Absolute Choice
chapter-471

"Welcome back."

The thousands of words in everyone's hearts were condensed to just two simple words. They were not considered touching words of emotion, but at that moment, they were more moving than any other words.

However, such a warmth was destined to be fleeting because as the scattering golden pillar of light that fell from the sky began to quickly dissipate, the two figures in the pillar of light slowly materialized.

"Shi Xiaobai?"

The rare smile that beamed on Sunless's face froze. The others could not help but frown.

Although they were already mentally prepared that the duo that was trapped in the God Slaughtering Formation might be slightly injured, or even be covered in grievous injuries, none of them expected the scene before their very eyes.

A cold, bright silver hair, a pale expression, a defiled body dyed red by blood, as well as the look in the pair of eyes that the bright, golden vortices in them could not embellish made him look like a fallen devil despite having returned from hell.

Was that 'Shi Xiaobai', who effused a just and heroic fervor?

No, no, no. He was undoubtedly Shi Xiaobai, right?

Ignoring the loving embrace of a man and woman, which dealt the greatest damage to bachelors, the girl that was hugging the 'silver-haired devil' tightly might be covered in blood all over, but she was clearly and definitely the girl that would one day become the Hero King in the 'past's future'.

She had no reason to hug the 'devil', right?

That's not right. There was apparently no reason for her to embrace Shi Xiaobai in such an oblivious manner?

"Heavens, what exactly happened in the other world?" Speechless uttered in amazement. He looked baffled, but compared to wondering how Shi Xiaobai had become such a 'Shi Xiaobai', he was more curious over the happenings between the duo for them to have such a relationship.

Just as everyone was dazed by the strange scene, Dawn noticed something odd. She slowly opened her eyes and moved her head that was tightly adhered to 'Shi Xiaobai''s chest upwards. Looking up slightly, she squinted her eyes as she surveyed her surroundings.

"Oh?"

The girl's eyes gradually widened and she looked somewhat incredulous. "We're out?"

What was entering her eyes was not that world with the crimson dusk. The hellish scene that was covered with blood and guts was no longer present. Her body was basking under the warm sunlight as a gentle wind blew, sending exceedingly fresh air into her nostrils. In the vast expanse stood humans that made her feel a sense of cordiality although she did not know them. She only had a vague impression of the youth that had his chest pierced by her strike and he was apparently surnamed Li as well. However, none of that prevented her from feeling good vibes from them. Oh, that's not right. It appeared as though two of the girls had that hint of animosity in their eyes.

Regardless of the circumstances, the world here was much more beautiful compared to the other world.

Finally...she had returned with him alive.

"Hey, Shi Xiaobai, we are back. We are safe. So, you can have a good rest. You are too, too, too tired..."

Dawn heaved a sigh of relief. She took half a step back and looked up slightly. She stretched out her hands to gently lift 'Shi Xiaobai's pale face. She stared at the glazed eyes that could not hide their emptiness. She only felt her heart ache painfully for him.

What sort of desperate situation did he experience, and what sort of resolution did he take, to be able to protect her under those circumstances or turn into such a state in order to protect her?

He was in dire need of rest.

"Is that a joke? An hour ago, wasn't the two of them fighting so intensely, as though they were unwilling to stand down till they perished in an internecine struggle? How did it change completely in just a short hour?"

Speechless was dumbfounded. The teenage girl's feelings of the 'Hero King' in front of him were completely different from that cold and expressionless blond youth from before. It was a completely different scene from the cold and ruthless appearance when she slashed out her Sword Soul in a bid to kill him and Shi Xiaobai.

What happened in that world during that short hour? What did that bastard, Shi Xiaobai, do!?

"How can Benefactor Shi Xiaobai's flirting skills be something that plebeians like us be able to comprehend?" Liu Yu immediately gave up thinking.

Everyone was somewhat stupefied. They only felt that the changes within an hour were somewhat unbelievable. According to Field Marshal Awesomo, the Hero King was apparently a true existence that had traveled from three thousand years ago to the present day? Although Field Marshal Awesomo's words were not reliable, they were not necessarily fake.

If she were the true Hero King, then wouldn't it mean that Shi Xiaobai had managed to hook up with the greatest historical figure in just an hour!?

Heavens, it was horrifying on pondering!

At that moment, something unexpected happened all of a sudden!

"Be careful!" Sunless yelled.

From her point of view, a massive figure had suddenly appeared behind Shi Xiaobai. It was Field Marshal Awesomo, who had been forgotten outside the battlefield. It was unknown when he had recovered as he suddenly sneaked an attack!

The spot Shi Xiaobai and Dawn landed happened to be in the vicinity of where Field Marshal Awesomo collapsed!

Everyone was alarmed, but they were more than ten kilometers away. They were unable to provide any help instantaneously.

When she sensed the surging killing intent rushing towards her, Dawn frowned slightly. Although she had caught sight of the figure whose head resembled a black octopus, the gray evil spirit wielding a samurai sword, as well as the gigantic minotaur lying not far away, she did not wish to alarm 'Shi Xiaobai', who had finally managed to calm down, over these trivial matters. Therefore, she chose to ignore them. She did not treat them as monsters that needed killing. It was equivalent to demarcating a line that shouldn't be crossed.

But unexpectedly, the gigantic minotaur that was lying not far away suddenly jumped up despite looking completely dead or bordering on death. He brandished his battle ax vigorously before he cleaved at her.

No, to be precise, the target of the gigantic minotaur was 'Shi Xiaobai''s head.

"Not to be forgiven!"

Dawn's tender and teenage feelings of heartache immediately turned cold. Her eyes instantly became as sharp and aggressive as a sword.

Anything that attempted to harm Shi Xiaobai was not to be forgiven!

She did not know who the gigantic minotaur was, nor did she know why it would suddenly attack 'Shi Xiaobai', but she would absolutely not forgive the minotaur!

Dawn decisively waved her right hand, and like a bolt of lightning that flashed, she stretched out her index and middle finger that resembled a sharp sword. Instantly, she cut off the thick cloth rope that was wrapped around her waist, separating her from the tight adherence to 'Shi Xiaobai'.

