"Five, four, three..."

Three seconds passed in the blink of an eye.

Cracks had spread across the Lamp Spirit's face.

As he suddenly reached out, the Dark Clothes returned, covering his shell-like body. Then, light and dark melted, returning to chaos. A shattered shadow, laced with layers of cracks, abruptly shrank back into the oil lamp. Ansali staggered backward and collapsed to the ground, dripping with sweat, his face deathly pale.

It was as if the eternal darkness had been torn apart. The Prince opened his eyes once more, his mouth agape with fury, as if ready to roar.

But then he saw her: the teenage girl kneeling at the end of the corridor.

Her eyes were downcast, her fingers resting on the hilt of the sword at her waist, as gentle and serene as if caressing willow branches.

Facing his raging visage, Li Jian Amber lifted her face.

The disguise hidden in the darkness of her black pupils was torn away, revealing a sharp contour.

On the arm resting on the sword hilt, her long sleeve suddenly fluttered as if a gentle breeze had passed by.

"Two..."

In that instant, a clear voice filled the air, like a Flying Bird taking wing from a willow branch. It soared from the Sky Dome, scattering the clouds and revealing a sky full of brilliant stars, and the exquisite outline of the moon.

Drawing sword, slashing, flicking the blood, sheathing.

It was awe-inspiring swordsmanship, executed in an instant. It surpassed the limits of the naked eye, casting a cold sword light from dozens of meters away.

Thus, on the Prince's chest, the ancient, ornate robes split at the sound, revealing the withered chest beneath, now marked by a sudden slash.

From within the slash, a sliver of cold Moonlight silently shone forth.

—Unique Sword Technique: Misyōgetsu!

The Moonlight, sharp as a nail, pierced through flesh and bone, wedging the raging Soul within the broken shell, forcibly suppressing and sealing it.

And Li Jian Amber had collapsed to the ground, sweat dripping from her cheeks onto her trembling fingers.

Time continued.

"One..."

The Moonlight shattered. Within the storm of rage spurting from the wound, the long-haired Prince struggled violently, pulling out the broken Moonlight and crushing it between his fingers.

Opening his mouth, behind those sharp Teeth, a dark and ominous breath brewed in the black hole of his oral cavity.

"...Zero!"

Huai Shi stepped forward.

In a state of weakness and trance, Li Jian Amber was taken aback, feeling a wave of heat hit her face.

It was as though a furnace had passed by her side.

But that was just an illusion. A sensation and threat that existed only in consciousness, a subtle realization that couldn't physically be felt.

Something was awakening from within Huai Shi's body.

Green flames rose from the young man's body, engulfing him. Within the chasm in his chest, the molten glow of Purgatory silently surged and spiraled...

After a long period of brewing, gathering countless despairs, pains, and madness, the Source Substance transformed into a tsunami and erupted!

Huai Shi took another step forward. Right at the moment the effect of the Unique Sword Technique ended, he bent forward, bowing in the manner that Little Cat had taught him, placing his hand over his chest in salute:

"Under the witness of Paradise—"

"—I issue you a challenge!"

Suddenly, the space in the entire corridor stuttered.

A void-light descended from nowhere, freezing everything. Then, it stripped away the interference of all unrelated individuals. The powers of both Li Jian Amber and Ansali were nullified from affecting the space.

After that, Huai Shi's shotgun, ammo clips, and all sorts of Border Relics—even powers that did not belong to him—were stripped away. From the Prince, the armor beneath his robes, the bracelets on his wrists, the boots on his feet, and even half of an iron skull vanished without a trace.

Only the two of them remained, along with the Lock Chain bound to the Prince, continuously emitting sparks.

It had already become a part of Huai Shi's Soul.

The young man grinned.

He lifted his wrist, gripping the Invisible Axe in the void.

That instant... the duel began!

Ansali's complexion changed drastically. Oh no! He lifted the oil lamp, exerting all his strength to unleash the power of the Dark Country. This power enveloped the entire corridor, penetrating Paradise's barrier.

Immediately after, the roar of iron tore through the barrier's obstruction, erupting from the Dark Country!

Iron was burning.

It was like a scorching sun suddenly leaping from the horizon of this Dark Country, bestowing its tyrannical radiance in all directions.

From the thunderous sound of Space Break, Huai Shi stepped forward.

Yu Step!

After three steps, a whirlwind swept up the broken floor tiles. The young man had already broken free from the fierce wind's constraints. The burning Mountain Ghost was now close at hand.

He raised the Invisible Axe in his hand towards the Prince before him.

—Strike!

Ansali couldn't describe what he had seen in that instant. It was as if a phantom had emerged from the young man's body, rising up.

All restraints had been shattered by Huai Shi. As he took that step forward, the Long Spear, gleaming with four hundred years of brilliance, materialized in his hand. It was closely followed by the blood-devouring Blade of Sacrifice…

He held them firmly, slashing forward, sweeping, piercing.

Was that a transformation of Source Substance or merely the Terrible Fast executed by his physical body alone? Or could it be that even time itself had overlapped in that moment?

The burning Mountain Ghost roared in a moment so prolonged it seemed to solidify.

Instantaneous, yet fleeting.

The young man and the Prince brushed past each other. Huai Shi, his momentum unchecked, stumbled forward. He collapsed humiliatingly to the ground, sweat pouring like paste, his arms bursting open with grievous gashes.

