Chapter 381: Who Died in the End? (Two-in-One)

After He Xinquan spoke, the crowd in the Surface World erupted in shock.

"Zhoulin—that same Zhoulin from back then?"

"I almost forgot! He Quan used to be part of Zhoulin back then too."

"No wonder Zhao Dongchuan hates him so much. He had the chance to join Zhoulin back then but was rejected. How could he not hold a grudge?" "True. I'd hate him too, since I'm just as petty."

"+1."

"Sigh—I feel bad for He Xinquan. Even though he was besieged by three people and hated for outside reasons, he never said a word. He's always just suffered in silence."

"Zhao Dongchuan is being too petty. He has no class at all."

"..."

"..."

Even after He Xinquan brought up the past, Zhao Dongchuan's expression remained completely unfazed.

"Not joining Zhoulin was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me."

He spoke softly, "Otherwise, who knows how miserable I would have been when it disbanded. Don't you agree?"

He Xinquan's expression instantly changed.

His face darkened as he stared at Zhao Dongchuan across from him.

"Are you looking for death?"

With those words, the longsword in his hand flashed with white light. Weird energy erupted from his body, sweeping across the entire rooftop.

"Heh."

Seeing that he had successfully angered his opponent, a glint of mockery flashed in Zhao Dongchuan's eyes.

Then, the wooden slips in his hand began to rotate. Streaks of ethereal golden light bloomed, flashing across the sky like meteors before descending around He Xinquan.

The battle erupted.

Under the influence of the golden light, every one of He Xinquan's attacks strayed off course to some degree. However, Zhao Dongchuan's weakness was just as obvious—he lacked substantial offensive methods.

Very quickly, He Xinquan figured out the abilities of Zhao Dongchuan's four Rituals.

One of the abilities governed disorder.

It could influence the direction, intensity, and effectiveness of an opponent's attacks and defenses...

Another ability governed coincidence.

It allowed him to rely on strokes of luck to evade enemy strikes or inflict damage.

Then there was precognition.

He could foresee an opponent's actions to a certain extent, and beyond that, glimpse his own fate a short time into the future.

Aside from those three Rituals, his only true offensive method was his fourth Ritual: a severed phalanx bone.

Zhao Dongchuan had fused it into his own index finger. If he mimicked the shape of a gun with his hand, it would fire an undodgeable beam of light.

Each of these four Rituals was incredibly strong. Even He Xinquan had to admit that Zhao Dongchuan's current strength matched the standard of Zhoulin from back then. No team would refuse a member like him.

But—

In a one-on-one fight, it was a completely different story.

"Too weak."

Whether in offense or defense, he was simply too weak.

The slender, straight white jade longsword in He Xinquan's hand erupted with blinding light, slashing apart the golden glow in front of him with a single strike.

He stepped out from the sky full of golden light. The sword in his hand seemed to carve a path for him automatically. Whether it was coincidence, error, or precognition, all of it proved completely useless against him in this moment. A white-gold radiance bloomed around him like starlight, making him look like an Exiled Immortal descending to the mortal realm, standing completely aloof from the world.

"I've stayed in the Fourth Tier for a full eight years."

Looking at the utterly shocked Zhao Dongchuan across from him, He Xinquan's lips parted slightly. The white breath he exhaled instantly materialized into the shape of a sword, hovering beside him.

"Of course, mortals like you cannot understand why."

"Because you have never seen a true powerhouse."

"If you had—you would understand the chasm between immortals and mortals. To catch up to those at the very top, even someone like me has to temper myself over and over again."

"Over the years, I relied on myself to elevate a black Ritual to black-orange, and I even comprehended new abilities. All of this stems from one thing: my talent."

With that, He Xinquan swung his strongest strike.

His body rapidly shriveled up as countless streams of white mist, resembling immortal qi, surged from him and merged into the sword in his hand.

This single sword strike changed the color of the world.

Zhao Dongchuan's eyes sharpened. He immediately swiped a wooden slip across his brow. A drop of golden blood materialized in front of him, instantly transforming into a vast, rolling ocean.

Even so, his expression remained grim.

He could sense that this impending strike was even stronger than he had imagined. It vaguely surpassed the bounds of an ordinary Fifth Tier and pushed right up against the Sixth Tier.

Swish!

As the sword fell, the phantom images of the Rituals surrounding Zhao Dongchuan completely erupted.

Yellow-purple, purple-black, black, and black-orange. One perfect, three extreme limits.

This true prophet candidate of the Precognition Society was finally unleashing his real strength.

As if swept up by a hurricane, the mighty golden ocean suddenly churned into monstrous, heaven-shaking waves that crashed directly into the descending sword.

However—

A few seconds later, crisp cracking sounds rang out from the ocean. Fissures spread across it like shattering crystal before it violently burst apart, crashing to the ground as scattered shards of seawater.

