Chapter 201: Journey to the New World
This was purely a physical attack. Xu Zhi only needed to “phase” her body into intangibility to dodge it. The problem was that after several head-on clashes with It, the [Cup] attribute energy had already spread through her body, damaging both her muscles and her supernatural energy circulation.
Now, she had to maintain a single form — shifting back and forth would only accelerate her body’s collapse under the [Cup]’s corrosion.
That, too, was likely one of Its abilities. But because Xu Zhi still carried [Lamp] attribute energy within her, and because she’d been on guard, the effect took hold more slowly.
If she could just find a quiet place and had enough energy reserves, Xu Zhi would be able to slowly expel those [Cup] energies — stubborn and parasitic like maggots in bone. But, unfortunately, she had no such luxury now.
In Xu Zhi’s eyes, the minor aberrant had already driven its roots deep into Its body, slowly devouring Its flesh and blood. Yet, with Xu Zhi standing in front of It like a predator ready to pounce, It couldn’t risk tearing the parasite out for fear of leaving itself open. Still, for now, the minor aberrant’s influence was limited — it needed more time.
But Xu Zhi hadn’t pinned her hopes entirely on the minor aberrant devouring It completely. She only needed it to create an opening.
Both of their bodies were in the process of “gradual disintegration,” and Xu Zhi understood clearly — whoever broke down first would lose.
Its massive body was far sturdier than hers. She couldn’t wait. She had to act first.
It had snapped the aberrant’s branches not only in fury but also to disrupt Xu Zhi. When she raised her blade again, her [Eye of Secrets] caught it — a complex circuit of extraordinary energy glowing within Its body. That circuit spanned nearly the entirety of Its energy network. This was no ordinary strike — it was an attack that came at a great cost even to Itself.
The next instant, a flash of crimson blazed across Xu Zhi’s vision. Her gaze went blank for a heartbeat — as if an invisible blade had pierced straight through her brain. Her mind went utterly white. Her head throbbed violently. Two lines of blood flowed from her nose.
In that frozen instant, she lost control of her body — she couldn’t phase anymore. The broken spike of the minor aberrant shot toward her and impaled her abdomen clean through, leaving behind a gaping hole the size of a man’s fist.
When Xu Zhi “came back,” her head was spinning, her mind reeling with nausea and pain. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to stay conscious. Her head felt like it was “missing half of itself.” One more hit like that, and she knew — she’d be a drooling idiot.
She hadn’t chosen not to dodge. She couldn’t.
That was a guaranteed strike — a mental attack that pierced all defense, ignored all resistance, struck directly at the spirit. It disabled all psychic offense and defense — Xu Zhi could no longer use the cat’s “dream weaving” ability, nor could she phase her body again.
It clearly knew this couldn’t drag on.
That attack drained Its remaining energy. What had once been an enormous reservoir was now nearly dry.
Meanwhile, the [Cup] energy lingering in the air had nearly dissipated. The rift to the real world had opened to its widest — soon, it would begin to close.
Xu Zhi’s condition was miserable. Her clothes were soaked through with blood. Her left arm was twisted, her once-pale neck streaked with dark blood flowing from her ears. Her abdomen gaped with that horrific puncture wound. Her eyes were rimmed red, as if they might start bleeding at any moment.
Yet she raised her blade again. Her gaze was firm, unshakable.
She bent her knees — the wind howled — her bloodshot eyes flared with golden light. Even the edge of her sword shimmered with gold.
Before It could ready another attack, Xu Zhi swung — two crossing arcs of light, burning away two-fifths of her remaining [Lamp] energy. It didn’t dare underestimate this one — both massive hands came up to block.
That was what Xu Zhi had been waiting for.
She leapt, rising to face Its colossal head.
It had no features — no eyes, no mouth, nothing for her to target. The cacophony and pain roaring in her skull nearly made her clutch her head. Her abdominal wound had stopped healing — her body was failing, even her regenerative abilities exhausted. Blood gushed out freely. The long-forgotten feeling of weakness returned with a vengeance.
Xu Zhi took a deep breath, unwilling to waste a second. She poured every last drop of her remaining [Lamp] energy into the blade — and struck.
A blinding golden crescent slammed straight into Its face. Both hands were occupied blocking the cross-shaped slash aimed at its chest — it had no defense left for this one.
BOOM!
The impact thundered. Xu Zhi’s ears rang with a pain so deep it felt like her skull might split. Even the roaring thunder seemed to pause, the world holding its breath for the outcome.
When the light faded, Its massive head appeared before her — almost severed in two. The faceless skull was cleaved down to the back, barely held together by a thin strip of flesh.
Blood erupted like a flood. It let out a twisted, inhuman wail. Even with its head nearly bisected, it didn’t die.
The [Cup]’s vitality was terrifyingly tenacious.
But even that wouldn’t matter if It couldn’t repair this [Lamp]-inflicted wound.
And just as It summoned energy to heal, the parasitic branches within its body seized the chance.
A black-gold branch burst through Its heart — that vulnerable organ that, despite all its strength, remained a true weak point. The heart faltered, skipped a beat — and before It could rip the branch free, its abundant life force was drained dry.
