C18 Disappeared into the Horizon

The black light faded away, and a swirling mist of darkness enveloped his chest, seeping into the extensive burns to mend his wounds. The black scythe vanished, leaving his once-neat attire slightly disheveled, marked with numerous burn scars.

As he observed the transformation of his body, a sinister, mocking laugh broke through, tinged with fury as he sneered, "Very well, very well indeed. If you've managed to wound me, it's no surprise you've eluded those fools for so long. But this is where it ends for you!"

Black mist then coiled around his back, slowly solidifying. With a flash of black light, a pair of substantial, dark wings unfurled. His right hand transformed into a claw and shot upwards as black mist gathered within it, sending out waves of dark energy ripples. With a grunt, he clenched his fingers, and the sphere of energy burst open. The black mist surged out like a fluid, winding up his arm and causing his body to bulk up suddenly under its influence.

Sensing the increasingly potent aura ahead, he stared unblinkingly at the swirling black fog. The spiritual energy that danced around him also began to solidify stealthily.

"Die!"

With a roar of rage, the old Taoist saw a black shadow burst forth from the spreading energy ripples. It materialized before him in a flash, and just as a lightning-fast punch was thrown, the shadow's face was revealed with a scornful smirk, only to vanish from sight.

What a visage it was: veins bulging on the forehead, cheeks etched with black lines, eyes bloodshot and devoid of pupils, and a hideous, grinning face surrounded by dark Qi.

Caught off guard for a moment, the old Taoist felt a chill run down his spine as a piercing gust materialized behind him. It was too late to turn and defend.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

A blur of motion encircled the old Taoist, and in the blink of an eye, a series of brutal attacks thundered down upon him, landing with devastating force.

"Netherworld Palm!"

The shadow's path shifted, converging dozens of meters above the old Taoist. Black Qi rose from his hand, and with a slight pause followed by a soft cry, an immense black palm imprint appeared out of nowhere.

As the palm imprint materialized, the space around it began to ripple and undulate rapidly. After a brief pause, it descended with an unusual and intense force, striking down mercilessly.

The old Taoist, already battered from numerous attacks, was surrounded by a faint black aura, indicating his serious injuries. Struggling to lift his head, he looked up at the descending palm imprint, only to realize he was too weak to evade.

In a fraction of a second, the palm imprint was upon him. The old Taoist mustered all his spiritual energy into his hands and thrust outwards, hoping to withstand the blow.

But things did not go as planned. As soon as contact was made, his sleeves were shredded, revealing arms already marred with split bloodstains that now burst open. A gush of bright red blood sprayed from his mouth, unable to stop the strike.

"Boom!"

With a resounding crash, a deep, five-fingered handprint was etched into the trembling earth. Unusually, the edges of the handprint weren't cracked with dust but were smooth, as if carefully sculpted, with wisps of black Qi slowly fading away. The trees in the vicinity, caught in the energy's path, withered in an eerie fashion, a testament to the strike's horrifying power.

As the dust settled, the old Taoist's figure emerged, barely able to stand. His once pristine robe was now torn and bloodstained. His exposed, withered hands shook as blood trickled from his palms, eventually dripping silently from his fingertips.

"Puff!"

A flush of red crossed his pale face as he expelled another misty spray of blood. No longer able to support his weight, he fell to the ground with a thud, propped up on his damaged palm. Feeling the chaos within his meridians and the unbearable heat, mixed with blood he couldn't swallow back, he whispered in frustration, "Damn it, why now..."

"Tsk tsk, the deadly calamity! I'm starting to admire you. You're the first to suppress such a calamity with your grievous injuries. In light of my admiration, I've decided to leave you with an intact body. But the soul of this Wu family member, tsk tsk..." The black-robed man revealed his true form and, with a swift movement, appeared before the kneeling old Taoist, chuckling ominously.

"Hahaha, to think that a cur like you could take pleasure in this is a disgrace. Even if my soul..." The old Taoist, fighting through the excruciating pain wracking his body, delivered his taunt with a feeble sneer.

"Ah—"

His words were cut short as the pain inside him suddenly intensified, and strands of blood and fire began to twist and rise from within, scorching his already ravaged body.

The black-robed man stood to the side, arms folded, watching the body shudder in the blood and fire with a sinister grin. He seemed to find the sight before him immensely entertaining.

"Hmm?"

The expression of the black-robed man shifted abruptly, and he closed his eyes, sending a dark mist toward the old Taoist as if to sense something delicately.

In a flash, the black-robed man's eyes snapped open, and he kicked the old Taoist over, bellowing furiously, "Damn it, where is the seal?"

Since the conflict with the Wu family, the seal had vanished. Despite years of fruitless searching, it was only when the old Taoist faced a deadly calamity that the seal loosened and revealed its presence, allowing him to be tracked.

He had never anticipated that his quarry would always manage to escape, hiding and eluding capture for a century.

Just a day prior, he had sensed the faint aura of the seal and had set out in pursuit. But the trail had gone cold en route, leaving him to grope blindly for clues. He hadn't expected to come across the old Taoist, seated cross-legged on a mountain cliff, his life force ebbing away, the loosened seal barely a consideration—until now.

"Haha..."

At this moment, the old Taoist's skin was largely consumed by the blood fire. As he laughed, his facial skin cracked and bled fire, yet he seemed utterly oblivious, his heart swelling with an indescribable joy.

"Very well, once I take your soul, all will become clear." He swiftly transformed his right hand into a claw and lunged for the old Taoist's head.

"Little one, it's all up to you now..." Sensing the approaching hand, the old Taoist smiled and closed his eyes. From his elixir field, a burst of golden light erupted, resplendent and dazzling.

"You!" The black-robed man exclaimed in shock as he drew near, but it was too late to intervene.

"Boom."

The surrounding space warped dramatically, as if a colossal force was tugging at the burst of golden light. With a flash, a mist of blood dispersed, and a cataclysmic blast of air radiated outwards, causing the earth to quake and the mountains to sway for what seemed like an eternity.

As the shockwave dissipated, the vibrations reached out a hundred meters, making the mountains tremble with the undulating ground.

Hidden within a cave in the mountain, there was a crystalline object. Inside, a figure could be seen sitting cross-legged, bathed in a red glow with eyes firmly shut – it was Lin Yu, undergoing a profound transformation.

Sensing the vibrations reaching him, Lin Yu within the crystal appeared to hear the sage's words. His eyelids quivered slightly, and tears emerged, only to be instantly evaporated and absorbed into the crystal...

"..."