Chapter 12: The Outcome

Liang Xi had indeed transformed from an illusory shadow into a tangible, living person—he had returned! No one knew exactly how he had emerged, but judging by his disheveled state, it was clear that many trials had been endured for him to escape and safely arrive at Wenliang Mountain. The saying that heroes always appear at the last moment rang true, yet Liang Xi never considered himself a hero; he was merely an ordinary man, doing what he believed he ought to do.

"So, what? Seeing me now, are you so afraid? Di Long, didn't I tell you before? If I ever came back, the one to die would be you. Well, how about that? I made it, didn't I? Here I stand before you, ready to act. As you can see, I have little strength left; merely arriving here was no small feat."

His words dripped with scorn—a biting mockery. In the past, Di Long might have lost control and dealt with Liang Xi decisively, but now, he felt no such need.

"Liang Xi, it truly surprises me that you escaped my formation. But now that you are out, you should understand that fleeing is your best option. Since you've come this far, you should also know what fate awaits you."

"Wrath of the Burning Sky!"

Di Long unleashed a formidable battle aura—reddened and fierce—manifesting behind him as a colossal war god, towering like a mountain, with a single finger the size of a hill. Against such overwhelming might, man seemed utterly insignificant.

"Liang Xi, I remember you once said that before absolute power, no technique can prevail. I never quite understood what you meant then."

"So, how is it? This is the true form of the Wrath of the Burning Sky. In the face of such power, what tricks do you still have, boy? White Wolf, Fisherman, you two must believe me now. If I wished, I could easily kill you both. Yet, until now, I have not. That is because I valued our friendship deeply. But how did you repay me? You now seek to kill me! Hahaha, can you even succeed?"

White Wolf and Fisherman looked on in terror. They had assumed this battle would be straightforward, but now it was clear the man had concealed immense strength, waiting all along for Liang Xi.

Boom!

The devastating strike pierced the clouds, crashing into Liang Xi. In all these years, no one had withstood this move. Liang Xi now suffered grievous internal injuries. Could he endure it? Naturally, no.

The two guild leaders believed that the current dire state was their fault; had they not insisted, Liang Xi might have fared better. "Brother Liang, you have always been magnanimous. We old men are to blame. Rest assured, your vengeance will be avenged!"

A violent shock shook the heavens and earth as dust engulfed Liang Xi. "Hahaha, Liang Xi, now you should understand. To battle me is to meet your doom. No one can aid you. To die by my hand is your highest honor."

Di Long was triumphant. The two former guild leaders of the Dark Moon Guild were now defeated subordinates. Nothing could be more exhilarating.

"What? Is that all your true strength amounts to? Hmph, after all this time, I was quite looking forward to this."

Liang Xi's voice betrayed no change. How could this be? How was he unharmed? Di Long was confident in his power. The Wrath of the Burning Sky was unmatched. Liang Xi must be bluffing; survival was impossible.

"Liang Xi, at this point, give up. I know you are truly broken now. Surrender to me; it's no shame to lose."

"Arrogant! Who told you I am helpless against you? Luckily, I have some skill; otherwise, you'd be underestimating me. Have you forgotten? I possess the strongest shield—the Moon Cold Aura granted by the Lingyun Scroll. You think it's decoration? Before the Moon Cold Aura, any technique can be frozen!"

Moon Cold Aura? What was that? How had this man concealed such a hidden power?

Sure enough, a visible chill began to spread, rapidly engulfing the war god formed from killing intent. The temperature plummeted sharply, as if everything was utterly frozen. Now, only Liang Xi moved freely, slowly emerging from the frozen dust, his body coated in a thin layer of frost.

His cold demeanor sharpened. Each step left a delicate blossom of ice on the ground.

"You are not human. How is this possible? How can you still possess such formidable strength? Tell me, what secrets are you hiding that I do not know?"

Liang Xi's demeanor was now utterly different from before.

"Have you been pretending all along? Were you never really hurt? Were you waiting for this moment?"

"Smart. Why else would I do it? Though we have known each other a short time, I understand your nature well. You either hold back entirely or, once you strike, give no chance for counterattack. But you forgot—this is my specialty. Stop struggling; the more you resist, the more my Moon Cold Aura devours you. Surely you feel it now—though frozen, your power is dissipating."

"Why?"

"Simple. Your entire strength is now in my hands. Despite your flaws, your power is impressive. I, having endured many battles, now seek to make amends."

"You value strength above all, do you not? I wonder how you would fare if suddenly stripped of all power."

"I know you have never faced such a trial. Now you can understand the despair of those who died by your hand."

As he spoke, Liang Xi closed the distance to Di Long—just a fingertip away. Di Long's face was pale with terror.

"What do you intend now? Do you think your actions scare me? Over all these years, I have feared no one. You have grown strong, even absorbing my power, but do you truly know how to wield it?"

"Your attribute is water; mine is yin. Do you know what yin means? It absorbs all power near it."

"A mysterious black hole!"

A vortex became visible in Di Long's palm, sucking in all of Liang Xi's power.

"Boy, you think you can resist my vortex? Let me tell you, the Mysterious Vortex absorbs all power without limit. You are still too green. Had I been you, I would have finished this long ago. But you are young."

"Too bad for you—I will not grant you any chance to act now."

The vortex intensified. Though seasoned in battle, Liang Xi faced his greatest peril yet. His body was trapped; escape was impossible.

"How does it feel, Liang Xi? Your face darkens. Yet I admire you. A man like you should not meet such an end. Surrender, and all this can end. You need not destroy yourself for the guild; it is not worth it."

