Chapter 261: Timely Rain, the green-robed Daoist

"We have no other options."

"But that green-robed Daoist carries too many karmic burdens. If you actively seek his help, you're agreeing to share in the consequences that follow him."

Lu Chen shook his head. "

Sigh...

that's enough. I'll have to count on you for what comes next."

He dispersed the vines of the divine tree wrapped around his waist, then pushed himself away from Wind Dragon and accelerated downward.

He reached out to grasp the Hunyuan Greatsword tightly. With the last trace of his spirit qi, he activated the divine ability at his ankle.

The Innate Bagua Diagram formed beneath him, unleashing a torrent of laws that cleared the surrounding black mist.

Seeing the diagram take shape, Wind Dragon sighed and halted his fall.

The black mist giant's fists continued their relentless approach. Jun Laoye and the others remained unconscious, and the small world was still inaccessible, leaving Wind Dragon unable to recover and fight. After weighing in all these factors, Wind Dragon realized Lu Chen was right. They truly had no other options.

Wind Dragon looked into Lu Chen's eyes and saw the unwavering determination within. "Little Lu..."

He glanced up at the incoming blow and laughed, shouting, "Little Lu! Since you've made your choice, go for it! I trust you're ready to bear the karmic consequences."

With a light snort, Wind Dragon summoned back the Hunyuan Greatsword from Lu Chen's grasp, driving it into his own forehead. Black, violent energy erupted from the sword, forming a protective barrier around him that he could summon for the last time.

Lu Chen whispered, "I'm counting on you."

His spirit qi drained instantly, and he fell heavily onto the Innate Bagua Diagram. Encased in the black energy shield, Wind Dragon turned around and accelerated in the opposite direction, charging straight at the black mist giant. Lu Chen had made his decision. Now, Wind Dragon's task was to buy him the final precious moments.

Struggling atop the diagram, Lu Chen summoned the last of his strength to roll onto his back. He positioned himself at its center and frantically manipulated the formations.

Watching Wind Dragon clash resolutely with the black mist giant, Lu Chen let out a bitter laugh. "Lu Chen... once again, you've let someone close risk themselves for you. How many times has it been now?"

Deafening sounds echoed above. Empowered by black energy, Wind Dragon repeatedly met the giant's fists with wind blades.

The giant slammed its massive black fists into him repeatedly. The black energy allowed Wind Dragon to withstand the blows, but it dwindled with every strike.

A thunderous boom shook the ravine as the black mist shattered. Wind Dragon was slammed against the cliff, sending debris cascading down and falling to the bottom.

The black mist gathered again. The ravine below was filled with an overwhelming abundance of it. As long as the giant remained there, it would stand undefeated.

Seeing Wind Dragon weaken, the giant let out a sinister laugh. "Things aren't the same as when we fought above the cliff. Here, I will never die. The deeper I go, the faster I regenerate."

A massive hole opened in the giant's head, and dense black mist poured in from all directions, amplifying its strength. Meanwhile, Wind Dragon grew weaker. Crimson blood, mixed with teal-black scales, fell from his body.

Wind Dragon countered indifferently. "

Hmph

. What you're saying is nothing but the traits of elemental beasts. I'm an elemental beast, too. Do you really think I'll die so easily?"

He transformed into a massive blade midair. "Little Lu, you must believe in yourself. Hold onto your final will. That is your most precious asset."

Feeling the blood and scales fall on his face, Lu Chen closed his eyes and laughed wildly. "

Hahaha

, let's do this!"

He declared in a tone caught between desperation and resolve, "I am Lu Chen of Greenheaven Village! A cultivator chasing the true essence of cultivation! How could I possibly fail here?"

Struggling to rise on the diagram, blood poured from his seven orifices, trailing down his body. "Innate Bagua Diagram! Activate!"

At his shout, the diagram expanded violently.

Each component, from the Heaven Plate, Human Plate, Earth Plate, to the central Taiji Diagram, spun with tremendous force. As their intricate lines and symbols collided, new formations emerged in the surrounding space.

Lu Chen's blood, mixed with Wind Dragon's, dripped onto the engraved lines of the diagram. A miniature Green Sovereign Divine Tree sprouted at the central Taiji Diagram, absorbing the blood and growing rapidly.

Lu Chen lifted his head, eyes blazing with resentment as he glared at the top of the ravine. "Come out... You promised that if I faced mortal danger, you would help."

The once-broad chasm walls had become faint lines in the distance. Meanwhile, Wind Dragon grew weaker with each clash against the black mist giant. His body flickered with cyan light, showing signs of fading.

