The Villain Saint is my secondary account

Chapter 199 Feint to the East, Attack in the West

"Ye Xiao, what do you mean by this?"

Zhu Jun frowned slightly, surprised that Dong Muge hadn't kept an eye on this guy. "I thought we had already reached an agreement."

"I've been thinking about it, and I guess I still just don't like you." Ye Xiao shrugged. "Is that reason enough?"

"Heh, very good."

However, Zhu Jun showed no anger at Ye Xiao's betrayal after hearing this. "Then so be it. I'll send you into the embrace of the Tree of Life as soon as possible."

"Kill them."

This last sentence was Zhu Jun issuing an order to Besolini.

The massive, mountain-like figure instantly rose from the ground, leaping off the ground like a cannonball, its muscular body arcing through the air as it slammed its fists down on Chen Yao, who was charging toward the vessel containing the remains of life.

Ye Xiao would not let Besolini succeed. He instantly teleported to Chen Yao's side, his blade flashing as he faced Besolini, who was crashing down from the sky.

"Keng——"

What should have been a collision between flesh and metal sparked instead. Ye Xiao felt as if his knife had caught a meteorite imbued with immense force, rather than striking a fist.

The unimaginable, violent impact surged along the blade into his arms, and even the solid ground beneath his feet cracked open in a spiderweb pattern in that instant.

It was fortunate that Ye Xiao had switched to an epic-grade longsword, which remained steadfast and unbroken despite the impact of such immense power.

Besolini's iron fist was deflected by the blade and slammed into the ground, instantly triggering a dust storm.

Although Ye Xiao was repelled by this force, Chen Yao was able to take the opportunity to stagger through the smoke, using his body strengthened by the divine power of life to smash through the walls of people blocking his way, heading straight for the container where the remains of the dead body were located.

Just then, Zhu Jun's chanting of a spell rang out in mid-air. The shadow beneath his feet resembled a spreading dark swamp, quickly covering the land at the edge of the container, and then transformed into countless vines that rose up, attempting to entangle Chen Yao's body.

Faced with the dense, net-like shadowy vines so close at hand, Chen Yao felt a sense of foreboding, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and charge forward.

The next second, a throwing knife struck first, swiftly bypassing Chen Yao's side and meeting the large net woven from shadowy vines.

Just before the throwing knife touched the net, Ye Xiao used his Shadow Shift technique to appear where the knife was. He took a step forward, raised his hand, and brought down the knife. The sharp blade light was like the dawn breaking, instantly severing the net.

The last barrier separating Chen Yao from the container shattered, and Chen Yao charged forward with all his might, punching the barrier that was shimmering with runic light on the remnants of life.

The black sludge gushing from the crack in his arm splattered onto the barrier like ink, accompanied by a dazzling golden explosion. The shockwave spread out, and Chen Yao and Ye Xiao were once again ejected from the container.

However, the dark sludge gushing from Chen Yao's arm successfully eroded the barrier, forming a gap that was gradually spreading.

"Damn it!"

Zhu Jun cursed loudly, clearly indicating that if Chen Yao were to encounter a life-threatening body again, unpredictable consequences might occur.

But at this moment, Chen Yao's arm, which bore the power of the gods, was visibly withering and shrinking. To have a mortal body harbor the power of the gods inevitably comes at a price.

Zhu Jun also noticed this scene, and he quickly realized that this guy was already at his last gasp.

This also means that the company's ordinary guards will no longer be easily knocked away like bowling pins as before.

This time, we absolutely will not let that guy touch any dead bodies again!

Zhu Jun's eyes were fierce. He pulled a black branch from his pocket and pointed it forward, as if issuing some kind of invisible command.

The next moment, the eyes of several guards who had been knocked off balance suddenly became vacant. After staggering to their feet, they rushed towards Chen Yao, who had just regained his balance.

Chen Yao frowned, intending to make a final stand with the last bit of divine power he had left, when he heard Ye Xiao shout, "Get out of the way!"

"Boom——"

After a deafening roar, the bodies of the guards burst open like overinflated balloons, and countless black tentacles surged out from their bodies, tearing everything around them to shreds.

In an instant, billowing smoke and dust swept across half the battlefield, but as the smoke dissipated, a pair of huge, blood-stained wolf claws suddenly appeared where Chen Yao had been standing, blocking the strange tentacles that were piercing through him like fans.

This was clearly Ye Xiao activating "Cynthia's" beast transformation technique.

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhu Jun's eyes; he hadn't expected Ye Xiao to possess such a beast transformation skill.

