The Legend of Immortality

The asteroid was sealed within a quartz glass enclosure. As Liu Lei rushed into the room, his hand reached out to grasp it. Just as his fingers were about to touch the glass, the "Great Dao Golden Pill" inside him suddenly vibrated violently, and the asteroid within the glass flared with a brilliant light. Before Liu Lei could fully comprehend what was happening, a deafening "boom" erupted, and the glass shattered on its own! This seemingly insignificant explosion unleashed an unexpected force, with a visible shockwave radiating outward from the asteroid's core. Liu Lei, caught at the epicenter, coughed out a burst of purple blood and was flung backward. The entire underground structure trembled, and the unprepared fighters outside were all knocked to the ground, followed by the shrill sound of alarms blaring.

Liu Lei twisted his body on the ground, the "Heavenly Cleansing Sword" hovering above him, guarding its master. The asteroid in mid-air, once the size of a fist, had now expanded to the size of a barrel. It twisted and shifted in the air, as though, unable to produce sound, it sought to display its anger and fear through constant, chaotic transformations. Anger? Liu Lei's mind stirred. Yes, he could sense the entity's "anger," along with an underlying sense of "fear." What was happening? Closing his eyes, Liu Lei focused his spiritual senses on the asteroid, and a chilling sensation began to emanate from it. This was no longer just a stone, but rather an unknown form of life. The coldness felt strangely familiar, yet he could not place it. Why was this entity so sensitive to his "Great River True Qi"?

Outside, the chaos had escalated as everyone rushed into the room. The asteroid had ceased its erratic movements and, instead, extended numerous tendrils that scraped against each other with a metallic screech. All of the onlookers froze, never having encountered such a "monster" before. The asteroid paused for a moment, as though surprised by the sudden influx of people, before its tendrils elongated, reaching out toward them. Almost simultaneously, everyone was attacked by the creature's tendrils. Hackman raised his spear to block, but the immense force sent him flying with a single blow. If Hackman couldn't withstand such an attack, the others fared no better. In an instant, half of them were incapacitated, lying motionless on the ground. The sheer power of the creature was terrifying.

The remaining few managed to regain their footing, but the asteroid retracted its tendrils briefly, only to extend them again with renewed force. The creature's attacks lacked any discernible pattern, but the immense energy within the tendrils rendered any resistance futile. With so many tendrils attacking simultaneously, the confined space left them with no room to evade. Defending was all they could do, as it was impossible to reach the asteroid's core. Even the protective barriers from the dark mages and cardinals proved useless against the tendrils' overwhelming power. After a relentless barrage, only two templar knights and Crusader commander Ronald remained standing, while the rest of the Dark Society's forces had been wiped out.

Liu Lei, lying on the ground, focused his spiritual senses on the creature, while the others fell one by one. He began to grow impatient—he couldn't wait any longer. He eyed the door and, using his Great River True Qi, surged forward. 

Indeed, the asteroid sensed his energy and abandoned its attacks on the others, following him instead.

With the creature's attention diverted, the remaining three members of the Church could no longer hold their ground. One by one, they collapsed, gasping for air.

In that moment, Liu Lei finally realized the source of the chilling sensation. Feng had once mentioned that only vengeful spirits would emit such a cold aura when they interacted with one's soul. It seemed this creature was akin to a vengeful spirit. No wonder it was so sensitive to his Taoist energy, for this type of energy was its natural enemy. Now that he understood its origins, Liu Lei knew how to deal with it. Though he had never dealt with a creature like this before and wasn't sure which spell to use, he decided to cast the most powerful spell he knew: the "Heaven and Earth Cleansing Light." 

He swiftly performed the necessary hand gestures, and radiant, gleaming talismans shot from his fingers, imprinted upon the creature. The asteroid's tendrils convulsed violently, retaliating with fierce resistance. Liu Lei, relying on the formidable strength of the Zombie King's body, endured several hits without retreating, his Great River True Qi flowing wildly as his hand movements quickened. The talismans sped toward the asteroid, each strike weakening it further. The asteroid's convulsions slowed, its tendrils shortened and dwindled, until finally, with the last talisman pressed into it, the creature shrank back to its original size. The once-glowing blue stone now turned into a transparent crystal, shattering into three pieces upon hitting the ground.

Liu Lei approached and picked up one of the fragments. "Strange," he muttered to himself. "The energy remains, but the consciousness is gone. How could this be?" Making a quick decision, he sealed the two larger pieces using magic and stored them in his pocket. He then took the remaining fragment and hurried back to the room where the asteroid had been kept, waking the unconscious members of the Dark Society. Together, they helped each other out of the underground base. Although Hackman and his companions were reluctant, they had witnessed Liu Lei's power and, realizing their current state, could only watch as the Dark Society departed.

The group, supporting each other, left Area 51 and made their way back to camp. After a brief rest, they departed once again, seeking a place to settle. The bodies of the fallen were incinerated with dark magic, and the wounded were assisted by the less injured. Under the effect of the "Bat Wings" spell, the group flew northeast. Liu Lei, the only one unscathed—though he had secretly spat out a mouthful of blood, which no one saw—moved back and forth, helping the others. The mission was only completed thanks to him, and the others began to feel guilty about their initial distrust of him. However, the Dark Society had suffered heavy losses. Aside from the casualties, three tier-three werewolves were still unconscious, and even if they woke, the light magic had inflicted permanent damage on their bodies, preventing any further transformations. One duke had been "sanctified," while another had half of his body charred, and even the vampires' regenerative abilities were powerless against the damage caused by the holy light. As for the three dark mages, Christopher was the only one in relatively good condition, though he looked weary, likely from magic depletion. The other two trembled constantly, clearly struggling to suppress their chaotic magical powers.

Back in New York, Christopher eagerly invited Liu Lei to travel with him to Europe. Despite the immense losses, they had successfully completed the mission, and it was his team that had played the pivotal role. As a result, Christopher could now rise above the other four group leaders and attain a higher position within the Dark Society. After some reflection on the bittersweet nature of their losses, Christopher's mood remained upbeat. Liu Lei, having already clashed with the Church, felt indifferent to the idea of traveling to Europe. It didn't matter to him anymore; he was content to go and explore. Yet, there was one question that lingered in his mind: the creature had resembled a vengeful spirit, yet why was it unafraid of the Church's holy light? Perhaps the parasitic entity was simply a spiritual being, impervious to the light's power? It seemed a reasonable explanation, for his "Heaven and Earth Cleansing Light" was also a powerful mental attack, something he was certain of.

As the journey to Europe loomed, Liu Lei lay in his coffin, reflecting on the old count's words about the conflict between the Magic Party and the Secret Party, as well as the Blood Clan's millennia-old holy war. There were some things one could not avoid facing. Lost in these thoughts, he finally drifted into a deep, muddled sleep.