Invincibility starts when I see the BOSS health bar.

Chapter 962 Night Deepens

Ni Fangping!
That's right! It wasn't Lulu who died!
Who is Ni Fangping? Is she Lulu's real name? No! Just before he took action, the name on the health bar he saw was clearly You Lulu. How come the name changed to a completely unfamiliar "Ni Fangping" after the person died?
So, Lulu is still Lulu, only... the one whose head he crushed wasn't actually Lulu? She used some kind of trick to escape?!
Is it some kind of mysterious device? Or some kind of ability of the spirit within the believer's body? Countless thoughts flashed through Fang Yu's mind.

But one thing is certain—Lulu is very likely... still alive! She escaped death!
"Wait?! Now you know how to say 'wait'?! What were you doing when I told you to stop?!"

Elder Yan Jin was like a volcano that had been completely detonated. To him, Fang Yu's explanation was nothing more than a dying sophistry and delaying tactic!
boom! ! !
The ground beneath their feet shattered under the violent force! Elder Yan Jin's figure transformed into a fiery meteor tearing through the air, carrying a killing intent that could incinerate everything. A fiery fist, imbued with terrifying heat and immense power, pierced straight into Fang Yu's chest! Wherever the fist's force passed, the air twisted and exploded!

"Don't take it head-on!" Fang Yu's pupils constricted sharply as he reacted instantly!

Take root in the soil!

Shield of Dry Bones!

His feet dug deep into the soil like tree roots, stabilizing his stance. At the same time, a huge shield made of white, withered bones and tough vines instantly solidified at the point where his arms crossed, blocking in front of him!

Boom! ! ! !
The moment the giant shield of withered bones made contact with the giant fist of flame, it shattered under the immense pressure, lasting only half a breath before exploding into pieces! The terrifying impact sent Fang Yu flying again, crashing heavily into the muddy ground on the other side of the courtyard.

He endured the excruciating pain and was about to turn over and leap up when a burning figure followed closely behind like a leech!

call!
A giant foot engulfed in flames slammed down with immense force, landing precisely on Fang Yu's chest! The immense pressure made it hard for him to breathe, and the soil beneath him caved in deeply.

"Use it!!" Elder Yan Jin looked down at Fang Yu with burning eyes and roared deafeningly.

"Wh...what?" Fang Yu was struggling to breathe as he was being stepped on, but his chest was firmly suppressed.

Although his injuries weren't actually too severe due to his exceptionally high health, which was the source of his confidence in killing "Lulu" under Yan Jin's protection, being firmly pinned down by a furious Sixth Soul Realm expert was no easy task.

"Use all the tricks you used against the main family! Use them all!" Elder Yan Jin's voice was like rolling thunder. "That towering black tree that blots out the sky! And all your other trump cards! Use them all! Today, I will defeat you completely and honorably! Destroy you to the point of collapse! This is the last chance of your life to fight with all your might! Out of consideration for our past relationship, I... will give you this decency!"

Fang Yu felt a slight tremor in his heart.

It must be said that although Elder Yan Jin has a fiery temper and is even a bit too straightforward, his character in dealing with people is impeccable.

Even at this point of no return, he was still willing to give Fang Yu a chance to lose "dignifiedly".

But Fang Yu had no reason to fight Elder Yan Jin to the death, and moreover, at this moment, he realized that Lulu was not really dead!

"Lord Yan Jin! Listen to me!" Fang Yu managed to speak under the pressure of the giant foot, his eyes urgent and sincere. "Lulu is not dead! She is not dead!"

what?
Elder Yan Jin was taken aback at first, then laughed in extreme anger!

He witnessed it with his own eyes—watching Lulu's head explode like a watermelon under Fang Yu's palm! Blood and brains splattered everywhere! How could this be fake? How could she not die?!
"Do you take me for a three-year-old child?! Do you think believers... are those demons who can survive a headshot?!" Elder Yan Jin suddenly increased the pressure on his feet, and a sharp pain shot through Fang Yu, whose health bar began to steadily decline. But he still insisted on shouting:
"Lulu is really not dead! She used some kind of substitution method! That corpse on the ground isn't her at all! It's a scapegoat!!"

"Nonsense!!" Elder Yan Jin's anger completely overwhelmed his last shred of reason. Flames surged from the sole of his raised foot, clearly indicating that he was about to use drastic measures to end this conversation once and for all!
Fang Yu's pupils contracted; in this life-or-death situation, he held nothing back!
"rise!!"