After the cloth rope was severed, she crouched down abruptly, like a compressed spring, and through the side, she instantly appeared from under 'Shi Xiaobai''s arm. Immediately, she faced the minotaur that was about to strike 'Shi Xiaobai''s back.

When she crouched down, she raised her right hand and spread out her palm with a twirl. Suddenly, she grabbed down on invisible air and a purple pattern flashed in her palm. Lucifer's Sword that had been dropped in the array world appeared out of thin air in her right hand.

That move was spatial magic known as "Equipment Magic". It was one of the more complicated magical skills. As an intricate magic rune had been inscribed on 'Lucifer's Sword' beforehand, she could summon it back to her even through a thick spatial barrier.

But when she accomplished all of that, she was unable to be in time to prevent the attack as she had greatly expanded her physical strength.

Dawn panicked but immediately she gritted her teeth and thrust her sword upwards towards Field Marshal Awesomo's arm, in a bid to force him to release his ax.

However, Field Marshal Awesomo ignored her strike and disregarding the safety of his arm. His reason had long been devoured by anger and humiliation. It so happened that the boy that the azure-dressed girl was so worried about had appeared in his vicinity when he fully revived. How could he miss such a rare opportunity for revenge?

Field Marshal Awesomo had a savage look on his face. Blue veins protruded out of his thick arms as his muscles rippled. After experiencing the tragic fate of having his body dismembered numerous times, his strength had long recovered to his peak after all the 'damage'.

Therefore, he was presently at his full strength. He cleaved at the boy's head in an indomitable fashion with Mountain Cleaving Ax!

Even a mountain would be cleaved into smithereens by that strike, much less a head!

Dawn panicked and hurriedly twisted her sword's trajectory, in a bid to chase after the ax that she could no longer block.

Just as the boy's head was about to be smashed into a mess!

Peng!

Suddenly, a blood-stained and pale-white hand reached out at a speed that could not be discerned. It struck the ax and held it firmly. The ax immediately came to a halt, unable to move another inch.

"Impossible!"

All the veins on Field Marshal Awesomo's neck began to protrude. His ox head turned purple, but no matter how much strength he used, the battle ax that was in a firm grip did not move even a centimeter.

How could that silver-haired and bloodied boy have such strength!?

Suddenly, the silver-haired boy turned his head and took a glance at him.

Just that single glance made Field Marshal Awesomo feel his body freeze up, as though he had plummeted into a frozen cavern. An innate sense of fear rose up from his heart, as though he was facing a nemesis he could never defeat.

He subconsciously wanted to abandon his ax and flee backwards. However, the silver-haired boy suddenly moved. His speed was so fast that Field Marshal Awesomo failed to react in time. All he saw was a blur before the boy stood on his shoulders. Furthermore, one hand had griped his arm.

It widened its ox eyes and felt a baffling sense of panic. However, for some reason, his body had turned stiff in his spot, preventing him from moving. Suddenly, the silver-haired boy's bloody hand that held his arm moved upwards!

All he saw was a thick limb that was thrown high into the sky.

Blood began to spew out suddenly like a bursting water pipe. As the deluge of blood spurted out, pain began to overwhelm him.

Field Marshal Awesomo let out a painful cry. He found it unbelievable that a causal movement made by the silver-haired boy would rip his arm out. It was so fast that the pain did not transmit to his brains in time.

However, its nightmare had only just begun. The silver-haired boy suddenly leaped from his shoulders and agilely circled around his arms and climbed to his back.

Immediately, his back turned cold, as though a foreign object had been inserted into his body. What followed was an excruciating pain that nearly caused him to faint. It felt like something inside of him had been separated.

He cried out in pain as he slammed his left hand towards his back, but before his arm reached the halfway mark, the boy had grabbed his entire arm. With a twist against the joint, the arm was dislocated and severed.

The repeated blows of extreme pain made him howl in pain. The firing of thalamic neurons prevented him from fainting. And at that moment, something seemed to drop down from the sky, crashing into his foot. In response, he knelt to the ground and when he lowered his head to take a look, he realized that it was a bloodied vertebral bone!

The boy had climbed behind him, and in an instant, ripped a portion of his vertebral bone out!

No, that was no boy at all, but a terrifying devil, a true devil covered in human skin.

Just as he had furious and horrified thoughts, the devil's face suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. That pair of frail and thin-looking hands that were stained in blood had already pierced his abdomen.

Field Marshal Awesomo immediately felt the presence of a form of despair. He yelled, "No, no, no, no..."

However, it was of no use. The pair of hands did not hesitate as they easily stabbed deeper into his abdomen and pulled outwards. Sticky intestines began extending out like rope, and was cut midway. His liver and lungs began to spew out the next second after they were pulverized.

"Ah Ah Ah Ah..."

Field Marshal Awesomo gave a cry of despair. His body was being torn apart piece by piece and the pain was much more intense than being sliced to pieces by a sword. Furthermore, the pain came too quickly and suddenly. What followed was even more agonizing.

The spectators above the basin frowned for they had never encountered such a brutal and bloody scene. Some could not bear to watch it while the weaker ones were already beginning to vomit.

Speechless and company were dazed from the scene. They found it unbelievable that the devil ripping Field Marshal Awesomo apart while he still remained alive was Shi Xiaobai.

Even Dawn could not help but cover her mouth. Although she had imagined how cruel the scenes in the array world were after seeing the hellish scene upon regaining consciousness, she still found it highly impactful when she saw it with her own eyes. At the same time, she felt remorse while her heart ached for the devil before her. The more brutal and crueler it was, the more adorable and gentle she found Shi Xiaobai.

While everyone was startled by the shocking scene, Earthbound Yaksha was the only one that had begun to take action. If this continued, Field Marshal Awesomo could very well be killed. It appeared as if the silver-haired devil was bent on tearing Field Marshal Awesomo to pieces. Such damage could very likely exceed Field Marshal Awesomo's self-recovery ability and when the time came, he would die completely.

Be it due to his warrior code or the friendship of ten thousand years, it could not sit idle.

