Free Web NovelPerhaps he hadn't expected that the terrifying power of the miracle flower, which was being corrected, would accumulate so quickly within Lu Yibei's body, or perhaps his ferocity was completely unleashed by the crowd, and upon seeing the provocative fellow maiden who was sometimes near and sometimes far, he gradually lost his sanity...
When the maiden suddenly leaped forward, Shaman King was briefly stunned.
He watched as the maiden shed her heavy armor, stripped off her clothes, and was enveloped only by flames, her true appearance difficult to discern. She rapidly grew larger in his vision, like a scorching sun falling from the sky, drawing closer and closer. Only then did he suddenly regain his senses and push his authority to its limit.
He could feel that this was the final and strongest strike from his “dear” fellow.
Out of recognition for his opponent, or perhaps respect for his kind, he too should meet the attack with his strongest strike.
In an instant, the suppression of Shaman King's authority, including that on Lu Yibei and the others, suddenly disintegrated under his fierce struggle, risking the collapse of his authority.
The already damaged authority stirred up blood shadows across the vast wasteland, and something even more terrifying quietly revealed the tip of its iceberg.
It was as if a gloomy beast covered in scars had finally broken free from its cage and shackles, without tyrannical roars or ferocious figures.
He only wanted to kill his enemy!
Thus, heaven and earth trembled, and roars erupted.
For a moment, Lu Yibei’s figure, her aura, her very existence, vanished from Shaman King’s perception. Before him, only an overwhelming expanse of chaotic black lines remained, emitting a dangerous and eerie aura.
Hidden within those black lines was a fear that transcended death and destruction.
Gazing at those black lines, Shaman King hesitated for only a moment before resolutely continuing forward, rushing into a darkness that seemed to have no end.
The world twisted in his eyes, tinged with a strange halo.
Then, suddenly, everything fell into a dead silence.
Immediately after, all phenomena in the world instantly disintegrated into dust. The fragmented sounds of collapse converged, forming a long, distant, and continuous moan that echoed in his mind.
As the long moan reverberated, another soul-shaking power descended, impossible to ignore, impossible to escape, yet impossible to grasp its existence...
It was as if the boundless darkness ahead, the crumbling myriad things behind, and everything imaginable, were all that power itself. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
He didn't know how long it had been, when the profound darkness was about to completely swallow Shaman King, delivering his end. At that moment, Shaman King, who had long been drifting like a fallen leaf on water, without any movement, suddenly twitched a finger, and then a fierce light appeared in his eyes, and he began to struggle again.
He couldn't lose yet...
He couldn't just die like this...
It's not over yet. As long as there is war in this world, I, Shaman King, Que Pi Jia, will return! Shaman King roared in his heart.
Then, a rumble came from the darkness.
Along with the rumbling, a strong wind carried rust-colored mist, and in the pungent air, ashes and dust flew like a flock of startled birds.
Behind them, tables, chairs, and many unseen objects, as if endowed with life, chased after them, spilling pale, viscous liquid onto the ground in sheets, rapidly creating more of their kind.
The lead-gray sky seemed to press down, pulling streaks of lightning from beneath the clouds, carving out hideous cracks that emitted an unreal, void-like dark green light. Distorted figures were vaguely visible, laughing, grieving, and aimlessly wandering like ghosts within the cracks...
Beneath the sky, never-before-seen tall buildings stood in roaring seawater, their outer walls covered in disgusting mold.
At the top of the tall buildings, figures stood rigid, as if petrified, maintaining their actions from life—pointing their weapons at each other. They seemed to be bewitched by something, fighting until their last breath.
As far as the eye could see, it was a terrifying post-apocalyptic scene, all seemingly mocking Shaman King's last shred of clear consciousness.
What you pursue, is that worthy of being called “destruction”?
Take a good look, this is what true destruction is!
Times have changed. Old destroyers should remain in the past; now it's time for the true “professionals”!
Seeing such a scene, Shaman King let out a bitter laugh amidst his struggles, but then the bitter laugh turned into a smile of relief.
