Zhou Zhukong nodded with a smile, "Indeed. That was an unforgivable mistake even the gods could not pardon... Little sister, let me bear all the sins instead of you. Rest in peace..." His eyes overflowed with tears as he continued smiling gently. It was truly tender—his gaze no longer carried that icy coldness.

"But what will you do?" Zhao Ruikong suddenly pointed a finger at Zhou Zhukong. The man who had been advancing froze mid-step. She then laughed mockingly, "You've always suppressed your power and refused to acknowledge the abnormalities we both share. You crave watching everyone around you die in beautiful agony yet deny it—this hypocritical disgust has kept your abilities rudimentary. What can a weakling like you possibly do? You're incapable of anything!" Zhou Zhukong's body remained suspended as if time itself had halted. The only moving part was his mouth.

Smiling, he said, "Yes, our power gap is vast—I cannot touch you. But let me ask... How expansive are your mental abilities, little sister? Exactly how many people can you control at once?" As the words faded, a glimmering blade flashed from behind Zhou Zhukong. A boy named Zhao Fukan leaped forward from his position.

Mid-air, he hurled a throwing knife that shimmered in his palm. At the same moment, the surrounding youths moved with perfect synchronization toward Ruikong. Now everyone understood—if Ruikong wasn't defeated first, they'd all end up like those already dead corpses.

The most immediate threat was that flying dagger. In an instant it came within three meters of her.

But gradually its speed slowed until even bare eyes could see the wavy ripples distorting through the air—like a blade struggling to swim. It finally stopped about a meter away, where Ruikong gently pinched between her fingers.

"Every life possesses a Sea of Consciousness. In infancy our spirits dwell at its deepest layer. As we age, those spirits emerge from this inner realm, shaping us into distinct beings through the outside world. But once freed from their protective consciousness, souls begin to decay.

This primal force of the Sea of Consciousness is forgotten over time—until all you see are these weak creatures... At the very bottom of every life's consciousness lies unimaginable power—the Heartlight, the indestructible walls in our deepest minds. Each being has its own sacred domain I call the Sea of Consciousness Power. It can only be accessed by those who touch that primal level.

Out here they call it telekinesis, psychic force... or maybe some anime's AT Field."

Ruikong smiled as she cradled a dagger in her palm. The knife slowly rose before erupting from her hand at near-invisible speed. When everyone finally reacted...

The throwing knife had already pierced Zhao Fukan's heart.

"Understand now? If you want to get close, first destroy my Sea of Consciousness barrier."

Ruikong gazed toward the crowd as she spoke.

"Mental force, psychic power, AT Field... Pathetic." A sudden voice cut through the air behind her. Zheng Zha stood motionless yet had already unleashed hundreds of punches in his "Explosion" state. Each blow struck Ruikong's back but,，a translucent barrier enveloped her body—neither liquid nor solid. Most of Zha's force simply dissipated while residual strikes only pushed her several meters away.

This barrier's resilience made Zheng Zha's jaw tighten. His "Explosion" power could punch through reinforced steel plates yet couldn't even touch her skin. Now he understood her true strength—the deeper she immersed in her madness, the more exponentially it grew. Unless he fought with full commitment, she had already reached a level capable of threatening him.

But Zheng Zha did create an opening. His sudden appearance coincided perfectly with Ruikong's brief telekinetic usage window. Though his power couldn't break through yet, it forced her to move back several meters—giving Zhao Yingkong the chance to cross that critical distance and appear directly before Ruikong.

At this moment, Zhao Yingkong's eyes blazed crimson red, identical to when she'd been controlled earlier. She now moved with heartless chaos, no longer employing any of her usual precise assassination techniques. Just wild punches and clawing strikes against Ruikong—who couldn't even break through the psychic barrier. After dozens of attacks, a single palm strike from Ruikong released a shockwave that flung Yingkong over thirty meters back into shrubbery, snapping two saplings in her path.

"Hmph, too dangerous—nearly injured by these lowly creatures..." Ruikong exhaled dramatically, turning to address Zheng Zha. "Strange... the mental mark I placed inside you vanished. Where did you go during this time? Left this world entirely?" Zheng Zha blinked—he hadn't even realized when she'd implanted that tracking mark. If she could track him through any dimension, her mental force mastery rivaled typical team psychic controllers—perhaps now earned the title of "Controller" itself.

(So dangerous... in this realm I can only use about seventy percent power. Not to mention I can't access Tiger Soul or Demise Blade... Dammit, even my Explosion state can't breach her psychic barrier!) As Zheng Zha remained silent after Ruikong's question, she dismissed further dialogue with a casual palm strike that sent another shockwave toward him. But he'd already returned from his Yingkong mimicry trance into soul form just in time—his attack only splintered a nearby oak.

"Vanished again? Hehe, amusing... No rush to deal with you now." Ruikong turned back toward the remaining youths. Those who hadn't stopped moving yet had frozen entirely. Despair etched their faces as she stared at them through pure white eyes—every trace of blackness having vanished from her gaze.

She smiled at their terror and said, "Soul filled with trembling... How would you like to die? Self-ignition? Disintegration? Rotting away in agony? Explosion into nothing? Or transformation into the monstrous beings that haunt your nightmares? Tell me! For the sake of making those final moments more beautiful, I'll fulfill any death wish. Any manner of demise—anything at all."

As she snapped her fingers...

A girl near Zhou Zhukong began convulsing when suddenly his arm arced forward with a dagger to pierce her temple. The girl died instantly.

Zhou Zhukong gently stroked her hair as he sighed, "Yingkong, remember our conversation? Do you recall the promise you made me long ago? If given a choice in death, I'd rather die by my own will. Will you fulfill that vow? Or do you refuse to soil your hands—abandon us all just to preserve your purity?" Yingkong hesitated before giggling mockingly, "Brother, no amount of shouting can bridge the gap between our powers..." She didn't finish her sentence as a deafening explosion erupted thirty meters away. A tangle of branches exploded into the air revealing Zhao Yingkong's bloodied form below.

Her eyes remained crimson but now black patterns writhed across her skin. These symbols coalesced into ancient-looking runes before she stomped one foot and vanished...