Gu Jimie felt like puking from this humiliation.

Was he dreaming? He was a Saint and yet he was being beaten like a dog by a mere Soul Emperor?

It wasn’t a dream, it was real. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and hold back the blood. It hurt him to do such, but it was important he didn’t lose any more blood.

Ten minutes.

Ten minutes passed since he was first thrown into the Interdimensional Phantasm. During that time, Bai Yunfei and Xiao Qi rained down countless attacks, fireballs, lightning bolts, blades of wind, spatial cracks, and soul armaments at him without reprieve.

Ten minutes was also the time when Gu Jimie realized he had been on the defense the entire time...

Gu Jimie had been at a disadvantage since the very beginning. He’d wager that he’d be able to only use about forty percent his normal strength right now. A dreadfully low percentage, but still more than enough to deal with the normal Late-stage Soul Emperor. Unfortunately for him, Bai Yunfei and Xiao Qi weren’t ‘normal’.

Bai Yunfei had Berserk Mode to explain his power, but Xiao Qi was somehow able to exceed the power of any other soulbeast of his level. And because he was a soulbeast, his inherent strength, soulforce, and endurance were all naturally stronger than a soul cultivator. Lastly, Xiao Qi also had multiple soul armaments that helped him deal out attacks stronger than expected.

Bai Yunfei and Xiao Qi were also empowered in the Interdimensional Phantasm. So while Gu Jimie had his fighting ability halved, Bai Yunfei and Xiao Qi were stronger than half their usual as well. Without being able to manipulate and use the outside elemental energy, Gu Jimie was using the elemental energy his own originseed was producing, making the fight even more taxing on him.

So for ten whole minutes, one side was able to remain dominant and grow even more apparently so.

From a purely objective standpoint, Gu Jimie was the ‘pathetic’ one and Bai Yunfei was the ‘sinisterly crafty’ one.

Of course whether it was right for Bai Yunfei and Xiao Qi, being only Late-stage Soul Emperors, to fight as such against an Early-stage Soul Saint remained to be seen.

......

“Clang!!!”

There was another clanging sound as Gu Jimie’s bladed soul armament clashed with an incoming Fire-tipped Spear.

The soul armament flew back and circled around to Gu Jimie’s side, though it seemed to wail with a melancholic noise as it floated. This earned it a wary glance from Gu Jimie before his face hardened.

“My weapon’s getting more and more damaged, it’s going to break soon!”

Gu Jimie was growing more unsettled. The Fire-tipped Spear was a frightfully strong weapon, how was his soul armament to compare? If this continued any longer, then his soulbound armament would be destroyed!

If his soulbound armament, the Darkmoon Crescent, were to break, he’d be in danger!

“Just...five minutes more, the time limit is almost up! I’ll be able to kill you then!!”

As much as he hated to think it, but he had no chance of winning against Bai Yunfei in the Interdimensional Phantasm. But once they were back in the real world? He’d be able to use more elemental energy outside and turn the tables on Bai Yunfei instantly!

That was the exact same thing his teacher, Gu Lianhun, thought. But Gu Lianhun didn’t even last until the time was up. Would Gu Jimie fair any better?

......

Five minutes...

Four minutes...

Three minutes...

Time ticked normally, but not to Gu Jimie. He was able to last this long without breaking, and he’d do it again too!

“One minute! Almost there! Haha!! Victory will be mine!!”

It began when Gu Jimie felt the air around start to crackle. The Interdimensional Phantasm was about to dissolve itself!

That wasn’t all; he could sense Bai Yunfei and Xiao Qi’s auras not being as strong as before. The world feeding them energy was finally starting to fade away!

“It’s over!!”

Gjm’s eyes gleamed maniacally the very moment he felt the outside elemental energy begin to flood his body!

And that was when he sprung, Gu Jimie was ready to turn the tide right this moment!!

“Bang!!”

Fire exploded into the air as Bai Yunfei’s weak aura suddenly reignited to full capacity!

A second Soul Ignition!

But that wasn’t all! His soulforce continued to rise past his normal peak! Suddenly in Bai Yunfei’s hand was a blood-red sword!

The...Vampiric Demon Edge!

