“I feel nothing but contempt and disgust for what you have done.”

As Meng Xizhou uttered these words,

Countless ripples spread across the surface of Red Lake!

This contest between holy books had once again taken a turn—

Song Ci's page of the holy book had gained the upper hand.

The Grand Elder's knees slammed heavily onto the surface of the lake. He supported himself with his hands in the water, barely managing to keep himself from sinking into Red Lake. He looked up and said with difficulty and pain, "So you want to… kill me together with Song Ci?"

Meng Xizhou was silent for a moment.

She shook her head and said softly, "Is that really necessary?"

The Grand Elder's eyes were somewhat lost.

"I'm here only to see the Guang Ming Shen Zuo (Light Throne) Lord."

Meng Xizhou looked at the old man kneeling on the lake surface, desperately trying to support himself, and said calmly, "I have no interest in killing you… so I won't deliberately make a move."

"Then… why are you standing on his side?"

The Grand Elder was stunned.

"The place you stand is too dirty."

Meng Xizhou explained seriously, "I really hate 'calamity' and 'ominousness'... If I accidentally get a little bit on me, it takes a long time to resolve."

As soon as she finished speaking,

The Grand Elder coughed up a large mouthful of blood… He watched his blood fall onto the surface of Red Lake, unable to spread.

Red Lake rejected his blood.

This mass of pitch-black blood landed on the lake surface and was quickly evaporated.

This meant that the Undead blood that had replaced his own was almost completely depleted. That mouthful he had just coughed up was his own blood.

Dirty, tainted "ominous blood."

At the same time, a large amount of radiant light began to converge towards the Grand Elder.

This miraculous lake was filled with a large amount of Guang Ming (Light) power, and Guang Ming power hated nothing more than this dirty, filthy, sinister calamity!

"No…"

The Grand Elder's expression was as pale as paper. He reached out a hand, wanting to ask Meng Xizhou for help.

But Meng Xizhou stood far away.

In the Church's beliefs, the Guang Ming Shen Nv (Light Goddess) bore the responsibility of saving the common people from the moment she was born, but at this moment she only watched with cold eyes.

Not saving was the greatest salvation.

"Save me, save me! Save… cough, cough!"

Under the suppression of Song Ci's holy book, the Grand Elder was unable to straighten his body. He coughed continuously, and the lake water around him was constantly steaming with scorching Guang Ming (Light) energy. The Calamity blood triggered a rejection reaction from Red Lake.

The two holy books were burning to the extreme at this moment.

Just as Song Ci was preparing to press on in one fell swoop,

Meng Xizhou's voice suddenly rang in his ears.

"Let's end the holy book contest… here."

"?"

Song Ci was stunned for a moment.

Meng Xizhou reached out her hand. She gently tugged at the entangled lake water storm at the top, and countless Guang Ming (Light) ribbons shot out from Red Lake, separating the two intertwined wills. She neither helped Song Ci nor the Grand Elder, but instead grasped the two pages of withered paper that were burning to the extreme and could turn to ashes at any moment.

"Buzz—"

The originally clamorous Red Lake instantly fell into silence.

Meng Xizhou withdrew her palm, and two pages of paper appeared in her palm.

Looking at Song Ci's puzzled eyes, Meng Xizhou said softly, "The spiritual contest of holy books is likely to 'backfire'. Continuing to fight will not do you any good… Look at his current state."

Song Ci looked at the old man in front of him with a complicated expression.

The snow-white priestly robe was corroded by black mist. The Grand Elder tore at his own face with all his strength. The calamity and ominousness that had been suppressed for decades completely erupted. This time, it was more serious than ever before.

Without the vitality provided by the Undead blood,

He was simply unable to resist the ever-accumulating calamity.

To be able to survive the battle with the King of the Underworld was a miracle.

He had borrowed a life.

But the price of borrowing would continue to increase.

