Die, Replay, Repeat

While the others were still being held back by Wei Xin, Lu Ziming sneered as he raised his sword, his expression twisted with greed. "Kid, you've wasted a ridiculous amount of my Spiritual Energy. But I'll make you a deal—admit you owe me five million, and I might just let you live."

Yang Ming spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, his eyes burning with fury. "Go fuck yourself."

Lu Ziming's face darkened instantly. "Then go to hell."

Just as he lifted his sword high, preparing to bring it down on Yang Ming's neck, a soft whisper echoed through the battlefield.

"Come out, Wife." It was Fang Xiu's voice—calm, almost gentle.

A moment later, a floating figure appeared out of thin air.

She had a perfect figure, long, slender legs, and bare, delicate feet. Her dress was pure white, as soft as freshly fallen snow, stopping just above her knees.

Like a ghost, "wife" drifted toward Lu Ziming.

He didn't bother to dodge. He could sense that she wasn't particularly strong, so he didn't take her seriously. With his Mindflare, he figured she was no threat.

So, he ignored her and continued his strike, focusing on Yang Ming.

But in the instant his blade swung down—

"Wife" was already there.

Her pale, slender fingers lifted ever so slightly, tracing a line through the air.

Lu Ziming's body suddenly froze.

A searing pain shot through his chest.

His eyes widened in shock as he looked down—a deep wound had carved straight through him, exposing his white ribs beneath the flood of crimson.

His Mindflare, his proudest defense, had been utterly useless.

"How… How did she…" Lu Ziming stammered, his face pale.

But "wife" didn't give him a chance to react. She struck again.

A surge of cold terror flooded Lu Ziming's heart. He stumbled back, retreating as fast as he could.

But it was too late.

An invisible force sliced across his throat.

He panicked, forcing his Mindflare to surge outward in a desperate attempt to block the attack. But it was like trying to stop a blade with paper—completely useless.

Blood erupted from his neck.

For the first time in his life, Lu Ziming felt pure fear.

He had never encountered an attack like this before—one that ignored all defenses, one that couldn't be dodged, blocked, or countered.

Still, he was a fifth-tier psychic—this wasn't enough to kill him. His Mindflare flared wildly, slowly knitting his wounds back together.

But he no longer dared to strike.

For the first time, Lu Ziming hesitated.

He finally knew why Fang Xiu, a mere third-tier, had been able to become the Chief Commander.

'This must be his trump card,' Lu Ziming figured.

Lu Ziming's eyes flickered with realization. 'An attack this strange… that can pierce through Mindflare itself… how do you even defend against something like this?'

Before he could gather his thoughts—

"Rule of the Universe… grant me power, AGAIN!" Yang Ming's growl echoed through the battlefield.

The moment "wife" had struck, he had gained a crucial moment to recover.

Without hesitation, he grabbed his Corpse Water Jar, gulping down its dark liquid. His wounds instantly started healing, his strength surging back.

Golden light erupted from his fists—blinding, radiant, like two miniature suns.

"DIE!" Yang Ming bellowed.

With an earth-shattering leap, he shot into the sky. His fists, blazing with divine radiance, crashed down from above like twin meteors, as if the sun itself was falling to the earth.

At the same time, "wife" attacked again.

Her delicate fingers danced through the air like a pianist playing an invisible instrument. Each motion sent out an unseen force—countless slashes, faster than the eye could follow, tearing through the space around Lu Ziming.

Lu Ziming's face twisted in panic.

A sense of true, undeniable death flooded his mind.

He roared, "Cloud Slash!"

His sword slashed through the air, painting an image in the void.

The sky exploded.

The clouds tore apart, as if a hole had been punched straight through the heavens.

Then—it rained swords.

A torrential downpour of razor-sharp blade energy crashed down from above, as if the sky itself was bleeding.

It was terrifying, an attack that could flatten mountains.

Yang Ming's blazing fists met the storm—

And were instantly obliterated.

But "wife" was untouched.

