Chapter 196: The Backlash of Magic – The End of the Lord

They say distance equals longing, and longing equals heartache. As we move through time, we realize how imperfect this world is. Past failures and successes become blurred memories; what remains is perhaps eternity…
After thinking for a long time, July suddenly found herself at a loss, unable to find words. Yet, she suddenly declared firmly, “Whatever relationship you have with him, leave him alone. If you’re a man, fight him again.”
Lei Jun’s gaze was sharp. With a slight smile, he said to July, “Indeed, I can’t control what relationship you have with him. But aren’t you being too domineering, young lady? Now that your fates are in my hands, what right do you have to make demands? If I don’t release him, am I not a man? How ridiculous.”
His tone shifted as he continued, “Step aside. He has no choice. If you want to blame someone, blame fate for putting him in my path. Such a weak person—no matter if he becomes a demon or a king in the human world, he’ll still suffer in this world. Isn’t it better for me to end his pain?”
July shook her head violently. “No, fate can’t control everything. People have their own choices. If you want to kill him, kill me first.” Drawing courage from somewhere, she stood firm in front of Liu Yi. Though she knew her death would only mean the other party needed to strike one more time—or even not at all—she still stood there resolutely.
Lei Jun’s gaze shifted. “Don’t you realize you’re foolish? Begging for a man hiding behind you? Do you really think such a man can change fate? Can he?” His voice grew louder, clearly angry.
At that moment, a voice interjected word by word into their conversation: “Step aside.” The voice was icy, as if coming from hell, like the bone-chilling wind of December, sending shivers deep into people’s hearts.
Those two short words sounded so harsh and cold. They reached the ears of tens of thousands in the arena, then entered everyone’s hearts—deep as hell, cold as wind—seeming to tell everyone that this battle wasn’t over.
Hearing that voice, July was the first to be shocked. It was Liu Yi’s voice, yet it felt so strange. When she turned around, Liu Yi’s hands were clenched tightly, slowly spreading outward from his chest, with purple electricity gradually parting apart.
Lei Jun’s attention was once again focused on Liu Yi. For him, this was impossible. “Xuanxing Net Thunder Technique” could control a person’s body and gradually absorb their vital energy, causing harm to their body. That’s why, no matter how high the opponent’s cultivation or how strong their vital energy, once struck by this technique, they would be completely immobilized. Now, seeing Liu Yi’s hands moving outward, he was shocked and thought to himself, “How is this possible?”

Liu Yi’s voice was cold, devoid of any emotion, as he continued, “What is fate? What is heaven? I want you to know—it’s not me who defies heaven; it’s heaven that defies me.” Those few words, seemingly simple, actually expressed defiance against heaven. Everyone’s expression changed instantly, and at that moment, new changes occurred on the arena.

Liu Yi suddenly stretched his arms out to both sides. Some unknown force allowed him to break through the “Mystic Star Net Lightning Technique.” Clearly, it wasn’t his true energy at work. As his arms spread, purple lightning and white light burst forth like something solid shattering, scattering in all directions. Along with that, came a loud roar that shook the heavens and earth: “It’s not me who defies heaven; it’s heaven that defies me.”

Right after that thunderous roar, four dragon roars followed. In an instant, the blade of “Sorrowful Dream” flashed repeatedly. Along with the flickering of four-colored lights, four dragons of different colors spiraled upward, first dispersing before gathering together as they rushed into the red clouds. Then, purple lightning flashed in the red sky, and violent hurricanes arose. The red clouds grew thicker and thicker. As a purple lightning bolt struck beside Liu Yi, he swiftly raised his right-hand sword. Its black blade gleamed with a metallic shine. As the sword was raised, another earth-shattering dragon roar echoed.

As the sound faded, a blood-red dragon appeared in the sky. Blue, white, and purple lights radiated from its body, but its scales were deep red. After the dragon’s roar, its blood-red form transformed into a light dragon, one emitting four-colored light. The dragon then descended, and as it fell rapidly, its entire body turned into a bolt of lightning. When it touched Liu Yi’s sword, immense power flowed instantly into his body.

In that instant, a strong layer of true energy appeared around Liu Yi. With a loud “boom,” a circular crack appeared in the ground, sending July and Lord Lei flying into the air. July’s cultivation level was low, and she had no way to resist. She was knocked unconscious as she flew upward. The tremendous force sent her hurtling toward the bottom of the arena. Coincidentally, Yu Chenxing caught her with both hands. Looking at the unconscious July, Yu Chenxing nodded and said, “Uncle, maybe taking her back will help us learn more about the Emperor. What do you think?”

An old man behind him nodded and said, “That’s good, but… this woman seems to be closely related to that blind man on the arena. I’m afraid it could cause trouble.”

Yu Chenxing glanced at Liu Yi on the arena and sneered coldly, “That blind man is clearly delusional. Besides, who will know if we take her away? Once we’ve asked enough questions, we can just kill her. No one will know it was us.”

Another old man said, “Hmm, that’s also a good idea, as long as we leave no traces.”

