Nameless District Arc Chapter 79: Master of the Game (Part Four)

Xu Yuqi experienced a whirlwind of anxiety and desire in a short span of time. Although Zhou Xuanhong’s cultivation was currently only at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, Xu could no longer afford to care about such things. To prevent any further mishaps, he charged directly into the small world, intent on seizing Zhou Xuanhong’s body.

Previously, he had tolerated Zhou Xuanhong’s appropriation of the small world only because the act might allow Zhou to break through to the Golden Core stage; it could have brought unexpected benefits. After all, as long as he possessed Zhou’s body in the end, the small world would still be his. Thus, he had felt secure.

But now, events had spiraled beyond his calculations. He would not allow Zhou Xuanhong to slip from his grasp again—the possession had to happen at once!

Yet he found himself grasping at thin air. Light from a teleportation array flared beneath Zhou Xuanhong’s feet, and in the next instant, Zhou appeared within the third layer of the protective barrier, at the original location of the world’s core.

Xu Yuqi stood outside the first barrier, fixing Zhou Xuanhong with a cold, sharp gaze. If the world core had not been destroyed, Xu could have used his authority over the small world to teleport wherever he wished, barring the restriction tide—even to the very heart of the world core itself!

But with the core destroyed in violent upheaval, his control had slipped away. Now, between him and Zhou Xuanhong stood two barriers and a turbulent sea of restrictions. Though Xu was a fourth-rank grandmaster of formations, even he would need considerable time to dismantle unfamiliar restrictions.

Yet time was no longer on his side. Whether it was Zhou Xuanhong’s next moves or the menacing forces of the Yin Corpse Sect outside, he had precious little of it left.

Xu Yuqi demanded, “How did you break my Divine Derivation Seal?”

Zhou Xuanhong smiled lightly as he stood within the ruined core’s former place. “The Grand Derivation Art I have comprehended is the complete version.”

Xu Yuqi shook his head. “Impossible. Even if you have the complete art, the Divine Derivation Seal in your mind-sea is rooted too deeply. You couldn’t possibly destroy it so quickly. You must have used some other method.”

Zhou Xuanhong merely smiled, saying nothing. Of course, he had used other means—the mid-Golden Core Soul Devourer Queen and her three early-stage offspring devoured the Divine Derivation Seal with astonishing speed.

Xu Yuqi continued, “Now that you’re out of my reach, I admit I can do nothing to you for the moment. But how will you escape in the end? With the world core destroyed, these barriers and restrictions will weaken rapidly. Sooner or later, you’ll still fall into my hands!”

Zhou Xuanhong laughed. “Why would I need to escape? Have you never considered how I managed to set up teleportation arrays during the previous two tidal destructions?”

Xu Yuqi’s eyes narrowed. His divine sense swept into the restriction tide and discovered that many of the restrictions there were subtly different than before—strange, somehow altered.

Zhou Xuanhong burst into hearty laughter, his divine sense spreading through the sea of restrictions. “You needn’t waste breath trying to delay me from breaking the formation. Didn’t you want to see if I would do something extraordinary when I broke through to Golden Core? Very well, watch closely—see how I ascend!”

A growing sense of foreboding pressed in on Xu Yuqi. He ordered Realman Derivation and Xuan Qi to help him break through the three barriers. Already weakened, the layers of protection trembled on the verge of collapse.

Zhou Xuanhong, however, remained unflustered. His divine sense entered the tide of restrictions, where a host of his own restrictions now suppressed the world’s original ones. With the world core shattered, the old restrictions dwindled by the moment. Soon, the entire restriction tide would be under Zhou Xuanhong’s command!

This was precisely why, even amid the world’s destruction, Zhou could still arrange teleportation arrays. Earlier, when breaking through with Wang Hu, he had planted his own restrictions within the tide, which then set off the third barrier. Using the momentary breach, he had formed a teleportation array within the barrier itself.

Similarly, during the earlier assault with Wang Hu, he had arranged a teleportation array outside the first protective barrier before entering. Then, as they reached the world core, he left another contingency near the third barrier, allowing him to breach the barriers and destroy the core during the second restriction upheaval.

This too was part of Zhou Xuanhong’s grand plan. As for the attacks from Xu Yuqi and his two allies, Zhou paid them no mind. Calm and assured, he focused solely on weaving his own restrictions.

Outside the small world, Xuan Qi rallied all Foundation Establishment disciples to charge in and attack. Luo Tun and Xu Yuan needed no urging; not only did they refuse to aid Xu Yuqi, but they also set their sights on Li Li and Qiao Yixue.

They already knew Zhou Xuanhong’s plan. The jade slip Zhou had given them earlier revealed Xu Yuqi’s schemes in full detail. The course of action was clear without another word.

Qiao Yixue clutched Li Li’s arm anxiously. “Husband, let’s hurry and help the Sect Master!”

Li Li fell silent. He glanced at his old friend Luo Tun, whose sword now pointed straight at him, then at his beloved wife’s anxious face. He let out a deep, heavy sigh.

He gazed at Qiao Yixue with deep affection and asked, “Xiaoxue, have you ever truly loved me? Did you ever care for me?”

