In the shadows, Great Bone gasped violently, staring blankly at the black tide that had already approached his face.

Like an iron wall erected to reach the sky, it was now virtually upon him.

In this environment, which could be called Hell, staring at death inching ever closer, no matter how tough-minded, would it not be difficult to resist the coming of despair?

But just as he was about to disregard the dangers around him and flee from his hiding spot, he discovered... the surging black tide had stopped.

The contracting Joyful Framework regained stability, all its power converging in this comparatively tiny district within the city's original horrific range.

The retreating black tide was a mere inch from his nose.

A line between life and death.

Cold sweat dripped from Great Bone's forehead as he gasped heavily.

It wasn't until then that he realized the screams and wails of Ghosts outside had vanished without a trace.

Deathly silence had arrived.

Only the continuous peals of thunder and roars from behind the iron clouds in the sky remained, as White Wolf bellowed and heaven and earth quaked, but this narrow mortal world had regained its calm.

In the uncomfortably prolonged silence, the survivors looked at each other.

"Is it over?" Great Bone swallowed hard, looking to his teammate.

Tian Minjing hesitated for a moment. "Probably."

The number of surviving contestants finally settled at a remarkably low 40, then disappeared.

In its place, at the end of the street, in front of the dilapidated Palace City, a light soared from the ground.

The light expanded, stretching out and forming an archway. Within, an ancient door opened with a ROAR, awaiting the survivors' arrival.

"The Door of Victory…" Tian Minjing paused, his voice tinged with surprise, unable to keep it from going off-key. "The Door of Victory has opened!"

The cruel battle royale was finally over.

They could at last leave this unending nightmare with their spoils of war.

Both men gasped intensely, wiped their faces, and struggled to contain their roller-coaster emotions, almost embracing and weeping.

"Let's go, grab your gear." Great Bone impatiently packed up, patting his teammate on the shoulder. In just a few days, two complete strangers had become close, trustworthy companions—like a miracle.

"When we get back, come visit the Northeast! I'll treat you to licking iron bars and pork stew with glass noodles!"

"...Don't celebrate too soon." Tian Minjing hoisted his backpack, cautiously poking his head out. He stared at the silent streets but found no obstructions or dangers, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Huh, I thought, given the committee's usual antics, they'd make us run into the door while being chased by Demons and Ghosts. Didn't expect it to be this easy, huh?"

"As long as we can get through, let's move, quickly."

Great Bone could hardly wait. As a casual contestant, he had never expected much; making it into the top seventy-two was already an unexpected joy. He wasn't asking for more.

But as he took a step forward, everything in front of him suddenly changed.

This wasn't any sinister illusion, because the Door of Victory remained open, right where it was, without any change or tremor. All they had to do was walk through it to leave this place.

But as everything before him suddenly shed its disguise, he smelled a blood stench so thick it was almost suffocating.

A chilling red covered every inch of the street.

The sewers were blocked. Blood, submerging his ankles, rippled, constantly washing over pale, contorted faces. Corpses littered the ground.

Whether fierce monsters, eerie Ghosts, or repulsive creatures and Abyss Heterogeneous—at this moment, all living things were completely disintegrated, brutally torn to pieces, and scattered all over the street.

Along with countless Golden Coins dropped by the contestants.

Great Bone stood frozen in place, overwhelmed by the sight of the sea of blood and mountain of corpses. He shivered uncontrollably in the face of the chilling onslaught.

It was as if a sick grandmother had finally shed her disguise and turned into a hungry wolf. Everything became unbelievable.

But when he finally noticed the figure walking through the blood, for some reason, what emerged in his heart was a sense of relief.

He finally understood why the monsters had disappeared: a more terrifying monster... had appeared before him.

"Hmm?" Luo Xian turned around, looking puzzled. "Is there still a rat hiding here?"

In the deathly silence, Great Bone stood rigid.

He watched her walk closer step by step. He should have run, or at the very least, fought back, a desperate struggle to the end. But somehow, just by seeing her white dress, he felt as if his consciousness was being torn apart, sinking into that seemingly gentle smile, melting into endless darkness.

What on earth... is this thing?

He closed his eyes, and amid his teammate's screams of terror, he heard the sound of his own skull shattering.

.

The sound of breaking echoed twice, followed by the dull THUD of bodies hitting the ground.

Luo Xian raised her hand, wiping off the blood that had landed on her face.

"Now, I can finally... take a break for a while."

She sighed deeply, bent down to strenuously pull the broken blade from a shattered skull, and staggered back a step, looking utterly exhausted.

Then she turned to the side and asked in a soft voice, "Little Amber, where do you plan to go?"

"..."

Amid the dead silence, the Teenage Girl who had been tiptoeing away from the shadows froze in place.