Behind him, only three dazzling streaks of light remained in the air, impaling the Prince's body.

The skull-splitting axe blow, the waist-bisecting slash, and the chest-tearing pierce finally erupted at that instant. Metallic cries converged, as if becoming tangible. Wielding pure destruction, they soared into the air, spreading in all directions.

The Dark Country quaked violently, seething amidst the overlapping roars of steel, until at last, it weakly exhaled the lingering resonance of a chord.

So pure, so tender, like the deep resonance of a cello slowly dissipating into the air.

Meanwhile, the long-haired Prince stared rigidly at the air before him, his lips mumbling, unable to make a sound.

In the end, as if he had finally understood something, a slow curve touched his lips on his shattered face.

Whether mocking or relief, it was uncertain.

With the dissipation of the Lock Chains, his countless strands of long hair instantly withered. A gust of gloomy wind blew past. The body, lifeless for so many years, embraced the gift of time and silently collapsed into a pile of dust.

Amidst the dust, only a strand of golden hair remained.

It shone brilliantly as if forged from Gold, soft and beautiful.

"Phew, that was close…"

In the deathly silence, only Huai Shi, kneeling on one knee, struggled to breathe. He lifted his palm and smeared the Silver Blood Potion on his shattered arm. The itching of regrowing flesh soon masked the searing pain.

Ansali, leaning against the wall, waved his hand. The oil lamp flew from his sleeve, silently positioned itself above Huai Shi's head, and tilted downward.

A stream of pure, grey-black substance fell like water, spilling onto Huai Shi's shoulder.

Pure negative Source Substance poured continuously into his body. It was like being refilled from a mana potion, replenishing his Soul's dryness and smoothly refilling his depleted Source Substance.

Probably only when faced with a freak who could treat the Dark Country Power's poisons and Curses as a meal would he dare to do such a thing. Otherwise, it would be murder.

By the time Huai Shi's condition had somewhat recovered, Ansali was completely drained. He leaned weakly against the doorframe and waved at Huai Shi, signaling that the rest was now up to him.

Li Jian Amber thought for a moment, then very reluctantly took a palm-sized gourd from her pocket. She walked over to Huai Shi, pried open his mouth, and, from a slight distance, poured a thin stream into it.

It seemed to be wine, sweet upon entering the mouth and carrying the fragrance of flowers and fruit.

She only poured about a fifth of it before she regretfully resealed the gourd; there wasn't much wine left in it to begin with.

And as the trickle of wine slid down his throat, the burning thirst and pain within his body vanished instantly, replaced by a warm, comforting sensation. His wounds rapidly scabbed over and closed.

His previously overdrawn physical strength was completely restored.

"That's good stuff. How about another sip?" Huai Shi smacked his lips. "I didn't even get to taste it properly just now."

"You're dreaming."

Li Jian Amber glanced at him and pocketed the small gourd. Her waist remained slender; it was unclear how she managed to hide it. He was curious how many little things she kept hidden under those wide robes and large sleeves...

Huai Shi took a couple more glances and, noticing Li Jian Amber's gaze turning dangerous, quickly averted his eyes.

He knew, of course, why his teammate had shared such a precious item. The upcoming task was for Huai Shi alone, and its success was crucial to the mission. No one wanted their efforts to be in vain. They just hoped Huai Shi wouldn't take the help for granted and then fail to do his part.

"Alright, leave the rest to me."

Huai Shi waved, signaling them to rest assured. He got up from the ground and dusted himself off. After a final check of the jumble of miscellaneous items Little Cat had given him to ensure nothing was missing, he walked towards the door of the resting room.

Cautiously, he pushed it open.

In the silence, the door opened soundlessly, revealing the dense precipitation of the Abyss behind it.

The substantial darkness quietly rose and retracted, like breathing—cold and serene. Only an ominous draft of air blew past, sending shivers down one's spine.

No wonder they all look so bizarre; sleeping in places like this every day, it'd be a miracle if they weren't messed up!

Winter is almost here, and they don't even have heating. Tsk...

Huai Shi pursed his lips and stepped inside, swallowed by the darkness.

It was as if a Giant Beast had swallowed him whole. The beast seemed to be discerning the newcomer's composition, identifying if it was an intruder. Once Little Cat's granted access and Huai Shi's own unique traits passed verification, he appeared silently in an unfamiliar environment.

Inside a dilapidated theater.

Huai Shi stood on the stage, surveying his surroundings.

It was exactly as Little Cat had described: a ruin long neglected by time. The only exception was the seven massive chairs on the high platforms surrounding the stage, which still retained their former luxury.

Except for the rightmost chair belonging to the long-haired Prince, which now stood empty, the other six were occupied by figures. They leaned back in Deep Sleep, utterly defenseless.

Yet, with Huai Shi's appearance, from beneath one of the chairs, a pair of blood-red eyes, hidden in the dust, slowly looked up.

A half-decayed, snake-like, ghostly thing was coiled around a chair leg. It nestled against the sleeping Prince—who had black hair and black eyes—and watched Huai Shi warily.

What the—?!

Huai Shi froze, a chill running down his spine.

They even keep a guard dog in here?! Little Cat definitely didn't mention this!

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