Shoot Him Down, Divine Spear

"You've finally arrived." The Major's voice boomed down the highway. The saint dons his stage robes, the painter loses his white steed; the show begins as overturned ink pours down in a torrential rush. Amidst the rushing downpour of ink, the Major looked at Bai Zhou. "Actually, you might not know this, but I've always admired you." "And the more trouble you cause me, the more I admire you." His target was supposed to be Fang Xiaoxia. Standing on his home turf, he ought to have struck with thunderous speed from the very outset, sweeping her away like a whirlwind. Yet no one expected that this man, who had inexplicably donned operatic robes, would fix every shred of his attention squarely on Bai Zhou. Ever since leaving Wancheng, this boy seemed to have opposed him at every single turn. Even Bai Zhou couldn't fathom the other man's intentions. He merely shielded Fang Xiaoxia behind him with vigilant caution, watching Major Luo's figure like a hawk, blade and gun in hand, ready to burst into violent combat at any second. "You admire me? ...I'm really starting to wonder if you have some bizarre fetish." Bai Zhou shot back with a sarcastic question, "What exactly do you admire about me? That I'm the only one who dares to feed you shit?" "..." Hearing this, Major Luo fell silent for a moment. "You don't need to keep trying to provoke me. It does neither of us any good. We could have talked." "Hand over the girl behind you, and I will let you and the Gem Witch walk." Major Luo's voice was like rolling thunder, sacred and remote. "In the future, there will be a place for you in my divine kingdom. Turning enemies into friends—it will become a celebrated story in the epics." Despite those words, Bai Zhou could hear the haughtiness hidden beneath his tone—an arrogance born of absolute certainty that he would establish a divine kingdom and take his place among legends. A very familiar feeling. The Major had always been like this, but Bai Zhou loathed that arrogance now more than ever. "Sounds like a rather generous... handout," Bai Zhou sneered. "But I have a better proposal." The ink poured down in sheets. Sharp, whistling blade aura swirled around Bai Zhou, warding off the rain of ink. Fang Xiaoxia, shielded behind him, shared an umbrella with the Gem Witch. Fang Xiaoxia's heart felt as though it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, a constriction that left her struggling for breath. Ever since laying eyes on Major Luo, her head had been buzzing inexplicably, and the Major singling her out drove her anxiety to its absolute peak. Everything happening right now was far too surreal. The Major's words made the girl realize that she was the burden holding everyone else back. If it weren't for her... Yet Bai Zhou wasn't dwelling on any of that. His mind was clear and focused, on absolute high alert. The falling streaks of ink-rain severely obstructed their sight. Bai Zhou didn't dare blink, terrified that missing the slightest nuance of Major Luo's movements might cost him his life. He knew all too well that their current banter meant nothing. The moment an opportunity arose, either side would abruptly break off mid-sentence and strike to kill, cutting the other down where they stood. "What proposal?" the Major asked. The corners of Bai Zhou's mouth curved into an enigmatic smile. "How about you crash right into my blade right now and hand everything here over to me? I promise I'll consider writing your invaluable contribution into *The Legend of Bai Zhou*." "How about page two? After all, you could be considered my guide into the occult world." Page one wouldn't do. Page one had to be reserved for Teacher Crow and Big Brother Liu Zhen. If the Major agreed, Bai Zhou would give the matter serious thought. Hearing that, the Major shook his head in silence. "It seems you lack sincerity." Bai Zhou blinked twice. "I was considering it quite seriously." He awakened all 360 motes of spirituality within his body one by one, his condition soaring step by step. The surging battle intent around him rose like a drawn blade. "Besides, what adventurer would ever watch a monster snatch away the girl beside him, then happily fetch the bone the monster tossed his way?" Bai Zhou asked, "Even the sorriest mongrel in Wancheng wouldn't sink that low." "Aren't we naturally destined to share no common tongue, bound to fight until one of us dies?" In truth, Bai Zhou had no grandiose, earth-shaking cause. He simply held a grudge against the Major, so anything the Major wanted to do, he would ruin. He was just an ordinary, normal guy, and a normal guy would never betray his friends—especially a friend who had helped him multiple times. Even if the man standing before him seemed fathomless, even if raising his weapon meant staring death in the face. Humans weren't born into this world just to scrape by until death finally caught up with them. All Bai Zhou knew was that if he didn't raise his blade against the Major right here and now, his life would lose its purpose. No matter how aimlessly a person lived, there always came a moment when they suddenly found their reason to exist. For instance, that reason could simply be finding the meaning of one's death. When that time came, a man fearless of death would step into the most dazzling, brilliant hour of his life. Right now, Bai Zhou had only one lingering question: Why did Major Luo want to "talk" with him? Why didn't he just attack directly? *...