After a long moment, she slowly turned her head. Her expression twitched once, then again, and she finally managed to squeeze out a smile with difficulty.

"Xian... Sister?"

"Long time no see. You've grown taller…" Luo Xian cocked her head to look at her, then suddenly asked, "Do you hate me? I thought when acquaintances meet, they'd at least greet each other."

"..."

Amber's expression stiffened for a moment. She remained silent, not knowing how to answer. No, it should be said, she didn't know how to justify the disgust she felt deep down and wanted to hide. Yes, she loathed Luo Xian. Her disdain had started from the very first moment they met. It was the conclusion and discovery made by a person with a malicious heart, instinctively gauging others. Perhaps the benevolent see benevolence, and everything looks dark and hopeless when one's heart is filled with pain and Curses. But when Li Jian Amber was in her deepest suffering, she saw Luo Xian's smiling face, and since then, she had never dared to meet her gaze again. She knew she despised—no, she feared Luo Xian. Far more than she feared her master's severity and brutality. Beasts instinctively remain wary of other beasts, especially when faced with a monster one has absolutely no chance of resisting or overcoming.

"Don't! I have no hostility." As Luo Xian approached with her Long Knife in tow, step by step, Li Jian Amber instinctively took a step back. She nervously raised both hands, feeling cold sweat seeping from her back.

Luo Xian looked at her, puzzled. "But I do."

"..."

Li Jian Amber's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed again.

As if finally comprehending something, she exhaled the restless breath from her lungs and muttered to herself, "So, it has to be this way, right?"

No one responded.

Luo Xian just smiled, looking at her.

Then, Amber's gaze gradually turned cold.

"Then—" She reached out, drew a cumbersome rib knife, and casually tossed it to the ground. Then, her right hand moved to the hilt of the Tachi at her waist.

Fiery breath, like pure white vapor, rose from the sparse blood mist, shrouding her face.

Only a pair of pitch-black pupils remained, silent as iron, devoid of any hesitation.

"—Please, come at me!"

And then Luo Xian approached.

One step, two steps. Li Jian Amber's fingers twitched, but then they relaxed again.

Next, facing the biting chill, Luo Xian took a third step, paused, and with the fourth step, finally entered the Tachi's reach.

No, distance had never been meaningful to her. Her Soul Ability could perfectly adjust the blade's path. Within ten meters, there was no such thing as optimal distance or limit to her power. Even with the slightest gap, she could swing her sword with ease.

But she didn't move.

Her fingers on the hilt clenched several times but then helplessly relaxed, unable to find any opening to exploit. She was lost in the tide-like aura around Luo Xian. Icy sweat dripped from her temples, drenching her back. She was unsure. Facing that trace of a gentle smile, she didn't have the courage to draw her sword. Restraining her own trembling was already exhausting all her strength.

She remained frozen in place.

Until the two passed by each other.

In the dead silence, Li Jian Amber lowered her eyes. Her hand wearily slipped from the hilt, dropping to her side.

A soft sigh escaped her. With heartfelt gratitude, she said, "Thank you."

"Hmm? Isn't this what a Senior Sister is supposed to do?" Luo Xian glanced back at her and kept moving forward.

A line of blood abruptly appeared on Amber's pale nape.

Then, following that scarlet slash, her neck tilted smoothly to the side.

Blood gushed forth.

Was even Beheading this graceful? Amber closed her eyes as a dizzying sense of weightlessness overcame her. Truly… utterly defeated.

.

.

In the deathly still venue, everyone quietly watched the cruel slaughter unfold, suppressing their breaths as if experiencing a horror movie firsthand.

On the large screen, the number of contestants continued to decrease steadily, until at last, only thirteen remained.

Then it became 12. Then 11.

Death continued as Luo Xian moved forward, distributing it with equal Mercy to every opponent she faced.

Until at last, when no one else could be found, Luo Xian returned to the street. She took a white apron from her pocket, put on a gray overcoat, and began methodically cleaning up the grisly scene, like a maid who had appeared from nowhere.

She dragged bodies together, cleared the sewers to drain away the blood, and finally, meticulously swept up fragments of flesh and bone. She shoveled them into a dustpan and dumped them into the trash.

She then rinsed the area with clean water.

After cleaning the floor, she wiped the bloodstained glass, removed bloodstains from the walls, and watered the plants. Then, she put the mop and broom back in the alley.

The work of a maid was beautifully done.

She brought over a chair and sat in front of the Door of Victory that led to the end, quietly waiting for the next visitor to arrive.

She propped her chin on her palm, patiently staring at the end of the street.

How slow, that guy… Could he have already died in some unknown place? Could his luck be that good?

A melancholic Luo Xian sighed softly.

This really doesn't bring any joy…

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