However, just as Earthbound Yaksha moved, Sunless had already noticed its actions. She was one of the few people present that could maintain her calm. That was because she believed in Shi Xiaobai's true nature. Furthermore, she could vaguely guess the sequence of events in the array world. Therefore, she did not get confused by the bloody scene, and instead remained vigilant against Earthbound Yaksha's actions.

The moment she saw Earthbound Yaksha have the thought of rescuing Field Marshal Awesomo, Sunless had slashed her sword out. Using an azure sword beam, she stopped it in its path before using 'Meteor Steps' to chase up to it.

"Scram!" Earthbound Yaksha roared angrily. It did not want to be embroiled with Sunless, making it evident how much it wanted to save the ox.

Sunless remained silent. With the second burst coming from 'Meteor Steps', she charged forward and suddenly slashed at Earthbound Yaksha's waist. The angle was artful and incisive. It contained rich powers of light, and it would be an absolutely devastating blow for Earthbound Yaksha.

Earthbound Yaksha had no choice but to turn around and parry the strike with 'Vaiśravaṇa Heavenly Slash'. It was secretly worried as it immediately bellowed angrily. Soul Suppression once against burst out and it was prepared to kill Sunless first. It believed that its 'enraged' mode would allow it to finish the battle in a short span of time.

On the other end, the similarly 'enraged' Shadow Wraith had begun taking action. Its materialized tentacles slammed the ground, and its sludge-like body constantly advanced. When it reached a viable range, it stretched out its tentacles towards the silver-haired devil that was engaging in wanton slaughter.

Dawn was already alert of her surroundings. She naturally wouldn't allow Shadow Wraith to succeed in its sneak attack. When she saw the tentacles hurling over, she immediately took a step forward, and with an 'Instant Flashstep', she appeared where the tentacles were. She slashed out with a swing of her sword. The sword technique she used was 'Sacred Fire', meant specially to restrain evil beings. The sword burned with sacred flames and when the tentacles were severed, the flames traced back to the origin of the tentacles.

Shadow Wraith yelled in pain as it hurriedly severed its tentacle of its own accord. It roared maniacally, flailing the dozen or more tentacles in the air before it suddenly smacked them out!

It was unknown when Speechless appeared behind Shadow Wraith. Both his hands held a psionic sword as he thrust them towards Shadow Wraith. With an abnormal pose, he reproduced 'Sacred Fire' that Mirror Replication had just obtained. The holy fire stabbed into Shadow Wraith's asshole...uh, into its body along with the sword.

Shadow Wraith cried out tragically as the flames that contained holy powers consumed it. However, it was not that weak to succumb to it. It immediately used its sludge-like force in its body to douse the sacred fire.

The rest had begun taking action as well.

Mu Lengxi began singing Muse Silvermoon's "The Sky is High and the Wind Sings" again. The song that expressed courage and willpower was most empowering at that moment in time.

Pulp Farmer and Mu Yuesheng joined in the battle as they headed towards Shadow Wraith that was the closest to them.

Feng Yuanlin and Liu Yu teamed up with Sunless as they began attacking Earthbound Yaksha in a three-corner pincer attack.

At that moment, a ghost-like figure dashed from the middle of the basin to another end of the basin in a startling sonic boom. While everyone was still recovering from their shock, it had already appeared in front of Earthbound Yaksha.

It was 'Shi Xiaobai'!

What happened to Field Marshal Awesomo?

Looking sideways into the distance, the only thing left from where Field Marshal Awesomo previously was was a pool of blood and a pile of sticky and nauseating bits of meat. The only thing that could be considered complete was an eye socket that was a quarter its normal size. As for the rest, they had been ripped to shreds...

Earthbound Yaksha was incensed when it saw that. Ignoring the chilling fear that it suddenly felt, it slashed at the silver-haired devil in front of it.

The strike was known as the 'Wraith Slaying Devil Blade' which accumulated its power from slaughtering countless of wraiths from hell. It was an accumulation of the prolonged hatred wraiths had towards the devils that abused them. It was a blade technique that was specially used to counter devils.

It did not have a chance to use it against pure and honest humans, but at that moment, it was highly suitable to use it against the cruel devil.

However, the silver-haired devil in front of it was not any ordinary devil. It possessed an exaggerated agility that even high-grade devils could not attain. With a turn to its side, it dodged the blade before stretching out a hand to grip Earthbound Yaksha's arm. It easily tore the arm off its joints and taking advantage of the momentum, the devil charged forward. Before the pain from the torn off limb spewed blood, the devil had stabbed Earthbound Yaksha's body with a hand!

"No! How could it be?"

Earthbound Yaksha watched in disbelief as its abdomen instantly ruptured. Then, an excruciating pain overwhelmed its senses.

It was an evil spirit from hell. Only light and spectral powers could directly hurt its physical embodiment. Why was a hand that was made out of flesh able to rip its body apart?

Earthbound Yaksha was destined to never know the answer. The time offered to it to ponder was just too little because the pair of devilish hands did not wait a second to rip apart its prey.

Tragic cries echoed throughout the basin once again. Thankfully, Earthbound Yaksha was just a physical embodiment of an evil spirit. It was a kind of specter, so the scene was not as gory and disgusting as before.

But the degree of horror was enough to give people nightmares.

Sunless, Liu Yu, and Feng Yuanlin managed to see the scene up close. The visual impact was unimaginable. No matter how horrifyingly Earthbound Yaksha cried, the silver-haired devil continued tearing its body apart like an unwavering machine. It ripped out portions that was once Earthbound Yaksha's body and threw them nonchalantly. It was as if it was not ripping apart a life, but a cheap blob of cotton.

Liu Yu and Feng Yuanlin turned their heads away midway through the brutal scene. Only Sunless stared intently. She stood close by and focused on Earthbound Yaksha with a wary gaze. Even though it had been torn to bits, Sunless did not wish to let down her guard of it possibly hurting Shi Xiaobai before it died.

The ten seconds that felt extremely long was actually very short. Almost in a blink of an eye, Earthbound Yaksha's massive body had transformed into a pool of bloody water.

All it took for a complete body to turn into messy pool of bodily fluid that was void of any dregs was ten seconds.

This was why the scene had such an impact.

