【Alibuda Chronicles】 Episodes 25-27 Author: Nongyu

【Alibuda Chronicle】
Author: Nongyu (Luo Sen)
Publisher: Hetu Publishing House

◆ Chapter 1: A Century-Old Will, A Promise from the Dead

On October 20th, 476th year of the Ishtar calendar, the capital Baghdad faced its greatest crisis since its founding. To annihilate the headless knights who had slaughtered countless lives, the royal family and the Sorcerer's Society put aside their differences and joined forces. Under the guidance of John Farrell, "the most shameless sorcerer in history," they cast a super magic circle, gathering the top elites of the Loess Plateau for a final, all-out battle.

In this battle, the Ishtar side suffered heavy casualties, but even in the face of despair, hope remained. Black dragons soared, golden swords danced in the sky, sorcerers and knights, a century of regret, the magic circle unsolvable, only the wish for rebirth remained.

As the beginning of destruction and annihilation, the brilliance of this battle will forever be recorded in history. To faithfully record these brilliant lights and shadows, I will be with the starlight, organizing all the stories that shine brightly.

Reins Tiren, Royal Historical Library, Court Poet ~ Snow in the Sky

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"Can anyone tell me what the hell is written on that stone wall? Magic circles should be inscribed with magical runes, not this nonsense. And... what is Reins Tiren anyway?"

I was practically furious, pointing my finger and cursing at the Ishtar soldiers responsible for the magic circle's security. Tonight was the decisive night to activate the magic circle and open the boundary passage. This massive three-dimensional magic circle structure should have been completed long ago, but last night, Narcissa urgently informed me that the foreman in charge of building it had just committed suicide to apologize, saying there were technical difficulties that couldn't be overcome, and he died to atone for his country's sins.

According to Narcissa, this extremely complex three-dimensional magic circle consumed too many resources, so it had never actually been built after its development. This time, building it according to the design drawings, the technicians only discovered a few small errors in the final, crucial parts. The theory and practice conflicted, making it impossible to resolve.

This was a matter of great importance. The engineers in Ishtar tried to resolve it, contacting Rosetta and privately requesting magical assistance from the dwarven craftsmen, but it was too late; they couldn't possibly help in such a dire situation. Then, last night, the truth came out: the three foremen in charge took responsibility and committed suicide, leaving this hot potato to Narcissus, and then to me.

"Huh? Why are you only telling me now about something so important?"

Upon hearing this terrible news, I didn't even have time to rest. I hurriedly left Bai Mudan and her two daughters behind and rushed to the magic field. Instead of the busy workers, I saw a string of words scrawled crookedly on the stone wall. The handwriting was messy and the meaning unclear. I was furious. I immediately gathered all the technicians together and gave them a thorough dressing-down.

"Tell me! What about the unfinished work? And who wrote all this scribbles and ugly characters?"

"Uh... those technical problems have been solved, the magic circle is complete, that's why everyone's resting."

"Complete? Are you kidding me? How can problems that we kept saying we couldn't solve suddenly be finished? Were those three guys who committed suicide last night just asking for trouble?"

"It was just finished. Things were too rushed, we didn't even have time to inform you."

The technicians explained with gestures that three foremen had committed suicide last night. Shortly after the project was reported, aid from the Dwarf Kingdom finally arrived. Several strange-looking dwarf craftsmen entered the magic circle and started working with amazing skills. In no time, they solved the technical problems that had plagued them for so long and completed the entire project.

I asked suspiciously, "What dwarf craftsman? Is there any problem with his identity? Don't just send a bunch of random people here and mess things up. You can't just assume he's helping; he might be a spy for the Black Dragon Society, an underling of the Black Witch Queen!"

In such an important battle, it's entirely possible the enemy sent spies to sabotage it. If we were to be infiltrated and ruined by the enemy, and lose because of something like this, we'd die with regrets. This is basic common sense, and these craftsmen don't even understand that. How could I not be furious?

Looking to the side, I indeed saw a dwarf craftsman packing up his tools, preparing to leave. Beside him was an assistant, a stunningly beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure that instantly captivated me. I trusted the craftsmanship of dwarf craftsmen, but Rosetta was far away. For a dwarf craftsman to inexplicably arrive here, accompanied by a busty beauty, and then help solve all the problems—it all seemed too coincidental, unbelievable.

"Huh? That short, fat guy... why is he wearing sunglasses? Do dwarves dress this fashionably?"

"Oh, that's because he has red eyes, that's why he wears sunglasses!"

"Damn it! Are there even red-eyed dwarves in this world? There's definitely something wrong with that. Didn't you even ask him?" "

We did ask, but he said he's not an ordinary dwarf, he's a superhuman among dwarves, also called a Shet, that's why he has red eyes. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Shet? You're the Shet one! I've traveled all over the world and seen so many things, I've never heard of a type of dwarf called Shet. There's definitely something wrong with that. Someone go and grab that guy and question him, no, torture him! And bring that big-breasted girl over here, I'll be in charge of questioning her."

Probably seeing how angry I was, the soldiers around rushed out and stopped the dwarf craftsman, starting to question him. I don't know what the dwarf craftsman said, but the soldiers kept nodding and ran back to talk to me.

"...Uh, he said he wasn't a suspect. He promised someone something, so he's here to help resolve the problem and overcome the technical obstacles."

"Promised someone? Who?"

"He said...it seems to be something like...Famit Xiu Kamu."

"What? Famit? Go to hell!"

I kicked the dumbfounded soldier in front of me so hard he nearly fell over. Only then did I realize that the dwarf craftsman and the busty beauty had vanished without a trace, their speed unbelievable.

This unexpected turn of events put me on high alert. I immediately ordered a thorough inspection of the magic array, but the report came back that everything was normal, nothing had been tampered with.

Although I received this report, I still couldn't relax. However, since the inspection showed no problems, I had to suppress my unease and continue preparing for tonight's battle.

However, even I couldn't have imagined that this seemingly insignificant little accident would become the most crucial factor in the outcome of tonight's battle. Because of this, this battle will not only be remembered for millennia in the history of Ishtar, but will also become an immortal legend in the Loess Plateau… no, in the entire Kunlun World.

All preparations were finally complete, and those who were supposed to participate in the battle had arrived. Judging from the lineup alone, it was indeed a formidable force, gathering the elite combat power of Ishtar and the Southern Barbarians. Besides Ishtar's magic legion, the Southern Barbarians' beastmen were even more formidable.

The Beastmaster and Bai Lanxiong, wielding the Dragon-Slaying Blade, could be considered the two strongest warriors in the Southern Barbarians at present. Originally, they wouldn't have been able to participate in this battle, but through a series of coincidences, they were now here, becoming the greatest force in this battle.

"Hahaha, grandson, are you ready? After tonight, there might not be a single person left here. Are you prepared to face such a thrilling thing?"

"...Grandpa, could you please not make such a tragic thing sound so exciting?"

A master who can become the strongest might truly have an extraordinary mind. I find it hard to imagine that he would laugh loudly in the face of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, and the more he laughed, the more excited he became. This could be described as the Venerable of Ten Thousand Beasts being magnanimous, or it could be described as him being a complete psychopath.

Behind the Beastmaster stood a large group of tall, muscular orc warriors, flexing their muscles as if afraid no one would notice. In practical terms, these guys could fight on the front lines, and were perfect human shields to support the mages' attacks. Having them around allowed for many tactical variations, which was very advantageous to me.

As for those standing alongside the orcs, they were the Feathered Clan. All the Feathered Clan female warriors, wielding magical crossbows, were fully prepared under Katrina's leadership. Their aerial combat capabilities would be invaluable in the upcoming battle. Originally,

Li Huamei was supposed to lead the Feathered Clan female warriors, but due to her severe injuries, she was currently undergoing healing in her cocoon. We had been hoping she could emerge from seclusion in time to assist us in battle, but given the current situation, that wish was impossible. We had to rely on ourselves.

Just as I was about to give orders to the Feathered Clan, Katrina suddenly walked towards me and handed me a letter, saying, "Take a look first. It was just sent by express mail last night. I haven't even read the contents yet. You take a look first."

The letter was strange, unsigned, and I had no idea who sent it. I opened the envelope and saw familiar handwriting. My heart skipped a beat, and I stared intently. The message conveyed in this letter matched something I had suspected earlier. Now, with this letter, although it was only one side of the story and not completely confirmed, I believed it was almost certain.

"Damn it, they really know how to pick their timing! Why send a letter at a time like this? That damned middle-aged scoundrel..."

I cursed angrily as I tore the entire letter to shreds and immediately put the pieces in my mouth, swallowing them all. I couldn't let even a single scrap of paper be seen and reveal the secrets of this letter.

"What's wrong, John? What did the letter say?"

"...Well, it's not time to tell yet. It's a secret for now."

Katrina's action of handing me the letter was noticed by others, and Bai Lanxiong immediately came over to ask questions. I could only give a vague answer, feeling extremely annoyed.

Bai Lanxiong said, "Without Admiral Li's participation, relying on our current strength, our chances of winning are less than 50%. John, do you have any brilliant plans? Tell us sooner rather than later, so everyone can feel more at ease." "

I do have a brilliant plan, but even I'm not sure... Forget it, it's too heavy for one person to shoulder the responsibility alone. It's rare to find someone trustworthy to share the burden with. My old friend, don't run away. The capable should do more. You're the one."

I grabbed Bai Lanxiong, who was about to run away, and quickly whispered a tactic that I had just formed in my mind into his ear, entrusting him with this highly dangerous mission.

"Old friend, it's truly an honor to know you."

"Hey, why would you think that? I deliberately caused you trouble, White Bear. I thought you'd regret knowing me for the rest of your life!"

"Feeling unlucky when you first encounter difficulties is a very normal and common thought. If I thought like a normal person, how could I stand out and become a hero?"

White Bear patted my shoulder with a smile and whispered, "I learned this kind of reverse thinking from the Venerable One."

"Old friend, you've gone mad."

I sighed and said helplessly, "It's okay for humans to be mad, and it's even more okay for beastmen to be mad, but madness is madness, you still have to be a long-lived madman. People who are used to reverse thinking are likely to die so badly that even their corpses are put upside down in the coffin."

Hearing me say this, White Bear's face immediately twisted, and I didn't say anything more to him because someone more important had arrived.

"Have you all been assigned tasks? What about my sister and my mission? Tell us."

Dressed in a fiery red martial arts robe, Yu Hong spread her wings, her body flashing with red light, descending gracefully from the sky like a fire phoenix. Her eyes shone brightly, radiating a captivating vitality that swept away her recent dejection, leaving her exceptionally stunning.

Yu Ni also descended with wings spread. Although they were twin sisters with identical faces and figures, Yu Ni was dressed in blue and white, wearing an archer's uniform that Zhi Zhi had sent by express mail from Solancia. Her clothes fluttered, making her resemble a blue lotus with white leaves, swirling and drifting down.

Twin Neon Beauties, these two ethereal beauties, descended gracefully from the sky, their dynamic beauty overshadowing all the winged female warriors present, leaving us all dumbfounded. Especially when they landed on either side of me, each taking one of my hands, I clearly felt countless envious gazes fixed upon me.

"Hey, everyone calm down, the Headless Horseman hasn't appeared yet, don't rush to fight your own people."

I chuckled dryly, looking at the beauties standing on either side of me. Even the thickest skin couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

Just last night, I fulfilled a long-held dream, taking White Peony and Neon Beauties, mother and daughter, to bed. I simultaneously slept with the mother and daughter, and the twins, letting three beautiful bodies, each with their own unique characteristics yet similar in appearance, writhe and moan beneath me, making all sorts of seductive poses. Recalling it, the fiery stimulation made me want to abandon the current battle and take them back to my room for a wild time.

Logically speaking, doing something that not only invites jealousy but practically invites divine resentment, I should have paid a price. At the very least, Neon would show anger towards me, which is only natural. But perhaps it's not enough. With the final battle approaching and everyone's fate uncertain after tonight, Neon not only didn't utter a single complaint against me, but instead seemed to be seizing every last second, showering me with tenderness and affection. She even recklessly pulled me and Bai Mudan together, the four of us sharing blissful family time, using the intense pleasure of our uninterrupted lovemaking to fill the void of kinship that the sisters had always longed for.

"Thank you. Without you, we wouldn't be able to reunite as a family..."

If these words came from Yu Ni, who lacks critical thinking skills, I could understand them, but coming from Yuon, they shocked me.

No matter what, I'm not so stupid as to think that raping a mother and daughter would result in being thanked. Yuon's illogical gratitude made me uneasy and unable to let it go.

However, looking at Yu Hong from the side, she was radiant and full of fighting spirit, staring at me as if she had returned to the simple, righteous female constable she once was, willing to sacrifice herself for justice. The dejection she had felt these past few days, bound by her mental illness, had been completely swept away. The incestuous encounter last night seemed to have had a surprising and powerful effect, curing Yu Hong's mental illness.

(But… was she really cured? Or was it just a superficial appearance of improvement, with her actually sinking deeper into despair?)

I'm not a psychologist, so I couldn't answer that question, but my heart was pounding with anxiety. After briefly explaining Ni Hong's work to her, I couldn't help but ask a question I probably shouldn't have.

"Ah Hong, back in the Golden Finch Federation… after defeating the Black Dragon King, do you regret it?"

The moment those words left my mouth, I regretted it. I knew very well what I was worried about that led me to ask that question, but at this crucial moment, why provoke the seemingly recovered Yu Hong? Why alert her to the danger?

However, once those words left my mouth, I couldn't brush them off or take them back. Yu Hong's reaction was much better than I expected. With a calm expression, she tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "No, I don't regret it. I believe I did the right thing. Although... Master is my... well, upholding righteousness and dispelling evil is my mission. If I can't uphold justice, what will happen to those who need help?"

Yu Hong spoke softly, her voice not loud, but very serious. I noticed her fists were clenched tightly. These words were spoken with determination, not just casual remarks.

She spoke resolutely, but I was a little afraid to meet her gaze. I turned my head away and whispered, "It's good that you don't regret it, but life isn't just about justice. Sometimes... think about other things. Don't disregard everything for justice; it's not worth it."

"Even if it happened again, I would never regret it. I would just make the same decision again."

