Darkness descended, swallowing everything in its path. The silence was deafening—no flicker of firelight, no whisper of wind, only the rhythmic pulse of blood echoing in her ears. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Yuan Ji summoned a flicker of flame, its weak glow casting sharp shadows across her frosty expression as she scanned the void. She was alone. Where were Qi Yan and the others?
A single star glimmered in the black expanse, but its light brought no comfort—only the looming threat of being devoured.
“Yuan Ji…” System shivered against her shoulder, clinging tighter at the oppressive silence. Only the steady beat of Yuan Ji’s heart calmed its dread. “Something’s coming—!”
A blade of cold light seared through the dark. Yuan Ji barely jerked back in time, but the edge grazed her forehead, drawing a thin line of blood.
“My, my. The River God’s reflexes are impressive.” A mocking voice slithered from the shadows. Mu Danchen tapped the golden mask covering half his face. “No wonder my useless cousin survived this long.”
The words dripped with venom. Every mention of Mu Chao was a fishbone lodged in his throat—merely thinking of it made his jaw clench.
Yuan Ji stood motionless in the firelight, her composure unshaken. She lifted a finger, swiping the blood from her brow—and froze. A familiar energy clung to it.
“…So that’s it.” A smirk curled her lips.
Mu Danchen noted her reaction, his irritation fading into smug satisfaction. “But his luck runs out now. You’ll stay here forever.” He spread his arms, relishing the thought. “Don’t worry—I’ll send him to join you soon. Wouldn’t want you getting lonely.”
The image of Mu Chao’s despair fueled his glee. Finally, after years of watching that trash bask in undeserved glory, he would crush him underfoot!
His grin widened as he studied Yuan Ji, arrogance swelling. Resentment and jealousy morphed into a guttural chant in his mind:
Kill her.
Kill her now!
No one left to ruin your plans—
The world spun. Blackness swallowed Mu Danchen’s vision, his expression twisting into madness.
“Yuan Ji, be careful!” System’s voice spiked in alarm. “His power’s surging—something’s wrong!”
Her gaze snapped to his wrist. A black plant sprouted, swelling rapidly until it towered over her. Rancid fumes billowed as its leaves unfurled.
Yuan Ji stared. The oily sheen of those leaves… They matched the walls of her river temple.
Her face twitched.
“System. Remind me never to let the temple walls chew on people again.”
System blinked. “…Why?”
“…They reek.”
Who knew plants could have halitosis?
System: ???
Oblivious to their debate on floral hygiene, Mu Danchen preened at Yuan Ji’s stillness. Pathetic. To think Mu Chao pinned his hopes on this fraud.
He lounged against the giant leaves. “I could’ve made your death quick. But since you allied with Mu Chao…” A theatrical sigh. “Blame him for your suffering.”
His laughter boomed, grating against Yuan Ji’s nerves.
“Noisy.“
The fireseed in her palm whooshed toward him, heat searing the air. Mu Danchen flinched—then smirked as the plant’s leaves swallowed the flames. Smoke curled harmlessly upward.
“Ah, my apologies.” He tapped his mask, smug. “That black oil earlier? My symbiotic plant’s work. Thanks to you and your friends, it’s grown quite strong.” He leaned forward. “Now… no flames, no spiritual energy. What will you do?”
Confident from Yue Tianchuan’s intel, he flicked a hand. Countless black leaves shot toward Yuan Ji—no escape.
….
Outside the darkness, villagers huddled behind Qi Yan’s barrier, breaths held.
A sword gleamed—shhk! Another masked assailant collapsed, their disguise melting into the hovering black sphere above.
Qi Yan’s icy gaze swept the corpses. Rage simmered beneath.
“Senior Brother!” Song Yingzi pointed upward. “The River God—she’s in there!”
Qi Yan’s head snapped up. The opaque sphere had turned translucent, revealing Yuan Ji and Mu Danchen.
“Mu Danchen!” Mu Dezhong snarled, recognizing the masked figure instantly. His nails dug into his palms. “He’s going to kill her.”
“Shut your mouth!” Wang Dazui paled. “The River God can’t die! Look—her barrier still protects us!”
Others chimed in, clinging to hope.
Mu Dezhong shook his head. “That plant devours spiritual energy. And she exhausted hers saving us…” His voice broke. “She’s defenseless.”
Dread spread like ink in water.
Ai Xiang clutched Guan Muping’s sleeve. “Big Brother… will the pretty sister really die?”
Guan Muping’s throat tightened. “No.” He stared at the unwavering golden barrier. “Never.“
“For the River God!“
A stone flew. Then another. A hailstorm of pebbles battered the sphere, villagers roaring as they hurled whatever they could find.
Mu Danchen glanced down and snorted. “Trash.” He waved—black oil rained, dissolving the projectiles midair.
Inside the sphere, Yuan Ji’s fingers closed around a hidden object within the plant.
Got it.
A soul pearl, faintly lotus-scented, pulsed in her grip. The plant shuddered as its core was ripped free.
Yuan Ji stuffed it away, eyeing the withered leaves. A plan sparked.
“System. Convert faith points to spiritual energy.”
“How much?!“
“However much it craves.”
Tendrils of energy slithered from her fingertips. The plant lunged, greedily sucking it in—
System gasped. The faith points weren’t depleting. They were multiplying.
What kind of virus is this?!
Above, Mu Danchen’s mask cracked under Qi Yan’s relentless assault. The sphere fissured.
“NO!” He scrambled to repair it, but the plant—now latched onto Yuan Ji—ignored his commands.
Yuan Ji smiled sweetly at the bewildered foliage. “Leaving so soon?”
Her grip tightened.
The plant screamed as its energy reversed course—flooding into Yuan Ji.
Mu Danchen whirled. His plant was shrinking, desiccating into a shriveled husk.
“YOU—!“
A rock smacked his head. Then another. Villagers roared, stones flying like meteors.
Qi Yan’s sword shattered the sphere. Light erupted, blinding all.
When it cleared—
Yuan Ji stood radiant, untouched.
Cheers exploded. “WE WON!”
Mu Danchen, broken and maskless, writhed at her feet.
Yuan Ji tilted her head. “This is your ‘deicide’?”
She raised a hand.
“How disappointing.“
Light consumed him.
Later, amidst the celebrating villagers, Mu Dezhong approached Yuan Ji, trembling.
“River God… Is Xiao Chuan… dead?”
