If Shu Yang had previously held onto a sliver of hope, patiently playing along with Ruan Wei, then the moment Ruan Wei fired that first arrow, any semblance of calm in Shu Yang’s heart was shattered.
Before he could even conceive of a counter-strategy, Ruan Wei, standing opposite him, had already succumbed to a bloodthirsty frenzy.
What kind of eyes were those?
The emotions swirling within them were too complex for Shu Yang to decipher before the ice-tipped arrow closed in. It stopped a mere twenty centimeters from his pupils. Another half-second, and it would have pierced his heart entirely.
Shu Yang’s heart hammered against his ribs. His pupils vibrated, and blood rushed to his brain. He stood frozen, feeling as if trapped in ice, hearing only the shrill whistle of the arrow piercing the air, a sound that vibrated against his eardrums.
In that moment of life-or-death peril, Shu Yang did not know where it came from, but an immense burst of immortal energy erupted from his dantian. He retreated a step, pivoted on his heel, and vaulted into the air. Using the ice arrow as a stepping stone, he soared toward Ruan Wei, conjured a sword out of the swirling wind, and plunged it toward Ruan Wei’s chest.
But he was still too slow. Ruan Wei instantly condensed hard, armor-like dragon scales over his body, his eyes transforming into blood-red vertical slits. He stared coldly at Shu Yang. The moment the sword pierced his chest, Ruan Wei violently grabbed Shu Yang’s wrist and twisted with lethal force, snapping the bone.
A crisp crack echoed in Shu Yang’s ear. Pain washed over him in waves, cold sweat drenching his body. Gritting his teeth to suppress a scream, he used his remaining left hand to seize Ruan Wei by the throat, pinning him down and crashing toward the earth.
The neck was the only spot not protected by dragon scales, the only weak point in Ruan Wei’s entire body. Ruan Wei had not expected Shu Yang to react with such ferocity under the circumstances. Caught off guard, he found his throat crushed in Shu Yang’s iron grip.
Suffocation flooded his lungs. Ruan Wei could not dodge in time, and his back slammed into the ground with enough force to nearly shatter his spine. Dust exploded in a five-meter radius, cracking the earth beneath them.
“Cough, cough, cough.”
Dust clouded Shu Yang’s vision. He squinted, trying to gauge Ruan Wei’s condition. But before he could recover, a gust of wind struck his face. Shu Yang tightened his jaw, seeing Ruan Wei’s cheek, now fully covered in dragon scales, rearing up. The cold, inhuman divinity of the beast clashed with his human features, his Dharma Body on the verge of manifestation.
Shu Yang: “…”
He was truly done with Ruan Wei.
The man was so desperate to kill him that he was manifesting his true form!
Shu Yang threw himself backward, dodging the fist aimed at his face, and kicked out, trying to knock Ruan Wei away. But Ruan Wei was prepared. He dodged sideways, formed a lotus seal with his fingertips, and fired a barrage of ice arrows at Shu Yang.
Caught off guard, Shu Yang was struck in the right arm. Before the blood could even flow, the area pierced by the ice arrow froze solid, threatening to lock his entire limb. The ice dragon clan’s techniques only failed against their own kin. Shu Yang was no ice dragon; if this continued, even if Ruan Wei did not kill him, his meridians would freeze, turning him into an ice sculpture.
Shu Yang was on the verge of swearing. He glanced at the sky, hoping for divine intervention, but the heavens remained silent, offering no aid.
“…” A curse escaped Shu Yang’s throat.
His artifact, the Tianluo Brush, must have been confiscated by the Heavenly Dao when he jumped off the Executioner’s Platform. Now, defenseless and physically incapable of weaving seals due to his waning energy, he could only raise a paper-thin barrier. Unsurprisingly, the ice arrow shattered the shield and pierced his shoulder.
“Ugh!”
His right arm went numb, frozen solid. His lips turned a sickly shade of purple as the force of the arrow slammed him against the wall, pinning him by his shoulder blade.
Ruan Wei, are you out of your mind?
Shu Yang cursed internally, but the pain robbed him of his voice. He could only watch as Ruan Wei walked toward him, looking down with icy detachment.
“…” Shu Yang silently extended his functional left hand and gave Ruan Wei the middle finger.
“…” Ruan Wei tilted his head, seemingly unable to grasp the meaning of the gesture. He crouched, staring at Shu Yang for a while, and muttered thoughtfully, “It seems you really are not him.”
He said blandly, “He would never be so weak that he could not even form a seal.”
Shu Yang was so angry he laughed.