Yes, even if I die, my fellow will not escape her fate.
What I couldn't achieve, she will complete on my behalf, and do it better than me, just like a younger, stronger wolf defeats the aging wolf king, becoming the new leader and leading the pack forward...
She will inevitably, and solitarily, walk towards her predetermined end, creating an even more terrifying final scene!
As Shaman King thought, his vigorously beating heart gradually slowed its rhythm, as if it were about to stop.
Just then, as if a hallucination, a slightly rough but compassionate and gentle hand gently rested on his forehead.
Just like when his Sister used to lull him to sleep when he was very young.
The next moment, a familiar voice sounded in his ear, and Shaman King's mind trembled violently.
“Wuka, stop messing around, aren't you tired? Let's go home?”
Looking in the direction from which the voice came, a familiar face came into view.
She was a maiden of about sixteen or seventeen, wearing a strange hat made of colorful fabric and feathers on her head.
Beneath the oddly shaped hat, though her skin was slightly rough from the erosion of wind and sand, it did not detract from her beauty, like a cluster of sea buckthorn flowers blooming on the Gobi Desert.
The maiden was Shaman King's long-deceased Sister, Melu Arslan, or rather, she was the initial catalyst for him becoming Shaman King, a former factor in the destruction of the world.
“But, Sister, I haven't... I haven't...” Shaman King stopped struggling, his voice trembling, looking at the maiden's figure, speechless for a long time.
“Are you trying to say that you haven't taken me to see the endless fine wine, herds of cattle and sheep, and fertile land that can grow enough food for everyone beyond Yumen Pass?” the maiden said. “But I've long stopped wanting to see those things, you know? And even more, I don't want to see my dearest Wuka battered and bruised because of it...”
“Have you forgotten? Why did I leave?”
Upon hearing these words, Shaman King was struck by lightning, his body and mind trembling simultaneously.
It had been too long, so long that he had forgotten that his Sister had starved to death in that bitter deep Rin winter by giving up her food so that he could live.
Perhaps his Sister hadn't truly wanted to see the beautiful scenery beyond Yumen Pass; her dying words were likely just her concern that she wouldn't see him survive that Rin winter, leaving her with regrets...
“Let’s go! It’s already late. If we delay any longer, we won’t find our way home.”
The maiden said, then stood up and walked into the suddenly blowing wind and snow, her figure gradually blurring, as if she could vanish at any moment, never to be found again.
Just like many, many years ago, when she starved to death in that Rin winter.
“Sister!” Shaman King called out, chasing after the maiden's footsteps like a madman, pursuing her into the depths of darkness. As he walked, he lost his way...
Finally, all that remained was a disheveled, scarred figure, kneeling in the vast wind and snow, like a corpse frozen into an ice sculpture.
In the silence, all light was swallowed by the chaotic black lines.
Everything slept in the tranquil darkness.
As if abandoned by the whole world.
In the darkness, far from Shaman King, Lu Yibei's silhouette slowly emerged. She looked at Shaman King, who was no longer moving, then at the profound darkness behind her, her mood gradually becoming heavy and anxious.
“Damn it, I’m screwed now! Shaman King is dealt with, but how do I get back?”
She was dumbfounded.
But...
Before this, who could have imagined that Shaman King's obsession with creating destruction was [N O V E L I G H T] so deep and intense that he could still struggle at death's door after being attacked twice by the power of temporal correction?
Like a character from a shonen manga, relying on bonds, friendship, dreams... and all sorts of other ridiculous things, he could revive repeatedly.
He was practically an immortal cockroach in human form!
To make such a character exit and finish their role, at least one powerful “villain” had to be sacrificed.
Unfortunately, Calamity Miss was that villain.
Lu Yibei was indeed confident that she could release the terrible power of the miracle flower twice without dying on the spot. However, after releasing it twice consecutively, chasing Shaman King, and continuously bewildering him and destroying his things while his consciousness was blurred, until his “Dao Heart” shattered and he gave up struggling, was beyond her control.
And now, clearly, she had successfully courted death...
