Chapter 523: Did You Kill Him? (Two-in-One)

As Yan Jing blinked, Freeze Frame Moment activated.

Yan Jing tapped his fingers lightly, and a string of notes flowed out. In their wake, everything turned gray.

Moonlight; March.

Within the Third Tier, time froze for two seconds.

Two seconds was enough to end everything in a battle of this caliber.

Yan Jing held nothing back, completely dismembering Merkel's upper body at blinding speed.

Then, utilizing the ability the Crown had recorded from the heir of Qitian, he split his form into ten thousand to completely sever the surrounding cages. By the time everyone else came to, they saw only a field of withered wooden wreckage. Merkel's fragmented body lay scattered within it, and his wooden mask had finally peeled away to reveal the true face underneath.

It looked like a piece of dead wood.

Every wrinkle on that face was so deep it seemed carved by a knife, spreading densely outward from the bridge of his nose. Of his clouded eyes, one was now dark red, while the other had lost all its luster.

Perhaps this was the real reason Merkel wore a mask.

By hiding this century-old face, he could still pass for a young man in his twenties or thirties.

Except for being a bit short.

The air was deathly quiet.

No one dared to speak. Those who had just been shouting about defecting were now trembling uncontrollably in fear. Merkel was dead!

A Ninth Tier! A near-divine being! The overlord who had ruled the Desolate Forest for hundreds of years! Dead!

He hadn't died in a war, nor during a breakout from the Great Prison. There was no tragic, heroic climax—he had simply died by Yan Jing's hands! As Yan Jing slowly turned his head, everyone caught in his gaze shuddered.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Yan Jing raised his blood-mottled right arm.

"The Wizard Tribe is eternal."

He spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it acted like a shot of adrenaline injected straight into every wizard present.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Led by Wu Qiu, the wizards' hearts began to beat at the exact same frequency. The frozen earth trembled to this rhythm, as if resonating with them.

"The Wizard Tribe is eternal!!!"

Everyone shouted at the top of their lungs, their voices piercing the clouds and echoing throughout the entire Desolate Forest.

"The Wizard Tribe is eternal!"

"The Wizard Tribe is eternal!"

"The Wizard Tribe is eternal!"

The wizards chanted over and over. The tears they had suppressed for countless years, the insults and grievances they had suffered, the loneliness of wandering without a home—all of it vanished in those shouts.

Following Yan Jing's orders, the crowd set off under Huo Tong's leadership, marching out in a mighty host to wage war in the distance.

He waited until everyone had left.

A figure materialized from Yan Jing's chest and instantly reached out to pull him into an embrace.

Yan Jing's body went limp almost immediately.

He looked up at Fei Yu and smiled. Finally unable to suppress his injuries any longer, his body collapsed like a shattered pitcher, blood spraying from every inch of his skin.

Fei Yu's heart ached so much it felt like it was bleeding, but there was nothing she could do.

Yan Jing's current condition wouldn't allow any foreign power to intervene, not even for healing.

He had reached his absolute limit; even the slightest bit of forceful energy would cause his body to completely collapse.

"You said you were doing this for..."

Fei Yu's voice choked with sobs.

In truth, she was already crying. Tears pattered down from her eyes, turning her into a weeping mess.

"I told you a long time ago not to go rushing out to face danger. You only end up suffering for it, and who even appreciates it..."

"It was like this in your past life... and it's still like this now... You just love wearing out your maid, don't you... How many tears do I have to shed for you? No amount of tears is ever enough..."

Yan Jing could barely hear Fei Yu's words anymore.

He felt incredibly tired. He just wanted to sleep.

He had anticipated that Merkel would strike, which was why he had activated his immortal and indestructible state for two minutes in advance.

If his judgment had been wrong and the duration of being immortal and indestructible had run out, he definitely would have entered the Chongming State or triggered the Heart of God.

This had been his most perilous battle to date.

As a Ninth Tier, his opponent had displayed everything a near-divine being possessed.

He had barely survived by the skin of his teeth.

But he had to do it. In this Dungeon mission, this task was the most critical link.

Fortunately, he had won.

The price was that he now felt like he was being tortured alive by the pain.

The flaws in Wen Xu's body were much greater than he had imagined. The pain from every wound Merkel inflicted seemed magnified several times over. By the later stages of the fight, he hadn't spoken a single word, and it wasn't just because the battle was perilous.

More importantly, it was because he simply couldn't speak anymore.

That single phrase, "The Wizard Tribe is eternal," had exhausted the very last of his strength. Right now, he just wanted a good sleep in Fei Yu's arms.

Faintly, he thought he heard Fei Yu crying.

What was she crying for?

He wanted to open his eyes and tell Fei Yu he was fine.

