The mysterious man advanced swiftly, slashing through his legs with one sword!
With a heavy thud, Si Wei'an collapsed onto the muddy ground, writhing in pain!
At that moment, Tang Ling surged forward, shrouded in ten thousand bolts of lightning.
Just as her sword was about to fall, she suddenly turned around, her beautiful eyes brimming with murderous intent!
The mysterious man raised his iron sword to block, but the scorching lightning erupted, roaring without end!
It turns out that these two were never allies to begin with. Their objectives were merely aligned, hence they refrained from attacking each other earlier. But now, with their enemy effectively incapacitated, naturally, they turned on one another.
Tang Ling pressed down on her lightning-encased blade with all her strength, taunting, "Eight years have passed, and you're still alive?"
As Tang Zijing stood against her, a slight fissure appeared on his iron sword. Yet, he betrayed no hint of emotion, merely saying indifferently, "Child, you've grown a lot. I almost didn't recognize you. How have you been all these years? Did anyone bully you in the Sword Tomb?"
Tang Ling replied coldly, "Did you consider any of that when you sold me to the Sword Tomb?"
The reflected lightning made her gaze seem frozen in place.
Thunder rumbled overhead, resonating through the skies.
Tang Zijing glanced up at the dark heavens and chuckled, "Extreme Thunder was once my Mythical Weapon. I know it too well. In ten seconds, lightning will strike me, won't it?"
In that instant, he retreated half a step, crimson mist spreading around him.
Wherever the red fog stretched, ancient, robust trees abruptly withered, weeds in the soil shriveled, and insects on both the ground and in the trees perished—all as if an oil painting of despair were unfolding!
Bolts of lightning struck furiously, yet the moment they touched the crimson fog, they vanished completely, as if swallowed whole.
Tang Ling stepped into the red fog, her body shimmering with an eerie metallic hue, surrounded by countless strands of sword light.
In an instant, the sword light that enveloped her dissipated abruptly, and the metallic sheen on her skin seemed to rust and decay rapidly, gradually fading away.
The fog surged, as if intent on engulfing her.
Tang Ling narrowed her beautiful eyes and said indifferently, "Come, let's see who survives."
Her breathing grew shallow and rapid, as though the void itself trembled!
She too was adept at the Breathing Technique, but clearly intended to risk mutual destruction!
At that moment, Gu Jianlin flashed before her, connecting with the rhythm of nature through his breath. A domain as cool and serene as moonlight swiftly materialized.
Breathing Technique, Realm of Freedom!
A brilliant radiance burst forth, cleansing the red fog like moonlight washing over it. Within the domain, all extraordinary abilities were thoroughly purified.
Tang Zijing, clearly the battle-hardened type, had anticipated this domain beforehand and withdrew dozens of paces to stand alongside Master.
His ultimate target, unquestionably, was Master.
Or rather, the fragments of the Qilin Wedge.
Seeing this, Gu Jianlin's expression grew increasingly peculiar.
"Freedom Realm? Thank you."
Tang Ling squinted her beautiful eyes amidst the sudden radiance, intending to seize the chance while the mist dissipated to pursue. But suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder from behind.
"Don't go after him."
Gu Jianlin said in a low tone, "Trust me, don't go near that fog."
A sliver of hesitation flashed through Tang Ling's pair of vermilion eyes.
From the scarlet fog came the chilling sound of a monster's growl, seizing the soul.
Tang Zijing stepped back, grabbed Master's head, and plunged a rustic copper nail into his skull!
Si Wei'an let out a harrowing scream, black mist billowing violently from his body.
His face turned gloomy in an instant, taken aback that the Qilin Wedge was truly absent from this individual.
Then, where was the Qilin Wedge hidden?
"You all, just you wait for me."
Si Wei'an, amidst excruciating pain, broke into a maniacal, sickly grin and shouted hoarsely, "You've offended You Ying Group, offended Dusk. I'll make you… regret stepping into this world."
He crushed the micro-explosive lodged in his back molar, detonating his own head instantly.
Tang Zijing was splattered with brain matter and blood as he watched the corpse collapse before him. "What a shame," he murmured regretfully.
It was unclear if he mourned the fragments of the Qilin Wedge.
Or something else entirely.
The scarlet fog grew thicker, contracting like a living entity, utterly consuming Master's corpse.
In merely a second, the body turned to eerie white bones.
This sight left Gu Jianlin and Tang Ling utterly stunned and horrified.
Meanwhile, the crimson mist churned like a sentient being, abruptly rushing toward them.
Both recoiled in terror simultaneously!
"Your Ether Association reinforcements have arrived."
From within the blood mist, Tang Zijing cast them a profound glance, the corners of his mouth curling into a mischievous smile.
"Let's play again next time, kids."
With a deafening boom, the rushing red mist abruptly dissipated, taking the figure within it along.
The shadowy forest plunged back into silence.
A gentle breeze swept past, the sea in the heavens flowing faintly, casting a dim celestial glow.
In the tranquility, it was as though nothing had occurred.
Gu Jianlin said calmly, "Si Wei'an has already cycled through the Sorrowful Corpse Cycle three times; even if he hasn't died, he's turned into a madman. As for Tang Zijing, there's no trace of his Life Rhythm within a hundred meters. He's gone."
With a subtle thought, the Ghost Slayer phantom in his mind gradually retreated, vanishing without a trace.