CHAPTER 78.2: ELDER SLAYER

Seasons passed. A hundred years slipped by in the mortal zone.

The Hundred-Cities Alliance no longer existed. Only old warriors spoke its name.

Legends spread of a masked swordsman, leading a girl by the hand, wielding the Blood-Dragon Sword. He'd singlehandedly destroyed a hundred cities,and even demon dens.

Some young men scoffed. The Hundred-Cities Alliance had numerous Peak Emperors. Could a single Peak Emperor really slay a hundred? Others donned faceless masks, swords at their hips, calling themselves the Faceless Sword God.

Eventually, news of him grew fewer. By the Ancient Qichun tree, a kingdom called the Moonlight Kingdom rose.

In a lakeside cabin, a girl curled up. She was pale, eyes full of worry.

"Teacher... are you alright?"

She had never grown, still the seven-year-old she'd once been. Before he left to slay demons, she had imprinted a moon sigil onto his arm. It was very small, but it transferred a sliver of his wounds to her. The amount of wounds she could bear was related to their difference in power. If she was as strong as Qi Yuan, then she could bear half of the injuries he sustained. However, she was too weak. For every ten thousand wounds he bore, she could only take one. Yet even that one left her writhing in agony each day.

The pain continued, on and on.

Teacher's power was way stronger than her. What kind of pain must he be enduring? What kind of injuries did he sustain?

Moon Maiden huddled into herself. She clenched her teeth and trained on, believing that if she grew stronger, she could share more of his burden.

***

At the gates of Earth's End...

"Hah! A bunch of old fogeys, hesitating, still dreaming of life?"

Qi Yuan sat upon the steps. He was thoroughly drenched in blood, as if made of gore. There wasn’t a single patch of unbroken flesh left upon him. Even one of his eyeballs was shattered in half.

And yet, he still blocked the gate, flashing a frenzied, arrogant smile.

From deep within, came the cold reply of the alien demons. "Kill!"

Qi Yuan answered, "Kill!"

He drew his sword and the blade burst forth like a dragon.

Empowered by Death Radiance, he fought fiercer with every strike, like an invincible god of death.

He could only endure this long thanks to the blood-draining skill. Over the course of more than ten days, he had already cut down eight hundred of these demons.

He had the right to laugh so wildly! Why? Because he was soloing a massive raid of bosses. He wasn't trapped in here with them. They were trapped in here with him!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Without madness, there is no survival. Alone, Qi Yuan fought against hundreds of alien demons.

They showed no mercy, raining down their Origin as though it cost nothing. They knew if they didn't rid themselves of this menace, they were doomed.

Though torn and battered by their attacks, Qi Yuan showed not a trace of fear. Years of tempering had etched battle experience deep into his bones. Despite being grievously wounded, despite the risk of collapsing at any moment, he still raised his sword, killing more and more with every swing.

"Hah! You're getting weaker! When I first came, every Origin strike of yours landed on me. But now? I can dodge more than a third of your attacks! And my sword, can you dodge that?" Qi Yuan roared with laughter.

His treasured sword swung, hacking down another demon with great difficulty. A flood of experience surged into him. He didn't use it to level up. The feeling that every kill yielded a tangible reward filled him with a dangerous exhilaration.

He raised his eyes to the sky, where the countless glowing eyes had already diminished.

Qi Yuan shouted loudly, "No way, don't tell me 2,700 geezers still can't beat down one young lad like me?"

The demons trembled as they watched him. Qi Yuan was mangled beyond recognition. Half his body had been carved away. When he swung his sword, pale white bones could be seen flashing beneath. Flesh was life's root. Even they, with their monstrous power, could never endure such wounds.

A heavy silence settled in their hearts.

***

Time passed. In the mortal zone, countless years passed. Within the Five Elements Forbidden Zone, coffin lids burst open.

Dozens of terrifying figures rose. The Divine realm powerhouses who had slept within the Five Elements awoken.

Fifteen minutes later, the forces from Yinyang Forbidden Zone appeared by teleportation.

Pupile gazed at them coldly. "The Demon-Slaying Assembly begins..."

Everyone looked skyward. There, above them, a celestial omen had appeared. A heavenly hound devouring the moon. That was the sign to commence the Demon-Slaying Assembly.

This was the demons' weakest moment. This was their greatest chance.

"Where is the Garment Division Master?" asked the Flower Burial Fairy, scanning the crowd.

Dragon Judge replied calmly, "He is most likely training in the mortal zone."

Flower Burial Fairy's face darkened. "The assembly will start soon, and he has not returned? Could something have happened?"

The others' expressions shifted subtly.

"What a pity. We are all marked by the alien demons. Once we leave the Forbidden Zone, we’ll be hooked by their Flesh-Hooks."

"We cannot leave, and outsiders cannot enter. We cannot know the Garment Division Master's condition. Perhaps something really has gone wrong?"

Everyone went silent.

Someone said mockingly, tearing the quietness, "Hmph. I fear he fled at the last moment, out of cowardice."

The Flower Burial Fairy snapped, glaring coldly. "Enough! Idle slander is not to be spoken. Perhaps he was merely delayed. We will wait one more day."

"Idle slander? I call it a reasonable guess," the man muttered, but under the Flower Burial Fairy's cold eyes, he fell silent.

The gathering grew quiet. They discussed demon-slaying tactics, but none pressed the matter further.

One day passed. Still, the Garment Division Master did not appear.

Dragon Judge studied the heavens, then said slowly, "We will wait one more day."

***

Meanwhile, within Earth's End...

Qi Yuan's body was broken beyond words. Not a shred of good flesh remained, even his bones were shattered, but his skeletal fingers still clenched the sword tight.

With it, he pierced clean through the heart of a frenzied demon. That was the last of them.

His face, nothing but a blur of blood and ruin, pulled into a smile. "At last... finished?"

For so many days, he had slaughtered without end, until not one demon remained alive within Earth's End. In the end, some of them had cried for their fathers, some had begged to call him father.

Qi Yuan had ignored them all. His only answer to them was to kill, kill, kill...

Alone, he stood guard before the bronze gate, never allowing a single demon to escape. Driven to desperation, the demons unleashed countless terrible powers upon him.

His body was broken, and his heart was weary. For days upon days, he had fought without pause, not daring to stop. For he knew that if he stopped, he’d never wake again.

Even now, with all enemies slain, he kept his spirit taut, forcing his mind to remain alert, awake.

Half his ruined body leaned against the bronze gate. Cold light flickered in his eyes. "At last... the Heavenly Dao Fragment is in my hands."

He knew that he was now facing the greatest challenge ever since entering this game.

The game wasn’t over yet.