"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

On one side was the charge of Lei Yi’s Military Soul Array.

On the other, Monk King Rajana unleashed his full power.

Under the pressure of the boundless killing intent and the heaven-shaking golden light, a strange emotion unexpectedly stirred in Ghost Night’s heart.

Only later did he realize that this emotion was fear.

’I should retreat. A temporary retreat. A head-on clash in this situation isn’t a wise choice. Besides, our mission was never to fight them to the bitter end.’

’Yeah, it’s not that I can’t win, nor am I afraid. It’s just that a fight to the death would drain too much of my accumulated power, which would affect my performance in subsequent missions. The cost outweighs the benefit.’

’Mhm, right, it’s just not worth it. Only a fool would persist in something that isn’t in their best interest.’

’Right, that’s it.’

’Right... right?’

Unconsciously, without even realizing it himself, the thought of retreat had taken root in Ghost Night’s mind.

Meanwhile, just as Lei Yi and Rajana were beginning their final showdown with Ghost Night...

...the battle between Zhou Yuanjue and his companion against Yuan Luàn was also nearing its conclusion.

「Kao San Road.」

What was once Banku’s most prosperous street had now been reduced to a field of ruins in the wake of their battle.

"Are you okay? Can you still hold on?"

The wounds all over Zhou Yuanjue’s body were healing rapidly. The Southern Dipper Starlight stored in his Peach Wood Bottle had been exhausted, and now, the reserves within his Southern Dipper Immortal Seat were down to the equivalent of four Acupoints.

Boku, beside him, was in a much more wretched state. Parts of his body were caved in, golden blood was streaming from his mouth and nose, his Golden Body had grown incredibly dim, and he was gasping violently, his stamina seemingly pushed to its very limit.

And this was after Zhou Yuanjue had taken the brunt of their opponent’s attacks.

"I can probably hold on for one last attack. This is our last chance. The good news is, we’ve more or less figured out his attack patterns. This time, I’ll put my life on the line to create an opportunity for you."

"Sorry. I hate to admit it, but I really held you back this time." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Boku said, his eyes fixed on Yuan Luàn across from them.

At this moment, Yuan Luàn’s body was still completely free of injury, as if he had never been harmed at all.

No one knew what the limits of this man’s regenerative abilities were.

He was, through and through, a monster.

Even though he had given it his all, he was still on the losing end.

"It really is time to end this."

Zhou Yuanjue’s expression was graver than ever. His opponent’s abilities were extremely difficult to handle; he had never encountered an enemy like this before.

It had come to this. It was time for the final blow.

It wasn’t just Boku; he, too, would have to put his life on the line.

So this was one of the Seven Mo Luo.

Across from them, Yuan Luàn still wore a savage, unchanging smile. But only he knew how dangerous it had been to deal with their last few attacks.

The learning and adaptation skills of these two were simply monstrous. In this short battle, they have rapidly analyzed and grown accustomed to my meticulously honed techniques, gaining an ever-deeper understanding of my specific patterns of action.

This was making his situation increasingly dangerous.

The most dangerous was the previous attack, which had penetrated half an inch into his temple. If it had gone any deeper, he likely would have been killed.

There was no telling what the outcome of the next attack would be.

’Perhaps I’ll die?’

’Or perhaps one of them is bound to fall by my hand, finally bringing this battle to its conclusion?’

’How dangerous...’

’But then again, who cares?’

Yuan Luàn, under the influence of the Plague of Rebellion’s viral cells, was in a state of extreme excitement and fanaticism. How could he possibly care about any of this?

Right now, he had only one thought.

Kill them, or be killed by them.

"It’s been too long since I’ve had a fight like this! Come! Let’s end all of this! Let blood be the victor’s fireworks!"

"Kill me, and let my name become part of your glory."

"Or be killed by me, and I’ll put an end to your fleeting lives!"

"Come! Come on!"

Yuan Luàn’s smooth, blood-red body strode forward, about to launch another attack.

Suddenly, his forward step halted abruptly.

A swirling gray fog flashed before his eyes, and in an instant, he seemed to be pulled into a hazy nightmare.

A blurry figure appeared before him.

"End the battle at once. Go and rendezvous with the Starry Sky Country Super Warriors."

An incredibly ethereal voice emanated from the figure.

’Just one more attack!! I was just getting warmed up! Who the hell do you think you are!?’

Yuan Luàn, in his frenzied state, roared furiously at the voice within his mind.

"And what do you think I am?"

The voice came again, this time laced with unparalleled indifference and pressure.

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over the frenzied Yuan Luàn, and he calmed down instantly. The very depths of his soul seemed to be trembling.

"My great King, please forgive my transgression."

Yuan Luàn slowly sank to one knee before the figure, lowering his proud head.

"You are in the middle of a battle. Your punishment is noted for now. If there is a next time, you know the consequences. Now, carry out your orders."

The hazy figure said indifferently.

"But one of my opponents is rated as the highest-level potential threat to the organization. Killing him would be of immense value."

Yuan Luàn said in a low voice.

"You can’t kill him, at least not quickly. If he chooses to either bog you down in a fight or retreat, you won’t be able to stop him. There’s a problem on Ghost Night’s end. One of the people Donghua sent this time is unexpectedly strong. Dragging this out could lead to complications."

"Donghua’s strength... is indeed somewhat surprising."

"Your strength cannot be completely squandered here. The mission this time isn’t to eliminate your opponents, but to display your power and cooperate with the Starry Sky Country Super Warriors to see this act through. Once you regroup, the forces from Donghua and Tai Lan won’t be able to stop you."

"Go now. If this nightmare lasts too long, it will start to affect reality."

The hazy figure gradually faded, its voice growing more and more distant until it vanished completely.

Finally, the gray fog began to collapse, and clarity instantly returned to Yuan Luàn’s eyes.

In reality, the entire exchange had taken but a single, frozen moment.

But that single moment of hesitation was enough to create an opening. By the time he came to his senses, Zhou Yuanjue and Boku had already seized the opportunity to attack.

SWISH!!

A look flashed across his face. He didn’t meet them head-on. Without the slightest hesitation or delay, his figure turned and shot off into the distance at incredible speed.