The effect was instantaneous. The veins beneath his skin began to bulge underneath his skin and blood-red steam began to exude from each of his pores. Cracks formed over his right arm so that a steady flow of blood would flow and be absorbed into the Vampiric Demon Edge!

+10 Additional Effect: Pay a blood price to increase the power of the user and item. Gain 1% of attack and 2% increase to overall stats for every percentage of blood taken. Duration ends when no more blood is given.

Bai Yunfei’s soulforce was beginning to skyrocket now that the Vampiric Demon Edge was taking effect!

In the blink of an eye, Bai Yunfei’s face grew even more pale and his soulforce even stronger!

“Whoosh...”

There was another burst of light as the Vampiric Demon Edge trembled again in seeming delight. The sword was overtaken by a strange glow before changing form slightly. And as if they didn’t exist, the wounds on Bai Yunfei’s body closed up any remaining blood went back into his body!

And as if completely rejuvenated, Bai Yunfei’s soulforce jumped again!

The +12 additional effect of the Vampiric Demon Edge!

+12 Additional Effect: Heal from all wounds instantaneously. Increase all stats by 300% and dull the sense of pain by 50% for an hour.All damage sustained within that hour will have its severity amplified by 200% afterward.Cooldown of 24 hours.

Before, Bai Yunfei was only a ‘quasi-Saint’ in Berserk Mode. Using both the Vampiric Demon Edge’s effects made his strength ever finitely more close to an Early-stage Soul Saint!

Normally speaking, no other Soul Emperor would be able to reach the same heights Bai Yunfei was putting himself in. To be a Saint, one had to understand chaos and its energy. Fortunately for Bai Yunfei, he was one of those said people and was many steps closer than the other Soul Emperors on becoming a genuine Saint!

From being a Late-stage Soul Emperor to exuding the power of a Saint, Bai Yunfei was rapidly coming closer and closer to Gu Jimie!

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“Die!!!”

Bai Yunfei’s eyes radiated with a demonic light due to the Vampiric Demon Edge’s influence. Roaring loudly, he raised the sword up and lashed out to attack!

This would be the strongest attack Bai Yunfei would deliver!!

The very fabric of reality seemed like it was being torn apart when the light that emerged from the Vampiric Demon Edge traveled through the air. Cleaving even space apart, the light flew toward Gu Jimie to strike him down!

Needless to say, Gu Jimie was stunned. How was he to expect that Bai Yunfei would have a powerful move like this up his sleeves? But at least it was easy to understand why Bai Yunfei would attack now of all times—Bai Yunfei was definitely under the assumption that he’d loosen his guard since there was only a minute left on the clock. Now would be the perfect time to strike and aim for victory.

“You deluded fool! Choosing to attack now will be your downfall!”

Gu Jimie wasn’t impressed, ultimately. His hands became a blur as they formed handseal after handseal to activate a secret technique. He wasn’t able to use it before since he wasn’t able to access as much elemental energy, but that restriction was no longer there! It wasn’t as much as he’d like, but there was still enough to make do. Blocking Bai Yunfei’s attack would be inconsequential, and he’d be able to survive until the Interdimensional Phantasm was gone!

The biggest threat to him was about to be gone and his enemy was putting his all in one last gambit...victory was without a doubt his!

Gu Jimie’s eyes lit up excitedly at that last thought.

“Eh!?”

Suddenly, his mind picked up on a strange sensation. Something was wrong! Gu Jimie’s hands faltered as he realized that his body wasn’t drawing in anymore elemental energy! Even after the very last handseal was made, his technique hadn’t activated!

He was tricked!!

Fear gripped at his heart with a glacial touch at the realization.

It was his own misconception that the Interdimensional Phantasm was fading away...the time limit wasn’t up yet!

Maybe there was thirty seconds to go, or maybe even twenty seconds still. But regardless of either or, that time wasn’t now! The ‘trickle’ of elemental energy in the world was just a fabrication of Bai Yunfei’s doing!

That was the true ‘trap’!!

“No!!!!!”

For the very first time since the battle began, Gu Jimie let out a scream of abject terror. Black light exploded from his person as he raised his soul armament in front of him in hopes that it would block the incoming attack.

“Clang! Crack...”

Gu Jimie’s eyes blinked when the two items collided. First, he heard a sharp crack, which prompted him to open his eyes. When he did...fragments of his soul armament shattered everywhere right before him!

