Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 339 Farewell (End of the Demon-Slaying Chapter)
That radiance surpassed everything else.

Even the stars and the moon paled in comparison; nothing could obstruct its path as the silver light pierced straight through the mountain of flesh.

The core buried deep within it was thus annihilated.

This Northern Saint of Absolute Yin and Salvation is a newly born entity. Although it has the foundation of the Nine Luminaries Star Officials, its actual foundation is extremely weak. It can be said that everything about it is attached to that fleshy pillar.

However, under the power of the Heaven-Shaking Arrow, everything was reduced to ashes.

The infant in the sky was still stretching out its hand with all its might, trying to grab onto something—but in the next second, starting from its fingertips, its bluish-gray skin began to break apart little by little, and then quickly spread to its entire body.

Finally, the crying stopped and turned into a muffled murmur.

"Mother."

This newly born god then vanished.

—Meanwhile, on that altar.

The remaining skeletal spirits had been completely devoured, and Fatty Xun huddled in a corner, watching in horror as the deformed monsters engulfed him.

However, just as the sharp claws were about to pierce through the fat, the opponent's movements suddenly stopped.

Fatty Xun had already closed his eyes and waited for death, but after waiting for a while without feeling any intense pain, he opened his eyes shakily and then saw an extremely unbelievable sight.

The monsters began to petrify one by one. At first, it was just one or two, but it quickly spread like a plague. In the blink of an eye, all the monsters on the mountainside turned into stone statues, which then drifted away with the wind.

—And outside this Netherworld City, in most of Songzhou.

After the mother tree of flesh and blood withered and died, although the pitted roots stopped spreading, the pollution had already spread. Countless transformed anthropomorphic beings wantonly slaughtered the survivors. Countless people cried out and fled, hiding, and in the end, they could only become living works of art.

—However, at the very moment the stillborn infant was destroyed.

The anthropomorphic beings, who were slaughtering, torturing, and dismembering, all raised their heads at the same time, their faces showing disbelief. They slowly opened their mouths, as if trying to call upon their gods.

But in the next moment, everything melted away together.

Meanwhile, in the other world where Zhou You resides.

At this very moment, stars are falling like rain.

The countless stars seemed to have lost their support and fell to the ground out of thin air, causing the whole world to shake and collapse.

—You should know that this is also the head of the Northern Saint of Absolute Yin and Salvation. Since His core has been destroyed, His body cannot hold on for long!
Fortunately, the rift that Tao Le'an had created earlier still existed. With his last ounce of strength, Sect Leader He rallied the Maoshan disciples and led them out. Before leaving, he carried the unconscious Tao Le'an on his back. Zhou You had intended to escape with them—

However, just before he set off.

But then he suddenly froze.

A broken longsword was placed in front of him.

The one who held it was none other than the leader of the early people!

"Wow, your vitality is really strong. Is someone in your family related to cockroaches?"

Looking at the body that resembled a candle flickering in the wind, and then at the sky that seemed poised to collapse at any moment, Zhou You couldn't help but sigh—but then, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"You're in this state now, is there anything you'd like me to help you convey your last wishes?"

Instead of answering directly, the other party, with his arm covered in swollen bumps and blood, pointed the knife at Zhou You.

"I'm really not convinced."

The voice had been completely corroded and had now become a strange tone.

"Why is this the only result my people have received after enduring countless hardships?"

"Why do you all get to live in this blessed land without having to do anything?"

"Why should you, with your so-called destiny, be able to so easily destroy our race?"

Why has all my efforts turned to ashes here?

The leader of the early people took a step forward with each sentence he spoke, and each step left a long trail of blood.

In its current state, it was indeed exhausted and doomed to die even if left unattended. However, the last bit of power in this other world was gathered on it.

This person's idea is also very simple.

That means even if it means dying, I'll drag Zhou You down with me!
But the person remained silent, only grasping the crumbling Duanxie.

He flicked the sword lightly, asking for its opinion, but the sword only gave a single response.

—Eliminate evil completely.

If that's the case, then what else is there to say?

Zhou You also pointed his sword at his opponent.

"So."

A cold light flashed!

As swords and knives clashed, Zhou You's gaze turned solemn.

The opponent's swordsmanship was superb, even comparable to his own.

Having always used other people's faces in battle, Zhou You initially thought this leader of the ancestors was a mage-type figure like Tao Le'an, but he never expected that its true skill lay in its weapons!
Long arms and legs provided more room to maneuver, and the longsword, made of an unknown material, moved with the grace of falling snow and silver frost—not to mention...
This guy is absolutely risking his life!

