To conquer this realm... that is what I have always wanted!"
Loki stood up, a dark smile spreading across his face. All around the throne room, the stone figures rose as one. Their blank eyes stared directly into his.
Each face, beautifully carved from flawless white stone, radiated a graceful yet eerie aura.Simultaneously, every single figure bowed deeply."We are nothing but trash dolls, used only by our Master," their voices echoed, a harsh sound like grinding metal clashing together. "
We possess no freedom. But you... you are our trickster lord, the rightful master of this realm!"loki thorn did not mind the grating, metallic noise. He merely nodded and let out a heavy sigh.How long have I been trapped in this realm?
Loki looked up toward the ceiling, exhaling deeply as memories began to flood back into his mind like a ghostly apparition returning from the dead.
Yet, these memories were his worst nightmares—the very things he would give anything to forget...."You think you are smart, but you are just another liability who needs to be eliminated in a matter of seconds.
Don't you dare come after me ever again!"In a vast, endless sea stretching as far as the eye could see, a river flowed downward. Ancient bodies floated heavily in the air. Gigantic and imposing, they were encased in golden, sculpture-like armour.
Inside the armour, old, skeletal remains were visible, draped in dry, fading purple cloth scattered around the waistlines."You honestly believe you can stop someone like me?""I couldn't care less if you died, but you are a future nuisance to this world. Let me bind you now so you can never cause trouble for me again!""
Wait, Mingyin! No! Don't you dare fucking do that! I was the one who helped you escape—""Shut up, you scum! Who the hell do you think you are to say that to me? Because of you, I lost my most trusted companions!""
Because of you, I lost so many. You destroyed my plans. You shattered my mental health! If it weren't for the fact that you helped me escape my abyss, I would kill you where you stand. I will not murder you, but I will no longer allow myself to be belittled!" [1]"
Now... may your cultivation be utterly destroyed!"...Loki snapped out of the memory, sighing deeply as he spread his hands outward to his stone servants."
Capture Future Mingyin and Po Ming! I shall share my location with you—bring them directly to me. Furthermore, unleash the Bull of Heaven! Let the terrifying final judgment of both Po Ming and Future Mingyin begin at the twelfth round!"Loki's eyes gleamed with malice. "
But if they somehow survive, they will gain control of the Bull. Not only will Future Mingyin's cultivation level up, but he will also reclaim forty percent of his lost soul realm!""Now, I am the true destroyer of both destructions!""
Yes, Sir!" the stone figures cheered in unison. "We shall do exactly as you command, for we are nothing but useless dolls!""Yes! That is exactly who we are!""
We are the true representatives of destruction!""This is our purpose!"The fanatical cheers rose into the air as the stone dolls laughed brilliantly, their metallic voices shaking the hall.But then, an aloof, freezing voice cut cleanly through the joyous uproar."
Before you celebrate, you will find yourself standing at the very doors of the Soul Reaper of Death."Loki's thorn-like pupils instantly constricted to the size of needles. He whipped around."Who goes there?!" he roared, refusing to step down from his stone seat.
He was a being far above the transgressor state, currently standing at the legendary Sacred Sage rank. Absolutely nothing within this soul realm should have been capable of harming him.Yet, the mysterious voice returned, echoing through the chamber."
Who I am, or what I am... does that truly matter at a time like this? In this exact situation, it isn't important in the slightest. What matters right now is that I have survived up to this point."
The voice grew firmer, echoing with absolute resolve. "Right now, I will ensure that even if I draw my last breath here, my existence will echo through all ages, spanning toward the very end of humanity! Right now, my sole goal is to save my past self."
Loki's hands gripped his throne so tightly his knuckles turned white. But in that exact, memorable moment, a terrifying, erupting aura exploded from right behind him.Loki turned his head in absolute shock.It was Mingyin.
No—it was Future Mingyin!Loki's thorn-like eyes went wide with sheer disbelief. He felt as if he had been struck by a physical blow. It was an unbearable, overwhelming sight to behold.
To see the very future you desired to prevent manifest right before you, completely understood by the world, and entirely appreciative of its own tragic path... it was a deeply symphonic, drastically tragic moment for Loki to process.
Future Mingyin stood there, his eyes glowing as brightly as twin suns. He exhaled sharply through his nose, forcing his ragged breathing to calm down.Slowly, his mouth opened to utter five final words.