Yu Hong looked at me, as if making a vow, and said these words with unwavering certainty. I was stunned for a moment, wanting to say something more. But considering my own interests and the consequences of my words, I forcibly took back my words.

"Okay, I understand. Well then... I'll leave everything to you."

Just then, Narcissus arrived, and I was able to get away to go and explain to Narcissus and also ask her some questions.

"Do you know where Dr. Bai went?"

"I just received a call saying that Dr. Bai said he couldn't help on the front lines, so he volunteered to do auxiliary work, preparing various emergency medicines in case of need. What's wrong, John? Is there a problem?"

"No, it's perfectly normal, what could be wrong?"

"Hey, you're implying something. Say what you have to say now, don't wait until the war starts and then we die without knowing why."

"Well... I can only promise you that if we're going to die, I'll make sure we know why. How about that?"

Ignoring Narcissus's furious glare, I smiled and left, going to the last and most important member of this battle.

"How is it? Xue, are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

The beautiful little fox girl nodded, nervously gripping her wand. The physical damage caused by the magic burns had been almost completely healed in the past two days, allowing her to return to the battlefield.

Since officially becoming a Dark Mage in the Southern Barbarian Lands, Ah Xue had been through countless battles and was not afraid of fighting. However, this time she appeared very anxious because she had never encountered a mission before. It wasn't about standing inside a barrier waving a wand and using magic, but about releasing her own magical power through singing, causing the entire magic circle to resonate. This kind of thing... not only had Ah Xue never done it before, but probably very few people in the history of magic in the Yellow Earth had ever done it. No wonder she appeared so nervous.

"Don't worry, Xue, you can do it."

"Yes, Master, you once said that if you believe, you can definitely do it, and if you don't believe, you definitely can't." Xue's fox ears twitched, and she nodded, "I believe I can do it, I will definitely open the realm passage."

"Really? I don't remember saying that... But having faith is a good thing. We need that kind of faith in this battle."

"Master, do you think we can win?"

"It's not a matter of what I think, it's that we absolutely must win, we must win."

After I finished speaking, I tapped Xue's high breasts, causing a ripple of movement that drew the attention of the people nearby, along with a chorus of boos.

Unconsciously, I realized that all the important people involved in this battle, whether they were my relatives, friends, those who respected and believed in me, or those who did not, had gathered around me, and all eyes were on me.

"Ha, whatever, we have no other way out now. This battle... we must win no matter what, even if it's unjust and cruel, even if we ourselves are darker and more evil than the enemy. In short, we will see tomorrow's sun, and the enemy will go to hell. Does everyone agree with that?"

Even I hadn't expected this. My shout was met with a thunderous roar of fervor from the surrounding crowd, as if they were united, willing to die for this battle, sacrificing everything to achieve final victory. If they were my army, with this morale, I would have absolute confidence in leading them to sweep away all enemies and conquer to the ends of the earth... although that might just be an illusion.

Although the preparations were kept secret, in reality, what needed to be done in this battle was quite simple.

Ah Xue and Narcissus, these two worked together to activate the magic circle and open the boundary passage—that was the first step.

Once the portal opens, the otherworldly demons existing on the other side will be summoned. Whether the Headless Knight appears or not, he will be found by the demons and either destroyed or taken to another dimension—this is the second step.

Whether we eliminate the enemy or transfer them to the otherworld on the other side of the portal, it will solve our problem. Therefore, as long as this tactic is implemented properly, the Headless Knight can be dealt with, and we can rest easy.

If there are any problems, I have two concerns: First, what if the magic circle fails to activate and is destroyed by the enemy midway? Then, of course, it's game over. Second, the number of otherworldly demons summoned may be more than one. But regardless of the number of demons, given how powerful the Headless Knight is, no one can guarantee that the battle will be won by the demon horde annihilating the Headless Knight, rather than the Headless Knight defeating the demon horde.

In either of these two scenarios, we'd likely end up hand in hand, dead. And if you asked me if either scenario would happen, my answer would be quite tragic.

"John, if you were the enemy, what would you do?"

Narcissus, dressed in her finest attire, came to meet me before ascending the altar to cast her spell, seeking a final confirmation. Narcissus had asked similar questions before, and she didn't expect any particular answer from me now. However, the words I uttered completely surprised her.

"In this magic circle, Ah Xue's role and importance are irreplaceable. But what about your position? If you were to be killed temporarily, could someone else take your place?"

"Well… having someone else take my place is very dangerous due to unfamiliarity with the area. But if the enemy attacks and I unfortunately fall, there are several senior mages in the Witch God Society who can take my place and complete the magic." "

The Black Witch Goddess once commanded the Headless Horseman to kill us, yet she also commanded him to save Ah Xue. Because Ah Xue is irreplaceable; if she dies, the magic to open the boundary portal cannot be performed. But if you and I die, there are still replacements. In other words, our enemies are happy to see us open the boundary portal."

I had discussed this conclusion with Narcissus before; it's not a new insight. But we still can't figure out what benefit the Black Witch Goddess would gain from opening the boundary portal? What does she intend to do with this magic?

"There's only one thing I'm certain of: the Black Witch will definitely summon the Headless Horseman when we cast our spells, affecting us. This isn't just a simple battle; to control the Headless Horseman and react accordingly, the Black Witch will definitely be nearby… This is an unprecedented opportunity for us. If we can seize it, defeating the Headless Horseman depends on this."

"You mean…" "

The Black Witch can control the Headless Horseman. After much thought, I've concluded that she must possess something important that allows her to command him. If we retrieve or destroy that thing, the Black Witch will no longer be able to summon the Headless Horseman. As for what that thing is… I believe you already know."

Narcissus nodded, indicating she understood my thoughts. Actually, it wasn't hard to guess. A headless vengeful spirit's greatest desire would undoubtedly be to retrieve its lost head. The Black Witch must possess Charlotte's head to be able to control the Headless Horseman.

If we can retrieve that skull, we can control the Headless Horseman. If we can't retrieve it, we can destroy it. This tactical concept has become another important sub-plot in tonight's battle. Even if the main tactic fails, there's still a chance for a comeback.

"By the way, there's something I'm curious about and have been thinking about for a long time. Can you give me an answer?"

"What I can't understand is that many of Charlotte's unique secret techniques are only possible because of her White Eyes' special constitution, especially the soul-splitting technique, which is a special ability of the White Eyes. But now that she's become the Headless Horseman, since she doesn't even have a head, where do her eyes come from? Without the White Eyes, how are those secret techniques successfully performed?"

This question puzzled me, but Narcissa shrugged and answered it easily.

"You yourself said it's a special constitution. The special constitution is the essence; the 'Dead White Eye' is merely a symbol of the Underworld Emperor's bloodline. Without the symbol, its abilities are limited, but the constitution's uniqueness remains unchanged. It can still do many things; the special constitution doesn't become ordinary just because the 'Dead White Eye' is gone."

Narcissus's explanation answered my confusion. At that moment, the bright, round moon rose, its silvery light pouring down from the sky. The eighteen giant pillars of the circular altar were bathed in the silvery moonlight, the magical runes carved on them shimmering, flowing with an eerie color.

"It's about to begin!"

Narcissus tossed out a sentence and hurriedly left before me, entering the altar to prepare to preside. I stood outside the altar, looking up at the moon gradually changing color, trying to calm myself and relax my tightly clenched fists. After

so much anticipation, this battle was finally about to officially begin. More than victory or defeat… I cared more about whether I could see tomorrow's sunrise.
◆ Episode 2: The Boundary Array - The Channel Opens for the First Time

Under the full moon, the magic array, now in operation, absorbed the moonlight, gradually radiating light. Thousands of wizards at the edge of the array chanted incantations according to their assigned positions, pooling their magical power and transmitting it through the array's design to the very center.

Narcissus, dressed in a vibrant dancer's attire, wore ten rings of different colored gemstones on her hands, and gold bracelets on her ankles and wrists, jingling with her movements. Her figure was light and graceful, like a nimble, beautiful snake, striking one alluring pose after another. Her eyes shifted constantly, her fingers sometimes lightly caressing her cheeks, sometimes gliding across her slender waist. The myriad charms flowing from her dance were truly worthy of her name, the Purple Fairy.

Even more strikingly, in the sudden, intense shifts of her dance, Narcissus's chest became another focal point. As beads of sweat slid down her honey-colored skin, tracing the alluring curves of her 34D swaying breasts, they gathered at the center, dampening her already thin clothing and making everything appear shrouded in mystery. Had the situation not been so dire, some lecherous fool might have pounced on her.

There was no music, yet Narcissus's dance followed a certain melody, causing the vast magical energy that had gathered to shift with her movements. Soon after, Narcissus bent one leg and extended the other, slowly stepping out like a fairy walking on water. But this step into the void, though lightly touching the air, stirred the surrounding magical energy, creating invisible, enormous ripples in the atmosphere that shot out in all directions.

Instantly, all the spellcasters present felt the impact; a powerful release of magical energy—this was not part of the planned sequence. The sudden unexpected turn of events startled many present, leaving them bewildered. However, a select few, keenly aware of the situation, focused intently on every movement around them.

The basic concept of this tactic was simple: if the Black Witch and the Headless Horseman intended to use the boundary passage for something, I didn't believe they would be observing from a distance of over a hundred miles. If something happened, they wouldn't have time to react. The most logical course of action was to hide nearby.

The Headless Horseman, an evil spirit existing between the underworld and the mortal realm, could slumber in the rifts of spacetime, awaiting summons. But the Black Witch was a living being. No matter how high her magical power, as long as she was near us, we could find a way to drag her out.

Narcissus's move was precisely the result of our discussion. Utilizing our current powerful magic, we created ripples that spread in all directions. Anything touched would reveal its form, even the Black Witch herself.

Sure enough, the ripples caused Narcissus to open her half-closed eyes and look due west. Although she didn't say a word, we all understood her meaning.

"Found it!"

Bai Lanxiong, who was waiting beside me, roared and leaped towards the west, wielding the Dragon Slayer Blade, which shimmered with silver light as he slashed down with all his might.

"Dark Star! Forty-Nine Archers of the Dark!"

A sharp cry rang out, and the Black Witch, who had been hiding in the shadows, finally revealed herself. She held a goat skull wand, which she swung in the air, forming a dark six-pointed star that blocked the Dragon Slayer Blade halfway down, forcefully stopping Bai Lanxiong's attack. At the same time, she launched a fierce counterattack, combining parrying and striking.

Arrows of Light and Arrows of Darkness are arguably the most basic spells. Condensing magical power to create arrows, even an ordinary magic apprentice can cast them. However, the magical power consumed doubles with each additional arrow fired. I've seen most mages fire a dozen or so arrows in succession; to say that a sorcerer could fire forty-nine arrows like the Black Witch is truly one in a million.

Bai Lanxiong wielded the Dragon-Slaying Blade, its power formidable. With a slight exertion, he shattered the Dark Hexagram, but the forty-nine dark arrows raining down upon him, densely packed, still left him battered and bruised. He could only wield the Dragon-Slaying Blade for protection, deflecting the dark arrows while retreating.

This clever maneuver forced Bai Lanxiong back, but the Black Witch's crisis was far from over; in fact, it was even more dangerous. As Bai Lanxiong was pushed back, a ferocious roar shook the heavens and earth, and a fierce lion-like figure charged through the air at high speed—the leader of the beast race, the Venerable of Ten Thousand Beasts.

Old ginger is spicier; the Beastmaster had suffered a great loss at the hands of the Headless Horseman. Now that the fierce battle had resumed, he was not only prepared to fight the Headless Horseman again, but also determined to prevent him from ever appearing. To put it more bluntly, he wanted to buy time to kill the Black Witch Celestial before she could summon anything, thus ending the conflict once and for all.

In terms of reaction speed alone, the Black Witch Celestial was no match for the Beastmaster; this was the natural difference between a mage and a warrior. However, the Black Witch Celestial was no newcomer to the game. She had likely anticipated this strategy. Before the Beastmaster could even get close, she flicked her right hand, sending a black crystal into the air.

"Ah! Black Core Crystal!"

Someone exclaimed. The name of this legendary, super-powerful explosive, a destructive crystal from another world, sent a jolt through everyone present. If the legend is true, this fist-sized black crystal is enough to blast the ground beneath our feet, along with half of Baghdad, into the sky. As for those of us caught in the crossfire, we'll inevitably be reduced to dust.

If the black crystal explodes, not only will we perish, but the entire magic circle will be razed to the ground. My first thought was to run away, and I believe the other Ishtar wizards had the same idea. The only reason no one acted on it was because things happened too fast, and no one had time to react.

(Wait a minute, the Black Witch Celestial Maiden's elaborate scheme was simply to open the realm passage, so why would she try to blow this place up at the last minute? Could it be... that everything she did before was a feint? This... is impossible!)

All my thoughts coalesced into three resolute words, reaching a conclusion in my mind. I immediately realized that this object, which appeared to be a black crystal, was suspicious; at the very least, it wasn't the explosive it seemed.

"Be careful, she's bluffing..."

Just as everyone was contemplating escape, I shouted out those words. To my surprise, amidst the panic, two figures stood out. While others wavered, these two accelerated, rushing towards the Black Witch Celestial.

With decades of experience in the martial world, the Beast Master hadn't been fooled by the Black Witch Celestial from the start. He unleashed a powerful "Vajra Ape Arm" punch, its force sharp and fierce, aiming to kill her first.

The other figure flying towards the Black Witch Celestial was Bai Lanxiong. Wielding his Dragon-Slaying Blade, he leaped into the air towards her, completely disregarding the black crystal directly above. Whether he possessed the wisdom to see through the trickery, or simply followed the Beast Master's lead, recklessly fearless and utterly monstrous, it was unclear.

The two powerful figures arrived almost simultaneously, but the black crystal in mid-air exploded. Instead of the expected explosive force, it formed a black protective shield, perfectly protecting the Black Witch Celestial. The energy of this shield is incredibly strong. Even the powerful punch from the Beastmaster couldn't break through it, only managing to create cracks on its surface.

"This magical fluctuation... is it a scroll bar?"