After successfully exploiting bugs twice and finally defeating the big BOSS, before she could even enjoy the victory or check the drops, she was blessed with an account ban... or perhaps a mute package?
Although she was in this boundless, tranquil darkness, Lu Yibei's spiritual sense could vaguely perceive the outside world.
That feeling was like playing a certain game, doing something against the rules, but not getting completely banned. Instead, you were merely muted, restricted from playing, only able to watch, unable to do anything.
“What do I do? Why is this happening? Is it because I’m a Level 12 Joyful Member?”
As she muttered to herself, her consciousness was suddenly touched by a subtle force.
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Pulled by that force, she turned around and saw a crimson thread extending from the center of her chest towards a short distance. At the other end of the thread, a verdant crack was slowly opening.
While slightly dazed, a slender, fair arm suddenly reached out from the crack and tightly grasped her wrist.
Then, it pulled hard, outwards.
The next moment, the chaotic black lines appearing around the crack began to stir.
At that instant, space vibrated violently, and amidst a dizzying, sharp sound, something seemed to be stripped away—perhaps sanity, perhaps air, perhaps the very existence as a human or urban legend.
Lu Yibei’s consciousness seemed to be violently severed, briefly falling into a blank state...
————
The moment Nanling Yaohua grabbed Lu Yibei’s hand, her vision was plunged into darkness, like a sudden scene change or like all the lights going out at once in the dead of night.
The clamor in her ears, the fierce wind brushing her skin, the air and the Spiritual Energy scattered within it... the real world was receding. She pulled back with all her might, using all her strength and all her Spiritual Energy, yet she could not stop Lu Yibei’s figure from falling into the depths of darkness.
That feeling was like standing by a surging river, fighting with an unseen, terrifying undercurrent for the life of a drowning person.
Anxious and panicked emotions surged in her heart, and Nanling Yaohua couldn't help but cry out for help, “Hurry! White Shishu, Grandpa, come help! Lu Yibei, she, Lu Yibei she...”
Like a rope suddenly cut, her words stopped abruptly.
As Nanling Yaohua looked back, she suddenly realized that her Grandpa in the distance was looking around blankly, and White Shishu was shouting in grief and indignation, maintaining their postures as if frozen, motionless, completely unaware of her cries and everything she was experiencing.
She froze for a moment, then quickly came to her senses, realizing that only she seemed to be able to touch, or rather, see Lu Yibei, who was falling into darkness.
Being alone with Lu Yibei should have made her happy.
One must know, the night she spent with Lu Yibei in the Cave of the Kulun Ridge outpost not long ago was the only night she had felt a trace of happiness since her Grandpa went missing.
Suddenly, a strange, sharp pain came from her chest.
Looking down, a taut, semi-illusory, semi-real crimson thread appeared, connecting her and Lu Yibei.
Although she had only heard of it and never seen it with her own eyes, the moment she saw that thread, Nanling Yaohua realized that it was the red thread of fate between her and Lu Yibei.
At this moment, as Lu Yibei continued to fall into the depths of darkness, the red thread of fate tightened continuously, emitting a mournful cry that only the two souls connected by it could hear.
It seemed about to break...
Nanling Yaohua could feel that something subtle was constantly being stripped away from her body, and this feeling made her terrified.
After a brief hesitation, she bit her pearly teeth lightly and leaped into the darkness, embracing Lu Yibei tightly in her arms.
In a daze, she recalled the conversation she had with her Grandpa not long ago, during the celebration held by the residents of Divine Kingdom Jade Gate to welcome the return of the first Miracle Saintesses.
The grandfather and granddaughter had always been accustomed to quietness. They didn't dislike celebrations, but they were very uncomfortable with them, so they found a secluded corner to sit and watch everyone have fun.
Enjoying fine wine and strange food, Nanling Qifeng suddenly looked up at the soft drizzle that had begun to fall from the sky at some unknown time and asked, “Xiao Hua, do you feel it?”
His words carried emotions of excitement and loss.
