Gush ran through the mist, pursued by five Mid Grade 3 monsters, nine Early Grade 3 monsters, and a dozen lower-grade ones.
Behind them ran Young Master Rush, his gaze fixed on Gush's retreating figure, a strange expression on his face.
Gush's face was drenched in sweat, his eyes bloodshot, and his body radiated unusual heat. A faint fragrance also emanated from him.
Gush finally reached the stairs leading to the sixth floor and descended without hesitation.
The monsters stopped at the very first step due to the dungeon's rules. They could only growl like beasts in heat, unable to vent the frenzy building within them.
Rush looked around for an opening among the monsters before following Gush down the stairs.
Gush stood before the icy door leading to the sixth floor, one hand resting against it as he tried to circulate his Spiritual Qi to slow the spread of the poison.
A moment later, Rush descended the stairs, his gaze immediately falling on Gush.
Gush looked back, and his expression darkened.
He wanted to enter the boss room and close the door. Once the door was shut, it couldn't be opened again unless the people inside either died or left through the exit.
Rush, however, took a deep breath.
Spiritual Qi surged through his four legs.
Boom!
He suddenly rushed forward.
Without considering the consequences, Rush leapt towards Gush, all four legs leaving the ground as he aimed straight for Gush's back.
For Gush, it was already too late. He had no choice but to defend himself.
However, the force of Rush's charge sent both of them flying into the room. The icy door slammed shut behind them.
Both fell face-first onto the cold, icy floor next to each other.
Inside the chamber, just like before, stood a horde of monsters.
But this time, the Peak Grade 3 Goblin stood at the centre of the chamber, surrounded by Mid Grade 3 and Early Grade 3 monsters, while lower-grade monsters formed several circles around them.
Gush's eyes met the malicious gazes of the monsters. Then, he looked at Rush lying on his right.
Rush also turned to look at him.
Rush suddenly gave him a charming smile.
Before Gush could say anything, Rush took out his remaining greenish pills and threw them at him.
The pills exploded upon contact, releasing the same greenish smoke and enveloping Gush.
At the same time, Rush stood up and ran towards the right side of the chamber.
At Rush's movement, the monsters began surging towards him. But the moment they smelled the fragrance and looked towards Gush, their eyes slowly darkened into a deeper crimson shade.
Frenzy filled their gazes.
"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" Gush roared as he stood up and waved his hand, dispersing the remaining smoke around his body.
But it was already too late.
"Grrrr..."
The monsters immediately became excited as they stared at Gush. Their gazes were like those of beasts that had just found their mates.
Gush didn't dare to fight them head-on while under the aphrodisiac's effects and suppressed to the Mid Golden Core Realm. He turned and ran towards the left side of the chamber, intending to reach the exit.
Meanwhile, Rush headed towards a less crowded area on the right side of the chamber while Gush attracted most of the monsters' attention.
The higher-grade monsters all charged towards Gush, while Rush only had to deal with a few lower-grade monsters.
Gush was surrounded from all directions, with the monsters constantly trying to pounce on him rather than kill him.
He swung his spear, killing several of them, but he was soon overwhelmed by their numbers.
Therefore, he decided not to waste time or take any unnecessary risks.
He needed to reach the exit behind the Spirit Pool, which was on the opposite side of the chamber from the entrance.
The Spirit Pool had now been almost completely drained of its Spiritual Qi after being absorbed by Du Yue. Even after the dungeon reset, it would take some time for the Spiritual Qi to replenish.
The Ice Lotus would also need even longer to regrow and reach its previous quality.
Gush continued running and was just about to reach the exit when Rush, who had been running from the other side, suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Where are you going, Brother?"
Just like before at the entrance, Rush leapt into the air with all four legs and kicked straight towards Gush's chest.
Boom!
Gush was sent flying backwards. He coughed up blood as his eyes turned menacing, glaring at Rush with murderous intent. He wanted to curse at him, but the surrounding monsters gave him no chance to do so, especially the Peak Grade 3 Goblin boss.
The towering Goblin lunged towards Gush, who was still on the ground. Its huge hands reached for him, forcing Gush to raise both of his own hands and catch them. The towering Goblin pressed down on him, its face only a few inches away from his own, while thick saliva dripped from its mouth and landed across Gush's face.
"Argh, you fucker!"
Gush's eyes became bloodshot as the aphrodisiac poison from the needle surged through his body once again. With a sudden burst of strength, he kicked the monster in the stomach and sent it flying backwards.
At the same time, Rush attacked.
Gush immediately brought his spear up to intercept the attack, but he was still sent flying backwards due to his weakened condition. He quickly steadied himself and used his sleeve to wipe the blood from his face.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. As if he had made up his mind, Gush spoke in a chilling voice.
