Chapter Fifty-Five: Lovers Parting in Life and Death

“So lively,” someone remarked, just as a thunderous rumble rolled through the air. Shen Gonglei gripped his thunder staff, his gaze carrying a faint air of disdain.

“Heh. What is this thing?” Bloodshade voiced what everyone was thinking. After all, everyone was either fighting with relish or watching the spectacle unfold. Suddenly, an outsider interrupted—how disruptive, how it spoils the mood.

“Noisy,” Shen Gonglei said coolly, and in the next instant, lightning flashed. Blood mist billowed around Bloodshade, who then reappeared, a scorched scent drifting from him.

Shen Gonglei let out a soft exclamation. “Still alive? Fine. Since you survived, I’ll spare you this once.”

Bloodshade merely smiled, uncharacteristically silent. The others exchanged wary glances—everyone was waiting. Would anyone step forth to test the strength of this newcomer?

“Where is the secret realm?” Shen Gonglei demanded, his gaze sweeping across the crowd like a chariot of thunder.

He was elated, a sense of vindication coursing through him. That one over there—wasn’t that the Tsar? Next to him, wasn’t that the elusive Phantom of the Nine Ways? And the one shrouded in black robes—surely the legendary Lord Bone. Once, all these were figures he could only look up to.

Excellent. Exhilarating, even. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip on the thunder staff—his true trump card.

“Weren’t you from the Thunderkill Squad?” someone suddenly asked.

The others thought carefully before recalling that team—respectable, but among those present, everyone was top-tier. As for Ashu, he had already reached his peak.

“I am Shen Gonglei! Soon, you will remember this name forever!” Shen Gonglei declared icily, stung by their disregard.

“So it’s Thunderkill. Why haven’t you left yet? Hoping to get a share of the loot from the tower? You’re not qualified for that,” Bloodshade taunted, fanning the flames.

Shen Gonglei chuckled. “So the secret realm this time is a tower.”

“You all can leave now. Otherwise, you won’t leave at all,” Shen Gonglei said, raising his staff.

The sky darkened as if a curtain of clouds descended. Countless bolts of lightning snaked through the heavens, Shen Gonglei hovering midair, silver serpents coiling around him, a veritable god of thunder.

“World-class!” someone gasped.

At last, he had everyone’s attention. Even Song Leizhou and Tuoba Yu, locked in fierce combat, were forced to break apart. Such was the might of a world-class being—able to control the space around them, shaping it with their own understanding.

“Transcendent. An outsider, no less,” Zhou Zhou remarked. “This will be trouble.” Trouble—nothing more, not impossible to handle, nor insurmountable.

Bloodshade and Duskscar quietly stepped together. Bathed in lightning, Ashu and Fan Xiaohua also ceased their chanting in tacit agreement.

All eyes turned to Shen Gonglei, who relished this moment of being the center of attention.

“With my current power, I could stand at the summit of the Main God’s Domain,” he thought, the words a perfect fit for this self-dialogue. Shen Gonglei, though somewhat unhinged, wasn’t so delusional as to expect universal obedience. Yet, someone still dared to challenge him.

“Ridiculous,” Ashu said coldly.

Shen Gonglei looked at Ashu and, surprisingly, smiled. “Ah, the demigod Ashu—your pride is well-known.” He acted as if they were old acquaintances.

“But now is not the time for me to prove myself to you. There will be a chance in the future. After all, I wouldn’t want to weaken the Main God’s Domain.” His gaze swept over Song Leizhou’s group.

Ashu bowed his head, gently stroking the holy iron cross at his chest. Shen Gonglei saw only Ashu’s bowed head and felt satisfied. Such is the allure of power.

“Now, let’s rid ourselves of these surplus cockroaches,” Shen Gonglei intoned, pointing his staff at Song Leizhou’s group. Instantly, a thousand bolts of lightning rained down, erasing the seven figures in a flash—no time even for a scream.

Yet Song Leizhou stood unperturbed in the distance, quietly absorbing the aftermath of the recent battle.

Shen Gonglei was quite pleased with his display of power—a perfect example to cow the rest. Most in the crowd felt the same: let this braggart deal with their old rivals if possible. The more discerning, like Zhou Zhou, saw through it at once: a false domain, reliant on the artifact in his hand.

“So, am I now qualified to claim this secret realm for myself?” he asked.

Zhou Zhou couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you out of your mind?”

Shen Gonglei was about to grow angry, but when he saw Zhou Zhou, his expression shifted to a smile. Such a beautiful woman—his heart skipped a beat.

He had power in his grasp; all that was missing was beauty by his side.

Zhou Zhou rolled her eyes. “It’s someone else’s path you’re treading. Easy to lose your way.”

Shen Gonglei laughed boisterously, dodging the point. “You are worthy of sharing glory with me. Besides, fortune comes in threes.”

Li Suizhu kept her head down—seemingly the only one in the crowd oblivious to Shen Gonglei.

“Do you dare face me in battle?” Shen Gonglei challenged, flicking his hand and sending crackling spheres of lightning toward Li Suizhu. Bone Nether, recalling Zhou Zhou’s instructions, was about to intervene but was stopped by her gaze.

“A foolish woman like that deserves to suffer a little.”

The lightning spheres crashed against a red barrier that appeared around Li Suizhu.

“Interesting,” Shen Gonglei’s face darkened—this was supposed to be his moment of dominance.

He brandished his thunder staff. The sky twisted with writhing silver serpents—lightning, as if alive, surged hungrily toward Li Suizhu.

With a muffled thud, Li Suizhu finally raised her head. Reflections of lightning flickered in her eyes, mingled with fear, resignation, and a complex tangle of emotions. She pulled out a talisman, the ink upon it ancient and faded.

The onlookers watched coldly. To them, Li Suizhu was a stranger. Bloodshade and Duskscar’s eyes flickered with sympathy and a trace of sorrow—but not enough to risk their lives, nor to step forward as her proxy, a test subject for the crowd. Zhou Zhou’s face was calm; Fan Xiaohua looked pained, but after a glance at Zhou Zhou, she too bowed her head.

The small patch of earth was now a pool of thunder. Shen Gonglei grew more furious, his bolts of lightning growing ever more powerful. By now, everyone could see something was wrong with him.

The red barrier around Li Suizhu was fading. She clutched the ancient talisman, her head bowed again to gaze at Wu Yue. Her eyes were swollen with weeping, her voice hoarse.

She pressed the talisman to Wu Yue’s body, her fingers slowly, gently securing it in place.

There was a hint of release in her gaze. I have seen so little of the world, and what I have seen is mostly suffering.

Let me send you off on your final journey—may you rest peacefully.

Li Suizhu bit her finger until it bled, letting the drops fall onto the talisman. The blood danced joyfully across the paper, forming runes.

“When you return to Luoyang, plant a peach tree for me. And always remember me.”

The blood dripped faster. Li Suizhu’s face grew deathly pale.

ps: Even I’m moved to tears. Won’t you send me a recommendation ticket?