That battle became an eternal nightmare for the entire Phoenix Capital.
The town was largely destroyed by the black dragon, and countless commoners and cultivators perished under its claws. The man in red, who had committed countless murders, wore a look of indifference as he stepped over the bones scattered everywhere, walking toward Su Mo. He slowly bent down to pick up the man who had long since ceased breathing. His expression gentle, he lowered his head and placed a fleeting kiss on his lips: “Momo, let’s go home…”
Everyone feared the black dragon’s overwhelming strength and dared not step forward to intercept him.
“Let him go… he is mine…”
Wen Muli’s face was as pale as paper. Clearly, his body was already at its absolute limit, yet he still refused to give up. He had failed Su Mo his whole life and hadn’t yet managed to atone for his sins! He absolutely, absolutely… would not let anyone take him away!
One step, two steps, three steps…
Wen Muli panted heavily, struggling with extreme difficulty as he walked toward the man in red who held Su Mo’s corpse. The latter’s eyes overflowed with mockery as he watched him. The distance grew closer and closer. Wen Muli’s heartbeat grew faster and faster. Finally, the gap between them became inches apart. If he only raised his hand, he could touch Su Mo’s face once more. But his raised hand remained frozen in mid-air.
A black shadow darted out suddenly. Wen Muli’s body shuddered; his eyes filled with astonishment, he slowly looked down. A sharp dagger was buried in the location of his heart.
“Wen Muli, you deserve to die!”
Ye Lin’s eyes were bloodshot, and she spoke these words, every syllable dripping with hatred.
‘Thud’
Wen Muli’s body went limp in an instant.
“…Su Mo…”
Strained tears slid from the corners of his eyes; his vision blurred. With his final ounce of strength, he grabbed the foot of the man in red.
“If it doesn’t belong to you, how can you keep it?” The man in red curled his lips into a sneer, his voice chillingly cold. He took a mere step backward and broke free from Wen Muli’s grasp. The distance between them wasn’t great. But they both knew that this small space was a chasm that could never be crossed.
Unable to bear this blow any longer, Wen Muli fell into a dead faint.
The man in red’s golden vertical pupils swept toward Ye Lin, asking indifferently: “Are you coming with me?”
Ye Lin’s expression was incredibly calm and composed. She looked at Su Mo’s corpse with lingering reluctance, then shook her head with extreme decisiveness, revealing a smile of sheer madness: “The Empress is already dead. Whether I go or stay, it holds no meaning. The Empress wanted me to live, so I will live. I want to remain in the Phoenix Capital, to stay by the Human Emperor’s side! I am the person the Empress was closest to; I want to make him see me once and regret it once, for a lifetime, suffering in agony, living out his atonement!”
The man in red said no more, turning to leave while holding Su Mo’s body. As soon as he was gone, guards swarmed over and seized Ye Lin, who had dared to harm the Human Emperor. Ye Lin gave a sarcastic laugh; she did not struggle. She glared hatefully at Wen Muli on the ground, cursing viciously: “The Empress has finally found his release, but your abyss… is only just beginning…”
Su Mo had initially thought that with the mission complete, he would soon see Master Eight again. In the hazy confusion of his consciousness, he only heard an incredibly anxious child’s voice.
【Damn it, how did it come to this… Why do all the NPCs in this small world have self-awareness now… Damn it, there’s no way to control it; I must abandon this small world! Don’t worry, I will fulfill my promise and take you away! What is going on??! Why can’t I strip the soul away? Heavens, why is your soul completely bound to this small world? If I force you away, this small world will be destroyed. If the True God Jingchen wakes up and finds out I’ve destroyed a small world, he’ll kill me… Forget it, fend for yourself; I’ve done all I could!】
Is this… Master Eight’s voice? What does it mean that the small world will be destroyed? And what’s this about “fending for himself”?! He had diligently followed the plot, only to end up with this result?!
Su Mo was extremely anxious in his heart and wanted to speak, but his consciousness was too blurry; he couldn’t speak at all.
Long after Master Eight’s voice vanished, another extremely low male voice appeared.
“Tsk tsk tsk, everything is a mess, but luckily I’ve arrived! You’re lucky to have encountered me. If one day you happen to see that old thing Jingchen, remember to say hello for me.”
Who are you? And who is Jingchen?! You didn’t tell me your name, so how can I say hello for you?
Su Mo was desperate; he couldn’t wait to open his eyes to see what the other looked like. But he couldn’t; no matter how hard he tried, he could only see two blurry figures.
“Feng Yan, you’re messing around again!” This time, it was a cold, clear male voice, different from the deep one.
“Yu, I’m not messing around; I’m only helping him. He wasn’t originally a soul of this world; Master Eight recklessly brought him here, causing all the central characters in this world to awaken self-awareness prematurely. Now that this small world has completely broken away from the plot, it has become a complete and independent world. Other small worlds are much the same, and as a wandering soul from another world, no matter where he goes, he will be rejected by the Heavenly Dao that has derived intelligence. If I don’t help him, he will surely die.”
The deep male voice grew tender. The cold male voice sighed; Su Mo felt a warm hand cover his forehead.
“You are also a pitiful person. Staying behind might be a new beginning. After all, your regrets have yet to be fulfilled. I will give you a blessing: May you suffer no more in this life. You will receive all the love, and there will be someone willing to give everything for you—cherishing what you cherish, loving what you love, feeling the pain you feel, and fulfilling all your wishes.”
Who is he?! Su Mo asked sub-consciously in his anxiety.
He didn’t speak, but the other seemed to sense what he wanted to ask. After a soft chuckle, the cold male voice answered tenderly: “You will know, at the moment you meet. From now on, you no longer need to be a puppet. In this life, fulfill your regrets and live well.”
Su Mo’s eyes grew moist, and he said thanks silently in his heart: “Thank you.”
The sound of footsteps drifted further and further away, and his consciousness grew hazy once more.
I do not know how much time passed before he heard the sound of human voices again. This voice was not unfamiliar; rather, it was very familiar.
“Brother Su, it is I who let you down; this is the only thing I can do for you. I have nurtured the remainder of your soul in this reverse scale. One day, you will surely find your scattered soul. When your spirit and soul are united, you will truly be able to be resurrected. At that time, forget all these past events and live your own life. I only hope that we can meet again someday—no… better not to meet again. After all, it was I who caused your death… I’m sorry, I am truly sorry!”
Is it… Yan Yichen? Su Mo wasn’t entirely certain. After all, the voice was different from his former exuberant spirit, filled instead with guilt and desolation, raspy as a broken bellows.
He fell into a deep sleep once more.
A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.
“Chase him! Damn that stinking fool, he actually dared to kick me. If I catch you, I’ll strip your skin off!”
In the moonlight, the arrogant and despotic voice of a teenager echoed in the woods, as a group of Foundation Establishment teenagers pursued a very large, bulky young man.