Chapter 249: The Hero at the End of the Road

In the narrow room, an ancient lamp sat quietly on a black wooden table. The dim candlelight cast wavering halos, illuminating the back of a tall man standing with his face to the wall, evoking an invisible sense of loneliness and indifference imposed by time.
The air was filled with a strong medicinal scent, giving off a faint aura of a hero at the end of his journey.
Hearing footsteps approaching from the door, the man with the tall figure sighed and slowly turned, revealing a face marked by vicissitudes and indifference. “I knew this day would come…”
His voice, tinged with desolation and heaviness, broke the silence. His gaze fell on Lin Xiao, who led the group, then swept over the other martial artists present, triggering a faint smile of longing and nostalgia as he murmured, “I fell into obsession in the past. I knew my old enemies would eventually come for me, and her temper has grown more violent… harder to control. Now that they’re here, I must settle this with you. Otherwise, if she sees you, her inner demons will intensify, pushing her completely into madness.”
The murderous intent in his voice was mild, even tinged with a hint of warmth, creating a strange impression.
“Is he Yao Hua?”
Just as someone in the crowd voiced their confusion, the man talking to himself took out a strangely designed weapon from his satchel at his waist. “Look at what he’s holding!”
Amidst gasps, everyone’s attention focused on Yao Hua’s hand—a dark blue blade with gold-threaded edges, exuding luxury. Its broad yet well-proportioned blade was imposing and magnificent. In Yao Hua’s hands, it carried an air of elegance and dominance, a subtle aura instantly filling the entire space.
At that moment, Yao Hua’s gaze also sharpened, like an animal’s eyes locking onto prey. The warm look vanished, replaced by intense coldness and an invisible aura.
Standing opposite Yao Hua, Lin Xiao was the first to react. With a “boom,” he instinctively activated his protective barrier, unleashing his full power to resist the terrifying pressure emanating from Yao Hua.
The Realm of Life and Death?
“No… the Realm of Life and Death alone couldn’t exert such terrifying pressure. Could it really be true, as Hong Chen guessed, that Yao Hua belongs to a higher level— the Liberation Realm B0SS?”

Lin Xiao did not dare neglect. He shifted his attention from the divine weapon in Yao Hua’s hands to her feet. Drop by drop, dark red blood slowly dripped from Yao Hua’s body onto the ground, yet she showed no signs of moving. At that moment, a solemn exclamation arose from behind. Mo Feng, Meng Yun, and the people from Lingxiao Palace also entered Yao Hua’s secret chamber. Faced with her growing power, their expressions turned grim.
“Has the Xiyi Gate had any encounters with Yao Hua before? How did it go?”
Meng Yun seemed to sense that this operation was urgent, as she felt a formidable aura similar to that of her master, the “Western Region Demon Man,” emanating from Yao Hua. If that was the case, even if everyone here fought together, it would be difficult to harm Yao Hua in such a confined space!
“We lost one of our brothers, so we retreated,” Lin Xiao replied. This answer caused the members of the three major factions to show expressions of concern and confusion…
Faced with many skeptical looks, Lin Xiao explained, “I know what you’re thinking. Yao Hua is indeed too strong. One of our brothers with top-tier protective skills at the ninth level, equipped with a Seven-Star Battle Armor that adds 300 points to defense, couldn’t even withstand a single strike from her… That’s why I ordered everyone to retreat. But later, we realized Yao Hua couldn’t move—she must be severely injured or for some other reason.”
“If she can’t move, does that mean we can attack her from a distance?” came a question from the First-Class Hall’s team.
Lin Xiao shook his head without turning. “To harm a boss at the Liberation Realm, what level of ranged attack would be needed? Besides, do you really think Yao Hua’s equipment is inferior to ours?”
Hearing this, everyone realized that Yao Hua seemed to be wearing a magnificent fox fur coat in red, white, and black—a luxurious and elegant garment that clearly wasn’t ordinary.
“It must be made from the thickest furs of red foxes, white foxes, and wolf women,” Meng Yun reminded them, causing everyone to shudder. “The value of this coat might even exceed that of that divine weapon.”
“Two divine weapons?!”
Inside the chamber, everyone’s eyes burned with excitement. Then, after seeking permission, someone tried shooting an arrow at Yao Hua using advanced archery skills…
There was no sign of Yao Hua raising her hand, not even any indication that she had activated her protective skills. The arrow missed completely and pierced the wall like a lingering shadow.
“Top-tier archery skills at the Grandmaster level—the First-Class Hall truly has astonishing strength, Sister Meng.”

Although the attack was ineffective, Mo Feng gave another glance at the person who possessed masterful archery skills. He had done some calculations—mastering such archery required at least a hundred thousand arrows, all of which had to hit the target. Money was not the main issue; the effort and attention involved were beyond what ordinary players could bear.

“Yao Hua seems very difficult to deal with. Sister Mo Feng, how about First-Class Hall goes ahead and probes the situation first?”

Meng Yun smiled at Mo Feng.

Mo Feng firmly refused, “The key to the third floor of Fox Cave was provided by our Xiyi Gate. As the masters here, we cannot shirk this responsibility…”

Although Yao Hua’s aura was extremely powerful, how could Xiyi Gate come here recklessly to fight for the divine artifacts without any preparation on their second attempt?

Both factions had identified Yao Hua’s fatal weakness: his inability to move! A stationary Yao Hua, no matter how strong, could be worn down over time unless killed instantly. Additionally, it was said that Yao Hua, severely injured, still dared not leave Fox Cave, which was also one of their biggest advantages.

“Since that’s the case…”

Meng Yun’s expression darkened slightly, and as the atmosphere grew tense again, Qin Yun, who had remained silent until then, spoke up once more, “Sisters, you’re in a hurry again. Yao Hua isn’t dead yet. Besides, since he has two divine artifacts, there must be a way to distribute them. With your reputations, as long as it’s done officially, it can be fairly distributed. That would satisfy everyone. But I do have a favor to ask.”

“…”

Faced with the temptation of the divine artifacts, Meng Yun and Mo Feng finally refused to agree right away. First, no one could be sure Yao Hua would definitely reveal two divine artifacts. Second, First-Class Hall came to Fox Cave not to reach a mutually beneficial agreement with Xiyi Gate.

Just then, a homing pigeon suddenly broke the silence in the secret room, landing on the shoulder of First-Class Hall’s vice leader, Huang Sha. The latter frowned slightly, took down the note, glanced at it. The handwriting was even clearer, but he still calmly crushed the note in front of many players’ eyes and whispered in Meng Yun’s ear.

Unexpectedly, after hearing Huang Sha’s words, Meng Yun was momentarily stunned before firmly agreeing to Qin Yun’s proposal, “Official verification works. But, Sister Qin, what do you want to say?”

“I think, apart from the divine artifacts, any other gains from Yao Hua could be shared with Lingxiao Palace. Of course, Lingxiao Palace will also contribute its efforts later.”

“I have no objections; it depends on whether Sister Mo Feng from the Heroic Justice Sect agrees.” Meng Yun’s reply surprised the Heroic Justice Sect once again. Seeing her skillfully pass on this difficult task, Mo Feng’s heart sank significantly.
No matter how unwise the Heroic Justice Sect might be, they still didn’t want to offend both the First Rank Hall and the Lingxiao Palace at the same time…
A few seconds later, Mo Feng exchanged glances with Lin Xiao and Hong Chen, then nodded slowly. The three factions turned their gazes toward Yao Hua, whose bloodstains grew more and more and whose complexion turned pale.