Absolute Death Game

The Xuan Zhenzi disciples saw this and couldn’t easily let him go. They immediately surged forward and pursued him down the path. Xiao Buli saw he was about to follow closely to get a better look, but who knew that the scenery before his eyes started rotating at high speed, and when he stood still again, he found himself looking at a different scene.

This time, he was inside a labyrinth. The Xuan Zhenzi (Heart Demon incarnation) was not far ahead of Xiao Buli, staggering as if on the verge of death. His clothes were scorched and torn as if struck by lightning and fire, hanging on him like ragged cloth. At this moment, the Heart Demon looked around in panic, seemingly searching for an exit, but there was no sign of other Xuan Zhenzi disciples—they seemed to have completely lost their way in this maze.

This labyrinth was indistinguishable from the one Xiao Buli had seen before, though clearly, this Xuan Zhenzi did not know the way to break the spell. Plagued by the recurrence of arriving at the same place, he had fallen into a state of despair. Moreover, at this moment, his injuries were severe; he was merely sustained by a last breath and could collapse at any moment.

Xuan Zhenzi reached the stele in the center of the field and gazed foolishly at the inscription on the stone. Suddenly, he began to shout like a madman, and his treasured sword struck fiercely at the stele, but by then he was close to his end. The sword hit the stone without leaving any mark, save for a few sparks. After a while, Xuan Zhenzi seemed to have exhausted all his strength and collapsed powerlessly at the base of the stele.

Xuan Zhenzi’s head drooped as he mumbled, "Heaven is destroying me, heaven is destroying me—why? Am I not the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao? Why?"

Xiao Buli slowly walked over, looking at the now lifeless Xuan Zhenzi. He reached out to touch him, but at that moment, Xuan Zhenzi swayed and slowly lay down on the ground. With a final breath, it was clear that he was no longer alive. Xiao Buli looked at the spot where Xuan Zhenzi lay and was suddenly startled, rushing around to the front of the stele. A hand was just visible—it seemed to be the same corpse he had found in the labyrinth before, which had also enabled him to escape the illusion. By some twisted fate, this Heart Demon of Xuan Zhenzi had, in a way, saved his life.

As he was lost in thought, Xiao Buli suddenly noticed a shadow slowly floating behind the stele. Before he could change his angle to get a clearer look, the shadow passed straight through from behind the stele. Upon closer inspection, the shadow seemed vaguely human in shape, but without face or limbs, just a long form that was not fixed in shape. Dark undercurrents swirled within the shadow as if it were a living thing. As Xiao Buli was curious, he was just about to step closer to get a clear view when the scenery spun before his eyes. When it stopped, he was at the entrance of Xuantian Palace, seeing the familiar layered buildings—it was clearly where his own Sect, Mystic Hollow Palace, was located, the only difference being the three big characters of "Xuantian Palace" on the archway.

By now, Xiao Buli was sure of what he had suspected: this Xuantian Palace was indeed Mystic Hollow Palace from thirty years ago. The secret of Xuantian Palace was probably closely related to the difference in a single character. As he thought this, Xiao Buli casually proceeded to enter, but then he heard a faint human voice from behind. One voice said, "I’ve finally made it out. Are you saving me? Where are you taking me?"

Xiao Buli was startled, thinking the voice was speaking to him. Surprised, he turned around, only to see Xuan Zhenzi’s Heart Demon not far behind, with the same shadow he had seen before in front. However, the Heart Demon now appeared translucent and its shape was unpredictable, clearly a soul. This was probably due to the Heart Demon’s unwillingness to die, hence its persistence even after death.

Xiao Buli stepped aside in astonishment, watching the black shadow slowly move forward, guiding Xuan Zhenzi’s soul into the Xuantian Palace. Xiao Buli followed behind the two entities—one shadow and two translucent souls—which made the scene seem like something out of a graveyard. Xiao Buli couldn’t help but feel the eeriness of the moment, his eyes scanning the interior of the Xuantian Palace. The palace was quiet and deserted, a far cry from the flourishing beauty he remembered, and the air seemed filled with endless sorrow, casting a solemn pall over everything.

The trio slowly approached the main hall. Xiao Buli looked inside to see Seven-Star Lamps surrounding a white canopy, which fluttered with the breeze—a scene that eerily reminded him of a horror movie.

The three entities drifted in. In the hall, an old man was seated with white hair and beard, a dignified presence that bespoke of someone beyond the mortal realm. If not the Palace Master Xuanxu Zi, then who could it be? Yet, upon closer inspection, Xiao Buli noticed the name floating above the old man’s head—it was Xuantian, the Palace Master of Xuantian Palace.

An inkling of understanding began to dawn on Xiao Buli, but he simply watched the situation unfold before him. The Xuantian Daoist before him had his eyes closed, his face more withered than when Xiao Buli usually saw him. Behind the Daoist stood a man—none other than Qingfeng Mingyue. Qingfeng Mingyue, deviating from his usual stoicism, had tears in his eyes and un-wiped streaks on his face, clearly struggling to suppress his grief. Below the great hall was another figure kneeling in a prostrating position, head thoroughly touching the ground, making it impossible for Xiao Buli to see his face.

