Su Wuwei leaned against a shattered rock and tilted his head toward the sky, his unfocused gaze fixed on nothing in particular.
So this was how it ended? What a lousy ending.
Mu Bingge rose unsteadily, destructive power surging in the depths of her aqua-blue eyes.
"If I have to die, it won't be like this."
Lou Guanshan wriggled his way back up, gathering the last of his strength as well, determined to fight to the death.
"Exactly! I'm the only one who gets to decide where my life ends!"
The Wind-Thunder Cantor swung his scepter. Holding back this long had already pushed him to his limit. If Yan You hadn't told him to wait before attacking again, he would have struck these people dead long ago.
Yan You looked down at them coldly, a contemptuous snort rising from his throat.
"You refused the easy way, so now you'll suffer for it. No one can stop people who are determined to die."
Gales danced over the charred ruins, and blazing Thunderbolt illuminated everyone's figures. No one noticed Ye Buyu, whom Yan You had tossed aside, silently rising to her feet.
Her dusty gray hair fluttered behind her. Beneath her snow-white lashes, her eyes stared blankly ahead. She was clearly still unconscious.
A trace of blue welled up deep within her red eyes, coloring her irises blue in an instant. A whale flashed through the depths of her pupils.
Her eyes shifted slightly, a glimmer returning to their vacant depths. She raised a hand and irritably ruffled her hair.
"Tch. Don't give me extra work."
Little Whale, now in control of the body, picked up the Flower Edict and fired a shot at Yan You. Without checking whether it hit, she turned and fired another at the Wind-Thunder Cantor.
Bang!
The two gunshots successfully drew Yan You's and the Wind-Thunder Cantor's attention. They turned toward Ye Buyu.
Rather than take the bullet head-on, Yan You sidestepped it and sneered. "I didn't expect you to wake up. Your ability is troublesome, but as long as I dodge in time, it's mostly useless."
He shook out his hands and walked toward Little Whale. "This time, I'll put you to sleep for good."
Little Whale rolled her eyes impatiently. "Sleep, my ass. Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me?"
As she spoke, she pointed an index finger at Yan You, her voice filled with absolute arrogance and authority. "Be a good boy and get lost."
The bullet Yan You had dodged abruptly swung back, striking him squarely in the temple.
Yan You's contemptuous expression froze. The light vanished from his eyes, and he stopped in place like a wooden puppet, while turmoil raged inside his consciousness space.
Endless mournful cries erupted within his consciousness. An enormous whale appeared in its fragile depths, lashing its destructive tail, churning Yan You's consciousness and destroying his soul.
He dropped to his knees in agony, blood streaming from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. A whale slowly swam through the centers of his bloodshot pupils, erasing his soul completely.
Only an empty shell remained kneeling in the wind, like a piece of rotten deadwood. A lone scrap of bloodstained paper scattered in the breeze and drifted into the distance.
Even in his final moment, Yan You never understood why he had fallen to such an insignificant figure.
The Wind-Thunder Cantor failed to escape Little Whale's absolute attack as well. He clutched his head and howled in agony as the enormous whale churned his consciousness. Its mournful cries pierced his soul, even beginning to destroy the mark that made him a Blessed One.
"Impossible! I'm a Blessed One! How could anyone erase the calamity lord's blessing?!"
The raging winds died down, and the surging Thunderbolt vanished. Apart from the Wind-Thunder Cantor's agonized wails, no other sound remained between heaven and earth.
The battered survivors stared in astonishment at the dissipating storm. Before they could make sense of anything, Little Whale sensed a surge of energy rapidly approaching. She glanced into the distance, closed her eyes, and returned to Ye Buyu's consciousness space.
"Thank goodness someone's taking over. Back to sleep, back to sleep."
Ye Buyu collapsed again, and the giant whale vanished from the Wind-Thunder Cantor's mind. With no time to deal with his own condition, he stared down at the ground in horror and gritted his teeth, conjuring his scepter again.
If he didn't eliminate the dangerous figure on the ground, he would definitely die.
"Whatever the hell you are, you're dying here today!"
Roaring Thunderbolt descended once more. Lou Guanshan was numb by now. Was this a roller coaster? One wave after another.
Just as Thunderbolt was about to strike, a spear streaked across the sky, tore through the dark clouds, snapped the Thunderbolt plunging straight down, and embedded itself in the earth.
The impact sent dirt flying dozens of feet into the air. Lan Huaiyu, who had arrived just in time, stood before them, her killing intent filling the sky. The survivors clutched their hearts, looking as though they were about to die.
They had been back and forth to death's door several times today. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought they enjoyed dancing on the brink.
Seeing Principal Lan Huaiyu grab the Greenwood Spear and charge at the Wind-Thunder Cantor, those who had been barely holding on slumped to the ground. Safe. They were safe. This time, they really were safe.
They had no idea what had just happened. With their lives on the line, all their attention had been focused on the Wind-Thunder Cantor. They hadn't noticed Ye Buyu wake up and collapse again at all.
Between the howling wind and the thunderous Thunderbolt, they hadn't heard what Yan You or the Wind-Thunder Cantor had said either.
As far as they could tell, Yan You had simply left them suddenly and walked away. The Wind-Thunder Cantor had abruptly stopped, then begun clutching his head and wailing. Before they could react, he had raised his scepter again.
They simply had no attention to spare for anything else. Surviving at all was already a blessing amid the disaster.
Mu Bingge dragged her exhausted feet over to the unconscious Ye Buyu, rolled her over, and checked her pulse. Once she confirmed that Ye Buyu was still alive, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Only after taking a moment to recover did she notice Yan You facing Ye Buyu, dead with blood streaming from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Mu Bingge frowned slightly and lowered her gaze to Ye Buyu, whose eyes remained tightly shut in her arms.
Could Yan You's departure and the Wind-Thunder Cantor's strange behavior have had something to do with her? And Yan You was dead now. Had Ye Buyu done it?
If she had, how had she managed it?
Mu Bingge couldn't figure it out. Ye Buyu's ability was unusual, but killing a Void Cultist like Yan You clearly required more than an unusual ability.
"Forget it... everyone has their own secrets."
Mu Bingge picked Ye Buyu up and walked toward the other examinees, burying the matter in her heart.
The surviving examinees were in fairly good spirits. Nothing inspired more relief than surviving a brush with death.
Unfortunately, the Wind-Thunder Cantor's mood was far less pleasant. The instant he saw the Greenwood Spear, only one thought remained in his mind: Run.
He had only just become a Blessed One and gained consciousness. He had descended into this world mere dozens of minutes ago. How could he possibly die here?
He still had a great undertaking to complete. He hadn't even resurrected [Tempest Fiend] yet. How could he fall here?!
Knowing he stood absolutely no chance against Lan Huaiyu, the Wind-Thunder Cantor decisively detonated himself. A massive surge of energy spread outward, expanding destructively.
If she wanted to protect the students, she couldn't possibly pursue him.
And that was exactly what happened. Lan Huaiyu did not give chase. Instead, she raised a hand and erected a barrier, choosing to protect the remaining students.
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