It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

With this, the ground surged upwards, surging wildly toward the sky. In a blink, it formed a barrier that absorbed no light, swallowing up all color. And from the night sky, streaks of darkness dripped down, connecting with them to form a perfect celestial sting, drawing the curtain on the stage where the undead were battling.

In the utter silence, there was no trace of magical energy flowing, and even less of any physical sound. Unconsciously, Bai Lin's flames completely extinguished. She retreated quickly, her broken body trembling.

The entire view was shrouded in darkness, and Bai Lin couldn't even grasp the outlines of the massive wreckage within the bell tower. As if stripped of all sense of space and direction, Bai Lin stood silently before the curtain of the abyss. Looking upward, he saw an invisible dome, and a sense of insignificance washed over him.

It was as if it captured the most profound feeling humans experience when faced with the unknown. Everywhere lay a bottomless abyss, and even the direction was unclear. Confined within this space, Bai Lin felt like a human entering space for the first time, completely unaware of everything. But the only thing he knew for sure was his own insignificance.

Of course, even though all her emotional fluctuations were swept away by the darkness, Bai Lin immediately understood the situation. Although she didn't sense any magical fluctuations, she knew it was Fei'er's method. She must have had her own reasons for not using such an effective ability to block the Manjushage flowers from the beginning.

It's very likely...it will cost something.

"Fei'er! Where are you? Are you okay?!"

After regaining consciousness, Bai Lin immediately shouted. She turned her body around, but she couldn't see anything. Even in this vampire body, born for the night, she couldn't see clearly. This feeling made her panic, but she was more worried about Fei'er's condition.

"...You don't have to shout so loudly, I can hear you. I'm over here, come towards the sound..."

With the voice and the seemingly magical, subtle guidance, Bai Lin determined her direction and walked forward with unwavering determination. On the way, she felt her foot stumble against something. Her first reaction was to strike down with the shield she had detached from her hand, but she stopped at the last moment. That was because she had clearly seen the outline of the object.

A slightly tattered piece of black cloth was coiled up like a small, curled-up animal. Bai Lin felt a sense of familiarity there; it was Fei'er's cloak. She picked it up and continued looking forward. Soon, she saw Fei'er, leaning against the wall, her eyes half-closed, looking very weak.

"Here, here are your clothes. Are you okay?"

Bai Lin bent down and handed the cloak to Fei'er with concern, but the latter did not reach out to take it, but replied.

"Thank you... but I don't have the energy to take it. Just cover me."

Fei'er's voice was also somewhat intermittent, and she seemed extremely weak, like a dying person, using the little strength left to leave a will. This situation made Bai Lin feel extremely uneasy. She covered Fei'er's white skin with her cloak and continued,

"Have you used too much magic? Vampire blood seems to be able to transport some magic—"

"No, it's not a matter of magic. Just let me rest here. Right now, you should be concerned about the enemy... Although the secret technique I used can trap Manjushage and probably reduce her combat capabilities, making her unable to threaten us for a while, it's only temporary."

Bai Lin understood Fei'er's personality very well. She also knew that she was not good at any form of treatment, not to mention that Fei'er's physical condition had always been very special. So she calmed down and said,

"Okay then, what do you need me to do next? Since you didn't let me escape with you, that means we're trapped here too."

"You've been captain for so long, and yet you're asking me what to do. However, your judgment is correct. So our first priority now is to break the barrier set by Manjushage. I can't help you. You have to figure it out on your own, Bai Lin."

Chapter 443: Heartbreak

Facing Fei'er's plan, Bai Lin scratched his head in confusion and replied,

"Now that you mention it... didn't we already roughly understand that this barrier can't be opened by brute force alone? I'm not good at magic, so I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to break it."

Bai Lin certainly understood that Fei'er wouldn't propose something without any real practical implications, but she still needed to ask what Fei'er was planning. Fei'er, naturally, gave her answer. She gently shifted her hands on the ground, and a delicate, clinking sound echoed.