But a second later, Fei Yu's warm hand covered his eyes.

"Don't you dare open your eyes, and no running off either! Get some proper sleep!"

Fei Yu's fiercely cute voice reached his ears.

No running off...

Yan Jing chuckled inwardly.

This meant she wasn't even letting him switch identities.

He had originally planned to go check on how the Ship was coming along...

Never mind.

He was tired.

Time to sleep.

Once he drifted off, Yan Jing didn't know how long he slept.

In any case, no one disturbed him, and the Chongming State never activated.

He slept very peacefully.

Until Xiao Xin and Fei Yu's voices rang out.

"Eeyah, eeyah~~"

"No, the Young Master needs rest."

"Eeyah eeyah!!! But the five days are almost up! This won't do! Zhu Leng's task isn't finished!"

"Let the Young Master rest for another half day. Leaving one day for him is more than enough; he can handle it. Besides, the deadline that warden set is just for show. He couldn't possibly ditch the Young Master now."

"No way! If the task isn't done, Zhu Leng will be sad!"

"Just one more hour of rest..."

Yan Jing opened his eyes, putting a stop to their argument.

"Good morning, Xiao Yu, Xiao Xin."

Yan Jing said with a smile.

Looking at the sun hanging high in the sky, he blinked.

"Alright then, good afternoon."

"You can rest a little longer, it's fine,"

Fei Yu hastily said.

"Eeyah eeyah! Zhu Leng, the five-day deadline is almost here!!!"

Xiao Xin also leaned in closely from the side.

"Mm, I know. Thank you."

Yan Jing pinched Xiao Xin's cheek. Looking at Fei Yu beside her, he reached out, patted Fei Yu's head, and smiled.

"It's alright. Your Young Master is alive and kicking again, isn't he?"

"You only ever bully me..." Fei Yu's eyes turned red again.

Yan Jing smiled.

"What else can I do? I only have this one maid."

"I wouldn't be used to anyone else."

This time, it wasn't just Fei Yu's eyes that grew red; her entire face flushed as bright as a fiery sunset cloud.

She took a step forward, leaning close to Yan Jing.

Just as Yan Jing thought she was going to retreat into his body...

Fei Yu suddenly tilted her head up and kissed the corner of Yan Jing's lips. Then, before he could even react, she dissolved into motes of light and vanished from the spot. "Oh wow! I'm going to write this down! I'll tell Sister Mantou and Sister Shen next time!!!"

Xiao Xin had a huge grudge against Fei Yu right now. She pulled a notebook out of nowhere, grabbed a pen in a huff, and started scribbling in it. "Cough, cough..."

Yan Jing touched the spot where Fei Yu had just kissed him and coughed lightly twice.

"Be good, Xiao Xin. Don't write that down, and your master will buy you five of the latest camera devices."

"F-five...?"

Xiao Xin's eyes sparkled. She stretched out her tiny hand, spreading her fingers wide to confirm it really was five.

"Mm."

Yan Jing nodded.

"Okay!"

Xiao Xin had the mind of a child, after all. She nodded happily, taking her pen to cross out what she had just scribbled in her notebook.

"Have you gone to see Sister Mantou today?"

Yan Jing smiled as he looked at Xiao Xin.

"No!" Hearing Yan Jing's words, the smile faded from Xiao Xin's face, and she scrunched it up.

"I was afraid something would happen to Zhu Leng, so I haven't gone in two days."

"Go on, go see your Sister Mantou." Yan Jing patted Xiao Xin's head.

Xiao Xin flew off happily.

Soon after, Yan Jing briefly got his bearings, located where Huo Tong and the others were, and headed in their direction.

"We've been played."

At this moment, inside the Great Prison, in the corner of a second-floor Café, Weng Lingxiao looked at Song Huien across from him and spoke coldly.

"You've been played, not me."

Song Huien took a sip of her Americano, her expression placid.

As the current de facto leaders of the Great Prison, it was hard to imagine they would arrange to meet in such a noisy, cheap place.

Yet despite the bustling crowd around them, it seemed no one noticed the two of them.

This involved a specialized use of weird energy. Aside from those who had reached the Summit, no one else could perceive their presence, and their bodies would subconsciously steer clear of where the two sat.

"It's us."

Weng Lingxiao pushed up his monocle.

"Admit it, that guy is no simple character. He orchestrated this whole stunt specifically to stall for time."

"Is that so?"

Song Huien was wearing a pair of sunglasses today, her platinum-blonde hair draped over a purple coat, making her look exactly like a modern city beauty. "I actually think it's great. He helped me root out quite a bit of garbage among my subordinates. I never had the chance to clean house before."

"As for stalling for time..."

