Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 323: Chapter 282: The Road to Paradise_1

”Don’t be fooled by my looks; I’m actually twenty-four this year.”

Amid the silence, Luo Xian lamented with regret, ”I’ve never been in love, nor have I had a boyfriend. Apart from guys who eat protein powder and work on their muscles every day, there isn’t even a suitable person of my age around. Occasionally, I meet a few people I get along with, but after a few words, they disappear...

”As a result, time has flown by, and I don’t know if I can still be called a ’teenage girl.’ Sometimes when I go out, mischievous kids even call me ’auntie’... Can you understand this feeling?”

”...”

Seeing Huai Shi’s bewildered expression, Luo Xian’s smile became mischievous. ”Although I sometimes seem very old-fashioned, occasionally I also want to be bold.”

”Uh...” Huai Shi nodded stiffly. ”So?”

”So, I want to experience what this so-called ’love’ is really like.”

She seemed to yearn for it as she quietly asked, ”It’s understandable for a woman to pursue her own happiness, right?”

”...”

Huai Shi remained silent.

In that instant, as the crimson torrential rain poured endlessly from the Sky Dome above, the Realm of Nothingness finally shattered the facade of the quiet street. It offered a glimpse of the Corpse Mountain and Blood Sea before the Door of Victory, the nearly mountainous piles of corpses, and the crimson streams spreading to Luo Xian’s feet.

”Although, that being said...” He could barely catch his breath. ”This happiness is... a bit too exaggerated, isn’t it?”

As the illusion shattered, Luo Xian’s smile also became elusive.

Her human shell broke, revealing the boiling darkness glimpsed once in the mirror, and a terrifying Soul beyond human imagination.

Beyond the endless darkness and terror, the malicious eye peering from a great distance grew clearer.

The eerie scene flashed by, like a mere illusion.

Suddenly, Huai Shi finally understood why he hadn’t seen any other contestants for so long. Probably, apart from himself, no other contestants would come here.

Only now did he truly comprehend the terrifying extent of the abnormality surrounding Luo Xian—how vast and horrifying it was.

Once unleashed, it would probably create a genuine Hell, wouldn’t it?

This Sublimated Soul, after absorbing an unknown amount of sediment from the Abyss, was now teetering on the edge of solidifying. It had nearly become darkness itself.

”Is it worth it?” Huai Shi sighed, lowering his eyes and slowly clenching the Sword of Virtue.

”After all, it’s for ’love.’” Luo Xian looked at him with puzzlement. ”Doesn’t the book say that compared to love, breaking a leg or two is no big deal or something? I thought someone like you, who goes through life and death for love, would understand me.”

”That pun isn’t funny at all,” Huai Shi stated, staring at her face expressionlessly. ”So then, Luo Xian, what do you want to do?”

”How about being your enemy?” she smiled. ”Our showdown last time wasn’t finished, was it? After witnessing your performance a few days ago, I could hardly wait.”

”I really wish you could be a more sensible fan, but you probably aren’t listening to what I’m saying, are you?” Huai Shi shook his head and stepped forward. Facing the increasingly intense Death Perception, he summoned the Sacrificial Knife and drew the Sword of Virtue. ”Since today is a meet-and-greet, I might as well ask: did you buy a handshake coupon?”

”Hm? Is Lord Prince preparing for some intimate contact with me? I’m so happy.” Luo Xian’s smile grew more joyful as she casually picked up a Short Knife from the ground. ”Be careful, this is my first time being a hardcore fan. If my behavior is a bit excessive, please—”

In that instant, her smiling face was right in front of Huai Shi, the Short Knife thrusting out.

”—bear with me!” she finished.

CRACK!

The shrill sound pierced the quiet of the Long Street. Huai Shi’s sword blade struck, easily swept aside by the Short Knife, but he lunged forward with lightning speed, swinging the Sacrificial Knife horizontally.

Luo Xian clenched her fist and struck at his wrist.

A Roaring Outburst!

THUNDERBOLT!

Amidst the bursting lightning, Huai Shi had only just managed to twist his wrist when he felt the Sacrificial Knife slip from his grasp and fly away. Immediately after, he was involuntarily thrown back by the blast wave, staggering.

What astonished him even more was Luo Xian’s speed. It was far beyond his expectations. No, it should be said she was vastly different from before—at least three times faster!

And what he found even harder to comprehend was what the Mirror of Nothingness had reflected during that brief collision and impact.

Stigma!

Unbeknownst to him, Luo Xian, who had originally been a Whitboard Sublimator, had acquired a Stigma.

And not only that, she had advanced to a level that left Huai Shi dumbfounded.

”Third Stage?” he stared blankly at Luo Xian. ”You... when did you...”

”Hm? Stigma?” Luo Xian studied his ghost-stricken expression. ”I thought you knew. You didn’t? It seems I was being presumptuous... but don’t worry, I’ll still be your fan.”

Huai Shi frowned. ”What do you mean?”

Her Stigma... it’s related to me?

”To be honest, I’m not quite sure what happened myself.” Luo Xian tilted her head, thought for a moment, then said earnestly, ”After watching your performance that day, a beam of light shot down from the sky. Before I could react, the Stigma appeared on my body, along with many subsequent rituals and advancements. Can this kind of thing also choose its owner? How strange.”