This was the indication that Wind Dragon's elemental energy was nearly depleted. Once fully dissipated, he would have no energy left to reform his body.

Seeing Wind Dragon continuously getting weaker, anxiety gnawed at Lu Chen. He called desperately for the green-robed Daoist, but still received no response.

Bang!

A thunderous boom echoed as the black energy shield around Wind Dragon shattered in the collision. The cyan light was completely extinguished, and his body was obliterated. The last traces of his consciousness, wrapped in black energy, returned to the Hunyuan Greatsword. This had been Wind Dragon's final layer of protection as a spirit weapon. After this, he would be unable to fight for a long time.

Overwhelmed with rage and despair, Lu Chen slammed his hands against the Green Sovereign Divine Tree. "Come out... You promised me..."

Wind Dragon's body had already dissipated, yet the green-robed Daoist still refused to appear. Lu Chen shook the Divine Tree again and again, trying to force a response. "Green-robed Daoist! Come out! You've always wanted me to make a deal with you. Now's the time. If you can save them, I'll seal the deal immediately!"

But other than a few leaves falling from the tree, nothing happened. The tree remained still. There was no sound, no sign of anything, not even a trace of cyan light.

Exhaustion washed over Lu Chen, leaving him slumped against the Divine Tree. He let out an ear-piercing scream into the sky. "I'll accept all your conditions! Just save them!"

The black mist giant taunted him. "Come down with me. We're all waiting for you below."

It slammed its massive fists once more, one connecting directly with the Hunyuan Greatsword. Violent black energy erupted from the sword, and a deafening roar reverberated through the ravine. Still, the giant could not leave a single mark on it.

Frustrated, the giant struck again with both fists, sending the Hunyuan Greatsword hurtling toward Lu Chen.

The moment Lu Chen caught the sword, despair consumed him. He fell to his knees with a thunderous thud, eyes cast skyward in desperate prayer. "Come out... I'll make the deal with you..."

His spirit qi had reached its limit, and his body was utterly drained.

The sheer force of the giant's punch churned the air into a violent gust, pushing against him. He tried to muster the strength to stand, but he could not move an inch. Pain and despair twisted his voice as he shouted, "Green-robed Daoist! Come out! Let me die if I must! But not them! They cannot die because of me!"

His vision gradually darkened, and his cries grew hoarse and heavy with despair. The wind from the giant's fist surged again, driving him backward.

The Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree nearby began to wither. The Innate Bagua Diagram lost its spirit qi reinforcement. The engraved lines dimmed, and the entire formation started collapsing inward, slowly drawing toward Lu Chen.

Seeing his vision darken and the green-robed Daoist still absent, Lu Chen succumbed to utter despair. Weakly lying on the contracting Innate Bagua Diagram, he whispered, "Is it really over? But they shouldn't have to die for me..."

Little Pup stood below. He was unsure of what Lu Chen was calling upon in the formation, but seeing him reach his limit and Wind Dragon's spirit body obliterated, Little Pup knew it was time to act. This trial had already proven Lu Chen's strength enough to move on to the next stage of their plan.

Lu Chen murmured helplessly on the collapsing Innate Bagua Diagram. "They... really shouldn't die for me... they really shouldn't..."

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a surge of intense cyan light suddenly illuminated the ravine. A powerful formation descended rapidly from above, reactivating the formation beneath Lu Chen, swirling and expanding once more. Only this time, it was far stronger than before.

The formation was accompanied by a piercing sword light. The black mist giant was cleaved in two, and even the black mist in the ravine was split along with it.

Lu Chen smiled. "Green-robed Daoist... is that you?"

Perhaps it was the last fantasy of someone on the brink of death, he felt immense joy. He did not know if the green-robed Daoist had truly arrived, but at this final moment, witnessing such a scene felt wonderful enough. Even if it was only a vision, seeing his enemies defeated was enough to give him some comfort as he neared death.

Before losing consciousness completely, Lu Chen saw a cyan figure streak rapidly through the sky and heard someone repeatedly calling his name, "Original... Original..."

His final conscious thought told him this was the green-robed Daoist's voice. Everything he had just witnessed was real, and the Daoist had truly arrived at the last moment.

Lu Chen smiled faintly, eyes empty as darkness consumed his vision. "Green-robed Daoist... is it really you, or is this just a dying man's fantasy?

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"If you truly are the green-robed Daoist, please save them. I am willing to seal the deal with you. Please... save them."

His eyes were now completely black. He tried with all his strength to open them, but his eyelids grew heavier by the second. He tried to speak, but could only move his lips slightly. Almost no sound came out of it.