Die, Replay, Repeat

Fang Xiu had been holding back for one reason—he was waiting for nightfall.

Once darkness fell, Whitestone's protective barrier would collapse. And when that happened, Specters would flood in endlessly.

Lu Ziming's expression darkened. He leveled his sword at Fang Xiu. "So what if you can't die? Without that monster, do you really think you can defeat me?"

Fang Xiu grinned, sharp teeth flashing in the dim light. "Oh? Is that so?"

The Specters pouring into the battlefield sent a thrill of exhilaration through him. He could feel it—the endless surge of power rushing into his body, intoxicating, overwhelming.

He activated Pain Manifestation again.

Instead of draining his Spiritual Energy, it only made him stronger.

Here, in the Land Between, he was like a fish returning to water.

The Grey Fog and the Specters—terrors that should have been a nightmare—were instead his personal power source. Endless energy, ripe for the taking.

"Too bad," Fang Xiu chuckled, his voice dripping with mockery. "Taotie is just as immortal here as I am."

BOOOOM!

A deafening rumble shook the battlefield.

The scattered remains of Taotie—chunks of decayed flesh that had been torn apart—began to writhe and bubble, pulsing as if alive.

Then, in an instant, the rotting mass surged upward like a tidal wave, pooling at Fang Xiu's feet before erupting into the sky.

A colossal, mountain-like form rose from the abyss, lifting Fang Xiu high above the battlefield.

Taotie had returned.

And it was even larger than before.

The snake-like Specters that had devoured it had not destroyed him; they had become part of it.

Lu Ziming stood frozen, disbelief etched into every fiber of his being.

He couldn't believe it. Even after everything, he still couldn't kill Fang Xiu.

And worse—he was the one getting weaker. He had burned through a massive amount of Spiritual Energy, while Fang Xiu and Taotie only grew stronger.

If it had been Yang Ming, a fourth-tier psychic, pushing him to this point—fine. Lu Ziming could accept that. Some psychics were just freaks of nature, born with talent beyond reason.

But Fang Xiu? A mere Third-Tier? That was unacceptable.

And then, it hit Lu Ziming: This is why Fang Xiu became Chief Commander.

The realization sent a cold wave of fear through him.

Lu Ziming's instincts screamed at him. 'Retreat. Now.'

He didn't care if Fang Xiu was truly unkillable—he just knew this fight was a massive loss.

And if he kept going, he wouldn't even have enough Spiritual Energy left to make money tomorrow.

SWOOSH! His figure vanished, retreating like a ghost.

But he wasn't leaving alone.

In a flash, he grabbed Wei Xin, the Zombie, and dragged along the woman bound in chains.

With both of them in tow, he dashed toward his precious shed—his wooden shack, his safe house.

He was so close. Just a few more steps—

BOOM!

A massive foot slammed down, blocking the entrance.

Taotie had moved.

One step, that was all it took to completely seal off the shack.

Then, with a sickening squelch, his decayed flesh oozed downward, covering the entire structure and encasing it like a grotesque cocoon.

Lu Ziming's face contorted in rage. "That shack cost me three hundred thousand!"

He had already paid for tonight—and if he couldn't get in, that was three hundred thousand gone. Just like that.

He could have made it, but he got greedy. Bringing Wei Xin and the other woman slowed him down.

If he had abandoned them, he would have already been inside. And now, because of that stupid hesitation, Taotie had blocked the entrance.

Lu Zuming roared, "DAMN YOU, FANG XIU!"

Fury erupted in his chest. He flung Wei Xin and the chained woman aside, his sword already swinging.

A surge of Mindflare-infused sword energy tore through the air, bombarding Taotie in a relentless barrage.

But Taotie did not move. It didn't dodge; it didn't react. It simply stood there, letting Lu Ziming's attacks rip into him.

Flesh exploded, and rotten chunks flew everywhere. And then, just as quickly—

It all grew back, completely, as if nothing had happened.

Taotie still didn't spare Lu Ziming a glance. It didn't even acknowledge him.

Instead, it simply continued eating.

Above it, the sky teemed with snake-like Specters, slithering through the air like dark omens.

Taotie simply opened its mouth, and devoured them whole.

Lu Ziming could feel his Spiritual Energy draining at an alarming rate. If he didn't end this fight soon, he would be in serious trouble. He needed a plan—and fast.

Then, an idea struck him: Kill the summoner, and end the battle.