"My weapon... and the core entity of the spell I constructed are already in my right hand. The Heart of the Mirror can provide you with some analytical and transformation capabilities. Combined with your own ability to observe magic, you may still have a chance to master the method of breaking the barrier."

"We have plenty of time to analyze now, but you have to seize the time. It may be a little difficult, but you have to do it well."

Seeing Fei'er's trusting eyes, Bai Lin pondered for a moment, then picked up the pair of double blades and a very small magic array core that looked like a glass gem from her right hand. This core didn't reveal anything at first glance, but if you looked closely, you would find it to be very strange.

No matter which side of the core you looked at, you couldn't tell what its exact shape was. It was crystal clear, yet you couldn't see through it. As soon as Bai Lin took it in his hand, he could feel it vibrating constantly, then transforming into a stream of light and entering his body.

A subtle feeling emanated from near Bai Lin's heart. She suddenly felt that she was beginning to adapt to this incomparably empty and dark world.

She didn't ask Fei'er what to do next. Instead, as if guided by a direction, she walked towards the barrier-covered wall. She gripped one of her two swords tightly and pressed it against the wall. Suddenly, a crimson barrier talisman appeared. A slight tremor began to appear in Bai Lin's hand, with the tip of the sword as the base.

Although Bai Lin knew nothing about magic, she had a very quick understanding of cold weapons. On the surface, the blade appeared to be fighting the barrier's magic power on equal terms, but Bai Lin, holding it, knew full well that it was penetrating the barrier bit by bit, at an almost imperceptible distance.

"... Fei'er, since we can achieve this effect with the things you left behind, why don't you do it yourself?"

Bai Lin asked with some confusion. For Bai Lin, this process was obviously a matter of time. Why not do it while she was fighting with Manjushage? Wouldn't the effect be different?

Although Fei'er was extremely weak at this time, she still sighed and explained to Bai Lin,

"Fool. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm one of her closest followers. As long as she wants, I can't interfere with the magic she releases. So I can only use this special method to isolate her over there. Otherwise, I can hardly provide you with any effective support."

Bai Lin nodded, half understanding. Meeting Manjushaka was truly a misfortune for both of them. Putting aside the phantom pain still lingering in Bai Lin, Fei'er was practically being targeted by Manjushaka. This almost guaranteed that they had no proper way to confront this enemy, leaving them with no choice but to flee.

But if you think about it carefully, you will encounter an enemy like Manjushage tonight thanks to a suggestion made by Bai Lin at night, which makes Bai Lin feel a little upset.

They thought they had all the necessary information, having killed the strongest individual they knew, the vampire. They had also taken down the most important large group in their plan, the India region. But a single misconception of this information had led them to this predicament.

Not to mention, there are those damned little bastards who dumped wastewater into the river.

"I'm sorry, Fei'er, I shouldn't have suggested destroying another organization. If I had known..."

Although Bai Lin knew this wasn't her fault, she still apologized. If she hadn't spoken up, she might not have encountered Manjusaka. If she continued to think this way instead of apologizing, it would probably affect her fighting spirit.

"There's no need to talk about this now, Bai Lin. No one expected her to appear here. I originally thought it was just some ulterior motives who brought some things here, but now it seems..."

Fei'er leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and said in a somewhat painful tone,

"She hid herself so well that I didn't realize she was right in front of me until our eyes met. Perhaps it was fate that brought me here."

"Anyway, let's not discuss this now. You must get through this, Bai Lin."

Bai Lin, holding the blade in one hand, listened to Fei'er's voice getting smaller and smaller, and felt a lot of negativity from it. Bai Lin half turned sideways and said,

"We have to overcome this difficulty, Fei'er. No matter what fate is, we have to overcome it! Manjushage is blocking her own information, which means there are many opponents among humans that she fears. As long as we get out and spread the information, we will win."

Subconsciously, as a strong leader, she smiled brightly and encouraged her teammates. Fei'er opened her eyes, and this time, she smiled knowingly at Bai Lin's optimistic expression.

"You were so depressed just a second ago, but now you're encouraging me. You're really becoming more and more like a hero, Bai Lin."

