What's so funny What's so amusing

Under this Spirit-Sealing Domain...

Unless you possess a body at the Eternal Realm or higher, you stand no chance against Qin Luo.

Of course, even if you do, it wouldn’t matter—because this place nullifies all physical attacks.

Spiritual energy is sealed. Physical force is negated.

Your only options are to flee... or rely solely on the power of laws.

Qin Luo watched the chaos below with a meaningful gaze.

In truth, the appearance of the Shadow Garden was a necessary step.

Even without the incident involving the Skeleton Giant, Qin Luo had planned for the Shadow Garden to emerge as the antagonistic force.

After all...

Everything circled back to his ultimate goal: clearing Su Muwan’s name.

Judging by the recent developments, Ling Long and the others possessed Eternal Realm physiques.

Given Su Muwan’s current combat strength, she couldn’t destroy their bodies.

If they couldn’t be killed, the aftermath would inevitably spiral into a "world boss" scenario.

Though Su Muwan had claimed she didn’t mind, Qin Luo refused to accept that outcome.

Because in the end, it would mirror the original script—Su Muwan becoming the final villain, annihilated by all.

That was not what he wanted.

So...

The Shadow Garden would serve as a third-party antagonist for everyone to unite against.

Perhaps this could replace the "ultimate villain" halo looming over Su Muwan.

While cleansing the black threads of fate from Su Muwan’s destiny, the Shadow Garden would act as the overt menace in the world.

This way, there might still be a chance to rewrite Su Muwan’s fate!

That was the plan, but...

Qin Luo sighed inwardly.

He had envisioned countless outcomes.

If the worst came to pass... he would intervene.

After all, he had already laid plenty of hints.

Still... he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Just then—

"Hold your ground! Use the power of laws to eradicate these monsters!"

A voice rang out.

Qin Luo turned his gaze toward the source.

It was none other than...

The Lord of the Starry Sky Divine Palace—Xing Wuhen!

Interesting.

His divination abilities were indeed troublesome. Had Qin Luo not cast a concealment spell on Su Bailian earlier, Xing Wuhen might have seen through them.

Speaking of which... Qin Luo swept his eyes across the battlefield, noting Xuan Xingzi and a few others.

They had encountered each other in the minor world—there was a chance they might recognize his allies.

Thus, on this battlefield, he had to eliminate them all. No loose ends.

Xing Wuhen was still stabilizing the situation when suddenly—

A bone-chilling dread surged from his feet to the crown of his head.

He snapped his gaze upward.

There, suspended mid-air, was a figure clad in a weeping ghost mask, its crimson eyes piercing like blades.

"Ant."

The voice of the Weeping Ghost was hoarse and icy, as if echoing from the depths of the underworld.

"Your ability... is somewhat intriguing."

Xing Wuhen’s pupils contracted, every hair on his body standing on end.

He instinctively retreated a step, his divination compass spinning wildly—yet it couldn’t calculate even a sliver of hope!

"You—"

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his words trapped in his throat.

A foreboding sense of doom gripped him.

The next moment, Qin Luo slowly raised a hand, a wisp of dark light coalescing at his fingertips.

"Then... allow me to send you off first."

As the words fell—

[Crossing the Styx] activated!

Hum—!

Splash...!

A low, rushing sound filled the air, like the sigh of the Yellow Springs.

In an instant, the ground beneath Xing Wuhen split open—a pitch-black river surging forth from the void!

The water was thick as ink, churning with countless writhing souls. Skeletal hands reached out, seizing Xing Wuhen’s legs in a death grip!

"Wha—what is this?!"

Xing Wuhen struggled in terror, but the river seemed alive, rapidly climbing to his waist.

He frantically channeled the power of stellar laws, brilliant starlight lashing against the darkness—

"Futile."

The Weeping Ghost’s voice was merciless.

The river boiled violently.

From its depths emerged a rotting ferry, its hull cracked and worn. A ghostly green lantern swayed at its prow, casting an eerie glow on the skeletal ferryman—

A figure draped in tattered black robes, its hollow eye sockets burning with spectral flames.

Its jaw creaked open, releasing a rasping laugh:

[Board... cross the river...]

"Get away from me!!"

Xing Wuhen roared, stellar energy erupting in a desperate bid to break free.

But the souls in the river multiplied, tearing at his flesh, dragging him inexorably toward the ferry.

"No—!!!"

His screams were abruptly cut short.

