Yin Wudao's vision suddenly flipped. He saw his own suspended feet, the hellish palace below, and the Judge's decaying robes.
His neck snapped. Intense pain flooded his nerves, drowning them in an instant.
But he still had a single breath left, held stubbornly in his throat, refusing to let go.
Yin Wudao did not struggle.
There was no fear on his face, though it was swollen and purple from the blood rushing to it. He merely strained to roll his remaining right eye, casting a deep, lingering gaze at the Judge.
"Cough, hhh..."
His shattered windpipe prevented him from making a coherent sound.
It was painful, but he was happy.
He knew exactly what the Judge intended to do. The Judge's power was not infinite. Since Chen Zhou had destroyed several Dragon-Suppressing Stakes and cut off the supply of sinful karma, the Judge was in desperate need of a new source of energy.
And Yin Wudao, as the host who carried the countless sinful karma of the entire provincial capital, was the perfect supplement.
His cultivation, his sinful karma, and even the law of seizing sin he had mastered were all bestowed by the Judge.
It came from him, and now it would return to him.
This was the price.
Just as he had said before, the world was a dining table.
One was either the butcher or the meat.
But now, he was neither. He was the one about to become one with a god.
"I... haven't lost..."
Yin Wudao used the last of his strength to tremulously raise a hand, seemingly wanting to stroke the Judge's cold eyeball.
As long as he could win.
As long as he could stand at the highest point.
Even if his flesh was destroyed, even if his soul dissipated, even if he merged with the Judge to become a piece of rotten flesh on his body...
As long as he could finally touch that position, he would have reached the summit.
He had spent his life calculating and had never lost. This time, he had calculated his own existence into the plan.
"Come!"
"Let me... become you!"
"To exist alongside a deity, to prove my grand dao!"
Boom!
The Judge seemed to be provoked, or perhaps he simply could not wait any longer.
Black light exploded.
Countless black spots surged from the Judge's body, instantly wrapping Yin Wudao into a massive black cocoon.
Sinful karma poured in reverse. Yin Wudao's body rapidly dissolved within the black light, absorbed entirely by the Judge.
The Judge let out a satisfied, long howl. The voice was still raspy, but it carried a touch of human texture now.
It was Yin Wudao's voice.
The Judge felt the power within his body recover significantly. The amount of sinful karma Yin Wudao had collected for him over the years was quite substantial.
He rolled his eyes with satisfaction and looked toward the sky.
The struggle for the Golden Buddha had been decided.
Yin Wudao was dead.
The final victor was the fellow holding the brush.
As the massive crack in the sky tore open further, the golden light filling the heavens began to slowly retract.
The invisible barrier shrouding the Star-Picking Platform vanished at that moment.
"Go!"
Without a second word, Tuoba Feng hoisted the heavy stone coffin onto his back. His blade qi erupted, carving a bloody path directly through the ghost tide.
He didn't even glance at the Golden Buddha that was about to descend. He turned and sprinted toward the west.
Nothing was more important than his daughter.
Even a smooth path leading to the eighth stage was not worth a single hair on Xiaoyun's head.
"Tuoba!"
Cangming shouted in desperation at the sight.
He watched Tuoba Feng's retreating figure, then looked back at Chen Zhou. His eyes were filled with conflict.
He wanted to leave as well. His imperial father's transmissions had been cut off, the Eastern Region was shaking, and the sea eye had been lost. As a prince, it was his duty to return.
However...
His father's final command was for him to stay and assist the Dragon Ancestor in seizing the treasure. If he left now, leaving the Dragon Ancestor alone to face the false god, he...
Thud!
While Cangming was locked in a mental struggle, a foot slammed hard into his backside.
The force was so great that it sent him flying right off the edge of the Star-Picking Platform.
"What are you still lingering for?"
Jian Huaishuang withdrew his foot, his expressionless face betraying no emotion.
"Didn't you want to go back? Now is the perfect time. Get moving."
Cangming scrambled up awkwardly, ignoring the dust on his clothes as he looked anxiously at the vast swarm of hellish ghosts around them.
Having lost the barrier, the ghosts were frantically trying to rush out of the Star-Picking Platform and the imperial city to spread throughout the provincial capital.
The Dragon Ancestor was confronting the Judge. If he left, who would clear out this massive sea of small fry? How could Jian Huaishuang hold them off alone?
Cangming grit his teeth. "But—"
"There are no 'buts'."
In mid-air, Chen Zhou, who had been keeping his back to the group, finally spoke.
He kept the Judge in check while speaking without looking back.
"Cangming."
"Do not worry about this side."
"Since I dare to stand here, I naturally have the means to clear the field."
"Your heart is in turmoil; staying here would only make you a burden."
"Go. Go to where your heart belongs."
"Guard the Eastern Region for me. That is also my territory."
Cangming grit his teeth, his eyes turning red. Finally, he kowtowed heavily in Chen Zhou's direction.
"Please take care, Dragon Ancestor."
"Once I have quelled the chaos in the Eastern Region, I shall return immediately to give my life for you!"
With that, he hesitated no longer. Water vapor surged around him, transforming into a blue streak of light as he sped toward the east. Waves churned beneath his feet, carrying him rapidly into the distance.
The Star-Picking Platform felt significantly emptier.
Only Chen Zhou and Jian Huaishuang, who stood behind him, remained.
Chen Zhou nodded slightly and turned to Jian Huaishuang. "Can you still manage? It might get even more taxing from here on."
Jian Huaishuang wiped the blood and filth from his face—splatter from when he had been slaying ghosts. He maintained his usual deadpan expression and spoke succinctly.
"I can."
Chen Zhou smiled, his gaze falling on Jian Huaishuang's empty right hand. The previous battle had been too brutal; the giant sword Jian Huaishuang had condensed from paper had long since shattered, leaving him empty-handed.
"Where is your sword?" Chen Zhou asked.
A rare flash of embarrassment crossed Jian Huaishuang's face.
"I... I lent it to someone else," he answered in a low, shameful tone.
Chen Zhou was curious. "As a sword cultivator, your sword should never leave your hand. Who could be so important to you that you would lend your sword?"
"My Lord..." Jian Huaishuang began anxiously, wanting to explain the circumstances.
However, he saw Chen Zhou raise a hand and gently pull a single thread from his Judgment Whisk. The thread drifted toward Jian Huaishuang, growing as it caught the wind, rapidly widening and solidifying in the air.
Clang—
The chime of a sword rang out.
The thread transformed into a massive sword that fell heavily, plunging three inches into the stone ground in front of Jian Huaishuang.
"Take your weapon. Do not lose it again."
Chen Zhou said calmly, "I'll leave these ghostly creatures to you."
Jian Huaishuang hurriedly straightened up and responded in the affirmative. He reached out and gripped the hilt.
A boundless surge of power flowed through the hilt into his body.
Chen Zhou had used Faith Conferment.
Boom!
Under the empowerment of the divine seal, the death qi within Jian Huaishuang boiled once more, becoming even more sharp and fierce than before.
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