Yun You did not believe in destiny.

Strictly speaking, she didn't like placing her future in the hands of an intangible concept.

She preferred to carve out her path, overcoming difficulties with her own hands to create a better future.

However, the "barrier" of Nest City was extremely thick.

Failure was also quite normal.

Very normal...

Yun You mumbled to herself, as if comforting herself, or perhaps persuading herself.

Her consciousness was waning, her mind awash with bizarre and fleeting hallucinations.

She saw her parents in the Celestial Kingdom waving to her, saw the arduous but happy life of her childhood, saw her beloved... yet long-out-of-reach strawberry pudding.

Everything before her seemed to be reminding her—give up.

Just give up resisting and she would have everything.

If she stopped struggling, the nightmares and the pain would also fade away.

She wouldn't have to stay in this filthy and rotten world anymore, nor suffer this damned misery...

"Hiss~"

The acid beneath her feet had already eaten through her shoes and pants, scorching the young girl's tender skin.

Death, with its rotten yet sweet aroma, seeped into Yun You's heart with every breath she took through her nose and skin.

For a moment, Yun You actually considered giving up.

Her life was just too full of hardship.

So harsh that even breathing came with a burning pain, so harsh that even her tears had dried up.

Letting go of everything to reunite in the Celestial Kingdom, perhaps, might fulfill her wishes in another way?

Or maybe not?

But just as the little girl was about to give up, her fantasy was "whoosh" replaced by another scene in her mind.

She saw once again that night of raging fire.

Saw the bloody slaughter, heard the people's wails.

She also saw Jack sacrificing his life for her, using his mangled body to create a blazing fire that burned away the thorns on her life path.

"Survive."

Former family, current friends, all spoke to her in unison.

"Live, wait, hope."

Hope.

A word filled with beautiful visions.

But at this moment, in Yun You's heart, it intertwined with another word.

Revenge.

"Yes, I haven't completed my revenge."

"I haven't personally killed those four bastards. If I can't even do that, what right do I have to die?"

"Even if I die, I'm not worthy of seeing my parents or Jack."

"I can't die... At least not yet."

Determination, like a toxic yet immediate adrenaline, jolted Yun You awake.

She opened her eyes wide, summoning strength from an unknown source, clutching the stomach wall of the Taixu beside her.

The searing pain from her legs flooded into her newly awakened mind, making her gasp sharply.

But she couldn't afford to care about that now; all she could think about was gripping the stomach wall and struggling.

Struggle.

Wasn't her life just like that? Struggling in endless pain, struggling... until she was completely consumed.

Never compromise.

"Ah—!"

Yun You gritted her teeth, tearing off a chunk of Taixu flesh, and then activated her Eating ability.

As her body was being digested by gastric acid, Yun You also attempted to "eat" the stomach wall of the Taixu in turn!

In the past, such a method would have clearly been unworkable.

After all, in its prime, the Taixu could control every muscle in its body.

The stomach wall was no exception.

It wouldn't foolishly stand there allowing Yun You to consume it; rather, it would crush the little girl's bones by controlling its stomach wall muscles.

But now, heavily injured and anxious, it couldn't manage that.

However, it also had a countermeasure.

"Roar!"

With a sudden roar, it began to contract its body abruptly, stirring the gastric juices with stomach movements to heat them, while increasing their digestive power as they boiled.

Man and monster thus entered a stalemate.

The gastric acid of the Taixu burned Yun You's skin, while the little girl tore at its stomach wall, using eating to heal her wounds and restore lost physical strength.

This was destined to be a life-and-death struggle, where the losing party would be devoured completely by the other.

Yun You put everything on the line, as did the Taixu.

At first glance, they seemed evenly matched.

But upon closer inspection, one could see... Yun You was gradually falling behind.

With its heart recovered, the Taixu had regained a terrifying level of regenerative ability.

Losing a piece or two of stomach wall flesh wouldn't pose much of a threat to it.

But Yun You was different.

Extensive burns on her skin made her tremble uncontrollably with pain, and even her muscles were affected by the burns.

Meanwhile, her internal organs continued to bleed continuously.

Although Taixu's flesh provided ample nutrition to heal her wounds, the healing couldn't keep pace with her injuries.

At this rate, she was still doomed to lose, and be tormented for an extended period.

But Yun You would not give up.

As long as there was a sliver of hope, she would seize it, never letting it go.

And unbeknownst to her, on the back of her hand...

The Three-Phase Diagram of the Apprentice Death God began to change.

First, it formed the basic Three-Phase Diagram with the "Book," "Scythe," and "Flower," then transformed into a crimson wolf head...

But it didn't linger long on any one symbol, quickly shifting again to a dagger enshrouded in mist.

Finally, it emitted a golden glow, turning into an inverted seven-colored crown.

It was the totem of the "Lord" Sequence!

This was the first time it had appeared on Yun You's hand since her awakening moment.

"All failures in this world are due to the insufficiency of the person's ability."

Yun You clenched the Taixu flesh tightly, struggling as she thought...

"I don't want to lose friends again. I refuse to endure life and death separations. I don't want to suffer such wounds again..."

"I'm unwilling to fail like this, and I don't want to die without having accomplished anything."

"Death might be liberation, but not for me."

"I absolutely won't die so easily; I'm unwilling... I'm unwilling!"

"..."

"Unwilling, right?"

Suddenly, a strange voice appeared in Yun You's heart.

The voice sounded so familiar, with the exact same tone and pitch as Yun You's.

Yun You was initially surprised, but the next moment, she glanced at the pattern on her hand and understood the nature of the voice.

This was the Sequence Power speaking to her.

"Of course I'm unwilling."

Although she didn't understand how the Lord Sequence could talk, Yun You accepted its existence and gave an answer.

"If you are unwilling, then listen to me."

"Become a king, become a monarch before whom everyone must bow."

"Only by becoming a king can you discard all sadness; only as a king can you fulfill your unrealistic wishes."

"A king can achieve anything, a king can realize everything."

"So, accept my power."

"You will become a king and then tear apart that damned destiny with your own hands."

"You can do it, and that's why I chose you."

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