Behind the Mountain

"No."

The Ghost Groom was seeping blood from all over his body, looking maddeningly terrifying. "I won't accept this. I won't accept an ending like this."

His entire body began to fracture, and a beast-like roar issued from his throat. Pushing his speed to the absolute limit, he charged madly at Bo Shuo like a lunatic.

Everyone present felt a tightness in their chests, their lips parting, yet they struggled to produce a sound.

Even a B-rank examinee would find it hard to escape an attack this close to self-destruction.

Yet the youth still stood calmly in place, his overly long hair-ends trailing over his red robes. Those striking, cold, and aloof brows and eyes were sharp, and as he watched the fiercely incoming attack, he showed not a shred of fear.

Instead, he curved his lips with a hint of relish.

"Idiot."

Right now!

The sharp blade violently ruptured the final, most vulnerable spot, and then Bo Shuo leaped forward. His red robes billowed, and with a released burst of momentum, he retreated two steps to the side.

Afterward, this strike from the Ghost Groom became the heavy hammer of his own demise.

The Ghost Domain shattered with a crash.

The battle ultimately froze on the Ghost Groom's expression of split-eyed rage, his original hatred shattered by this turn of events as he realized what was about to happen.

Terror and dread flooded his terrifying face.

Immediately, a sharp pain came from his abdomen.

It was that scalpel, plunging fiercely into his stomach.

Then yanked out violently.

"Bang."

A raging fire burned behind him, and the sound of the wind whistled like enemy troops at his ears.

The Black Haired Red Robed Youth reined in the blade at his fingertips. The towering flames behind him dyed his robes with the colors of molten gold, and his shadow stretched endlessly beneath his feet.

Overwhelming, carrying an unmatchable might.

This scene was witnessed solely by the examinees who had just been rescued.

Not far away, the High-Rank Examinees who had sensed the shattering of the Ghost Domain and come to investigate the cause also stood frozen in place.

None of them had expected that all this commotion was produced by Bo Shuo.

With this kind of strength, you're fucking telling me this is just a C-rank examinee?

Then what were they? Fakes?

(Emotion Points from examinees +9999 +999 +...)

Bo Shuo, who had appeared completely at ease before everyone's eyes, could feel at this moment that every muscle in his body was aching. When he moved too hard, even his bones emitted a faint rattling crunch.

Fortunately, however, everyone's figures were dissolving, being forcibly and separately sent back to some region in reality.

The next instant, Bo Shuo's feet trod on soft soil, a wave of dizziness in his mind making him barely able to stand.

Bo Shuo naturally knew that he was currently at the end of his tether. Blood was boiling in all parts of his body, the searingly dangerous escapes from just moments ago were branded into his mind, and a faint burning pain lingered across his skin.

Too... too thrilling.

(Using 10k Emotion Points for repairs)

A warm current coursed through his entire body, and all his bodily functions recovered frantically.

007: Host, we've been teleported behind the mountain.

Bo Shuo propped a hand against the stone wall beside him, barely managing to stand.

Right now, he was inside an unknown rock cave behind the mountain.

"Someone is coming in through the door."

007's prompt made Bo Shuo snap to alertness.

His current state wasn't great. If he really ran into some hostile high-rank ghosts, it would be hard to muster any retaliatory strength.

Bo Shuo evaluated his current condition with a blank face, his attacking motions already prepared.

Xi Guici carried the 'sacrifice' in his hand, heading straight for the sacrificial point according to his memories of the previous route.

When he was almost there, his footsteps paused.

The faint, wispy scent of blood drifted through the air.

After just a brief moment, Xi Guici could make a definitive judgment: someone was inside the cave.

Courting death.

Xi Guici lowered his gaze to look at the cave not far away, his light gray pupils revealing a detached coldness while the curve of his lips angled upward.

Then, without hesitation, he walked straight inside as if he had discovered nothing at all.

The moment he entered the cave, a blade pressed against his abdomen. Xi Guici instinctively wanted to retaliate, but suddenly his nose caught a whiff of a familiar, faint cedar scent.

Almost instantly, Xi Guici abandoned his resistance, even finding a suitable and comfortable posture for himself and allowing the youth to press him against the stone wall.

Xi Guici followed the momentum and raised his head, sure enough seeing the Black Haired Red Robed Youth lowering his gaze to look him over. Those alluring red robes draped over him, and in a blur, there was actually an intimacy as if they were inseparable.

A low chuckle spilled from Xi Guici's throat. "Mr. Bo."

Hearing this familiar voice, Bo Shuo felt a sudden sense of impending doom.

Upon seeing the man he had taken hostage against the wall, his emotions grew complicated for a moment.

Big brother, why is it you again?

Enemies really do cross paths.

Xi Guici over here certainly didn't think that way. Disregarding the blade pressed against his abdomen, he leaned his upper body slightly forward. "We are bound by fate. I truly didn't expect it to be you."

Originally, he thought the one who had come was some ignorant little bug.

He never expected it to be the person he constantly longed for.

How could this not be considered fate?

Bo Shuo was so startled by the breath suddenly brushing against his ear that his hand shook. He pressed downward, creating yet another hole.

In an instant, the scent of blood grew even heavier.

The person he had stabbed without mercy breathed slightly heavy and collapsed toward Bo Shuo's side like he had lost all his strength.

Bo Shuo didn't indulge him, getting up to dodge and pulling out a white handkerchief to wipe the scalpel in his hand.

"So heartless." Xi Guici let out a sigh and didn't fall down according to the script either, instead propping up his body and standing back up.