* As he pondered, Bai Zhou's heart stirred. "Looks like our talks have fallen apart." Major Luo saw the calm on Bai Zhou's face—a calm far more potent than any theatrical display of resolve, one that laid bare Bai Zhou's unshakeable determination. He let out a soft sigh, long and deep like the resonant rippling of an ancient bell, echoing mournfully down the highway. Immediately after, the world trembled. *Swoosh, rustle...* The half-bodied monsters in school uniforms, crawling out from the walls of test papers, flooded forth like a tidal wave. Their dark, raspy murmurs rustled in Bai Zhou's ears as they encircled the three from all directions. "Actually, there's one question I'm curious about." Bai Zhou looked past the layers of monsters toward Major Luo in his vivid red robes. "What is it?" "When did you get the delusion that we still had anything to talk about?" Bai Zhou gazed intently at Major Luo's 2.33-meter frame. Remembering Crow's whisper from earlier, a look of disgust surfaced in his eyes. "This body of yours... belongs to Big Brother Liu Zhen, doesn't it?" "This debt will never be settled!" At those words, Major Luo's expression turned chillingly cold. "Incorrigible. You have refused your ticket to the new world." "Then perish along with the old!" Before his voice had even faded, Space began to warp. Countless exam questions and formulas formed chains that burst from the dense test papers plastered across the highway guardrails, squirming like living tentacles as they lashed out from every direction! Countless half-bodied figures in school uniforms squirmed across the pavement, crawling toward the three of them, their eyes brimming with malice. *Hum!* Simultaneously, two suns—one in front, one behind—rose rapidly into the heights, dyeing the sky pure white. The heavens shifted, and the highway plunged entirely into Major Luo's white world. At some point, Major Luo had taken to the sky. His thunderous voice, carrying bone-chilling murderous intent, rumbled across the heavens like a deity handing down divine retribution: "Exam site expanded. Examinees registered." "Leaving is prohibited during the examination." "Now, the exam begins." With that single decree, spoken as though his words were absolute law, the world before them underwent a cataclysmic upheaval. *Clang!* Sparks showered outward as Bai Zhou's sweeping blade aura shattered the incoming chains, sending exam characters and mathematical symbols scattering into the air. The curtain on negotiations had completely fallen. The slaughterhouse stage had just begun. "Wouldn't it have been better to do this from the start?" Bai Zhou took a stride forward. The moment the uniform-clad students lunged, the blade aura around his body detonated into a tempest of violet-gold energy. "Kill or be killed—we've crossed paths for so long, do you really think I don't know what kind of creature you are?" As the blade aura raged, Bai Zhou roared, "Cut the holy act, you motherfucker!" Faced with this utterly intractable youth, the calm, indifferent facade Major Luo struggled to maintain in the sky grew increasingly stiff, his features turning stark and cold. Surging murderous intent swirled deep in his eyes, manifesting in the real world as the half-bodied monsters threw themselves at Bai Zhou's group in overwhelming hordes, heedless of death and ignorant of fatigue. Terrified by these abominations, Fang Xiaoxia turned pale, trembling uncontrollably. Though frightened out of her wits, she didn't dare utter a sound, terrified of breaking Bai Zhou's focus. She bit her lip until blood welled up, droplets mixing with the falling ink and spattering against the asphalt. Hugging her doll tightly, this girl—who had lived an ordinary and cheerful life for nearly half her years—felt, for the first time, a burning hatred for her own mediocrity and powerlessness. If only she could be as strong as the Gem Witch, or as strong as Bai Zhou... "Stay behind me!" Sharp blade aura ran rampant across the sky, accompanied intermittently by the incongruous sound of piano notes. Bai Zhou's voice reached Fang Xiaoxia's ears. "Sooner or later, you'll be just as strong as me, or even stronger." "But for now—" "Let me handle these bastards first." He didn't wait for a reply. Shielding Fang Xiaoxia, his silhouette bathed in violet-gold radiance reflected in the girl's bewildered eyes, towering like a mountain. "Stay alive." He left behind a brief, calm instruction: "Watch me kill!" The ink puddle beneath his feet shattered. Bai Zhou's figure seemed to be everywhere at once, violet-gold blooms erupting across the sea of monsters. Blades flashed, aura flared, and monsters collapsed, their blood pouring out as ink to wind across the pavement. This entire world was an incubator dripping with slime and embryonic