Amidst the cataclysmic battle where the Grand Elder had ascended to a terrifying new youthful form by sacrificing his own disciples, Ye Fang stood resolute on the protected Stone Platform. His eyes remained locked on the exchange between Yang Kai Long and the Grand Elder.
Suddenly, a bright, pulsing blue screen flickered into existence before his vision. The glow of the floating interface momentarily blinded him.
[System alert]
[New mission update]
[Mission: Kill the Grand Elder]
[Description: Eliminate the Grand Elder of the Blood Coffin Sect. This is imperative for the equilibrium of the cultivation world.]
[Reward: All of the Grand Elder's Secret Techniques and the Divine-Grade Burial Coffin.]
[Punishment: If the Host fails to slay the Grand Elder within the designated timeframe, the Host will face the strike of the Divine Thunder.]
Ye Fang's eyes widened as he read the text. He stared at the digital screen, unable to believe what he was seeing. His fists clenched, and he turned his head toward the invisible presence of the Little System.
"Hey, Little System! What kind of joke is this?" Ye Fang muttered internally, his tone thick with frustration and despair. "What kind of mission have you handed me? The Grand Elder is at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, and you're telling me to kill him? If I fail, I have to face 'Divine Thunder'... What is this? How is this anything but unjust?"
He cast his gaze back toward the sky, where Yang Kai Long, burning with God-Demon energy, was parrying every strike from the Grand Elder. The aggression, the transformation, the invincibility—witnessing it all made Ye Fang feel insignificant.
"And besides..." Ye Fang thought bitterly, "Yang Kai Long is doing all the fighting! Look at him; after consuming that pill I gave him, he's had the perfect transformation. He looks like the 'Main Character,' and I'm just a 'Side Character' watching the spectacle. He gets all the action, all the glory, all the power, and I'm left with the dirty work?"
He shook his head, trying to banish these thoughts, but deep down, he felt vulnerable.
"Why am I thinking this again?" he chided himself. "I need to set these useless emotions aside and realize that the Grand Elder has his new youthful body and is at the peak of his insanity. If I want to complete this mission and escape the thunder, I have to do something that even Yang Kai Long wouldn't expect."
He narrowed his eyes. He could no longer be a mere spectator. The System's 'Divine Thunder' penalty would be devastating. He had to exploit the Grand Elder's arrogance and blood-lust.
He knew the Grand Elder's eyes were fixed on Wang Mai and Wang Ling.
Ye Fang's throat went dry. He watched the bloody spectacle above, where the Grand Elder was dominating Yang Kai Long with his newfound youth. The System's terrifying warning echoed in his mind.
He called out to the Little System deep within his thoughts, his voice laced with nervousness and frantic energy:
"System! Do... do I really have to kill him myself? Is there no other way? I killed the Silver Rhino; that was a beast, but this? This is a human! No matter how evil he is, shedding human blood... it's too much for me. Can I... can I channel my Qi into a weapon and give it to Yang Kai Long? If this Elder dies by his sword, won't my mission be considered complete?"
The clash between Yang Kai Long and the Grand Elder shook the entire cavern. Yang Kai Long, intoxicated by the pill and his awakened powers, was unaware that his greatest companion was fighting a moral battle.
Little System looked at Ye Fang and replied, "Host! You are attempting to find a loophole in the mission's intricacies. If you infuse your Qi into Yang Kai Long's 'Dragon Breathing Sword' and the Grand Elder perishes by that strike, the mission objective regarding the Grand Elder's death will be considered fulfilled. However, as this constitutes an 'Indirect Kill,' your rewards will be reduced by 40%. Restrictions may also apply to the quality of the Secret Techniques and the ownership of the Divine-Grade Burial Coffin."
Ye Fang took a deep breath. He didn't care about the 40% reduction; the burden of killing a man with his own hands felt lighter.
He shook off his hesitation and focused. He reached out toward Yang Kai Long and began concentrating his Qi into his palms. A golden and black, fused energy began to radiate from his hands.
"Alright, System, if an indirect kill works, then so be it. A lower reward is fine, but I cannot carry this burden on my conscience," Ye Fang muttered.
Just then, Yang Kai Long retreated slightly after a heavy blow. This was the chance. With total concentration, Ye Fang projected his supernatural energy toward Yang Kai Long to merge it into his sword.
"Yang Kai Long! Lower your sword slightly; I am lending you a portion of my power! We must end this Elder today!" Ye Fang shouted.
Yang Kai Long looked back, startled. His eyes gleamed. He felt the strange, God-Demon aura-laden energy emanating from Ye Fang. Without question, he swung his sword through the air, absorbing the energy into his 'Dragon Breathing Sword.'
The color of the blade shifted instantly. It was no longer just blue lightning; a deadly mixture of Ye Fang's ancient energy coursed through it.
The Grand Elder, still arrogant in his new power, sneered, "Are you resorting to toys to stave off your defeat?"
Yang Kai Long didn't answer. He simply looked at Ye Fang.
As Ye Fang channeled the mysterious energy into the sword, his own 'God-Demon Physic' trembled. He was about to fully integrate the energy into the blade, but suddenly, an ear-splitting shriek tore through the darkness of the cavern.