All that could be seen was the flashing of swords, as the leader of the early people completely disregarded his injuries and even risked his life, all for the sake of Zhou You's death.

The blade slashed down toward the shoulder, but Duan Xie met it head-on, flicking and twisting to deflect the force to the side. Then Zhou You crouched down and lightly stepped forward, maximizing the speed of his sword, easily tearing open the man's abdomen.

However, without any hesitation, the long sword spun around and tore a deep, bone-revealing gash in Zhou You's back!
Zhou You remained steadfast.

Even his gaze didn't change for a second.

As mentioned before, his sword is different from Xuan Yuan Daoist's, and indeed from everyone else he has ever met.

Others' swords are either as thin as flowing water, or as imposing as a mountain, pressing down on you so much that you can hardly breathe.

But his sword was simple.

It's really simple.

It's simply a matter of placing one's life on either side of a scale, fighting against both the enemy and oneself, for that sliver of hope.

As the saying goes, it not only distinguishes the superior from the inferior, but also determines life and death!

Feeling the excruciating pain in his back, the longsword swung up again, several points of silver light blooming like plum blossoms, aiming straight for the throat of the chieftain—but the other party ignored it, the blade rising high, simultaneously heading towards Zhou You's neck!
but.

in fact,

It's just a race to see who's faster!
The sword made a creaking sound as it struggled under the weight, but the will within it was filled with boundless joy. The tip of the sword slid through the night, but the blade itself was not visible; only a point of light, like that of a star, remained.

Then, the two figures overlapped.

Time seemed to stand still.

Finally, Zhou You gently drew his longsword.

The sword's edge pierced upwards, entering through the chin and penetrating the brain. A single wisp of malevolent energy within instantly shattered all resistance.

Those dark pupils still held resentment, anger, and hatred—but it was powerless to do anything. The long sword fell to the ground with a thud, turning into fragments, and then the body gradually collapsed, eventually turning into ashes like its kin.

Thus, the ringleader was finally executed.

Zhou You sighed, looked at the world on the verge of collapse, shook his head, and then turned and ran towards the rift.

Inside the Hidden King's manor.

The once magnificent scenery is gone; now all that can be seen are ruins everywhere. The ground is riddled with cracks from the earthquake, and the overflowing lake has made everything damp. As for the artificial mountain made entirely of precious stones...
The pile of garbage in the center of the lake is the last trace left behind.

At this very moment, Master He of Maoshan was going crazy.

"What? You're saying the person is gone? How could such a big, healthy person just disappear?!" The disciple being questioned was extremely aggrieved.

"No, old man, you're asking me? You were the one who told us to leave. That Taoist priest Zhou seemed fine. Who would have thought he wouldn't follow us?"

Master He used his only remaining hand to forcefully pull at his beard.

"Then go back and find him! We'll find him even if it kills us! He helped us so much, and we're just going to abandon him like this? Is this something Maoshan would do?!"

“But the problem is the old man,” his disciple said, spreading his hands in utter helplessness. “We want to go look for him too, but the passage opened by that person from the Demon Suppression Division is long gone. Now we can’t even go back to the Netherworld City, so how can we possibly find him!”

Headmaster He, his face flushed red from being repeatedly rebuffed, raised the broken sword and was about to give the scoundrel a good beating—but then another terrified voice rang in his ears.

"Um...this...no,this real person..."

Sect Leader He also turned his head and saw a middle-aged man looking at him cautiously.

The man was dressed in a second-rank court robe. Headmaster He recognized him and it took him a while to remember that he should be one of the survivors of that banquet. However, at this moment, this high-ranking official was hunched over, like a frightened chick, bowing and scraping as he spoke.

"Um, Master He, I have something I need to ask you."

However, Headmaster He waved his hand impatiently.

"I don't have time for you. We can talk about it later—I'm annoyed right now, don't bother me!"

Seeing the way the man was swatting flies, the middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, seemingly a little timid, but thinking about what he had just seen, he reluctantly spoke up.

"Real person."

The other animal turned around angrily, its bloodshot eyes staring at him, making him shudder involuntarily.

"Well, I just found a young man in a ditch. He seems to be one of the traitors—no, I mean, the chivalrous assassins who tried to kill the prince—who were with you. What do you think?"