After hearing what Fei'er said, Bai Lin smiled awkwardly again, turned his face to the wall, and replied half-jokingly,

"Hahaha, you're my teammate after all. I've cheered myself up a lot after hearing your words. This is what you call supporting each other."

"Yeah...I thought so too."

In the infinitely empty space, the two seemed to be huddled together in a small corner, taking turns adding firewood to the bonfire of hope. In this seemingly extremely desperate situation, they acted with full motivation, looking for the best way out.

Chapter 444: Black Wall Movement

Composure is always the most important factor in combat. Emotional behavior is acceptable, but within that, composure must remain.

Just like when Bai Lin faced Chronostia after Katie fell, she was filled with grief, anger, resentment, and other negative emotions. But she remained calm and thought of the best battle plan, integrating her newfound strength with the moves she had learned before, and defeated the evil dragon.

But during the initial fight with Manjushaka, she had been so flustered that she had lost her composure. By the end of the fight, her attacks had almost become incoherent, with only one thought in her mind: she had to hit Manjushaka twice, no matter what, because that was the only way to entangle her.

Although he didn't say it, Bai Lin's heart was undoubtedly numb from the countless times his internal organs were pierced and his limbs were severed. In the past, when he died, he had more or less had a chance to breathe, but during his battle as a vampire, he didn't have such treatment.

The void created by Fei'er was certainly terrifying to normal people. It was incomprehensible and therefore caused an unknown sense of fear, but for Bai Lin, it gave her a breath of fresh air.

Especially since Fei'er was there, right beside her, talking to her. Listening to Bai Lin's words, she also expressed her feelings to him. This mutual support helped Bai Lin recover.

The curtain of darkness obscured the light. But this couldn't stop the pursuit of light, nor could it stop these two from giving up their efforts. At least, Bai Lin now had enough mental strength to face the battle again, and wouldn't let repeated heavy blows wear away all his fighting spirit.

Just as the atmosphere between the two of them was gradually becoming better and the blade in Bai Lin's hand was slowly sinking into the wall barrier, a voice came from behind Bai Lin's ear.

It was a humming sound like a sharp blade being unsheathed, making contact with the outside world. Bai Lin suddenly felt a chill running down her spine, and the hairs on her back instantly stood up. She subconsciously looked towards the source of the sound.

"What's wrong?"

Noticing Bai Lin's unusual behavior, Fei'er also looked in the direction of the Manjusari lilies. However, the area was still completely peaceful and empty, with no signs of anything unusual. But Bai Lin's eyes remained fixed on it, not daring to look away for a long time.

"There's movement."

Bai Lin's freed hand also tightly grasped her blade. She held the short blade horizontally. Although it could not protect Fei'er, it could still block her in front of her at the first moment.

Suddenly, the buzzing sound came again, and the empty space seemed to tremble. This time, Fei'er also trembled for a moment, and her expression of shock was written all over her face.

"is that a lie…"

This dark, void barrier could be considered a backup plan that Fei'er had reserved specifically for Manjushage. It was essentially the same shadow as Xifa and the others', but hers was a bit more unique. In short, she was using the power of a fellow evil deity to restrict Manjushage.

Ordinary magic power would be greatly reduced on Manjushaka, and even divine magic power would not have much effect. Even Bai Lin's cold weapons could not harm her, which was Manjushaka's most powerful point.

But the backup plan that was specifically designed to target her was about to be shaken so quickly?

Bai Lin now understood the situation. She gave up on breaking the barrier and pulled the blade out of the wall, then stood in front of Fei'er. Her teammates were now unable to move, so she had to prioritize protecting Fei'er.

Just as she had regained her balance, an even harsher, teeth-grinding scraping sound erupted from behind her ears. Five tiny white scratches gradually appeared from the dark barrier of the void, like a blade inserted into an iron wall, slowly tearing it apart horizontally, and emitting faint flames.

Bai Lin gritted her teeth. She shouldn't be distracted by unnecessary thoughts right now; she should be aware of the attacks the enemy might launch at any moment. However, the fighting spirit she and Fei'er had so hard to build up was fading due to a feeling of confusion.