It didn’t even care if it burst from the overload — it drank everything.
A scream, sharper and more agonized than before, ripped through the collapsing space. Its towering form staggered uncontrollably. Anyone could see —
It was finished.
The branches burst outward from within, a forest erupting through flesh — a symbol of Its demise. It flailed wildly, thrashing at Xu Zhi in a final frenzy, desperate to crush the “insignificant insect” that had undone it.
Xu Zhi wasn’t doing much better. Her [Lamp] energy was almost gone; without it, the [Cup] energy inside her rampaged unchecked, gnawing at her sanity and will. Only the [Moth]’s lingering influence kept her upright.
Her whole body trembled. Her broken bones ground against torn muscle. Even keeping her eyes open took all her focus. One lapse — she’d pass out.
She stumbled, barely dodging Its flailing strikes. Another invisible hammer blow landed — her vision went dark. She almost didn’t come back from that one.
It, too, was at its limit.
Xu Zhi looked up at the creature — now half-crazed, its own body turning on itself as the parasitic branches tore free from within. Its screams sounded like the death cries of a beast at the end of its life.
She closed her dimming eyes, shook her head to clear them, and with the last of her strength, launched herself forward.
“You should die now.”
Her body trembled with exhaustion, but her voice was steady, resolute.
She raised her blade. The minor aberrant seemed to understand — its branches lashed out, wrapping around It’s limbs, spreading wide, pinning the giant like a crucifix.
It began thrashing violently, snapping branch after branch. The restraint wouldn’t hold for long.
Xu Zhi’s loose hair fluttered in a phantom wind — or perhaps it was someone unseen, brushing it aside from her face.
The blade in her hand ignited with invisible flame —
—the fire of the soul.
The complete offering of a person — past, future, and soul — all burning upon that edge.
And along with it, the final activation of her extraordinary ability: Instant Death.
With both broken hands, she gripped the hilt, eyes bloodshot, brimming with killing intent — and swung.
The one strike that severs all.
Shing!
Its terrified scream filled the air — something was cut. Not the body, but something deeper, more fundamental.
Through the dimming [Eye of Secrets], Xu Zhi saw it: the crimson staircase that symbolized Its status as an archbishop — the very foundation of Its transcendence — shattered.
Silence fell. Only the faint ringing in her ears remained.
Her black-red blade drooped weakly. Every ounce of strength had left her body.
Crack.
Like shattering glass.
Crack! Crack!
The sound echoed, one after another, from deep within Its body. Yet It made no more noise.
Those small cracks might have been faint, but they spoke volumes — enough to make a tired smile appear on Xu Zhi’s bloodstained face. The being who could once summon storms with a gesture now stood slumped, powerless, dying.
She remembered that first time in Cloud City — when a crimson shard had separated from her body. She’d ordered the minor aberrant to consume it. Now, as she looked upon Its disintegrating form, she gave the same command:
“Eat it.”
Only when the aberrant consumed It completely could she be sure It was truly dead.
The minor aberrant was already bloated with energy, its body splitting from the strain — but it obeyed.
It took time, but as the rift in the sky shrank to a sliver, the aberrant devoured the final crimson fragment — the shattered foundation. The towering monster vanished, replaced by a massive, sky-piercing tree.
Had Xu Zhi been conscious enough to check her kin’s “data interface,” she would have seen that the minor aberrant had reached Level 50 — crossing the threshold.
But now, her vision was black. She could neither see nor hear.
Only when she felt a branch’s gentle touch did she know the creature had finished its task.
“Take me out,” she rasped.
She didn’t see the cracks spreading across the aberrant’s trunk — the price of absorbing too much power too fast. It had no time to recover, yet it wrapped her carefully in its branches, cloaked her in black, and rushed toward the shrinking rift.
The [Watcher]’s final barrier was not easy to cross. The aberrant had no cloak of its own — it endured the lightning strikes head-on. Its already-cracked form burned, splintered, turned to ash.
Inside its embrace, Xu Zhi was barely touched by the lightning — the cloak shielded her.
Her consciousness flickered like a dying candle. She could barely sense the flashes of white ahead — the rift’s light.
The aberrant’s massive body was almost entirely consumed by fire now. Only the cocoon protecting Xu Zhi remained, riddled with fractures. It was giving its all.
As it carried her through the gateway to the real world, a formless sigil settled into her body — the final gift of a world fading into nothingness.
A few gray moths rose from the collapsing realm, carrying the remnants of loyal souls — following her across the storm into reality.
The white light swallowed her vision. Thunder faded. Silence.
And Xu Zhi finally, completely, passed out.
In her last instant of awareness, she knew: She hadn’t failed anyone — not her allies, not herself.
She’d made it through the door.
I originally planned to finish this chapter today, but once I started, I couldn’t stop.
So here it is — all at once.
This marks the end of Volume One.
A stage has ended — but not the story.
Originally, I wanted to title this chapter “From the New World,”
but it didn’t quite fit. Still — I really do love that book.