The sword qi, meanwhile, continued its advance with seemingly undiminished power.

Watching this scene, He Xinquan smiled faintly.

This was the result of him not stepping into the Fifth Tier all these years.

He possessed Rituals of high quality.

He possessed combinations between Rituals.

He possessed top-tier physical attributes.

He had even comprehended an ultimate attack, just like Jin Yao.

He had what others had, and he had what others didn't.

Therefore, he was the strongest.

Let alone Zhao Dongchuan, even if it were the "Monster" or the Doctor, he was confident they couldn't defeat him. The moment he, He Xinquan, entered this Dungeon, there was only one possible outcome.

That outcome was He Xinquan taking first place.

But suddenly, his pupils contracted, and he stared forward in disbelief.

Several thick, pitch-black branches dropped in front of Zhao Dongchuan and collided with the sword qi.

Immediately after, a throne woven from pitch-black threads manifested in the sky. Yan Jing sat upon it. He looked into He Xinquan's trembling pupils and smiled slightly.

"Is this your full strength?"

"It is indeed very strong."

"But it's still not enough."

As he spoke, countless threads and white silks intertwined, finally wrapping around the thick branches. Innumerable Thorns bloomed in this grand feast of silk and thread. Endless petals drifted down, landing on the sword qi. Finally, amidst a blinding burst of light, the sword qi crumbled to dust alongside the branches.

Looking at Yan Jing in the sky, Zhao Dongchuan breathed a sigh of relief.

His glimpse into his fate hadn't been wrong.

A few days ago during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he had even specifically asked Lin Xiaoran to deliver several boxes of mooncakes to Yan Jing for him.

At the very least, he had sent a gift and properly greeted him.

This time, he should be fine.

But to his utter surprise, a soft crack rang out in the very next second, and several branches slammed down, completely wrapping him up tightly.

"I sent gifts!"

Zhao Dongchuan screamed out his 'last words' right before fainting.

"I know, I know."

Yan Jing smiled faintly.

"Didn't I give you the VIP seat?"

Saying that, Yan Jing pulled the tightly bound, ball-shaped Zhao Dongchuan over to his side.

It was indeed a VIP seat, because Wang Gang and Jin Yao next to him were each bound by only a single branch, and then tied together.

Afterward, Yan Jing looked at the dumbstruck He Xinquan across from him and offered a slight smile.

"Hello, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yan Jing, Shen Youran's seed."

"..."

At this moment, He Xinquan was so stunned he couldn't speak.

He was still immersed in the moment his ultimate sword strike had shattered, his racing heart unable to calm down.

How could it be?!

How could any Fourth Tier possibly block that strike?!!

"How did you do that?!"

He stared fixedly at Yan Jing, his face slightly contorted.

"How did I do what?"

Yan Jing blinked, taken aback.

"How did you block that sword?!"

He Xinquan roared.

"..."

Yan Jing blinked again.

"I just... blocked it. Does that really need an explanation?"

"I mean... I'm just stronger than you."

"..."

Those words felt like a heavy hammer smashing directly into He Xinquan's head.

He roared recklessly, "Bullshit!!!"

He completely lost his usual aloof and cold demeanor. Rushing wildly right below Yan Jing, he bellowed at the top of his lungs, "It's impossible for anyone in the Fourth Tier to surpass me!!!"

"What kind of dark arts did you use?!"

Yan Jing blinked again.

"I still don't get it. How exactly did you reach this conclusion that no one in the Fourth Tier could surpass you?"

He was genuinely a bit curious, because he had never entertained such thoughts himself.

"What do you know?!"

He Xinquan was shaking with rage. After transforming all his white immortal qi into that single strike, he was now left wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. His previously muscular body looked incredibly shriveled, making him look exactly like an ordinary mortal.

"I have accumulated my strength in the Fourth Tier for eight years!"

"I am the most talented person in Zhoulin!!!"

"Four Rituals of extreme limit quality! Even those three never managed to do that!!!"

"How is it possible—how can it be? You must have used some kind of dark art! You must have! You must have!"

"Right, you definitely did."

He continuously muttered to himself. Judging by the look in his eyes, he had already gone a little mad.

Finally, the corners of his mouth curled up. He regained his usual calm demeanor and spoke in a gentle tone:

"However... you're not bad either."

"How about this? After we get out, we can get to know each other properly. I'm preparing to form a new squad, a team that will surpass Zhoulin. Perhaps you can join us."

As he spoke, he looked no different than usual, as if he had completely broken free from his madness.

But Yan Jing shook his head.

"No thanks. I have no intention of being teammates with a traitor."

At those words, the newly calmed He Xinquan almost broke down again. He glared at Yan Jing with a savage look in his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

Yan Jing shrugged.