And after completing this 'trivial' task, the silver-haired devil charged straight for the frantic Shadow Wraith without even looking at the three humans.

"He's not attacking us. Does it mean that Shi Xiaobai still maintains a bit of his consciousness even in this state? Or he would only attack targets that show animosity?" Liu Yu feigned calmness as he analyzed.

"Latter." Sunless suddenly said. Her eyes were still locked onto Shi Xiaobai intently, but she had answered Liu Yu's analysis.

"What are you basing it on?" asked Liu Yu.

Sunless shook her head and whispered the word, "Hope."

The latter was without any basis, but she wished that it was the latter.

That was because if it were the former, it would be too cruel to an awaken Shi Xiaobai if he had even a tiny bit of consciousness regarding this matter.

Shadow Wraith was being encircled by Dawn, Speechless, Pulp Farmer, and Mu Yuesheng. Its situation was much worse than Earthbound Yaksha, but it was able to use its massive body and extraordinary resistance to result in a stalemate with the four people without suffering too terribly.

However, the silver-haired devil very quickly reached its devilish claws out toward it. It was much faster than it had expected. To be precise, the speed at which Field Marshal Awesomo and Earthbound Yaksha was torn apart and reduced to sludge was something it could not imagine.

Therefore, its tragedy befell it. In front of the silver-haired devil, it was unable to put up the slightest bit of resistance. That unreasonable agility made its hundreds of tentacles useless, much less the strange energy that was ripping out chunks of its body in a nonchalant manner. It was like a natural executioner, one that was professionally trained to deliver death by dismembering.

As its body was the largest among the three Level Lords, it had survived a few more seconds more than Field Marshal Awesomo and Earthbound Yaksha. But because of this, the misery it experienced lasted for a few more seconds.

Those few seconds felt like a few lifetimes long. It was the cruelest punishment from hell that made it not even want to live for another second!

The wretched howling and crying echoed inside and outside the basin. It made all the spectators turn silent. It made the rookies only dare to stop and stare from a distance.

Only when Shadow Wraith's body was completely ripped to pieces, marking the deaths of the three Level Lords did the silver-haired devil stand in the pool of 'bloody sludge'. His body was covered in fresh blood, dirty bits of meat and foul sludge. It was silent, like a machine that came to a complete halt after finishing its mission.

That moment of stillness extended to the voices and breathing of the crowd. It was as if the entire world had fallen into silence in shock.

This continued to the moment when the blond girl, whose clothes were similarly blood-stained, suddenly took a step forward. With a leap, she pounced into the silver-haired devil's arms. Her arms wrapped around the devil's waist and she hugged him tightly.

The robes she wore were originally white in color and were untainted in any way. Their original pure snow-white color had now turned into a dirty blackish-red.

However, at that moment, she looked holier and purer than a nun dressed in white robes.

"Sleep, it'll all be fine after you sleep."

Dawn raised her hand as she gently caressed 'Shi Xiaobai''s silver hair while speaking as if she was delivering a somniloquy.

Not far away, Sunless gradually slowed down her footsteps. Her calm expression and her dull eyes remained the same. No expression or emotions could be read from them, but one could clearly hear the sound of her footsteps coming to a halt and feel the slight tremble of her body.

"Got beaten to it..."

She murmured with an inaudible voice.

Other than that, no one made a sound in an attempt to disturb the 'couple' embracing each other without a care in the world, despite being covered in grim innards.

The matter was over. The three Level Lords were all dead. The plot that was machinated against them had been foiled. Now, all that was left was to wrap up the situation.

The silver-haired devil, no, Shi Xiaobai had yet to be restored to his original state.

At that moment, he was like a machine that had stopped operating. He remained motionless, allowing Dawn to hug him. The golden vortices in his eyes that were constantly rotating had also stopped, and it looked more empty than they were before.

However, he did not faint either. Such a state could not help but make others worry for him.

Dawn called out a few times and realized that Shi Xiaobai was remaining motionless. As she thought about it, she pulled away from his arms and took a few steps back.

"Are you not sleeping because it's too dirty? I'll help you shower?"

It was unknown how did the girl come to such a conclusion. Furthermore, she immediately began taking action.

She held her hands together in front of her chest and with her palms facing up like she was holding a ball, she quickly chanted, "By the Oath of Water, by thy name and by my body, Water Ball!"

Blue light condensed in between the girl's hands. Suddenly, a ball of water about the size of a basket ball was raised up by the girl. The ball of water constantly expanded in size and when it was about two meters high, it suddenly sprayed forward!

The large ball of water flew to a spot above 'Shi Xiaobai' and suddenly burst. It splashed down like a waterfall, drenching 'Shi Xiaobai'. The blood, dirt and flesh were cleansed away, but 'Shi Xiaobai' remained motionless despite the impact.

"Is that magic?" Liu Yu asked Mu Lengxi using Telepathic Relay.

"It's magic. Three thousand years ago, the psionic cultivation system was not mainstream. There was quite a number of people using magic. However, the Hero King at this age has very ordinary magic standards," answered Mu Lengxi.

In that short period of time, Dawn had sprayed three balls of water at Shi Xiaobai. He was much cleaner than before so although there were still stains on his clothes, the dirt on his skin had been cleansed by the strong force.

The face that had been cleaned finally revealed its true appearance.

"Pss...That bastard is quite handsome after all."

Speechless found his words problematic as he immediately said with a laugh, "But unfortunately, he's still slightly inferior when compared to This Emperor."

The people present immediately ignored the second half of his sentence, but they nodded in agreement with regards to the first half of Speechless's sentence.

The pale face looked better than before. The silver hair gave him a unique sinister charm. Although his eyes looked empty, it did not hinder itself from being a part of the set of perfect facial features. Shi Xiaobai's originally delicate but not handsome face looked very different due to a few tiny changes.

Saying he looked like a 'hottie' was not accurate. To be precise, he had a beauty that was neutral-masculine.

Dawn gave a satisfied smile. She walked forward while disregarding the gazes of everyone. She gently caressed Shi Xiaobai's face. If it was not done by a beautiful girl to a boy, it would look like a creepy sexual predator doing as he pleased to a motionless loli.