Now, the Grand Elder had finally ushered in the "day of reckoning." A dark mist seeped from the skin on his body. The radiance at the bottom of Red Lake swarmed over like tadpoles, dragging him into the lake water. A large amount of divine light gushed out, as if a piece of molten iron at ten thousand degrees had sunk into an ice lake. Countless wisps of burning mist flew out.

Meng Xizhou gently flicked her sleeve.

A ray of bright light flashed past, drawing a straight line, separating the area where the "calamity" erupted from the area where she and Song Ci were fighting.

Song Ci watched this scene and couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

"Is the legendary 'ominous outbreak' really that terrifying?"

If he had insisted on crushing the holy book's will, would he also be tainted by the so-called ominousness?

"The King of the Underworld's calamity… is the dirtiest thing in the world."

Meng Xizhou said with a cold gaze, "This kind of filthy and dirty thing is hard to wash off, even if you only get a little bit on you."

So forcibly ending the holy book contest was really for his own good.

Song Ci was silent for a while and said, "Thanks."

"No need to thank me."

Meng Xizhou said softly, "You are one in a million Undead, and you have cultivated to such a high level. Even if you accidentally get some 'calamity' on you, it won't be a problem… But this thing is not good after all, and I don't want to see you tainted by sinister forces."

There was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

The Grand Elder was not actually bad to her… When she was young, Teacher Yuan Yang often took her to Xihai (West Sea) to cross the sea and listen to the tide.

The lucky ones who were blessed by divine scrolls were always surrounded by good people.

So even after being imprisoned in the secret prison for six years, she still couldn't hate this once "kind and amiable" old man.

Even though she now knew that the Grand Elder's smile was fake.

But perhaps in the early years, his "kindness" was real?

So Meng Xizhou ultimately chose to be a "spectator."

She knew that the Grand Elder's fate had already led to death, whether he died at her hands, at Song Ci's hands… it was better to die in the outbreak of calamity and ominousness.

This was the ending that fate had already prepared for him.

Song Ci quietly watched the mass of black mist in Red Lake being covered and submerged by Guang Ming (Light).

Those ominous calamities that made him feel chilled also gradually dissipated.

"After the host dies, the ominousness and calamity will also dissipate…"

Meng Xizhou whispered, "Just like the origin substance, these ethereal things come from the void and will eventually return to the void."

"..."

Song Ci couldn't say such profound words.

He just stared at the place where the Grand Elder's soul had fallen and felt some regret.

He had originally wanted to punch this old guy in the face.

But now that he thought about it, it was better to forget it.

This guy was covered in ominousness, and if he punched him, he might be the one who was unlucky.

So after watching for a long time, Song Ci chose to spit out two concise words to express his current mood.

"Good riddance."

"It's really good to die here, so you don't have to go out and harm others."

Meng Xizhou sighed and turned her head to ask, "Next, I'm going to continue forward. Are you interested in going with me to take a look at the other side of Red Lake?"

Song Ci was stunned for a moment.

He never expected that Meng Xizhou would invite him to go to the other shore of Red Lake together.

"Today is the final selection of Guang Ming (Light) City's Fire Seed Trial."

Song Ci said seriously, "If someone can reach the other shore of Red Lake, then they will have the opportunity to gain the favor of the 'Guang Ming (Light) Fire Seed'... This is an opportunity to become the next Fire Seed Master. Are you inviting me to go?"

Without Meng Xizhou, he couldn't move forward a single step.

It was all fog here.

"I've already heard about these things from Nan Feng."

Meng Xizhou smiled slightly and said, "Judging from your current appearance, you don't seem to be interested in the 'Guang Ming (Light) Fire Seed'?"

"It's more than just not being interested…"

Song Ci originally wanted to say some cursing words, but considering that the Guang Ming Shen Nv (Light Goddess) was standing next to him, he swallowed those vulgar dialects that were difficult to bring to the table and said helplessly, "If possible, I wish I had never touched the Guang Ming Xin Wu (Light Relic)."

Meng Xizhou smiled gently.

