Translator: CinderTL
"Hah!"
Lu Wang roared, hurling his spear into the air. The weapon transformed into a fiery dragon phantom, its roar echoing as it charged toward Yuan Anping's heart.
"Fire Dragon Spear!"
Yuan Anping snapped his head around, a ferocious grin spreading across his face. "You've been the most eager to die. If that's what you want, I'll grant your wish!"
With that, he lunged toward the fiery dragon. Just as everyone braced for a head-on collision, Yuan Anping's figure flickered, dodging past the dragon in a blur and appearing directly before Lu Wang. A dark, swirling aura materialized in his palm.
Lu Wang recoiled in shock, frantically maneuvering his spear to defend himself.
But Yuan Anping ignored his defenses, driven solely by his desire to vent his rage. His figure materialized beside Lu Wang like a phantom, his hand clawing toward the man's throat.
Xu Sanyan's mind raced, yet he hesitated to intervene. Instead, he pulled out a Qi-restoring pill and swallowed it.
He could see that Yuan Anping was already at his limit, unable to sustain his assault for much longer. The man's current frenzy seemed more like a desperate attempt to drag others down with him. Xu Sanyan saw no reason to throw his life away.
Jingyi lowered his head slightly, and the illusory Buddha behind him dissipated.
Qi Liang narrowed his eyes and also retrieved and consumed an elixir.
Tu Wanshan had been exerting minimal effort from the start and now refused to commit fully to the rescue.
With everyone harboring their own agendas, Lu Wang was left to face Yuan Anping alone.
Everyone understood that Yuan Anping's death wouldn't end the conflict; on the contrary, the true struggle was just beginning.
From the outset, their sole objective had been the two fruits hanging overhead.
Fang Qingge pressed his lips into a thin line, his gaze fixed on Luo Qingwei, who stood motionless, cradling Luo Changtian's corpse, her thoughts unreadable.
Only Mo Xianxian, carrying Huan Xi'er, strode away.
"Let's go home..."
"Okay..."
The scene mirrored the moment not long ago when Huan Xi'er had clung to Mo Xianxian.
As she departed, the coffin hovering above Yuan Anping gradually dissolved. Though the coffin vanished, it made little difference to the situation.
Yuan Anping had lost fifty to sixty percent of his strength, leaving him no chance of turning the tide.
Boom!
Lu Wang instinctively dodged, frantically channeling his spiritual power. Flames erupted from his palm as he prepared to retaliate.
Yuan Anping sneered, seemingly oblivious to the flames before him. He only intensified his speed and ferocity, his palm colliding heavily with Lu Wang's.
Bang!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the air. Fiery sparks scattered wildly as Lu Wang's arms went numb, the force sending him flying backward.
Seizing the momentum, Yuan Anping pressed his attack. Two ghostly hands materialized from the void, stabbing directly toward Lu Wang's vital organs.
Whoosh!
Just then, a great spear pierced through Yuan Anping's back, piercing his body and emerging through his chest before landing in Lu Wang's grasp.
Instantly, billowing ghost energy surged from the gaping hole in Yuan Anping's chest. He let out a bitter laugh, ignoring the grievous wound as his ghostly hands pierced through Lu Wang's waist in a flash.
Yuan Anping had long sensed the great spear, but he chose not to evade it.
Since I'm going to die anyway, might as well take someone with me. At least I'll have company on the road to the Yellow Springs.
Lu Wang was the companion he had chosen.
The ghostly hands had originally aimed for Lu Wang's chest, but at the critical moment, Lu Wang reacted swiftly, twisting his body to dodge and narrowly avoiding a fatal strike.
Severely wounded in the waist, Lu Wang could no longer continue fighting. He glanced at Xu Sanyan, Qi Liang, and the others watching from a distance and offered a bitter smile, but he refused to call for help.
Throughout his life, he had never wanted to ask for favors, preferring to face death with dignity.
Though also gravely injured, Yuan Anping still had enough strength for one final attack—enough, at least, to kill Lu Wang. With a flicker of movement, he surged forward, his body radiating pitch-black ghost energy.
