Chapter 82: The Color of Blood and Ink

Mu You had no idea what had just happened, but the moment he broke free from the shackles of the Serpent Bone Blade, the first thing he saw was his grievously wounded companions and the dying Xuan Yao. How could he not be consumed by rage?

The figures of that man and woman, though only projections, radiated the most dangerous aura—so much so that even Right Tyrant, fighting at full force, could not compare. It was a power of utter evil, yet one that stirred a longing in the heart, a desire to surrender to its depths.

Whatever those two were, Xuan Yao had to be saved.

Mu You raised the Flame Phoenix Heavenly Cleaver high above his head. An explosive heat and the majesty of a king instantly swept out, forcing the crowd to stagger back and press themselves against the surrounding gallery walls.

No one had imagined that, at this stage, the most terrifying beings would not be the eight instructors, but rather death-row inmates just like themselves. One was a girl whose name they had never even heard before, the other a boy who had arrived less than two months ago. Yet the power these two now displayed filled everyone with dread—it was simply unbelievable.

The Snake Woman and Ghost Tathagata turned at the sound, fixing Mu You with four icy, utterly inhuman gazes. Their eyes, full of scrutiny and curiosity, swept over Mu You’s body, and even in his fury, a chill crept up his spine.

This sensation was even more terrifying than when Dongguan became serious—not because of overwhelming power, but because their depths were unfathomable; the unknown itself inspired fear.

Ghost Tathagata’s grin grew wider as he stared at Mu You. Suddenly, he seized Xuan Yao by the throat, intending to strangle her, but the Snake Woman stopped him.

“You’d kill your new master the moment you awaken? You want to return to your slumber?” The Snake Woman’s dark violet lips parted, her voice magnetic yet chilling to the bone.

“Don’t pretend you don’t feel it. You sense the ‘Phoenix’ too. That boy’s talent far surpasses this girl’s. Kill her, submit to him, offer up these ants in a blood sacrifice. How dare they challenge the might of Imperial Relics—they are courting death!”

With that, Ghost Tathagata made to tighten his grip again, but was blocked by the Snake Woman.

“Damn you, woman, how dare you interfere! We are both the last remnants of ancient Huaxia’s civilization, awakened after ages by heaven and earth’s calamities. Weak as we are, I only seek to devour souls and evolve. Had you not stopped me before, would we have been captured and forged alive into Imperial Relics, suffering the agony of fire and bone? Have you forgotten such hatred? Why do you protect these humans? Don’t you feel that, within each of them, some part is already treading the path we once walked? In our day, such chances were rare as phoenix feathers. We needed millennia of accumulation to attain even a fraction of what they have. And yet, in mere decades, they have reached this point. Today’s civilization is terrifying. If you still show mercy, will you truly doom us to utter annihilation?”

“Silence!” Ghost Tathagata, newly awakened, unleashed the fury suppressed for a thousand years, only to be met with the Snake Woman’s frigid command.

“You said it yourself—he is connected to the ‘Phoenix.’ Have you forgotten the monster sealed deep underground? With him present, who dares claim this boy as their master? And besides, look closely at that boy!” The Snake Woman’s rebuke made Ghost Tathagata pause. He studied Mu You anew, and discovered within him, astonishingly, a little girl, fiercely guarding Mu You’s body within her slender arms.

“A congenital spirit!” Ghost Tathagata muttered in shock, glancing uncertainly at the Snake Woman and sending her a silent message.

The Snake Woman nodded slightly, her gaze warning Ghost Tathagata that this boy was untouchable. Even as Imperial Relics, counted among the forty-eight most powerful weapons of the Central Continent’s experimental base, they could not and must not harm him.

No wonder—only such a human could be connected to that creature sealed beneath the earth, even though what was sealed below was merely a part of the beast…

“Ah…” Ghost Tathagata roared in frustration, releasing Xuan Yao. Seeing Mu You had already leveled the Flame Phoenix Heavenly Cleaver at him, he curled his lip in disdain. Humans, he thought, never cherished their own talents. Before even growing into their strength, they squandered their life force, provoking powers they could never hope to offend.

Still, this crimson-gold great cleaver was interesting.

Sensing the disdain in Ghost Tathagata’s eyes, a thin wisp of deathly energy seeped from Mu You’s body. The moment it merged with the Flame Phoenix Heavenly Cleaver, Mu You could no longer hold himself upright—he dropped to one knee, struggling to steady the cleaver with his right hand as he poured a second thread of deathly energy into the weapon.

At last, unable to remain on one knee, Mu You fell to both knees, body swaying, yet still gritting his teeth and fighting on.

It wasn’t enough—not nearly enough. With Right Tyrant at full power, he could sweep aside everyone present, but the strength of that man and woman far surpassed any human here. Their might was overwhelming, despairing, such that for the first time, Mu You felt a deep sense of helplessness.

To reach out barehanded and touch Sacred Words—what extraordinary existence could do such a thing!

His mind clouded, Mu You was on the verge of collapse. He slammed his head against the floor, desperately propping himself up, and with all his will, guided a third and fourth strand of deathly energy into the cleaver. At last, the very center of the S-shaped blade began to bleed with a hint of blood-black.

Drip, drip—beads of sweat as large as beans fell onto An Ruxiang’s face, rousing the beautiful woman from her weakness. As she gazed at Mu You’s desperate expression at such close range for the first time, her long-frozen heart skipped a beat.

She could clearly feel the unwavering, unyielding faith emanating from Mu You.

“Hold on!”

Mu You roared hoarsely as the fifth thread of deathly energy merged into the blade.

A pale blue light blossomed beneath him. An Ruxiang, too weak to move, could only lean against his chest, unconsciously channeling that light into him.

“If you’re so keen to risk your life, then I’ll share your burden…” An Ruxiang thought.

The sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth threads… Even if he couldn’t win, he would still fight. Though it was his first time awakening such a weapon and he knew nothing of its true power, Mu You trusted his conviction—his spirit would be heard.

All of us will return safely to face the trial together!

The moment the tenth thread of deathly energy merged with the Flame Phoenix Heavenly Cleaver, Mu You used his last ounce of strength to hurl it forth, then he and An Ruxiang both collapsed into unconsciousness.

As the cleaver left his hand, it burst into brilliant light, spinning and expanding rapidly, tearing a vacuum through the air as it howled toward Ghost Tathagata!

“Admirable courage,” Ghost Tathagata said calmly, raising a bare hand. “But pitifully weak.”

With that, he caught the Flame Phoenix Heavenly Cleaver barehanded.

“So, this is how you wanted to use it?” Ghost Tathagata mocked, pouring his own surging, deathly energy into the blade.

A sheen of blood-black—the hue of universal death—was reflected on the face of every death-row inmate.