Before the horrified eyes of the onlookers, his body was shredded by the souls, his flesh dissolving into motes of starlight—swallowed whole by the skeletal ferryman.

Gulp...

The ferryman "chewed" in satisfaction, then...

It glanced at Qin Luo, its lipless grin widening before the ferry sank back into the Styx, vanishing without a trace.

"......"

That look left Qin Luo unsettled in a way he couldn’t explain.

This was his first time using this ability, and its sheer brutality gave him pause.

Damn.

This power was terrifying—anyone targeted by it would be sacrificed unless they could overpower the Lord of the Styx.

But what was with that glance?

No, more accurately—how could a skeleton even give a look?

Meanwhile, the battlefield was deathly silent.

"The Lord... is dead?"

A cultivator whispered, voice trembling.

"Just like that... gone?"

"But he had an Eternal Realm physique!!"

Fear spread like a plague.

Qin Luo steadied himself, then raised a hand. Dark energy swirled as he issued a cold command:

"Clean the battlefield. Leave none alive."

"As you command!"

The Shadow Generals responded in unison, charging toward the allied forces!

Elsewhere on the battlefield...

Tian Zixing stood frozen, staring blankly at the spot where his lord had perished.

The Lord... was dead?

That all-knowing, all-seeing Lord... gone?

Then—

The Blood Blade Demon Slayer materialized before him, crimson saber raised high.

"Die!"

Tian Zixing snapped back to reality—but it was too late to react.

This is bad!!

Yet—

At the critical moment—

"No!!!"

A slender figure lunged in front of him.

Thud—!

The blade pierced through her chest, blood spraying.

Tian Zixing stared in shock at Su Bailian, her white robes now stained crimson.

A trickle of blood escaped her lips, yet she managed a frail smile.

"Benefactor..."

Her voice was faint as a dying ember.

"You... saved me once..."

"Now... I repay that debt..."

Thump.

"No... NO!!!"

Tian Zixing trembled violently, his eyes bloodshot.

He caught Su Bailian’s collapsing form, howling in anguish:

"Why?! You had no cultivation... why would you—?!"

Su Bailian didn’t answer. Her eyes simply... closed.

"AAAAARGH—!!!"

Tian Zixing threw his head back, a storm of starlight detonating around him.

BOOM—!

His aura surged wildly, breaking through to the Dominator Realm in that very moment!

"You... will all die!!!"

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with nothing but frenzied killing intent, and lunged straight at the Blood Blade Demon Slayer!

The two clashed instantly, starlight and blood-red blades intertwining as the heavens and earth trembled!

Qin Luo observed every shift on the battlefield.

That collision by Su Bailian had also been arranged by him.

Of course, what he hadn’t expected was—

Damn, this Su Bailian really went all out. Did she truly believe him when he said he could revive her later? She just threw herself onto the blade without hesitation?

But... judging by the timing, it was almost time for the "Savior" to make an appearance.

……

Time passed.

On the battlefield, despair weighed heavily on everyone.

Most of the cultivators from the Netherfrost Divine Domain had been "slaughtered."

"Damn it... these monsters......"

Ling Long and the others were in an even more pitiful state, covered in blood, their eyes filled with nothing but terror.

"It's over... it's all over..."

"We... are all going to die here..."

They had long lost the arrogance of Eternal Realm Domain Lords.

Under the effects of the Spirit-Sealing Domain and the eerie abilities of the Shadow Monarch,

they... stood no chance.

Even the Domain Lord of the Stellar Divine Palace had fallen—what hope did they have left?

Meanwhile, Qin Luo hovered mid-air, his voice layered and eerie: "Heh, the struggles of ants are truly amusing."

"Death is inevitable. Why cling to futile resistance?"

Under the despairing gazes of the crowd,

he slowly raised his hand, dark shadow energy swirling violently in his palm.

Everyone believed they were about to die.

However—

"Enough."

A cold voice rang out.

!!

All eyes snapped upward—Su Muwan was slowly rising to her feet.

Her black hair billowed without wind, an icy storm of power erupting around her!

Whoosh!

A frigid gale swept past, and her hair transformed into a crystalline shade of ice!

Her gaze locked onto Qin Luo, burning with unprecedented fury.

"What's so amusing about this?!"

"What's so funny?!"

"Just what... do you think human lives are?!!!!"

Boom—!

An aura of absolute zero exploded forth.

And in that moment, the light of hope reignited in everyone's eyes.