Versatile Mage: Lord of Space

"I'll see just how arrogant you can get! Shadow Fiend - Shattered Ghost Ship!!"

A furious roar shook the chaotic airwaves, and a colossal, jet-black ship suddenly burst forth from the raging waves and primordial chaos, crushing its way from the depths of the abyss.

The majestic ship, like an ancient mountain, stands proudly on the boundless Black Sea, making even the surrounding surging waves seem somewhat timid.

The sails were tattered like a broken flag, and the hull was covered with deep cracks and rust that revealed the bone. Although it lacked the gilded splendor and cold metallic gleam of modern warships, the entire wreck exuded a sense of grandeur and tragedy that spanned thousands of years, as if it had been bathed in blood and fire throughout the long river of reincarnation!

The dark red stains on the mottled ship's deck are the result of the blood and tears of countless lives.

The ghost ship sped through the dark sea like lightning, braving the raging red lightning and thunder, and forcefully piercing through the putrid miasma that permeated the world, transforming into a deep, shadowy shadow that cleaved through the waves.

The towering mast, like a long spear of black iron, ripped through the sky, tearing apart all the resentment and lightning blocking its path; the wrecked hull, like a warrior charging to the death, was born in the darkness, yet used itself as a blade, relentlessly crashing into the overwhelming filth and evil source.

Wherever the shattered ghost ship passed, the crimson demonic flames spread by the Crimson Demon Lu Kun were completely annihilated, and even its lingering resentment was crushed into dust. It swept across the vast, pitch-black land, leaving only a trail of purification—sweeping away the filth, bringing clarity to the world!

Finally, the ghost ship shattered in a spectacular collision with the Crimson Demon's true form, its countless fragments fluttering like black butterflies, a mournful elegy for the hero. In the long night, not a single crimson flame dared to peek out again.

This pervasive, foul, and resentful aura was actually Lin Lan's tempering fire.

The more filthy and violent, the purer and more resilient the untainted soul becomes. In the chaos, Lin Lan is using his own soul as a guide to refine his unique dark origin—from the embers of anger, the thorns of resentment, the shadows of jealousy, and the mire of greed, he is forcibly igniting a faint yet blazing dark spark!
The Shattered Ghost Ship was born from the power of this spark. It does not sway with the black tide, nor tremble before the crimson storm; it dares to brave the terrifying sea of ​​eternal damnation, and even dares to shatter itself for the sake of purifying the world!
"You are nothing but a filthy demon that parasitizes the cracks in people's hearts."

"In the face of a truly powerful soul, you are nothing but a pitiful and pathetic parasite!"

Lin Lan walked with his hands behind his back on the boundless, dark sea. Wherever his toes touched, the raging waves instantly calmed, even the most turbulent crests transforming into tranquil stillness. The churning, tumultuous chaos was all the manifestation of the Crimson Demon's resentment—it stirred up towering waves and summoned scorching lightning, but all of this was ultimately merely an appendage of darkness. Evil can only ever thrive by clinging to darkness.

Having already grasped the ultimate source of darkness, why should we fear this mere parasitic evil?
Parasites, if resolutely eradicated, will never have the chance to grow. A sufficiently strong body, even if occasionally harboring parasites, will be devoured by life itself; a sufficiently resilient soul, even if tempted by evil thoughts, can extinguish itself. Only those who fall into depravity and willingly decay will nurture this evil, allowing it to corrode their soul, ultimately becoming an incurable ailment!

"Falling Sword - Shadow Sail!"

Lin Lan waved his hand, and the once calm, dark sea beneath his feet suddenly boiled like bubbling oil. A black sail, sharp as a meteorite blade, slashed through the air, its bone-crackling whistle hurtling straight at the Red Demon. He then raised his palm again, and another shadow ship, sharp as an ancient holy sword, sped through the waves, the dark power emanating from its hull causing space itself to distort slightly.

Red Demon Lu Kun staggered backward, his withered claws clutching his chest—the earlier impact from the ghost ship had shattered his crimson breastbone inch by inch, and the source of his blood-red resentment was gushing out from the wound, which was the very foundation upon which he depended for survival.

"Shh-!"

"Shh-!"

The two shadowy sails passed each other like cutting through rotten wood, instantly severing the arms of the Crimson Demon Lu Kun. Primal resentment gushed from the severed surface like a fountain, and Lu Kun's body swayed violently, almost falling into the Black Sea.

