Ma Shen and Barbie Q were still shouting and arguing at each other.
The dimly lit divine tomb suddenly erupted in white light. In the crumbling cave, falling stones froze in mid-air the moment they were hit by the white light.
Barbie Q, struggling, looked sharply at Lu Zhi within the blinding white light. That familiar energy signature, that divine aura belonging only to 'Him', the purest power in the world, warm yet potent. So familiar it made Barbie Q's excitement erupt into immense power, barely stopping Ma Shen's entanglement.
As Ma Shen was shocked, he desperately accelerated his fusion with Barbie Q.
"What the heck!"
Jiang Yue and Wang Cao Tian, the closest, were so blinded by the strong light emanating from Lu Zhi that their tear ducts went wild. They instinctively retreated, yet were involuntarily drawn to Lu Zhi, who radiated intense light. Even though their eyes ached from the glare, they stared intently.
Lu Zhi clutched the brand on his chest, breathing rapidly. The intense white light passed through his clothes, illuminating his palm with a translucent red, even revealing the fine blood vessels within.
The brand embedded in his heart meridian, after Lu Zhi’s plea for power, seemed to have unlocked its seal. Like a new heart, it beat with his pulse. From a faint throb, it now pulsed with every beat, causing his blood to surge. A powerful, surging force flowed into his body like a breached dam, sharpening his vision, making it longer and clearer.
He saw the power surging from the brand as a brilliant and beautiful bloody silver river. As it flowed into his body, it gradually transformed into pure, flawless white. He could clearly feel himself growing stronger, possessing the ability to contend with deities. The overwhelming power made him truly realize the terrifying strength of Shen Qi.
"Your body is too weak; it can only withstand ten percent of my power for fifteen minutes," Shen Qi's deep voice suddenly echoed in Lu Zhi's mind.
Lu Zhi finally understood. He and Shen Qi had now truly completed their pact as believer and deity, dedicating himself entirely to the divine. As long as Shen Qi willed it, he could be by his side at all times, aware of his every move.
He, Lu Zhi, was the deity's possession. All secrets were gone.
He belonged to his deity.
He belonged to Shen Qi's faith.
He could borrow Shen Qi's full power, as long as he could bear it. All of Shen Qi's strength was available to him!
"Damn you, release me!"
Barbie Q's furious roar jolted Lu Zhi out of the shock of exploring his newfound power.
Barbie Q had returned to its form as a small pink horse, while Ma Shen, having absorbed Barbie Q's power, became even stronger, its black body becoming more solidified.
Lu Zhi knew that if Ma Shen and Barbie Q fully merged, he, who could only use ten percent of Shen Qi's power, would stand no chance. Moreover, there was the fifteen-minute time limit.
"You two protect your own horses. I'm going to save Barbie Q." Lu Zhi turned and instructed Jiang Yue and Wang Cao Tian, then leaped forward, flying directly towards Ma Shen.
Lu Zhi didn't notice the shocked expressions of Jiang Yue and Wang Cao Tian. If there had been a mirror, Lu Zhi would have seen small sections of his hair tips turn white, and even his black pupils had a slight golden hue, though not very noticeable.
"Manluo."
Green vines grew wildly, tearing open a gap in Ma Shen's dark energy and encircling the dragged Barbie Q. With a powerful tug, he pulled the two horses apart, disrupting their fusion.
"Mortal, how dare you disrupt my great undertaking! You insignificant ant presume to interfere with my path to greatness!" Ma Shen's eyes flared with red light, and countless dark unicorns spewed from its black mist, their sharp horns attacking Lu Zhi.
"Be careful!" Jiang Yue and Wang Cao Tian exclaimed simultaneously, feeling immense self-reproach for their own weakness, unable to help. Rushing in rashly would only distract Lu Zhi.
Lu Zhi retreated quickly. Using Shen Qi's ability, he could fly with the wind but could only evade attacks.
Lu Zhi's only weapon was Manluo, but Manluo was not an offensive treasure but an auxiliary one. Now, he also needed Manluo to restrain Barbie Q, preventing it from being merged by Ma Shen.
However, Lu Zhi could still clearly feel the black mist vines penetrating Barbie Q's body, rapidly draining its energy and transferring it to Ma Shen.
If only he had a sharp weapon to sever the mist vines.
Suddenly, the brand in his heart meridian jumped. Lu Zhi's dodging movement faltered. A black mist vine hidden among the unicorn herd launched a surprise attack. Lu Zhi's pupils contracted; it was too late to dodge.
*Clang—*
The black mist vine collided with a white barrier, making a metallic clang. The mist vine, deflected, shot into the mountainside, rumbling as it pierced through the entire mountain.
Without this white barrier, the mist vine would not only have pierced Lu Zhi's body but would have instantly absorbed the energy within him for its own use.
Lu Zhi dazedly touched the protective film around his body. The white barrier's faint light transformed into fragmented stars, quickly converging to form the outline of a weapon.
It was a crystalline scythe, a Grim Reaper's hook.
At this moment, Lu Zhi's divine brand let out a faint detaching sound and flew out from his chest. Like a brilliant, dazzling star, it was held preciously within the bud of a vibrant red Lycoris radiata.
With a click, the brand embedded itself into the groove on the scythe's blade. Red flowing light dyed the pristine white scythe black and gold. The vibrant red Lycoris radiata was etched onto the sharp hook, emanating a chilling, terrifying aura.
Lu Zhi reached out and grasped the cool handle of the Grim Reaper's scythe. The divine brand's light flickered slightly, and a surging, powerful aura, filled with slaughter and bloodlust, swept out from Lu Zhi in all directions.
The swarm of black unicorns, before they could even react, were shattered by the divine might emanating from the Grim Reaper's scythe.
"How, how is this possible!" Ma Shen looked at the weapon in Lu Zhi's hand in terror, its hooves instinctively retreating. It shook its head, "Impossible, He cannot still be alive!"
Lu Zhi tightened his grip on the Grim Reaper's scythe. A golden light flashed through his dark eyes, and the small section of white hair at his temples was ruffled by the wind stirred by the scythe.
Although holding this Grim Reaper's scythe for the first time, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. He even knew how to wield it.
Lu Zhi took a deep breath, calculating that the time he was borrowing Shen Qi's power was nearing its end.
Suddenly, Lu Zhi's figure vanished. In an instant, he appeared before Ma Shen, his eyes sharp. As he swung the Grim Reaper's scythe, Ma Shen saw Lu Zhi's dark eyes turn golden, a warm and captivating hue like the sun.
White light streaked across the air, a chilling gleam. The incredibly tough black mist vines disintegrated. By the time Ma Shen reacted, the sharp blade was at its throat.
Lu Zhi's black and gold eyes were calm and indifferent. He tilted his head slightly, a strand of gradient white hair falling from his forehead to the corner of his eye. His voice was clear and cold, laced with chilling intent, "Merge, or die? Choose one."