100: Third Life: How Am I the Villain? (Sixty-Four)

That ancient and indifferent voice emanated from Ye Feng's mouth, carrying a hint of vicissitude as if it had slumbered for ten thousand eons.

He moved his neck slightly, his bones making a crisp crackling sound, as if he were adapting to this body and this unfamiliar era.

Warning signs blared in Xu Yuan's heart; the sense of oppression stemming from the difference in life levels almost suffocated him.

But his Dao Heart was as firm as a rock; the more desperate the situation, the more it stimulated the ruthlessness and decisiveness in his bones.

"Playing God! Ten Thousand Blades Demon Slaying, strike again!"

Xu Yuan roared, forcibly suppressing the horror in his heart as he once again activated the great Formation.

He didn't believe that by gathering the strength of the entire Sect, they still couldn't deal with a Ye Feng in such a bizarre state!

Countless saber beams converged once more, more condensed than before, carrying a suicidal will of no return. They transformed into a ribbon of light that traversed the sky, tearing through the pervading tribulation qi, and slashed down toward Ye Feng's head!

This strike drained nearly half of the spiritual energy from the several Elders presiding over the Formation. The light was brilliant, and the Saber Intent soared to the heavens, vowing to slay this Devil Head under the blade!

"The strength of an ant, yet you dare to cry out to the heavens?"

The ancient and indifferent voice echoed deep within Xu Yuan's Sea of Consciousness.

"Break."

There was no earth-shattering collision, nor were there violent fluctuations of Law.

The moment that single word "Break" left his mouth, the river of saber beams—condensed by the Ten Thousand Blades Demon Slaying Array and containing the Overlord Blade Sect's strongest current power—was like snow thrown into a scorching sun. Starting from the very front, it dissolved and vanished without warning or sound.

It wasn't defeated or neutralized; rather, the 'structure' of its existence was directly 'negated' by a higher level of power, decomposing into the most primitive Spiritual Qi particles and returning to the world.

Whoosh—!

The light of the saber array suddenly dimmed. Countless Overlord Blade Sect Disciples serving as Formation nodes groaned in unison. Those with weaker cultivation even spat out blood and collapsed to the ground.

The great Formation was actually dismantled by a single word!

"How is this possible?!"

"He... what kind of monster is he?!"

“The... Golden Core status!”

At this moment, even Qin Zhantian and the several Elders at Foundation Establishment Perfection showed expressions of despair on their faces.

This method had completely exceeded their scope of understanding; this was definitely not a power that the Foundation Establishment Realm could possess!

Xu Yuan's pupils also shrank violently. He saw clearly that it wasn't some clever Spell, but pure suppression of status!

It was like an adult casually slapping away a sandcastle a child had spent great effort building, effortless and easy.

Xu Yuan stared fixedly at Ye Feng, whose aura was becoming increasingly profound. A mysterious sensation, like a cold thread, wrapped around Xu Yuan's heart.

He clearly "saw" that between himself and Ye Feng, there were countless thick lines of Karma connected, stained with blood-red and black qi!

These lines originated from the initial entanglement of the Innate Blade Bone. After several twists, they had now become so thick they could not be severed.

Arch-enemies!

These words were like a brand, deeply engraved into Xu Yuan's Sea of Consciousness.

Xu Yuan realized that between him and Ye Feng, Karma had taken hold; it was a battle to the death.

This was not just a personal grudge, but a struggle of Karma! A struggle of the Great Dao!

Outsiders might be able to intervene, but to truly end this Karma and completely slay Ye Feng, it had to be, and could only be, accomplished by Xu Yuan himself!

Relying on the Sect's great Formation might repel or even heavily injure the current Ye Feng, but it was impossible to eradicate that hidden Indestructible Golden Essence or sever that entangled Karma.

Only by using his own Dao to frontally defeat Ye Feng could he grind away his true spirit and settle everything!

He slowly raised Ink Sever in his hand, the blade pointing directly at Ye Feng. His voice was calm yet carried a decisive resolve, echoing clearly over the silent square:

"Ye Feng."

"Your opponent is me."

Xu Yuan took a step forward, leaving the protection of the great Formation, and alone, he faced that figure radiating a terrifying golden prestige.

Xu Yuan's words were like a stabilizing needle thrown into a boiling vortex of Karma.

The moment he pointed specifically at Ye Feng and issued his declaration of a duel, the thick, blood-stained, and resentment-filled lines of Karma entangled between the two suddenly emitted an invisible hum!

They seemed to come alive, frantically absorbing 'nourishment' from the battlefield and the fate of the two. They became more solid and manifest, even faintly outlining a blurred silhouette in the Void Realm.

An even larger and heavier power of Karma descended, faintly isolating the area where Xu Yuan and Ye Feng stood from the outside world.

At the same time, the realization in Xu Yuan's heart was as clear as the sun appearing after the clouds dispersed:

This time, it was no longer a simple fight, but a struggle for Karma and Luck!

A struggle of Fortune!

A mysterious sensation told him—

If Ye Feng successfully killed him, Xu Yuan, today and then proceeded to flatten the Overlord Blade Sect, with his background as a Reincarnation, he could swallow all this towering Karmic resentment and the Sect Luck accumulated by the Overlord Blade Sect, smelting them into one. Through this, he could condense an extremely special and powerful Golden Core—the Karma Retribution Golden Core!

Using this to re-ascend the Golden Core Path!

Conversely—

If Xu Yuan could rise against the odds in this desperate situation today and slay Ye Feng, who was a Golden Core Reincarnation burdened with great Luck, then he would have completed a shocking feat of 'a Python Swallowing a Dragon'!

With a 'mortal' body, he would have inversely swallowed the fate, Luck, and part of the Dao Fruit of a 'True Dragon'!

This was not just a victory in combat, but the plunder and sublimation of fate and Luck!

Once successful, by borrowing this momentum of 'a Python Swallowing a Dragon,' his future path to the Golden Core would be a smooth one!

Condensing a Golden Core would no longer have any Bottleneck to speak of; it would be a qualitative change like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate!

Risk and opportunity always coexisted.

This overwhelming crisis was also a once-in-a-thousand-years immortal opportunity!

"A Python Swallowing a Dragon... no Bottleneck for the Golden Core..."

A terrifying light erupted in Xu Yuan's eyes. All hesitation and horror were completely severed at this moment, replaced by a pure and extreme desire and Battle Intent!

His Dao Heart became crystal clear at this moment. The Ten Thousand Blades Returning to the Origin Foundation roared and vibrated, producing the deepest level of resonance with the Ink Sever in his hand.

He no longer thought about the gap in Realms, nor did he worry about the survival of the Sect. At this moment, in his heart, there was only—

Fight! Win! Swallow!

"Kill!"

Xu Yuan let out a long whistle that could pierce gold and crack stone. His figure transformed into a dark-gold saber beam that tore through the Void Realm, actively launching an attack toward Ye Feng!

Wherever the saber light passed, even those invisible threads of Karma vibrated and twisted!

In Ye Feng's golden eyes, the look of mockery slightly receded, revealing for the first time a somewhat serious expression.

He could feel that this ant-like young man before him, after clarifying his destiny, actually burst forth with an aura capable of shaking his 'Karma Retribution Golden Core' layout.

"A mayfly trying to shake a tree, yet you also want to swallow an elephant? Ridiculous!"

He snorted coldly. He no longer used only minor golden light, but instead pressed his fingers together like a sword, channeling the ancient golden flowing light circulating around him, and pointed into the air!

"Extinction Finger."