"Let's die together!"
"Sigh..."
In the end, Jingyi couldn't overcome his conscience. He flung his Buddhist prayer beads, which pierced Yuan Anping's skull like a razor-sharp blade.
"Ugh..."
Yuan Anping froze, a flicker of regret in his eyes. He had ultimately failed to fulfill his deepest desires...
Freedom, imprisonment...
Seeking enlightenment, achieving immortality...
In the end, not a single wish had come true. What a pity...
Yuan Anping cast one last glance at the crowd, his eyes devoid of hatred. Instead, he gazed upward at the sky, a hint of longing in his gaze.
He had lost, but he was not one to begrudge defeat.
Having come here, he had long prepared himself to accept defeat with equanimity.
"Ah..."
Yuan Anping sighed deeply, his body collapsing like a deflated balloon, rapidly shrinking until he vanished completely, dissolving into the fabric of the world.
"Cough... Thank you, Great Master."
Lu Wang struggled to his feet, leaning heavily on his spear, and nodded his gratitude to Jingyi.
Jingyi returned the gesture with a slight bow, then beckoned, and the Buddhist prayer beads flew back into his hand from afar.
Xu Sanyan reverted to his human form, barely able to maintain his composure. Even with the continuous replenishment of spiritual power from the Qi-restoring pills, it couldn't keep pace with the massive drain from his dao body.
Fortunately, the battle had temporarily concluded, allowing him time to recover his spiritual power.
Meanwhile, the other battle was also nearing its end. Of the Huai Lake Seven Heroes, only the second sister Zuoqiu Chen, the sixth sister Zuoqiu Zhen, and the seventh sister Zuoqiu Yi remained, their situation dire.
The Jiang Family of Southern Heaven Valley had also suffered heavy losses. Thanks to the desperate protection of their elders, Young Master Jiang Yan survived, though severely wounded.
The greatest losses, aside from the Zuoqiu Clan, were borne by the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect.
Their foremost disciple, Luo Changtian, had met a tragic end, while Luo Qingwei suffered grievous injuries. The sect's disciples had been decimated, resulting in catastrophic losses.
Luo Changtian represented far more than just a disciple; he embodied the sect's legacy, its future, the next generation's leader, and the heir meticulously nurtured by the sect's collective efforts.
His tragic death in the secret realm was a blow the sect could scarcely accept.
Xu Sanyan turned to look at Elder Ren and the others. Surprisingly, Xiang Tan, despite her mere Foundation Establishment cultivation level and lacking Lin Fan's formidable strength, had somehow survived.
Clinging to life out of sheer stubbornness?
A quick count revealed that the Crimson Heart Faction had only about thirty members remaining, including Lin Fan.
Is that all that's left?
Xu Sanyan frowned. They had entered with over two hundred and ten members, yet now only thirty remained. Even accounting for those who hadn't made it to the final area, the total survivors wouldn't exceed fifty.
However, Xu Sanyan cared little for their fates. As long as he secured the two fruits, their deaths would be a minor inconvenience.
"Brother, are you alright?"
Lu Wanzhe finally noticed Lu Wang's condition and rushed to his side with a cry of alarm. She frantically pulled a medicinal pill from her robes and fed it to him, her eyes welling with tears as she stared at the gruesome wound on his waist.
"I'm not dead yet," Lu Wang snapped. "What are you crying for?"
Lu Wang shifted, the pain from his wound making him grimace.
Elder Ren and the others gathered behind Xu Sanyan, tending to their injuries.
Xiang Tan glanced at Xu Sanyan's exposed buttocks, her cheeks flushing slightly. She quickly retrieved a long robe and draped it over him.
Xu Sanyan fastened the belt, concealing the dangling "long worm" at his front.
Qin Manyang curled her lip and averted her gaze.
Tch, so stingy! What's the big deal about looking? It's not like it'll make him lose a piece of flesh.
With Yuan Anping's death, the atmosphere in the arena shifted once more.
Every eye turned simultaneously toward the two fruits, a thousand thoughts swirling in their minds.
(End of the Chapter)
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