Although he was involved in the Hope Town incident and represented the Caesar Company in exploring the conditions for godhood with the Institute of Industrial Engineering under former Archbishop Evans, he was unclear about the specific details of how Ye Xiao ultimately ended that incident.

I never expected this guy to have such a hidden trick up his sleeve.

However, in Zhu Jun's eyes, all of this was irrelevant. When Ye Xiao removed the wolf's claws, his body was already covered in wounds and riddled with scars.

These martyrs, formed from the mutated divine power of life, were extremely dangerous to even those players who had transcended the mortal realm at the end of the previous life.

Witnessing Ye Xiao covered in blood and severely injured, although he risked his life to protect the pale-faced Chen Yao from the blast wave, without Ye Xiao's help, Chen Yao obviously could not break through the defense line again.

Thinking of this, Zhu Jun's lips curled into a smug smile as he looked at the two men who were barely breathing not far away: "It seems this is the end for you two."

"I was still hesitant about letting the test subjects try out its unstable power output form, but now it seems unnecessary."

As they spoke, Besolini's massive, mountain-like body once again stood between Ye Xiao and the other person and the container, like an indestructible high wall.

The remaining guards quickly formed an impenetrable wall, completely surrounding the two.

"You will never have the chance to encounter any remains of life again. Now, prepare to face hell."

"puff."

However, in this seemingly hopeless situation, Ye Xiao, who was covered in wounds, suddenly laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Zhu Jun looked at Ye Xiao's calm and composed appearance, a hint of anger flashing across his face.

"They're probably laughing at you for looking like a clown," Chen Yao chimed in, clutching his arm. "Haven't you realized yet that our mission is actually complete?"

Zhu Jun was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly felt the ground tremble.

what happened! ?

Startled, he quickly turned his gaze to the remains of life in the container. It was just that the barrier was broken; those two shouldn't have touched the remains of life!

Chapter 200: The Fall of Life

Zhu Jun was puzzled, and where his eyes fell, the enormous tentacle sealed in the container was now trembling uncontrollably.

The dark, obscure runes on it began to writhe as if they were alive, and then peeled off like broken dust from a dried-up surface.

A life-threatening body... collapsing?

How could this be possible?!

Zhu Jun's eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and fear. For the Life Research Department, this was tantamount to the collapse of a core asset. If anything went wrong, all their hard work would be in vain.

He ignored Ye Xiao and Chen Yao and rushed toward the container like a madman, his heart filled with doubt and anxiety.

Why is that?!

Suddenly, Zhu Jun seemed to sense something. He looked up sharply, his gaze piercing through the layers of platforms to the top, where he saw a figure that shocked him to the extreme.

"Dong Muge!?"

"You...you actually betrayed me!!!"

At this moment, Dong Muge had one arm pressed tightly against the giant tentacle, his face contorted in pain. His arm, which should have been fair and tender, was now covered with horrifying cracks, from which black sludge gushed out. When it touched the tentacle, it seemed to have a corrosive power, dissolving its surface.

Chen Yao and the others knew from the beginning that there was a special protective barrier inside the container containing the remains of the dead, and his goal from the beginning to the end was only to destroy that barrier.

The destruction of the container would inevitably trigger an alarm, so Chen Yao was used as bait to attract attention. The real trump card, however, was Dong Muge, who was able to infiltrate the interior using his special identity.

This was the true plan of the remnant soul of the God of Life. Of course, after giving away the little power he had left to Dong Muge and Chen Yao, this wisp of remnant soul, which had awakened with the opening of the ancient tomb, had already dissipated several days ago.

That's how the fog in Greygold Town disappeared.

"Stop, damn it!!! Do you know what you're doing?!"

Over here, Zhu Jun let out a heart-wrenching roar, opened his magic book, and tried to transform into a swift shadow in the darkness to rush straight to the top of the tree trunk to stop Dong Muge.

However, as the tentacles swayed violently, an irresistible wave of dizziness instantly assaulted his brain, forcibly halting his shadow form guidance.

how so! ?

Zhu Jun felt an extreme discomfort surging through his body, his steps were unsteady, as if his life force was slowly slipping away from him.

He was suffering the backlash from using the remnant of life's power. The life force that had surged within him was now quietly disappearing like the receding tide as the remnant of life disintegrated.

He wasn't truly weakened to this extent; it was just that the immense sense of loss caused by his body returning to a mortal form after the powerful energy dissipated created a feeling of frailty.

Within the towering tree that pierces the clouds, the enormous tendrils that seem to connect heaven and earth are disintegrating, with broken fragments flying everywhere like black snowflakes.

From the outside, the Tree of Life, which stood tall in the Tianqin Basin and blocked out the sun, also withered, and its lush branches and leaves fell one after another.