No one made a sound to stop her because they realized that Shi Xiaobai was completely cleansed. However, Dawn was covered in dirt. She did not even send a drop of water on herself, as though she did not care about her hygiene.

"Didn't history tell us that the Hero King was a germaphobe?" Pulp Farmer whispered into Liu Yu's ear.

"We might have learned some fake history." Just as always, Liu Yu gave up pondering. He gave an answer that was of little research value so that there was no need to further investigate the truth.

No matter what type of Hero King the historical Hero King was, the present Dawn Li resembled an unkempt and dirty female hooligan.

She caressed Shi Xiaobai's face for nearly a minute before she suddenly retracted her hand. She said gently, "I'm leaving..."

Leave? Where to?

Everyone fell into a daze.

However, Dawn continued,

"I need to return to the place where I belong."

"I have to return because the time is up."

"After this separation, we might never meet again because we are people from two different worlds, to begin with. We might even not be in the same 'timeline' and we are people from different 'realities'."

"But regardless of the case, I like you. I like you very, very, very much. Uh...What I'm talking about is the feeling between men and women."

"This level of liking would never change no matter how much time has passed. So even though we are separating, even though we will not have a way to meet again, I'm already happy enough to have this many beautiful memories."

"But, I have a regret..."

"I still have no idea of what you think of me up to now. Do you..."

"Hey, Shi Xiaobai, do you like me, even if it's just a tiny, tiny bit?"

As she ignored everyone's looks, the girl boldly and passionately gave her confession before she left.

A faint sadness and a rich sweetness permeated the air. This was probably the beauty of love.

"This is probably what it feels like to be a bachelor," said Liu Yu.

However, the cold machine did not begin to function properly because of the heartwarming words. Even the girl's beautiful farewell and passionate confession were useless.

The silver-haired Shi Xiaobai remained motionless and unmoved.

The girl sighed before she suddenly took a step back.

"Do not forget me."

She looked like she was pleading and her expression looked heart wrenching.

"Then...farewell...my first love."

It was as if she was bidding him farewell forever with a plangent voice.

The girl took another step back and took a deep breath. Looking up slightly, it was as if she was about to leave immediately.

At that moment, the golden vortices in the pair of empty eyes suddenly began spinning.

A fair hand raised stiffly.

Everyone stared with widened eyes as though they had seen a miracle.

Dawn widened her eyes as well. After a moment of surprise, she hurriedly stretched out her hand to hold Shi Xiaobai's raised hand.

"I...I...I..."

Suddenly, Shi Xiaobai opened his mouth.

It was still that familiar voice, but it was like a broken radio that was stuck with the word "I".

But at that moment, everyone patiently pricked up their ears.

Dawn felt that her pounding heart was racing faster and faster.

"I...I..."

This repeating but staccato 'I' continued on for a full minute, but just as everyone was about to lose their patience, the second word was squeezed out of his vocal cords.

"I...I...Like..."

A single "Like" syllable instantly made Dawn rejoice in tears.

As long as there was no fucked up reversal, the words Shi Xiaobai wanted to finish was definitely—I like you.

Just this sentence was enough.

That was on Dawn's mind.

Yes, the joke had gone far enough.

Things like she having to leave or that her time was up? Of course, none of that was actually true!

She had planned on pretending to leave in a hope to let Shi Xiaobai, who had 'hung', recover his consciousness. However, she never expected to receive such great rewards!

It completely exceeded her expectations and all she felt was satisfaction.

"Actually..."

Dawn was about to explain the joke because she found it sinful to continue experiencing the bliss through the use of a joke.

But at that moment, a strange voice resounded in her mind.

The sound alarmed Dawn. She immediately turned flustered as she raised her head to survey her surroundings as she shouted, "What does forceful expulsion mean!?"

"I was just joking!"

"No! I'm not leaving!"

"I don't want to leave!"

"I don't want..."

Everyone watched in astonishment as Dawn began shouting at an unknown entity. Suddenly, at the moment Dawn shouted "I don't want", she vanished without completing her sentence!

She had disappeared into thin air!

She had vanished in front of everyone's eyes instantly!

"Like...Like."

The voice that sounded like a broken radio truly broke at that instant.

The moment Dawn vanished, 'Shi Xiaobai''s voice came to a sudden halt. The golden vortices in his pair of black eyes began to spin out of control. The speed was that of a rapidly spinning top!

Everyone was shocked as well. Suddenly they felt a heavy pressure billow towards them, causing them to feel stifled.

"Soul...Suppression?" Speechless frowned deeply. Although he had experienced 'resistance training', he was unable to withstand the pressure of the Soul Suppression which came from 'Shi Xiaobai'!

Dawn Li's sudden disappearance had clearly pushed 'Shi Xiaobai' to the brink of raging!

Strange streams of black energy suddenly began to surge towards Shi Xiaobai. The golden vortices in his eyes spun at high speeds while his pale skin gradually turned pitch black. His silver hair gradually grew longer and the intensity of Soul Suppression grew stronger. Even Speechless could not withstand it as he was completely immobile!

At that moment, even the world seemed to experience an odd phenomena.

"Who...can stop him..." Speechless uttered those words with great difficulty, but his heart was filled with wry smiles. Even he could not move from the Soul Suppression, so who else could prevent the enraging Shi Xiaobai.

However, Speechless's pupils constricted slightly because he saw an azure-dressed girl slowly walking towards Shi Xiaobai despite the overwhelming suppression.

Sunless!

Even under such immense suppression, Sunless was still able to proceed forward. Step by step, she approached the enraged Shi Xiaobai.

"All...All the best..." prayed Speechless.

Sunless did not disappoint him, or it should be said that Sunless never disappointed anyone.

Even though Speechless had been crushed till he was adhered to the ground in the end, Sunless was still walking. Even though it was a turtle's crawl, she finally managed to touch Shi Xiaobai's cheeks gently with her hand.

"Came late..." Sunless said softly.

The last time, someone had taken the first opportunity away from her.

This time, she had come late.

It didn't sound like there was a great difference, but she had managed to touch his face for a second time...

