Chapter 123: An Act Defying the Heavens

The battle between Wu Jue and Flash Spirit had descended into an unprecedented deadlock.

Their clash had become a contest of who could more skillfully manipulate the flow of time.

When Flash Spirit realized he could no longer control Wu Jue, he shifted his strategy.

His focus suddenly turned toward Alice.

With a snap of his fingers, Alice would plummet from midair, destined to shatter upon impact.

In the chaos of their earlier fight, time itself had become a tangled mess, but Flash Spirit was confident he could handle the now-unruly Alice.

He moved swiftly, gliding through the air toward his target, and snapped his fingers.

Under his control, Alice immediately lost all support midair and fell toward the ground with a sharp whoosh.

Yet, just as she was about to strike the earth, something intercepted her fall.

Upon closer inspection, it was a line of drifting ghosts.

They had originally been meant to obstruct Wu Jue in midair, but with time reversed, they were sent to catch Alice as she landed, saving her life.

Frustrated by his failure, Flash Spirit, burning with shame and anger, attempted to attack Xun’er from afar.

This time, he intended to accelerate her aging rapidly, turning the young girl into an old woman within moments.

He wanted to see how Wu Jue would confront a frail, aged little girl, hoping to reveal a selfish, human side.

Before he could launch his attack, an unseen force yanked him in the opposite direction.

He looked beneath him to see two ghosts, uncontrollably pulling him away.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who can make moves and scheme,” Wu Jue said calmly, having seen through the plan.

Using the same tactic, he banished Flash Spirit.

Watching Flash Spirit disappear, Wu Jue shifted his battle intent and began to examine everything within this space.

Indeed, upon closer inspection, Wu Jue realized this so-called scenic area was nothing but a meticulously crafted illusionary space created by Flash Spirit.

The undead who had not yet perished were simply unfortunate souls trapped within this space.

From the moment they stepped inside, they had entered a realm where time flowed differently.

Wu Jue sighed and approached Xun’er, who was staring in surprise, mouth agape, seemingly at something unseen.

Nearby on the ground, Meow Pu was frantically fleeing, having evidently noticed the presence of the ghosts.

But where was Ter?

Looking up towards the entrance of the scenic area in the distance, a flickering light shone there.

Wu Jue drifted toward it, witnessing the scene of Ter’s self-destruction.

It seemed Ter didn’t have much time left.

“So, in the end, you chose this path after all,” Wu Jue murmured.

Suddenly, he found himself transported into the forest within the scenic area.

Before him appeared a mysterious Taoist priest who said calmly, “It appears the karmic ties I have woven are finally coming to an end. Monk friend, do you have the confidence to pass this trial?”

Wu Jue shook his head. “I can temporarily hold back Flash Spirit, but I have no means to unravel the spatial construct he’s created. Why don’t you stop him yourself?”

The Taoist shook his head. “You don’t understand — all of this is my own inner demon. Flash Spirit is but another facet of myself.”

He recounted the events of that day.

Over twenty years ago, he was the last Taoist practitioner on Chinese soil, known as Fuyuan.

By then, the world had been overtaken by rapidly advancing technology.

People gradually forgot the old myths and legends, and the incredible arts of cultivation faded into obscurity.

At that time, Fuyuan was the only one to come into contact with the unique power of Taoist magic and thus entered the path of cultivation.

Over many years, relying on some luck and modest talent, Fuyuan surprisingly achieved success.

He traveled the four seas, occasionally helping to dispel evil forces, but rarely appeared in the mortal world.

Ten days before the outbreak of the apocalypse, Fuyuan saved a dying man.

This man carried many grudges from life and, upon death, transformed into a powerful ghost.

Fuyuan intended to perform a ritual to release him, but unfortunately entered a phase where his inner demons were strong.

Several failed attempts inadvertently awakened the man’s hatred, granting him the ability to manipulate time and space.

Seeing this, Fuyuan sought to suppress the ghost by choosing a secluded mountain area to cleanse himself and awaken the spirit.

Unluckily, the chosen scenic area coincided with the hosting of an anime festival and the early construction of a movie city.

The resulting chaos disrupted Fuyuan’s plan.

Even more incredibly, days later, the apocalypse erupted.