She believed she had no ability to break through this dark barrier. During their battle with Xifa and the others, Xifa had also demonstrated this guy's aggressiveness. Even if he used such a powerful weapon, it was even more so when it was used over such a large area. Whether it was attack or defense, this dark barrier was far beyond Bai Lin's limits.

But now, Manjushage was tearing through the dark barrier. Unlike before, it revealed a far greater power, overwhelming Bai Lin. It was as if a pair of giant hands before her tore open the boundaries of the universe, revealing a vaster world, leaving Bai Lin in a state of confusion.

what do I do?

The desperate gap in combat power almost made Bai Lin lose her weapon, but she gritted her teeth again, chose to put away a blade and raised her shield.

At the very least, he had to protect Fei'er behind him. No matter what tricks the enemy was going to play, all he could do was withstand the attack.

Make good use of the cold weapons in your hands. At worst, you can just ask Kronos to increase its power.

After all, I'm immortal now. As long as I keep my spirits up, I have no weaknesses.

The gradually extending scratch seemed to cease, the white light once again being swallowed up bit by bit by the dark fluctuations. But in an instant, two pairs of giant claws, gleaming with white light, like sledgehammers breaking through the dark barrier, stepping into the area where Bai Lin and the others were. Then, like a hot knife through butter, they effortlessly tore through the darkness before them.

The deflated barrier of darkness was reduced to a mass of rag-like black fragments, which slowly fell from the sky. The intense white light blinded Bai Lin, yet her body subconsciously wielded the weapon. However, it was no different from a child wielding a weapon; it had no effect.

When she regained consciousness, blood was already flowing from the corner of her mouth, and her chest had been pierced directly by the hideous, tentacle-like bud. The pain, coupled with a chilling sensation, completely stilled Bai Lin's body. When the tentacles withdrew from her body, she fell backwards.

Chapter 445 Successor

Too... fast. This was the only thought that remained in Bai Lin's mind as his body began to shatter. Manjushaka's sudden speed clearly surpassed the level of his previous battle with Bai Lin.

Had he preserved his strength, or perhaps grown in some way? Regardless, Bai Lin was now completely unable to move, and could only wait for his consciousness to slowly recover along with his body.

But in the blink of an eye, the flower bud, still stained with Bai Lin's flesh, had already extended its vicious claws towards Fei'er. Sitting on the ground, almost unable to move, Fei'er was immediately entangled by the flower bud and dragged in front of the Manjushaka. By the time Bai Lin regained his focus, one of Manjushaka's hands had already pierced Fei'er's body.

"It really took me a while. However, your mission ends here. Become a part of me once again."

In the excess light, Manjushaka's face appeared particularly dark, making it impossible to see her complexion or sense her emotions. All she had was that unique allure that had always been there.

Fei'er was completely controlled, without the slightest ability to struggle. Her limbs were limp, but her eyes did not reveal even a trace of fear. She just looked at Manjushage in front of her, sprayed all the blood from her mouth onto her cheek, and said,

"Do you really think you can absorb me so easily, you scum?"

Brutal words weren't something Fai'er had always done. Perhaps facing the threat of death, she didn't want to show even a hint of weakness, leading the young woman to another extreme. Her eyes fixed on Manjushri, emitting a murderous yet calm emotion.

Manjushage gently raised her lower lip and, using the hand inserted into Fei'er's body, lifted her up high. Fei'er's spine snapped, and the light of life instantly vanished from her pupils. Bai Lin, who had just barely stood up, was met with a look of despair and death.

Bai Lin's hands began to tremble uncontrollably. Having just recovered from her severe injuries, she froze in place. In an instant, a myriad of thoughts raced through her mind.

Anyone who sees someone die will be moved to some degree. Even veterans who have fought countless battles will feel a certain degree of emotion when someone falls directly in front of them. Furthermore, this was Bai Lin, his most important teammate.