The moment the black crystal exploded, I sensed a magical fluctuation, much like a scroll bar storing spells. The Black Witch must have used some kind of tool to complete the complex summoning process instantly while setting up the shield, leaving no opportunity for the enemy.

In the blink of an eye, the Beastmaster, having missed his first punch, was about to follow up with a second when Bai Lanxiong's Dragon-Slaying Blade arrived.

The Dragon-Slaying Blade is the sharpest weapon in the world, ignoring all solid physical defenses. Under Bai Lanxiong's full force, it didn't even bother with this magical barrier. With a single slash, the already cracked black energy shield shattered.

With the protective shield shattered and no further obstacles remaining, this strike should have successfully decapitated the Black Witch Goddess. However, the instant the shield broke, my heart sank. The indestructible Dragon-Slaying Blade was caught by a hand, forcefully blocked, followed by an extremely powerful recoil that sent the White Orchid Bear flying, crashing directly into the Beastmaster on the other side. The

black shield shattered, and we could clearly see the headless knight—a black sword, black armor, and a black horse—appear beside the Black Witch Goddess. He wielded a sword in one hand and an axe in the other, a completely offensive combat outfit. Countless emerald green points of light swirled around him, each a manifestation of a vengeful spirit, revolving around the headless knight, their resentment soaring to the heavens.

Our wishful thinking had indeed failed; our plan to defeat the enemy before the headless knight was summoned was now completely thwarted. However, we had gained a valuable reward. Standing beside the Headless Horseman, the Black Witch Goddess held aloft a cloth bag, chanting incantations. Judging from the size of the bag, it was very likely our target—the Headless Horseman's skull.

Bai Lanxiong and I had discussed this beforehand, and upon seeing the target appear, he immediately sped towards the Black Witch Goddess, determined to snatch the bag.

The Black Witch Goddess's martial arts were trained in Ishtar; I didn't know her own skill level, but with the Headless Horseman protecting her, Bai Lanxiong's task of grabbing the bag was not only difficult, but practically suicidal. Fortunately, he had a powerful assistant.

"Peerless Killing God of the Dark Palace, come and receive my Platinum Fist!"

Elevating the Beast King Fist from "Beast Form" to "Beast God," the Venerable Beast's aura surged. Before the heavy punch was even unleashed, a powerful and domineering aura, like a thousand horses galloping, charged forward. What we saw was a devastating rain of meteor-like punches.

"Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora~~"

The ultimate technique that dominated the various beast tribes of the Southern Barbarians shook the land of Ishtar at this moment; it was a punch of unparalleled power, and no more than five people in the world could withstand it. Unfortunately, it was about to face the strongest peerless killing god of the Warring States period.

Facing this move, the headless knight swung his arms, and his jet-black longsword and axe spun and danced, heading straight for the rain of meteor punches.

The two enemies clashed head-on, but surprisingly, there was no sound of impact. Wherever the headless knight's longsword passed, the strange energy emanating from the sword drew one small vortex after another, which then quickly turned into deep black holes, meeting the rain of meteor punches in the sky, swallowing up hundreds of punches without leaving a trace.

With a simple move, he shattered the Platinum Fist of the Beast Master. As for the axe strike that cleaved through the air, it clashed head-on with the Beast Master's final punch. Taking advantage of the moment when neither side was clearly superior, Bai Lanxiong darted forward, his Dragon-Slaying Blade swiftly slashing at the Black Witch's arm.

With the Dragon-Slaying Blade's sharpness, even a slight touch would have severed the arm. The Black Witch immediately released her grip, and Bai Lanxiong changed tactics, his Dragon-Slaying Blade sweeping horizontally, catching the cloth bag the Black Witch was holding. With a flick, he launched it towards me.

The bag shot with incredible speed; the Black Witch, entangled by Bai Lanxiong, was unable to stop it. If I reached out to catch it, I could snatch the Headless Knight's head and win. However, at this moment when victory was within my grasp, I had a strong sense of unease.

(Perhaps… the Black Witch is more cunning than I thought…)

This thought flashed through my mind, making me change my decision. With a thought, I shouted, “Ah Hong, catch that bag!”

While the Beast Venerable was fighting the Zilan Bear, Yu Hong and Yu Ni were spreading their wings, flying towards the other side to help. Their speed was far faster than others. Hearing my shout, Yu Hong flapped her wings, swirling through the air and snatching the bag.

This was a perfectly normal response, but the moment the bag fell into Yu Hong's hands, the Black Witch seemed to see the end of the world, her soul nearly leaving her body. She let out a high-frequency, strange shriek.

The sharp, piercing sound made everyone's hearts tremble. Normally, given the distance between the Black Witch and the bag, it would have been too late for anything, but with that shriek, Yu Ni, who wasn't far from Yu Hong, suddenly trembled violently, then charged towards Yu Hong at full speed, crashing heavily into Yu Hong's right side, knocking the bag from her grasp.

The unexpected turn of events surprised even me. Back on Fengling Island, the Black Witch Celestial used the vampire powers of the Evil Lotus to transform and strengthen Yu Ni, turning her into a puppet who obeyed my commands. Later, I took Yu Ni away from the East Sea, conducting reverse brainwashing along the way. I was confident that I had cleansed the residual commands in Yu Ni's subconscious. I never expected that even now, the Black Witch Celestial could still control Yu Ni.

(Damn it, it must be because she's been so close to me lately... Luckily, I accidentally forced her to reveal this last move. Otherwise, if she had caused trouble at the crucial moment, this last move could have ruined our efforts and left us in a terrible state.)

This thought flashed through my mind, and then I was shocked by a loud bang. Not long after the cloth bag left Yu Hong's hand, it exploded into a brilliant burst of fire. The energy released in an instant was astonishing. Yu Ni and Yu Hong were the first to be hit, engulfed in the flames, and were thrown to the ground like two broken rag dolls by the force of the explosion.

"Ah Hong!"

The two sisters, Ni Hong and Yu Ni, fell not far from me. I rushed over immediately and found that Yu Ni's injuries were quite serious. Most of her body had been affected by the blast, her skin was charred, blood was flowing from her mouth and nose, and her internal organs had been severely damaged by the shock. If it weren't

for her power increase near noon, breaking through to the fifth level of cultivation, this explosion would have killed her. Yu Hong's cultivation was higher than her sister's, and the phoenix blood in her body had resistance to flames and explosions. The power of the explosion was largely offset by her protective true qi. At this moment, her skin was faintly glowing red, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. It seemed that her injuries were limited, but...

"Where is my sister? Is she alright?"

"Your sister... I can't say she's alright, but she won't die. On the contrary, you... your eyes..."

"I can't see anything, and it hurts a lot. It must have been injured by the explosion... I'm fine, I can still fight."

Having conviction is truly a remarkable thing. When Yu Hong spoke of her eye injury, her tone was calm and composed, far less agitated than mine. She immediately tore off a piece of my sleeve to bandage her bleeding eye, channeling her energy to heal the wound, preparing to return to the battlefield.

Opening the realm passage and eliminating the headless knight concerns countless lives across the entire Yellow Earth; it's a matter of survival, not defeat. Given Yu Hong's consistent insistence, she would absolutely sacrifice herself for this "holy war." As long as she upholds righteousness and wards off evil, she wouldn't even flinch at the prospect of being shattered to pieces. How could she possibly withdraw so easily?

In some ways, Yu Hong's dedication to winning this battle might even surpass that of Narcissus, or even every Ishtar person. With such a formidable enemy at hand, I should be happy to have such a fiercely motivated team member. But thinking about the aspects related to Yu Hong, I suddenly wavered. I wondered if I should let Yu Hong withdraw, taking Yu Ni down to recuperate, and avoid fighting this battle that would leave everyone wounded regardless of victory or defeat.

"...You...did you know there was something wrong with that cloth bag?"

Yu Hong's question interrupted my thoughts and made me realize that things were getting out of hand. My actions just now, besides being driven by my own cowardice, also had a testing purpose. But from Yu Hong's perspective, there was probably no other reason besides my fear of death.

"This...I..."

"You don't need to explain. In the team, you are the brain, and we are the hands and feet. If your hands and feet are broken, you can still live, but if your brain is damaged, you will be completely paralyzed. So sacrificing your hands and feet to protect your brain is the correct judgment. I think you did the right thing, and you don't need to feel that there is anything wrong with it. On the contrary, we are in the middle of a fierce battle now. You need to cheer up. If we lose your cunning and despicable ways, how will we defeat the enemy?"

Yu Hong said these words calmly while blindfolded. The awareness revealed in her words stunned me, who had originally wanted to explain.

That's right. The battlefield is a place for victory and defeat, not for personal feelings. Since so many people are willing to trust me, the only way I can repay them is to set aside all reservations and use all my strategies to win them victory. "

Understood. I'll have someone send Yu Ni down for treatment, to prevent her from participating in the battle or interfering with our operations. As for you, Ah Hong, going to fight the Headless Knight is simply suicide, completely meaningless to our side. So you'll be responsible for restraining the Black Witch Goddess and reducing her control over the Headless Knight. If possible..."

"Do you want me to take the Headless Knight's remains from her?"

"Believe me, you don't have that ability. The Black Witch Goddess is no simple character. She couldn't do it when you could see clearly, and now that you can't see anything and rely solely on your hearing, you're even less capable. Just adopt a posture of being willing to die together, entangle the Black Witch Goddess, and naturally, professionals will cooperate with you to seize the Headless Knight's remains when the opportunity arises."

The Black Witch Goddess is indeed very cunning. She took advantage of our eagerness to seize the remains, setting a trap and turning the tables on us. However, I never thought obtaining the remains would be so easy, so I prepared multiple strategies beforehand. The failure of the Beast Venerable and the White Orchid Bear made the Black Witch Heavenly Maiden think I was helpless, but in fact, if one plan failed, the second plan had already been automatically activated.

Yu Hong listened to my instructions without any objection and immediately flapped her wings and flew into the sky. With a flick of her arm, a ball of brilliant fire appeared on her arm, which spun rapidly several times before transforming into a sky-blazing fire cloud, rolling and churning, its flames engulfing all directions.

The Beacon Fire Universe Ring reappeared, and Yu Hong's power had increased again in actual combat. Her mastery of this creation artifact had also increased, especially when she circulated the phoenix blood within her body, and her body was also ignited with red blood flames. Resonating with the holy flames of the Beacon Fire Universe Ring, the fire cloud spun even faster and expanded even further, engulfing most of the sky.

As her combined power reached its peak, Yu Hong hurled the fiery cloud in her hand. The Beacon Fire Universe Ring, with astonishing force, hurtled through the air towards the Black Witch Goddess.

The attack was incredibly powerful, and I was curious how the Black Witch Goddess would withstand it. However, the outcome proved that this level of attack posed no threat to her. As the Beacon Fire Universe Ring struck, the headless knight beside her swung his left arm horizontally, his black axe cleaving towards the ring. The two forces collided, sending the ring flying backward and reflecting into the sky.

Yu Hong spread her wings, shifted her position, caught the rebounding ring, and instead of launching a long-range attack, used it as a weapon, propelling it forward and swooping down to collide with the Black Witch Goddess.

Naturally, the Black Witch Goddess, being a mage, couldn't possibly engage Yu Hong in a direct confrontation; she had the headless knight handle the blow.

This created a situation where Bai Lanxiong wielded the Dragon-Slaying Blade, Yu Hong used the Beacon Fire Universe Ring, and the Beastmaster joined forces—one powerful figure, two sacred artifacts, and three against the Headless Knight.

Such a formidable lineup could have been used to besiege the Black Dragon King, yet the Headless Knight still outnumbered his defenders to offense. Each sword strike from his right hand was powerful and forceful, preventing his enemies from getting close, while his left-hand axe was as fast as lightning, his attacks ghostly and elusive. If it weren't for the Beastmaster's extremely strong protective aura and Bai Lanxiong and Yu Hong's sacred artifacts, the three would have been torn to pieces and decapitated multiple times.

To others, the Beastmaster and his companions would probably seem useless, three against one, yet still at a disadvantage against the Headless Knight. However, in all honesty, the Headless Horseman is an undead; physical attacks cannot kill it a second time. Its defensive actions during combat are merely out of habit. In reality, it could simply attack without defending. Although the three Beastmasters were supposedly attacking in unison, their attacks were ineffective, making the battle a mere stalling effort.

On the other hand, it's understandable that the Beastmasters would be at a disadvantage. With Phoenix's help, I traveled back in time and witnessed Charlotte's battles in her previous life. I saw her easily kill a top-tier expert with an eighth-level cultivation with a single sword stroke. This terrifying power likely reached the legendary, theoretical ninth-level cultivation. If she were to regain her true strength from her previous life, she could wipe out this place and kill everyone here within minutes.

"Damn it, that's true in theory, but there's no reason for you two to have so much fun..."

I pondered for a moment, then a thought struck me, and I shouted, "Yu Hong! Go all out and fight! Focus solely on the Black Witch Goddess. Attack without defending. Just pretend the Headless Horseman doesn't exist."

This strategy seemed extremely unreasonable at first glance. Given the threat of the Headless Horseman, ignoring it was tantamount to suicide. However, Yu Hong had no doubt about my order. Upon hearing it, she immediately put it into practice, ignoring the Headless Horseman's horizontal axe strike and focusing solely on the Black Witch Goddess, pushing out her Beacon Fire Universe Ring.

Just as the axe was about to decapitate Yu Hong, a "clang" rang out, and a skull staff appeared horizontally, blocking the Headless Horseman's axe and saving Yu Hong's life. The one who intervened was none other than the Black Witch Goddess. She had been forced to make a decision by my wicked scheme and intervened to save Yu Hong, while Yu Hong pushed the Universe Ring towards her chest.

The Beacon Fire Universe Ring is an offensive weapon among the Seven Sacred Artifacts. After being propelled by Yu Hong with her phoenix blood, it unleashed a torrent of flames, possessing explosive power that couldn't be easily parried. Logically speaking, I don't believe the Black Witch Celestial could withstand such an attack; it would be entirely reasonable for her body to be severed at the waist.

However, while mages may not possess the physical strength of martial artists, they have their own survival techniques. At such close range, Yu Hong managed to strike nothing.

Or rather, it wasn't quite a miss; Yu Hong did hit the Black Witch Celestial, but it was as if she had struck thin air, passing right through her body without causing any harm.

