Chapter 105: The Showdown (A Bonus Chapter for the Bold)

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Far above the clouds, at an altitude no ordinary person could ever reach—the very highest Liu Tian was currently capable of attaining—he raced through the sky beneath the sunlight, carrying Xia Mi and Chu Zihang with him.

Around them, air and wind elements merged into a transparent flying vessel shaped like a great fish. Ten black metal pillars revolved slowly at their sides.

“Hm?”

Liu Tian suddenly turned toward a certain direction, a look mingling puzzlement and delight appearing on his face.

“What is it?” Chu Zihang asked.

Her voice possessed a peculiar, captivating charm. As time passed, the girl’s aura had gradually shifted from a deliberate aloofness that warned others away into an innate, flawless iciness.

Too many events, and too much bloodshed, had changed Chu Zihang profoundly.

Under the combined influence of the blood of the Heavenly Gods and the Dragon Clan, the seventeen-year-old Chu Zihang could now be called breathtaking. Her features were as exquisite as carved jade; her long hair, reaching her waist, streamed freely in the wind; her figure was graceful and shapely; and a pair of black stockings hugged her beautiful, slender legs. Even Xia Mi, shamelessly obsessed with sculpting people into perfection, was outshone by her.

If Xia Mi’s beauty could be called monstrous, then Chu Zihang’s was nothing less than a gift from the gods.

After all, there were limits to what could be sculpted by hand. Nature, however, knew no such limits.

And precisely because Chu Zihang was too outstanding, she had long since left Shilan High School to avoid causing disorder, retaining only a nominal place on the student register to reassure Su Xiaoyan. To create the perfect disguise, Liu Tian had simply bought the entire school at twice its market value.

“How rare. Our ever-confident, unhurried Ah Tian is actually making that kind of face. Let me think…” Xia Mi shaded her eyes with one hand, as though she could see through the thick clouds all the way to the ground. “That direction… Is it Lu Mingfei? Did that unlucky brat do something unexpected?”

“You can’t call him an unlucky brat anymore.” Liu Tian turned back with a smile. “He just consumed part of the spiritual essence I left for him. Who would have thought that an accidental act would bear such fruit? Though I never taught him any secret martial techniques, perhaps something rather extraordinary will emerge…”

“He consumed part of your spiritual essence? How is that possible? I’m going to kill him right now,” Chu Zihang said.

After years of ceaseless slaughter and battle, she had grown ever closer to the boundary of the King of the Century. She naturally understood the significance of spiritual essence: it was the fusion of a person’s vital energy, spirit, and soul, something that could almost be said to represent the very essence of who they were.

Such a precious thing, once swallowed by another, was no less than the transmission of a legendary master’s power before death in the martial-arts tales. For the one who gave it away, however, the damage was impossible to ignore. It could even create a fatal weakness. If the recipient were killed quickly and the spiritual essence reclaimed, there might still be a chance to save the situation.

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Without making any unnecessary movement, Chu Zihang merely formed a thought, and the wind gathered around her, preparing to transform into blades that could devour human life. Her terrifying killing intent instantly drove the temperature below freezing.

Since beginning her cultivation of the Nameless Divine Wind Flow Killing Sword, Chu Zihang had personally slain more than ten thousand intelligent beings, not to mention countless dead apostles. She had long since condensed an immensely powerful spiritual essence.

In truth, if her essence had not been so vast and pure that it became difficult to control and solidify completely, preventing her from making another breakthrough, then with Liu Tian’s unreserved instruction and the continual infusion of the Heavenly Gods’ blood, this exceptionally gifted girl should already have reached the King of the Century realm.

Yet before she could act, a hand had already blocked her path.

With nothing more than a gesture, the girl who had earned the name Bloodsoaked Asura in recent years came to a halt. The terrifying aura that had filled the air vanished without a trace.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I left it for him in the first place. Even if he hadn’t consumed it, it would have dissipated on its own.” Liu Tian smiled. “I passed beyond the realm where even the slightest imperfection could make one incomplete and leave behind a weakness long ago. Besides, Magnetic Field Rotation doesn’t work that way.”