At that moment, the quaking ground came to a stop. The darkening skies lit up with a glimmer of light. The Soul Suppression that had crushed people to the ground vanished suddenly and the black energy that constantly surged into Shi Xiaobai's body instantly dissipated...

But a shocking thing happened at that moment!

'Shi Xiaobai', who had his face touched, suddenly stretched out both his hands to press down on Sunless's shoulders. He pounced and immediately pushed Sunless to the ground. Sunless moaned, as though she was in pain. She was pinned down to the ground by 'Shi Xiaobai'.

"Holy shit!!"

Was his bestial nature finally showing after he failed to rage?

Everyone hurriedly got up and rushed to save Sunless, but they saw Shi Xiaobai, who was sprawled above Sunless, suddenly collapse. His head fell straight onto Sunless's chest. It looked like he was smothering himself with her breasts, but everyone noticed that Shi Xiaobai's hair had turned from silver to black.

"Fainted."

Sunless immediately spoke, so as to assuage the crowd that was rushing over to prevent Shi Xiaobai from engaging in a lascivious act from panicking.

Sunless held Shi Xiaobai's head and let her chest be his pillow before she sat up.

"He's sleeping..."

Sunless gently caressed Shi Xiaobai's black hair. Her voice was warm and gentle, and her expression was even tenderer.

"Ah! Sunless, you..." Liu Yu, who was the first to approach, exclaimed suddenly.

Everyone gathered over and saw two deep claw marks on Sunless's shoulders. Blood spewed out and one could even vaguely see bone...

It turned out that 'Shi Xiaobai' was not engaging in a bestial act. Instead, he had wanted to attack Sunless. If not for him falling unconscious at the critical moment, dispelling his silver-haired state, Sunless's two arms would have been ripped off and thrown into the air like the three Level Lords...

However, despite experiencing such grave danger, Sunless was still able to maintain a gentle expression despite enduring the excruciating pain. One could even see a rare smile on her face.

She caressed the hair of Shi Xiaobai, who was resting on her chest, as if she was caressing a treasure more important than her life.

"Shh...Don't wake him up."

She looked up to gesture for the panicking crowd to calm down.

At that moment, the two girls from the Mu family began to tear up. The boys around them were feeling deeply shocked. They felt that if Shi Xiaobai were to one day let down that girl, he was definitely not to be forgiven.

Mu Lengxi quietly cast healing magic on Sunless's shoulders, while Speechless used Mirror Replication to heal her as well. Her injuries took nearly ten minutes before they healed.

Speechless sighed and said, "Let's go. Shi Xiaobai needs a quiet room to rest in. Sunless might also need to have her wounds tended to. Let's go back."

Speechless' suggestion was met with agreement. Sunless hesitated for a moment before agreeing. There was no other reason because there was indeed a need for Shi Xiaobai to have a quiet room to rest although she did not mind sitting there and be Shi Xiaobai's pillow.

"Come on. Liu Yu, let's hold up one arm, and support him from each side. Little Xi and Yuesheng, help Sunless bandage her wounds."

Speechless got Liu Yu, who was standing beside him, to help 'move' Shi Xiaobai. Since carrying him alone needed a princess carry, it created a feeling of dissonance. As for Sunless, her shoulders were injured, so she could not bear the heavy burden of moving Shi Xiaobai. Furthermore, there was a need for her to tend to her wounds.

Speechless' order's were always rather reasonable, so the group quickly followed his instructions.

The returning team lineup was determined instantaneously. Feng Yuanlin would walk right at the back, while Speechless and Liu Yu would each cling onto one of Shi Xiaobai's arms. They would walk in the second row, while Mu Lengxi and Mu Yuesheng would help Sunless bandage her wounds. Pulp Farmer would walk at the back to watch their backs.

Speechless did not relax even when it came to the returning lineup. He proceeded in the safest way possible.

It was because there was still a group of spectators above the basin that had not departed. Although they voluntarily opened up a path that could easily accommodate dozens of carts, no one knew what incidents might happen.

There was no harm in taking precaution.

Everyone proceeded as planned.

Feng Yuanlin walked carefreely despite Speechless reminding him several times to be on alert.

Mu Lengxi and Mu Yuesheng each stood on one side of Sunless as they helped her bandage her wounds. However, since it was in broad daylight and with so many eyes watching, Sunless only wrapped two bandages around her clothes. There was a need for her to take off her clothes and be bandaged again when she returned.

Pulp Farmer demonstrated an excellent quality completely unlike Feng Yuanlin's. He was constantly wary of the back and even released the thousand paper cranes as a preemptive warning system. He nipped danger in the bud.

Speechless began to raise topics for a conversation in an attempt to make the team's heavy mood turn lively.

"You don't say, This Emperor remembers that only one trial-taker can obtain the recognition in the seventh level's world. When the sole person to clear the level is made known, the remaining trial-takers would be forcefully expelled. This Emperor is very sorry because all of you would be forcefully expelled as a result of This Emperor," said Speechless.

"Why?" Liu Yu followed up in a friendly tone.

"Because based on the performance of the battle, This Emperor's performance was probably the best, right? With exciting commands and a perfect plan, This Emperor had led everyone from a situation of despair to an outcome where we turned the tides of battle. If the assessment program were to choose someone to acknowledge, it will definitely choose This Emperor, right?" Speechless said as though it was a matter taken for granted.

"Uh...but the reason why we could turn the tide of battle was because of This Penniless Priest's Telepathic Relay, wasn't it?" A brittle alliance could shatter at any time. Liu Yu felt that his hard work was not to be dismissed even if it lacked merit. It wasn't easy for him to be a mouthpiece which could not easily interrupt.

"Without This Emperor's strategic orders, Telepathic Relay would have been useless," said Speechless with a smack of his lips.

"But This Penniless Priest recalls that the resolution of Shadow Shackles was all dependent on Sunless. Finding the core formation was all dependent on Pulp Farmer. Destroying the core formation was all dependent on Mu Yuesheng. The reason why we could restrain Earthbound Yaksha was all because of Mu Lengxi and Feng Yuanlin, who protected her. Benefactor Speechless, other than you restraining Shadow Wraith for a short moment, it appears like you did not do anything special?" Liu Yu looked baffled. He had the feeling that Sunless was more suited to be the MVP.