The oath of protection was mercilessly shattered to the ground by reality, shattering into countless pieces of glass. For a moment, Bai Lin seemed to recall the feeling of Klein's blood-stained fingertips slowly losing their warmth in front of him. Terror, guilt, anger, and hatred all converged into an impact that immediately paralyzed Bai Lin's body.

"That's the feeling, successor. Accept it. Do you have to wait until you lose something before you feel angry? My flame now resides in your gun, hidden in your body. You can always pick up the darkness and the power that will allow you to achieve all your goals!"

Chronostia's voice echoed in Bai Lin's ears, probably trying to shake him. Bai Lin gritted his teeth, raised his shield hand high, and slammed his trembling left shoulder a few times, muttering to himself,

"Thank you so much, Kronos. I was a little touched, but now you've said that I almost laughed."

As he watched Fei'er's body gradually merge into Manjushage's, Bai Lin's eyes were hollow, yet without any negative emotions. The sound of iron clashing echoed in a rhythmic pattern, a signal Bai Lin was sending to his body, a calming one.

The vampire's body, which didn't need to breathe, was constantly panting. These deep breaths seemed to replenish oxygen, allowing the mind to become clearer and calmer. After a moment, Bai Lin slowly lowered her hand and casually brushed the spearhead across the shield, transforming it into a dragon-slaying spear.

The flames burned on Bai Lin's body, but she stood straighter than ever before. Looking at the front of her body without focusing, Bai Lin muttered to herself again.

"If turning dark really made me three times stronger, I would have done it long ago. I wish I could save my teammates by turning dark, get mad without thinking, and then succeed. But..."

"Even if my teammates are being devoured, if I don't maintain a clear mind, they might lose their last chance of survival. This is reality. Perhaps this is also the sadness of me as a captain."

"How could a dragon like you understand?"

Kronos remained silent, but the Manjushaka, unlike Bai Lin, stood still and did nothing. The light around her vanished completely as the darkness faded. Only the flower's radiant sheen remained, highlighting its difference from before.

Manjushaka licked her bloody fingers in ecstasy, perhaps deliberately, and stretched her body exaggeratedly, then said,

"Hmm... Although the chess piece I've raised for so many years is a bit rebellious, it's also unexpectedly delicious. Now that the troublesome guy has been dealt with, we have plenty of time to play further."

The meaningful words and glances were undoubtedly directed at Bai Lin, whose face was gloomy. Facing her opponent's provocation, Bai Lin remained unmoved. She simply sighed, then slowly leaned on her spear with one hand. The other hand slowly rose, circling something in the air.

Manjushage was lost in thought for a moment, but in the blink of an eye, a large number of objects she couldn't understand flew out from behind Bai Lin. Food, clothing, and other miscellaneous items flew out, and Bai Lin's armor was also stripped off and thrown to the side and back of the bell tower.

A large mass of heavy objects flew out quickly, hitting the ground hard and creating a dent, sending dust and powder flying everywhere.

"What are you doing? You've even removed your armor. Are you surrendering to me?"

Manjushaka squinted her eyes and looked at Bai Lin, whose actions were ambiguous. Bai Lin, probably out of politeness, replied,

"Although these weights don't affect my movements, since you completely crush me in speed, and my armor is too limited in its effect on you, I will discard them for the time being."

Chapter 446 Fusion failed!

With that, Bai Lin slowly raised the spear in front of her, then released it with the ease of a pebble on a cliff. Before the spear touched the ground, she perfectly timed her toes and kicked upward, sending the shield detaching from the spear in front of her. The twin swords at her waist instantly flew out of Bai Lin's hands, only to disappear in an instant.

Like a fleeting glint of light, a blurry flash of light deflected from Bai Lin's body. She seemed to be spinning, but her movements were impossible to discern. When she regained consciousness, her body was completely shrouded in Fei'er's cloak, leaving no trace of her form. Only the sound of the spear tip touching the ground remained, echoing across the cold earth.

At this moment, Bai Lin's figure seemed even thinner than before, perhaps hiding her fearless demeanor. A deeper sense of mystery emerged, as her black armor transformed into a darker cloak, like a veil, blocking any communication between her and the outside world.