blood Rain, Fang Yue smiled and turned to look back at Weiba, whose face was full of astonishment beneath the bridge.

"Don't panic, Weiba. At this moment, I have achieved the Rain Realm! I will put an end to everything in Jingcheng and save everyone who needs saving!"

Drip.

A blood-colored raindrop pierced straight through the bridge, drove into the ground at Weiba's feet, and quickly corroded the earth, sinking downward.

Just as the next drop of Blood Rain pierced through the bridge and was about to land on Weiba's head, Fang Yue raised his hand and waved; an invisible force instantly enveloped Weiba.

The Night Rain landed on Weiba's head, sizzling, and quickly dissipated without a trace.

This—this is the power of the Rain Realm. This—this is the strength of the Rain Realm!

Yet Fang Yue, immersed in his newfound power, did not notice that Weiba, who had recovered from his shock, wore a faintly unnatural expression.

"Why does Ye Ge still show a status of dead in the friend list… 【User Not Found】?"

"Is the current Ye Ge really still Ye Ge himself?"

Weiba's heart was full of confusion. He gritted his teeth, about to question Fang Yue clearly, when he saw Fang Yue, bathing in the Night Rain, suddenly freeze his smile and slowly turn his gaze toward the darkness ahead.

From within, a figure clad entirely in black-bone armor, a black-bone longsword in hand, gradually emerged from the darkness.

"So you're still alive—how wonderful. The human who killed Sixth Sister, if we royals don't cut him down with our own hands, there would always be some lingering regret."

The figure revealed from the darkness was none other than… the Third Prince of the Black Rain Tribe!

To be replaced at dawn

(End of this chapter)