Forge a path to success

The secret formation regenerated, instantly covering the entire Dust Island. Ji Huaisu's ice armor automatically shed, forming the aquatic dragon that had initially appeared during the transformation. It roared as it swam into the pillar of light, transforming along with it to form a resilient and powerful yellow greatsword.

The greatsword crashed heavily behind Ji Huaisu, then disintegrated with her will, covering her body to form a light, bright yellow armor. The secret formation ceased at that moment, and Ji Huaisu drew her new sword, issuing a declaration in the light.

"—It is the steel that settles dust and upholds the law!"

The instant she drew her sword, she was already behind the demon, the invisible blade slicing through filthy black blood. The lightning-fast slash nearly severed half of the demon's body, his face stained with his own blood. Olek's eyes darted to one side, a look of disbelief and astonishment flashing in his narrow pupils.

"Boundless Dust...Steel Armor Army? Impossible!"

"Are we going to exclaim in alarm now?" Ji Huaisu wiped the blood from his sword. "It seems the old man's knowledge isn't necessarily that broad after all!"

Olek pieced his body back together in mid-air. The low-ranking moon beast couldn't withstand the Steel Armor Army's slash. If he hadn't contracted with the Moon Blood, that slash would have ended the battle. This was unprecedented. The path to supremacy must diverge at point 3. Those with exceptional talent could apply parallel point techniques, but they would inevitably be unable to change their own life essence.

But this knight actually broke the rules. One moment she was still turbid tears, the next she was already a drifting dust!

He created distance and swung his scythe, the blade piercing towards Ji Huaisu's head like a bird's beak. Ji Huaisu cleaved the scythe in two with a single sword strike; the seemingly unstoppable attack now had an opponent. The knight held a semi-transparent longsword, its blade containing dagger-like shadows. The shadow blade's ability to injure through shadows was amplified many times over by this longsword, making it a formidable opponent even against a demon's weapon.

Shadow Dust. The Holy Judgment of Discipline - The Boundless Sword.

Ji Huaisu swung his sword down with a backhand motion, and extremely condensed elemental power exploded at the tip of the blade, forming a gigantic sword light of gold and black. The light, vast as the waves of a tsunami, clashed head-on with Olek's scythe-like sword wind. The two forces collided, clashing and annihilating each other, and the resulting hurricane blew even the frozen mountains into the sky!

Amidst the chaotic battle, only the igloo protecting everyone remained steadfast. Chu Hengkong, holding binoculars, watched the battle intently alongside Fan De, who was entangled in a leopard-gazing tube.

Unable to keep up with the pace of the battle, Qingye jumped up and down in frustration: "What's going on? What's going on? Why can that sword block the scythe of calamity?"

In a corner of the igloo, Shaks, who had been conserving his energy, spoke impatiently: "The principle of that sword is similar to the Stone Goblin's 'eraser,' which uses magic to bind the rapidly vibrating tiny particles into the blade, and then uses the reflection as the core... and then releases the binding at the last moment before the strike, allowing the disordered power to explode, which is why there is that kind of energy wave-like sword energy."

"By using self-destructing weapons to avoid the effects of the scythe..." Qingye stared blankly, "Then Sister Huaisu can only block one attack..."

“So the weapon must be regenerated the instant it is destroyed.” Shakespeare rubbed his eyes, his vision seemingly restored by some spell. “That knight has already changed 37 swords!”

Clang. Clang. The sound of metal clashing was incessant; each collision of longswords and scythes stirred up a destructive wind. The surrounding environment had been destroyed and rebuilt countless times. Ji Huaisu single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of rebuilding the battlefield, yet showed no sign of fatigue. Swordsmen and demons raced across the ice, their flashing shadows like a dance on the tip of a blade.

The demon, meticulously planning its next move, had to be wary of the knight's sealing formation; its vast knowledge filled it with apprehension. The young knight, however, was fearless. Her lack of knowledge about the enemy's methods prevented her from feeling apprehensive. She firmly believed in her own strength, in the support of her companions, and in their ability to overcome the enemy's treacherous schemes.

The 41st sword strike deflected the scythe's attack slightly. The 46th sword strike created an opening in the enemy's defense. Then the 51st sword slashed into the gap, leaving a wound on the demon's face. Olek staggered back, dozens of venomous eyeballs sprouting from his wound. He ignored his injuries, didn't even bother to regain his footing, and simply struggled to parry the knight's next strike, several of his eyeballs gazing towards the sky.

"Misfortune strikes again—"

"too slow!"

