Thanks to Dragon Shadow Flight, the Demonic Wings, and the combined aid of the Gale Ring and Gale Necklace, I managed an aerial ascension under nearly impossible circumstances.
However, before I could even set foot on the chain bridge—
Roar! A world-shaking bellow erupted, and the Sacred Beast White Tiger, a mountain of muscle, lunged at me like the wind, its massive steel claws sweeping out like lightning!
There was absolutely no chance to catch my breath. Accompanying the charge was a series of sharp, indistinct whistles—I knew from my Eye of Death Desire and superhuman intuition that these were the three Soul Talismans shot by Xuan Zhi, moving with incredible speed and at wickedly sharp angles. They completely sealed off any space for me to leap or evade!
Mid-air and unable to land, I had no leverage. My six Dragon Shadows were too slow; they only managed to reach my feet just as I had to grit my teeth, push the Thunder Shield to its absolute limit, grip my swords with both hands, and slash with all my might at the steel claw swept out by the Sacred Beast White Tiger.
A direct clash with the White Tiger was certainly not wise, but at that moment, I had no choice.
Clang! Boom!
A flash of blue light erupted as the Dragon Shadow Sword finally collided head-on with the White Tiger's steel claw, without any finesse whatsoever. Sparks flew, but the terrifying impact force physically threw me backward uncontrollably! Almost as I was being repelled!
The three Soul Talismans, screaming past like bullets, slammed instantly into my chest and lower abdomen!
There was no way I could withstand the force of the Sacred Beast White Tiger’s single strike, and having the three Soul Talismans hit me simultaneously at that critical juncture was like adding frost to snow. Fortunately, my Thunder Protector Dou Qi Shield greatly offset the talismans' power, but they still pierced my Demonic Battle Armor and wounded me.
Pfft! Struck twice in quick succession, I could no longer hold back a mouthful of blood! My sword-wielding hands and the areas on my chest and abdomen struck by the talismans felt as if they had been violently jarred open.
I was sent flying out over the chasm, like a kicked ball sailing off the chain bridge and falling toward the churning, raging torrent below, which rushed up to meet me in a terrifying blur!
Ah! The sound of the wind was a muffled roar in my ears. Falling rapidly through the air, the sensation was almost suffocating and numbing. The White Tiger's horrifying impact had thrown the qi within my body into utter chaos, crashing back and forth like an erupting volcano desperately seeking an outlet!
No! I have to find a way, or falling means certain death.
Gritting my teeth against the feeling that my body might explode, I sucked in a desperate breath! Thunder Dou Qi surged into the Dragon Shadow Sword, and with a long, remote gesture, I executed a casual move.
A sharp whistle sliced through the sky!
The six spiraling Dragon Shadows abruptly shifted direction, flying toward me with astonishing speed, instantly overtaking my downward trajectory.
Roar! This is the moment!
My sword danced repeatedly, and under the control of the Dragon Shadow Heart Sutra, the six shadows turned again, weaving a Dragon Shadow Heavenly Ladder leading straight back to the chain bridge!
Thud! I finally landed violently but instinctively stepped onto the first Dragon Shadow, as if kicking off a sturdy branch. I sprang up immediately and shot upward again, soaring diagonally in an incredible aerial ascent.
Ever since Dragon Shadow Flight proved its surprising effectiveness during the battle in Yuncheng, I had intensified my practice. Now, my execution was far more refined and expert than it had been back then.
Utilizing the rebounding force from this mid-air step, I instantly flew toward the second Dragon Shadow!
Whoosh whoosh!
Without hesitation or pause, in the blink of an eye, I had stepped on four Dragon Shadows, rocketing toward the chain bridge. I only needed to hit two more to reach safety.
“Stop him!” Amidst the muffled roar of the wind, I heard Moluo Aotian’s frantic, harsh shout!
Two blurry golden afterimages instantly materialized at the end of the chain bridge nearest the Dragon Shadow Heavenly Ladder—it was Moluo Zhanlong and Moluo Zhanxiong!
Ah! I’m finished!
“Die!” Amidst a roar, three massive crescent moons shot out!
Clearly, they had already calculated my landing point and trajectory!
Whoosh whoosh! With sharp whistles, two of the massive crescent moons flew like lightning toward the two Dragon Shadows closest to the bridge! The third one flew directly at me!
Ah! I was stunned! The Demonic Wings on my back suddenly flapped hard, forcing a sudden change in trajectory against all odds! Whoosh! The massive crescent moons missed, whistling past!
Simultaneously!
Bang! Rumble! Two brilliant light explosions erupted in the air. The two Dragon Shadows were struck squarely by the two massive crescent moons. The terrifying Dou Qi detonation blasted the two shadows far away, instantly shattering the Dragon Shadow Heavenly Ladder.
I’m done for! There are no moves left now. The Ladder is destroyed, and I don't have time to regulate my breath or invoke the Dragon Shadow Heart Sutra to reform the ladder!
Damn it, I don't want to die!
Plummeting rapidly, my mind raced at an unprecedented speed.
Right, the grappling hook!
I still have a grappling hook in my spatial pack!
A thought flashed, and I frantically reached for my waist! Miraculously, my fingers closed around a grappling hook—the essential item I had prepared back in Cangyue for my journey to the Bone Membrane Cave for training.
Heaven truly hasn't cut off all paths!
My spirit lifted, and I hurled the hook!
Swish! Click!
The darting hook instantly struck the chain bridge, then clamped onto one of its thick iron links.
My rapidly descending body jolted to an abrupt halt, and immense tensile force immediately jolted my left hand gripping the rope.
Good chance!
Instinctively channeling my power, I yanked hard with my left hand!
