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墨書 Inktalez
For a long time, Rahul had not gone out to confront Hongjun as he used to; instead, he rarely stayed quietly in the Cave. Ye Chuanze speculated that perhaps this was the calm before the storm, a prelude to a life-and-death battle. Ye Chuanze's feelings were complex. Although he had anticipated that one of them would inevitably die, when the moment actually arrived, he found himself far from as calm as he had imagined.
Ye Chuanze had a premonition that Rahul would ultimately be the one to lose in the showdown; his instincts were usually quite accurate. Wasn't Hongjun's overwhelming protagonist aura too strong? And wasn't Rahul's style as the ultimate villain too obvious? It was clear who would end up dead when a protagonist favored by fate faced off against a villain who had committed numerous atrocities.
In the past, Ye Chuanze had cursed Rahul countless times, wishing him dead, dead, dead! But when it truly came down to it, he found himself conflicted. To be fair, Rahul had treated him quite well—aside from treating him like a mount, asserting ownership over him with absolute control, and commanding him against his will...
The more Ye Chuanze thought about it, the darker his expression became. He realized that aside from treating him decently, Rahul had also done many things that he could not tolerate. The slight softness he had just felt towards Rahul vanished instantly, and any emotional response stirred by Rahul's earlier words—what could be considered his "last words"—was quickly forgotten. For the sake of my bright and free future in the Great Dao, Rahul, you might as well die!
Essentially, Ye Chuanze was always a rational and hard-hearted person; he would prioritize making decisions that were most beneficial to himself over his own emotions. This was similar to the relationship between Rahul and Ye Chuanze. Indeed, as Ye Chuanze thought, Rahul's absolute dominance and tyrannical commands made him feel quite oppressed and dissatisfied. However, their interaction was not without room for change; compared to how things were at first, Rahul's attitude towards Ye Chuanze had improved significantly. Back then, Rahul truly did not regard Ye Chuanze as human and constantly contemplated erasing his consciousness. If Rahul had been able to do whatever he wanted with him, Ye Chuanze would have been ruthlessly eliminated long ago.
The more indifferent and ruthless a person is, the more they tend to value emotions because their feelings are so thin that they appear even more precious. Most Primordial beings are of this type—desires and emotions are muted; their hearts are as hard as iron. They remain unmoved even when insignificant strangers die before them; however, once they have determined someone is important to them, they will treat them with utmost sincerity and cannot bear for them to suffer even the slightest harm or grievance. The so-called immortals often protect their own fiercely for this reason.
Hongjun and Rahul—known to the world as Dao Ancestor and Demon Ancestor—exhibited this protective nature very clearly, even going so far as to favor their own without questioning the reasons behind it. "My disciple is so adorable; how could they make mistakes? Even if there are mistakes, it's still the other party's fault." This was their true inner thought.
******
Rahul did not go out looking for Hongjun to fight; instead, he enjoyed a rare period of peace in the Cave, getting drunk every day. Ye Chuanze watched in astonishment; how had he never noticed before that Rahul was such a heavy drinker? But then again, throughout history, most heroes and great figures have enjoyed fine wine; Rahul was no exception. Ye Chuanze had never been much of a drinker himself; he held no particular feelings toward alcohol—neither hating nor liking it. Generally speaking, unless necessary, he rarely drank due to its harmful effects on health.
However, these days he saw Rahul with wine constantly in hand and seemingly addicted to it; curiosity arose within him: Was this wine really that good? When Ye Chuanze asked Rahul about it, Rahul turned with an expression that seemed half-smile while looking at the Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus set aside beside him as if trying to see through it into Ye Chuanze's appearance. In a lazy tone, he said, "This wine... is naturally a good thing—so good that one cannot live without it."
What nonsense! What difference did that make? He still hadn't answered whether the wine was good or not! But judging by Rahul's obsession with drinking, it must taste excellent. Rarely did curiosity rise within Ye Chuanze; he regretted not having yet taken human form to savor such fine wine himself. Little did Rahul know that because of this casual remark today, another wine enthusiast would emerge in the world—one who would become obsessed with drinking. Throughout history, how many beautiful tragedies have been born from drunkenness? After all... it's not the wine that intoxicates people but rather people who intoxicate themselves.