"She has this trick up her sleeve? This is… water-based illusion magic!"

Water-based illusion magic also includes the technique of spatial teleportation, supposedly capable of causing objects to leap and teleport, with the image briefly remaining. The Black Witch Celestial used this technique, but since it's clearly water-based magic, why would she use it?

(Damn, she must have a water-based artifact on her, but I wonder what it is. She carries both light and water magic with her, doesn't she find it heavy...?)

I suddenly thought of another possibility. During the epic battle at Cihang Jingdian, when the Black Dragon King and the Heart Sword Nun clashed, at the very last moment, the Black Dragon King suddenly broke the laws of magic, using a dual-wielding battle form to simultaneously employ fire and dark magic, severely injuring the Heart Sword Nun.

Afterwards, Cihang Jingdian seemed to follow my perverted father's example, using some lame excuse like a collective hallucination to explain it all. But in reality, everyone knew the truth was likely something we couldn't bear: the Black Dragon Society had mastered the technology to break through different magic types.

Although it can't be confirmed yet, if the Black Dragon Society truly possessed this technology, then the Black Witch Celestial would be able to use water and dark magic simultaneously. Given the Black Witch Celestial's magical prowess, if this were to come true, it would truly be a nightmare.

Fortunately, while this situation was a nightmare for us, it was far from ideal for the Black Witch Goddess either. Faced with Yu Hong's reckless, self-destructive attacks, the Black Witch Goddess couldn't call upon the Headless Knight to block them; she had to fight Yu Hong herself. This effectively tied her up with Yu Hong, making it much more difficult for her to do anything.

At this moment, Narcissus, who had been dancing on the altar, finished her performance. Ah Xue, who had been silently watching from the sidelines, began to sing a spell song. Her soft, childlike voice resonated throughout the altar, soaring high through the magical device.

Everything proceeded according to plan. Ah Xue's bloodline was indeed key to this formation. When she solemnly began to sing, the entire sky instantly changed. The moonlight falling on the ground became almost tangible, rising straight from the center of the altar where Ah Xue stood, connecting with the sky and linking with the moon.

Then, the silver moon rapidly changed color and was swallowed by darkness, somewhat resembling a lunar eclipse. Everyone present knew this was a sign that the boundary passage was opening.

Something no one had succeeded at for millennia was now gradually becoming a reality before our eyes. Regardless of friend or foe, no magician could remain unmoved by this spectacle, even deeply touched.

However, I wasn't so fortunate as to simply observe as a spectator. With the boundary tunnel about to open, my vigilance increased accordingly. If the Black Witch was going to do anything, it would surely be now.

"John Farrell! You've calculated everything, yet you've still miscalculated!"

Surprisingly, the Black Witch's deep, effeminate voice rang out, and she shook her skull wand, the tip emitting a strange light… like a remote-controlled spell.

"You laid countless ambushes here, but did you even think of her? This time, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

The Black Witch's words left me bewildered. I couldn't figure out who "she" was, nor could I recall what I had overlooked. But suddenly, something occurred to me, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

I had indeed overlooked something—a person… Li Huamei in her cocoon!

◆ Chapter 3: The Dragon's Rise. It Must Dive Before Soaring

In the last battle against the Headless Knight, both Li Huamei and the Beastmaster were severely injured. Li Huamei even had to cocoon herself to heal.

Cocooning is a special physique of the Dragon God Clan, a unique physiological phenomenon resulting from cultivating the Supreme Art of Heaven and Earth. Whenever the body suffers a fatal blow, it automatically forms a cocoon to heal, stimulating its life potential. When it emerges from the cocoon, its power will be even greater, reaching a new level.

Li Huamei, despite her youth, was able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the strongest figures of her time thanks to her several near-death experiences in cocooning, which fully unleashed her potential and allowed her to continuously grow stronger. This time, having suffered a fatal blow and cocooned again, the extent to which she will emerge stronger is unknown.

I had hoped that Li Huamei could break free of her cocoon in time and become our greatest fighting force against the Headless Horseman. Unfortunately, fate has not been on our side. Even now, as we fight this bloody battle, Li Huamei's golden cocoon shows no signs of breaking. I am left to fight alone on the battlefield in her absence.

The situation here is critical, so I have to concentrate all my forces here. As for Li Huamei's golden cocoon, it possesses strong resistance, impervious to swords and blades, and is not easily destroyed. After weighing the pros and cons, I only asked Narcissus to deploy troops for defense, while the main experts and mages were still brought here. Unexpectedly, this miscalculation has been used against us by the enemy.

The Black Witch's evil magic is incredibly powerful. It's entirely possible she's tampered with something near the Golden Cocoon, enough to damage it upon detonation. While this could be a mere bluff, the situation is critical, and I have no time for investigation.

"You vile transvestite, what do you want?"

Forced into a corner, I tried to negotiate, but a decision had already formed in my mind.

"I don't want a fight to the death. Tell everyone here to back off and not block my way, or not only will Li Huamei die, but they will all perish."

The Black Witch threatened me, forcing me to order the Beastmaster and the others to retreat. At this moment, although the Beastmaster and Bai Lanxiong were still being forced back by the Headless Knight, the remaining orc warriors surrounded the Black Witch, assisting Yu Hong in her attack, greatly increasing the pressure on her.

"Wow, take your time. As long as we don't hurt her, any deal is negotiable..."

I spoke as casually as possible, but the choice I faced was incredibly heavy. Li Huamei's existence was absolutely crucial to me and to this land. However, what we needed to do now was win this battle. If we couldn't win, there was no point in talking about "tomorrow" or "future."

Moreover, someone had already paid too high a price for this victory. Although Yu Hong couldn't see me now, when I looked at her bloodshot eyes covered by a cloth, I knew very well what I had to do.

I glanced to the left while taking a moment to observe. The "lunar eclipse" had already swallowed most of the moon, and wisps of green light were seeping from the moon's shadow, indicating that the passage to another dimension was gradually opening. Even the headless knight felt the unusual pressure, and his headless body began to move restlessly.

The Black Witch Queen, of course, sensed this unusual pressure. She issued me an ultimatum, "John Farrell, why aren't you making them stop! Do you really want your loved one to die?"

"Hahaha, what a joke!" I laughed loudly. "I always play with women and then discard them. What kind of true love can someone like that have? You've really pushed me too far. Detonate whatever you want, blow it up however you want. I won't pay you extra for cleaning up the mess."

"Damn it! You bastard!"

The Black Witch Queen was moved by my words. She raised her wand high and chanted a spell. A deafening explosion rang out in the distance. I didn't need to turn around to know that the place where the golden cocoon was had been blasted into a fireball. The flames and heat shot upwards, forming a mushroom-shaped cloud that illuminated the night sky.

The explosion was astonishing in scale, requiring a special combination of energy materials and a magic array to create such power. It's believed that while the golden cocoon was engulfed by the explosion, all the soldiers stationed there perished along with it. They deserved their fate, as such a massive ambush had gone unnoticed.

"Marshal Li has been harmed by this damned transvestite! All warriors with blood in their veins must not let this transvestite get away with it! Let's avenge Marshal Li!"

On the battlefield, there are times when ruthlessness is needed, and times when passion is required. The challenge for a leader lies in skillfully switching between these two. The distant explosion shocked everyone on our side, and I seized the opportunity, forcing tears to flow, and used shouts to boost morale.

For Li Huamei, this was perhaps a cause for sorrow. So many people immediately believed the news of her death, losing faith in her; yet, she should also be happy, for so many were filled with fervent emotion, grief, and vowed revenge, to pay for her crimes in blood. The

Ishtar Wizard and the Southern Barbarian Orcs had no connection with Li Huamei, so those who would be so moved were naturally the Feathered Clan female warriors who had fought alongside her.

Upon hearing of Li Huamei's death, the Feathered Clan female warriors were extremely excited, taking to the skies and unleashing a rain of magical arrows towards the Black Witch Goddess. This attack greatly increased the pressure on the Black Witch Goddess, but it was still not enough to pose a threat. She dodged with a teleportation spell, and this time she even retaliated.

"Soul-refining fire of the Nine Netherworlds, obey my command, transform into beast form and serve me!"

The Black Witch Goddess chanted an incantation, and the surrounding air suddenly swirled rapidly. Immediately afterward, a violent spatial tremor occurred beneath her feet, and a blazing black flame erupted, swirling around the Black Witch Goddess and instantly transforming into a ferocious black fire dragon.

Among the various colors of flames, golden flames are the most advanced, capable of devouring all other flames, making them the king of flames. However, the most difficult to cultivate and the most destructive is black flame, because this flame only exists in the depths of the Demon Realm and the bottom of Hell. To control this flame, one must summon it from these two places, which is extremely difficult. The Black Witch Goddess's ability to use this technique is worthy of her title as the number one sorcerer of this era.

The black flame dragon was summoned, roaring as it spun and devoured everything in its path. Wherever the infernal flames reached, they were instantly engulfed in flames, especially flesh and blood, which were not only subjected to intense heat but also rapidly sliced and torn to pieces. Several orc warriors were among the first to be burned, instantly reduced to charred remains.

"Damn it, that freak is serious!"

I cursed, directing the winged female warriors to aim at the black dragon. Countless magical arrows rained down, but the black dragon had no physical form, being purely composed of flames. The arrows were instantly incinerated and devoured by the black fire as soon as they reached it. When the black dragon suddenly shot into the sky, the winged female warriors scattered in panic, quickly crumbling.

Now I could somewhat understand why the remnants of the Feathered Clan were so quickly routed and scattered after Phoenix Island sank. These bird women possessed astonishing combat power, but their fighting spirit was frighteningly low. One second they were filled with righteous indignation, eager to fight, and the next second, facing imminent death, they were busy flapping their wings to escape.

The spirit of Yu Ni and Yu Hong, who used to sacrifice themselves for justice and disregard life and death, now seemed unbelievable. I think this courage mostly came from their mother's superior bloodline, and had nothing to do with their father's Feathered Clan blood.

The black flame dragon was blocked in mid-air by the firebird beast demon released by Katrina, but it couldn't hold out for long before being bitten and devoured by the black dragon. After circling once in mid-air, the black dragon reversed and swooped down to the ground, attacking the Venerable of Ten Thousand Beasts and Bai Lan Xiong.

Bai Lan Xiong and the Venerable of Ten Thousand Beasts knew the power of the black fire. Seeing the black dragon's vicious attack, they dared not be touched by the black fire and quickly retreated to avoid it. This evasive maneuver fell right into the Black Witch's trap. The headless knight, caught in the crossfire between the Beastmaster and the White Bear,

suddenly spurred his horse, causing it to neigh sharply, creating a shockwave that swept outwards. The Beastmaster and the White Bear, retreating, were caught off guard and pushed back even further by the shockwave. The headless knight seized the opportunity, spurring his black horse forward like a whirlwind towards the center of the altar.

The black horse was a magnificent steed, its hooves flying. We only saw a black shadow, like smoke and mist, approaching the altar in the blink of an eye. There were people who tried to stop him, but none could match the headless knight. With a horizontal slash of his axe and sword, over a hundred heads flew into the air, headless corpses fell, and all the blood that should have splattered was tainted, forming wisps of black smoke rising into the sky.

The headless horse was unstoppable, charging straight into the altar at incredible speed. In a flash, it was beside Ah Xue. The naive girl hadn't even noticed the enemy's presence, still chanting her incantation with her eyes closed. The headless horse's sword swept across, striking the back of her neck, and she slumped unconscious.

Previously, when Ah Xue was struck by my palm and sealed in metal, the headless horse had broken the seal with its sword, saving her life. But this time, after knocking her unconscious, the headless horse seemed to have determined she was no longer of any use. It struck with its sword, ready to kill Ah Xue. If Narcissus hadn't intervened in time, firing a barrage of magical arrows to stop the headless horse, Ah Xue would have been beheaded.

However, the difference in strength was overwhelming. How could Narcissus, with only a sixth-level cultivation, possibly contend with the headless horse? With a mere flick of his wrist, the headless knight sent Narcissa flying. The half-opened portal to the realm halted; with the two main spellcasters absent, the tactic had failed before it was even fully implemented.

If things had ended there, what followed would likely have been nothing more than a massacre. But the Black Witch's true intentions were only just beginning. She brandished her wand, the skeletal goat's head emitting glimmers of green light, and chanted incantations once more.

Simultaneously, the headless knight, riding proudly in the center of the altar, sheathed his sword and axe, and rapidly formed over a dozen hand seals, echoing the Black Witch's chant. In an instant, the ground near the great black horse churned and surged like a lake, billowing with wisps of green smoke.

From within the smoke, six sinister figures slowly materialized, transparent and ethereal, each ten feet tall, resembling colossal statues, each posing differently, surveying the world below.

The magicians present were no laymen; witnessing this scene, they all understood what it meant. Those six transparent colossi were the six dark gods of the Loess Plateau, objects of worship for all practitioners of dark magic. The Black Witch's ability to summon them all at once meant she intended to use their dark power to create a second layer of magical barrier on top of the existing magic array.

The six intermittently appearing, three-dimensional statues were magnificent and awe-inspiring. Looking up from the ground, one felt incredibly small, especially sensing the endless, overwhelming dark elements emanating from those six enormous phantoms. I think I wasn't the only one trembling with fear; the wizards of Ishtar probably longed to kneel down and kowtow to the gods they usually worshipped.

Legend has it that during the Warring States period five hundred years ago, top-tier magicians could summon gods and use their divine power in battle. I personally experienced this during the battle on Fengling Island in the East Sea. However, the magic used by the Black Witch Goddess at this moment is probably not that kind. Otherwise, she could easily annihilate us by directly commanding dark gods in battle. Or conversely, a magician capable of simultaneously commanding six dark gods could summon a meteor shower with a flick of her finger and wipe us out. Why would she need to go through all this trouble?

Judging from the situation, she must have summoned a dark god, using a portion of its power to manifest in the mortal realm, helping her complete a certain magic array, and only responsible for completing that array.

The magic power of the six dark gods, combined with the energy originally contained within the magic array, instantly formed a protective circle of magical power around the altar. Although the Beast Venerable and White Wave Bear arrived, they were unable to break through and were blocked outside the protective circle of magical power. The situation has spiraled out of my control. All I can do now is observe and wait for my planned countermeasures to take effect.