"Are you enjoying this? Do you think this is enough to kill me? Who gave you the guts to be so arrogant?"
Evil Qi suddenly surged from his body, enveloping his spear. The dungeon's suppression still held his cultivation at the Mid Golden Core Realm, but the influence of his Evil Qi allowed him to forcibly increase his combat strength, pushing his aura close to the Peak Golden Core Realm.
"I'll make sure to bury you here with these fucking monsters."
Gush moved forward and attacked Rush. This time, Rush didn't back down. He also attacked with his spear.
Boom!
A powerful shockwave spread throughout the dungeon as their Spear Intents collided, forcing the surrounding monsters that were trying to approach them backwards.
"You are a Devil Cultivator...?"
Rush exclaimed in shock. He took several steps backwards, his arms numb and his internal organs shaken by the impact.
Gush didn't give him a chance to recover and attacked again. His momentum continued to build as he pushed Rush backwards again and again. Rush defended himself while retreating, and after gathering his strength, he suddenly released a powerful burst of Spiritual Qi and forced Gush backwards, creating some distance between them.
At the same time, the Goblin boss appeared again and lunged towards Gush. Gush immediately kicked it away again, sending the massive monster crashing backwards, but it gave Rush enough time to catch his breath.
Rush took out another yellow talisman. He poured his Spiritual Qi into it before throwing it towards Gush.
A thick bolt of lightning suddenly descended.
Boom!
The lightning smashed towards Gush.
Although Gush raised his spear to block it, the tremendous force still sent him flying like a kite, causing him to spit out several mouthfuls of blood.
Gush quickly got back on his feet, but a severe scar now ran across his arm and shoulder. The lightning from the talisman was particularly effective against him as a Devil Cultivator, causing severe injuries. However, the shock had also sobered him somewhat, allowing him to regain a little clarity despite the aphrodisiac poison.
Gush tightened his grip around his spear and stared coldly at Rush. Rush also raised his spear. For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then...
Gush's Evil Qi suddenly erupted from his body.
"Blackfang Blood Spear!"
His spear trembled violently as thick black Evil Qi wrapped around the blade, forming the vague shape of a ferocious black beast. The terrifying aura surged forward as Gush thrust his spear towards Rush.
Rush's expression became serious. He poured his Spiritual Qi into his spear before taking a step forward.
"Azure Flow Spear!"
His spear swept forward in a graceful arc, and layers of Spiritual Qi condensed around its tip, forming a spiralling force that continuously gathered momentum.
The two spears collided.
Boom!!!
A powerful shockwave exploded throughout the chamber. The surrounding monsters were forced backwards by the impact, while Gush and Rush both felt an immense force crash into their bodies.
Their expressions changed as they were simultaneously sent flying backwards. Gush crashed heavily into the ground and rolled several metres before finally stopping. Rush also crashed heavily against the chamber wall, causing spiderweb cracks to spread across it.
For a moment, both struggled to get up and fight. Noticing the fluctuation in Gush's aura, Rush knew it wouldn't be long before Gush lost his mind. He gritted his teeth and stood up, unwilling to waste this chance and allow Gush to escape.
He shot forwards towards Gush and took out his final two talismans, pouring his Spiritual Qi into them. Seeing Rush hurrying towards him, Gush also stood up and raised his spear to attack, but when he saw the two talismans in Rush's hands, fear flashed across his eyes.
"Just how much have you spent on these talismans?" As he spoke, he suddenly lost control of most of his Spiritual Qi.
"Take this lightning, you Devil bastard!" Rush threw the two talismans. Two frightening bolts of lightning descended from above and crashed towards Gush.
Gush tried to block them with whatever Spiritual Qi he could still control in his hazy state, but it was useless. Both lightning bolts struck him directly in the chest.
Boom!
Gush was sent flying backwards as the lightning tore through his body, destroying his meridians and heavily damaging his Golden Core, which had been infused with Evil Qi.
He landed heavily on the ground.
Knowing that his end would be miserable if he gave up now, he desperately tried to use all his remaining strength to stand up and run. Just as he got back on his feet, the monsters surrounding him surged forward, and the Peak Grade 3 Goblin was among them.
Gush's expression changed drastically as he tried to circulate his Spiritual Qi, but the poison and his injuries had already caused his control to become unstable. His limbs felt heavy, and his vision slowly became hazy.
"Get away from me!"
Gush swung his spear desperately, killing several monsters that tried to pounce on him. But there were simply too many. The moment one fell, several more immediately replaced it.
The Peak Grade 3 Goblin roared and lunged forward. Gush blocked its attack with his spear, but several other monsters immediately grabbed onto his legs and arms. He struggled violently, but his strength was rapidly fading, and his eyes became increasingly unfocused.