He slapped the muddy ground beneath him with both hands!
*Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!*
Dozens of incredibly sharp spikes, intertwined with black and red, burst forth from the ground in an instant, like venomous pythons ready to devour their prey, piercing the air with a sharp whooshing sound, fiercely aiming at Elder Yan Jin's foot and his vital organs!

Upon seeing this, Elder Yan Jin's eyes flashed with a cold determination, and a cold smile with a tragic undertone even appeared on his lips.

He neither dodged nor evaded, letting the ominous black and red spikes pierce him. The flames beneath his feet, imbued with destructive power, slammed down relentlessly towards Fang Yu's chest! His mind was crystal clear: if Fang Yu's counterattack wound landed on him, then the last vestiges of their fragile relationship would vanish completely! There would be no possibility of reconciliation!

"Boy, one wrong step and you're doomed! This is... my final lesson for you!"

Elder Yan Jin silently recited in his heart, with a determination that bordered on self-destruction, preparing to face the excruciating pain that pierced through his body, and to complete this step of severing all ties!
However, the expected piercing pain did not come.

Just as his burning soles were about to touch the sharp black spikes—

Bang!Bang!Bang!
Those menacing black and red earth spikes seemed to be disintegrated from within by an invisible force, instantly crumbling and dissipating into nothingness! Elder Yan Jin was stunned. His gaze swept across Fang Yu's face, but what he saw was not a ferocious killing intent, but... a helpless bitter smile!

Immediately afterward, Fang Yu seized the fleeting moment and rolled his body to the left with all his might!
Boom! ! ! !
Elder Yan Jin's foot, imbued with terrifying power, slammed heavily onto the spot where Fang Yu had been lying!

The earth shook violently!

Centered on the landing point, a charred footprint several feet deep was clearly visible. The surrounding soil rippled like the surface of a lake where a boulder had been thrown in. The already sparse flowers and plants in the courtyard were uprooted and scattered by the violent shockwave.

However, this powerful blow, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, was precisely controlled within that small area, having almost no impact on distant scenery. This demonstrates Elder Yan Jin's unparalleled control over his own power.

"what you do?"

Elder Yan Jin slowly withdrew his foot, his face still terribly gloomy, but deep in his eyes, the raging flames of anger seemed to ripple slightly because of Fang Yu's unexpected "retreat".

This kid... although he did something unforgivable, at least at this moment, he seems to still have a trace of... reluctance towards his former teacher?
"Lord Yan Jin!" Fang Yu seized the opportunity to quickly create some distance, wiping away the trace of blood that had seeped from the corner of his mouth due to the impact. He stared intently at Elder Yan Jin, pointing to the headless corpse in the hall. "Lulu really isn't dead! If you don't believe me, come with me now to examine that corpse! Everything will be clear for you! If I utter a single falsehood, then I can accept my death sentence!"

Fang Yu's resolute and repeated insistence that Lulu was not dead was like a pebble thrown into stagnant water. In Elder Yan Jin's heart, which had witnessed Lulu's head explode and her life force extinguished, it still stirred up a few ripples.

Could it be... that she really didn't die?

Once this thought takes root, it creeps up on you like a vine.

Elder Yan Jin frowned, scrutinizing Fang Yu with sharp eyes. He simply couldn't understand why a murderer who had personally crushed his target's head would so insist on claiming that the other party was not dead. Unless this person was insane, this was completely illogical! Fang Yu's eyes at this moment, though urgent, did not show any signs of madness, but rather revealed a persistence based on some kind of conviction.

Seeing that the raging anger in Elder Yan Jin's eyes seemed to be replaced by a trace of doubt, and his violent aura also slightly froze, Fang Yu felt a little relieved, knowing that the other party was finally willing to listen to a little.

He quickly seized the fleeting opportunity and said, "Lord Yan Jin! I'm not talking nonsense! The moment I made my move, I sensed something was wrong! That touch, that feedback... something was definitely not right! Lulu must have used some kind of mysterious method we don't know to escape! I really don't know where she is hiding now. But I can guarantee with my life that she—is definitely not dead!"

Fang Yu's conviction stemmed from the system's prompts. He trusted the system's judgment far more than his own eyes, and even more than the bloody scenes he himself had created.

Elder Yan Jin fell silent, his inner balance swaying violently.

