Inner Destroyer

　This was the third of Qi Xing's three ultimate moves, the "Thunder Fighting Technique." Leaping into the sky, lurking among the clouds, heaving and spitting, unpredictable. If he didn't make a sound, it would be nothing. But when it did, it would startle, like a divine thunderbolt shattering the clouds, raining down divine punishment!

　This is the ultimate form of Xingyiquan. Without a sword in hand, the sword intent is hidden in the heart, forming the image of heavenly thunder.

　Hence the name [Heart Sword·Thor's Kick].

　Even if Romani stood before the sea, he would definitely not be able to withstand this lightning-fast attack.

　"Thor's Kick" wielded immense force, ruthlessly crushing the six-armed demon king to pieces! Romani's eyes flashed with a fleeting moment of shock before he was blasted into the bottomless sea.

　The earth-shattering might had not yet subsided, and it continued to strike the sea ahead with irresistible force. The sea surface was torn apart by the storm and tremors, almost like the magnificent spectacle of Moses parting the sea.

　The surging heat and raging waves were instantly torn in two. "Thor's Kick" struck down like a giant axe, splitting the sea into two massive walls. Fire and thunder intertwined, causing the entire ocean to tremble and wail. Lightning flashed across the cleaved surface, illuminating the endless turbulence into a magnificent spectacle of gold, red, and azure blue. The fierce wind swept up countless sea pearls, scattering them across the watershed.

　The entire small world seemed to have stopped breathing at this moment, leaving only the thunderous force of the footsteps, stirring up the power to shake the universe.

　Even the sea seems insignificant in front of this power, and can only open the passage to a deeper secret realm for the absolutely strong.

　Qi Xing kicked Romani's "ventricle" open and rushed in laughing!

　056: Are you sleepy? Where is your wife?

　Each "inner realm" is divided into at least three layers.

　The shallow layer overlaps with the material world and at first glance does not differ much from the real world, and the laws of physics are not too different either.

　The deeper layers of the "Inner World" are distinctly otherworldly, where even the laws of physics may be rewritten. Therefore, the masters of this "Inner World" are often more powerful in combat. Because they themselves determine the rules of this otherworld, this world is their home turf. However, the environment and rules of the deeper "Inner World" still remain woven from mythological archetypes embedded in the "collective unconscious." They are not something their masters can arbitrarily tinker with.

　On the contrary, the last layer, the core of the "inner world" - the "heart chamber", is purely the mental landscape of its creator, a purely personal world.

　Qi Xing kicked open the door of Romani's "heart chamber" and rushed in with a laugh. He wanted to take a look at Romani's inner world and see what his hidden "wife" looked like.

　As a result, the scene before him really surprised him a little.

　Because what appeared in front of Qi Xing was actually another ancient relic - a long and narrow corridor made of rough stones, with mottled walls, emitting a faint and cold light.

　At least at the beginning, Qi Xingzhen thought that this was another ruin of an ancient city.

　It was not until two seconds later, as he observed carefully and moved forward slowly, that he gradually saw unusual traces from the subtle details.

　This is not the ruins of an ancient city, this is a prison.

　The surrounding stone walls are made of ancient gray stones with a mottled surface, as if engraved with painful memories of the years.

　The winding corridor was deep and narrow, lined with cells of varying shapes, each one alight with a faint light. The iron bars, mottled with rust, looked cold and solid. Each cell door seemed to hold a secret.

　This space was filled with an absolutely cold and oppressive force.

　"This is what Romani's ventricle looks like."

　Qi Xing hadn't expected this. He had originally thought Romani's "inner world" was something wilder.

　However, as Qi Xing walked further inside, he gradually discovered that the depressing atmosphere around him might have other deeper meanings.

　Intricately carved, each instrument exudes a chilling, almost artistic beauty, its details etched in the winding, dark corridors. Sharp hooks gleam icy in the dim light, while dangling chains droop and tangle, ready to capture and bind any passing soul.

　Some chains tried to bind Qi Xing as he passed by, but the Thunderfire Heavenly Robe melted them all.

　Walking in this quiet old prison, every step seems to be stepping on the valley of the soul. Every cell on both sides of the corridor seems to be imprisoned.