“Tzk!!”

The blood-red beam of light blew past the fragments. It cleaved through the black light that served as Gu Jimie’s secondary defense and then exploded into a stunning explosion of red and black light.

“Huff...huff...is...is he dead yet?”

Out of breath, Bai Yunfei glared at the spot where Gu Jimie stood with hopeful eyes.

The Interdimensional Phantasm chose this moment to fade away, transforming back into the iridescent squirrel it’d normally appear as.

“Boom!!”

From the middle of the flames, a ball of black light shot out from it and revealed a shabby-looking individual.

“He’s...still alive? No way!?”

He was initially alarmed to see Gu Jimie alive, but that alarm died off when he saw his current shape.

‘Tragic’ couldn’t even begin to describe Gu Jimie. His body was battered all over and riddled with wounds. The most terrifying thing was how the left side of his body, from waist to shoulder, had a devastating gash deep enough to see bone. Somehow his organs remained within his body instead of spilling out, but his aura was already extremely faint as if on the verge of dying.

Yes, he was without a doubt unable to fight.

“Xiao Qi! Kill him!!”

He was quick to tell Xiao Qi the good news and for him to act on it at once.

Then Gu Jimie did something Bai Yunfei didn’t expect. His aura, which was already weak, began to fluctuate with a strange blood-red tint. Stronger and stronger, his aura grew until he suddenly disappeared from sight!

“Blood Escape!!”

Bai Yunfei’s eyes widened, Shen Pojun told him about this attack before. It was what he used to escape Shen Pojun before!

When he used it against Shen Pojun, Gu Jimie managed to evade Shen Pojun’s detection and escape successfully. If he was trying to use it now...was he trying to run away from Bai Yunfei?!

“Eh?! Over there!!”

Suddenly, Bai Yunfei’s head snapped to the right—Gu Jimie’s aura somehow popped up twenty-five kilometers to the right!

Clearly, Gu Jimie wasn’t strong enough to use the Blood Escape to fully evade Bai Yunfei’s range of perception!

“Xiao Qi, after him!!”

Who was Bai Yunfei to give up on such a great chance? Together with Xiao Qi, he flew off to chase after Gu Jimie!

......

“Damn! Damn! Damn!!!”

Gu Jimie howled to himself as he fled. The humiliation he felt made him extremely angry.

His senses were a haze and he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep. But he knew if he did that, then his life would truly be forfeit.

“Eh?!”

A presence, one different from Bai Yunfei and Xiao Qi, suddenly popped up within Gu Jimie’s perception and drew closer.

“Zhao Chang!!”

He was elated upon realizing who this person was. This was one of the two Soul Emperors he brought with him!

This situation was like coming across a length piece of grass when being rushed down a river. His savior ‘Zhao Chang’ was here to save him!

Zhao Chang was rather surprised to see his mighty ancestor like this and came to an immediate stop at once.

“Take me away, hurry!” Gu Jimie barked.

“Ah!? Ah—yes!!”

That stunned Zhao Chang awake at once. He moved to Gu Jimie’s side and placed a hand to support him.

“We’re leaving! Don’t let Bai Yunfei catch us! We must lea—”

“Tzk!!”

Gu Jimie’s words died off in his mouth as his eyes slowly looked down at his chest. Dumbfounded, he took notice of something sticking out from there...

A black dagger was embedded deep to its hilt in him!!

“You...”

For a moment longer did Gu Jimie’s eyes linger on the dagger. He was in disbelief. Shifting his focus to Zhao Chang, he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“Pft!!”

The dagger was pulled out forcefully from his chest, causing a fountain of blood to eject out from the wound. Dagger in hand, ‘Zhao Chang’ flickered away several hundred meters to stare at the stiffened Gu Jimie. The ‘panic’ was no longer there on his face, instead, he stood there with a cold glare.

Strangely enough, there was a stench of death that suddenly began to permeate the place.

“Chirp!!”

A sharp gasp escaped from Gu Jimie before the sound of displaced wind could be heard approaching him.

“......”

Pale as a ghost and feeling almost like one, Gu Jimie made one last effort to turn around to see a pitch-dark blade of space...

“Whoosh!!”

The spatial tear flew past Gu Jimie without resistance, bisecting the man in two at the waist!!