If... if what Fang Yu said is true, and Lulu is really still alive... then this almost uncontrollable and tragic conflict is not a dead end!

There's still room for things to turn around!
The worst outcome would simply be the complete collapse of Fang Yu's cooperation with the Jue Men in the capital.

Whether it's Fang Yu's inability to swallow his anger and his desire for revenge, or Lulu's resentment stemming from the attack, Yan Jin can use his prestige and strength to mediate and keep the conflict within a certain scope.

In this way, Fang Yu would at most have a grudge against the faction represented by Lulu, but it would not prevent Yan Jin from taking Fang Yu, this outstanding talent, into his sect and making him his last disciple!
This is the core and key point!
Elder Yan Jin risked his life to protect Lulu, ultimately out of a sense of duty to the sect, rather than out of any personal affection he might have for Lulu.

As long as Lulu is alive, as long as she can breathe, before the higher-ups of the Juemen officially take over the affairs of the capital, before she leaves the capital, she, as their "representative," is not dead.

So, whether she is missing an arm or a leg, or harbors immense resentment, it is irrelevant to Elder Yan Jin!

All he needed was for Lulu to be "alive." As long as this was achieved, his plan to take Fang Yu as his disciple would still be feasible!
This consideration was like ice water poured on a raging fire, quickly cooling and calming Elder Yan Jin's violent emotions.

He took a deep breath, calming his breathing considerably.

“Alright…” Elder Yan Jin’s voice carried a hint of barely perceptible compromise as he stared at Fang Yu with a complex expression. “I… will trust you this once! You stay here and do not make any rash moves! I will personally go back and examine the corpse…”

However, before Elder Yan Jin could finish speaking, a noisy and terrified commotion, like a flock of startled birds, suddenly erupted from the direction of the back hall!
"what--!!"

"Oh my god! Lu...Senior Sister Lulu?!"

"How could this happen?! Senior Sister Lulu has been killed! Help! Someone, help!!"

"Enemy attack! It's an enemy attack!!"

The earth-shattering battle between the two, which nearly destroyed half of the dyehouse, had already alarmed the disciples and servants inside.

At this moment, someone finally followed the sounds and signs of destruction and discovered the terrible state of the hall!

Elder Yan Jin's face darkened.

The secret of this place as a safe haven has been exposed, so it's definitely unusable now.

But right now, these are not the most pressing issues!
He ignored Fang Yu and, with a flicker of his body, like a blazing afterimage, swiftly rushed back to the blood-soaked hall through the huge hole in the wall he had punched earlier!

The hall was in a mess, and the smoke and dust had not completely dissipated.

Broken tables and chairs, cracked floor tiles, and the glaring, spreading dark red bloodstains... and in the center of that pool of blood, Lulu's headless corpse lay quietly in a twisted posture.

However, right next to the corpse, there was a person standing upright.

This person was dressed in an elegant long robe, with a tall and straight posture, seemingly out of place amidst the bloodshed and chaos around him.

He seemed to be looking down at the corpse on the ground with great interest, or perhaps he was waiting for something.

The moment Elder Yan Jin stepped into the hall, the man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, and slowly and calmly raised his head.

A well-maintained, refined-looking middle-aged man's face came into Elder Yan Jin's view.

The man's lips curled slightly upward, and he gave Elder Yan Jin, who was still exuding murderous intent and whose flames had not yet completely died down, a smile that could be described as gentle.

At the same time, with a flick of his wrist, his movements were elegant and fluid, and with a soft "whoosh," he suddenly unfolded the exquisite folding fan that he had been playing with.

On the pristine white fan surface, two large, jet-black characters are boldly written in vigorous strokes:
Protect the letter.

"Elder... Elder Huxin?!" Elder Yan Jin's pupils shrank slightly, his face showing undisguised astonishment.

He had indeed heard Lulu mention several times that Elder Huxin was about to arrive in the capital.

But in his memory, Lulu clearly said that she would arrive "at night"! Although it was already close to dusk and twilight was falling, and it was not far from the so-called "night", this early appearance still made Elder Yan Jin feel a little surprised, and... a little uneasy.

“Not exactly early,” Elder Huxin’s voice was calm and soothing, with a strange rhythm, as if he were talking about the weather with ease, “but just right…”

His gentle smile remained on his face. When his gaze swept over the gruesome headless female corpse on the ground, his eyes were calm and undisturbed, as if it were just an insignificant decoration, not even worth a second glance.

(End of this chapter)