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　The pain and loneliness solidified by time.

　This is a microcosm of the darkest corner of Romani's heart, a prison that imprisons the spirit, a huge cage that even the soul cannot escape.

　Qi Xing now walked within a cold steel cage with every step forward. Every stone and every chain here contained a loneliness and indifference that was almost suffocating.

　Only by passing through this iron cage can one reach the darkest and most desperate secrets in Romani's heart.

　In fact, generally speaking, this deepest secret of the soul belongs to personal privacy, and it seems that it should not be revealed morally.

　But at this point, even without considering Brahma's immortality, simply destroying Romani physically was not enough. Of course, he had to be severely tortured mentally as well!

　At the end of the rocky corridor, strange figures began to emerge, as if crawling from the depths of a "heart chamber." They lacked a fixed form, their bodies constantly shifting and twisting in the thick darkness, sometimes dispersing like smoke, sometimes condensing into sharp fragments. Intertwining with each other, accompanied by low, mournful roars, they quietly materialized in the corridor and surrounded Qi Xing.

　They must be some kind of mental shadow monsters that emerged from the "ventricles" of Romani.

　Sadly, Qi Xing was too lazy to bother with them. He wasn't even interested in doing any psychological symbolic analysis of them.

　With a flick of his fingertips, five bolts of lightning flew out, scattering all the shadows—Oh no! Wait!

　Suddenly reacting, Qi Xing immediately redirected a lightning blade and reached out to grab a shadow. Before the shadow could resist, he poured the power of "Domination" into it!

　Yea!

　This is the "heart chamber" of another "Silver Coin Messenger." Qi Xing wants to use the power of "Domination" to directly control it entirely, but of course that's impossible. Otherwise, there's no need to fight anymore. If you meet "Real Man Lei Pu," just kneel down and give him Lei Pu.

　But it's easy to control just a shadow, a fragment!

　Golden divine lightning flashed and crackled. Half a second later, the strange figure obediently bowed to Qi Xing, accepting his orders.

　"Take me to Romani's wife."

　Qi Xing gave the order.

　The shadow remained motionless.

　"Take me to Romani's 'wife,' or whoever else he calls his wife in this 'chamber.'"

　The shadow remained motionless.

　Damn, how come this thing is dumber than AI?

　Qi Xing pondered for a moment and then changed his order: "Take me to the core of the ventricle, to the most important place on this level."

　The shadow floated up and began to fly away.

　They descended floor after floor, occasionally passing through a huge iron gate, and walked towards the deepest part of the "inner world" in complete silence. After going downstairs many times, they finally reached a corridor with no stairs at the end, but instead a final iron gate.

　The shadow stopped in front of the door.

　Nothing happened as they descended deeper into the "heart chamber," which had already made Qi Xing feel somewhat bored. But now, his curiosity was piqued. They were at the bottom, and Romani's deepest secrets were within reach.

　The lock made a slight click and Qi Xing opened the door.

　The room was dim, its only source of light coming from an old wall lamp, which only accentuated the mottled rust marks on the wall. The air was filled with the smell of rust and old leather, dull and damp.

　Then, Qi Xing saw it.

　It stood alone in the center of the room, silent and closed, like a coffin, its heavy iron plates cast into a cold outline, its surface covered with traces of time, mottled rust scattered on it like dried bloodstains, and it was tightly closed, with not even a ray of light able to penetrate the gap, as if it had never been opened.

　It was a... it was an iron maiden.

　A legendary medieval torture device.

　It even has an indifferent and emotionless female face cast in it, staring coldly at the poor soul who is about to step into it.

　"It's not this kind of 'virgin', is it? Romani, don't you have too much imagination?"

　Qi Xing was even a little shocked for a moment. Fortunately, things weren't that crazy yet. He reached out and pulled open the iron door, revealing the inside of the torture device. The scene inside surprised him, but also made Qi Xing feel a little relieved.

　Dense spikes extended from the inside of the Iron Maiden, each one was long and sharp, and arranged neatly like the fangs of a wild beast.

　But at the same time, there was actually a living little girl inside the iron coffin, but fortunately she was not covered in blood.

　A petite and slender girl with waist-length golden hair, blue eyes and a slim figure.

