105 The Ultimate Showdown

Yun Feiyue wore a cold expression. She did not want to die, but asking Murong Qiandai to sacrifice himself seemed somehow wrong.

“Senior Brother, you’re still as detestable as ever.”

Xiamu narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Yes, I am detestable. Otherwise, how could Murong Qiandai have fallen for you instead of me? To be honest, I really don’t know what’s so good about you. Apart from causing trouble, there’s truly nothing admirable about you.”

Yun Feiyue rubbed her head. She genuinely had no desire to involve herself in such tangled grievances and affections.

If she had not walked step by step to this point, she would have been willing to live an ordinary life with Little Mumu and Mo Feiyuan, spending the rest of her days in peace.

But if this matter could only be accomplished with Xiamu’s help, then abandoning it would not be the end of the world.

“If Senior Brother is interested, then take my life.”

Yet Xiamu shook his head. “Forget it. I don’t want Qiandai to hate me. You’d better die at the hands of Jiushen.”

Because of Xiamu’s absurd demand, the room fell silent.

Murong Qiandai looked at Xiamu coldly. “I agree.”

His voice was quiet and gentle.

A brilliant smile spread across Xiamu’s face, beautiful as a summer flower. For a moment, he seemed to have returned to the age of sixteen.

That year, Murong Qiandai had become his junior disciple. Though cold and proud, he had allowed Xiamu to care for him like an elder brother.

That year, Murong Qiandai had become an indispensable presence in his life.

Xiamu did not know whether it was love. He did not know whether it was dependence.

All he knew was that he wanted Murong Qiandai to spend one more day with him.

But after the appearance of their junior sister, everything seemed to change.

Murong Qiandai’s eyes had never left the junior sister.

Even at the very end, Murong Qiandai had exhausted years of cultivation to preserve her soul.

That was also the day they had fallen out completely. They had each chosen their own side, and Xiamu had gone to the Ghost Wasteland.

No one knew what had happened between them. Only the two of them knew.

Thus, over the course of a thousand years, the Ghost Dao of the Ghost Wasteland became a sect feared even by the orthodox cultivators, while Ghost Nether became the most terrifying man in existence.

In truth, he was not terrifying at all.

Yun Feiyue felt that although he was not the most handsome man in the world, he was by no means unattractive. At the very least, he was easy on the eyes—nothing like the hideous monster described in the legends.

Xiamu looked quite handsome when he smiled. Though there was something cold and sinister about him, he was not especially repulsive.

“You agreed, so you can’t go back on your word. From now on, you must stay with me in the Ghost Wasteland.”

Murong Qiandai nodded. “I never go back on my word.”

Xiamu froze for a moment, then smiled. “Since that’s the case, I have nothing more to say. Let’s begin.”

They devised a plan to restrain Jiushen through an array formation and manpower.

To control him, they first needed someone to lure him in.

That person would be Yun Feiyue.

Before leaving, Yun Feiyue went to see Little Mumu. He remained unconscious, sleeping without stirring.

“When he wakes up, please take care of him.” Yun Feiyue looked toward Mo Feiyuan.

Mo Feiyuan pressed his lips together. In the end, he took Yun Feiyue’s hand.

“Don’t go. Listen to me and stay.”

Yun Feiyue curved her lips into a helpless smile. “I want to stay too, but I know I can’t. He will never let us go. What he wants is my life. Now that I’m offering it to him willingly, he should appear.”

Mo Feiyuan pressed his lips together. “I’ll protect you from the shadows. I absolutely won’t let you get hurt.”

Yun Feiyue gave a soft reply.

If reincarnation followed its usual course, Mo Feiyuan should die before her.

But whether or not this was truly another cycle, once Yun Feiyue died and Jiushen obtained her blood, Mo Feiyuan would inevitably be the first to perish.

This was the moment of parting, yet she did not know what to say.

The Yun Family had discovered Jiushen’s whereabouts. He was in the Ghost Wasteland.

They also knew that Yun Feiyue might be going to participate in the battle, and might even die. Despite his advanced age, Yun Kuang insisted on coming to find her.

Her eldest brother, second brother, father, and mother naturally came as well.

The Jun Family’s young lord, Jun Shaomo, and Jun Qianyue also arrived.

Upon learning that Little Mumu had been injured, Jun Qianyue went to visit him.