Before he could finish speaking, he was lifted up by a one-armed man.

"Where is that person? Take me to see him!"
-
When Headmaster He finally arrived at the location after a hurried journey, he saw Zhou You lying in a pile of satin, dressed in rags and covered in mud and blood, leisurely slurping a bunch of grapes—it was obvious that he had taken them from the Hidden King's kitchen.

Aside from being a bit disheveled, he doesn't seem to be seriously injured.

When Sect Leader He saw that face, he was first stunned, and then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Zhou kid, I knew you were a lucky guy and wouldn't die! Don't even mention a mere Netherworld City, I reckon you could fight your way out of that Eight Thousand Demon Cave!"

The bear-like body grabbed Zhou You tightly, with such force that it almost made him faint.

However, when he saw the remaining arm, Zhou You's eyes dimmed slightly.

Sect Leader He also noticed the gaze, but he didn't care at all and continued to laugh heartily.

"So what if I'm missing an arm? I'm lucky. My predecessors died horribly. And I've long since given up on being the leader of Maoshan Sect. This is a good excuse for me to retire and enjoy a peaceful life."

Seeing that Headmaster He was getting more and more carried away, Zhou You could only cough twice to stop him from speaking.

"Hey Sect Leader He, I got here after I escaped from the rift. What happened after that?"

Headmaster He scratched his head and then said.

"And then? Then the stillborn infant just collapsed. A god who has lost his essence and his followers can only perish in the end. The Netherworld City, having completed its duty, also began to collapse. We were almost gone, and we only managed to escape before being buried alive."

Headmaster He rambled on for a long time until a disciple came to greet him, at which point he reluctantly left the place—but his last words were that Zhou You should rest here properly, and that after all this was over, he would definitely take him to Maoshan to treat him to a good meal.

Zhou You simply smiled and thanked him.

Then the surroundings fell silent once again.

After a while.

Then a swaying figure walked over.

Upon seeing that person, Zhou You picked up the fruit next to him and waved it at them.

"Hey Lao Tao, why do you look like you've been drained dry? Come on, the food at the Hidden King's is really good, why don't you have some to replenish your energy?"

The person who came, Tao Le'an, did not take it. Instead, he carefully examined Zhou You for a while and then whispered.

"I've come to say goodbye to the Taoist priest."

Zhou You laughed and said he didn't care at all.

"Your Demon Suppression Division is really busy, aren't you? You've only just taken a short break, and you're already back to work?"

This time, Tao Le'an remained silent for an unusually long time before finally speaking.

"No, it's not me who's leaving, it's the Taoist priest."

"."

Zhou You then shut his mouth and just looked at Tao Le'an, then suddenly let out a soft sigh.

"So that's how it is. Your Evil Suppression Division is truly ruthless. Are you going to kill us to silence us?"

"Master Daoist."

Seeing the other person's helpless expression, Zhou You smiled and waved his hand.

"Alright, alright, I'm not kidding anymore. You knew I was leaving? Was it a secret mission from the Demon Suppression Division?"

"It's not from the department, but rather a tradition passed down among our generation of secret keepers, a tradition concerning the chosen one."

"Did you tell Brother He about this?"

"No."

"That's settled then. It's just a parting, why all the sentimentality?"

Zhou You laboriously pulled out the Wine Immortal Gourd, took a swig for himself first, and then threw it over.

Tao Le'an took it, looked at the still joking and irreverent face, sighed helplessly, and then tilted his head back and drank it down.

After the strong liquor entered their stomachs, the two looked at each other, paused for a moment, and then, as if they had seen something funny, burst into laughter at the same time.

After a while, when the two had finished laughing, Zhou You finally spoke.

"By the way, Lao Tao, there's one last thing I want to ask you."

"Taoist Master, please speak."

"Are you male or female?"

"Is this all you wanted to ask before we parted?"

"I've been curious about this for a long time. I don't think I've ever seen your Adam's apple, nor have I ever seen you actually pull out that thing. I'm just curious, how can a man be so handsome?"

"Master, there's a saying I don't know if you've heard before."

".What?"

"Some things are better left unsaid."

Zhou You remained silent for a few moments, then burst into a series of loud laughs.

"You're right, you're right. Sometimes it's better to be oblivious to things—well then, take care."

"Taoist Master, please take care as well."

then.

When I looked again, only laughter echoed.

—And that spirited figure was never seen again.

(End of this chapter)