fluid. It nurtured not only a Saint, but the Saint's future retainers—just like Valhalla of myth, housing future gods who would assist their deity to absolute triumph and claim their thrones in his coming kingdom. Yet right now, these future "great figures" weren't even embryos. They hurled themselves at Bai Zhou in unending waves. Then again, Bai Zhou was merely an extraordinary newcomer who had stepped beyond the threshold less than a month ago, a complete newborn in the occult world. Newborn against newborn, clashing on this highway; the victor would claim true rebirth. It seemed entirely fair. Except it wasn't fair at all. Bai Zhou was under astronomical pressure. The monsters were virtually endless. Every single one was on the threshold of Level 5, and a select few stood at the very peak of Level 5. They merely lacked higher concepts like intent, but every physical metric was squarely at that rank. Killing one was trivial, killing three left room to spare—but what about when they formed an entire ocean, an army completely devoid of fear? Before long, multiple wounds of varying severity opened across Bai Zhou's body. At that moment, the Major's voice drifted down from high above: "In truth, I initially suspected you had the Church of Blood Worship or the Sanctuary of Sacred Relics backing you... For a time, I even guessed you were a Sun Knight from the Sanctuary, given how ancient and storied that faction is." *Not a Sun Knight... though there's a Sun Temple behind me.* Bai Zhou muttered inwardly as blade aura vibrated and Light and Shadow Harmony fired note after note. "Yet after ascending toward Sainthood, my gaze penetrated the essence of life itself, like seeing the rings of a tree—I can clearly see the exact moment you stepped into the occult world, and I found no faction or master standing behind you." Major Luo continued, "It turns out you truly are a lone wanderer who started bare-handed, touching the occult world only after leaving Wancheng." *Who said I don't have someone behind me?* Bai Zhou's brow furrowed slightly. There was Crow. So even after half-ascending to Sainthood and standing within his own domain, Major Luo couldn't perceive Crow's existence at all... Bai Zhou fell into thought. If so, Crow's growing drowsiness after leaving Base 36 and her mysterious connection to the base had nothing to do with Major Luo? "Do you remember what I told you back then?" Major Luo's deep voice carried through the chaotic shrieks of the monsters: "You are a talent, and I love talent most of all." "Ha!" Encircled by the swarm, Bai Zhou sneered. Talent, or Human Material? "I have always believed that every person possesses value. Some possess value only fit to become material, while others aren't even worth that much," Major Luo declared. "Believe it or not, I have never killed an innocent without cause. Every time I take a life, it is to ensure that person serves a far greater value for the world!" "This isn't a matter of believing or not..." Spun by the momentum of his blade, Bai Zhou sliced an oncoming monster cleanly in half. Filthy blood and ink sprayed together. Bai Zhou's voice was razor-sharp: "The fact that you can say that with a straight face only proves that you're rotten to the core!" In truth, this was Bai Zhou's first formal, face-to-face conversation with his former superior, Major Luo. This base supervisor—once praised by nearly everyone and once a towering figure in Bai Zhou's heart—had remained so right up until Liu Zhen's death. "Value or no value, who gives you the right to define it? What kind of thing are you to judge the meaning of someone else's life?" "Every single one of them was living earnestly. Who are you, an extraneous clown, to point fingers and sit in judgment?" As he spoke, Bai Zhou raised a hand behind him without turning around. Light and Shadow Harmony chimed three times—a rapid do-re-mi burst—blowing apart several claws trying to flank Fang Xiaoxia from the side. "I already said all this when I killed Adjutant Han, so I won't waste my breath repeating it." "Right now, I only want to kill you—" Bai Zhou's eyes flared with ruthless resolve, "—or be killed by you!" "Kill me?" Major Luo drifted slowly down from the ink-strewn sky. He landed leisurely upon the road, arms folded beneath a colossal countdown timer, gazing at Bai Zhou across the crawling horde. "Wait until you can even make it to my feet before speaking such words." "A dignified Saint, yet you don't dare engage me in close quarters?" Bai Zhou sneered coldly. "You're afraid, aren't you?" The calm, composed curve of Major Luo's lips seemed to stiffen for a fraction of a second. Then he chuckled softly. "What could I possibly fear from you?" Yet that tiny freeze in his expression was caught instantly by Bai Zhou, who had been watching intently from afar. *Just as I thought!