In the pitch-black hall, a bewildered and terrified Song Zhi'ang knelt on the icy floor.
Darkness surrounded her on all sides, utterly silent, as dread gradually took hold of her mind.
At this moment, the Nascent Soul realm seemed so pale and powerless.
There was clearly no pressure bearing down on her, not even the faintest breath of an aura, yet the primal energy inside her body felt as if it had frozen solid.
The hall was so quiet a pin drop could be heard; Song Zhi'ang could even hear her own heartbeat and breathing.
Suddenly!
The woman whipped her head around, only to see a man wearing a dark red mask standing right behind her.
That inexplicable sense of oppression made her feel as though she had plunged into an icy cavern—a sensation...
As if his figure were continually towering higher, while she had fallen into the dust, insignificant beyond measure.
The man slowly crouched down, and Song Zhi'ang's body trembled uncontrollably with terror.
Her eyes, brimming with fear, wanted to shrink back, but her body remained frozen in place, utterly beyond her control.
The bizarre mask bore a faint, mocking smile, carved with intricate, profound patterns that twisted as if ridiculing the entire world.
"Do you want Li Guanqi to change how he sees you?"
"He looks down on you now and humiliates you—isn't it solely because of Meng Wanshu's status and background?"
The masked man's voice seemed possessed of some strange magic, lingering by her ears and ceaselessly bewitching her mind.
Even if she closed her eyes and sealed her five senses, the voice echoed in her mind like a heart demon.
The masked man, slender in stature, crouched down behind Song Zhi'ang.
A pair of icy hands rested on her shoulders, leaning close to her ear to murmur softly:
"Don't you want to be stronger than her?"
"As long as you have strength, status, standing—everything else is nothing but an illusion!"
"Work for me, and I will give you everything you desire."
"This is the chance I am offering you—a chance... to make Li Guanqi change his mind and be with you."
Song Zhi'ang's body shook, her pupils shrinking like awns of wheat. In this moment, she could distinctly feel how terrifying the man's aura truly was!
Scenes of what had transpired before flashed repeatedly through her mind. Her facial muscles twitched slightly, and her gaze gradually turned cold.
Forcing herself to steady her dazed mind, Song Zhi'ang did her best to make her voice sound natural as she spoke:
"What price must I pay?"
"And who are you?"
"Why are you willing to help me?"
Hearing this, the man slowly rose and looked down at her, speaking softly.
"You may call me... the Leader! Or... Liang!"
Song Zhi'ang's pupils quivered, and she snapped her head up to look at him!
"You're the leader of the Sha organization!"
"I am."
"Yet I can give you everything you desire. Does it matter who I am?"
"As for the price... Heh..."
The masked man did not change his posture, simply looking down at Song Zhi'ang. The mask seemed to tell her: *I know everything you're thinking.*
Song Zhi'ang lowered her head. Amidst the flickering light in her eyes, a faint smile suddenly blossomed across her face.
"That's right, I don't care who you are."
"Can you truly... grant me strength and status comparable to Meng Wanshu's?"
The masked man chuckled. Slicing open his fingertip, he floated a drop of blood toward the woman's lips, saying softly:
"Yes!"
"As long as you become stronger than her, it will prove beyond doubt that your talent isn't inferior to hers in the slightest!"
"When that time comes, Li Guanqi will naturally look at you in a new light."
"With me here, I can grant you status and standing that commands the world's attention just the same!"
"What does being a Domain Lord's daughter matter?"
"Drink it. From this day forth, all you need to do is cultivate diligently and force Li Guanqi to look you in the eye!"
Song Zhi'ang felt her mind grow muddled and hazy as all manner of illusions flashed continuously through her thoughts.
By the time her consciousness cleared slightly, only a trace of blood remained at the corner of her lips.
The metallic sweetness in her throat nauseated her, but immediately afterward came a sensation as if thousands of worms were crawling from her throat into her body!