Inside this magnificent tree trunk, a catastrophe unfolded, a scene of utter devastation. Company members screamed in terror, scattering across the platform as massive roots rained down from the sky. The uncontrolled, escaping life force transformed into an invisible storm that instantly tore those who failed to escape into a shower of ashes.

Clearly, this place won't last much longer.

Ye Xiao decisively grabbed Chen Yao's arm and ran outside. Eunice, who was watching from the side, desperately wanted to rush towards the struggling Besolini, but Ye Xiao quickly grabbed her foot to stop her.

"Don't go over there! His resurrection was achieved through a remnant of life; it's just a false shell!"

"Let me go!!! Ah!!!"

Ignoring the crow's protests, Ye Xiao grabbed her and stuffed her into his coat.

At this moment, Ella in the imperial city was unable to open the portal to provide support because she was sealed, so Ye Xiao could only run wildly towards the outside of the tree trunk with all his might.

"You think you can run away?!"

Just then, a roar came from above.

Ye Xiao turned her head slightly and saw Zhu Jun leaping down from the collapsed platform with a ferocious expression. The magic book in his hand was rolling with large black shadows, surrounding him.

Zhu Jun's immortality stems from his remaining body, which is why Ye Xiao was unable to kill him even after severing his neck.

However, the Shadow Mage ability he possessed was a gift from the Caesar Company. This profession has no direct connection with the God of Life, and therefore will not disappear with the collapse of the remaining body.

Normally, Ye Xiao wouldn't care about exchanging a few blows with this guy. With the support of Ella's divine magic, he wasn't afraid of him at all.

But at this moment, the entire Tree of Life is collapsing, and the rampant life force is like a wild horse. To fight it now would be tantamount to risking one's own life.

Even so, Zhu Jun, who had lost his mind, continued to pursue relentlessly like a madman. Even as the strong winds blew him about, he persisted in chanting shadow magic to launch an attack.

"You damn bastard!"

"You think you can just leave after ruining everything I've built?!"

Is it really necessary for this madman? Losing a little bit of divine power won't kill him.

Ye Xiao couldn't understand Zhu Jun's madness, but even though he still had the Miracle Sorcerer's Death Reversal ability, he didn't dare to be reckless in the current perilous environment. After all, once caught in the rampaging divine power storm, even if he was resurrected, he would immediately be pulverized again.

The surrounding area was filled with a vast, raging magical energy, making it difficult for Zhu Jun's shadow spells to accurately hit their targets. Long spears formed from darkness slammed into the ground, brushing past Ye Xiao's feet, which terrified Ye Xiao.

"Don't worry about me... I wasn't going to live much anyway..."

At this moment, Chen Yao, who was being carried on Ye Xiao's shoulder, suddenly whispered.

"Don't shout, don't shout, I'm thinking about how to run away."

Ye Xiao completely ignored Chen Yao's words; he was certainly not the kind of person who would abandon his partners in a crisis.

Even if this guy is just a complete stranger and a temporary comrade-in-arms.

Ye Xiao's injuries looked frightening, but actually, they could be easily repaired with healing holy light.

With his enhanced physical abilities after transforming into a beast, carrying a person is no problem at all.

The real problem is with Chen Yao. His soul was possessed by Ella with divine power in Gray Gold Town before, and now he carries the divine power of the God of Life.

If he were merely a vessel to transfer that divine power, only using it to destroy the barrier without actually activating it, it wouldn't have been necessary. However, in order to break through the company's guards and Besolini's interception, he forcibly used a considerable amount of divine power.

If this continues, his soul will soon be on the verge of complete collapse, a soul injury that even the Holy Light cannot salvage.

Chapter 201 The End

Zhu Jun was still hot on his heels. Even though Ye Xiao had pushed his speed to the limit, the agility and difficulty of the Shadow Mage class should not be underestimated.

The shadows, surging like ocean waves, seemed to have a life of their own, sometimes coalescing into sharp, unparalleled spears that pierced through; at other times transforming into countless vines that entangled and intertwined.

As if things weren't bad enough, the shockwaves caused by the rampaging life force reached Ye Xiao's front, and some researchers who were still fleeing were instantly torn to pieces by the surging divine power.

Ye Xiao quickly stopped, managing to stay abreast of what was happening and avoid being caught up in the chaos. However, this pause allowed Zhu Jun, who was like a leech clinging to his bone, to catch up as well.

"Damn rat! Die here!!"

In a near-mad state, Zhu Jun manipulated the magic book in front of him, releasing dozens of shadow arrows that shot straight towards Ye Xiao's back.

"Tsk."