* This bastard Luo had first uncharacteristically offered cautious negotiations, then dispatched an army to surround Bai Zhou, all while stubbornly refusing to step into the fray himself. He was wary! Without a doubt, as the master of this realm, he sensed a threat on Bai Zhou and wanted to test the waters, forcing Bai Zhou to exhaust his hidden trump card beforehand. Perhaps he sensed the spearhead, or felt threatened by the Crown of Thorns... Who knew? Bai Zhou carried more than one high-hazard relic. *So he's keeping his distance on purpose, using the monsters to grind me down and gauge my limits!* Slashing without pause, Bai Zhou's mind grew cold and alert. Things were far more troublesome than he had anticipated. The spear wasn't a bow, and there was no storm here; he couldn't simply fling it at Major Luo from afar. The cunning Major kept a considerable distance, maintaining full vigilance even then, making it almost impossible for Bai Zhou to find a clean opening to use the spear. Most critically: Fang Xiaoxia was right behind him. Having to split his focus to protect her meant Bai Zhou couldn't just break out of the horde and rush the Major. In the end, he would simply be worn down to death... *Roar!* Piercing shrieks rang out as razor-sharp claws severed steel and shattered stone. The uniform-clad abominations launched coordinated, disciplined waves of assault. Both Bai Zhou and the Gem Witch were stretched to their limits, their defensive efforts feeling increasingly futile. Some feinted from the front, some lunged from the shadows on the flanks, while others leaped high, diving down at Fang Xiaoxia. Though Bai Zhou's blade light spread like a downpour, sealing off every angle and butchering monster after monster, the creatures were infinite. Their mangled bodies even began piecing themselves together in the dark rain. After all, this was their nursery, their home turf. Bai Zhou and his companions were the intruders! As the battle wore on, the monsters' attacks grew more devious, targeting the center where Fang Xiaoxia stood and forcing Bai Zhou and the Gem Witch into frequent defensive retreats. Their stamina and spirituality drained at an alarming rate. *They're learning...* Cold sweat beaded on Bai Zhou's forehead. Gradually, Light and Shadow Harmony ceased playing its battle-intent-draining notes. Bai Zhou channeled the conserved battle intent directly into his blade, sweeping several meters of violet-gold aura across the field, reaping the horde like wheat. They couldn't go on like this. They would be ground to death! It was an inevitable outcome. Bai Zhou had briefly considered leaving the defense to the Gem Witch while he charged the Major to seek a sliver of hope. Yet that thought vanished the moment it appeared. Holding out together was already exhausting; leaving the Gem Witch alone would only cause the line to collapse faster. If Major Luo captured Fang Xiaoxia and completed his ascension... The consequences would be unthinkable! Just as Bai Zhou was racked with urgency— "Bai Zhou!" The Gem Witch called out. The decaying, ancient wand in her hand seemed to be drinking her blood, raising blue veins along her arm and accentuating the pale delicacy of her wrist. She shouted, "Leave this to me!" The next instant, the belt around her slender waist roared with a mechanical voice: "Rejoice!" "Magician! Our Lord arrives!" An amethyst snapped into place with a crisp click, followed by eight synthetic gems of varying colors clicking into slots on either side of the belt, flanking the central stone. "Gem Trick, Fourth Trick—" "Amethyst, [Purple Rainbow Impassable Wall]!" *Boom!* Drinking the witch's blood, the wand took on a deep crimson sheen, as if partially revived. Its tip traced an arc like a rainbow across the air. Blinding prismatic light burst forth, eight colors flanking the violet center as lethal yet magnificent radiance erupted. The interwoven lights struck the ground in a circle, surging upward into a cylindrical wall shielding both the Gem Witch and Fang Xiaoxia. The surging monsters hurled themselves forward, only to ignite in multicolored flames the instant they touched the rainbow wall, howling as they turned to ash. "Do what you need to do!" Sweat beaded at the Gem Witch's temple, maintaining the trick clearly taking an immense toll. Yet her eyes shone brightly as she looked at Bai Zhou, her clear voice ringing with absolute certainty. "Don't you dare let that bastard look down on you!" His hands didn't stop, but Bai Zhou's expression froze. She had seen right through him... "Thanks!" Bai Zhou didn't look back or hesitate, plunging recklessly into the dense pack of monsters ahead. "If we make it out of here alive—" He shouted over his shoulder, "I'll fix your wand for you, and I won't charge you eight bucks and twenty-seven cents—it's on the house!" "Now you remember that!" The Gem Witch rolled her eyes. *Hum!