His own finger strength could snap millennia-old Xuan Tie; how could it possibly fail to break this blade?
"Save your energy, you jumping clown. You think you can destroy this blade? Pure delusion…" A mocking smile played on Ye Jingyu’s lips, yet he raised his hand and smashed a punch towards Bai Tianyu…
But as soon as he threw the punch, his whole body plummeted downwards. Bai Tianyu’s previous move, Shan He Sui, had already shattered every bone in his body. His ability to unleash the technique Jue Dao Po Kong relied entirely on that fierce willpower; now that the move was broken, he naturally could no longer exert any strength…
"The blade is good, but the man wielding it is trash…" Facing Ye Jingyu’s mockery, Bai Tianyu paid it no mind, instead turning the tables to ridicule Ye Jingyu.
However, when he looked again towards the direction where Ni Bo had fled, he found Ni Bo had already vanished without a trace. He sighed softly to himself, put away the Tianzun Blade, and with a single grab, hauled Ye Jingyu up, soaring towards the direction where Liang Xiaoke lay gravely injured…
In just a few steps, he arrived before Liang Xiaoke…
"Big Brother…" Gazing at the ground more ruined than his own, and at the blood-soaked Liang Xiaoke, Ye Jingyu cried out in alarm…
"Mmm…" Liang Xiaoke let out a soft hum, painfully turning his head. His lifeless eyes fixed upon Ye Jingyu, who was held tight in Bai Tianyu’s grip…
"I hadn't expected that after taking my full-power strike of Tian Di Beng, you still wouldn't be dead. Your vitality is truly tenacious…" Seeing Liang Xiaoke’s exhausted gaze, a flicker of shock crossed Bai Tianyu’s eyes…
Unlike dealing with Ye Jingyu using Shan He Sui, Bai Tianyu hadn't intended to kill either Ni Bo or Ye Jingyu directly, thus holding back his strength. But when unleashing Tian Di Beng, he had struck with his full power, holding nothing back, intending to kill Liang Xiaoke. After all, Liang Xiaoke was not the person his father wanted. Yet, to his surprise, he actually hadn't died. If he hadn't come to check, perhaps Liang Xiaoke truly could have survived…
"Nonsense, I am immortal. How could I die so easily? You damn well better release my brother, or I swear I won't let you off…" Liang Xiaoke rolled his eyes and spoke with extreme arrogance…
"In this world, where is there true immortality? Today, I shall see how your immortality fares against death…" Bai Tianyu scoffed, throwing a punch across the void. A surge of fist energy fiercely blasted towards Liang Xiaoke…
"No!" Ye Jingyu, held in Bai Tianyu’s grasp, cried out in agony, but Bai Tianyu completely ignored him. That tyrannical surge of power slammed into Liang Xiaoke’s body, instantly causing it to explode. The immense force tore Liang Xiaoke’s already fragmented form to shreds. His head was blasted over ten meters away, half his face a bloody mess. He tumbled on the ground, motionless, but his eyes, filled with rage, stared straight at Bai Tianyu…
Bai Tianyu paid no heed to that stare. He shot out another finger, a streak of finger wind that directly shattered the head…
Witnessing all this, Ye Jingyu felt as if his heart was being ripped apart. He knew Liang Xiaoke’s vital point lay in his head, but now that the head was pulverized, could he possibly live? An indescribable pain coursed through his entire being, and memories of first meeting Liang Xiaoke involuntarily flooded his mind…
"Hehe, I’ve been awake for many years, and this is the first time I’ve met someone with such immense power. You’re quite interesting…" That seemed to be the first thing Liang Xiaoke ever said to him…
Following that, they fought fiercely, and Ye Jingyu discovered that Liang Xiaoke had protected him with meticulous care. It was then Ye Jingyu realized he was a timid zombie…
"I slept for too long, forgetting many things, but I vaguely recall that after Master granted me a drop of blood, I was slain by the Daoist sect…" This seemed to be Liang Xiaoke recounting memories from a past life…
Next came discussions about the dancing girls, the lustful women of Japan, and everything about their past lives…
Later, the two embraced tightly. It was his first time hugging a corpse—an ice-cold corpse—yet at that moment, he felt such warmth…
Afterward, they drank together, ate meat together, talked about women, shared jokes, engaged in intimacy, and…
All the memories flitted through Ye Jingyu’s mind like paper cranes, passing over his heart and weaving through his thoughts…
Tears gradually blurred his vision, slowly welling up and spilling from his eyes, then gently tracing paths down his cheeks before dripping silently onto the ground—so crystalline, yet steeped in such desolation…
He didn't know what he should do, how he should face all this. Liang Xiaoke was dead. The only one who understood him, who comprehended him, the zombie who understood him, was gone. Yes, although he was a zombie, a despicable zombie, he could still die—truly die…
He could die…
Ye Jingyu’s heart wailed, crying out incessantly, streams of blood-tears flowing endlessly from his core. He knew that if it weren't for him, Liang Xiaoke could have wandered this world freely, enjoying life to the fullest. If not for him, Liang Xiaoke could have consumed his blood and flesh, evolving slowly, growing stronger…
He was despicable, shameless, lustful, cowardly—even his purpose as a zombie stemmed from a fear of death. He was such a timid, death-fearing zombie, yet for Ye Jingyu’s sake, he completely forgot about life and death, never once considering escaping alone…
Why? Because he was his Big Brother. Because Ye Jingyu was his brother…
Brother… what a sacred word, what an yearned-for word, what an inescapable word…
He sacrificed his life for that word. But what had he done for Liang Xiaoke? Now, he didn't even possess the strength to avenge him…
Ahhh… his soul roared inwardly, shouting in absolute despair, screaming until his lungs tore apart…
He felt unwilling, unyielding, defiant, but what good did any of it do?
Dead. He was truly dead. He died just like that, utterly gone, vanished…
The grief filled his entire soul; a silent sorrow diffused across heaven and earth…
His tears slowly turned to blood-tears, staining his eyes red, staining his cheeks red, staining everything red…
For the first time in his life, Ye Jingyu understood that being alive was not just about oneself…
His mind became clear, yet simultaneously hollowed out. A faint shadow suddenly shot out from within his body, drifting out to permeate the world…
Bai Tianyu was too lazy to pay attention to Ye Jingyu’s sorrow. He grabbed Ye Jingyu’s body and sprinted eastward. Before leaving, he didn't forget to fire a signal flare, notifying Bai Jingfei and the others that the mission was a success…
After an unknown period, within that pile of mangled flesh, a single drop of golden blood stirred slightly…
And a head emerged from the earth…