Don't think that aside from drinking every day Rahul did nothing else; during his leisure time while drinking, he occasionally guided Ye Chuanze in his cultivation. Although Rahul usually gave off an aura of being a ruthless deity with an overwhelming presence of bloodshed overshadowing his lifelong cultivation aura of an immortal being—he indeed achieved human form through spiritual transformation during the Chaos period and became an immortal before this Primordial Dao. His senior experience was worth referencing; since Rahul was willing to guide him in cultivation, Ye Chuanze was naturally very eager to listen attentively to his teachings.
Thus, a long period passed in calmness, and finally unable to stay at home any longer, Rahul stepped out after downing a large jug of wine, carrying the God-Slaying Spear. Before departing, Rahul dumped all his personal belongings into the storage space of the Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus, claiming, "You keep this for me temporarily. If I win, these things will be your reward."
Ye Chuanze's expression changed slightly, but in the end, he swallowed back the words, "What if you lose?"
Regardless of winning or losing, these items would ultimately belong to Ye Chuanze; that was Rahul's plan.
Faced with Rahul's act of what could be considered a legacy handover, Ye Chuanze felt a rare pang of conscience, yet it did not affect the decision he had made long ago.
*****
Rahul found Hongjun in a peach blossom grove. Hongjun was sitting on a round stool by a stone table, calmly drinking wine. On the stone table were a jug of wine and two cups. Noticing Rahul's presence, Hongjun relaxed his grip on the Azure Jade Cup and said coolly, "You've arrived."
Rahul did not respond. He set down the Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus and walked over at a leisurely pace. Ye Chuanze instinctively shrank in size and quietly lay on Rahul's shoulder.
"It's rather dull to drink alone; fortunately, you're here," Hongjun said in a flat tone, leaving it unclear whether he was genuinely referring to drinking or implying something more.
Hearing this, Rahul surprisingly replied in a calm tone, "Indeed!"
Hongjun poured him a cup of wine. Rahul raised his cup, and Hongjun lifted his as well. The two gently clinked their cups and drank the contents.
Ye Chuanze observed their demeanor; they did not seem like enemies but rather like old friends who understood each other well. He suddenly recalled something he had heard before: often, the people who know you best are your enemies. It seemed to be true!
"This wine of yours is lacking; it doesn't have enough strength. Why not try mine?" With that, Rahul took out another jug of wine and placed it on the stone table. He poured a cup for Hongjun and said, "Try my wine! How is it? Much better than your bland and tasteless drink, right?"
Hongjun took a sip; the spicy liquid went down his throat smoothly. He replied in an indifferent tone, "It is indeed good wine! However, mine is not bad either. Don't underestimate it; although it doesn't have the same immediate kick as yours, its aftereffects are quite strong. If you're not careful, you'll find yourself intoxicated."
Rahul shook his head in disagreement, saying, "A man should stand tall in this world, acting decisively and ruthlessly, avenging any grievances on the spot."
Hongjun chuckled lightly without speaking. Ultimately, it was just a matter of their differing personalities, which destined them to be on different paths.
Ye Chuanze, who was resting on Demon Ancestor's shoulder while watching Dao Ancestor, couldn't help but click his tongue. Were these two really just drinking? Was it merely drinking that led to such profound and incomprehensible philosophy?
An hour later, Rahul grabbed a Wine Jug and poured it into a cup, only to find it empty. The corners of his lips curled slightly as he raised the Wine Jug and smashed it to the ground. He stood up and declared loudly, "Hongjun, let’s have a match! Bet my life as Rahul, let’s fight!"
Hongjun looked up, his eyes slightly red from intoxication. Combined with the excitement and thrill from battle on his face, he exuded a fierce aura. At that moment, the ethereal Hongjun, radiating an imposing killing intent, was no less intimidating than Rahul, who had long been immersed in battles and death.