* The instant his words fell, all the spirituality in Bai Zhou's body erupted like boiling oil, and the torrential ink-rain around him was instantly vaporized into a hazy white mist by the searing aura. —Moon Cinder Holy Oath Slash! Flames surged toward the sky as a crescent moon bloomed. The dazzling secret technique left both girls behind the rainbow barrier utterly mesmerized. Before Bai Zhou, whether it was vicious claws, profane bodies, or the corrosive ink spewing from their mouths, everything was cleanly severed by the blistering blade light! Cleaving, crushing, obliterating! Bai Zhou was like a steamroller suddenly let off its leash, transforming from a stationary sentry into an unstoppable slaughterhouse machine. He charged left and right, his combat style ferociously savage, like Zhao Zilong at Changbanpo. Even if Emperor Taizong of Tang were watching from the hill, his eyes would have lit up as he asked whose vanguard this was. The stench of blood choked the air. Wherever Bai Zhou passed, bodies were thrown aside and chaos reigned. The monsters' disciplined formation broke apart, abruptly relieving the pressure on the Gem Witch. Behind the prismatic wall, Fang Xiaoxia and the Gem Witch stared in utter shock. "Has he always been this terrifying?" "Facing such a siege, he actually went on the offensive—" Fang Xiaoxia turned her stunned gaze to the Gem Witch. "How did you know he wanted to do that?" "...I didn't," the Gem Witch admitted, at a loss for words. "Who knew he'd be this insane? I just figured he might have some clever trick up his sleeve... He always seems to have a way." Who could have guessed that his "way" was just butchering his way straight through?! The Gem Witch was no less stunned than Fang Xiaoxia. Those weren't target dummies. That churning tide consisted entirely of monsters comparable to Level 5 Extraordinaries. If unleashed on Tinghai, it would be a once-in-a-century catastrophe. Even in an incomplete state, Major Luo could command such a force. He truly had the standing to claim that his divine kingdom would encompass the mortal realm. And then, he met Bai Zhou. "Heh." Watching Bai Zhou tear through the ranks like a madman, Major Luo merely shook his head with a faint smile. "The first strike carries vigor, the second flags, and the third exhausts." "Even if you can cut down as many as you like, how long can you keep up this bravado?" Bai Zhou said nothing, only hacking and slashing. Driven by pure battle intent, every swing was instinctive, seamless, and unimaginably destructive! Deep within the army, Fang Xiaoxia and the Gem Witch faded from his view as monsters crowded in from all directions. His charges were indeed fierce as a tiger or an elephant, but these abominations were a disciplined legion, hunting a wild beast under their emperor's command. "So... what does Bai Zhou actually want to do?" Fang Xiaoxia voiced the exact doubt in the Gem Witch's heart. Did Bai Zhou really dive headlong into the swarm just to hack his way out and face the fathomless Luo Tunan with an exhausted body? The thought seemed absurd, yet there was no other explanation. He wanted to slay a Saint. He wanted to— Assassinate the King! Yet even the greatest assassin had to carry the map of Yan and play the fool in the royal court; no one could execute an emperor through the iron ranks of the imperial guard. That wasn't an assassin—that was Superman. Such a figure wouldn't exist in history; he would only be recorded in myth. Blood-red filled his vision, his five senses blurring. The world grew hazy as though veiled in mist. Bai Zhou swung his blade mechanically, exhaustion and the agony of his wounds taking their toll. One thousand meters, eight hundred meters, seven hundred meters... The distance to Major Luo narrowed, but Bai Zhou's aura was visibly flagging. He even began to lose his bearing, no longer driving straight toward the Major, but darting left and right, circling in place as chaos spread wherever he went. His spent strength was running dry; Bai Zhou seemed on the verge of collapsing here. Watching from afar, Fang Xiaoxia and the Gem Witch couldn't help but clutch their chests in anxiety. Yet in the next instant, New strength was born. Before the astounded eyes of Fang Xiaoxia and the Gem Witch, a 2.5-meter-tall pale stone giant materialized where Bai Zhou had just stood. Curse-Bound Colossus! Without hesitation, Bai Zhou activated the first transformation of the *Thousand-Faced Moon*. A surge of fresh, boundless power coursed through his body, endless and mighty. Even a Level 6 Titled Extraordinary would have to treat this brute force with utmost caution, or risk having their skull smashed to pieces in an unguarded moment. "This is..." In the distance, the Major paused, his attention captured by Bai Zhou's sudden surge of power, his gaze slowly turning grave. The pale giant Bai Zhou had become was packed with dense muscle, its towering physique sculpted to the golden ratio, radiating a primal aura and peerless pressure. He looked like a statue enshrined within a temple, possessing an eerie, twisted allure that commanded all eyes. Dense mystic symbols flickered across his surface, and thick metal chains bound his torso, dragging against the asphalt with metallic clatter. *Crack! Crackle!* Unlike before, thick arcs of lightning now coiled around the chains, lashing out autonomously to strike nearby monsters, turning each one it hit into charred ash. Seeing this lightning, Bai Zhou himself was taken aback. Then, as though struck by a sudden realization, a rotten wooden branch appeared in his palm. *Crack!