"After you became a Guang Ming Shi Tu (Light Apostle), Nan Feng often wrote to me, saying that he regretted coming to Guang Ming (Light) City to take away the relic."

She said softly, "He feels indebted to you and has always wanted to make up for it… Nan Feng owes you, which is the same as me owing you. If you want to go to the other shore to take a look, then come with me."

"What owes or doesn't owe, we're all brothers!"

Song Ci grinned and smiled, "Gu Nan Feng, this stinky brat, is really a dull gourd who can't get a fart out of him with three sticks. He would rather write this kind of thing in a letter to you than tell me. How can the relic thing be blamed on him?"

He paused and said with a serious expression, "As for the other shore of Red Lake… Miss Meng, I won't go."

Meng Xizhou raised her eyebrows, a little surprised.

"I originally wanted to go and take a look, but now I don't want to."

Song Ci looked at the place where the Grand Elder had fallen and said frankly, "I just wanted to beat this old guy up. Now that he's dead, I can't stay in this Guang Ming (Light) City for even a minute."

"In that case… so be it."

Meng Xizhou looked at Song Ci and suddenly said with emotion as she was about to leave, "Brother Song, you are indeed as the rumors say, seemingly covered in mud, but actually spotless."

"Is this what Nan Feng said in his letter too?"

Song Ci scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly, "You probably haven't been to Dongzhou (East Continent) before. My reputation isn't actually very good there."

"I know, they all call you 'Crow'..."

Meng Xizhou said with a smile.

Crows, with their dark and dirty wings, are regarded as symbols of ominousness and calamity.

She paused and said meaningfully, "But I also know that Madam Lu Nanzhi has always called you 'Yingji', and Nan Feng often calls you 'Brother Yingji' in his letters."

The pure white parrot, which is flawless, is completely opposite to the crow, which symbolizes disaster.

Song Ci was speechless for a while.

A warm current passed through, and he felt a little sour in his heart for no reason.

Song Ci quickly used laughter as a cover: "Damn it, when I get back, I have to scold Nan Feng severely. He's also the young master of the Gu family, how can he not keep things secret and write everything in his letters!"

"There are hundreds of millions of people in this world who are chasing the Fire Seed."

"But almost no one can truly resist the temptation of the Fire Seed and not deviate from their original intention from beginning to end."

Meng Xizhou said sincerely, "Compared to the Undead bloodline, Brother Song's pure state of mind is even rarer. I'm saying these words just to ask you not to be too eager to hate Guang Ming (Light). If one day Guang Ming (Light) City can return to its original track and reproduce the appearance of Mr. Gu Changzhi's studies back then, I hope you will still be willing to return to this Red Lake."

Once a relic is touched, it cannot be undone.

She knew that Song Ci had studied in the Dou Zhan (Battle God) domain for six years.

If he hadn't touched the Guang Ming Xin Wu (Light Relic) back then,

Then the Song Ci at this moment… might have been cultivated by Bai Shu into the next generation of Dou Zhan (Battle God) successor.

"If there really is such a day, maybe I will consider it."

Song Ci thought for a moment and slowly opened his mouth.

He stretched out a palm to touch the celestial dome where the stars sprinkled their radiance and said with a light smile, "After all, who would hate true Guang Ming (Light)?"

Hearing this, Meng Xizhou slowly saluted.

It was the Changye salute that Gu Nan Feng had taught her.

She gently lifted her skirt, and also lifted the starlight hanging down from the entire Red Lake, and said, "In that case, very good."

Song Ci also returned the salute solemnly.

He raised his head, and all that remained in his vision was a vast expanse of fog.

Meng Xizhou had already disappeared.

Song Ci was unwilling to go to the other shore of Red Lake, so Meng Xizhou continued forward alone.

In her vision, the entire Red Lake was unobstructed. The place where Song Ci and the Grand Elder fought was only the "midpoint", not the "endpoint".

She walked towards the endpoint that mortals could never reach in their entire lives.

Today, since she had left the secret prison,

She must see Guang Ming (Light).