Heaven and earth as the board, all living beings as pieces
"Hah!"
Zhang Lexuan's eyes reddened as she stared fixedly at Lu Cheng.
A blood moon rose behind her, and nine Soul Rings-yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red, red-rose in succession. The current master of the Sea God Pavilion, the foremost member of the Shrek Inner Court, its eldest senior sister, Zhang Lexuan, revealed her full strength at that moment.
With a trace of killing intent born of anger pushed to its limit, she gently pointed her slender hand at Lu Cheng.
Mottled with black spots, the blood moon smashed straight down toward Lu Cheng.
The amusement faded from his eyes, and his expression grew noticeably more serious.
A crimson sun slowly rose behind him. At its center, a scarlet bird curled within a boiling sea of golden flames, its pitch-black silhouette intertwining with blazing rays to form the most primordial totem between heaven and earth.
"The Three-Legged Golden Crow..."
Lu Cheng quietly studied Zhang Lexuan in midair, his lips moving as he uttered those words.
A hint of a smile touched the corners of his eyes.
"This is how you should look."
It spread wings that blotted out the sky and sun. Golden light burst from its feathers and pierced the heavens, ancient, intricate runes adorned its body, and its eyes resembled condensed infernos, tongues of primordial flame flickering deep within its pupils...
At that moment, it was as though a World Tree had pierced the heavens.
And there was where the Golden Crow roosted.
The falling blood moon collided directly with that great sun's true form. It barely stirred a ripple before the scorching presence swallowed it, and it dissipated.
In this round, the moon suffered utter defeat.
Zhang Lexuan's pupils abruptly contracted.
Her lips trembled.
Even the release of her Eighth Soul Skill stalled for an instant.
The Three-Legged Golden Crow was reflected in her pupils as she murmured, "So... this is the Golden Crow's true form?"
"An ancient existence capable of rivaling a true dragon."
"But why did such pure blazing solar fire fall into his hands, and how can he wield it so skillfully..."
Zhang Lexuan looked bewildered and at a loss.
Evil Soul Masters generally carried some trait of depraved corruption, given the word "evil" attached to them. Even Wu Ya and Zhang Peng, among the mildest cases, cultivated dark power and drank beast blood respectively. This meant that after falling into corruption, not only would their Martial Souls mutate, but the Soul Masters' own hearts would also become depraved.
Thus, one only needed to look at their Martial Souls to distinguish Evil Soul Masters.
The Martial Soul reflected one's character.
Someone depraved and evil could not possibly control such a supremely refined and pure Martial Soul, and would even suffer a backlash...
"Don't get distracted. This is a battle to the death..."
A soft chuckle rang out.
In the distance, Lu Cheng had already nocked his arrows and drawn his bow. Three arrows wreathed in scarlet fire stood ready, already aimed at her.
"For Shrek Academy, for Mu En, who died in battle, I cannot retreat!" Zhang Lexuan clenched her teeth and raised her fair hand again.
"Ninth Soul Skill: Spirit of the Silver Moon!"
As her words fell, a fairy's phantom appeared before her. It raised its fair palm to meet Zhang Lexuan's, and pure power merged the two into one.
The sky fell silent for a moment.
The rosy light that had just emerged was obscured, and the rising sun peeking over the other end of the horizon was forcibly pressed down by the silver moon.
She had altered the natural succession of sun and moon.
At that moment, the world returned to the silent night.
"Not bad..."
Surprise entered Lu Cheng's eyes.
Yet his expression gradually grew delighted, carrying a hint of a deranged smile. "It seems I've raised a monster. Hahahaha..."
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
Lu Cheng spoke softly.
"Go, hurry!"
Above Shrek Academy.
Countless Holy Spirit Cult disciples wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves, scurrying away with their heads covered under the onslaught of the many Sun Moon Empire troops who had come as reinforcements. The troops spared no one, killing an Evil Soul Master with every cannon shot.
"Where's the Holy Son? Where's the Supreme Elder?"
A disciple roared in despair.
"They've all fled."
"The Holy Spirit Cult is finished..." A disciple closed his eyes, left with nothing but endless despair.
Elsewhere in the Star Dou Great Forest.
A black crow coalesced into human form. Watching the layers of encirclement rolling toward Shrek Academy behind him, he felt his scalp prickle, yet secretly rejoiced. Had that kid not warned him early, he feared...
No! How did the Sun Moon Empire know about this?!!
Wu Ya connected everything, his pupils instantly trembling violently as a chill ran down his spine.
"Well, well, kid. What a grand game of chess."
"Heaven and earth as the board, all living beings as pieces; entering the game yourself, then paying with death; when heaven unleashes killing intent, stars shift and constellations change; when earth unleashes killing intent, dragons and snakes rise from the land; when man unleashes killing intent, heaven and earth are overturned..."
"What a pity that you fell into a demonic cult, kid."
Wu Ya sighed softly.
His figure transformed into several black crows that scattered and fled into the distance...
"So... strong..."
Zhang Lexuan gritted her teeth, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, her eyes still fixed on the figure in midair.
He remained high above, looking down at her with contempt as though regarding an ant.
The Three-Legged Golden Crow behind him was just as dazzling.
That familiar sense of helplessness filled Zhang Lexuan with anger, yet she had nowhere to vent it.
Clearly... he'd already been gravely wounded.
Elder Song and the others had depleted most of his Soul Power, leaving him struggling on the brink of death. Why...
"Too weak, Zhang Lexuan." Lu Cheng stood in the sky, gazing down at Zhang Lexuan with scorn. "If this is all you're capable of, then our story ends here."
"Damn it..."
The beautiful woman wiped the blood from her lips, letting crimson stain her snow-white hand. Her beautiful pale-blue eyes held a measure of brokenness and despair.
Was it really going to end here?
Could she truly no longer avenge her father, her mother, and Mu En...?
Could she only let this scum continue wreaking havoc across the continent?
She knew that Lu Cheng's patience with her had run out. Her role as a whetstone probably no longer served him any purpose.
Zhang Lexuan pressed her lips together, stubbornly holding back her tears as she glared fiercely at Lu Cheng and awaited the final blow.
But the next instant.
Lu Cheng's face suddenly turned pale.
Like a leaking ball, his presence weakened at a rate visible to the naked eye.
What a chance!
Zhang Lexuan's gaze froze. With no time to think carefully about what had happened, she mustered all her strength and unleashed her Eighth Soul Skill again. The blood moon thundered toward Lu Cheng in midair.
"So this really is the limit?"
Lu Cheng ignored the killing move whistling toward him from afar. He merely lowered his head blankly and glanced at his somewhat pale hand. The Sun-Shooting Bow completely dissolved into nothingness, becoming a fiery silhouette that scattered in the wind.
He had actually given the essence of the Sun-Shooting Bow to Ma Xiaotao long ago. The Martial Soul shattering and dissolving on its own was inevitable. That it had supported him through such a long journey truly was...
"Thank you for all your effort."
You've suffered, following me.
"So... you're going to kill yourself?!!"
An even more bewildered voice came from within him. In the Sea of Consciousness, Jiaojiao stared out at the world in astonishment, sensing Lu Cheng's body, which was practically leaking like a sieve. She wanted to patch it up, but it seemed even harder than mending the heavens.
Jiaojiao transformed into a beautiful woman in red and stood outside, her crimson eyes fixed on Lu Cheng's eyes.
Look at me!
Bastard!
What do you take me for?!!