AZI Volume 7 Chapter 15

"…"

Raising his head to see that the colors of the world had faded completely, Long Hua realizes that time has been temporarily frozen.

"Fuck you."

[Hahaha.]

Light laughter comes from every possible direction, to which, Long Hua asks—

"Why?"

[A bunch of worthless failures cannot possibly be compared to my masterpiece. …And I truly do mean that.]

Heaving a sigh, Long Hua purchases the ability, Devourer II.

(Tch, this feeling of having to accept his help because I've no choice is utterly disgusting…)

As time begins to move again, Long Hua turns around, and directs a cold gaze at the remnant will of Lord Tian She Zi.

"…"

"…"

Judging by the others' expressions, none of them seemed to have realized that time had been frozen for a brief moment.

Raising another sigh, Long Hua asks—

"What counts as saving those villagers?"

"Defend this village from the Immortals completely."

"I see."

Swapping his attire out for a different outfit—that consists of a silver robe over a white layer with a black sash, Long Hua holds a taotie mask in his right hand.

This taotie mask was something that he had worn once—during his Earthen Manifestation realm tribulation.

"…"

Rotating the Yin and Yang Cloud Ink Incantation by shifting the balance of the two energies towards Yin, Long Hua causes his dark hair to grow in length.

Dressed in an archaic set of robes—with black hair that reaches pass his waist, Long Hua truly looks no different from what the denizens of this world would call an Immortal.

"…"

Blinking her eyes in astonishment, Yao Ying turns somewhat speechless; for the figure in front of her, the latter feels and seems immortal even by practitioner standards.

"…"

Taking this to mean that Long Hua intends to go through with the deal, Tian Cheng changes her outfit as well.

Holding the same taotie mask as Long Hua in her hand, Tian Cheng's outfit consists of a black robe over a white layer. Keeping the white layer in place is a red sash that is embroidered with lotus flower patterns.

(I really hope that you know what you're doing, *-laoban.)

Saying this, the Tai Xuan Emperor controls her vessel to put the mask over its face.

Simultaneously, the other combat bodies dressed themselves in pure white robes with a similar mask on their faces.

Due to them holding firearm Spirit Armaments in their hands, the image that they're going for seems incredibly off.

"…"

Donning the taotie mask, Long Hua turns to Lord Tian She Zi, and says—

"Get on with it."

"Un."

As the remnant will collapses into particles of golden light, Long Hua rotates his Tranquil Heart Incantation fiercely, while absorbing these same particles into his body.

"...…"

Feeling an overwhelming force of power at his disposal, Long Hua directs his gaze onto Xu Tian Kun and Hui Sang.

"What are you two still loitering here for? Out!"

"…!"

"Uh…!"

Following Long Hua's shout, the two were thrown backwards, and vanished from sight.

"…"

Facing Long Hua with Xu Zuo in hand, Yao Ying with a tone of displeasure asks—

"Is moving for benefits the only way you know how to live?"

"…"

Towards Yao Ying's display of naivete, Long Hua chuckles, and replies—

"Little girl, I'll say this again. You've no eye for people. If an ordinary person is offered faith energy—that stems from more than a million years' worth of prayers, the moment they take that energy into their body, they would go insane. Even now, this remnant will—made up of the various Lord Tian She Zis of the past, is acting against me, wishing to take over my body as its new vessel. If I didn't possess a special ability to counter them, I would have died the moment I took this faith energy in."

"…?"

Hearing this, Yao Ying widens her eyes, while parting her lips, to which, Long Hua continues to say—

"This is how things work in the practitioners' circle. On the way to acquiring one's fated encounter, you will use others and others will use you. If you don't want the people using you to steal your fated encounter, you off them faster than they can off you! I am merely following common sense!"

"…"

Realizing just how dark those words truly are, Yao Ying can't help but take three steps back.

Laughing aloud, Long Hua goes on to add—

"Little girl, you're very lucky. Effortlessly, you managed to acquire your fated encounter, and still managed to live afterwards. Maybe, you should burn a few incense sticks to your ancestors?"

Drawing Shui Yue, Long Hua throws out a wave of sword Qi in the direction of the crystal cluster.

"…"

And as the crystal cluster falls, Tian Cheng leaps into the air, and stores it away into her storage pouch.

"Now then, let's see just what this faith energy is capable of."

Due to its nature as a natural energy of Heaven and Earth, spirit Qi can be replenished indefinitely.

However, faith energy is something that will be expended permanently upon use.

And the only way to replenish it—is by accepting the prayers of worshippers as a divinity.

...…

"Ai, this surnamed Qing and surnamed Lin, they're actually quite capable."

Observing the battle from a distance, Bai Wen takes a sip of wine directly from the pot.

"Indeed."

Seated beside Bai Wen was Yun You, who also had a pot of wine in hand.

"I wonder where he is…"

"…"

"…"

Simultaneously, the two turns to their left to see Wu Xiao.

Currently, the three of them are seated on top of a towering tree's branch.

"…"

Directing her open hand towards Yun You, Wu Xiao waits without a word.

"Ai…"

Taking out a pot of wine, Yun You places it onto Wu Xiao's palm with an expression of reluctance—for these pots of wine had come from him trading the fallen star ruby in.