When he cultivated, he used the Tianluo Brush. It allowed him to manifest any weapon he desired; he could even replicate an opponent’s weapon just by glancing at it. He was practically invincible. The problem was, he did not have the brush now. Even if he wanted to conjure a hammer to smash Ruan Wei to death, he could not.
“Since you are not him, then die like the others.”
Determined that Shu Yang was not the person he sought, Ruan Wei stood up, uninterested, and raised his bow again. “Reincarnate into a better life, and do not grow up looking like him next time.”
He pulled the bowstring taut, aiming for Shu Yang’s heart, and released it.
Shu Yang had no strength left to struggle. He closed his eyes, waiting for the soul-numbing pain of an arrow piercing his heart.
Whoosh.
The arrow tore through the air. Half a second would be enough to erase Shu Yang from existence.
“…” But after an age, even after he had finished mentally reviewing his life, the pain never came.
Confused, Shu Yang opened one eye. He saw a woman rushing toward him, drawing her sword to deflect the arrow that had been aimed at his chest like a meteor.
Clang.
The crisp sound of metal striking metal echoed as the arrow, filled with spiritual energy, was shattered.
Both Ruan Wei and Shu Yang were stunned. They turned their heads toward the newcomer. “Sister!”
“…” The name Ruan Tong caught in Shu Yang’s throat, unable to be voiced.
He stared at the woman in pink. A memory flickered, a beautiful silhouette, the same gentle, mocking smile she always wore.
“Sister…”
“Bang!” A crisp collision shook Shu Yang back to reality.
His eyes widened as he saw Ruan Tong’s face harden with fury as she threw a punch at Ruan Wei.
Not a slap. A punch.
Ruan Wei nearly vomited blood. He clutched his chest, retreating a few steps, looking at her with aggrieved eyes. “Sister…”
“Ruan Wei, you have truly outdone yourself,” Ruan Tong said, not buying into his act for a second. Her face was dark enough to kill. “You dare kill inside the Dragon Palace?!”
Her voice rose, louder than before: “Do you not want your merit points?! Or are you trying to fall into demonic cultivation again?! Tell me, what insane way have you thought of to torture yourself this time?! Are you trying to drag everyone down with you and destroy yourself—”
Just as the final word was about to fall, Ruan Tong saw Ruan Wei’s lowered eyelids and realized how inappropriate her outburst had been. She stopped herself mid-sentence.
A cool breeze swept across Shu Yang’s face. A heavy silence descended, pressing against their chests until it was hard to breathe.
“Forget it. I am tired of talking to you.” A moment later, Ruan Tong abruptly changed the subject. She sheathed her sword and walked to Shu Yang’s side, reaching out to help him up.
Her expression had been cold, but as she looked at his face, her pupils dilated noticeably. Her jaw dropped, and she stared at Shu Yang, speechless.
“…” Shu Yang silently pulled his hand away from her palm.
“Ah, you…” Ruan Tong awkwardly realized her reaction. For some reason, she transformed from a composed elder sister into a bashful young girl. “Why do you look…”
“He is not Shu Yang,” a cold voice came from behind. “Just an imposter.”
Ruan Tong: “…”
Shu Yang: “…”
Ruan Tong rolled her eyes obviously, then turned to Shu Yang with an apologetic smile. “My brother does not know any better.”
She tried to explain, “You might not know, but my brother and the Lord of Purple Star, Shu Yang, have some history. That is why he is acting so out of character today.”
Ruan Tong added, “Actually, he is usually quite gentle and has a good temper.”
A good temper? He just tried to shoot me to death!
Shu Yang glanced at Ruan Tong but remained silent. Ruan Tong knew she was in the wrong; she rubbed her head awkwardly, and finally, she grabbed Ruan Wei by the ear, demanding he apologize to Shu Yang.
But if Ruan Wei were the type to apologize so easily, he would not be Ruan Wei.
He stiffened his neck, still looking like he feared no one under heaven, showing not a hint of remorse.
Shu Yang could not be bothered with him. When Ruan Tong continued to apologize, offering to pay compensation, Shu Yang simply said, “I want nothing. I only want to leave this place.”
“No!” Before Ruan Tong could react, Ruan Wei directly vetoed it: “You cannot go!”
“Are you out of your mind?” Shu Yang, even with the patience of a saint, was reaching his limit.
Ruan Wei stared at Shu Yang, indifferent: “Either you die, or you stay and become my concubine.”
“Get lost.” Shu Yang narrowed his eyes, unable to endure it any longer. A surge of restless irritation and killing intent flared in his heart. His voice was icy: “Are you even worthy?”