She chuckled softly.

"If they want to stall, let them stall. I'm also very hopeful that Lord Mu will recover."

Seeing Song Huien's flippant attitude, Weng Lingxiao furrowed his brows, his grip tightening on the Codex.

"I'm not joking with you."

"Do you really think he hasn't noticed your intent to rebel?"

Before he even finished speaking, Song Huien's slender finger pressed against Weng Lingxiao's lips.

"You can't go throwing words around like that, Lord Weng. I have absolutely nothing to do with Ai Qing. Even if she confessed to something, it has nothing to do with me." At Song Huien's mention of Ai Qing, veins bulged faintly on Weng Lingxiao's forehead as he violently swatted her finger away.

"You think killing Tan Yan severs all your ties?! If he hadn't suspected you, why would Wei Qiao have been arrested?! Let me tell you, Song Huien, if he actually recovers, the first person he kills will be y—"

"Hold on."

Song Huien bluntly cut Weng Lingxiao off. Her previously placid gaze turned icy.

"What did you just say?"

"I said if he recovers, the first person he kills will be you! You've left countless pieces of leverage from all that filthy business you do in secret! Don't even think you can escape!" Weng Lingxiao sneered coldly, assuming Song Huien was afraid.

But the moment Song Huien spoke, he froze.

"You didn't kill Tan Yan?"

Looking at the expression in Song Huien's eyes, Weng Lingxiao knew she wasn't joking with him. His own gaze immediately turned icy as well.

"What do you mean I killed him? Didn't you intentionally kill him?"

"Do I have any reason to kill Tan Yan?" Song Huien sneered.

"Do you think he would ever betray me? Even if he were arrested, no one could read a single thing from his soul."

"Unless they had already stepped into the Tenth Tier."

"Then who killed him..." Both of them fell into deep thought at the same time.

Before this, they had both assumed the other party had done it.

But now that they were confronting each other face-to-face, neither detected any lies from the other.

"Could it be that human—"

Song Huien didn't get to finish before Weng Lingxiao interrupted her.

"Impossible. I've seen the recording; it was the work of at least a Ninth Tier."

"If that human had that kind of capability, he would have targeted one of us a long time ago."

"Then who else could it be?" Song Huien furrowed her brow, subconsciously gnawing on her straw.

Weng Lingxiao seemed to figure something out, his expression returning to its usual placidity.

"I already know."

"You know but you're not going to—"

Song Huien watched Weng Lingxiao stand up, laughing out of anger.

"Are you threatening me?"

Weng Lingxiao smiled.

"If Lord Song wishes to know the answer, you are welcome to come to me for cooperation at any time."

With that, he walked out of the Café.

The two of them had never managed to present a united front before. For one thing, Mu Tian had treated them both reasonably well, and the criminals covetously eyeing them from the outside were a persistent headache. This meant that while they harbored rebellious thoughts, the urge wasn't particularly intense.

And under these circumstances, both were still worried about the exact same thing.

Which was that Mu Tian's injuries were nowhere near as severe as imagined.

At a time like this, whoever turned traitor first would undoubtedly bear the full brunt of Mu Tian's wrath.

A cornered beast would still fight. They both wanted to be the one picking up the scraps in the aftermath; neither was willing to stick their neck out first.

But now...

Thinking about what Weng Lingxiao had said earlier—"You've left countless pieces of leverage from all that filthy business you do in secret..."—Song Huien chewed on her straw until it squeaked.

"Tap—tap—tap"

Inside the Special Prison Cell, Weng Lingxiao walked alone down the brightly lit corridor, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding darkness.

Soon, he arrived at the spot where Tan Yan had died.

The area had already been cleaned by the staff.

But the scene had radiated such an eerie strangeness that the spooked staff had only done a rough cleanup. A few faint red marks still lingered on the floor.

The Codex in Weng Lingxiao's hand flipped open without any wind, turning to a specific page.

A golden formation materialized on the parchment.

At the center of the formation was the shape of a pyramid.

Brilliant golden light erupted from it, swiftly sweeping over the surrounding area.

"Snap."

The Codex snapped shut again.

He found nothing at all.

Weng Lingxiao's expression showed no frustration.

Finding nothing was exactly how it should be.

This only further confirmed his suspicions.

He continued walking forward.

After walking for another few minutes, he finally stopped and stepped into the darkness to his right.

Soon, he arrived before a prison cell.

In the pitch-black cell, a woman with gentle features sat on the bed. Leaning against the wall, she was entirely absorbed in her book, seemingly unaware of Weng Lingxiao's arrival.

"Did you kill Tan Yan?"

Weng Lingxiao stepped forward, his expression cold.

The silver frame of his monocle glinted in the darkness.