Parasite?
So it turns out... it was the parasite.

The Crimson Demon Lu Kun was nothing more than a condensation of countless resentments, the most filthy dregs stripped from humanity, a demonic creature formed by chance! It dared to manipulate all living beings, turning each one into fuel for its resentment, thereby building a kingdom of rampant, wicked desires. But it was wrong.

From beginning to end, not everyone will become a puppet.

Even Lu Kun's original form, "Yi Qiu," struggled to maintain his clarity of mind under the relentless erosion of the evil pearl's power. He ultimately chose to burn his soul to awaken his four friends who had succumbed to greed, and then fought alone against the demon within him to the very end…

After losing his way in autumn, the Cold Hunter King was willing to burn out his lifespan to eliminate the evil. The entrustment he left before his death was precisely his belief that there are always brave people in this world who are not afraid of demons.
Those who can be controlled are only the cowardly and the indulgent. They may be arrogant for a time, but those who have gone through countless tribulations and struggled to rise from the mud have long since eradicated this demon in their hearts. How could they be easily defeated?
At this moment, Lin Lan slowly walked up to Lu Kun, the Red Demon. Lu Kun was limping and crawling away, his lost primordial resentment energy being completely absorbed by the Condensed Evil Pearl floating in the air—the evil pearl, having undergone purification, had lost its eerie red light, and instead had a restrained radiance, exuding a warm yet dangerous aura.

The Crimson Demon continued its futile escape, but its essence was draining away like a river bursting its banks, its originally ferocious aura rapidly weakening. It went from staggering to crawling, its vigorous evil vitality aging and withering at a visible speed, and the crimson mist around it becoming as thin as paper.

"You've reached the end." Lin Lan's voice was calm and undisturbed.

"I...I am immortal..." Lu Kun's voice was as weak as a mosquito's buzz, and even he could not hide his lack of confidence.

"Some people die but their souls endure, their spirits passed down for millennia—that's true immortality." Lin Lan slowly stepped onto its festering, oozing back, a brilliant yet chilling smile playing on his lips. "As for you, even if you survive and are reborn time and time again, you'll still be crushed underfoot by someone like you in the end—besides, I'm not the kind of person who'll be praised for a thousand years. Look, aren't you already crushed to a pulp by me?"

Red Demon Lu Kun was completely powerless to struggle. Its essence was rapidly extracted by the Condensed Evil Pearl, turning into pure power to refine the pearl. This time, it had no chance of escape—the Cold Hunter King had failed to completely destroy it back then because it could transform into countless red resentful energies and scatter to escape. But the Condensed Evil Pearl shared the same origin as it; no matter how many clones it created, they would all be devoured by the pearl, leaving it truly nowhere to hide!

"So what if you kill me! So what if you kill me!!" Lu Kun's remaining will screamed, filled with resentment and madness.

"Nothing much, I'm just quite happy," Lin Lan replied calmly, her tone completely unfazed.

"You understand nothing at all... Killing me is to fulfill the wish of an existence a hundred times more terrifying than me..." The Red Demon's voice grew increasingly shrill, filled with utter despair.

"You think I'm the first generation of Red Devils?"

"You think it's all over just like that?! Do you know who the client of this commission is?" Lu Kun laughed before he was about to perish, but there was no triumph in his laughter, only endless sorrow.

"Isn't it just a commission issued by Red Devil Yiqiu? Do you think I don't know that Cold Hunter King's soul resides in Yiqiu's broken body?" Lin Lan sneered. "You're nothing but a sacrifice, a dog kept by Yiqiu, and you don't even know how pathetic you are."

"No... Impossible! How could you know so clearly? You have never transformed into a demon... From the beginning, I have wondered why the commission fell to you instead of Mo Fan..." Red Demon Lu Kun trembled all over, his voice filled with disbelief.

“Go to hell, where you’ll find everything you want to know.” Lin Lan’s eyes turned cold. “I came here only to kill you and let the Cold Hunter King return as a ghost.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Lan's fingertips condensed slightly, and a wisp of pure dark power seeped into the Red Demon's body. Lu Kun's body instantly disintegrated, turning into a wisp of scarlet smoke that vanished without a trace in the dark sea breeze.

Although the Cold Hunter King has lost his physical body, he can continue to exist as a spirit of the dead through his righteous soul.

Lin Lan's true purpose for this trip was never this Red Demon Lu Kun—he was ultimately just an insignificant stepping stone. (End of Chapter)