The villain, caught in a chaotic situation, only wants to boost his popularity.

The Tower of Echoes, [Heavenly Remnant Layer].

Xue Li tiptoed, wrapped her arms around Mu Jing's neck, and threw herself onto his back.

His unique aura instantly enveloped her.

Like pine needles warmed by the morning sun, she subconsciously relaxed her tense shoulders.

But just a few seconds later, the world suddenly fell into dead silence.

The colors before my eyes were like a canvas that had been pulled away, and even the wind in my ears had vanished without a trace.

Even though it wasn't the first time she had experienced "loss of feeling," her heart still clenched tightly.

Instinctively, she buried her face deeper, her forehead brushing against his hair—it was a little prickly, but for some reason, she wanted to brush against it a couple more times.

The next second, she, who had been relaxed all over, suddenly froze.

She discovered that the holy power within her body was being pulled outwards by an invisible hand, and even the flow of the holy mark on her chest was slowed down, like a frozen stream.

Panic, helplessness, fear.

I was more panicked than when I lost my sight, hearing, and energy perception—at least I knew the reasons for those, but I had never heard of my holy power being taken away.

She wrapped her arms tightly around Mu Jing's neck, her arms so tight it felt like she wanted to embed herself into his bones, wanting only to hold onto that fragile sense of security even more firmly.

—No matter what happens later, don't panic. Just trust me and hold me tight.—

Suddenly, the words Mu Jing had whispered in her ear popped into her mind.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down and feel it—the flow of holy power was not dissipating, but rather flowing steadily into Mu Jing's body along their backs that were pressed together.

She pressed her chest closer, feeling his heart pounding like a drumbeat, each beat striking her heart.

The heartbeat was as deep as a mountain, as steady as a rock anchored in the deep sea, and even more like a bronze bell that has hung in an ancient temple for centuries.

Each pulse carried an undeniable certainty, traveling down their backs and making her chest feel slightly numb.

He must have a way!

—As long as it's him, then there's absolutely no problem.

—I must trust him, just as he trusts me.

The thought had barely crossed her mind when a fierce gust of wind suddenly crashed down from above, whistling as sharp weapons sliced ​​through the air, grazing past her ear—Mu Jing must be locked in combat with an enemy!

—Aren't we... like a couple running together in the apocalypse right now?

She couldn't help but mutter to herself, her face burning up.

Even though it was a life-or-death situation, her heart was pounding like a honey pot that had been overturned, pounding wildly in her chest.

She could feel her heartbeat getting faster and faster.

Each heartbeat carried a surge of heat that spread from her heart to every part of her body, as if it were melting her.

Her ears turned red and hot, and her breathing became rapid.

—Why is his heartbeat still so steady! Humph! That's not fair!

—After all, he was facing an enemy, so he forgave him.

Why is my heart beating so loudly?! What if he hears it?!

—No, no, no! This is just the suspension bridge effect described in the book! It's all an illusion! I won't be fooled by this despicable man!

She tightened her arms around Mu Jing's neck again, as if trying to clung to this pine needle-like sense of security into her very bones.

Just as her inner monologue was exploding into chaos—

Behind Mu Jing.

The "black lotus" that blotted out the sky suddenly exploded!

A dull tremor came from the earth; the vibration wasn't something you could hear, but a buzzing sound that seeped into your bones, as if a giant hand was shaking the whole world.

A blinding white light swept in from behind, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

Immediately following was a wall of scorching hot air crashing in, carrying the smell of burnt fish and dust, almost knocking people over.

Mu Jing suddenly stood up and turned around, only to see a smooth, deep pit that stretched for a hundred meters open on the ground.

The stones crumbled into dust and were blown up by the wind, swirling around the edge of the pit like a layer of yellow mist.

Meanwhile, atop the distant castle, the "black lotus" that blots out the sky remains unharmed.

Its petals still maintained a regular opening and closing rhythm, as if the explosion just now was just it yawning.

Mu Jing knew perfectly well that what had just exploded was merely a clone it had created using [Instant Shadow Kill].

But now he stared at the black lotus, a confident whisper escaping his throat: "Next, it should be the [Peerless Battle]!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly roared, "[Frozen Thousands of Miles]!"