The 52nd sword pierced Olek's heart, and the unrestrained power erupted from within, blasting the demon into filthy blood!

Ji Huaisu remained relentless, plunging into the blood and thrusting straight at the Calamity Scythe, attempting to seal away the dangerous weapon. But at that moment, the Calamity Scythe defied gravity and flew high into the sky, only to be forcefully snatched away by some unseen force, soaring towards the other side of the clouds.

Ji Huaisu released her longsword and stretched her shoulder with one hand. She gazed in the direction the scythe had flown, and the last remaining doubt in her heart was resolved.

I'd found it strange before. The "Blood of the Moon" is so huge, so why is Olek so short after the contract?

How could someone with only a short stature be able to lay chains that span the entire city?

The reason was actually at the top.

She raised her head, her gaze piercing through the clouds to the highest reaches of the heavens. As the scythe shifted, a colossal, unfathomable creature slowly materialized. Its body was a long, umbrella-like canopy, within which countless vengeful spirits gathered, while the gray patterns on its outer surface outlined a horrifying skull. Countless rusted iron chains hung from its umbrella-like form, seemingly chains connecting heaven and earth.

Those iron chains are the chains of misfortune, their true form the tentacles of a demon. This is the true form of the cursed demon Olek, a jellyfish of the dead that controls the fate of all things with chains!

It no longer used the easily manipulated puppet body; it was no match for Ji Huaisu. Just as Besen and Kanin had transformed into the Fire Serpent, Olek now disregarded the survival of its divided spirit, pushing the fusion to its limit, thus revealing its demonic nature, which could not last long. It gazed at the knight with empty eyes, its call like a storm in the clouds.

"A Chain of Misfortunes - Drizzle".

All the misfortunes rose up at once, turning into a bloody downpour!

Chapter 151 The Light of Purification and Enlightenment

Countless iron chains crashed down from the sky, carrying the damp, rusty scent of the deep sea. The light of the dark moon vanished, replaced by a murky, colorless void that dominated the sky under the will of the demon. The true form of the higher being cast a glance upon this distant dust island, and as misfortune revealed its true nature, even the shadow of the dark moon temporarily receded!

Disregarding cost and loss, only murderous intent remained amidst the torrential rain of chains. Each iron chain was as imposing as a pillar of heaven, its sheer weight enough to trigger an avalanche upon impact. The simultaneous descent of so many chains was like a thousand divine weapons suspended in the sky, piercing down with malevolent energy. Ji Huaisu had to divert his strength to stabilize the snowfield, otherwise even the aftershocks of the battle would have destroyed the city.

Ji Huaisu clashed her fists together, and the light of the three elements flickered sequentially on her arm armor, not activating but rather contracting and merging, flowing into the snowfield along with her armor. She moved through the torrential rain of chains, dodging wide-range attacks with unbelievable agility. At this moment, she was as light as dust in the sunlight, and the clumsy chains, no matter how hard they tried, could not reach her, only able to float and dance in the light.

Discipline Knight, Point 3, Steel Armored Army. Specializes in creating fortifications using earth elementals and is renowned for its extreme speed in battle.

Above the battlefield, the numerous vengeful spirits beneath Olek's umbrella-like body cried out in unison, their invisible incantations clinging to the iron chains. The landing chains resonated simultaneously, amplifying the incantations dozens of times over. Shaped by the ice and snow in the arena, they transformed into a thousand purple venomous thorns that attacked the knight. This was a pure ghostly attack condensed from deep resentment, a single strike comparable to the combined assault of all the previous hands of the undead. Its appearance also sealed off vertical movement, leaving Ji Huaisu with nowhere to go for a moment.

A sliver of golden light fell into the ice, forming a simple yet profound talisman. Ji Huaisu bit her fingertip, drawing a drop of blood, and then used two fingers to strike the talisman forward.

"The talisman opens, burning blood reveals the true mystery."

The ice talisman dissipated, releasing a burst of golden light. An intangible and righteous aura emanated from the talisman, simultaneously repelling the numerous curses and poisonous thorns. This talisman was the prototype of the "Blood-Sealing Mystery Talisman" used by Wu He, a righteous method that resonates with the energy of the spirit body through life force, specifically designed to subdue the souls of the dead who are spirits without bodies.

The incantation, though suppressed by the talisman, momentarily slowed Ji Huaisu's movements. This brief opening was the opportunity Ji Huaisu had been waiting for. She spread her hands and looked up at the sky. The power that had been injected into the ice and snow, after accumulating for so long, was summoned and resonated excitedly from the ground. Countless golden ripples arose, intertwining and merging, turning the entire ice plain golden.