* Upon this unremarkable rotted branch, lightning arcs revived and danced. —True Name Relic, Heavenly Thunder Bow! Though there was no thunderstorm to help him draw the bow from external forces, with the spirituality reinforced severalfold by the Curse-Bound Colossus, Bai Zhou could now manage a rudimentary application of the weapon— *Twang-boom!* *Twang-boom!* Holding the bow, the giant plucked the lightning string as though strumming a lute. No thunder arrow condensed, nor was the bow drawn to a full crescent. He merely gave it two casual plucks, like tuning an instrument, letting the string hum several times. With each chime of the bowstring, a bolt of lightning struck in response, detonating within the sea of monsters around him and blasting them into scorched cinders. "The Heavenly Thunder Bow..." Belatedly, Major Luo stared at the thunderous giant Bai Zhou had become, his face darkening with solemn realization: "You're Senior Zhou!" The mystery figure from the Ruin Realm of Reflections, the lightning arrow that had streaked across Longluo Private High School, and the figure before him now—all the pieces snapped together. The mystery man the entire city of Tinghai had been hunting, the "Senior Zhou" who had slain a demon, was the very Bai Zhou who had been opposing him all along! "That's me!" Bai Zhou nodded, candidly acknowledging the alias before adding, "Though I'm not just 'Senior Zhou.'" "The wanted criminal was me, Senior Zhou was me, and the one who bought the Tears of the Moon Goddess at the Ghost Market auction and orchestrated the demise of your jade pendant and subordinate—that was me, too!" "They were all me." The giant blinked twice, saying coolly, "Lord Major, we've crossed paths far more often than you could ever imagine!" The booming voice of the giant rolled outward, its reverberations temporarily drowning out the shrieks of the monsters and echoing clearly in the ears of the few living souls on the highway. "Wait, what...?" In the distance, the Gem Witch's mind short-circuited. *Weren't you Grandpa KFC and the cloaked runemaster from the Ghost Market?* *With so many identities... did you buy your IDs wholesale at a street market?!* *And every single one of them—why did they all seem targeted right at Major Luo?* As for Fang Xiaoxia... Her head was spinning entirely. She could only stare in wide-eyed wonder at Bai Zhou, who looked like a demonic god descended to earth, her eyes shimmering with brilliant light. "..." On the other side, Major Luo's face went through quite the spectacle. Anyone who suddenly discovered that the enemies they loathed the most were all the exact same person would have looked even more rigid and livid than the Major. Even a true saint would have shouted, "If you repay injury with kindness, what then will you repay kindness with?", rolled up his sleeves, and swung his ferule to hack someone down. Major Luo finally lowered his folded arms, his eyes flickering as he assessed Bai Zhou. "I see..." "The Heavenly Thunder Bow, coupled with this bizarre transformation—you truly pose a threat to me right now." Yet after saying this, the Major suddenly laughed against all expectation. He seemed to relax completely, growing remarkably composed as his haughty gaze once again looked down from on high. "So you were Senior Zhou. No wonder I felt a hint of danger from you..." "But that is all it amounts to." He said, "This is not the Ruin Realm of Reflections. This is my world—no spirituality here will ever aid your strike." "Therefore, you cannot possibly draw that thunder bow again." Looking at the pale giant displaying such terrifying might amidst the horde and closing in rapidly, Major Luo actually took the initiative to step forward, walking toward Bai Zhou: "It seems I overthought things." "...In truth, you are quite remarkable. To make it to my feet must have required efforts and dangers beyond my imagination." "After all, you and I are different. You are someone swimming up from the deepest depths of the ocean, while I was born upon the shore. One cannot simply compare who reached the land first." He praised Bai Zhou with genuine sincerity, yet his appreciative gaze was like someone admiring a vicious, prized... beast? "Just as some might not reach their destination even aboard a steamship, you drifted here on a piece of rotting wood, fighting your way to this very spot. Even I must admire such an achievement." "You should truly be proud of yourself, for halting my steps is something countless so-called big shots in Tinghai could never accomplish." "However, by that same token—" *Hum!