　Even when Qi Xing, the stranger, suddenly pulled Iron Maiden away, she didn't seem surprised at all, her face expressionless and calm.

　Is this Romani’s “wife”?

　Although Qi Xing had long guessed that Romani couldn't really have a hidden wife, this situation was too strange.

　"Are you imprisoned here? Don't be afraid, I'm here to save you."

　He tried to ask.

　The little girl said nothing, and looked at Qi Xing silently with her big blue eyes.

　"What's your name?"

　She doesn't speak.

　"Why here?"

　She doesn't speak.

　"What is your relationship with Romani?"

　Hey, this time the little girl actually spoke: "He said I was his wife."

　Alas.

　Could this be just as everyone had guessed? Romani had just grabbed a random little girl with autism and locked her up in the deepest part of his "inner world." As a ritual symbol, she would replace his "wife."

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　, provide him with immortality?

　But Qi Xing couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. It was like this was just a clever explanation, not the truth... After all, the work was too crude. Romani should have had more ways to find a better woman and hide her more securely...

　Anyway, what now?

　Qi realized he still had principles. Since the girl before him was most likely a victim of Romani's captivity, he couldn't possibly hurt or bully her. He didn't like her.

　However, Qi Xing thought that if he could just use the power of "Domination" to take her ownership from Romani, not interfere with her thoughts, and at the same time break Romani's blessing of immortality, there would be no need to worry about it.

　Qi Xing immediately put his hand on the little girl's head, chanted a holy verse, and activated his "Dominion" power: "I am Osiris! The king of the dead and the resurrection, the god who decides life and death. If you are trapped in despair, you only need to chant my holy name and rest under my wings."

　He wanted to bring this little girl under the control of his divine authority. But——

　[Error: Invalid target]

　what?

　A strange sentence suddenly popped into his mind.

　The little girl simply stared at him silently, seemingly offering no resistance. Qi Xing also felt no conflict of power. It was as if this was simply—a system error…

　After a long period of silence, the loli evil god Samael finally spoke lazily, "Little fool, didn't I tell you before? As long as the 'Messenger's' desires and will haven't completely collapsed, you can't simply 'control' them with your power. Even if they're only half a 'Messenger'."

　"what?"

　Hearing this, Qi Xing still had some brains after all, and immediately realized: "This little girl is a 'Silver Coin Messenger'? Half one?"

　Half? How did you calculate half? Could a silver coin be split in half? That's not possible, right?

　"A Messenger's soul is split in two, with one half injected into a body created from the silver coin. This, of course, counts as half a Messenger."

　Samael said lightly, with a hint of sneer in his tone.

　"Having a dual personality isn't enough, but having a split soul is enough. It's a clever trick—but he couldn't have done it without a deep and profound desire to split himself in two."

　A deep and profound desire to split myself in two?

　Half of it was injected into the body created by the silver coin?

　Half a "messenger"?

　Wife?

　half?

　Thinking back to what Father Amos had said about Romani's background, Qi Xing's mind raced, and he understood everything immediately!

　It dawned on him.

　"you……"

　He looked at the silent blond girl again, and finally couldn't suppress his surprise.

　"You were cut from the soul of the Romani—the 'white woman'?"

　Romani Domingo is a mixed-race black man.

　Italian mother, Haitian father.

　He was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His mother was a wealthy white Italian woman who had traveled there. Shortly after giving birth to him, his mother paid his father hush money and returned home, abandoning Romani and his father in Haiti, a country of poverty and unrest.

　It is conceivable that when Romani grew up and learned about his life experience, when he was discriminated against and excluded by the pure-blood blacks in Haiti because he was a mixed-race black - he must have hated his mother, that bitch, and the half-white blood she gave him.

　The power of the silver coin is driven by the holder's deepest desires. Furthermore, the silver coin in Romani's hand seems to symbolize something like "transformation." So, a mixed-race black man who deeply resents the white blood inherited from his mother... even if such self-loathing could use the silver coin to separate his white blood from his "female" heritage, or even use hatred to tear his soul in two... it seems understandable.

　That's why Romani broke down and started cursing when he heard Qi Xing complain "halfway".