As she spoke, she spread her hands, showing Huai Shi the miracle she possessed.

”Look, at first, it was ’Little Red Riding Hood.’ After coincidentally killing several wolf-type Sublimators, it evolved into Sleeping Beauty. After a long sleep, I found the advancement materials here and happened to encounter a Crow Tengu... And just like that, I smoothly reached the Third Stage.”

A blood-stained red dress faintly materialized on her, and a dim mirror shadow slowly appeared behind her.

Finally, she bowed to the Lord Prince before her, lightly lifting the sides of her skirt in a graceful and reserved curtsy.

And on her revealed fair feet was a pair of exquisitely dreamlike Crystal Shoes.

—Cinderella.

Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy: Path of Paradise.

Third Stage: Cinderella!

In that instant, Huai Shi exhaled a long breath, trying to expel the despair and helplessness from his chest, but it was futile.

For the first time, he felt this kind of helpless exhaustion, this utter powerlessness.

He was at a loss.

Previously, he might have been able to gain an advantage over Luo Xian with his superior physical fitness and various weapons. But now, her power had risen to an unattainable height. How could he possibly win against the terrifying skills she had fully inherited from Luo Lao?

There was absolutely no chance of winning. It was game over.

”Let’s make a deal.” Huai Shi tentatively raised his hand. ”If I surrender, will I only lose half?”

”Sure,” Luo Xian smiled and nodded obligingly. ”But if the outcome changes from being torn into ten thousand pieces to merely five thousand, would that truly make a difference to you?”

Huai Shi sighed. Sensing the ferocious killing intent and darkness erupting from her like a volcano, he abandoned his last shred of hope.

”Don’t give up, Lord Prince. This is the final battle,” Luo Xian said consolingly. ”As an idol, you should at least fulfill your fan’s only wish before you die, right?”

”Are you that eager to see me die?” Huai Shi stepped back, a wry smile on his face. ”I’ll try my best.”

CRACK!

The step beneath his heel cracked open. Huai Shi charged forward, sprinting straight ahead. He raised the Spear of Compassion high and thrust it directly at Luo Xian.

Luo Xian’s smile remained unchanged; she merely tilted her head slightly.

But then, a roaring sound erupted.

Huai Shi’s sleeve tore. As he exerted all his strength in that swing, it seemed as though several phantoms surged from his body. The Axe of Anger swung horizontally, and the Sword of Virtue pierced. The tip of the spear trembled and, amidst a sweet floral fragrance, suddenly bent, relentlessly chasing Luo Xian’s face.

Sharp notes overlapped, evolving into a soul-shaking chord.

Amidst the clang of metal on metal, Luo Xian’s eyes finally showed a hint of seriousness. She stomped her foot and snatched up a Longsword from the ground. Her hands moved; the long and short blades collided. Then, they split apart, emitting a crisp sound that shattered the chord.

Her movement was a blur. In that same instant, Huai Shi’s three simultaneous strikes were unexpectedly blocked. Each one was parried.

The Dagger thrust out, aiming straight for Huai Shi’s chest.

But immediately, from the shadow behind her, the Yin Soul in Red Gloves re-emerged. It held the Sacrificial Knife in a reverse grip, aiming for her back.

CRACK!

A shadowy Magic Mirror materialized beside Luo Xian, acting like a Shield to intercept the lethal blow.

In an instant, they darted past each other. A ghastly gash appeared across Huai Shi’s chest, blood spurting out.

Luo Xian was unharmed.

But immediately, ignoring the gash on his chest, Huai Shi spun around, his poison-steeped Axe Blade slashing towards Luo Xian’s back, cutting through a phantom.

As the mirror surface shattered, Luo Xian appeared ten steps away, watching him with interest.

Without needing her explanation, Huai Shi had a sudden realization. ”Sleeping Beauty?”

Luo Xian turned her head to look at the life-sized Magic Mirror beside her and suddenly asked, ”Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

A face appeared on the Magic Mirror, saying fawningly, ”Of course it’s you, Your Highness.”

It seemed to be some kind of enhancement.

In an instant, the Source Fluctuation around Luo Xian surged, until finally, it formed what looked like grey-black flames, making her blood-red dress stand out even more.

No, that dress must have been dyed red with Beast’s Blood, right?

Huai Shi took a sharp breath, reached out, and placed his hand on a nearby tree stump. ”Sorry, buddy, let me draw a bit more...”

A vast amount of life force surged from the underground root network. Huai Shi’s chest wound closed, and the cracks in his bones and his muscle strains vanished instantly. A dark green hue also seeped from the burst capillaries on his face.

The support from his tree brethren was potent enough.

Under the transformation of the Stigma, Huai Shi disregarded the gradual fibrosis of his internal blood vessels. He continued to pour endless blood energy into the Mirror of Nothingness. This made the light in his eyes grow brighter and brighter, as if he had shoved a lightbulb into each socket.

Gradually, it became blinding.

At last, Luo Xian’s true form was fully reflected in the Mirror of Nothingness.