Taotie was a summoned projection. No matter how invincible it seemed, it wasn't the real enemy. Fang Xiu was the key. If he could eliminate Fang Xiu, then everything else would fall apart.

There was no way Fang Xiu could be as immortal as Taotie.

With that thought, Lu Ziming launched himself forward, his sword gleaming with deadly intent as he charged straight at Fang Xiu.

But instead of fear, Fang Xiu grinned, a sharp, bloodthirsty smirk curling at the edges of his lips. "Pain Manifestation—‘Wife’!"

SHAAA!

In an instant, a second "wife" materialized beside him.

Lu Ziming's pupils shrank in disbelief.

One "wife" was already problematic enough. But two?

"This freak could summon two of them?" Lu Ziming muttered.

Even if their attacks weren't overwhelmingly powerful, their ability to ignore Mindflare meant double the damage, making them a threat Lu Ziming could no longer afford to ignore.

Meanwhile, Fang Xiu could feel his Spiritual Energy nearing depletion, but that was no problem. Without hesitation, he thrust his left hand into the air.

His palm split open.

Taotie's mouth emerged.

A monstrous, abyssal void formed in his hand, unleashing a violent suction force that devoured the surrounding snake-like Specters in an instant.

As their bodies were consumed, their energy flowed into him, restoring his reserves.

At this rate, he would be able to summon a third "wife" soon.

That was the brilliance of his new discovery—as long as he had enough Spiritual Energy, he could summon as many "wives" as he wanted.

Their strength wasn't in raw power but in their ability to ignore defenses. Alone, they weren't particularly lethal, but in large numbers, even a fifth-tier powerhouse would be overwhelmed.

And here, in the Land Between, where Specters and Grey Fog were endless, he had an infinite power source to sustain them.

As the two "wives" attacked from both sides, Lu Ziming's body was riddled with fresh wounds. His movements slowed, but he didn't stop. His eyes remained locked on Fang Xiu, filled with killing intent.

This was his only chance. If he hesitated now, he would never get another opportunity. "DIE, FANG XIU!"

With a furious roar, he swung his sword with everything he had.

A blinding arc of Mindflare-infused sword energy erupted from his blade, tearing through the sky like a celestial strike.

The sheer force of it ripped apart the battlefield, splitting the heavens as if they were mere fabric.

There was no escape.

But Fang Xiu didn't even try to move.

SHING!

The sword cleaved through him.

His body split in two, his torso peeling open, his organs exposed to the open air.

For a brief moment, Lu Ziming's eyes gleamed with victory—he had done it.

Then, the black light surged.

Before his very eyes, Fang Xiu's mangled body stitched itself back together, the severed halves merging seamlessly. Within a single heartbeat, he was whole again, as if the attack had never happened.

Lu Ziming's blood ran cold.

"Impossible…!"

This wasn't mere regeneration.

This wasn't some advanced healing factor.

No matter how many times he cut Fang Xiu apart—he would not die.

With growing panic, Lu Ziming kept slashing, again and again. He poured everything he had into his attacks, each strike more furious than the last.

More sword energy. More devastation.

He ripped Fang Xiu apart over and over, leaving his body in tatters, reducing him to nothing but shredded flesh and bone.

And yet—every time, he came back. Completely unharmed.

His body healed faster than it could be destroyed.

Lu Ziming's attacks grew more erratic, his swings losing precision. He was no longer fighting to win—he was fighting out of desperation.

"There is no way! No one in this world is truly unkillable!" His voice cracked as he swung again.

Then—a golden light erupted from behind him.

Yang Ming had returned. His body radiated blinding golden light as he charged forward, his face twisted with fury.

Now, Lu Ziming was completely surrounded.

Fang Xiu's two "wives" continued their relentless assault, slicing at him with ghostly precision.

Yang Ming attacked from behind, his fists burning with golden fire.

And then, Fang Xiu himself moved.

Black fire ignited across his entire body, surging into twin infernal wings that sprouted from his back. In his hand, the Scalpel gleamed with a sinister glow.

He struck.

For the first time, Lu Ziming felt true panic. His mind was no longer on money.

It was no longer about Spiritual Energy losses. Now, it was about survival, because his Spiritual Energy had reached a critical low.

And worse, he finally realized the truth that, he could not kill Fang Xiu.

No matter what he did, Fang Xiu would not die; however, if this fight dragged on any longer, he himself would.