The anime festival became a battlefield; hundreds perished from the virus, and many turned into zombies.

Fuyuan intervened to save these people but inadvertently gave Flash Spirit an opening.

The spirit absorbed the virus’s power, took control of the area, and created his own unique spatial domain.

Hearing this, Wu Jue grew anxious.

“What can we do? Is there no way out?”

Fuyuan replied calmly, “There is a way, but it depends on fate. This place already gathers the last warriors, shamans, and Taoists of our era.

If we unite, perhaps we can unravel the secrets of this space.”

Wu Jue glanced back at Xun’er’s position.

It was time to harness her power.

He stirred his battle intent and remotely sensed her location, altering the time and space where she stood.

Moments later, Xun’er quietly appeared beside Wu Jue and Fuyuan.

“What’s happening? Has everything stopped moving?” Xun’er suddenly awoke, and with Wu Jue’s explanation, soon understood the situation.

“Looks like we have to work together,” she said, sizing up Fuyuan before rolling up her sleeves, ready for battle.

Wu Jue cast a glance toward the spot where Flash Spirit had vanished earlier.

“We’d better hurry. That guy is coming again.”

He moved forward to meet Flash Spirit, and the two clashed once more.

Both manipulated time within the space, launching continuous attacks to hinder one another.

Wu Jue grew increasingly adept at this style of combat.

He soon began to use the enemy’s attacks to counterstrike.

Just a little more time, just a little more...

Finally, he felt Xun’er’s response: Success!

In an instant, Flash Spirit found himself unable to locate any of Wu Jue’s companions.

Ter, Meow Pu, and Alice—all had disappeared.

“What did you do? They can’t be hidden inside my space!” Flash Spirit roared.

“Who says it’s impossible? You just lack imagination,” Wu Jue replied with a faint smile.

He extended his hand, sending the two ghosts beside Flash Spirit back several years.

Instantly, they transformed back into living beings, rushing past Flash Spirit.

At that moment, Flash Spirit nearly possessed one of them and, panic-stricken, exclaimed, “How do you know I can possess others? Who told you? It was Fuyuan!”

“You don’t need to know all the details,” Wu Jue said as he flashed forward, seemingly charging at Flash Spirit but then swiftly moving behind him.

He gathered a vast amount of cold energy between his palms and unleashed it, freezing Flash Spirit solid.

“Behave yourself.”

Just as Flash Spirit was encased in ice, the entire space began to shift.

Wu Jue lost control and was pulled backward, retracing the path he had taken into the scenic area, reliving all that had transpired.

Meanwhile, Xun’er and Fuyuan combined their mighty spells to dissipate the invisible forces of the space.

In midair, Ter, who had been on the verge of exploding, suddenly stabilized.

The intense light within him ceased radiating; instead, it broke down into countless particles, gradually dissolving into the scenic area.

Alice’s body finally touched the ground, but she had not suffered a violent impact.

She slowly rose, sensing the breath of life and suddenly feeling a knot within her heart loosen.

“So, this is what resurrection feels like!”

Hidden in the shadows, Violet, who had been watching Alice’s death, suddenly awoke as the images before her vanished inexplicably.

The little boy playing her child was pulled by an invisible hand, wandering aimlessly across the plaza until reaching the gates of the anime festival.

Life resumed its bustling energy, and the festival appeared lively once more.

Wu Jue emerged through the gates to find the Twin Assassins attempting to rush in.

They locked eyes for a moment, and Wu Jue said, “Let’s discuss this outside.”

He stopped the two brothers from entering.

Time had rewound to a day earlier.

The tragedy seemed to have been averted.

Meow Pu quietly observed from above, having witnessed every moment of what had just happened.

Yawning, he chuckled, “Lucky people, you’ve been given a second chance at life.”

The scene at the anime festival looked exactly as before.

Excited attendees continued to admire the exhibitions and gather with friends.

Only now, the faint, imperceptible black threads no longer clung to them.

***

Half a day later, as the anime festival was wrapping up and the crowd was packing away, a stout man suddenly appeared.

He shouted, “I’m Fat Tiger! Why is it already over? This makes no sense!”

The story of the apocalypse and the battle of divine martial arts had reached chapter 123: The Defiant Act.

The update was complete!