154: Summon Guan Yu's Heroic Spirit

The grayish-white membrane on the surface of the meteorite was moving, like a scab forming over a wound. Shen Xiaochuan stared at it, his palms slick with sweat. He had the last scroll pressed against his chest; he could feel a chill through his clothes. Aminos stood beside him, breathing lightly, his eyes fixed on the pit to the north—the rusted sword was still stuck there. The runes had cracked deeper, and the black mist was no longer pouring out, but it hadn't retreated either; it was coiled around the sword, twisting in wisps.

"This sword seems to be calling for something," Aminos whispered, his voice trembling slightly.

"Leave it alone," Shen Xiaochuan frowned. "The most important thing right now is to deal with whatever is about to come out."

"They're coming out soon." Shen Xiaochuan's tone was heavy, without a hint of hesitation.

Just as he finished speaking, the ground shook violently.

It wasn't a tremor; it was an explosion. The earth beneath their feet split open, and the cracks spread in all directions. The meteorite made a "crack" sound, and a fissure half a person's width opened in the middle. Black Qi sprayed out with a stench that made one's head ache.

Five Evil God Guards were thrown out, slamming onto the ground one after another. Their bones were broken, some of their heads were twisted, but they were still moving, clawing at the ground with their hands, crawling back toward the meteorite.

"They're not dead yet." Aminos's voice was tight.

"It's not about whether they're dead or not," Shen Xiaochuan gritted his teeth. "They're stalling for time."

Black mist surged from the fissure, slowly gathering into a human shape. It was not tall, thinner than an average person, wearing no armor, holding no weapon, just standing there. But the air became heavy, and even the wind stopped.

"Is this the Demon King?" Aminos took a breath, his voice trembling.

Shen Xiaochuan stared at it and said, "No matter what it is, we cannot let it run wild."

He raised his hand.

The five Evil God Guards exploded simultaneously—not a blast, but crushed. Their bones, bone armor, and red eyes all turned to black ash, floating in the air, only to be swept away by black flames and burned into blue smoke.

Shen Xiaochuan's pupils contracted, and he immediately roared: "Retreat five hundred meters! Everyone fall back behind the defensive line! Do not look back, do not attack!"

Fifteen hundred Believers turned immediately, their footsteps uniform. No one shouted, no one panicked; there was only the sound of hurried footsteps running back.

Aminos didn't move.

"You go too." Shen Xiaochuan pushed him.

"That is the Demon King." Aminos didn't look at him, his voice hoarse. "If I pull the sword, I can hold it for a second."

"If you go, you'll just be the sixth pile of ash." Shen Xiaochuan grabbed his arm. "Don't be stupid."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at him, his expression complex. After two seconds, a bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth:

"Do you think sacrificing yourself can buy time? It wants sacrifices, not heroes."

Aminos's lips moved, but he didn't speak.

Over there, the black shadow lowered its head and looked at the rusted sword on the ground. The black mist crawled up along the blade, moving much faster.

"It's waking up." Shen Xiaochuan's throat felt dry as if it were burning.

"Then let it wake up." Aminos suddenly walked forward. "Give me the sword! I'll block it—"

Shen Xiaochuan flashed and blocked him.

"I said no." His voice was low, but firm.

"Then what do you plan to do? Wait for death?" Aminos glared at him.

Shen Xiaochuan didn't answer. He took three steps forward, walking to the place closest to the rusted sword.

"What are you doing!" Aminos rushed up.

"Didn't you want to take the sword?" Shen Xiaochuan looked back, the corner of his mouth curling up. "Fine, I'll take it."

He reached out and grabbed the hilt.

"Don't—" Aminos reached out to pull him back.

Too late.

With a "hiss," the black Qi crawled up Shen Xiaochuan's arm like a living creature, burrowing into his skin. His body stiffened, his face turned livid, veins bulged on his forehead, and he swayed, almost kneeling.

[Warning: faith points are leaking, -50 points per second]

[Warning: mental erosion has begun, consciousness stability dropped to 67%]

The System prompt jumped into his mind. Shen Xiaochuan gritted his teeth and didn't let go.

"You're crazy!" Aminos lunged to pry his fingers open. "Let go! This thing will eat you!"

"I know." Shen Xiaochuan squeezed two words from his throat, his teeth chattering. "I need it to get in."

The black Qi had already crawled to his shoulder and started wrapping around his neck. His left eye turned black, his eyelid twitching. His right hand could still move, but his fingertips were ice cold.

Aminos was stunned: "You... you planned this all along?"

Shen Xiaochuan didn't answer; he closed his eyes.