"This..."

Speechless began to stammer, but he quickly straightened his thoughts. With a light cough, he said, "For a company to run smoothly, it obviously cannot be void of technical talent, but what greatly influences the company is obviously the chief executive that aligns the various departments and eventually makes the decisions. What This Emperor did was no different from a chief executive."

Liu Yu was surprised. Although it was twisted logic, what Speechless said sounded very reasonable?

At that moment, Feng Yuanlin, who was walking right in front, turned his head suddenly and tried to get in on the conversation, "I believe..."

However, Speechless immediately exhorted Feng Yuanlin to be wary of the front by saying, "Don't turn your head. Watch your front!"

Feng Yuanlin helplessly turned his head and said, "I can still speak without my head turned, right?"

"Sure, what do you want to say?" asked Speechless.

"I think the person that should obtain the assessment program's recognition is Boss Shi Xiaobai!" Feng Yuanlin said loudly. With his boss being unconscious, as a lackey, he naturally needed to step forward to fight for his boss's reputation!

"Tch, Shi Xiaobai? Tell me, what did Shi Xiaobai do in this battle?" Speechless said with a scoff.

"Boss Shi Xiaobai had killed three Level Lords!" shouted Feng Yuanlin.

"Is that so? Think about it carefully. Can that monster that killed the Level Lords be called Shi Xiaobai?" asked Speechless.

"Uh...Probably..." Feng Yuanlin obviously would not admit that the silver-haired devil was his boss, Shi Xiaobai. With that line of thought, the achievement of killing the Level Lords was indeed unlikely to be considered Shi Xiaobai's.

However, Feng Yuanlin was disgruntled, so he said, "But...But...Boss Shi Xiaobai managed to hook up with..."

"Hook up?" Speechless asked in puzzlement.

"Hook up...hook up with who?" Feng Yuanlin scratched his head and said, "I remember that Boss Shi Xiaobai had hooked up with some very powerful and dignified figure! But who is it? Why can't I remember it at all?"

"Hey, beware getting slain by slandering Shi Xiaobai, by that Sun... Anyways, you understand. Although This Emperor also thinks that the bastard is a casanova, This Emperor has no impression of him hooking up with anyone. It's normal if you can't recall it because there was no such person," said Speechless.

"Oh, is that so? It might be me remembering wrong." Feng Yuanlin thought for a moment and immediately felt like he was mistaken. It was as though it was a wrong impression that lacked any basis.

"That's why, Shi Xiaobai did not do a thing in this battle. Instead, he was the one being rescued. It's impossible for the assessment program to choose him, right? It will not doubt be This Emperor," said Speechless with a laugh.

"No, that's not right!"

Feng Yuanlin still found the matter somewhat odd. After he pondered for a very long period of time, he finally had a stroke of brilliance and shouted, "That's right, Boss Shi Xiaobai had tied with the Hero King! Bro, you were nearly killed. So it is beyond a reasonable doubt that you were defeated!"

"It was just carelessness on This Emperor's part... Furthermore, that Hero King was a fake. It was an imitation created by the assessment program. Didn't it say the truth before it disappeared? Shi Xiaobai's tie with the Hero King was not true, so it can't be considered something important," said Speechless.

"Fake...Oh, it's fake. Odd, why do I remember that someone said it's true...Did I remember wrongly again?" Feng Yuanlin scratched his head in a distressed state.

"Did you have some strange dream last night, causing your memories to mess up? Or is it...that This Emperor's memory has problems? Hey, Liu Yu, Pulp Farmer, Yuesheng, what about your memories? Are they the same as This Emperor's?" asked Speechless.

"They're the same." Liu Yu and the rest gave the same answers one after the other.

"Ha...ha, it looks like I remembered wrong!" Feng Yuanlin gave a stiff laugh.

This conversation suddenly turned somewhat awkward when it reached that point.

After a few minutes, no one made another sound. Only when Speechless found a new topic of conversation did it become somewhat lively again.

At that moment, they were proceeding through the Silent Desolate Lands. On the way, they also encountered many citizens that were similarly on the way back.

Although they did not let down their guard...Urh, to be precise, they referred to Pulp Farmer, who consciously remained wary of the back, as well as Feng Yuanlin, who was forced to be constantly be wary of the front.

Most of the time, it was Speechless who took the initiative to kick start a conversation. The others would respond to him and it made the return journey not overly boring.

However, just as they were past the halfway mark of their journey!

Something out of the ordinary happened!

A problem happened to the three people walking in the second row simultaneously. First, it was Liu Yu on the left who fell to the left as though he was knocked away. Speechless, who was on the right, flew backwards as if he was struck by an immense force. And Shi Xiaobai, who was carried by the arms, planted his face straight to the ground in an odd manner...

"Shi Xiaobai!"

"Boss Shi Xiaobai!"

"Brother Speechless!"

"Speechless Li!"

Everyone exclaimed. Sunless was the first to rush to Shi Xiaobai, who had collapsed to the ground face down. Feng Yuanlin turned his head and walked over to help Liu Yu up.

Mu Yuesheng had instantly turned around to rush up to Speechless, who was behind her. Pulp Farmer, who was behind, also naturally walked towards Speechless, who was closest to him.

Mu Lengxi's eyes wavered from left to right for a moment. She had noticed Sunless, who had rushed to Shi Xiaobai's side. As the light in her eyes dimmed, she bit her lower lip before running towards Speechless.

At that moment, Sunless had roughly probed Shi Xiaobai's body. When she realized that he was still unconscious and uninjured, she immediately heaved a sigh of relief. She turned her head and asked Liu Yu, "What happened?"

She did not see the culprit, nor did she sense any energy fluctuations. But why did the trio suddenly collapse to the ground?

Was it some invisible force?

The answer clearly wasn't that.

Liu Yu hesitated slightly before saying with a sigh, "This Penniless Priest did not manage to see all of it, but the general sequence of events was Benefactor Shi Xiaobai suddenly waking up. He knocked This Penniless Priest down with his elbow and then smacked Benefactor Speechless in the chest. It caused Benefactor Speechless to fly back... This Penniless Priest failed to see what happened after that... But maybe Benefactor Shi Xiaobai had fallen unconscious again, causing him to collapse forwards since no one was supporting him."