* The smile lingered on Major Luo's face, but the aura around him surged forth. It was like the sun rising in the east: grand, majestic, sacred, and vast, carrying a dreadful pressure that practically solidified, warping the very air. The entire world seemed to fall dead silent. The ink-rain stopped abruptly. Countless monsters ceased their assault on Bai Zhou, squirming and crawling to either side. Along the straight highway, the man in vivid red robes walked forward with crisp, elegant strides. Like the epic parting of the Red Sea brought into reality, the tide of monsters split open a path. The half-bodied creatures, weeping or laughing, prostrated themselves reverently on both sides of the road. He said, "By that same token, you cannot use your narrow vision to vulgarly judge the deeds of those who stand on a completely different plane." "You have no idea what kind of world I intend to create." "Humanity is imperfect. They are not the victors of evolution, but petty survivors riddled with fatal flaws. They can be driven by the simplest self-interest, no different from wild dogs tearing each other apart over a bone." The Major slowly spread his arms, looking at the heavily panting giant before him. He had finally arrived right in front of Bai Zhou. "The Eastern and Western Federations of the Blue Star stand divided. Within the Federation, every city governs itself. Tianjing hoards resources while looking out only for itself, and outside the cities, one cannot take a single step without specialized trains..." "Such a humanity will only endlessly squander its energy and resources in petty infighting—the only lesson humanity learns from history is that humanity learns nothing from history!" "Relying on a humanity like this, our civilization is doomed never to advance, let alone reach a brilliant future of colonizing the stars." Major Luo—or rather, Luo Tunan—spoke with burning eyes: "Therefore, humanity needs a powerful ruler! An absolute autocrat whose word is law!" "This person, or this faction, must ensure every single individual in the collective maximizes their greatest value. When the value of every human is elevated to its peak, civilization on the Blue Star will usher in unprecedented progress!" "No more infighting, no more wars—even jealousy and greed will cease to exist. Humanity will march into the stars, our civilization will achieve eternity in history, and our achievements will be immortal!" Major Luo laid out his grand blueprint to Bai Zhou; this was his ideal. "Can you even imagine such a world, such a blueprint? Could you ever achieve it?" Major Luo pressed a hand to his chest. "Only I, only a man who can perceive the value of all beings and put it to use, can accomplish this!" "If you are willing to follow me for such an ideal..." Major Luo looked at the pale giant inches away, speaking softly: "I can give you one more chance." He wasn't worried that the giant would strike now, for with the release of his aura, the crushing pressure of the entire world seemed concentrated upon the pale giant's frame. Even with the power to overturn seas, Bai Zhou wouldn't be able to lift a single finger right now, pinned in place by the omnipresent pressure. "I know you hate me. But what if I told you that Liu Zhen, whom I killed, was the metaphysical counterpart of 'Truth' against Liu Jia's 'Falsehood'?" "Liu Zhen was destined to fuse with Liu Jia to become the vessel for the demon core." Major Luo spoke coolly, "His name wasn't originally Liu Zhen; I gave him that name." "He was once merely a low-level clerk. It was I who changed his fate, letting him experience the glory and luxury he could never have touched in his entire life." "He said it himself—he was willing to die for me." "In the end, he merely got his wish, offering a vital contribution for a brighter future." "Isn't that a joyous outcome for all?" Yet, Faced with Major Luo's persuasion, Bai Zhou neither struggled nor answered. He kept his head lowered, his pale lips moving as though chanting something under his breath. "What are you doing?" Major Luo's brow furrowed, an inexplicable sense of unease rising from the depths of his heart. Bai Zhou smiled sheepishly—though on the face of a pale giant, the expression was decidedly eerie. "That's what I was going to ask," Bai Zhou said. "I'm not the least bit interested in your blueprint, and I couldn't care less about the future of humanity." "So, while you were blabbering on and on just now..." Bai Zhou looked straight into the Major's eyes. "I was chanting an incantation. What were you babbling about?" The moment his words fell, the Celestial Pivot within Bai Zhou's body chimed continuously. *Buzz, buzz, buzz!* *Buzz, buzz, buzz!* Across the ruined battlefield behind Bai Zhou, strewn with corpses, symbols abruptly ignited upon numerous relics scattered in every direction. A broken blade, shattered stones, a rusted arrow, a severed spear... The symbols atop the relics flared with brilliant light, occupying the eight cardinal directions. The moment the ritual unfolded, an invisible field enveloped Bai Zhou, negating the crushing pressure bearing down from the entire world. First-tier ritual, *Lesser Amber Domain-Sealing Ritual*! *Chant the special prayer, place eight ancient relics in the eight directions, mobilize the Spirit Pivot to light the ritual symbols in sequence, and open the lesser amber domain...* Having scavenged a mountain of junk across the battlefield ruins of Troy, the one thing Bai Zhou had in abundance was relics! Earlier, when he had charged left and right through the army, seemingly knocked off course by the monstrous tide, he had deliberately planted these junk items, already inscribed with runes, in specific positions. Now, with the aid of the *Lesser Amber Domain-Sealing Ritual*, the pale giant could move freely without restraint. And that wasn't all. *Hum!