Qiao Yixue looked puzzled. “Of course I did. I gave you my body, you are my husband. If I didn’t love you, how could I have agreed to become your Dao companion? But now isn’t the time for this—the Sect Master needs our help!”

Li Li smiled as he embraced her, pressing his lips to hers. With a soft sound, a graceful figure slumped to the ground. Qiao Yixue’s eyes widened in disbelief, staring up at the sky, unable to comprehend why she had died—or that she had died by the hand of the man who loved her most.

A sword light flew back into Li Li’s spiritual core. The smile on his face was painfully forced, unbearably sorrowful.

With a wave of his hand, he drew out a jade-green coffin from his storage ring. Gently, he placed Qiao Yixue’s corpse within. “You once asked why I kept a coffin among my spoils of war. I said it looked nice, and you called me mad. But you didn’t know—I kept it just for you, my beloved. Thank you.”

As he spoke, tears streamed down Li Li’s face. Agony gripped his heart, each beat a laceration. Clutching his chest, he choked out, “So this is the torment of slaying the one you love most with your own hands. I gave you everything, but your heart always remained distant. I knew it all along—you loved Luo Tun. You only became my Dao companion because the Sect Master arranged it. Perhaps you weren’t the ideal vessel for love, but you were certainly the right choice!”

Among the Foundation Establishment cultivators who had not yet moved, only Xu Yuhan remained rooted in place. She watched Li Li kill Qiao Yixue in disbelief, her hand covering her mouth—how could one as affectionate as Li Li do such a thing?

Li Li glanced at Xu Yuhan with a gentle smile. Perhaps, he thought, Xu Yuhan would have been the best vessel for true love—but he could never bring himself to harm her. She was too pure, pure to a fault. Even to look at her felt like a desecration.

Luo Tun murmured, “So this is the Path of the Heartless Sword. No wonder the Songshan Sword Pavilion left you behind. They must have known your choice and given up on you.”

Li Li sat cross-legged atop the coffin, his aura surging higher and higher. What had been a heavy, dull presence sharpened in an instant, like a blunt sword refined to a deadly edge. With Qiao Yixue’s bond severed, his sword returned to its former zenith.

Within him, all human emotion was draining away. A strange, terrifying presence gathered, sword intent soaring to the heavens, as though it could slice the sky asunder.

Moments later, Li Li opened his eyes—eyes utterly devoid of feeling. Every trace of emotion was gone, replaced only by calm. Even in the face of death, perhaps, not a ripple would disturb him.

“I will honor Xue’er’s wishes, help the sect return to its proper path, and then follow my heart—to pursue the ultimate peak of the Sword Dao!”

Luo Tun, knowing now that Li Li was his enemy, roared, “Battle!”

Their attacks clashed at once. Now that Li Li had mastered the Heartless Sword Dao, he fought without hesitation or restraint. Countless sword lights rained down, forcing Luo Tun to retreat step by step.

Xu Yuan tried to intervene, but Luo Tun stopped her. “My battle with him will be my last in Xingyan Sect. He is both my dearest friend and my greatest rival. Let me fight to my heart’s content!”

Within the sect, only Luo Tun, Li Li, Xu Yuan, and the troubled Xu Yuhan remained. Torn between sect, family, and her beloved junior, Xu Yuhan—so full of feeling—did not know what to choose.

Apart from them, only the old mountain demon outside the Sutra Library seemed untouched by the chaos. It opened its eyes to look toward the dueling ground, letting out a sigh.

“Child, it’s not that I won’t help you. But Xu Yuqi has his eyes on me; he won’t let me do as I wish.”

Inside the small world, just as the first barrier was about to shatter, the sect-protecting grand array was breached from outside. This was thanks to the sudden use of a top-grade fourth-rank array disk—the Thousand Ghosts Yin Fiend Array—by Old Daoist Black Ghost, who joined forces with the Corpse Realman to break through.

The Corpse Realman struck out fiercely, his palm slamming toward the World Pearl. He wished for neither Xu Yuqi to seize Zhou Xuanhong’s body nor for Zhou Xuanhong to form his Golden Core—he would simply suppress and annihilate them all.

Within the small world, Grandmaster Derivation, who had been helping Zhou Xuanhong establish the Dao of Derivation, was forced out and endured a heavy blow from the Corpse Realman. Though wounded, he managed to withstand the onslaught.

“You Xingyan Sect people sure know how to fight among yourselves,” the Corpse Realman sneered. “Far more entertaining than a proper sect war… Hm? Why am I wasting time talking?”

He suddenly realized something was wrong. His divine sense swept carefully, and at the gates of the Sutra Library he spotted the old mountain demon, understanding at once. “So there’s a late-stage Golden Core mountain demon here, too—impressive, to even affect my emotions!”

As he spoke, the Corpse Realman hurled his fist at the small world, a blow hundreds of meters wide crashing down with immense force. Grandmaster Derivation was forced to intercept him again.

Within the small world, Zhou Xuanhong sighed. “So close. Just a moment longer and I wouldn’t have needed Old Daoist Black Ghost’s help. Old mountain demon, you’ve disappointed me.”

As he spoke, Zhou Xuanhong rose to his feet. With his ascent, countless restrictions erupted in every direction as the world’s laws began to reform. The entire small world trembled violently, all spiritual energy rushing toward its core.