"Save me..."
The words escaped his mouth before he could even think about them.
Rush stood several metres away. He had already reached the exit. He looked back at Gush, who was being surrounded by the monsters. "What about my brothers?"
Gush froze for a moment.
Rush's expression remained cold. "Did you let my two senior brothers go?"
He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, as if he were simply watching a show. "Did you let Senior Sister Aoi go? If not for the master, she would have been tainted and would never have been able to lift her head again."
Rush's hands trembled slightly as he clenched his sleeves. "Did you let Aunt Mira go? She was like my mother. She took care of me and watched me grow up."
His voice became increasingly cold. "You killed or tortured everyone close to me. You alone made my life, from childhood to adulthood, a living hell and didn't even spare my loved ones. Thanks to you, I never dared to get close to anyone."
Gush's eyes trembled. "Little Brother, I'm sorry. I was just jealous. Please save me. I swear I'll be a good brother to you from now on."
As he spoke, more monsters pounced on him. His Spiritual Qi had already become difficult to control, and his eyes were slowly becoming hazy. The effects of the aphrodisiac poison were growing stronger again.
Rush stared at him silently.
"Brother?" His voice was filled with disgust. "Don't use that word with that mouth of yours."
He clenched his fists. "All the torment and despair I suffered since childhood were caused by you. You beat me whenever you wanted, took my things whenever you pleased, and stole my resources and treasures."
Rush's voice trembled as years of suppressed emotions finally began pouring out. "Every day I lived under you was filled with fear and pain. Apart from humiliation and suffering, what have you ever given me?"
Rush paused for a moment before continuing. "With my talent, I would've broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm, but you always found ways to disrupt my cultivation and damage my state of mind. You deserve this, and no one will save you."
Seeing that his emotional words were not working, Gush's face twisted with desperation. "No... I am your brother. Father won't let you go if something happens to me."
Rush looked at him coldly. "Enough."
He took a deep breath. "I spent a huge amount of money buying those monster-attracting pills, that treasure needle, and those attack talismans from Treasure Tower."
His eyes remained fixed on Gush.
"But seeing you like this..." A faint smile appeared on his face. "All that money was worth it."
Gush's expression became vicious. "Y-You... You fucking bastard. Father and Big Brother will definitely come for you."
He laughed bitterly despite the pain. "Haha... You deserved it. Who told you to be the son of that woman?"
His voice became increasingly bitter. "Not only was she rich, but she also came from a major power in Central Continent. Ever since she came, Father treated Mother and me with indifference, as if we were unwanted. So I made you suffer instead."
His eyes became bloodshot. "And I don't regret it. If I had to do it again, I would do the same."
Rush remained silent for several moments. Then he slowly spoke. "If you had a problem with Father, you should have gone to him."
His voice was surprisingly calm. "Why did you have to implicate me? Am I the father, or is he? How could I control his actions? He treated you with indifference? As if I were sitting on his head! He never cared about me either."
He looked directly at Gush. "In reality, you never cared about Father or even your own mother. You... You simply enjoyed seeing me suffer."
Rush's expression became cold. "You just wanted someone weaker than you to torment. You used this as a reason to make yourself believe otherwise."
He turned towards the exit. "You deserve this fate."
Gush became silent. For a moment, there was only the sound of the monsters surrounding him.
Then...
"Please..." His voice trembled. "Save me..."
Rush stopped. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
"Go die... Bastard."
With that, he stepped through the exit.
He appeared back at the entrance of the dungeon. Inside the sixth floor, only Gush's desperate screams continued to echo. They continued for some time before finally falling silent.
Rush stood outside the dungeon and silently watched the night sky. His face remained expressionless. He didn't laugh or celebrate. He simply stood there and watched.
"Senior brothers... Aunt Mira... I am sorry. It's all my fault... If I had never grown close to you, perhaps you would still be alive."
He took out a jade pendant and murmured softly, "Senior Sister Aoi, I've taken your revenge. Will you forgive me for being a coward back then?"
Rush remained motionless for a long time. A few tears quietly slipped down his cheeks. He didn't wipe them away.
For years, he had endured humiliation, fear, anger, and despair.
For years, he had lived under the shadow of the person who had tormented him, unable to protect his loved ones.
Now...
That shadow was finally gone, but those loved ones would never come back.
Rush slowly closed his eyes. After a few moments, he opened them again, this time with greater determination. He made a vow to himself that he would never again allow anyone to hurt those close to him.
He took a deep breath, and his shoulders relaxed. For the first time in his life, he felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart.
A sense of liberation quietly emerged within him.
He was finally free.
His Dao Heart became calm, peaceful, and more settled than ever before.