"Sacred Judgment of Discipline - Meteor Dust Break!"

Golden dust burst forth from the earth, a magnificent and vast spectacle, like a golden meteor shower shooting from the ground into the sky. The power of dust, light, and shadow merged perfectly; each speck of dust was an extremely compressed "dust fragment." Such concentrated power was enough to raze a city to the ground in an instant. And the attack was far from over; the golden rain continued relentlessly, shattering the iron chains piercing the icy plains, breaking the poisonous thorns formed by incantations, advancing with unstoppable momentum, battling the raging torrent of chains high in the sky!

The onlookers could no longer discern the details of the battle, nor comprehend the overall situation. They could only see the countless clashing chains and gold, and sense the malice and justice locked in a furious struggle. Knights and demons roared in unison, the meteor shower slowly advancing under the pressure of the raging torrent, propelled forward by willpower… backbone… an indomitable spirit. They turned the tide, suppressing the torrent, shattering the chains, until finally, the power of the knights and demons each occupied half the sky! A stalemate!

"A mere knight!" Olek roared, "daring to harbor delusions of victory!!"

The vengeful spirits within the umbrella howled along with it, their hatred for the living and their resentment at escaping death transforming into pure, malevolent energy, which, through the demon's curse, became a yearning to strengthen the chains. The force of the raging tide instantly intensified, and the meteor shower was suppressed once more! The demon's domain expanded to two-thirds, yet the knight's eyes shone with an indomitable light!

"It's not just one person...!"

The blessings from parents before being sent into the ocean.

After being sent to the city-state, he was raised by his parents.

The friends I've made along the way, the bonds I've built, everyone who came to my aid in my most difficult times... and him, who personally plunged into the abyss to bring light...

I could feel their gaze.

I could hear their calls.

She was never alone from beginning to end!

"With everyone's strength on my shoulders, I will not lose!"

The power of the elements grew stronger with the voice of the heart, pushed to the extreme by emotions... friendship, trust, and perseverance... pushing the power of the soul to its limit. The meteor shower shone brighter and brighter, and the endless dust bursts shattered the iron chains. The power ratio between the two sides returned to equilibrium, then to one-third, then one-quarter. The meteor dust bursts rose higher and higher, and the instantaneous surge in power crushed the demon's raging torrent.

The path to godhood is a path of controlling the world through emotion. Driven by extreme emotion, even mortals can defeat gods!

A rain of dust rose high, its dazzling gold piercing the demon's massive body. Olek's screams nearly split the earth, black blood dripping from its wounds, transforming into a filthy, malevolent rain. It abruptly interrupted its spell, using its scythe to protect itself. The purple sword wind caused the approaching dust storm to erupt prematurely, creating a vacuum around the demon's body.

All its tentacles gathered before its body, magic power generated, compressed, and distorted within the entanglement of the chain-like tentacles, forming a deep purple, transparent sphere. It was a "sediment" from the deep sea, a phantom-like venomous creature created from pure spiritual elements. Olek's numerous tentacles simultaneously dispersed, and the sediment vanished instantly, traversing a vast distance to reach Ji Huaisu. At the same time, its gigantic body began to fade; it was about to repeat its old trick of becoming invisible again, using its expertise in behind-the-scenes manipulation to reignite the battle.

Ji Huaisu raised one hand, and seven layers of ice shields rose one after another, forming a shield wall to block the sediment. The sound of ice shattering was incessant, and her shield was pierced one after another. She only gained a brief moment before the sediment pierced through her defense and struck the knight's left shoulder, and the deep-sea poison invaded the depths of her ghostly body.

Emotional instability, sluggish thinking, and excruciating brain pain all struck at once, nearly causing the knight to lose her focus. Ji Huaisu gritted her teeth and endured the damage, not using her speed advantage to dodge. All her attention was concentrated on the next spell. An earthy yellow light gathered on her left fist, which was then slammed into the ground.

“Discipline Seal - Locked in the Divine Mountain”.

Steel shattered the ice and snow, and rocks piled up into mountains. A magnificent divine peak rose from the ground, releasing a malevolent "gravity" into the air. The demon's invisibility spell was broken, and the immense power pulled Olek down, causing him to crash onto the mountaintop.

The peaks of Iron Mountain pierced the jellyfish's body like sharp nails, blood flowing continuously, forming a black river that flowed through the mountain range. Both sides were already heavily wounded, and both had reasons not to back down. The giant body was temporarily unable to move, so Olek reappeared in the form of a child. It clapped its hands, creating a torrent of turbulent water, the rushing current churning with countless faces surging within it.