Song Zhi'ang clawed wildly at her throat with both hands, her contorted body convulsing violently on the ground.
A shrill, agonizing scream was squeezed from her throat!
"Ahhh!"
"Aaargh!"
The masked man spread his arms and tilted his head back slightly, as if listening to the sweetest sound under heaven echoing in his ears.
Song Zhi'ang's aura began to climb wildly, and the primal energy in her body gradually turned pitch-black.
In the blink of an eye, she broke through to peak Nascent Soul, yet this aura did not subside, continuing to surge with magnificent momentum!
Rumble!
A heavenly tribulation was approaching, and chilling demonic qi surged from every inch of Song Zhi'ang's body.
From this moment on, a black floral mark gradually surfaced between her brows, flickering faintly.
Her appearance also underwent an earth-shattering transformation, becoming even more beautiful, every glance brimming with seductive charm.
Her entire presence became noticeably more wicked and alluring—projecting an unapproachable chill while inadvertently drawing all eyes to her.
Gradually, Song Zhi'ang rose slowly from the ground, her breathing growing steady.
Only now, an enchanting black floral mark adorned the center of her brow.
Already tall and slender, her curves had become even more striking. She slowly opened her eyes.
A biting chill gleamed within those beautiful eyes, her dark pupils resembling pools of ink.
Seeing this, the masked man smiled faintly, shifting his feet and vanishing from where he stood.
Song Zhi'ang looked up, feeling the intensifying pressure of the heavenly tribulation, and murmured softly:
"Li Guanqi, I will make you regret this!"
"Only I! Only I am worthy of being with you!"
***
In the Purple Spirit Grotto-Heaven.
Li Guanqi stared at the crimson-gold jade box in his hands, lost in thought.
Back when Meng Wanshu was grievously wounded, Long Hou had visited once. On that occasion, he had sought a stroke of good fortune for Ye Feng and Xiao Chen as well.
That was the residual power Ye Feng had refined earlier, power that could enhance their comprehension.
Yet what Li Guanqi held in his hands right now was what had truly been prepared for Ye Feng.
An item Su Xuan had instructed Long Hou to bring over...
Something... that could turn Ye Feng into a true favored child of heaven, a peerless dragon among men, one in ten thousand.
If he consumed the contents inside, Ye Feng's spiritual root would advance to a saint-grade spiritual root, and the quality of his Sword Ruins would improve, naturally allowing him to touch upon the Apocalypse.
Yet Li Guanqi had never taken it out to give to him.
All because consuming this thing meant nine chances of death to one of life!
That was why Long Hou had specifically impressed upon him a couple of warnings when handing it over.
The woman inside the stone pool had stabilized slightly, her breath calm; it appeared that waking was only a matter of time.
Flipping his hand to put the box away, Li Guanqi took a deep breath and called out in a low voice, "Old Ye, come over here for a moment."
Ye Feng slowly opened his eyes, flashed through the air to appear atop the mountain peak, and sat down opposite Li Guanqi with a grin.
"Boss, what'd you call me over for?"
Li Guanqi stared at him with utter solemnity and said in a grave voice:
"Old Ye, if there were a chance for your strength to advance by leaps and bounds, for your natural talent to even reach the same height as mine...
"But... it comes with a high likelihood of death! How would you choose?"
The corners of Ye Feng's mouth curled slightly. Sitting cross-legged across from Li Guanqi without a hint of hesitation, he chuckled:
"Boss, you know me. I, Ye Feng, have terrible luck when it comes to gambling.
"Gamble for me: if I choose the latter, can I pull it off?"
Li Guanqi snapped at him exasperatedly, "Piss off, I'm being serious! If you choose the latter, you'll be struggling to grasp a single sliver of life in a virtually certain death trap!"
Ye Feng looked him in the eye and said softly, "That's why I'm having you gamble for me, Boss!
"I want you... to bet on me winning!"
Chapter 757