The western region of the Domain of the Eerie Night, the clock struck midnight.
All three nascent pollution sources had been dealt with. The remaining alien monster swarms posed no threat to Xu Mu. Under the glow of the big red lanterns, within ten minutes, they had all fled the village.
In the darkness, only Xu Mu stood alone.
"A peaceful night."
As usual, he announced the end of the night's vigil, then struck the bronze bell heavily before falling silent.
If it were in the past, he would have seized the opportunity to say a few words to Charles. But tonight was different.
Tonight, his spirit and energy were at their peak. He had just become a second-tier anomaly, and he had overcome the inner demon of the wolf demon.
In the past, that person could seize his body at his weakest moment of the day. But what about today?
Xu Mu's eyes narrowed slightly. He could already feel a powerful energy dragging his soul into the sea of consciousness.
Under normal circumstances, he would be utterly unable to resist. But tonight, he wanted to try.
So he took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and with a *click*, plunged the hunting knife into the ground.
This was a tradition of the Great Xia army, similar to the palm-cutting duel. It signified that the party engaging in the contest was prepared to fight to the death, a battle of no retreat!
"Although becoming an anomaly is partly thanks to you, this is still my body."
"Therefore, I am unwilling to lend it to you. This is only natural. Moreover, you have never even said a single thank you to me."
He murmured, his consciousness clear and transparent. He concentrated his mind, anchoring his soul firmly within this physical shell.
No matter how the external force tugged, he refused to waver.
As if surprised by his steadfastness, a soft exclamation sounded in Xu Mu's mind.
"Why invite needless suffering."
This voice was almost identical to Xu Mu's, clean and upright, but lacking a certain mellowness, replaced by a chilling lack of life.
"As long as I do not perceive it as suffering, then suffering will not exist."
A faint smile appeared on Xu Mu's lips. This was a way of thinking Charles had taught him.
He would be the first to drink this cup of chicken soup. Thus, even though he was sweating profusely, gritting his teeth, and nearly losing consciousness, he absolutely would not yield control.
In the vast and boundless Heavenly Palace world, within a magnificent palace, a shirtless youth sat on a dragon throne.
His eyes were ashen white. Endless spiritual energy surged from the misty white expanse. Then, two colossal arms, like celestial pillars, extended from Xu Mu's sea of consciousness. Their fingers were as long as mountains. They unfurled grandly into the sky.
Beyond the sky was the sea of consciousness.
Xu Mu could feel the oppressive weight emanating from the dark firmament. Thus, the spiritual power in his sea of consciousness surged upwards. Countless raindrops, the size of houses, hurtled upwards, beginning to confront the massive hand.
*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Each droplet was shattered by the descending giant hand, exploding outwards. Terrifying sonic waves erupted. Each droplet produced countless terrifying sonic waves. The turbulent currents swirled like whirlpools, and the entire sea of consciousness trembled from the clash between these two forces.
"Stop fighting, stop fighting!"
Charles appeared in the sea of consciousness, his face filled with distress.
He stood afar on a small island, temporarily unaffected by the clash occurring billions of miles away.
"Your soul strengths are currently equal. If you continue like this, the sea of consciousness will collapse!"
Xu Mu remained silent, still manipulating the water droplets to fly towards the sky. The figure in the Heavenly Palace also continued to press down with his hand, seemingly indifferent to the fate of the sea of consciousness.
If the sea of consciousness collapsed, they would both die.
Therefore, this meant they were indifferent to their own survival.
Amidst the explosions, blood seeped from the corners of Xu Mu's mouth. Several times, he nearly passed out, but he persevered.
Because he knew that if he missed this opportunity, he might never be able to suppress the other party again. He had only easily reached the second tier by chance. What about that person?
If he were allowed to enter the real world indefinitely, and if one day he truly reached a certain level and then suppressed him, what would his status be?
Therefore, today, he decided to fight with all his might, just as Charles had said: believe he could do it, and fear nothing.
"You have grown."
The hand continued to press down, and the explosions continued. The person in the Heavenly Palace suddenly exclaimed.
In just one day, he could sense that Xu Mu's strength had increased significantly. Had he awakened his anomaly?
And most crucially, his state of mind had changed. He possessed the resolve to fight him to the death.
This was significant progress, but not enough. Because for humans, the ability to fight to the death was merely incidental.
If it were a different time, or ten seconds later, his thoughts, or rather his courage, would be entirely different.
But his courage would not change. If Xu Mu persisted, then they would have no choice but to die.
"In this collision, you will inevitably be captured by me."
The sky seemed to collapse. The mountain-like fingers accelerated their descent. The raindrops striking them were like bullets piercing rock, scattering countless fragments of spiritual essence.
"Because you are different from me. You only possess the courage and determination to fight to the death. But you merely use these as a means to victory. You do not wish to die."
"But I am different. You know that I can die at any moment, anywhere."
"So, do not struggle any longer."
The two giant hands descended with a roar, crashing heavily onto the turbulent sea.
Anger surged within Xu Mu's heart, and a resolute ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.
At this moment, he truly wished he could detonate the sea.
Even Charles held his breath, though he did not need to.
Only the ashen-white eyes in the Heavenly Palace maintained their smile.
...
...
After an unknown period, the conflict in the sea of consciousness subsided. Both the raindrops and the giant hand receded back into the sea.
The mist in the Domain of the Eerie Night thickened.
Xu Mu, who had been sitting on the ground, stood up and picked up the hunting knife with his left hand.
His pupils were ashen white.
Seeing this, Charles finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Xu Mu had not fought to the death, so they were all still alive.
"Your Highness, it is a pleasure to see you again."
Charles's body coalesced on the ground, and he respectfully bowed to the youth before him. From any angle, it was impeccable.
"You don't need to say that every time you see me."
His head still ached slightly, so he gently massaged his temples.
The struggle for the soul had ended, but the vast sea of consciousness remained turbulent. The final blow had been too decisive and fierce, stirring up giant waves thousands of feet high. Thus, it would take some time to calm down.
So Charles remained silent. He stepped aside, silently waiting for the person beside him to recover.
At the same time, he sighed inwardly.
Although this outcome was not unexpected, Xu Mu had lost even when he held all the advantages of time and place.
Charles looked puzzled. He had clearly sensed the fierce resolve in the host's eyes at the last moment, a willingness to perish together.
What made him suddenly stop?
...