It's too late, let it be what it is.

Facing the overwhelming, pitch-black tentacles sweeping toward him, Su Ji dared not be careless this time.

"Chanting Wind" was indeed a fine sword.

But he was merely a minor cultivator who had just entered the Foundation Establishment stage.

The meager spiritual energy in his body, even with the foundation of the Heavenly Dao to support it, could not sustain such squandering.

With a thought from Su Ji, the azure flying sword beneath his feet let out a soft hum, carrying him in a sharp, clean arc as he sped downward.

He landed steadily on the ground, narrowly avoiding the massive, thunderous strike.

Countless pitch-black tentacles missed their target and smashed heavily onto the ground, emitting a dull, booming sound that made the entire square tremble.

Su Ji glanced at the bluestone slabs that had been shattered into fragments, then raised his head without a change in expression and shouted with full vigor.

"This monster is extremely dangerous! Even I, Su Ji, am not certain I can retreat unscathed."

His voice echoed across the square, clearly reaching the ears of every survivor.

"But to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear—that is something I, Su Ji, cannot do!"

"Everyone, please leave on your own and seek a chance at survival!"

"Let me, Su Ji, remain here to fight to the death!"

These words were spoken with impassioned generosity and resounding power.

Having finished speaking, without waiting for the crowd to react, he turned and struck with his sword.

The "Chanting Wind" in his hand emitted a clear, high-pitched hum. An extremely condensed azure sword qi shot forth, slashing viciously against the pitch-black formation array enveloping the square.

Riiip—

A tooth-aching tearing sound rang out.

That impregnable formation barrier was actually forcibly torn open by him, creating a rift several rods long.

In an instant, the commoners who were lucky enough to still be alive felt as if they had seen the gates to heaven.

Scrambling, screaming, and crying, they swarmed toward the rift like a plague of locusts, terrified that if they were too slow, they would become the next drained souls.

Atop the high platform, the City Lord of Anyang merely watched this scene quietly, a playful smile hanging on his face. He did not move to stop them.

Escape?

Where could they escape to?

The current Anyang City was already in the palm of his hand. Without his warrant, even a Golden Core cultivator could not dream of taking a half-step out of the city gates.

These mortals were nothing more than livestock raised in his pen; letting them run a bit would only make their final despair all the more delicious.

Once the figure of the last commoner had vanished into the rift, the torn opening slowly healed.

In the vast square, only Su Ji and the City Lord of Anyang remained, facing each other from a distance.

The City Lord looked down at Su Ji from his high vantage point, as if looking at an ant that did not know the meaning of death.

"Now, there is no one to disturb us."

"Kneel and offer up your divine soul, and this City Lord might grant you a quick death."

Upon hearing this, Su Ji merely pointed the tip of the Chanting Wind sword diagonally at the ground.

The next moment, he moved.

Tapping the ground lightly with his toes, he shot toward the City Lord on the high platform like an arrow leaving the string!

The City Lord harrumphed coldly and vanished.

The formation beneath their feet surged once more. Countless monsters condensed from black water roared and howled, swarming toward Su Ji from all directions, forming an airtight black tide.

Su Ji's figure was instantly drowned out by the endless horde of monsters.

The only difference from the desperate scene in [Peering at Destiny] was that his current posture was clean and dashing.

The "Chanting Wind" in Su Ji's hand seemed to come alive, transforming into a streak of azure brilliance.

Every swing brought forth a dazzling sword light, easily tearing the pouncing monsters to shreds.

He did not look like he was struggling to survive; rather, he looked like he was taking a leisurely stroll in a courtyard.

The azure sword edge was the only bright color in this dim world.

Su Ji showed no signs of distress; every strike was perfectly timed, using the least amount of spiritual power to cause the greatest damage.

Standing on the high platform, the City Lord of Anyang frowned slightly.

He realized he couldn't quite see through this young man before him.

His cultivation base was clearly only at the first layer of Foundation Establishment, yet that combat intuition, far exceeding his realm, made even the City Lord feel a tremor of alarm.

He seemed even trickier than the so-called Holy Land cultivators from that night.

Of course, what unsettled him most was that this young man had been too composed from beginning to end.

So composed that it seemed everything was under his control.

Clearly, this person...

Had also attended the banquet that night...

How could he not know that even the Golden Core cultivators of the Holy Land had fallen at the City Lord's hands?

"Interesting."

The City Lord of Anyang muttered to himself, the contempt in his eyes gradually fading.

He dared not attack personally.

He could only let these black thralls wear down Su Ji's spiritual energy.

Time passed, drop by drop.

Su Ji felt his arms growing heavier; every swing of the sword felt like dragging a mountain.

The spiritual energy in his dantian had long since bottomed out, with little remaining.

The Glazed Dao Platform within his body spun madly, but the recovery speed couldn't keep up with the consumption.

These monsters truly seemed endless, impossible to kill off.

He began to pant violently, beads of sweat covering his forehead, his face turning pale.

Something was wrong.

Alarm bells rang in Su Ji's mind.

In the future seen via [Peering at Destiny], although he had been wretched, his cultivation had inexplicably skyrocketed to the late Golden Core stage during the slaughter.

But now, he had been killing for so long and his spiritual energy was nearly dry, yet his cultivation remained at the first layer of Foundation Establishment with no sign of breakthrough.

What... exactly had gone wrong?

What crucial detail had he missed?

"Pfft!"

In that split second of distraction, a monster's sharp claws tore viciously into his left shoulder.

His robes were ripped apart, and three deep scratches exposing the bone instantly appeared.

The intense pain sharpened Su Ji's consciousness.

He slashed backhand, cutting the ambushing monster in two, then retreated to put a small distance between himself and the horde, gaining a moment of respite.

But this distance was useless against the endless army of monsters.

The black tide swept in once again.

Just at this critical moment hanging by a thread.

A weathered sigh sounded in Su Ji's mind without warning.

"Sigh..."

This voice belonged to the remnant soul that had claimed to leave behind an inheritance in the dead city of Anyang earlier.

"My name is Ni Guang. Outsiders also call me the Night King."

"That body is actually my corpse..."

"I didn't expect that even at my age, I wouldn't find peace in death."

"I was sleeping soundly, only to be dug out of the earth."

"I started as an Evil Cultivator in my early years, and only found my way back to the righteous path in my old age..."

"That is why the current situation has come to pass."

"A benevolent soul and an evil corpse."

"That City Lord of Anyang has already obtained the Evil Cultivator inheritance of my early years."

"He intends to slaughter the citizens of the entire city."

"This matter started because of me, and it should end because of me."

"However, my evil corpse has already found a representative in the mortal world, and his techniques share the same origin as mine."

"Even if I have the will to suppress and kill him, I lack the power to break his moves."

"Therefore, I could only create a false illusion of a massacre, hoping to attract some people with good intentions to serve as my representative in the mortal world and battle against him."

"But... you kid..."

"Damn it..."

"*****..."

"Forget about being a good person."

"From what I see, you barely even qualify as human."

"But it is too late now."

"Virtue is judged by deeds, not thoughts. Since you chose to stay, and you are not a heinous villain..."

"You are the one."

"Kid."

"I have come to aid you."

"My legacy is the 'Invincible Momentum'."

"The Zenith of Immortality, the Heart Battles the Soul!"