Yu Chenxing smirked coldly at Liu Yi on the arena, then waved his hand. Two young men stepped forward, carried July away, and in the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the crowd of Ye Luocheng.

It is said that Lord Thunder was also shaken by that immense force. But what kind of cultivation did Lord Thunder possess? With a swift block using his long sword, he used the force to leap backward violently, retreating at great speed. In the blink of an eye, he was out of that combat zone. Yet, just as he was about to land, he was shocked—there was a black figure waiting for him below.

Unbelieving, Lord Thunder glanced toward where Liu Yi had stood earlier. The black figure was still there, slowly fading away. It was too fast; it seemed impossible to even comprehend just how fast it was. Before the shadow disappeared, the person was already right in front of him. Caught off guard, Lord Thunder grew panicked. But after all, he was a battle-hardened monarch. As he fell, he swiftly swung his long sword downward at Liu Yi’s head. In an instant, his powerful spiritual energy concentrated on the blade, and a white light once again covered the figure in black clothes. With just a little more time, one could have seen the long sword splitting that man in two.

Yet, that little time seemed forever out of reach. Liu Yi bent slightly, swiftly sweeping his long sword horizontally. A black sword beam pierced through Lord Thunder’s body. At the same time, there was a “clang”—the sound of the sword returning to its sheath. Then, as the long sword neared Liu Yi’s forehead, the black shadow darted quickly, escaping the path of the blade. At that moment, a strong black hand grabbed Lord Thunder’s neck, suspending his falling body in midair.

Pain instantly flooded Lord Thunder’s mind. His abdomen felt as if it had been sliced by that sword. If not for the protection of his special armor, he might have already been cut in two. Then, a tremendous force from that hand pressed against his throat, preventing him from breathing. The intense pain combined with the suffocating sensation caused Lord Thunder to lose consciousness instantly and faint.

At that moment, Liu Yi casually threw Lord Thunder away. The moment Lord Thunder left his grasp, Liu Yi swung his long sword fiercely. But just as it was raised above his head, he stopped. Then came a “thud”—the sound of someone falling. Yet, this sound came from two people: Lord Thunder’s fall after being thrown and Liu Yi’s collapse for unknown reasons.

For a moment, everything below the arena fell silent. Both fighters on the arena fell at the same time, while those below seemed to still not understand what had happened. In the sky, things gradually returned to normal. As the wind blew, clouds covered everything. It was only after the first raindrop fell that they realized it was raining.

At that time, four elders quickly stepped forward from below the arena. These four elders were the attendants Lord Thunder had brought with him. They carried Lord Thunder off the arena, then left the crowd and hurried toward the outskirts of Ye Luo City, disappearing into the rain.

The arena was now empty. The traces of sword flashes and blade cuts remained deeply on the stone surface. Broken stones made the once-flat arena chaotic. The red blood was slowly diluted by the rain. In that emptiness, all that could be seen was the black shadow, and all that could be heard was the sound of raindrops falling.

At that moment, Ye Luo Baihua used telepathy to speak to Ye Luo Jianmu, “Uncle Jian, carry this person in, and then… end the marriage selection. I think no one will object then.” With that, she turned and walked inside the building.

Upon hearing this, Ye Luo Jianmu nodded, held up his green bamboo umbrella, and stood up, saying, “Everyone, thank you for coming. However, the marriage selection ends here. It’s not that the princess has found her ideal match; rather, it’s impossible to continue selecting any longer. But… if any of you heroes are interested, you may go to Wulei City. I will host a banquet there for you.”

Clearly, even those below the arena understood Ye Luo Jianmu’s meaning. Although no one wanted the marriage selection to end like this, what could they say? With both great masters fallen in the arena, who would dare to try? It was better to disperse. As Ye Luo Jianmu finished speaking, the people below the arena also began to leave slowly.

Ye Luo Jianmu watched the dispersing crowd and nodded. Raising his right hand, he summoned two servants and said, “Carry him in.”

The two servants went over to Liu Yi, lifted his body, and carried him inside the building.

It was still raining, but the cold air felt refreshing, carrying the scent of soil and plants. In the world, there was only the sound of raindrops hitting the ground and a sense of purity from the washed air. Everything was so natural, so quiet, giving a sense of loneliness yet also pleasure.

It was a rather ordinary hall, no different from ordinary halls—facing south with chairs on both sides and animal furs laid out in the middle. Only two people were in the empty hall: a woman in white and an old man. The woman wore white clothes, looking elegant and pure, her beautiful eyes seeming to convey wisdom. The old man appeared to be in his seventies but was still strong, holding a long sword, clearly no ordinary person.

The woman in white sat down gently and asked, “Uncle Jian, what do you think of that person?”

It turned out these two were Ye Luo Baihua and Ye Luo Jianmu of the Ye Luo family. Ye Luo Jianmu also sat down slowly and, after pondering for a while, said, “He’s a strange person. His cultivation level is clearly above that of Lord Lei, so why did he fall alongside him?”

Ye Luo Baihua nodded and said, “From what Lord Lei said, it seems this person comes from the human world.”

Ye Luo Jianmu nodded and said, “Mm, it seems he has some grudges with the Emperor of the Lan family. I wonder what his purpose here is.”