Jun Shaomo, meanwhile, proposed to Yun Feng that they participate in the divine war.

Yun Feiyue naturally refused.

“Second Brother still hasn’t awakened. You should all stay here and look after him. Shaomo and Third Brother, take good care of yourselves.”

In the end, Yun Feng agreed to let Shaomo remain at the Mo residence, while he himself insisted on joining the battle.

After arguing for some time, Yun Feiyue finally agreed to let Third Brother go.

The Ghost Wasteland was saturated with sinister energy.

As it was Xiamu’s territory, he naturally led Yun Feiyue inside.

However, fearing that they might alert the enemy, they did not act together.

The moment they entered the Ghost Wasteland, they separated.

Mo Feiyuan did not accompany Yun Feiyue. Instead, he silently guarded her from behind.

Yun Feiyue did not know this, but Jiushen did.

Inside the Ghost Hall, Jiushen looked at the suffering Ghost Nether and shook his head.

“How pitiful! If I had appeared earlier and saved you, you wouldn’t be in such a miserable state. Tsk, tsk…”

Ghost Nether stared coldly at Jiushen. “So you came in the end.”

“Not fearing death is your one redeeming quality. At least you haven’t disgraced me too badly. The only shameful thing you’ve done is fall in love with that woman. You actually fell in love with her!”

As he spoke, Jiushen slammed Ghost Nether violently onto the ground.

Ghost Nether tried to struggle, but beneath Jiushen’s hand, he was hopelessly weak.

It felt as though his soul were being torn from his body. The pain was unbearable.

“Ah!”

The agony forced a terrified scream from him.

Painful howls echoed throughout the entire Ghost Wasteland.

In the end, Ghost Nether was left with nothing but an empty shell.

Jiushen reclaimed his soul.

Looking at the corpse on the ground, Jiushen smiled with bloodlust.

“What a useless thing.”

Domineering and cruel, he resembled a demon lord occupying the highest throne, looking down upon everyone beneath him.

Everyone included Yun Feiyue and Mo Feiyuan, who had come to find him.

“Brother, it’s been a long time. You’re still as weak as ever.”

Jiushen stood before Mo Feiyuan, gazing at him coldly.

Mo Feiyuan had not expected Jiushen to bypass Yun Feiyue and come straight for him.

Still, it was not enough to surprise him.

“This is even better. Now I can finish you cleanly.”

Mo Feiyuan drew his sword. Jiushen drew his own, and the two faced each other with blades crossed.

“Clang!”

Their weapons collided in the Ghost Wasteland, scattering a brilliant spray of blood that seemed to illuminate the entire Golden Halberd Continent.

Nearly everyone felt the tremor from the battle.

Their plan to lure Jiushen into the trap had failed.

Yet given Jiushen’s cunning, Yun Feiyue was not particularly surprised.

She quickly hurried to the battlefield. When she saw Mo Feiyuan and Jiushen fighting in the Ghost Wasteland, she naturally joined the battle.

The battlefield they had planned never came into being. This was not the battle they had wanted.

Jiushen was indeed formidable. Anyone who possessed a divine godhead must have endured countless battles, and his power was so wild and overwhelming that it was almost horrifying.

“Boom!”

The furious battle erupted.

Flames spread across the entire wilderness.

“It seems they’ve already begun.”

By the time Xiamu arrived, the fighting was already underway.

Yun Feiyue’s task was to lure Jiushen into the array formation.

After fighting for some time, Yun Feiyue retreated in the direction they had decided upon beforehand.

Jiushen had always been arrogantly confident. Even though he had anticipated that Yun Feiyue might be setting a trap, he followed her anyway.

Mo Feiyuan’s primary task was to protect Yun Feiyue.

The battle looked strangely fascinating, because to outsiders, the clash between the three of them did not look like a battle at all.

They chased one another for some time and soon reached the Forest of the Phoenix Heavens.

The Forest of the Phoenix Heavens was the ideal battlefield. No matter how violently they fought, they could not destroy it, thanks to the protection of its barrier.

Jiushen entered the forest and stood atop a gigantic mushroom, sneering at Yun Feiyue and Mo Feiyuan across from him.

“Separating the two of you is truly difficult. You’re together at every moment. Do you even intend to die together? Brother, I’ve suddenly changed my mind. I want you to watch the woman you love die. I want you to watch your son die as well. Life should be much more enjoyable that way.”