Just then, Xuantian spoke slowly, "No need for your cries and wails. As it is said, ’every being must face the five decays of heaven and man.’ My time has come, and I am ready to transform. There is no need for sorrow." As he spoke these words, his eyes remained shut, as if in deep meditation, his voice calm, showing no sign of someone about to die. After finishing this sentence, there was silence for a while. It appeared that there was no longer any movement from his body. Qingfeng Mingyue could no longer contain himself and cried out, "Palace Master!" collapsing to the ground in tears. The figure on the ground also began to heave intensely, trying to suppress sobbing. Your next chapter awaits on NovelBin.Côm

The shadow, upon seeing the situation, slowly floated over to Xuantian Daoist’s body and gestured invitingly at Xuan Zhenzi’s ghost. Although the dark mass had no distinct human shape, the motion was clear enough that anyone could understand its intent.

Xuan Zhenzi (Heart Demon manifestation) was taken aback upon seeing this, "You want me to possess that old man’s body? But I don’t know any spells—when I split off, I didn’t get anything, isn’t that strange?" The soul voiced its query, yet the two people in the room seemed to ignore it as if they could not see the out-of-place Xuan Zhenzi and the shadow.

After hearing Xuan Zhenzi’s words, the shadow moved slightly as if communicating something to Xuan Zhenzi, but this time, even Xiao Buli couldn’t hear a whisper of sound, only Xuan Zhenzi appeared to be listening intently. The scene was incredibly uncanny.

After a while, the shadow seemed to have finished speaking and made another inviting gesture. This time, Xuan Zhenzi’s face showed joy as he muttered to himself, "Truly, the Heavenly Dao does not leave one without a path. To think that I would encounter such an Immortal Fetus; it may be a bit old, but it spares me from the fate of my soul scattering to the winds." Having said this, the ghostly figure moved over, and the semi-transparent body sat cross-legged in front of Xuantian Daoist’s physical form, the posture of the spirit and the body aligning as one. At first, Xiao Buli could still see the faint shadow adjusting inside, but gradually Xuantian Daoist’s face became clear, Xuan Zhenzi’s shadow having completely vanished. As if nourished by a vigorous soul, Xuantian Daoist’s previously withered complexion instantly became rosy, the whole person seemed to emit a translucent glow, and slowly opened his eyes. The horsetail whisk in his hand trembled slightly as he gently coughed.

The person lying on the ground jerked violently and suddenly lifted his head, causing Xiao Buli to gasp in shock. Although he had just felt a vague sense of familiarity, he had not expected to see someone he recognized in this book so suddenly; the kneeling figure in white was none other than Gu Yuexuan.

"Master!~" Gu Yuexuan yelled in surprise and joy upon seeing Xuantian Daoist open his eyes and his complexion so revitalized, unlike his earlier state.

Qingfeng Mingyue heard this shout and also looked up to see Xuantian Daoist resurrected, her tears turning into laughter, "Palace Master, Palace Master," she stammered, unable to utter a second sentence.

In their eyes, Xuantian Daoist was still Xuantian Daoist, but in Xiao Buli’s eyes, he watched in shock as Xuantian Daoist’s name hovering above his head quietly changed—Xuanxu Zi, this was the true identity of Xuanxu Zi, whom he had encountered. No wonder he had asked him to help chase down Xuan Zhenzi—brothers in the Sect, betrayal, it was all nonsense.

Because Xiao Buli had always been wary of Heart Demons, he was momentarily unable to accept the scene before him. A sense of unease began to grow in his heart.

At this moment, the black shadow, seeing that its business was taken care of, slowly floated towards the door. Even though Xiao Buli did not know what the entity was, he instinctively felt he should not provoke it. Seeing it head straight for him, he quickly dodged to the side.

The shadow slowly floated past him, but suddenly, a nameless terror caused Xiao Buli’s heart to leap. This feeling was unforgettable, and he instantly realized it was the same terror he felt when he fled the company. He had sustained severe injuries from a mishap using Cloud Thunder Leap and was saved by Xia Zuowei. Out of curiosity, the young man created a game account and was killed in the game. Back then, Xiao Buli wanted to help him resist, and when that thing approached, he felt the same sense of terror. It was indescribable, intangible, yet it struck against his confidence so vividly, as though in the presence of that power, he was but an ant, his courage to resist entirely vanishing.

Sensing this, Xiao Buli involuntarily looked back. Just then, the shadow was about to step out of the door and suddenly turned its head back. Yes, even though it obviously had no limbs, head, or facial features, Xiao Buli felt it had suddenly turned its head, as if it had noticed his presence.

Xiao Buli was so frightened that he hardly dared to breathe, his eyes affixed to the shadow through the screen. The shadow slowly turned its head, seemingly uncertain of Xiao Buli’s presence—though what Xiao Buli could see was only the swirling black mist within the shadow, for some reason, he felt the shadow was looking right at him. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian ) with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)