The Grand Elder had sensed Ye Fang's ploy. Utilizing the agility of his new youthful body, he released hundreds of 'Blue Puppets' from within his dark robes. These puppets were faster and deadlier than ordinary ones. The blue gas emitted from their bodies turned the surrounding air toxic. In unison, the dozen puppets leaped toward Ye Fang.
"Damn it!"
Ye Fang was forced to break his focus. His Qi connection wavered, and only half the energy reached Yang Kai Long's sword, while the rest was spent defending against the puppets.
Below, the battlefield was in chaos. Murong Yun and Shi Mao looked at each other and screamed, "Now! Activate the Dragon Formation!"
They swirled their swords in a specific pattern. Suddenly, the atmosphere around them ignited. Their Qi energy coalesced into a massive 'Fire Dragon.' As the dragon roared, the cavern ceiling trembled. The flames were not ordinary; they contained the heat of 'True Fire.' Wherever they touched, the Blood Coffin Sect's puppets were reduced to ash.
Nearby, Commander Zheng and Captain Luo held their ground with all their might, decapitating puppets with their shields and swords, the scent of iron and blood filling the air.
Wang Mai quickly fed a 'Spirit-Healing Pill' to her younger sister, Wang Ling, and steadied her. Wang Ling's eyes remained fixed on the battle in the sky. Wang Mai, biting her lip, said, "Ling, look! It's the effect of the pill Ye Fang gave. This transformation of Yang Kai Long... it's beyond any human limit. If we are to survive and defend ourselves, we must use the pills he gave us. We can't wait any longer!"
But what was happening in the sky defied imagination.
As Ye Fang's pure, God-Demon mixed energy infused Yang Kai Long's sword, Yang Kai Long felt as if an ancient ocean were boiling in his veins. The energy was unlike any ordinary Qi—it was cold and hot, destructive and creative, all at once.
He gripped his sword tightly. The blue lightning emanating from the blade now pulsed with deep golden and black streaks.
Yang Kai Long looked at Ye Fang in astonishment. His eyes filled with awe. 'This... what kind of aura is this? It's a mixture of pure God-energy and Demonic-energy! These two opposing forces together? How is this possible? How can any cultivator contain both in their Dantian?'
His heart pounded. 'Ye Fang... who are you, really? Who is your master? The pill you gave me had such potential, and now this level of your own energy... are you a hidden demon or a god?'
The Grand Elder, lost in the hubris of his new youthful form, could not sense this shift. He rubbed his palms together, preparing another blood cyclone. But this time, the 'fraction' of Ye Fang's power within Yang Kai Long's sword made the very fabric of space tremble.
Yang Kai Long raised his sword. This time, he wasn't just attacking—he was challenging the very laws of the Burial Coffin.
As Wang Mai and Wang Ling held the 'God Demon Rebirth Pills' in their hands, the entire chamber froze. The Grand Elder's keen, bloodthirsty eyes locked onto the glowing pills. His greed knew no bounds.
"Hahahaha! So that was the secret!" the Grand Elder's voice boomed. "This is the Forbidden Pill! These ignorant girls, who are only at the Foundation Establishment level, are holding this divine power? My fortune is finally unlocking!"
The Grand Elder didn't even bother looking at Yang Kai Long. He diverted the full might of his black energy from the Heavenly Grade Burial Coffin toward Wang Mai and Wang Ling. The suction force from the coffin transformed into a vortex, rushing to swallow both sisters.
Then—a cataclysmic roar!
BOOM!
Within Yang Kai Long's body, the pure God-Demon energy gifted by Ye Fang erupted like a volcano. The barriers within his Dantian crumbled like a house of cards. The cultivation bottleneck that had held him back for years proved to be nothing more than a wall of sand against Ye Fang's unique Qi.
Yang Kai Long broke through to the Spiritual Ring Realm.
The 'Spiritual Pressure' radiating from his body magnified tenfold. The ground beneath his feet caved in, and a massive circle of blue and golden lightning formed in the air. He was no longer just a cultivator; he had touched a realm of cultivation that mortals could not reach even after a lifetime of meditation.
The Grand Elder whipped his head around. He saw that Yang Kai Long looked calmer, deadlier, and more powerful than before. But on the face of the old, cruel Elder, a sneer replaced the fear.
"Only a breakthrough?" the Elder mocked. "I am slightly pleased to know that your sacrifice won't be in vain now that you've reached the Spiritual Ring Realm. But you foolish boy, you are still nothing more than an ant before the Tribulation Transcendence Realm! You have progressed far for your age, but do you think this meager power can defeat me?"
He waved his hand, and the black energy from the Burial Coffin lashed out, ensnaring Wang Mai and Wang Ling.
"This power of yours... it's just a child's toy! Today, right before your eyes, I will crush them both and seize your 'God-Demon' power!" the Elder roared.
Yang Kai Long's eyes ignited. He felt the pure fire of Ye Fang's energy still burning within him. He calmly rested his thunder-sword on the ground and said in a cold, murderous voice:
"You still don't understand, old man... This is not merely my breakthrough. It is your end."
Silence fell upon the chamber. Murong Yun and Shi Mao's 'Fire Dragon' was reducing puppets to ash, and Commander Zheng's swords clattered against steel, but amidst it all—the space between Yang Kai Long and the Grand Elder had turned into a field of doom.
The Grand Elder still did not realize how much that 'fraction' of Ye Fang's power had purified and lethalized Yang Kai Long's cultivation foundation.