(Damn it, when will I ever get the chance? That bastard! I told him to seize the opportunity, but has he already slipped away? Or is he hiding away and asleep?)

Anxious, I watched as the headless knight formed hand seals, resonating with the magical energy on the altar. The boundary passage, which had been stagnant, suddenly changed color, rapidly shifting from green to crimson, turning the black circle in the lunar eclipse into a red moon.

"This is... a change of orbit. Are they trying to open another dimensional realm?"

The difficulty in opening a boundary passage, besides requiring the gathering of immense energy to break through spatial barriers, lies in the crucial challenge of determining its direction. Most methods of opening boundary tunnels simply create a hole in a spatial barrier, without regard to what lies at the other end. Magic that can definitively determine which dimension the passage leads to is extremely rare, and most remain theoretical, without any opportunity for practical verification.

The spell we are currently performing only indicates a path to another world, summoning otherworldly demons, but what that other world actually looks like remains completely unknown. What the Black Witch is currently doing is redirecting our half-opened passage, leading to a different new world.

"So that's what she was planning... She actually has a way to designate other dimensional realms, quite something. But... which other world is she going to open? This... could it be..."

I vaguely guessed the Black Witch's purpose, my heart trembled, and I couldn't quite accept it for a moment. But then, something I had been waiting for finally happened.

The Black Witch was trapped by Yu Hong, engaged in a quagmire battle that was difficult to resolve, and it could even be said that she was fighting and retreating at the same time. But in the process of her rapid retreat, the shadow that moved with her on the ground suddenly twisted, and then, a cold blade pierced out from the shadow, silently stabbing towards the Black Witch's back.

(Well done! Finally moved! A ninja is indeed a ninja!)

The other move I had laid in advance was finally launched at this moment. The long-lurking Future, dressed in ninja attire, drew his sword from the shadow and stabbed at the Black Witch. I've seen Ghostly Evening use this Shadow Cloak technique before. While I can't compare to her in the future, a silent stab should still yield some results.

"Hmph! I knew you'd have this move. You underestimated me!"

Unexpectedly, the Black Witch seemed to have anticipated this move. When Future's stab came, she twirled her wand to deflect the force, avoiding the sudden attack. This was a miscalculation. Although Future's activities were discreet, since the Black Witch knew there was a ninja in our team, there was no reason she wouldn't be wary. I believe she'd been preparing for this for a long time.

The deadly strike failed to harm the Black Witch, a seemingly disastrous move. But I didn't give up, keeping a close watch on the Black Witch and Future's every move. Because… the job I entrusted to Future wasn't to assassinate the Black Witch, but…

"Clang!"

A clear sound rang out as Future's blade struck the wand, sparks flying. Its momentum didn't stop; it actually slashed diagonally upwards along the wand. The Black Witch was shocked by this, even showing fear in her eyes—something unprecedented since the start of the war.

I noticed this and looked at the tip of the wand, then it dawned on me. The job I entrusted to Future wasn't to assassinate the Black Witch, but to find the location of the Headless Horseman's skull. Therefore, this kid would lie in wait, ignoring the changing situation, until he found the target before revealing himself.

The tip of the Black Witch's wand was a ram's skull, a terrifying image, but a fairly traditional wand design. We hadn't considered anything else when we fought her. However, with the Black Witch's magic, if she were to use illusion to conceal the skeleton and then slightly modify it, she could absolutely do it, deceiving our vision.

The most dangerous place is the safest place. The headless horseman's skull had actually been hovering right in front of us the whole time, but we hadn't noticed. And Future… there are special discernment techniques in ninjutsu that can see things that ordinary people can't. This kid's professional skills gave us a chance to win in our despair. With a

"whoosh," Future completed his mission. His ninja sword sliced through the steel-forged magic wand, and the ram's skull on the wand's head flew out, instantly breaking the illusion and revealing a clearly human skull. I was overjoyed, but before I could even shout with joy, the Black Witch acted, slamming a heavy palm into Future's left shoulder. The sound of bones shattering rang out, sending him flying backward, and she snatched the skull back into her hand.

This move showcased extraordinary martial arts skills. The Black Witch Celestial was indeed no ordinary magician; she also possessed remarkable martial arts prowess. However, I merely snorted coldly, undeterred. Firstly, it was Future who was injured by the palm strike, and the kid's misfortune only made me ecstatic. Secondly, while the Black Witch Celestial's martial arts were certainly not weak, and were definitely superior to mine, could they surpass the five strongest warriors?

The Beast Venerable and White Orchid Bear, who were blocked outside the spell circle, rushed towards the Black Witch Celestial without even waiting for my signal. Yu Hong, who was closest to the Black Witch Celestial, understood the situation and launched a relentless attack, determined to seize the skull.

This put the Black Witch Celestial in a very precarious situation. She waved her arm to form a hand seal, summoning black fire to form a phantom beast once more. However, the black fire had barely ignited and had not yet formed the image of a ferocious beast when a brilliant golden light rose from the distance and hurtled towards her at high speed.

"This...this is..."

Though surprised, I already knew the answer in my heart. I was both astonished and delighted. A brilliant golden light tore through the sky, carving a dazzling rainbow through the dark clouds, stirring up wind and clouds, approaching at an astonishing speed, its imposing momentum seemingly unstoppable.

Immediately afterward, the golden light disappeared into the clouds, transforming into a magnificent dragon shadow that roared down from the clouds, heading straight for the Black Witch Goddess. It circled and howled, swooping down at high speed. Encountering a black flame dragon blocking its path, the golden light and black flames clashed head-on, violently surging, and finally, with a deafening roar, they annihilated each other. A sword light shot out from the dragon shadow, its aura soaring to the heavens, the ground sinking a foot. Even before the sword arrived, it had already sealed off all of the Black Witch Goddess's escape routes.

The situation was clear: if the Black Witch Goddess didn't free her hands to defend herself, this sword would kill her on the spot. If she died, her skull would naturally fall into our hands. In that instant, I clearly saw that the person wielding the sword at the Black Witch Goddess from mid-air was none other than Li Huamei, who had

just emerged from her cocoon. Although the explosion was powerful, I had faith in the Dragon Cocoon. If it were so easily destroyed, the Dragon Sleeve Clan would have been wiped out long ago. As it turned out, the Dragon Cocoon's resilience was extraordinary; Li Huamei was unharmed after the explosion.

Having just escaped death, Li Huamei, whose power had surged, seemed unable to fully control the berserk power within her. This made her sword strike all the more awe-inspiring and overwhelming. If the Black Witch Goddess didn't release her grip and defend, she would surely be killed by this sword. Despite this, I was somewhat worried, because the Black Witch Goddess had another option…

"Li Huamei! Let's go our separate ways!"

Facing the fierce attack, the Black Witch Goddess roared, neither dodging nor evading, raising the skull in her hand to meet Li Huamei's sword tip head-on.

This was a desperate, life-or-death situation, the very thing I feared most. The Black Witch's resolve was unwavering. Although Li Huamei immediately deflected her sword, trying to thwart her plan, the Black Witch twisted her wrist, forcefully ramming the skull against the blade.

The inevitable consequence unfolded before everyone's eyes with a deafening explosion. The Black Witch was thrown back by the force of the sword, crashing to the ground, vomiting blood repeatedly. Despite her serious injuries, she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Hahahaha~~"

The Black Witch's right hand was covered in blood, severely injured by the explosion. The skull she had been holding tightly had been reduced to ashes in the blast. This skull was the key to controlling the Headless Horseman; now that it was destroyed, no one could control him.

As soon as the skull shattered, the headless knight within the magic circle sensed it, trembling violently as if enduring immense pain. Then, a agonizing howl, like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts from the depths of hell, roared from the center of the magic circle, like a raging tsunami, shaking everyone around to their core.

The headless knight then abruptly turned around. Although headless, we felt it "staring" at us, its gaze, overflowing with resentment and venom, sweeping over us rapidly, branding us—those who had helped harm it—with a vengeful mark of destruction.

I don't know if a powerhouse of the level of the Beastmaster could truly be fearless, but being glared at like that by the headless knight made us feel weak all over, almost collapsing to our knees. If Li Huamei hadn't descended from the sky, landing beside me and standing shoulder to shoulder to withstand this pressure, I don't know if I could have endured it.

Clearly, with the skull destroyed, the headless knight, who had been under control, is now completely out of control and will soon unleash a killing spree to vent his rage. The Black Witch Goddess relied on the headless knight to manipulate the interdimensional passage; now that her goal has been achieved, she can no longer protect the skull, so she simply destroys it. Although she herself is in danger, in reality, the threat we face is far greater than hers. This can only be described as the most venomous heart of a woman. And there's still one thing I can't understand: does the Black Witch Goddess have some hidden trump card that would allow her to escape unscathed?

The answer seems to be gradually emerging. From the crimson moon in the sky, an eerie red light, almost tangible, shines through the lunar eclipse, tearing through space and creating true dimensional rifts. This rift is maintained by the magic power of the six dark gods and the magic circle, and then, the path to another world opens.

Thousands upon thousands of eerie, emerald-green lights shot out from the dimensional rift. Each firefly-like light was a manifestation of a vengeful spirit, its form shifting and reverting to its blood-soaked, malevolent form. In an instant, the entire sky was shrouded in death, and countless ghostly flames appeared in the heavens. Though their light was emerald green, it illuminated the clouds in a crimson hue, as if blood were about to drip from them. Looking up from the ground, it was as if the underworld and the mortal realm had merged, making it impossible to distinguish which was human and which was hell.

(Oh no! Has anything like this ever happened in history? She actually managed to open a passage to the underworld, directly connecting the realms of Yin and Yang, erasing the boundary between life and death. How am I going to handle this?)

I realized the gravity of the situation and broke out in a cold sweat. The Headless Horseman's "dead white eyes" are a symbol of the Underworld Emperor. The Black Witch, backed by a large amount of magic power, used the Headless Horseman's special bloodline to locate and lock onto a path, breaking through the road to the Underworld. Now, I don't know what to do.

"My little lover, are you alright?"

"I'm fine... It's so good to have you here."

In my panic, I glanced at Li Huamei. She was still wearing a red silk robe, covered by golden armor formed from dragon energy, exuding heroic spirit and divine might. Her beautiful face resembled a battlefield Valkyrie, as if victory was just around the corner, giving people boundless confidence.

Since the battle on Sealed Spirit Island, we've joined forces again, fighting side-by-side against the same enemy. This could be considered a coincidence, or it could be considered bad luck, but being able to team up with her is a good thing that warms my icy heart again.

◆ Episode 4: The Platinum World. Unrivaled in the Universe

. In Ishtar, the mere mention of the Headless Horseman sends countless people into a splitting headache, preferring death to a direct confrontation. However, knowing how this great battle would ultimately unfold, I think many would still have preferred to fight the Headless Horseman.

A part of the Underworld, connected to the skies of Baghdad via a boundary passage, initially unleashed countless howling ghosts, causing chaos and turning the world into a living hell. But what followed was terrifying, even shocking Li Huamei. She never imagined the Black Witch Goddess's ambitions were so vast, reaching such a level!

The colossal phantoms of the six dark gods remained, surrounding the altar. The space around the altar began to shift. Centered on the magic circle, the surrounding terrain rapidly changed. Some areas suddenly caved in, then filled with copious amounts of blood, forming pools of blood; others spewed forth lava, flowing in all directions, carving out lava channels; further away, even massive ice formations solidified into mountains, their peaks adorned with sharp ice pillars, as if pierced by a thousand blades.

Mountains of knives, seas of fire, pools of blood… these legendary scenes materialized rapidly before my eyes, leaving me almost unable to believe my eyes.

My foundation in magical theory was weak, and I desperately wanted to find a qualified magic scholar to teach me. The wizards of Ishtar were qualified, but they either fled in panic or stood frozen in place; none of them obeyed my commands. And when ghostly figures began to appear around the pools of blood and the seas of fire, my questions became unnecessary; there was nothing left to ask.

"Are you kidding me? Has this transvestite gone mad? Does she even know what she's done? This isn't just opening a boundary passage, it's a complete boundary overlap!"

I exclaimed angrily, losing all composure. The Black Witch's intentions were truly insane. Before, opening a boundary passage meant creating a small hole between two different spaces to connect them, but what's happening now is that the two different spaces have overlapped, causing a portion of the Underworld to appear directly in the mortal realm. And from what we've confirmed, this phenomenon is still ongoing; the Underworld is rapidly merging with the mortal realm, "devouring" it. If

this continues, it will be a cataclysmic disaster. The battle at Fengling Island in the East Sea was already a major event, but it's far more dangerous than this.

Looking around, following countless spirits, some special creatures belonging to the Underworld also appeared.

Red-skinned monsters with two horns on their heads, wielding tridents, were Underworld soldiers who had imprisoned and punished spirits. Now, they turned their tridents around and attacked the living people present.

The filthy soldiers, their bodies reduced to mere skeletal remains and clinging only to pieces of rotting flesh, were the regular army of the Underworld, exceptionally powerful. Tens of them appeared in force, surrounding us from the outermost edge. Countless bone arrows rained down, causing heavy casualties among Ishtar's mages.

Eight-legged skeletal spiders, each three feet tall and as large as an elephant, moved with incredible speed, their claws sharp as knives. These were the "chariots" of the Underworld army, charging into battle unstoppable.

The clouds above grew even denser, and crimson lightning could be vaguely seen flashing across them. Some enormous figures were hidden within the clouds; though not clearly visible, I suspected they were undead creatures like dragon spirits or skeletal dragons, drawn by the scent of the living, lurking in the clouds, waiting for their chance to strike.

Riding a skeletal warhorse, the Skeleton Demon General brandished his sword, commanding the Red-Forked Ghosts and manipulating skeletal catapults to hurle eerie blue flames. The power was astonishing; each strike ignited an area within a ten-foot radius into a sea of fire.

Besides the catapults, the Netherworld army's undead cannons were equally terrifying. Each cannonball contained ninety-nine wraiths, unleashing them in a single burst, shattering mountains and scattering in all directions, injuring and corroding flesh. Even the orc warriors, with their formidable physical defenses, could not withstand the onslaught.