His expression remained utterly detached, showing no desire to engage in this conflict, yet his mind felt as though everything was about to be stripped away from him."How did you even manage to ascend to..." Loki stammered, his voice shaking."
Your next word will be your last.""Ahahaha! But it won't hurt if I tell you, will it, Po Ming?""Indeed, Master," another voice chimed in. "It won't hurt a fly if we tell him. Who could possibly die from mere words?"Suddenly, Loki stood up from his throne, his rage mounting with every passing second. "
How?!"..."This piece of debris can completely rewrite my cultivation level and force me to ascend higher... but it will cost me my life."The weight of that final sentence struck Mingyin with pure terror. He realized there was a way to break through his limits, but that path would ultimately lead to the end of all human existence."
Po Ming, I have nothing left to say to you. I know who you are, just as you know who I am. Before I pass on, I just want—""What do you mean you're going to die like that?!""How is Mingyin supposed to overcome a monster like this? We have an even more dangerous situation to deal with now!""
Please, don't do this!""Don't worry. Everything will be explained to Mingyin in due time. After that, he will find a way to ascend to the Nine Heavens. He will undoubtedly reach the Eighth Heaven.""You don't need to worry.""We've got this, Po Ming. Trust me... you are a hero."Po Ming's eyes filled with a mixture of awe and profound sadness. His gaze froze as Future Mingyin turned his back to him."I shall now take my final steps in cultivation.
Goodbye, my closest friend... Damn skeleton, you truly have me in your grasp."...Po Ming stood outside the massive labyrinth. He paced back and forth, waiting anxiously for Mingyin to return. He wouldn't lie to himself—he was scared to death. Who wouldn't be terrified watching their closest companion march toward their demise?Suddenly, a booming voice echoed across the heavens.
[THE TWELVE ROUNDS SHALL BEGIN NOW.]
[TIME REMAINING: 03:00:00]
Po Ming's blood ran cold. He looked up just as something ancient and primordial materialized in the air above him, threatening to devour and excavate his very soul."
Please, Mingyin, don't die right now," Po Ming muttered, his voice trembling. "Without you, I am dead meat... Please don't die on me—"He froze dead in his tracks.A hundred-foot-tall bull with two magnificent, sweeping horns materialized before him. It lunged forward, swinging a colossal battleaxe from behind its back.
The weapon came crashing down with world-ending force.Po Ming's mind raced. If it weren't for the restrictions of this labyrinth, this bull would have slaughtered me outside instantly.
The labyrinth is limiting its speed and power, but it still possesses more than enough strength to kill me!Suddenly, another loud roar echoed through the air.As the massive blade of the axe closed the distance, Po Ming gritted his teeth and leapt into the air. His eyes turned completely, brilliantly white.[Artifact Sprinting Style!]
An immense, explosive pressure erupted beneath his feet. The sudden force launched his body high into the air, and with a powerful kick, his legs propelled him forward. He vanished in a single, blinding instant.
BOOM!
The colossal axe slammed into the exact spot where he had been standing a millisecond prior. The weapon tore across the earth, creating a deafening cataclysm that shattered the ground. Trails of thick smoke billowed into the sky as fragmented stone erupted outward like a volcanic explosion.
The shockwave blasted outward, violently shaking the labyrinth walls. Po Ming, flying through the air, was caught by the edge of the blast.Suddenly, a wave of despair washed over him. He was at his wit's end. He couldn't survive this. This was the end, and there was absolutely nothing he could do.
But then, a massive, thunderous crashing sound erupted from high above.The unexpected noise drew the colossal bull's attention. The beast halted its axe mid-swing, peering into the rising smoke. Taking advantage of the distraction, Po Ming altered his trajectory and flew desperately toward the left.
He turned his head to look back at the source of the sound.A massive, brilliant purple aura beam shot straight up into the heavens. It fractured the sky into a beautiful, multicolored display, exploding outward into five distinct segments.
Floating amidst the radiant light, a lone figure appeared in the sky. His eyes were as dark and sharp as pristine blades. His very next step would be the edge that severed the strings of destiny itself.There stood Mingyin.
He wore the simple, worn-out cloth of a commoner. His once raven-black hair had turned a stark, sorrowful white—a physical manifestation of the immense agony and trials he had just endured.He looked down at his companion."
Po Ming... I have succeeded."His voice cut through the air, completely aloof and calm. His exhausted face didn't quite match the triumph of his words; instead, it looked entirely focused, solemn, and profoundly kind.