The Qi and blood in his body reversed, and his Meridians felt like they were being scraped by knives. Red patterns emerged beneath his skin—they were characters, spreading from his chest to his arms, and then to his face.

He opened his eyes suddenly; his right eye was golden, and his left eye was completely black.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, which hissed as it hit the ground.

"Guan Yunchang—" he roared, his voice hoarse, "assist me!"

The air went silent for an instant.

The next second, a muffled sound came from the sky—not from the sky, but exploding in his mind. A stream of crimson Qi rushed out from the top of his head, turning into a figure in the air—red face, long beard, Phoenix eyes slightly open, wearing a green robe. He held no blade, but his Aura was oppressive.

Guan Yu's Divine Sense descended.

The black Qi inside him shrank violently, as if scalded, and began to retreat. His body went limp, and he knelt on one knee, still gripping the hilt.

"How dare an evil spirit offend my master?" Guan Yu's Divine Sense spoke coldly. The voice was not loud, but it rolled across the battlefield like thunder.

The black Qi churned violently, spewing out from his seven orifices, but that crimson Qi suppressed it steadily, preventing it from losing control.

Aminos stood where he was, looking up at the shadow, his hand unconsciously releasing the sword.

"What... is this?" he muttered.

"The Martial Saint of Huaxia." Shen Xiaochuan stood up while supporting himself on the ground, his voice hoarse. "Not a god, not a ghost, but something manifested from loyalty and righteousness."

He looked up at the crack in the sky; the light in his right eye remained, while the black Qi in his left eye struggled.

"This battle isn't about who is more ruthless." He gritted his teeth, every word sounding like it was fished out of blood. "It's about whose roots go deeper."

Behind him, Guan Yu's Divine Sense raised a hand, and the shadow of an Azure Dragon Crescent Blade appeared in the air. The blade pointed at the meteorite, motionless, yet it pressed down on the black mist, making it dare not move.

Aminos took two steps back, standing at the edge of the defensive line. He looked at Shen Xiaochuan's back, looked at that red shadow, and didn't say a word.

Shen Xiaochuan stood there, holding the Evil God's sword, black Qi wrapped around his arm, golden light covering his body, the Martial Saint's phantom behind him like a mountain.

The wind blew from the forest, carrying the smell of scorched earth and blood.

He didn't move, and he didn't dare to move.

The battle within his body hadn't ended. The black Qi rampaged through his Meridians, and Guan Yu's Divine Sense was like a wall, holding it back firmly. He knew that if he lost focus for even a second, he would be devoured.

But he also knew he couldn't retreat.

If he retreated, all the effort before this would be in vain.

Fifteen hundred Believers were arrayed behind him. No one spoke, no one moved; they all watched the figure in front.

Aminos stood at the very front, his hand pressed on his sword, no longer mentioning pulling the sword.

Shen Xiaochuan looked down at the sword in his hand. It was heavily rusted and didn't reflect light, but it felt heavy to hold, like a mountain.

He knew this sword shouldn't have been pulled out.

But it was already in his hand.

He raised his right hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth—it was salty, hot.

"Old Guan," he whispered, "hold on."

Guan Yu's Divine Sense didn't respond, but the crimson Qi grew stronger by a fraction, forcing the black Qi back by half an inch.

Shen Xiaochuan took a deep breath and took a step forward.

A crack appeared on the ground.

He took another step.

Three hundred meters, only two hundred ninety-eight meters left.

The black mist churned in the meteorite's fissure, as if waiting for him.

He didn't stop.

One step, one step, walking slowly but steadily.

Behind him, Guan Yu's Divine Sense followed him, hovering above his head like a flag.

Aminos looked at his back and suddenly felt that this person wasn't just risking his life.

He was making a vow.

Shen Xiaochuan walked to the two-hundred-meter mark and stopped.

He raised his left hand and gripped his right wrist.

The black Qi had reached his chest, and the golden light on his chest flickered, as if it were about to go out.

He closed his eyes, bit his tongue, and spat a mist of blood onto the sword.

The sword vibrated with a "hum."

The black Qi surged up, heading straight for his head.

At that exact moment, Guan Yu's Divine Sense opened its eyes and shouted: "Retreat!"

The crimson Qi crashed down, and the black Qi screamed, beaten out, twisting into a ball in the air like an injured snake.

Shen Xiaochuan opened his eyes; the light in his right eye surged, and the black Qi in his left eye dissipated, leaving only a trace of a shadow.

He stood there, not falling.

The sword was still in his hand.

Behind him, Guan Yu's Divine Sense did not disappear, holding the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, the blade pointing at the meteorite.

Shen Xiaochuan looked up at the fissure.

"Come on," he said.

The wind stopped.

The black mist retreated into the meteorite.

The world went quiet.