The countless sword slashes that had just destroyed Yang Ming's attack passed straight through her, as if she weren't even there.

And then—her hands moved again.

The storm of invisible strikes continued. Relentless. Unstoppable. Lethal.

SHHHK! SHHHK! SHHHK!

In the blink of an eye, Lu Ziming's body was riddled with countless wounds. Blood gushed from every cut, drenching him from head to toe—he had become a walking corpse of crimson.

And yet, despite his brutal injuries, he suddenly burst into maniacal laughter: "Hahaha… I get it now! This Specter might be able to pierce through Mindflare, but her actual attack power is limited—she can't kill me!"

Lu Ziming had spent years fighting in the Land Between, his combat instincts honed to a razor's edge. After just a few exchanges, he had already figured out "wife's" limits.

A scream suddenly tore through the battlefield. "Boss! Help me!"

It was Wei Xin.

He was riddled with wounds, his zombie body falling apart under the combined force of the crowd's Domain energy. If he weren't a zombie, he would have been dead a hundred times over.

Lu Ziming clicked his tongue in annoyance. With a casual swing of his sword, he snarled—"Flame Slash!"

A roaring wave of fire burst forth from his blade, sweeping across the battlefield like an all-consuming inferno. The sword energy burned so intensely that even the air itself seemed to ignite, warping and twisting from the heat.

The crowd barely had time to react before—

BOOM!

The explosion of fire sent everyone flying backward, their bodies slamming into the ground, coughing up blood.

In just one attack, they were all gravely injured.

Now, only one person remained standing--Fang Xiu.

Despite the overwhelming disadvantage, his face remained perfectly calm, utterly undisturbed.

Lu Ziming sneered, his lips curling into a sadistic grin. "Fang Xiu, how about this? If you kneel before me and admit you owe me ten million Spiritual Money bills, I'll let you live."

Fang Xiu ignored him. His gaze shifted toward the distant storm-darkened sky, as if waiting for something.

Then, in an eerily calm voice, he spoke, "Right on time."

Lu Ziming frowned. "What the hell are you—"

Then he heard it.

A low, droning hum rising in the distance.

The sound sent a chill racing down his spine. His face instantly paled. "No… No, no, no…! This is bad—IT'S NIGHTFALL!!"

In the distance, the sky was moving.

No—not the sky.

An endless swarm of snake-like Specters was descending upon them, their writhing, slithering forms blotting out the heavens.

And mixed within that wriggling black mass were Class-B and even Class-A Specters.

The battlefield plunged into darkness.

Lu Ziming's heart pounded in terror. He had already used up too much Spiritual Energy. If he stayed any longer, he would be devoured alive.

He clenched his fists, forcing himself to think. 'No. I don't have to fight them.'

I just have to leave these bastards behind.

If he abandoned Fang Xiu and the others here, the Specter tide would rip them to shreds—he wouldn't even need to lift a finger.

With that, he turned to retreat—

But then, Fang Xiu's voice rang out. "Pain Manifestation—Taotie."

The world changed. A wave of impossible whispers flooded the battlefield. The very fabric of reality trembled, bending under an unspeakable force.

Then, a mountain of rotting flesh began to rise beneath Fang Xiu's feet, grotesque and nightmarish, writhing as if alive.

A monstrous presence filled the air—something ancient, unknowable… and hungry.

Fang Xiu stood atop it, his gaze now overlooking the world like an indifferent god.

Lu Ziming's breath caught in his throat.

The moment he saw Taotie, his mind shattered.

In that instant—

He saw the end of the world.

He saw the edge of the universe.

He saw something beyond comprehension.

His knees nearly buckled as an uncontrollable primal terror seized him. His voice cracked as he screamed— "WHAT… WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

He had spent years in the Land Between. He had faced Class-S Specters. He had even seen beings beyond Class-S.

But he had NEVER seen anything like Taotie. Just looking at it made him feel like his mind was collapsing.

And worst of all— For the first time in his life… he felt completely, utterly powerless.