Myth Beyond Heaven

"Finally decided to show up, Gu Buxiu?" Mo Lianxing's voice echoed, laced with an icy disdain. "I thought you would continue to hide in the dark with your tail between your legs."

"Hiding? My esteemed friends overestimate my fear. I'm merely adjusting my strategy." Gu Buxiu's voice held a tinge of amusement, masking the burning frustration within.

Mo Lianxing raised a hand, the portal snapping shut behind them. "Strategy? Do you think this could hide your cowardice? Everyone in the Primal Chaos knows how cowardly you are."

Gu Buxiu's face darkened. Mo Lianxing's words were a direct jab at his most vulnerable point – his reputation as a coward.

"Cowardice?" Gu Buxiu scoffed. "Was it not you who ran for your life back then? Otherwise, how could you stand here in front of me instead of accompanying your Mo Clan?"

Mo Lianxing's eyes narrowed. The memory of her clan's destruction was a raw wound, and Gu Buxiu's words were like salt on it. She clenched her fists, her aura flaring momentarily before she forced it back down.

"That's water under the bridge,[1]" Mo Lianxing said coldly. "But if you want to play with words, then perhaps a reminder is due."

With a flick of her wrist, a wave of icy blue energy erupted from her hand, coalescing into a shimmering spear pulsating with otherworldly power. The air crackled with frost, and the very ground beneath them seemed to freeze over.

Gu Buxiu's amusement vanished. He recognized the signature technique of the Mo Clan – the Frostmourn Spear. He knew he couldn't face Mo Lianxing in a direct confrontation. Not after what happened back then.

Back then Gu Buxiu took advantage of the situation and tried to refine the Mo Clan people into his puppets. However, his attempt was interrupted by Mo Lianxing. Although she wasn't his opponent, Mo Lianxing managed to buy time until others arrived.

Gu Buxiu stared at her and said. "You can't blame me for what happened back then. I wasn't the one who caused the downfall of your clan… On the contrary, I can help you with the revenge. Why don't we join forces?"

Mo Lianxing cut him off with a snort. "Join forces? The man who tried to refine my family into your puppets actually dared to say this?"

She raised the Frostmourn Spear, its icy aura intensifying. "Prepare to face the consequences of your actions, Gu Buxiu."

"Hmph! You'll regret this." Gu Buxiu knew reasoning wouldn't work. With a grimace, he activated a hidden escape rune carved onto his arm. In a flash of dark light, his form shimmered and dissipated.

Mo Lianxing wasn't surprised. She had anticipated his escape. But this time, she was prepared. With a gesture of her hand, a tendril of icy energy shot out, latching onto the fading remnants of Gu Buxiu's aura.

A surprised gasp escaped Gu Buxiu's voice from somewhere beyond the void. The escape rune, meant to transport him to a safe house within the tomb, malfunctioned.

He reappeared a few meters away, stumbling and disoriented, the icy tendril firmly attached to his arm.

"Get back here." Mo Lianxing gave the tendril a sharp tug. A look of pure agony contorted Gu Buxiu's face as he was yanked back towards her. The Frostmourn Spear gleamed hungrily in her grasp.

Mo Lianxing's icy fury burned so intensely that it seemed to distort the air around her. The Frostmourn Spear vibrated with a power that threatened to freeze the very landscape.

"Ugh!" Gu Buxiu, yanked back by the tendril of frost, collapsed onto his knees, his face contorted in pain and a desperate plea escaping his lips.

"No, wait! Mo Lianxing, listen to me!" he rasped, his voice laced with a newfound fear. The confident arrogance that once cloaked him was shattered.

Mo Lianxing, however, was deaf to his pleas. Years of pent-up rage fuelled her actions. The memory of her clan's destruction, a gaping wound in her soul, demanded retribution. She raised the Frostmourn Spear high, its icy tip aiming directly for Gu Buxiu's heart.

Puff!!

The Frostmourn Spear, a shimmering harbinger of doom, pierced through Gu Buxiu's chest in a burst of blinding light. A guttural scream ripped from his throat, a chilling melody of vengeance fulfilled.

"Cough!" Gu Buxiu coughed up blood. However, a ghastly grin, carved onto his face, seemed to mock her fury. A raspy voice, laced with venomous amusement, echoed in her mind.

"So what if you destroyed my puppet?" he hissed, the words dripping with malice. "You've wasted your vengeance on a mere plaything. The true game has just begun."

Bang!

A wave of dark energy erupted from his body, engulfing it in a swirling vortex. The air crackled with malevolent power as his body disintegrated into a swarm of shadowy creatures that vanished into the swirling sands.

Mo Lianxing retreated in a flash and washed as everything unfolded before her. She was fully aware from the beginning that Gu Buxiu here was just another puppet but it couldn't stop her from killing him.

The air hung heavy with the aftermath of Gu Buxiu's departure. A chilling silence descended upon the battlefield, broken only by the mournful howling of the wind that whipped across the cracked and ravaged landscape.

Li Shan's colossal silver spear, poised mid-strike, wavered slightly before dissolving into harmless motes of light.

Xi Hong, his sandstorm domain battered and depleted, stumbled back, gasping for breath.

The arrival of Mo Lianxing and Bei Yixiang, two towering figures with auras that resonated with the power of ancient gods, had shifted the power dynamic on the battlefield.

Dongfang Lou's earlier nonchalance was replaced with a sense of cautious vigilance as she exchanged a tense glance with Bei Cong.

Lan Qinghe's face was etched with relief and a newfound solemnity at the sight of Mo Lianxing and Bei Yixiang.

Lin Xinyao and the others, now reunited and safeguarded by Linlin and Qingqing, watched the unfolding scene with serious expressions. The situation could turn out on any page.

Bei Yixiang looked at Li Shan and Xi Hong. "It's time to stop, both of you."

Xi Hong frowned with dissatisfaction. He glanced at Bei Cong and saw the latter nod slightly.

Xi Hong took a deep breath and gave Li Shan a vicious glare. "We're not done yet."

"Anytime," Li Shan responded calmly. His figure flashed and reappeared beside Lin Xinyao.

Xi Hong retreated to Bei Cong's side and looked at Mo Lianxing and Bei Yixiang coldly.

Bei Yixiang swept his gaze over everyone and said. "Now, let's talk."