"Watch out!"

Li Huamei wielded her transparent longsword, cleaving an incoming undead cannonball in two. The ninety-nine wraiths within had no time to erupt before being annihilated by her dragon power, their souls scattered, displaying the immense power they had gained after their transformation. The strength and confidence of the strongest were unmistakable.

Unfortunately, not everyone can be as glamorous as Li Huamei. Her amazing strength makes her the most dazzling point in this hell on earth, but most people can only become supporting characters, or even be buried with her.

The mages of Ishtar had spiraled out of control, no longer forming formations or casting spells, but simply scattering in all directions, trying to survive in this chaotic hellish scene. Their supreme leader, Narcissas, had fallen and was temporarily missing. Leaderless, these scattered mages, led by Prince Arus, managed to gather in one place and fight back.

Mages are weak in melee combat; ideally, they would have an army providing cover while they provided ranged attacks from the rear. While the battlefield is ever-changing and such ideals are rarely found, this situation was far from ideal. The mages were being forced into close combat against a vastly superior enemy without any cover.

Ishtar's regular army contained many highly physically resilient "meat shields," modified blood slaves and berserkers, or elite armored soldiers—all powerful reinforcements capable of protecting the mages. However, the mages were only there tonight to assist in casting spells, not to witness a large-scale battle. Therefore, all the blood slaves, berserkers, and armored soldiers remained in Baghdad, now facing a direct attack from the Underworld Legion—akin to going through a volcano naked.

Arus could summon the three-headed hellhound, a very high-level magical beast among various ferocious demons. Its three distinct heads breathed hellfire, preventing the Underworld Legion from approaching and serving as a significant part of their protection. In addition, the timely arrival of orc warriors was another reason the mages were able to hold on; otherwise, Ishtar's mages would have been completely annihilated within fifteen minutes of the battle beginning.

The situation here is extremely dire. Faced with this out-of-control situation, I must first address the immediate issues one by one. The first to eliminate is the culprit, the Black Witch.

"Damn it, you want to take me down with you? I'll kill this filthy transvestite first!"

I yelled at Yu Hong, trying to get her to cooperate in the attack. But a sudden accident shattered my plan and made me finally understand what the Black Witch Celestial was all about.

Several streams of extremely cold air descended from the sky, heading straight for Yu Hong. Yu Hong wielded the Beacon Fire Universe Ring, trying to dodge and retaliate, but the Black Witch Celestial used the opposite method to restrain her. Several magical arrows blocked Yu Hong's retreat, finally leaving her with nowhere to go. She was hit squarely by the extremely cold air, instantly frozen in ice, turning into a giant block of black ice.

With Yu Hong's current cultivation level, freezing and capturing her in one move would be impossible unless it was done by a top-tier expert. And the "person" who accomplished this was floating in the air, appearing near the spatial rift. It was someone we knew very well.

The ghostly figure floating in the air transformed into a man in tattered black robes, appearing and disappearing indistinctly. His hands were tucked into his black sleeves, and his head was tightly wrapped in black bandages, leaving only his left eye uncovered. This single, jade-green eye, revealing bloodshot, ferocious white teeth, was clearly that of a powerful enemy who had recently passed away.

The Heart Lamp Hermit!

Seeing this scene, I was stunned. No matter how I had guessed beforehand, I could never have imagined that the Black Witch Celestial's meticulously planned objective was this.

Everything… was for a very simple reason: love!

We had previously speculated that there was a conflict between the Black Dragon King and the Black Witch Celestial. This deduction seemed absolutely correct at the time, but as the truth slowly unfolded, it was overturned. The Heart Lamp Hermit betrayed his sect and murdered his master for the sake of the Black Witch Celestial, and even joined forces with her to usurp the Black Dragon Society, becoming the current Black Dragon King. The two of them conspired together to carry out various schemes.

After the Black Dragon King's death, the Black Witch, driven mad by grief for her lover, devised a bizarre plan: to use the magic of the boundary tunnel to open a passage between the realms of Yin and Yang, allowing the dead to return to life. Of all known magic, those that resurrect the dead always come at a terrible price and are extremely short-lived. The Black Witch, naturally, couldn't satisfy this desire, so she went to great lengths to turn the human world into hell, connecting the Yin and Yang realms to achieve her wish.

Therefore, our current situation is quite simple… The Black Dragon King and the Black Witch, working together, are arguably the strongest evil duo on earth. Just thinking about fighting them gives me a stomachache… Moreover… the enemy we face now isn't just this strongest evil duo; there's another one that might be even more troublesome…

Boom!

A tremendous explosion erupted from the very center of the altar. The headless knight, his head destroyed, seemed to be consumed by rage. A layer of purplish-red blood mist swirled around him, surging outwards like a raging tidal wave. The force of this surge was so great that even the phantoms of the six dark gods surrounding the altar were affected, causing them to tremble.

The pain of losing his head directly affected the headless knight. Filled with resentment, his killing intent surged. With a clang, his longsword and axe returned to his hands. His black horse let out a mournful neigh, its hooves pounding the ground, and in the blink of an eye, it charged out of the altar's perimeter. With a single, swift strike, it slashed at the nearby group of mages. "

Mogu's Forbidden Flow - Reverse Flow Absolute Sword!"

This sword strike, which had once cleaved the heavens and earth in the dream world, appeared in the real world, still displaying unparalleled divine power. Ignoring the nearly one hundred feet distance, the sword energy transformed into a black greatsword, slashing down with earth-shattering force.

If struck by this sword, more than half of the thousands of mages might be killed or wounded. Arus gritted his teeth and urged his three-headed hellhound to block the attack. A muffled cracking sound rang out as the massive hellhound was cleaved in two by the sword. Multiple forces erupted within its body, forcing its ton-heavy body to explode into a shower of blood and flesh.

The summoned beast, bound by blood, was annihilated, and Arus was caught in the crossfire, letting out a scream and nearly fainting on the spot. Even after the sword's power had dissipated, it still killed more than ten mages, several orc warriors, and even the skeleton army of the Underworld Legion was affected. However, those ghosts and monsters showed unusual respect and fear towards the headless knight, actively changing their encirclement formation to coordinate with the headless knight's attacks.

"Hiss~~"

The black horse, seemingly unafraid of death, neighed loudly, excited by its master's massacre. The headless knight, as if encouraged, spun its left-hand axe like a windmill and charged towards me, seemingly determined to behead me.

"Wow! Is beheading the only option? How about cutting off a finger?"

The headless knight was still far away, and I prepared to ask Li Huamei to block it, to test the level of her newly transformed Eight-Headed Golden Dragon power. But before I could even utter a word, she leaped into the air, first striking the Black Witch Goddess with her sword, then leaping towards the Heart Lamp Hermit in mid-air.

"My little lover, leave the Black Dragon

Society's affairs to me. The rest is yours to handle!" With just these words, Li Huamei single-handedly fought the Black Witch Goddess and the Heart Lamp Hermit, while I smiled wryly, wondering if Li Huamei's "rest" included the headless knight, this super troublesome culprit.

Facing the combined attack of the Black Witch and the Heart Lamp Hermit was undoubtedly an extremely difficult task. Li Huamei had taken on this heavy responsibility, and I should be grateful and secretly pleased. But for some reason, I felt a strange unease; it was truly inexplicable.

In a direct confrontation, I had no chance against the Headless Horseman. Li Huamei knew this well. The reason she could leave me behind was because my backers were no ordinary people; seeing me in danger, they rushed to my side.

The Beast Master and the White Orchid Bear arrived from the left and right, jointly suppressing the Headless Horseman. Their determination to protect me was truly moving, yet the results of that determination were disheartening.

Previously, the Beast Master and the White Orchid Bear, working together, could only barely resist the Headless Horseman's attacks. Now, with the Headless Horseman's power surging with resentment and rage, the two of them were even less of a match. How could they possibly hold on?

"Ugh!"

"Ooh!"

Amidst muffled groans and cries of pain, the Beastmaster and White Orchid Bear were both blasted away. Black swords and sharp axes rained down, and if they hadn't dodged quickly, they would both have been splattered with blood. However, it's hard to say whether their injuries would actually draw blood, because from the beginning, the corpses killed by the Headless Knight had no blood on their wounds; the blood that should have flowed out turned into wisps of black smoke, rising straight out. Such a sign suggests that the souls of the dead were directly imprisoned within the weapons, unable to be reborn.

Of course, I didn't want to suffer such a fate, but realistically, I had already used all my trump cards, and all the manpower I could muster was on the field. Regardless of what others expected of me, I couldn't come up with any ingenious plans now; I could only improvise.

Fortunately, my "lifeline" hadn't given up so quickly. Faced with an unprecedentedly powerful foe, the Beastmaster and Bai Lanxiong joined forces, employing a combination technique they had never used before. They exchanged a glance, then simultaneously channeled their energy, elevating their Beast King Fist to the "Beast God" realm.

The Beast God Transformation is the highest level of the Beast King Fist. While the outward appearance is no longer enhanced or resembles a beast, the inner essence, energy, and spirit are doubled and amplified, unleashing the strongest attack at their peak. For these two top-tier beastman warriors, their attack was two pairs of unparalleled iron fists.

"

Ora

ora

...

However, even such a super-level defensive barrier could only temporarily stop the headless knight and could not cause any real damage. On the other side, Li Huamei wielded the crystal sword in her hand into a white light, fully displaying the power of the newly transformed Eight-Headed Golden Dragon, blocking the super spirit body activated by the Heart Lamp Hermit.

The super spirit body is a concrete symbol that appears when fire-type magic is cultivated to its extreme. On the day of the battle at Cihang Jingdian, the Heart Lamp Hermit first used the super spirit body to form a giant sword, sweeping across thousands of troops and defeating the heroes present. Later, he even used the super spirit body to create an external avatar, forming a secondary body, and fought together with the Heart Sword Goddess with his main body. It was truly unpredictable and infinitely powerful. Even in the spirit body state where he had lost his physical body, the silver giant sword extending from the Heart Lamp Hermit's wrist still burst out with an unparalleled and domineering power.

However, Li Huamei blocked this heaven-splitting sword strike with her own. The two swords differed in size by more than tenfold, yet the power they unleashed was identical… Hmm, it seemed more than just identical. Compared to the final battle in the East Sea, Li Huamei's power had clearly increased this time. She was now more than capable of fighting the Heart Lamp Hermit, and after receiving the sword strike, she didn't even need to recover her energy, unleashing a barrage of attacks that sent the super-spiritual giant sword flying back.

The transparent blade in Li Huamei's hand, while not as powerful as the Dragon-Slaying Blade, was still a divine weapon passed down through generations of the Dragon God Clan. In battle, it channeled dragon energy along with her power, generating additional attribute damage that made it quite difficult for her enemies. After several exchanges, the Black Dragon King image that the Heart Lamp Hermit emanated—the one-eyed, black-robed figure—faded slightly, revealing its true form.

In that instant, I felt somewhat relieved that Yu Hong, frozen in ice, wouldn't have to witness this scene.

Since he was a spirit, his appearance was naturally different from when he was alive. The Heart Lamp Hermit, who had controlled the Black Dragon Society in life and was deeply sinful, had suffered severe demonic transformation after death. He no longer possessed his former handsome appearance; horns sprouted from his forehead, eyes like copper bells, fangs protruded from his mouth, and half his face was a bloody mess, making him look more like a monster than a human.

If Yu Hong were to witness this scene firsthand, seeing her father's grotesque demonic form and then reflecting on her responsibility, it would undoubtedly be a major blow.

Furthermore, although the Heart Lamp Hermit possessed astonishing combat power, wielding his super-spiritual greatsword with effortless skill, each strike carrying the might of wind and thunder, he hadn't uttered a single word since his appearance, and his eyes showed no emotion. He was practically unrelated to his former self.

Since ancient times, the art of resurrection has been taboo, not only because of the high cost of its execution and the limited time the soul can remain in the mortal realm, but also because of another reason people are unwilling to face: once a person dies violently and becomes a vengeful spirit, their entire soul begins to change. The Headless Horseman, for example, forgets most of his memories of his previous life, leaving only resentment in his heart—this is practically the norm for vengeful spirits. What people painstakingly try to resurrect may be an incomplete soul, or even a completely different person.

The Black Witch, a master of magic, couldn't possibly be unaware of these things, yet she still did it without hesitation. I can understand her feelings, but… alas, some things are understood even by those involved, yet no amount of persuasion can dissuade them.

"Li Huamei! Don't be so arrogant!"

the Black Witch Goddess roared, her powerful voice sending chills down everyone's spine. She had condensed her lightning element into a high-level dark magic spell, aimed at Li Huamei's back, but before it could strike, Li Huamei countered with a palm strike. Golden dragon energy condensed in the atmosphere, forming an invisible shield of light that firmly blocked the attack.

This miraculous resurrection had indeed greatly enhanced Li Huamei's power. Originally, she was the weakest among the five strongest, but after this transformation, she could now surpass skill and experience with sheer strength, becoming one of the top figures among the strongest. I even had a feeling that if Li Huamei were to undergo another transformation, she might break through to the eighth level and reach the legendary ninth level, ready for a glorious battle against the Headless Knight.

(Sigh, it seems too late to think of this now. If I had thought of it earlier… But even if I had, could I have implemented this plan? That seems…)

Admittedly, I don't know if I can implement this strategy, but when I thought of it, a sense of dread suddenly arose in my heart. I realized that, given Li Huamei's personality, she would definitely implement this strategy without hesitation. The reason she didn't is probably because she has some major concerns. Thinking of

this, I looked up at the sky again. Li Huamei and the Heart Lamp Hermit were locked in a fierce battle, while the Black Witch Heavenly Maiden launched a series of magical surprise attacks from the side, attacking from both sides.

If it were only offensive black magic, it would be fine, but the Black Witch Heavenly Maiden entrusted the main attack to the Heart Lamp Hermit, while she herself used water magic to interfere from the side. This caused Li Huamei to miss her target, her body to feel a hundred times heavier, and she quickly suffered several major losses, her body began to be injured, and blood splattered in the air.