Those were lifelike faces—people from cities, people from mountains, people hiding in forests, people concealed beneath ancient castles. Unlike the slain souls accumulated by demons, these faces were vivid and alive; they belonged to those still living in the present. Olek slowly spread his hands, pouring almost recklessly the power that sustained this divided spirit into his body, instantly multiplying the faces several times over in the turbulent flow.

“Let me tell you the true nature of this current.” Olek’s face gradually blurred, but his eyes grew increasingly sinister. “This is the life-force information surging in the sea, the minds of all beings connected by the current. You call it fate, destiny, and this is the current that guides the destiny of all beings!”

Ji Huaisu paused, about to draw his sword. Olek laughed maniacally, "That's right, you've realized it too! What I control is the power of the dark side of the current! This is just a low-quality fragment of a spirit; even at its limit, it can only directly affect the fate of 35428 lives. But that's enough. This is my final choice for you!"

"Think carefully, Discipline Knight! If you can't withstand this attack, your most cherished companion will die. And if you dare to attack me... your justice will endanger the lives of thirty-five thousand people!"

Misfortune will not be defeated.

Misfortune never fails.

Because every living being has something they value, and that very source of their strength is also their weakness. Olek has survived from time immemorial because it cares about nothing but itself. It can recklessly abandon this fragmented spirit, abandon the 35,000 lives caught in its clutches, but Ji Huaisu cannot fail, much less escape!

Amidst unbridled laughter, the dark side of the tide transformed into a surging vortex. Just as at the very beginning of this battle, the demon unleashed a vortex of doom, within which countless lives enacted their joys and sorrows, utterly unaware that their fates were now in the hands of others. Survival and death hung in the balance; the outcome depended solely on the knight's decision… on her sword.

Ji Huaisu gazed silently at the vortex, imagining the joys and sorrows of people far away, imagining their helplessness, sadness, or even madness when they learned the truth... He imagined how many lives the demon of misfortune had toyed with in the ancient times, and how much sorrow that should not have existed had been caused.

She was angry.

Anger filled with righteous indignation.

Responsibility and duty arise from this, and the name of justice exists for this very moment. In the howling wind, she slowly drew her sword, its blade pointing diagonally to the sky, its light like flowing fire. Her bright yellow armor automatically dispersed, floating behind her and coalescing into a circular sphere. The sphere glowed from within, burning intensely according to the knight's will.

"It is the light that purifies evil and illuminates the world!"

The burning star rushed towards the knight, disintegrating in the intense heat of self-immolation and reforging into heavy armor flowing with crimson-gold light. Ji Huaisu's longsword transformed into true flowing fire; she slashed down diagonally, shattering the vortex of misfortune with a single strike!

Olek laughed maniacally, embracing the shattered tide in the firelight: "You lost, Ji Huaisu! In the end, you broke your vow!"

But his smile suddenly stopped. He saw the water that made up the tide evaporate in the flames, yet the faces within remained unburnt. The faces of those mortals still smiled carefree, the warm firelight lifting their smiles and casting them into the distant sky.

The malevolent current shattered, yet the souls it carried remained unharmed. Never before had such a spell existed; healing and destruction could never coexist. He stared blankly at Ji Huaisu, the knight's expression noble and solemn, carrying a pride that demons could never attain.

“You are ultimately a demon, therefore you will never understand…” Ji Huaisu raised his longsword high, “What binds justice is love and courage!”

It is love that drives us to fight for others. It is courage that inspires us to stand up for the people. These precious qualities, born from the heart, forge a fiery armor that prevents the flames from becoming a weapon of slaughter against the innocent, but rather a warm fire protecting the weak.

She is the third element on the path to supreme godhood, "Pure Fire." Enemies on the battlefield call her divine punishment, while those she saves praise her as an angel. This fiery army, proud of destruction and healing, is called the Blazing Armor Army!

"Sacred Judgment of Discipline - Divine Fire for Purifying the Soul!"

Holy flames surged, transforming into a blindingly hot greatsword. She raised the blade high with both hands, slashing with unprecedented determination towards the vortex of misfortune. The massive tide was instantly cleaved, the intense heat evaporating the seawater. That single strike severed the shackles that controlled the innocent, utterly destroying the twisted demon!

Chapter 152 Retribution Will Eventually Come

The blazing, illuminating flames cleaved the dark sky. The fiery sword cleaved through the currents and eddies, carrying the power of justice and love to shatter the demon's final tricks, causing its hideous behemoth to vanish into the light.