"You are talented. Now that I am leader, follow me and you will have a brighter future. I value you greatly. If you are ungrateful, then you deserve to die. Even if I like you, such people cannot be spared. You understand what I mean, don't you?"

Liang Xi's gaze remained unwavering, resolute.

"Di Long, you must fear me now. Otherwise, why say so much? I know your nature. You crush the weak and court the strong. Your real aim is to absorb their power. Now I see clearly—you owe your strength not to yourself, but to what you have taken from others."

"But you never realize that borrowed power is not truly yours. At first, you can wield it freely, but over time, the side effects become unbearable. Do you understand this? Of course not."

"So this is the power you've cultivated for years? Hmph, I thought it was something great. You don’t truly know me. Look closer—what have you been absorbing all this time?"

"What?"

Liang Xi's form grew ethereal—he projected an avatar of his power; his true self remained hidden.

"Liang Xi, what is this? You think a power avatar can defeat me? You are mistaken. I will not strike someone like you outright. You think you have won this battle? You have not. You are now trapped within my formidable formation."

"Boy, do you know what kind of formation this is? You may have heard of it. I am not skilled with formations, except one—the Water Formation."

"Many disdain the Water Formation because few master it. Over the years, it has fallen out of common use. But that matters not. Now I will bring it back to the world."

The Water Formation, composed entirely of water, binds a person suspended in air, making escape impossible. This man should be dead by now. Yet, he has always been regarded as a rival, though in Di Long’s heart, he was never a true threat.

"Senior brothers, you may leave now. Di Long is no longer a threat; his powers have been nullified. If he wishes to fight again, what will the outcome be? Frankly, even I do not know."

Who would have thought the once mighty man would fall so low? But pity was unwarranted; all this must end.

"Liang Xi, treating me this way, you will regret it. If you let me go now, things may not worsen. But if you leave today, I guarantee you will die. Do you believe me?"

"I don’t. At this point, you dare speak such nonsense? Fine, since you say so, I want to see how this ends. But no matter what, you won’t live to see it. Honestly, that is the greatest pity."

Fisherman could hardly believe it was over so quickly.

"Boy, do you truly trust me? Aren’t you afraid I might harm you?"

Why would he say that? Even he did not know—perhaps he simply liked Liang Xi.

"Harm me? Senior, are you joking? You are in this state; how could you harm me? You know how strong my power is now. This has nothing to do with me anymore. Let’s go; you two cannot fight any longer. If you do, you will surely die."

"Hahaha, Liang Xi, it seems you won’t believe anything I say. So be it. You understand what the outcome will be."

"Di Long, you have been arrogant for years. Now you must pay for your past. Though unfair to you, these are the rules. Haven’t you always spoken of rules? Today, I will show you the price you must pay."

"This is Wenliang Mountain, abandoned because of you for so many years. Didn’t you once say you wished to remain here forever? I can grant you that."

"Yes, I have always wished to stay here. Returning now fills me with joy—for this is where it all began. After many glories, to end here would be a blessing. Yet I know this is a luxury. Fisherman, despite my efforts, you have won. No matter how hard I try, I am no match for you."

"Indeed, you have never matched me. I have given you chances over the years, but you never listened. Your death here is your own doing."

"Hahaha, old man, don’t be smug. If I ever get out, I will find you. You know this well. Just wait—I won’t be gone long."

Fisherman smiled coldly but briefly.

"Is that so? If you can, try it—I am truly looking forward to it."

"Liang Xi, thank you for today. Without you, I wouldn’t know how this would end. I look forward to seeing you again. Now, I must leave. Farewell."

"Hahaha, after all these years roaming the world, to end like this—I never expected it. But now, words are useless."

No one knew what was truly on his mind. Perhaps victory never mattered most to him; what he desired was respect. Yet after all these years, no one had truly granted him that. Neither now nor ever.

He suddenly wondered why he fought and trained so hard. If it were for himself, he would have achieved his desires long ago. What did he still seek? Truly, he did not know. For now, remaining here felt not so bad. Though the formation was powerful, escape was not impossible—he simply did not wish to leave yet.

"Liang Xi, how did you escape? By your power, it should have been impossible. What happened during this process?"

Fisherman earnestly wished to understand what had occurred to allow this boy to unleash such strength.

"Senior, I honestly don’t know what happened. I just wanted to come out, and somehow I did. What exactly transpired, I truly don’t know. But now, it seems it doesn’t matter. Sir, aren’t you worried Di Long might strike back? He is quite powerful. If left unchecked, what will happen? Aren’t you concerned?"

"Worried? Hahaha, I have little to fear now. He is powerless. Let him go. I have long understood these matters. No need to worry about him. I am more interested in you. After years of wandering, I have never met anyone like you. I want to know: what secrets do you hold?"

"What secrets could I have? I have said before. Why won’t you believe me? How I have lived these years is known only to me. Now, sir, I have done what must be done. I should be able to leave. Tell me, is there anything you want me to do?"

"You have seen—what little power I had left, I used. I did not want to use it, but if I hadn’t, I do not know what would have become of me. How long can I endure? Do you truly understand this?"

"You are right. It is time for all this to end. The person I have been seeking all these years was you. Do you understand? You have done well, but I no longer need someone like you. Now, you must die. Though cruel, it is the only way. For that, I must apologize."

Liang Xi had no idea what had happened. Suddenly, he lost consciousness. Were all his past actions in vain? He truly did not know.