Seeing Li Huamei fighting so hard, my initial slight displeasure vanished, and I began to worry about her. The Black Witch Goddess was a top-tier sorcerer of the Yellow Earth, capable of holding her own for a considerable time even in direct combat with Li Huamei. Now, focused on support, the Heart Lamp Hermit's combat power had practically doubled. While Li Huamei was strong, her transformation was still in its early stages, and she hadn't yet properly controlled her power, being overwhelmed by the enemy's combined attack. However, her inherently fierce nature meant that despite being at a disadvantage, she still managed to attack more than defend, displaying the might of a regional overlord.

(If this continues, things will soon get really bad. Is there anything I can do for her?)

I usually firmly believe that wisdom can turn the impossible into the possible. However, when there's an absolute difference in strength, wisdom isn't everything. At least, a highly intelligent ant can defeat an elephant, but it can't defeat the Black Dragon King.

Looking at the overall situation, our strategy has been shattered by the enemy. Li Huamei is no match for the enemy's combined forces, and the combined forces of the Beast Master and Bai Lanxiong are no match for the enemy. Everywhere else, it's a fragmented defeat. Our allies are fighting hard, and I should do something too, but after thinking it over, the only thing I can do is to run away immediately and not be a burden to my comrades.

The situation was dire. Unable to find an answer, I stood frozen, racking my brains with resentment. Suddenly, I heard Li Huamei shout, "Be careful!" Confused, I noticed the space behind me crack, and a black sword shadow pierced through the rift.

The Demon Ancient Forbidden Flow - Great Buddha Mother Shadow Black Sword:

The Beast King Fist's cosmic defense was indeed formidable. Despite the disparity in strength, it had held off the headless knight for so long, but this also allowed it to regain more of its memories during the fierce battle, retrieving the unparalleled martial arts it had cultivated in its previous life.

The pinnacle martial arts of the Dark God Palace of the past were truly awe-inspiring. Unlike the domineering Reverse Flow Sword, this Great Buddha Mother Shadow Black Sword, seemingly stealthy, forcefully distorted space with immense power. The headless knight swung its sword a hundred feet away, the blade piercing through space and appearing directly behind me. Although I noticed, what could I do to save myself?

"Clang!"

At the critical moment, a loud metallic clang averted my danger. Li Huamei, who was locked in a fierce battle in mid-air, not only kept a close eye on my situation, but at this most critical moment, she disregarded her own safety and threw her longsword with tremendous force, which landed in front of me, blocking the headless knight's sword for me.

The two forces collided, causing a powerful explosion. The small crack in the distorted space in front of us disappeared, and I was thrown backward by the shock, suffering multiple injuries and bleeding. But amidst the excruciating pain, the thing I cared about most was Li Huamei's condition.

In a battle between masters, the slightest difference can be fatal. Li Huamei, caught between two masters, even threw her weapon, which was tantamount to playing with her life. The consequence of knowingly committing such a risk was a terrible price to pay: the Black Witch Goddess seized that momentary opening, unleashing the "Dragon Breaker" attribute on her super-spiritual greatsword with all her might. With a single sweep, the armor formed by the golden dragon energy was more fragile than a piece of paper. The sword energy dragged a long gash across Li Huamei's abdomen and side, just a hair's breadth away from severing her at the waist.

Blood splattered across the sky as Li Huamei was severely injured. This was the first time she had been seriously wounded before my eyes, and I could only stand there dumbfounded, unable to help her at all.

Despite the pain, Li Huamei's forehead was covered in cold sweat, but she acted as if she felt no pain. She immediately counterattacked, unleashing her full power with both fists, two golden dragon images coiling around her arms. She used her flesh and blood to directly confront the super-spirited giant sword, unleashing her full power and actually causing the giant sword to bounce back.

Despite being seriously injured, she could still be so brave. This fighting spirit greatly surprised the enemy. However, this head-on collision caused Li Huamei's wound on her side to bleed profusely again. She immediately gathered her strength in her palm and wiped it across the wound. A strong, acrid smell mixed with clear smoke spread out. I then realized that Li Huamei was using high heat to cauterize the wound to stop the bleeding. This must have been extremely painful, but she didn't even utter a sound.

Not letting go of this opportunity when the enemy was weakened, the Black Witch Celestial Maiden attacked again in conjunction with the Heart Lamp Hermit. A pale purple ball of light quickly formed in her hands.

"Li Huamei, you've fought me for years, and I've always considered you a formidable foe. But tonight, you've fallen so low for a man, making repeated mistakes. You're destined to die here!"

"Perhaps. I have my own things to do. I'll leave the rest to him. I'm not omnipotent..."

Li Huamei clashed with the Heart Lamp Hermit's super-spiritual greatsword again, while simultaneously throwing a punch at the Black Witch Goddess. A helpless smile appeared on her beautiful face.

"...Also, sometimes, victory or defeat isn't the most important thing to me...I like what I do, and I never regret it..."

As she said this, Li Huamei glanced at me briefly, giving a meaningful smile. Then, without dodging or parrying the Heart Lamp Hermit's sword strike, she mustered all her strength and forcefully clamped the greatsword between her arms. The forces clashed, tearing open the skin on Li Huamei's wrists, and blood flowed freely.

Li Huamei could have dodged this sword strike, but taking it head-on resulted in her being struck prematurely by the pale purple light sphere unleashed by the Black Witch Celestial.

This light sphere, unleashed with all her might by the Black Witch Celestial, was certainly no good, but before the purple light spread, Li Huamei seemed to have done something. She channeled all her golden dragon power, forcing the

golden light from her body along the Super Spirit Greatsword to the Heart Lamp Hermit's side, instantly merging the two sides into a single line. The consequence of this action was the Black Witch Celestial's agonizing scream, because after the golden light faded, pale purple light rapidly extended from Li Huamei's body, enveloping the Super Spirit Greatsword and the Heart Lamp Hermit in its glow. Then, the figures of the Heart Lamp Hermit and Li Huamei quickly faded, disappearing from our sight.

"Li...Li~Hua~~Mei!"

If we are not mistaken, this should be some kind of spatial teleportation magic, and judging from the Black Witch Celestial's sorrowful howl, being struck by this attack was definitely not a joke.

However, the Black Witch Goddess had little time for regret. Before she could even react, a golden ray and a silver ray struck her, leaving her without even a scream. A few seconds later, where the Black Witch Goddess had just stood, only a golden statue with a silver base remained!

◆ Episode 5: The Mighty Heavenly Dragon. An Old Friend Returns

Among the five strongest warriors, only Li Huamei was a woman. And among all the female warriors of the era, Li Huamei ranked first, highly respected. Even the usually unyielding Neon and Leng Linglan idolized her. In some ways, she and Yue Ying were arguably the two most dazzling women on earth.

However, there's no such thing as a free lunch. One or two successes might involve luck, but to stand firm for a long time requires formidable strength and… sacrifice.

When Li Huamei took over the Dragon God Clan, she was just a young girl with only unwavering determination. To rise to become one of the strongest in the world in such a short time, earning a resounding reputation, required an immense price, as everyone knows. I, too, was deeply moved. But only today, witnessing her in the midst of a bloody battle, have I truly understood the hardships she endured.

Unafraid of being in perilous situations or facing misunderstandings, she calmly made the most correct judgments. Even while severely wounded, she immediately used

ruthless methods to stop the bleeding, remaining as calm as if the bleeding wasn't her own body, and immediately sought revenge against the enemy. How many life-or-death battles must one have traversed, how many tears shed and emotions numbed, to cultivate such fortitude? With such willpower, how could one not be strong? If such willpower were found in a woman, that woman would be terrifying. This is why Li Huamei has achieved what she has today, and why Neon and Leng Linglan can only idolize her, never truly surpass her.

However, even such a remarkable woman had her weaknesses.

When the headless knight attacked me, Li Huamei could have easily stood by and watched. If she had focused solely on her own battle, despite being at a disadvantage, her strength and skill could have sustained her for a considerable time, allowing her to hold her ground and wait for an opportunity to win.

But Li Huamei made the worst choice, ignoring her own situation and rushing to my aid. The headless knight's attack was no small matter; a half-hearted rescue was utterly useless. Li Huamei had no choice but to throw her sword and strike head-on against the headless knight's blow. She succeeded, but this also exposed a fatal flaw, which the enemy exploited, leading to her demise.

This was the impact of Li Huamei's decision.

Returning to my own situation, this battle has reached a point of overwhelming defeat for our side, and I feel powerless to reverse it. But… perhaps because I've witnessed too many similar scenes, when I see my own forces crumbling like a house of cards, on the verge of total annihilation, I only feel a strong sense of… unreality.

The battles of Fengling Island, Cihang Jingdian, and many other battles, large and small, I have survived life-or-death situations unscathed. After a while, my sense of crisis has faded a lot. I always feel that... maybe some miracle will suddenly happen and allow us to turn the tide of the battle. The seemingly dangerous situation is actually only temporary, and my friends will not be harmed in any real way.

It was precisely because of this feeling that I couldn't concentrate, or even tense up. My reactions since the opening of the portal had always been a beat slow. It wasn't until Li Huamei was severely injured while covering me that my nerves, which had been numb and sluggish, suddenly snapped back to reality, making me acutely aware: This is a battlefield! Our side is suffering a crushing defeat! The person I cherish and value could leave me forever at any moment!

A chill ran down my spine and straight to my head, instantly waking me up and making me regret my previous sluggishness. The reality before me was that Li Huamei was severely injured and had no chance against the Heart Lamp Hermit and the Black Witch Goddess, which would lead to a chain reaction of defeats in the overall battle. It was truly too late for me to do anything.

Fortunately, despite the danger, Li Huamei remained calm. At this critical moment, she still tried to give me signals with her eyes and words, telling me what to do.

"I have what I can do, the rest is up to him. I'm not omnipotent..."

I've done what I can. Everyone has their role to play. This is all I can do. The rest is up to you.

You should know my personality; even if I'm defeated, I won't let the enemy get away with it. No matter what I can do, you must seize that fleeting opportunity, do your best to inflict damage on the enemy, and grasp the tail of victory.

Wisdom alone is not enough; absolute calmness is also necessary. So... don't be discouraged. Calmly use your wisdom to find every opportunity. Victory is not impossible.

"...Also, at times, victory or defeat is not the most important thing to me... I like what I do, and I will never regret it..."

Until the very end, Li Huamei encouraged me. Even before her suicidal attack, she told me that if she wanted to pursue victory, she would stop at nothing and sacrifice everything, but in some situations, she only wanted to protect what she valued, not to be obsessed with victory.

This was like a dragon girl's confession, and I truly received her feelings. Standing there, stunned, I watched as Li Huamei was struck by the Black Witch Goddess's attack. My heart was pounding with excitement, but I had to suppress my turbulent emotions and regain absolute composure to find an opportunity for victory, because this was the promise I had made to Li Huamei!

The opportunity for victory did indeed exist. At least… putting everything else aside, right before my eyes was someone even more excited than I was: the Black Witch Goddess.

"Ancient lustful spirits, in the name of John Farrell, I make a pact with you. Lend me your power, submit to me, manifest yourself, come forth, Hellish God of Lust, Golden and Silver Silkworm Gu!"

Normally, the magical fluctuations I released when summoning the Hellish God of Lust would be detectable by a high-ranking mage like the Black Witch Goddess from a mile away. But in her excitement, she had lost her senses and failed to notice the change so close at hand.

The opportunity created by Li Huamei was truly remarkable, and I had to admit, the sight of a woman with her back to me was incredibly alluring, especially… that woman was an enemy, and a very powerful one at that.

The combination of the golden and silver silkworm gu and the gloves revived the supernatural power from five hundred years ago. Taking advantage of the Black Witch's momentary lapse in concentration, I pushed out with both palms and blasted at her. When she turned her head, she saw a golden light and a silver light flashing towards her.

With a loud bang, dust billowed up from the ground. The Black Witch didn't even have time to scream before she was struck by the golden seal, her entire body transforming into a golden statue with a silver base.

Having succeeded with this one strike, I felt no excitement, because this small victory was insignificant, and the price paid was too high. If I wanted to lead the entire situation to a reversal, I needed much more. So, I rushed towards where there was hope.

(What kind of magic was that? What did the Black Witch use?)

I pondered this question, recalling the phenomenon of Li Huamei's entire figure disappearing after being hit by the pale purple light ball.

If we interpret this as dark magic, it's likely a ruthless spell that rots bones and flesh, instantly devouring the entire body. However, such spells are extremely effective, not so invisible, and would inevitably cause intense pain, which contradicts Li Huamei's expression. Furthermore, this type of magic couldn't possibly harm a spirit.

Therefore, a strong possibility lies in water magic. The Black Witch Celestial Maiden used spatial teleportation multiple times, falling within the scope of water magic. Whether she used it in conjunction with a water artifact or genuinely possesses water magic, this attack was likely water magic, instantly throwing the target into a space of no return.

This is the most likely explanation. Therefore, Li Huamei and the Heart Lamp Hermit's souls were transferred together. If nothing unexpected happens, they might drift eternally in the spacetime rift, or… be instantly annihilated the moment they were transferred.

I had no time for sadness; I had to force myself to think rationally. Although I couldn't undo the damage, from this moment on, I had to protect my family and friends, and not let these people I cared about be hurt again. The most fortunate thing was that Li Huamei had successfully completed her mission. Because of her, the spirit of the Heart Lamp Hermit was transferred, and the Black Witch Goddess was also sealed by me. Trading one for two was a worthwhile deal.

I ran through the chaotic battlefield, occasionally dodging the swords of the skeleton soldiers, while also watching out for attacks from skeleton cannons and catapults. After a series of maneuvers, I arrived at the edge of the altar.

The enormous phantoms of the six dark gods stood upright at the edge of the altar, forming a barrier of light that blocked others from entering. Although I had reached the outer edge of the altar, I was blocked and could not go in. I could only vaguely see the scene inside through the barrier of light.

Those outside couldn't enter the light barrier, but it wasn't empty inside. After the headless knight leaped out on his horse, the two people who had been on the altar were still inside, and they had already awakened.

Narcissus struggled to her feet, trying to do something, seemingly attempting to cast a spell to alter the existing magic circle's structure. Xue was assisting on the other side, her expression serious, but she was badly injured, her movements unsteady.