The intense heat melted the snowfields, causing a brief downpour over the city. A spark drifted in the drizzle, falling towards a desolate place... towards the ruins where the fierce battle had begun, the site of the assassins' duel.

It plowed a burning line through the ground, the divine fire fueled by black blood burning silently. Gradually, the flames were extinguished by the drizzle, and a charred, putrid lump of flesh lay at the end of the burning line. The lump of flesh attempted to regenerate, but was repeatedly burned by the divine fire, finally exhausting its life force, leaving only an empty shell lying in the ashes…

The final manifestation of the demon of misfortune is such an ugly and unbearable thing.

His boots trod across the wet pavement, the knight's face reflected in the puddles. Ji Huaisu switched to ice armor, standing in the rain, greatsword in hand. The demon managed to grow a mouth, its surface covered with tiny, densely packed eyeballs, observing the knight's expression.

"So that's how it is... You used the concepts of ancient dragons, martial arts practitioners, and knights as symbols of power... By using different manifestations of runes, you jumped between three parallel points..." the demon whispered, "Therefore you were able to unleash that absurd power, but you also imprisoned yourself... You will become the most difficult Discipline Knight to ascend to in history, and you will no longer have the hope of soaring through the sky."

"Who cares? I'm a genius anyway!" Ji Huaisu said nonchalantly.

Olek was speechless for a moment. The girl was exhausted but full of spirit, her every move exuding confidence, reminding him of the first knight a thousand years ago. That knight was once just as confident and young, singing praises of love and courage with his companions.

Perhaps this bloodline cannot be defeated by misfortune. It can crush a knight's body with its strength, but it cannot make their spirit bow down.

"You've won this round, but your misfortune won't end here," Olek said calmly. "My true form will act, and one day you will face the raging torrent of the forsaken. In places unrelated to me, you will still face your destiny. The more you pursue the truth, the more you will be shrouded in mist. Even if you close your eyes and turn a blind eye to the past, fate will always be chasing after you."

I have no need to curse you; you are the last knight of the Realm of Submersion, you are already bound by a curse.

The demon fell silent, remaining as calm as before the battle. With victory or defeat decided, superfluous emotions were unnecessary. It had withdrawn from the game from the moment of defeat, and thus needed no further reaction to the actions of those involved.

Ji Huaisu looked at the dying enemy and suddenly laughed.

"I finally understand why you're so infuriating—it's because you always look down on people. Now you're putting on that nonchalant act again, because if you lose, you can just walk away. To you, this defeat is just another game lost; no one can really hurt your bad luck demon. You can always be ready to try again, can't you?"

“I’m glad you’ve learned how to deal with demons,” Olek said.

“I’ve dealt with you demons since I was a child, I know all too well the nature of you delusional demons… so I’ve prepared a great gift for you!” Ji Huaisu snapped his fingers, “Ah Kong! Vande!”

"Oh!"

"I'm coming!"

Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky. The two were unarmed, yet both were eager and ready to fight, displaying a strong desire to battle. They stood behind Ji Huaisu like lackeys and bodyguards in the household of a wicked rich girl.

The young knight stood with her hands on her hips, a sinister grin spreading across her face: "Ha! Olek, now you can start screaming!"

Olek was amused by this and almost laughed: "What are you thinking? You think I'd care about you desecrating my corpse?"

Chu Hengkong swung his tentacles wildly as if he were warming up: "No problem, Vande?"

"You haven't forgotten your old tricks!" Vande grinned maliciously. "Old man, falling into our hands today is like hitting a hidden reef on your way out and returning home to a raging torrent—utterly unlucky!"

"...?"

Olek was utterly baffled, wondering where these people's confidence came from. He stared at the incessantly talking Eye Demon, feeling a strange, inexplicable unease.

this thing……

What is this demon?

It seemed somewhat familiar, but I'd never seen such a face before. The way it possessed the body was also strange, as if it truly possessed a physical body, utilizing it at an abnormally high rate… That body should have two tentacles, but half of it was missing; could it be Chu Hengkong's left arm… Was the contract completed in this way? So the mechanism of possession was…

Then, a sense of shock washed over me like a chill.

This isn't the time to think about these things. More important than the apparent anomalies is the extremely distorted reality. This thing called Vande is undoubtedly the mouthpiece of the ancient beings behind everyone. But why wasn't this thing included in the scheme?

Why didn't it realize the existence of this thing until its defeat?