Duan Yushu watched helplessly as the monster transformed from Lu Xuanzi bared its fangs, viciously plunged them into the corpses, and savagely tore at the flesh, blood flying everywhere.
Lu Xuanzi's face was already smeared with fresh blood, but her movements didn't pause as she efficiently devoured the corpses.
Now, with her green face and sharp fangs, there was no trace of the former Lu Xuanzi.
Lu Xuanzi was incredibly fast.
In no time, all the corpses on the ground had been eaten by her.
Duan Yushu's world was on the verge of collapse. He didn't know why things had turned out like this. All his years of effort had actually turned Lu Xuanzi into a monster.
The Lu Xuanzi in front of him had become a blood - covered figure. No matter how hard Duan Yushu looked, he couldn't find any sign of the girl he knew.
Duan Yushu stood there, stunned. How could he believe that this monster in front of him was the innocent and carefree princess, Lu Xuanzi?
His Lu Xuanzi was the one who would always show a sweet smile and encourage him no matter what.
The little princess in the past was so warm - hearted, infecting everyone around her.
She was not this blood - thirsty creature in front of him.
However, Duan Yushu couldn't deny that this monster was transformed from Lu Xuanzi.
Now, Duan Yushu was completely disheartened.
He had once again pushed Lu Xuanzi into the abyss and made her suffer boundless pain.
Duan Yushu's Lu Xuanzi hated taking lives the most, which was why she had wanted to save him, and their story had begun from there.
But it was precisely Duan Yushu who had turned Lu Xuanzi into the kind of person she disliked the most. Endless remorse engulfed him.
Just as Duan Yushu was in a daze, he didn't notice that Lu Xuanzi, who had been in the distance, suddenly raised her head and stared at him.
At this moment, Lu Xuanzi's eyes were filled with greed and blood - lust.
She was still hungry, and for some reason, she shifted her target to Duan Yushu.
Now, Lu Xuanzi moved at an incredibly fast speed. By the time she rushed in front of Duan Yushu, he finally reacted, but it was already too late.
Lu Xuanzi's sharp claws had quickly pierced through Duan Yushu's body.
Duan Yushu didn't attack Lu Xuanzi. He couldn't bear to, for he felt guilty.
The severely injured Duan Yushu still had the leisure to think:
"Lu Xuanzi is finally willing to get close to me."
Duan Yushu saw the greed in Lu Xuanzi's eyes.
He accepted his fate. As long as it was Lu Xuanzi, what did it matter if he had to give up everything?
Lu Xuanzi attacked quickly, with every move aiming to kill. Duan Yushu didn't put up any resistance. He just stared intently at Lu Xuanzi's face, reaching out his blood - smeared hand to touch her face, filled with infinite longing.
Duan Yushu clearly saw the reluctance in Lu Xuanzi's eyes.
She even shed tears.
But as a demonic creature, her instinct was to kill and be blood - thirsty. She couldn't stop. Her eyes were only filled with the instinctive desire for flesh and blood.
Duan Yushu kept wiping away Lu Xuanzi's tears.
Blood kept gushing out of Duan Yushu's mouth as soon as he opened it. He couldn't stop it, but he still stammered:
"It's... it's okay, Xuanzi. As long as it's you, I... I'm willing to give everything."
The most powerful fighter in this world died at the hands of the demonic creature, leaving not even a whole body.
Duan Yushu's century - long efforts turned to ashes, but even in death, he would still guard Lu Xuanzi.
Lu Xuanzi had become Duan Yushu's obsession. Her name was engraved on his soul.
Duan Yushu didn't watch the scene that followed. His face was gloomy, and he remained silent.
And when he wasn't aware, Ning Yitao encountered her own opportunity.
It was the Bird of Prophecy.
The Bird of Prophecy appeared again at some unknown time. It seemed to be afraid of Duan Yushu and hid behind the formation's core.
When the water curtain opened and Duan Yushu's attention was diverted, the Bird of Prophecy dared to quietly stick out its head and look at Ning Yitao standing in front of the formation.
Ning Yitao watched as the Bird of Prophecy appeared.
It carefully took steps towards Ning Yitao.
Ning Yitao remembered what Henry had said.
The appearance of the Bird of Prophecy now was to break the prophecy of "All things will perish".
Hope rose again in Ning Yitao's heart. As long as the Bird of Prophecy wasn't dead, there was still hope.
Wherever the Bird of Prophecy went, Ning Yitao's eyes closely followed.
The Bird of Prophecy was now the most important and last thing in Ning Yitao's heart.
Who would have thought that Ning Yitao's hope didn't last long. Right in front of her eyes, the Bird of Prophecy disappeared.
It actually rushed straight towards the formation's core.
Ning Yitao didn't have time to grab it. In the end, she could only watch its back as it jumped into the formation's core.
Ning Yitao's scalp went numb. She had no idea what this meant.
Was it because there was no way to break the prophecy that the Bird of Prophecy did this?
Ning Yitao didn't know. She stared at the place where the Bird of Prophecy had just jumped, searching.
Ning Yitao began to hope that the Bird of Prophecy could be reborn from the fire. But the reality was that it was impossible.
However, Ning Yitao didn't want to give up. She just wanted to hold onto this only hope.
Unexpectedly, she really noticed something different.
But Ning Yitao didn't know why opportunities always came so suddenly.
Ning Yitao watched as the Bird of Prophecy, which had originally jumped into the formation's core, wasn't torn apart. Instead, it flew back with something in its beak.
Before Ning Yitao could even be happy, the Bird of Prophecy, along with the bright object in its beak, flew towards Ning Yitao's forehead.
At the moment when Ning Yitao fell to the ground, time stopped, and everyone was frozen in place.
In the last moment before she fainted, Ning Yitao was still thinking:
"Why am I so unlucky?"
When Ning Yitao woke up again, she was in another place.
All she could see was a vast expanse of white. It was like a fairyland, with white mist hovering low, and she couldn't see what was below.
The surroundings were mirrored, making it difficult for Ning Yitao to tell the direction for a moment.
Just as she was feeling dizzy, an old voice came from the void. It sounded empty and floating. The person said:
"Ning Yitao, now there's an opportunity in front of you. Do you want it or not?"
Ning Yitao frowned and thought:
"Is this the opportunity that Duan Qinghuai mentioned at that time?"
Ning Yitao couldn't help but ask:
"What do you mean? Are you the so - called Heavenly Dao?"
The voice from the void came again. But instead of answering Ning Yitao's question, it just said what it wanted to say:
"Duan Yushu didn't stop you because he changed the position of the talisman on the formation's core. Now, the spiritual energy absorbed by the formation's core will be returned to you at double speed when you're exhausted. Duan Yushu was just using you to quickly activate the formation."
When the voice said this, Ning Yitao was shocked. Duan Yushu had actually had such a plan.
Ning Yitao lowered her eyes and dejectedly asked:
"So, have all our efforts been in vain from the very beginning?"
"Not really. If you hadn't put in the effort, you wouldn't have met me. Now is your opportunity. The Bird of Prophecy recognized you and brought me to find you. In this life, you've already understood what the seven emotions and six desires are, and what it means to show compassion for all sentient beings. Now, there are two paths in front of you."
"One, become a god, break away from the mortal world, and live alone."
"Two, make a sacrifice. Become a god with your golden blood and jump into the formation. You will die alone."