“Speaking of which, today marks the fourth anniversary of the day we met.” As he spoke, Liu Tian changed the subject. “Zihang—and Xia Mi as well—is there anything you want? No requests after today.”

“Huh? The miser is actually offering to grant wishes for free?” Before Chu Zihang could answer, Xia Mi sprang forward. “Did the sun rise in the west today? Or has someone who enjoys raising girls finally lost control of himself?”

“No, no, this is much too soon.” Xia Mi crossed her arms in front of her chest, forming a large X. “At least three more years are needed!~”

“Other than killing Odin sooner, I have no wishes.”

Ignoring Xia Mi’s usual antics, Chu Zihang spoke calmly. She knew Liu Tian never made empty promises.

Even after four years, that day continued to replay itself in her mind, growing clearer with every passing moment. Her hatred for Odin had not faded with time; instead, it had grown stronger and stronger.

“Besides, I sold ‘myself’ to you long ago.” As she spoke, Chu Zihang suddenly smiled, like a snow lotus blooming for an instant atop a mountain. “When you give me a gift, aren’t you merely moving something from your left hand to your right? What difference does it make?”

“Hey, hey, Senior Zihang, aren’t you spoiling him far too much?” Xia Mi shook her head. “That’s not good. You’ll spoil a man until he becomes a bad man. Though Senior has already become bad enough, leaving every miscellaneous chore to you, perhaps he can still get worse.”

“With such a wonderful opportunity, we absolutely have to squeeze him properly. We need to teach this bad man that promises shouldn’t be made lightly, because people might take advantage of him…”

“Xia Mi,” Liu Tian said calmly. “We’ve known each other for four years. It’s time we laid everything on the table. I’m tired of carrying on like this. Tell me your true purpose.”

“In consideration of the four years we’ve shared, I won’t lay a hand on you, no matter what. And I will seriously consider whatever it is you ask.”

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“Huh?” Xia Mi blinked. “It seems Lu Mingfei’s transformation really did provoke you, Senior. I thought you would never ask.”

“But, Senior, are you truly mentally prepared?” Xia Mi smiled. “My secret is rather enormous.”

“How enormous could it be?” Liu Tian curled his lip. With a thought, the invisible vessel accelerated continuously, heading toward a predetermined destination. “Go on. Are you the heir of some ancient family? A dragon pretending to be human? The Black King himself? Or the new king destined to replace him?”

“At most, it can only be one of those.” Liu Tian’s voice stretched on, descending from the highest heavens. Electricity slowly wound around his body, beginning at a feeble one volt and gradually growing stronger before spreading toward the metal pillars beside him. “In the end, you’re still nothing more than a mortal confined to this planet…”

“How frightening. Truly frightening, Senior. You’ve suddenly become so terrifying.” Xia Mi hugged herself with exaggerated alarm. “But you did guess part of it. Xia Mi is actually a Dragon King—the King of Earth and Mountains, one of the twins seated upon the throne that commands the earth element. The Dragon King Jormungandr.”

“Oh.”

Liu Tian’s expression did not change in the slightest. Sitting cross-legged, he propped his chin on one hand and responded as though she had merely stated the obvious.

“Not even a little bit of face? Really?” Xia Mi spread her claws in the literal sense. Her jade-like skin was replaced by an iron-blue hide. With every breath, sharp scales slowly unfolded. The scales, bursting through her flesh, tore her white dress into shreds, while black talons replaced her hands and feet. “I’m a Dragon King, you know. Couldn’t you show me at least a little respect?”

Yet no one moved.

Not Liu Tian, of course—but even Chu Zihang, who had remained standing, merely cast Xia Mi a glance while holding the demon blade Muramasa. She showed not the slightest reaction. She did not even summon the wind and fire that traditionally preceded her attacks.

Because she believed—utterly and without reservation—that Liu Tian beside her was invincible. As long as she remained at his side, nothing in this world could threaten her.

No, there was one reaction after all.

“You’re really ugly like this,” Chu Zihang said coldly.

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