Hongjun slowly spoke, his voice losing its usual coldness and calmness, becoming hoarse and deep: "Bet my life as Hongjun, today we shall decide life and death!"
Hearing this, Rahul smiled with satisfaction. He raised his spear and swept it toward Hongjun, carrying an overwhelming killing intent and boundless strength. Stab, thrust, strike, slash—Rahul's fierce assault rained down on Hongjun like a storm.
At first, Hongjun merely defended himself, then gradually began to counterattack, eventually pushing back against Rahul! From being suppressed by Rahul, he now had the upper hand. Rahul had lost his offensive position and was forced into defense.
This battle raged from dawn until dusk, with pink petals from the peach blossom forest falling like rain. The crisp sounds of their weapons clashing echoed continuously. Rahul, gripping his spear, stood upright on the ground, breathing heavily with a slightly pale face and beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Hongjun was not in much better shape; although he did not appear as disheveled as Rahul, his hand trembled slightly while holding the sword, with drops of bright red blood trickling down from a wound on his right hand. Injured in his right hand made it somewhat difficult for him to wield the sword.
"Hongjun!" Rahul suddenly laughed. "Your right hand can no longer wield the sword!"
With a cold gaze filled with killing intent, Hongjun looked at him. "Your strength is also exhausted."
With his right hand incapacitated and unable to wield the sword effectively, and with Rahul having exhausted all strength for even a single lethal attack—was this once again going to end in a draw?
Looking up at him, Rahul suddenly smiled. "Although it's a pity I can't kill you myself, who said this was not a life-or-death gamble from the start?" He removed the previously quiet Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus that had been resting on his shoulder and summoned it into the air. With a fierce expression, he shouted: "Go!" The massive Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus, entirely black like ink and glowing with purple-black light all over its body, charged toward Hongjun like lightning.
The Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus, a top-tier innate treasure that combines both offense and defense, had actually been used by Rahul as a mount, which was quite a waste.
Ye Chuanze was conflicted; he never expected Rahul would use him as a finishing move. From being a mere spectator enjoying the show, he suddenly found himself in a decisive role that could turn the tide of battle. He was genuinely taken aback! This was no longer just collateral damage; it was a matter of life and death!
Ye Chuanze had long realized that Hongjun was favored by the will of heaven. Such individuals typically bore significant missions and were unlikely to die easily because they had extraordinary advantages. If they were unfortunate enough to be killed, the one who did it... well, they could expect to be dealt with by the heavens!
Ye Chuanze felt like crying. He was already half-dead from the will of heaven's manipulation, and if he killed Hongjun, he might as well just die for good. Moreover, Hongjun had once enlightened him, and he even called Hongjun his "master." He had no desire to bear the name of slayer of his master! No matter what, Hongjun could not be killed, at least not by his hand. With a grim expression, Ye Chuanze made up his mind and slowed his attack towards Hongjun.
Thanks to Ye Chuanze's deliberate concession, in an instant, Hongjun swiftly dodged the lethal attack from the Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus. A fierce glint flashed in Hongjun's eyes as he quickly switched his sword from his right hand to his left. Then, with a leap, he swung the sword fiercely towards Rahul, who stood before him, completely drained of energy.
Due to using his untrained left hand, the power of Hongjun's strike was significantly diminished. Normally, Rahul would not have regarded such an attack seriously; however, now that he was utterly exhausted and found even moving difficult, he could not evade this strike. The overwhelming and murderous sword aura locked onto him, leaving him no chance to escape as the sharp blade tore through his clothing and pierced through his heart.
In the soul state within the Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus, Ye Chuanze stared blankly at Rahul as he collapsed. Seemingly sensing Yekawa's gaze, Rahul smiled faintly at the Twelfth-Grade Annihilation Black Lotus and moved his lips slightly, saying, "Black Lotus, follow Hongjun and live well!"
With a thud, Rahul fell to the ground; his eyes closed forever.
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