It sounded like the truth. If the invisible force did not exist, then the only way to explain how Liu Yu fell to the left, how Speechless flew backwards, and how Shi Xiaobai plummeted forward was Liu Yu's explanation.

Furthermore, Liu Yu had no reason to lie.

However...

"Why would Shi Xiaobai do such a thing?" asked Sunless.

Even if Shi Xiaobai had suddenly woken up, there was no reason for him to do such a thing, right?

"Yea, This Penniless Priest happened to notice Benefactor Shi Xiaobai's hair. At that instant, it was silver in color... This Penniless Priest cannot be sure, and keeps thinking that it's a mistake. After all, that instant was just too short."

As Liu Yu said that, his expression writhed.

For Shi Xiaobai's hair to suddenly turn from black to silver, before attacking a companion, it was probably an after effect of the enraged silver-haired mode, right?

All of this could be explained, and no one else was injured after all.

But...

For some reason, Sunless began to gradually frown.

At that moment, the sound of a sobbing cry was heard nearby.

"Brother, wake up! Don't scare me! Sob..."

It was Mu Yuesheng's voice!

The strong Mu Yuesheng was actually crying!?

"What happened?" Liu Yu exclaimed in query. He had rushed towards Speechless with Feng Yuanlin. Sunless carried Shi Xiaobai's body with both her arms as she slowly approached. Her shoulders were trembling gently. Clearly, it was still demanding on her to do such a thing with the injuries she had incurred.

Anyways, let's cast our gaze towards the spot that was more urgent.

At that moment, Speechless's eyes were closed tightly. His expression was extremely pale and he laid on the ground motionless.

Mu Lengxi was bending over his chest while crying incessantly. Mu Lengxi had a hand over her mouth to stop her from producing any sounds of crying, while her other hand was constantly wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Pulp Farmer had a look of disbelief.

Liu Yu and Feng Yuanlin rushed over, with the former asking loudly, "What happened?"

The two girls were already silent from the sobbing. Pulp Farmer could only utter, "Speechless...Speechless is dead...There's no breath...no pulse...Even his heart isn't beating... Speechless...Speechless has died just like that..."

Liu Yu's eyes widened as the color from his face drained. However, he immediately forced himself to calm down. He said loudly to the two sobbing girls, "Don't give up!"

Yes, even though all signs of life had vanished, it did not necessarily mean death!

Giving up was not an option at such a juncture!

Liu Yu thundered, "Mu Yuesheng, use your electric impulse to stimulate the heart. Mu Lengxi, use healing magic. No, that's not right. Use magic that restores physical strength! Don't cry! Don't give up! Speechless might not necessarily die just like that!"

Leadership was extremely important during times like this. Just as Speechless said, if not for his calm direction in that dire situation in the previous battle, which was analogous to gathering a plate of loose sand into a coagulated whole, it was impossible to reverse the situation.

In fact, what Liu Yu had instructed were actions that Mu Lengxi and Mu Yuesheng had been attempting again and again before they were left choked in tears. However, the two were left in complete anguish when the magic and defibrillation failed to show any positive effects.

However, Liu Yu's constant shouts of not giving up and to not lose hope ignited hope in them once again.

Even though there was barely any hope, it had made them strengthen their will once again.

Mu Yuesheng straightened her body and placed both hands on Speechless's chest. She carefully controlled the electric voltage needed for defibrillation. With such a superpower, she had naturally once studied defibrillation in the past.

Mu Lengxi had begun using physical and energy replenishment magic on Speechless again and again.

They were doing all that was humanly possible.

"Right...mouth-to-mouth resuscitation!" Liu Yu was also doing whatever he could do as well.

"I'll do it!"

At that moment, Pulp Farmer demonstrated his heroic side. He did not hesitate to volunteer himself to take on the task of administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Liu Yu's expression stiffened. He felt as if he had given an incorrect command. He did not know if Speechless would thank him or kill him because of the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation if he was successfully resuscitated.

Pulp Farmer was truly a man of action. The moment he said that, he crouched down and was prepared to give Speechless mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as though he was not giving others a chance to object or snatch the mission away from him.

However, there was someone who had snatched the mission away from him due to her closer proximity.

A second after Liu Yu mentioned mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Mu Yuesheng had only hesitated for an instant before she reached out her hand to pinch Speechless's chin. She pulled it open as she leaned over to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

As she gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, she used her other hand to apply electric shocks to Speechless's chest. It could be said that she was giving her all.

This scene looked extremely hallowed. Furthermore, the mood appeared rather serious and depressing, so Liu Yu, who nearly blurted out 'wincest', swallowed his words.

"Speechless can definitely be saved. Definitely!" Liu Yu said affirmatively.

...

An hour later.

"Sorry..."

Liu Yu hung his head low.

"This Penniless Priest was just beside him, but for such a thing to happen...This Penniless Priest...is deserving of death."

Despite such profound remorse, the scene could not become any more solemn.

At that moment, the colors of their figures should be ashen gray.

That was because Speechless was dead.

He had really died.

He did not have any breathing, pulse or heart rate after attempts of saving his life lasted for an hour. Furthermore, his body was becoming colder.

But to be precise, Speechless had already been dead for an hour.

"It has to be a joke..."

Mu Yuesheng lowered her head. Her brown eyes did not have any luster to them, as though they were 'malfunctioning'.

All of this could not be real. All of this is a joke, right?

Shi Xiaobai, who suddenly lost control of himself, had accidentally killed Speechless?

His most respected friend killed the cousin she liked?

This must be... a joke, right !? IChooseDogLeading (我选择狗带) when read in Chinese sounds like I Choose Go Die. It was a meme that resulted from a former member of famous Korean boygroup, EXO, TAO (Huang Zitao). At a concert, there was a part in a rap that where he said "", but due to a mispronunciation, it sounded like he will not easily choose to be led by dogs. This phrase now means 'I'd rather die/I choose death'.