Chapter Sixty-Four: Helpless Against Fate

"Not good!"

Sensing an extremely powerful cosmos approaching at great speed, Liu Xi's face turned pale with shock.

He was about to flee, but it was already too late.

A gentle breeze stirred, and a youth dressed in white blocked his path.

"It's you?" Liu Xi was startled when he saw the newcomer's face.

It was the very same formidable figure who had chased him through the city earlier.

He had managed to shake off his pursuer with great difficulty, only to run into him again here. Truly the height of misfortune!

"As the saying goes, the world is small—we meet again. It seems fate has brought us together, don't you think, little friend?"

Yin Seventeen glanced at him with a touch of amusement, then looked toward the girl lying on the ground and asked, "Are your injuries all right?"

"I'm fine... just need a couple of days... to recover," Ruolan replied weakly.

In that instant, as he spoke, Liu Xi seized the opportunity and tried to slip away.

But he had overestimated himself and underestimated his opponent.

He was somewhat stronger than Ruolan, but only marginally so—at the upper level of Bronze, not even at the Bronze limit. In front of Yin Seventeen, who moved at a hundred thousand times the speed of sound, anything he attempted was futile.

Indeed, Liu Xi had barely lifted his right leg, his foot not yet leaving the ground, when Yin Seventeen noticed his movement and casually pointed a finger.

Whoosh!

With a slicing sound, the compressed cosmos at Yin Seventeen's fingertip shot out as a beam of silvery light.

"What?!"

Liu Xi was so terrified his soul nearly fled his body. The thought to dodge had only just flashed through his mind when the silver beam struck his chest.

He had no chance to evade!

Swish!

The silver light landed on his chest, splitting into countless finer threads that scattered outward. Liu Xi felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, sending him flying uncontrollably.

Thud, thud, thud!

He tumbled across the ground like a gourd, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop.

Only then, seeing her brother sprawled on the ground, did Ruolan fully come to her senses and cry out, "Don't... don't kill him..."

"Don't worry, I held back," Yin Seventeen reassured her with a gentle smile and a comforting look.

It had been a blunt force, not a sharp sword energy.

Had he truly wished to kill, Liu Xi would not have survived this long.

Back at the Crocodile God's temple, even three Silver-ranked Crocodile Warriors had been unable to withstand a single blow from him, let alone a mere Bronze-ranked youth.

Had he not shown mercy, Liu Xi's head would have parted from his shoulders the moment he appeared.

Hearing this, Ruolan breathed a silent sigh of relief.

As long as he was alive, that was enough.

"Cough, cough..."

Liu Xi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, gritting his teeth against the pain as he slowly rose from the ground. The look he gave Yin Seventeen was one of deep wariness.

This opponent was far too strong.

He had known it in the city, which was why he had desperately tried to escape.

Now, having witnessed this display of power firsthand, he realized that this opponent was even stronger than he had imagined.

Today, it seemed, there would be no escape.

"Are you... are you a Saint as well?" he asked, keeping his guard up.

Though he knew that defense was meaningless against such a foe, he could not bring himself to give up. Only by doing so could his terrified heart find a sliver of comfort.

"That's right," Yin Seventeen nodded. "I am Yin Seventeen of the Crater Constellation."

"You are no match for me. There's no point in struggling any further."

When faced with an evil god’s warrior of this level, he didn't even need to don his Cloth, so it was no wonder Liu Xi couldn't recognize him.

"And if I refuse to surrender?"

Liu Xi spat a mouthful of blood, bracing himself for attack and igniting his cosmos.

At that moment, the semi-transparent, jade-like armor he wore shattered, breaking into countless fragments that scattered away.

"Impossible..."

Liu Xi was utterly stunned.

The armor he wore was a divine gift, known as the Jade Vest, comparable to the Cloths of the Sanctuary.

Though his was a lower-grade Jade Vest, it had endured a prolonged battle with Ruolan without a scratch.

But under the hand of the Crater Saint, it had been obliterated in a single strike—as fragile as tofu.

This opponent's strength defied belief!

"Even if you say no, it makes no difference," Yin Seventeen said, shaking his head lightly. In a flash, he appeared before Liu Xi, his right hand descending toward Liu Xi's shoulder.

"So fast!"

Liu Xi was shocked.

He hadn't even had time to react before that pale hand landed on his shoulder.

Bang!

With an unremarkable slap, Liu Xi felt a tremendous force surge through him. It was as if every bone in his body had been ground to dust; the pain was so intense it was numbing, and he could barely move a finger.

Immediately after, the ground sank beneath him, and he was driven into the earth like a wooden stake by Yin Seventeen's palm.

There was nothing skillful or complex about this technique.

It was simply a matter of overwhelming speed and strength, pressing his opponent into the ground with a single blow.

"All right, your rebellious brother is taken care of. How you deal with him is up to you."

Having completely subdued Liu Xi, Yin Seventeen turned and walked toward Ruolan.

"You... you heard our conversation?" Ruolan asked, surprised.

"I did," Yin Seventeen nodded. "Otherwise, do you think he'd still be alive?"

With that, he gave her a helpless look and gently helped her up from the ground.

For the sake of their acquaintance, he didn't mind granting her this favor.

Moreover, Liu Xi was, after all, her brother.

If he killed Liu Xi, it would only bring trouble later. It was better to let Ruolan handle it herself.

"Thank you," Ruolan said gratefully, and with Yin Seventeen's support, she made her way to Liu Xi.

Liu Xi had been driven into the ground, leaving only his head exposed.

"I... will not go back with you," he said weakly when he saw Ruolan approach.

After the Crater Saint's blow, he was gravely injured, his body wracked with pain, without a shred of strength left.

"Not even if it means your death?" Ruolan gazed at her brother solemnly.

He turned his face aside, unable to meet her hopeful eyes.

He knew all too well what awaited him if he returned—the loss of his divine power.

His cosmos had been forcibly ignited by divine power; if that was stripped from him, he would revert to being an ordinary mortal.

Having once tasted the realm beyond the mundane, how could he accept returning to mediocrity?

That would be a fate worse than death!

"Then... then don't blame me..."

Ruolan clenched her fist, but before she could finish, her tears choked her words.

As a Saint of the Goddess, it was her duty to eradicate all followers of evil gods and uphold peace and justice on earth.

After a long hesitation, the girl finally summoned her courage, and with tears in her eyes, brought her fist down upon her brother's head.

"Farewell, my dear brother!"