Pale blue light burst forth from his palm like a tidal wave.

Instantly, a layer of ice sculptures conforming to their contours solidified around the two of them—like a custom-made ice crystal armor.

Even Xue Li's loose hair was frozen into icy threads that gleamed coldly, completely encasing them within them.

He rushed forward in his "ice sculpture" costume, and the moment he reached the edge of the giant pit, he suddenly rolled to the side, leaving the ice sculpture behind as if he were "taking off" his coat, and then jumped into the pit with Xue Li in his arms!

Almost simultaneously, four faint streaks of light suddenly illuminated the area around the ice sculpture—

"Whoosh—"

A sharp crack shattered the silence, like a blade slicing through silk, or like icicles breaking in the cold night.

The ice sculpture exploded, and countless tiny ice crystals flew through the air like stardust, reflecting the red light of the black lotus in the distance, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

A flash of white light, and Mu Jing landed steadily at the bottom of the pit.

A few unmelted ice shards still clung to his palm; with a gentle tug at his fingertips, the ice shards turned into water droplets and slid off.

He looked up at the black mist swirling above the pit and murmured again, "Next, it's time for the [Whirlwind Slash]!"

He murmured the skill name again, and a faint blue light suddenly flashed beneath his feet.

An icicle shaped like a button popped out with a "click," instantly launching him like a cannonball.

Almost simultaneously, a hurricane suddenly arose from the spot, like a shark smelling blood, and pounced on him as he launched himself!

His landing point was precisely at the edge of the top of the giant pit.

The moment the white light flashed, a pale blue light followed closely behind.

He only paused for a moment at the edge of the pit before being propelled by the ice pillar again, hurtling towards the other edge of the giant pit!

The top edge of the giant pit, the bottom of the pit, the middle of the pit...

White light and pale blue light flashed alternately, like two intertwined lightning bolts shuttling through the pit!

The hurricane followed him relentlessly, moving as fast as a blade tearing through the air, grazing his clothes several times and posing a constant threat!

Ten minutes later, the hurricane finally dissipated.

He was breathing heavily, but his gaze remained fixed on the black lotus high in the sky, a resolute whisper escaping his throat:

"The next move will be [Mushroom Barrage], right?"

"The next move will be [Dragon Tail Sweep], right?"

…………

In less than half an hour, the entire space was filled with hundreds of alternating flashes of white and pale blue light.

The entire space felt as if it had been repeatedly struck by two intertwined lightning bolts, and even the air was chilled with icy shards.

Mu Jing's chest heaved violently, and his heavy breathing was particularly jarring in the deathly silence.

But the "black lotus" high in the distance remained completely still.

The petals maintain a regular opening and closing rhythm, radiating an infinite sense of oppression like a perpetual motion machine.

It was as if the struggle just now was nothing more than ants playing with each other in its eyes.

Just then, Mu Jing suddenly sat up straight—

He stopped hiding!

A faint blue light suddenly appeared on the ground ahead.

Starting from him, a smooth ice strip half a meter wide stretched forward rapidly, its surface gleaming with a chilling light.

"Whoosh—"

He sped off across the ice, his speed increasing rapidly.

Icicles would occasionally spring up from beneath his feet like piano keys, the sharp sound of them slicing through the air like countless ice needles simultaneously scratching glass, piercing yet carrying a resolute air.

In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a pale blue afterimage, hurtling towards the castle beneath the black lotus at supersonic speed!

Meanwhile, in the [Real-world Bullet Comment Section]:

"Dark Spectrum Green Onion: Not only do the ants not retreat, but they dare to fight back?"

"It has to be Prison Mirror! Once I've memorized the BOSS's skills, I'll dare to chop off the BOSS's head!"

"What tricks is Prison Mirror up to now? [Misleading Words - Common Rank] is completely useless against enemy bosses of this level, isn't it?"

Just as the audience was arguing heatedly...

The afterimage of the supersonic speeding towards the black lotus in the anime suddenly paused.

Mu Jing's voice, accompanied by the sharp sound of ice blades slicing through the air, was uttered word by word:

"because…………

because…………

'

.........