As a Demonic Warrior, the strength in a single arm was beyond ordinary comprehension. That pull alone carried the force of thousands of jun. Using that leverage, I propelled myself upward again from empty air, flying toward the chain bridge.
Above, Xuan Zhi and Xuan Yi were already poised on the bridge.
They had seen through my intention the moment I shot the hook!
And their reaction time was astonishingly fast!
Xuan Zhi raised his hand and fired a Soul Talisman!
Whoosh!
A golden flash! The grappling hook was instantly severed by Xuan Zhi’s Soul Talisman.
Xuan Yi didn't hesitate either; three Soul Talismans flew toward me like bullets exiting a chamber, clearly intending to knock me out of the air.
Damn it! There’s no way for me to dodge his talisman interception right now! I could only desperately urge my Thunder Shield to its maximum!
Thud thud thud!
The three Soul Talismans struck my chest directly!
The powerful impact almost forced me to vomit blood! However, thanks to the precious opening bought by the grappling hook, I quickly stabilized the qi inside me, managing to withstand the Soul Talismans with the Thunder Shield!
Simultaneously, my sword flickered!
The six previously hovering Dragon Shadows, summoned by the Dragon Shadow Heart Sutra, flashed to my feet, reforming the Dragon Shadow Heavenly Ladder!
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
And I certainly couldn't waste this rare opportunity; I rapidly stepped onto the shadows and rocketed up the ladder! But Moluo Aotian, Moluo Zhankong, Moluo Zhanxiong, and Moluo Zhanlong were also closing in on my landing spot at terrifying speeds!
Even if I managed to scramble back onto the chain bridge, I wouldn't escape their attacks! But I had no other choice. Otherwise, falling into the void again meant certain death.
Whoosh! I was currently rushing toward the chain bridge at incredible speed, while the four Moluos simultaneously raised the swords in their hands. The surging sword qi fluctuations seemed to solidify the entire space!
Faster, just a little faster, if I can just land back on the chain bridge!
Whoosh! As I was just about to land on the bridge!
“Monster! Die!” Charging toward me, the four simultaneously unleashed four dazzling Blazing Fire Sword Qi slashes.
Ah! The scorching heat seemed to ignite the entire space. I instantly recognized this terrifying Dou Qi fluctuation as something far beyond my capacity to resist. Yet, now I had nowhere left to flee.
I could only slash out a massive crescent moon with all my remaining strength to meet the four surging Blazing Fire Sword Qis!
Clash! Rumbling Boom!
Amidst the dazzling light explosion, two streaks of fiery red residual energy shot out!
The gap in strength was too vast; my crescent moon couldn't possibly block the combined assault of four individuals. Two streaks of Blazing Fire Sword Qi still broke through my defense! And the speed of that Sword Qi was terrifying!
Unable to evade, I could only instinctively push my Thunder Shield to its limit!
Crash! Boom!
Then, I felt like I had been struck by a cannonball! My chest seemed to explode, and blood sprayed out uncontrollably! Then, I was flung up involuntarily, my body feeling as if its frame had shattered, losing all sensation. My arms and legs were detached from my control; I couldn't even feel their existence. The only thing that remained was a clear consciousness!
Thump! My falling body slammed heavily onto the chain bridge, but I couldn't even feel the pain. An endless void and exhaustion rapidly spread through me, a feeling of nausea without the strength to vomit. My heart was still pounding violently, as if it might tear through my ribs and leap out at any second.
It seems I’m badly hurt this time. At this moment, I couldn't even twitch a finger.
Tap, tap, tap!
The four Moluos slowly approached!
They were radiating murderous intent, yet their expressions were savage and sinister. I knew that this time, escape was truly impossible.
“Nine Luminaries Divine Truth.” Moluo Aotian was clearly agitated. I could even feel his body trembling uncontrollably. The look on his face was one of indescribably strange conflict—truly contradictory. I could distinctly feel his desire to kill me, yet he was fiercely suppressing it: “You finally fell into my hands.”
“Hnn-hark.” Even speaking was an immense effort: “Moluo Aotian, hark, you’re ruthless. If you want to kill me, just do it.” I was completely defenseless now; it seemed my good luck had finally run out!
“To grant you such a swift death would be too easy,” Moluo Aotian slowly raised the Frost Condensing Greatsword in his hand: “But I must do this, for every second you live is a threat to my Demon-Sealing Empire. Now, I will end you myself.” Thick Dou Qi fluctuated, condensing on the blade, the scorching aura inducing a suffocating heaviness and sense of inevitable doom.
Am I going to die? For some reason, I felt no fear or dread, only regret and lingering attachment—a regret of unfinished business.
And a yearning for life itself!
Must I finally bid farewell to the Mafa World? I wonder if, after dying here, I could wake up again in my original world. But I truly couldn't bear to leave; there were so many things I hadn't finished.
Mom’s illness hasn't been cured! I haven’t even truly enjoyed my relatives' love. I finally found a mother! But now, all I can do is pray that she lives happily and cheerfully going forward, even though she isn't my real mother, and this body never belonged to me in the first place.
And Elder Brother Chen Feng! I’m truly sorry; I’m leaving Mom in your care from now on!
Shen Yin and Yun Chang—I couldn’t save a single one! Forgive me, Elder Yun, I failed to fulfill your dying wish.
And Father Emperor, Jiduluohou Shenpo—I was too willful; I shouldn't have left the palace privately. Perhaps my death will change the fate of the Demonic Dragon Empire. But what use is thinking about it now?
And Yan Luo, perhaps she’s still striving for the promise we made. I don't know if I truly fell in love with her, but at this final moment, she is the one who came to mind. Perhaps this is what they call love. But I no longer have a chance to grasp it.
“Suffer your death.” Moluo Aotian raised the Blazing Fire Greatsword high above his head and brought it down!
In despair, I could only close my eyes!