Lu Chen lay on the ground, watching him without saying a word.
Ye Qingtian turned his head and stared at the Third Councilor, tightening his grip on the phantom sword in his left hand.
"Come," he said. "Let me see just how strong you really are."
The Third Councilor shook his head. "Foolish."
He raised a hand and clenched it. The blood hand appeared again, grabbing at Ye Qingtian!
Ye Qingtian let out an angry roar and slashed with his sword!
"Bang!"
Ye Qingtian was sent flying backward and crashed down beside Lu Chen, coughing up blood in great mouthfuls. His phantom sword shattered, his left hand was ruined, and his entire body lay sprawled like a heap of mud.
But he was still alive.
He turned his head to look at Lu Chen, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
"I... I can't beat him..." he muttered. "You... you can't beat him either..."
Lu Chen looked at him and suddenly smiled.
It was a faint smile, carrying an indescribable emotion.
"Yeah," he said. "Neither of us can beat him."
Ye Qingtian froze for a moment, then smiled as well.
The two lay side by side, covered in blood and utterly bedraggled, yet both of them were smiling.
The Third Councilor frowned as he watched them.
"You can still laugh when death is at your door?" he snorted coldly. "Then I'll send you on your way together!"
He raised both hands as blood-red light gathered, preparing to deliver the final blow to the two of them.
Just then—
Lu Chen closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank into his sea of awareness.
The System Panel appeared before him.
[Current Lifespan Balance: 2,150 years] [Host detected to be in a near-death state. Consume lifespan to strengthen yourself?]
Lu Chen's mind