Like the sigh of a worker who had toiled for a lifetime, finally uttered on the day of their retirement.
No more toil, but perhaps no more chances to return to that beloved post...
“Mm.” Nanling Yaohua nodded. “I feel it.”
She knew what her Grandpa was talking about.
When a gentle wind blew within the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate and a soft drizzle quietly fell, the Spiritual Energy within her body suddenly became excited and restless.
It was like a bird trapped in a cage finally gaining the freedom to spread its wings and fly.
At that moment, she understood that from now on, she would no longer be bound by the destiny of guarding Yumen Pass.
At the same time, apart from Bai Kai, who was immersed in drink and pleasure and ignored the changes in himself and his surroundings, another successor of the Yumen Sand Sea lineage also had the same feeling as Nanling Yaohua.
“Xiao Hua...” Nanling Qifeng looked at Nanling Yaohua with a face full of loving kindness and said softly, “What do you want to do in the future?”
“In the future...” Nanling Yaohua shook her head. “I haven’t thought about it yet.”
She lied to her Grandpa.
She had actually already thought about it; she wanted to pursue a true romance of her own.
The ideal person would be Lu Yibei.
Even if the experiences in Dream City didn't count, and even if another girl had already entered Lu Yibei's heart first, what did it matter? She didn't care. Was she not allowed to catch up later?
You know, besides sitting together on the stone tower and enjoying food, she hadn't even properly spent time with the real Lu Yibei!
However...
Nanling Yaohua looked down at the girl in her arms, feeling the world receding, her consciousness gradually blurring, and her eyes dimming.
It hadn't even properly begun, and it was already ending?
————
After an unknown amount of time, Lu Yibei, who finally felt her body again, opened her eyes and stared blankly at the sky, which was stained crimson by the lingering Spiritual Energy fluctuations of the Shaman King.
After a long while, she finally realized that she seemed to have been rescued.
But.
How exactly was she rescued?
It seemed someone caught up to me, held me in their arms, and then... pushed me out of that hellhole.
Wait!
Lu Yibei frowned, recalling carefully. Her pupils suddenly constricted, and she turned her head sharply, seeing a figure covered in chaotic light, constantly changing into various strange shapes, not far away.
She instinctively reached out to grab that figure. However, the moment her hand touched the figure, the chaotic black lines that had been slowly wriggling around the figure suddenly became restless.
They quickly converged, forming a crack that looked like the cavity of some bizarre creature.
Immediately after, the cavity suddenly closed.
Silently, without the slightest pain, the part of her left arm below the elbow instantly lost all sensation, as if it had vanished into thin air.
Along with it, the figure covered in chaotic light also disappeared.
A few seconds later, a white shadow flew over and steadily caught Lu Yibei's falling figure.
“Xiao Bei, are you alright, Xiao Bei?” Bai Kai asked urgently. Seeing Lu Yibei shake her head, he immediately changed the subject and asked, “That’s good, that’s good. Where’s Xiao Hua?”
“Xiao Hua?”
“Nanling Yaohua, she chased after you just now, and then suddenly disappeared,” Bai Kai said.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yibei’s chest felt like it had been struck hard by a heavy hammer, vibrating violently. She turned her head, gazing at the empty sky, lost in thought for a long time.
————
In the distance.
At the edge of the desolate wasteland, scarred by a great battle.
A girl with chestnut-colored long hair and a long red scarf frowned after witnessing the strange scene of the Disaster's figure disappearing and reappearing in the sky.
“System, where did that Miss go just now? Why did she suddenly disappear?”
“How would I know? Stop being nosy. It’s important to leave quickly before the Disaster notices! Oh, have you put away the things dug out from the ruins? That token, and those antiques...”
“They’re put away.” Gu Qianqian nodded.
“Alright, let’s go then!”
The system said, then climbed onto Gu Qianqian’s shoulder, and looked meaningfully at the spot where Nanling Yaohua had disappeared.
Another one...
Another Miss, exiled outside this world because of her!
“Disaster, tell me, how can I trust Lu Yibei?” the system thought.