Hearing Ye Luo Jianmu’s words, Ye Luo Baihua not only thought about Liu Yi asking her for a tear, finding it strange, but quickly changed her thoughts and asked, “Uncle Jian, have you heard of any martial arts that can make a person lose their true nature?”

Ye Luo Jianmu shook his head and said curiously, “I haven’t heard of any specific ones, but such martial arts do exist. The higher one practices them, the deeper the impact on one’s mind, until they completely become someone else… What does the princess mean by asking this?”

Ye Luo Baihua thought for a moment before continuing, “I’m not sure, but I feel like this person has practiced some extremely advanced mental technique. His vital energy is incredibly strong. However, later on, it seemed he lost control of himself, as if he wasn’t in command of his actions. In the end, he suddenly collapsed because he lost some kind of support.”

Ye Luo Jianmu nodded and said, “I think it’s related to his sword and his martial arts. If he continues to train like this, it’s hard to imagine what will become of him.”

Ye Luo Baihua listened and nodded as well. “Uncle Jian is right. I took his pulse earlier. There was a constant surge of vital energy inside him, as if… as if it had a life of its own. It’s truly a sinister kind of martial art.”

Ye Luo Jianmu nodded. “Yes. He was able to easily break through the Demon Martial Art. But such a person is either an ally or an enemy. What does the princess plan to do with him?”

Ye Luo Baihua fell silent for a while before saying, “I want to take him back to Wulei City. Given his current condition, if he’s to wake up, he must suppress that vital energy inside him. Otherwise, I don’t think he’ll ever wake up.”

Ye Luo Jianmu blurted out, “The princess means to help him?”

Ye Luo Baihua nodded. “Sort of. But… whether he can wake up depends on him. His martial arts can make him stand above the world, but they can also drive him away from this world forever. It’s terrifying. Doesn’t he realize how dangerous this martial art is?”

Ye Luo Jianmu stood up, looked out the window, and sighed softly, “What’s the use of knowing some things? Perhaps he has no choice. Even knowing there’s an abyss ahead, he still has to keep moving forward. That’s helplessness…”

…

A white figure appeared before Liu Yi, smiling at him. There was no one else in the world—just him and her. Yet Liu Yi didn’t feel lonely at all. With her by his side, he was happy.

But that figure gradually blurred, becoming less and less clear, until it slowly disappeared. Liu Yi shouted loudly, trying to hold her back, but it was useless. All that remained was those words: “Faced with the helplessness of the world, I still have three thousand worries. In this war that desecrates true love, you are my longing. I am willing to sacrifice everything for this life, for this destruction…”

The voice gradually faded away, leaving only regret. The whole world lost its color and turned dark. Liu Yi shouted loudly, “No.” As the sound left his lips, he seemed to feel he could move again. He realized he had returned from his dream to reality. Suddenly, he noticed he was holding something in his hand. Without thinking, he instinctively pulled his hand back.

A pleasant voice reached his ears, saying, “You’re awake.”

Liu Yi didn’t answer the voice’s question. Instead, he sensed his surroundings. He seemed to be in a carriage, able to hear the sounds of beasts running and the wind around him. The carriage was stable, without any jolts. But soon, he felt a turmoil inside him, followed by a surge of murderous desire filling his entire body. Instinctively, his left hand clenched around his long sword.

A faint fragrance of lilies spread around, soothing Liu Yi’s mind. Then, a pleasant voice asked, “Don’t you realize that the martial arts you practice will drive you mad?”
Hearing that pleasant voice, Liu Yi understood exactly what she meant. The thirteenth level of the demonic arts—the Heart of Murder—he had known about its destructive effects from the day he mastered it. He understood that one day the Heart of Murder would overwhelm him, turning him into a mere killing tool. Yet he had to do it; he just didn’t expect it to come so soon.
“Lanelfina Qing” was his only hope, so he couldn’t stop. But after reaching the thirteenth level, the World-Destroying level of the Heart of Murder, “Lanelfina Qing” absorbed chaos energy at an accelerating pace, without pause, making his vital energy grow stronger. This also gradually pushed Liu Yi deeper into the abyss of darkness. By then, he would be unable to turn back and become a demonic king of slaughter.
Suppressing the vital energy within him that seemed about to explode, Liu Yi said, “So what if I do?”
Ye Luobaihua wasn’t far from Liu Yi, sitting across from him. She replied, “I’m just puzzled. Don’t you think the cost of doing this is too high? Even if you can use these demonic arts to fulfill some desire of yours, you’ll never be able to enjoy anything again.”
Liu Yi forced himself to suppress the surging vital energy. He knew that if he failed, the Heart of Murder would instantly devour him. Still, he managed to say, “I don’t care. Because some things are more important than life.”
Ye Luobaihua shook her head in confusion and asked, “Is there anything more important than life?”
Liu Yi wanted to continue answering, but suddenly felt dizzy, then lost consciousness. Watching Liu Yi fall, Ye Luobaihua said to herself, “I can help you wake up, but if you continue to practice these demonic arts, you’ll only head toward utter ruin…”