"I heard it was Teacher Shen who pulled you into the team back then. Yet later on, you were the only one working for the Mu Family of the Third Ring Domain. If you aren't a traitor, what are you?"

"Of course, it's just what I heard. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me."

Yan Jing's tranquil words were like sharp claws ruthlessly tearing open He Xinquan's chest and stinging his heart.

He tried his utmost to maintain his composure and sneered, "What do you mean 'traitor'? You people understand absolutely nothing."

"Doesn't what happened before prove the point? Heh... Revenge... This is all just a children's game!"

"A true powerhouse is like that man from back then—someone who can cast aside everything just to grow stronger! None of us could do that, which is why none of us were as strong as him!!"

"I didn't understand it back then, but I understand it now. That's why I am even stronger now than he was back then!"

"I was the strongest in the Third Tier, I'm the strongest in the Fourth Tier, and later I will be the strongest in the Fifth Tier, and the strongest in the Sixth Tier, all the way until I reach the Summit!!!!"

He looked at Yan Jing and smiled, "I haven't heard the word 'traitor' since I was eighteen. That's something only children say."

"No wonder you were tricked by her. Did you really think that woman was some kind of good—"

Bang!!!

Before he could finish, a thick branch swatted He Xinquan into the ground, embedding him directly into the rooftop. Fresh blood sprayed from his mouth.

Enduring the agonizing pain, He Xinquan raised his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth. Looking up at Yan Jing in the sky, he spoke with a smile. His voice, carried by the last wisp of white smoke inside his body, drifted to Yan Jing's ears:

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Looks like I hit a sore spot. I really didn't expect anyone to care about that woman. Are you just pretending for the sake of the items in her hands, just like that man did back then?"

"It's a pity. That woman's head was entirely filled with revenge back then."

"Do you want to hear our story? We couldn't finish it even if we talked for days and nights. Let me think... probably toward the late stages, the four of us reached a silent consensus to squeeze that woman completely dry of her value. But unfortunately, that strongest guy didn't just join us in betraying her—he betrayed the three of us as well."

"Heh..."

"Why did you stop hitting me? Come on, keep hitting me. You won't have the chance once we get out."

Even though He Xinquan was bleeding all over, the corners of his mouth curled up in a manic grin.

That was because he knew Yan Jing didn't dare to kill him.

The people outside could see what was happening this time.

He was the number one seed of the Third Ring Domain, a member of the Mu Family, and the hero of Yueyin.

He was also their future.

He had just been awarded the Yueyin Outstanding Hero Medal. It was impossible for Yan Jing to make a move against him at a time like this.

But to his shock, Yan Jing suddenly laughed.

"You just said you were the strongest in the Fourth Tier, right?"

"..."

He Xinquan's gaze was ice-cold. He had no idea what Yan Jing was planning.

But in the next second, his eyes bulged wide open as he stared at Yan Jing in pure disbelief. Then, his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

That was because, at this very moment, radiant light filled the entire sky behind Yan Jing.

Purple-black, black, black-orange, and orange!!! (All reduced by two qualities)

Four Rituals that surpassed the extreme limits!!!

Pitch-black tree shadows swayed in the wind, threads formed a throne, and a gigantic wing comprised of eighty-one individual wings flapped. Divinity descended.

At this moment, Yan Jing looked exactly like a Deity descending upon the world. The radiance of divinity flickered around him. He looked at He Xinquan, whose face was contorted as if he had just seen a ghost, and smiled faintly.

"Do you know why I could block that strike now?"

Yan Jing's smile was gentle:

"You said you were the strongest in the Fourth Tier? Then tell me, how could you possibly be stronger than me?"

"Impossible!!!!"

A few seconds later, He Xinquan bellowed as if tearing himself out of the abyss. He forcefully wrenched himself free from the crater in the ground and roared at Yan Jing:

"You're a fake! You're a fraud!!!"

"How could anyone reach this step?!!! You fraud!!!!"

"Fraud!!!!!"

"Perhaps."

Yan Jing smiled softly.

The next moment, endless threads fell from the sky, descending onto He Xinquan's body. They tightly bound him, and strand after strand surged into his mouth and nose.

It was at this moment that He Xinquan finally realized in utter terror that Yan Jing genuinely wanted to kill him.

"Mmph... mmph..."

He struggled desperately, but he no longer had a shred of strength left to resist. He could only endure the despairing sensation of those threads flooding into his body.

How is this possible!

How dare he kill me!!!

I don't want to die!!! I don't want to!!!

I am the strongest in the Fourth Tier! I don't want to die!!!! I don't want to!!!! I want to reach the Summit... the Summit—

Finally, amidst endless terror and despair, the fourth member of Zhoulin, the number one seed of the Third Ring Domain, He Xinquan, died.