"Xue, Narcissus, are you two alright?"

I shouted from outside the light barrier, unsure if my voice carried, but it seemed unlikely. Narcissus still noticed me and shouted a few words, but I couldn't hear her; the light barrier clearly blocked sound waves.

At that moment, Xue stood up and made several hand gestures. Neither Xue nor I understood sign language, but thanks to our long-standing tacit understanding, I could understand about 70-80% of her gesturing, finally deciphering what they were trying to convey.

The situation is dire. The magic activated by the Black Witch Celestial is an irreversible process, one that even she cannot stop. To put it simply, the merging of realms continues, ultimately leading to a complete merging of the mortal realm and the underworld, blurring the lines between Yin and Yang… or, more likely, before the two spaces merge completely, incompatible repulsion will cause a chain reaction of spatial destruction.

What is a cataclysmic crisis? This is a cataclysmic crisis of utmost urgency!

The Black Witch Celestial's madness lies in causing the merging of the mortal realm and the underworld. Now, with the Heart Lamp Hermit's lightning appearance, he has been dragged away by Li Huamei to perish together with her. The Black Witch Celestial's efforts have been in vain, but the magic already activated cannot be stopped. If this magic continues to operate, not only will we, Ishtar, and all living beings on the entire Yellow Earth perish.

The question is, with this crisis imminent, what should we do?

Ah Xue gestured wildly inside the light screen, indicating that the Black Witch's magic circle had a complex structure with many inverted and reversed effects. Narcissus had calculated it several times but couldn't grasp its exact operating mode, making it impossible to stop the magic through proper channels. The only thing they could do was brute force—directly destroy the entire magic circle to see if that would stop the magic.

"This...this really is brute force, but how are you going to do it?"

I asked, realizing the ominous nature of my answer. Neither Ah Xue nor Narcissus carried any powerful explosives, and this magic circle combined the power of six dark gods and thousands of mages, creating an incredibly thick magical barrier that was not easily broken. Under these circumstances, there was only one way to break the circle: have the mages self-destruct!

This technique of self-destruction to annihilate the enemy was originally a secret technique exclusive to the Light faction, possessing immense power. However, after hundreds of years of research, Ishtar could achieve a similar effect, especially when used by a first-rate sorcerer like Narcissa. The effect was terrifying. But unlike the Light faction, there was absolutely no possibility of resurrection after the self-destruction; not even the slightest chance.

"You...you mustn't do anything reckless..."

Nothing could replace the importance of Xue in my heart; I would never let her self-destruct. As for Narcissa, we had shared life and death during this time, so it was hard for me to say whether her death was none of my concern.

However, neither of them were the type to casually risk their lives. Once they made up their minds, they wouldn't easily waver. But I just couldn't understand why even Narcissa would resort to self-destruction, let alone Xue's hot-blooded idiocy.

"Life is of course the most precious thing...but I am an Ishtar person. There are many things here that I value and cherish. I...I must protect this place."

These words, conveyed through Xue's "translation," made me understand Narcissa's feelings. Even in a backwater like Ishtar, there are still people willing to give their all, even sacrifice themselves, for it. Perhaps that's the allure of a nation.

Undeniably, at this moment… Narcissus, with a bitter smile on her face, her calm and resolute expression, seemed to echo Li Huamei's. Beyond the shock, I felt a surge of respect for this Ishtar female mage. After all… those who can persevere in the face of life and death deserve my respect.

Besides, I also noticed that Ayumi was gazing at me with a reluctant, longing look. If Narcissus sacrificed herself for Ishtar, then… I must have played a significant role in Ayumi's sacrifice.

I couldn't let them do such a thing, yet, there was nothing I could do now. Frustrated, I suddenly saw Ayumi's anxious expression as she shouted at me, but her voice couldn't reach me.

(Danger!)

This thought flashed through my mind. I turned around and saw Bai Lanxiong and the Beast Venerable, covered in blood, thrown back by the shockwave. Their combined attack had finally been broken. The headless knight rode through the air, rushing towards me, his black sword flashing, unleashing hundreds of sharp sword energies like rain.

"No one can hurt my grandson!"

the Beast Venerable roared, ignoring his own injuries, and tried to block with his fists, but it was too late. His fist shattered some of the sword energy, but most of it still came hurtling towards me like a torrential downpour.

The difference in strength was too great; I had no way to defend myself. Just as I was about to be pierced by a thousand swords, a golden light suddenly broke through the air with incredible speed. The golden sword light flashed and intercepted all of the headless knight's sword energy in the blink of an eye.

The sudden sword light startled me, but what I couldn't understand was that this sword light seemed familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before.

The answer is actually easy to find. Looking at the world today, who could possibly withstand the headless knight's attack like that? And who is the most skilled swordsman? Putting these two clues together, the mysterious savior is almost there, but… how could this be?

"Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon, Great Luo Mantra, Prajna Buddhas, Illuminating the Three Thousand Realms."

A clear and resonant Buddhist chant echoed through the heavens, accompanied by a divine figure riding on a seven-petaled lotus flower bathed in light, descending brilliantly from mid-air.

The number one expert of the Cihang Jingdian Palace, the Heart Sword Divine Nun!

Since parting ways with the Golden Finch Federation, we haven't seen this perverted nun again, nor did we want to. Who would have thought we'd reunite with her at this crucial juncture? Undoubtedly, the appearance of such a powerful expert, the strongest in the world, is the greatest encouragement for us at this time, but… is she here to help us?

"You wicked creature! For your own selfish desires, you have brought ruin to countless lives and brought calamity to the world. How could

I, Xin Jian, stand idly by? As long as I am here today, I will not let you do as you please." Xin Jian Shen Ni's golden sword was drawn, pointing directly at the headless knight. Her words were righteous and awe-inspiring. If we didn't know her background so well, we would really think she was a virtuous person. But now... I know very well that she is enjoying the perverse pleasure of pretending to be a virtuous master... Faced

with such a strange opponent, the headless knight seemed to be taken aback. Although he was the sworn enemy of the Palace of Light, the headless knight was not provoked and did not immediately attack. It seemed that he was unable to judge whether this person was good or evil. This was indeed a difficult point, because even we had the same confusion.

"Headless wretch! Let's fight another three hundred rounds!"

The Venerable of Ten Thousand Beasts had no problem with judgment. Like an angry lion, he roared and charged at the headless knight, unleashing a powerful Beast King Fist.

"You wretched creature! I'll deal with you!"

Purely in terms of martial virtue, the Beast Venerable might not be willing to join forces in battle. However, I believe the Heart Sword Nun enjoys the tactic of overwhelming the weak with sheer numbers, like a boulder crushing a crab. Seeing the Beast Venerable launch an attack, she immediately flanked him.

Although Li Huamei was gone, the situation of the two strongest warriors fighting the Headless Knight was repeated. The Heart Sword Nun's strength and martial arts were undoubtedly superior to Li Huamei before her transformation, but this time, joining forces with the Beast Venerable, she didn't gain much of an advantage. This was because the Headless Knight's martial arts memories were gradually returning, and he unleashed the wondrous sword techniques of the Demon Ancient Style, suppressing both of them.

However, one thing struck me as odd: although the Headless Knight could overpower the two strongest warriors, he seemed wary of the golden sword in the Heart Sword Nun's hand during the battle, unwilling to fight head-on. That golden sword was definitely a divine weapon, but I didn't feel such a strong sense of its divine power back in the Golden Flower Federation. Had someone modified it?

"...Thousands of eminent monks from Cihang Jingdian chanted sutras together, infusing holy energy. If necessary, this sword can directly draw upon the power of thousands of monks currently holding a grand chanting ceremony. Although it's just a sword, it represents the resources behind the entire Cihang Jingdian; of course, it's powerful."

"Who? Who's speaking? Who is this master?"

"Hahaha, you fool! I'm right in front of you, yet you can't see me. Is it your lust for power that blinds you? Or is your mind so restless that you can't even see something so obvious?"

The loud laughter was very close, seemingly not far away, but I couldn't see anyone. I was filled with doubt and uncertainty, wondering which eminent monk from Cihang Jingdian had arrived.

"Huh?"

Thinking about it, would a monk from Cihang Jingdian speak so furtively? Something didn't seem right. Looking back on everyone I've known in my life, the only one who seemed to enjoy this kind of mystical and eccentric behavior was…

"Uncle!"

"Hahahaha!"

Amidst a loud laugh, a figure burst from the ground and stood proudly before me. Clad in a red robe, with a wine gourd at his waist and a black sword on his shoulder, he appeared to be a dashing swordsman, resolute and composed. But we all knew perfectly well that this man was actually utterly weak, cunning, and despicable. He had just used a ground-walking device to feign ignorance, pretending to be a turtle, and even after our parting, he still owed me a hefty debt.

Inside the magic circle, Ah Xue's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she saw Mao Yan'an's bizarre appearance; her face beaming with joy, she almost rushed over. Mao Yan'an waved to her, then patted my shoulder.

"Nephew, it's so good to see you! Hmm, you seem to have grown taller in the time we've been apart, hahaha... Wow, let's talk this over. Don't drag me to crash into the barrier the moment we meet!"

"Who cares about you! You disappeared for so long without a second thought for us, and you haven't even paid back the debt you owe me. Now you're finally willing to come out of hiding, huh? Fine, I'll put the debt aside for now and collect the interest. Use your blood to consecrate this barrier and see if we can make a hole!"

"Stop it, stop it. You know, this old man is just an old man. I can't even make a mosquito hole by crashing into the barrier. How can I help you? Actually, this old man isn't entirely without merit. As soon as I heard you were in danger in Ishtar, I immediately discussed it with the head monk. I not only mobilized the entire Cihang Jingdian Palace for support, but I even invited the Divine Nun to come to Ishtar as reinforcements. Hehe, you could say I arrived just in time."

"How can you say that! Couldn't you have come sooner? Don't you know, Huamei... Huamei, she..."

I grabbed Mao Yan'an's collar, wanting to tell him about Li Huamei's death, but I was too excited to say anything.

Mao Yan'an looked at me quietly, without saying a word. His eyes behind his sunglasses were gentle yet steady, and in the silence, he calmed me down.

"Nephew, no matter what happened, shouldn't we have other tasks to do now?"

"Yes, I understand... but what can we do? Do you have any ideas?"

"Actually... no. We only heard about the headless horseman's mischief before, and Cihang Jingdian hurriedly mobilized manpower to prepare, but we didn't expect you to cause such a big incident as the Realm Reinforcement. This kind of world-ending crisis doesn't happen every day. What ideas do you expect me to come up with in such a rush?"

Mao Yan'an frowned and said, "By the way, what is that stone wall outside the magic circle? I saw it as soon as I arrived. That thing seems to have some significance. The words on it..."

"Oh, that stone wall!"

I remembered that the words on the stone wall were left by that strange dwarf. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but now, seeing Mao Yan'an's serious expression and recalling the words on the stone wall, I was suddenly shocked.

"Black dragons soar, golden swords dance in the sky, magicians and knights, a century of regret, the magic circle unsolvable, only the wish for rebirth."

I didn't know who that red-eyed dwarf was, but the words carved on the stone wall had now come true. The Black Dragon King had been reborn, the golden sword either referred to Li Huamei or the Heart Sword Nun, the headless knight was slaughtering madly, and the continuously operating magic circle had become an unsolvable problem, pushing this world towards destruction.

As if the most accurate prophecy, the words on the stone wall had all come true, but in this desperate situation, the last sentence seemed to point to a glimmer of hope.

The magic circle unsolvable, only the wish for rebirth.

Only the wish for rebirth!

In an instant, I understood everything, realizing the meaning of the words on the stone wall and knowing its implications.

I had considered this suggestion before, but it always seemed too absurd. The crisis we face is far too great. Even if we gathered the five strongest beings in the world, we might not be able to stop the out-of-control magic circle. How could the power of a mere little demon possibly...

No, no, no, I absolutely don't believe it. I must be thinking off-topic. The truth must lie elsewhere. I need to start from the beginning...

"Hey, nephew, you know what? Miracles are sometimes really damn interesting." Mao Yan'an smiled. Surprisingly, he didn't look weak at all at this moment. Instead, he exuded a strong and upright masculine aura, making him seem exceptionally trustworthy.

"Do you believe... only the strong can create miracles?"

"...The headless knight seems to be on his way. We're about to die, what are you spouting nonsense about?"

"Let's chat. If we don't find a chance to say some things, I won't die in peace."

Mao Yan'an said with a smile. As he said this, the defensive line formed by the Heart Sword Goddess and the Beast Venerable was finally breached. The Beast Venerable had more than ten bloody wounds on his body, and the Heart Sword Goddess was also vomiting blood and seriously injured. However, the two still did not give up and tried to deliver a final blow to stop the headless knight.

"Uncle, this is what I believe: miracles often happen because of some unseen force. You don't necessarily need to be incredibly strong to create one. As long as you have faith, a belief that you'll persevere to the end and never give up, you might be able to follow the will of heaven and summon a miracle..."

"You...you'd better hurry up

and say what you're going to say! We're about to collapse!" This was no joke. Ah Xue and Narcissus were both seriously injured. After a while, they were both swaying and about to faint. It was truly dire. If this continued, they wouldn't even need to self-destruct; they'd collapse first.

"...Ultimately, a miracle is simply putting the right person in the right place. What's meant to happen will happen naturally. It has nothing to do with strength. The important thing is how much you're willing to sacrifice for this miracle?"

The amount was no longer important, because something extremely critical had happened. The headless knight wielded his black sword with incredible speed, yet he could not repel the two strongest warriors. After a prolonged battle, his headless body trembled with extreme rage, and fragments of his lost memories from his past life returned. Then, a colossal explosion erupted once more.

In the violent blast, the two peerless masters, the Beastmaster and the Heart Sword Nun, were sent flying like kites with broken strings, utterly defeated and temporarily incapacitated.

To defeat two masters of the strongest caliber in a single move—what an astonishingly powerful divine skill! But what astonishes us most is that the headless knight's attack that so severely crippled the two strongest warriors was not a reappearance of some Mogu Ji style divine technique, but rather an absolute force of overwhelming power.

The pinnacle of ninth-level power!

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