“Do you hate me that much?” Mo Feiyuan looked at Jiushen coldly.

Jiushen thought for a moment, as though pondering some distant memory. In the end, he gave a heavy nod.

“Of course. I hate you terribly. You took everything I wanted, then stood before me like some benevolent giver, pretending to offer me charity. That cold expression of yours is truly irritating.”

Mo Feiyuan smiled but said nothing.

His sword was his answer.

Yun Feiyue stood atop a giant mushroom some distance away.

Flames mixed with killing intent and shot toward Jiushen.

Murong Qiandai, Xiamu, Yun Feng, and the various lords of the Mo Family had all arrived.

Mo Twelve wore a red robe. His tender face, porcelain-like and delicate, carried a seriousness that had never appeared there before.

Mo Xiangqing remained as gentle and refined as ever.

Mo Yu held the jade flute in his hand.

Purple willow catkins danced through the air alongside the mushrooms’ bubbles.

The surrounding array formations activated as well.

Murong Qiandai naturally controlled the formations, while Murong Fenghua and Murong Shengqing assisted him, stabilizing the arrays.

At the center of the formation, killing intent encircled Jiushen like countless blades.

He gave a cold laugh. “You’re using this trick again. It seems this is the only move you know. Once I devour that child, all of you will die.”

The violent battle continued for a long time.

As a human possessing a divine godhead, Jiushen showed the slightest disadvantage only when facing several Saints at once. Even then, he remained overwhelmingly powerful.

His strength shocked even Yun Feiyue.

He was even more formidable than before he had been sealed.

She bit her lip, her face pale.

“Looks like we’ll have to take this even more seriously.”

Jiushen suddenly opened his hand, and a radiance burst from his palm.

Divine light—

“Stop him!”

Yun Feiyue leapt forward to block him, but Mo Feiyuan moved even faster.

Divine light enveloped Jiushen as he sneered at everyone attempting to suppress him.

“Looks like I can’t let you have your way. I’m far too familiar with all your techniques. So familiar that I have no choice but to dodge them… A thousand years have passed, yet it seems none of you have improved at all!”

He suddenly raised his palm and struck toward the sky.

Yun Feiyue watched as the stones forming the killing array suddenly exploded overhead, and a terrible premonition arose within her.

Several members of the Murong Family were injured.

Jiushen was furious. With an angry sweep of his arm, he sent everyone surrounding him flying.

“I don’t understand why you insist on opposing me. I don’t understand, but I don’t care to understand either.” Jiushen sighed faintly as he spoke.

“How pitiful.”

His hand struck toward Yun Feiyue.

Yun Feiyue lashed out with her flaming whip.

“You always think too highly of yourself. Have you forgotten how you were sealed before?”

The force on both sides continued to intensify, like two people locked in a tug-of-war.

They burned their true energy as they fought.

But Yun Feiyue was always just a little weaker.

She knew she was lacking that final bit of strength.

Even after breaking open the Yun Seal, she was still short of it.

The flaming whip’s energy dispersed, and her body lost its balance. Jiushen closed in.

The person who stepped before Yun Feiyue was naturally Mo Feiyuan.

His white robes fluttered, and the coldness surrounding him extinguished the flames and blocked the danger before her.

Mo Feiyuan raised his sword and clashed with Jiushen.

Both men fought as though their lives depended on it, each desperate to kill the other.

The entire area exploded with force.

For the first time, people truly witnessed the extent of Mo Feiyuan’s power.

He had spent ten years immersed in the Frost Pool, enduring unimaginable suffering to master his martial arts. Now, the results of all that hardship were finally revealed.

Coldness began to spread outward from him as its center.

Even the mushrooms’ bubbles froze solid the instant they emerged.

The frozen bubbles became round balls and rapidly fell toward the ground.

Yun Feiyue could not advance.

Her flames could not coexist with Mo Feiyuan’s icy energy, so she could only watch from the side, her heart filled with indescribable anxiety.

Jiushen looked at Mo Feiyuan, his expression shifting.

“You’re somewhat stronger than I expected. But so what? How long have you actually been cultivating? You must have suffered quite a bit using the Frost Pool’s power. How admirable.”

As his voice fell, the two truly began their confrontation.

It was a peak contest of speed, strength, and agility.

This work was first published by Xiaoxiang Academy. Reproduction is prohibited.