* Simultaneously, a second ritual unfurled. First-tier ritual, *Hundred-Paper Corridor Ritual*! *Arrange one hundred sheets of spiritually active paper, use ink blended with the blood of three living beings, and mobilize the Spirit Pivot to trace the specialized ritual symbols in the air...* Spiritually active paper? One hundred sheets? What paper in this world was more spiritually active than the test papers plastered along the highway? Far from a hundred sheets, there were thousands, tens of thousands! As for ink mixed with the blood of three creatures? This entire battlefield was drenched in ink. And that ink was the blood of the monsters—the blood of the future Saint's retinue, embryonic great figures born of his divine kingdom! The Curse-Bound Colossus, Bai Zhou's human form, and this ink— It was precisely the blood of three living beings! *Rustle...* The instant the ritual took hold, Bai Zhou's mind felt like an endless corridor lined with a hundred pages. Fleeting glimpses of the future played out across the pages of the corridor, presenting themselves like frames of a comic strip. In the blink of an eye, Bai Zhou had witnessed a hundred possible futures half a second ahead. His brain swelled with intense pressure. Under the coordination of the Celestial Pivot, Bai Zhou knew he couldn't delay a moment longer. Predicting the future, moving with absolute freedom—the construction of these two rituals turned Bai Zhou, an outsider, into half a master of this domain. He was no longer the disadvantaged intruder. More importantly, The distance between him and Major Luo was now mere inches. Assassinating the King—an inch was enough to topple a realm! *Boom!* Major Luo flew into a towering rage, his aura erupting and shaking heaven and earth! "Impudent wretch! You deserve execution!" With that roar, Major Luo shot violently into the air, infinite holy light bursting from his body until he shone like a living sun. Bearing a look of cold, sorrowful detachment, he proclaimed: "Sacred Judgment! Suffer destruction!" As if answering a divine mandate, endless pillars of pure white light cascaded from the heavens, each carrying the terrifying hue of purification and annihilation. A portrait of doomsday, shaking the world. "Bai Zhou!" Fang Xiaoxia screamed, her face draining of color as she watched Bai Zhou caught in the apocalyptic barrage, swaying so violently she nearly fainted. The Gem Witch choked with terror, opening her mouth but unable to produce a sound. There was nothing they could do; in moments, it would be their turn. Any single one of those descending pillars of light could easily obliterate a Titled Extraordinary, or even trade blows with beings beyond Level 6. Yet hundreds of such pillars were crashing down all at once, an absolute cataclysm—the apocalypse had arrived. Even the countless monsters shrieked into the sky in sheer terror, descending into pandemonium. How could anyone survive this? —Who said he needed to survive it?! *Hum!* With a resonant chime, a spear materialized in Bai Zhou's grasp. Crimson from tip to butt, the spear vibrated eagerly, as though it had waited for this moment for millennia. A savage, terrifying aura swept out, like a primordial beast awakening from ten thousand years of slumber. *I once read a passage in Eight Thousand Questions of Naughty Black Cat...* *"It is the ignorant who elevate the wise, the cowardly who illuminate the hero, the mortal masses who deliver the gods... Without the masses lifting you up, what are you worth?"* "Humanity's future path should be decided by humanity itself." "No ideal or dream should ever be purchased at the cost of trampling upon others' lives, and no high-sounding excuse can ever justify treating human beings like grass!" "If such people exist..." As the thought flashed through his mind, Bai Zhou lifted his head toward the invincible Saint Luo hovering above. People said that youthful spirit was an unrenewable resource. Yet only a youth brimming with that spirit would dare defy injustice, daring to raise his spear against any "great figure." If such a person existed... Then today, a youth would slay a Saint. The scarlet spear spontaneously sprouted gorgeous crimson brambles, coiling around Bai Zhou's hand and drinking greedily of his blood. Yielding to the spear's ravenous yearning, an epiphany struck Bai Zhou. He leveled the spear at a forward tilt, his posture mirroring a classical knight charging a titan. His eyes narrowed. In his mind, the hundred-paper corridor simulated thousands of permutations, until Bai Zhou found the perfect angle and posture—all pointing toward a single, unified future. Beneath Major Luo's furrowed frown, and before the stunned gazes of Fang Xiaoxia and the Gem Witch— Bai Zhou raised his arm and hurled the spear. His lips parted, chanting the incantation that commanded the spearhead. His voice was soft, like an ancient nursery rhyme, yet brimming with boiling murderous intent. Bai Zhou said, "Shoot him down," "Divine Spear!"