Chapter 19 The Rain Curtain

The sound of drums disappeared.

The firelight also disappeared.

Xiaoman dragged the basket and ran forward desperately. Silence fell around her, and the noisy sounds were left far behind...

Heavy rain poured down between heaven and earth. The wind howled, like a pair of giant hands pulling her back. The small, stubborn figure ran forward, head down. She heard rustling sounds from the forest.

Beyond the high walls, there were man-eating beasts.

"Boom!"

A crack of thunder fell from the sky, painting the whole earth in silvery white. Xiaoman crashed into a figure, falling backward, but a gentle force held her up.

The girl stared blankly at the young man in white before her.

The lightning flashed and vanished.

The world returned to darkness.

But a glimmer of light appeared in the world before her.

"Brother Gu... the person has been picked up."

Standing in the mountain rain, Bai Xiu conveyed his message to the communicator.

Then, he looked at the pitiful little girl in front of him carrying a large basket, reached out a hand, and naturally took the basket, carrying it on his back.

As he took the basket, he glanced at the baby inside.

The baby remained quiet, observing him calmly through the bamboo slats.

"Are you... here to pick me up?"

Xiaoman was momentarily lost in thought until the white-clad figure tugged on her sleeve and began walking south. Only then did she realize that she hadn't resisted...

This young man had an aura similar to Gu Shen.

"Yes."

Bai Xiu said softly, "I am a person of Gu Shen."

Although she had already guessed his identity, Xiaoman felt more at ease after asking.

She struggled and said, "The basket is heavy, let me carry it."

"It's not heavy."

Bai Xiu said, "That's why I'm carrying it."

Xiaoman pursed her lips. She looked up, and the pelting rain seemed to vanish, as if someone had opened an invisible umbrella.

"The road ahead is long."

"We'll take it slow."

...

...

"Brother Gu... the person has been picked up."

The mountain rain was torrential.

Gu Shen stood in the mountains on the northern border of the E0 District. He raised his head, looking at the ink-like rain pouring down from the sky. Hearing the message from Xiao Xiu, he let out a long breath, feeling much more relaxed.

There were many variables in tonight's plan.

So he had invited the most reliable teammate for this southbound mission.

Xiao Xiu.

Now that Bai Xiu had successfully picked up Xiaoman, things would be much simpler.

He calmed his mind and focused his attention.

"Swish--"

Beyond the distant night, a faint red bird shadow could be seen traveling swiftly across the sky... Heavy rain poured down, and lightning flashed. The red bird circled above the mountains.

Before He Chan died, he had cut off a corner of Gu Shen's robe.

Although [Empty Shell] was sharp, the difference in strength between the two was vast.

Therefore, the corner of the robe was not cut off by He Chan, but rather... given to the Vermillion Bird by Gu Shen.

If the Vermillion Bird was careful enough, he would notice the aura of light within the piece of robe.

As for Gu Shen, he had left the E0 District and headed north, not completely erasing his tracks.

He was waiting for the Vermillion Bird to head north!

Taking Xiaoman out of the E0 District was not difficult. The difficult part was erasing the traces of the East Continent in this plan, making the Source Tower believe that tonight's "riot" was a scheme of Light City... The final and most crucial step was killing He Chan and heading north.

Gu Shen needed to meet the Vermillion Bird.

And to have a fight.

He took the Ruler of Truth from the Divine Relic Silver and held it in his palm. The ghost mask completely concealed his true face, but the silver arc gradually changed under the infiltration of spiritual power, eventually reflecting a brilliant, pure white radiance...

"Chi!"

Along the winding mountain range in the pouring rain, he ignited the "fire" within him.

And in the dark sky above, there was also someone burning with fire.

The Vermillion Bird Envoy, sitting on the great bird formed by the [Li Fire] domain, circled through the clouds in the high sky. Following the aura of light left behind on the corner of the robe, he arrived at this place, locking down the area. However, even with his spiritual power fully released, he could not pinpoint the exact location of his target.

The moment Gu Shen actively ignited his fire,

The Vermillion Bird gently pressed down on his seat.

The giant, hundred-meter-long, vermillion bird opened its great beak, fire rolling. The powerful aggregation of the Li Fire domain caused the void to collapse inward, and countless raindrops were burned and evaporated!

Li Fire spewed forth—

"Rumble!!!"

Gu Shen retreated expressionlessly. The blast of Li Fire landed where he had been standing, and the extremely hot flames directly carved a huge crater into the mountain ground. After landing, the fire continued to expand, but he was faster, immediately moving sideways after igniting the fire.

Under the cover of [Truth],

His spiritual power, his extraordinary aura, all began to transform toward the direction of an incredibly "holy" Light Blessing.

Plus, the cover of the Town Moon Robe.

Gu Shen raised his hand and flung out a ball of light!

"Boom!"

The Li Fire bird spat out another fire orb. Two extremely dazzling orbs of light and fire exploded in the high sky—

For a moment, the dark mountains were illuminated crimson.

Then, in just a few seconds, the figure quickly darting across the ground circled the airborne bird nearly ten times, almost skimming the ground. Gu Shen raised his hand and launched a blazing fire orb containing "pure Light aura." Countless booming sounds detonated in unison above the sky. The pseudo-beast domain, purely condensed from "Li Fire," was usually only used for travel and flight. Now, besieged by countless light orbs, it shattered directly!

"Clang!"

The Vermillion Bird plunged straight down from the exploding fire in the high sky. He was unharmed, his expressionless face and robe wildly shaking in the fierce wind!

Gu Shen moved extremely fast close to the ground.

And he attacked even faster.

Still nearly ten meters from the ground, the Vermillion Bird directly pulled out a scarlet Li Fire from his sleeve. After drawing the fire, he immediately grasped it with both hands and thrust it hard into the black shadow on the ground. In an instant, the Li Fire extended ten meters, piercing directly into the ground!

Gu Shen countered with [Truth], the ruler transformed into a light sword, colliding with the Li Fire!

"Clang--"

The sound of metal clashing, accompanied by scarlet and white light and fire, splattered across the mountain wilderness—

The force of the impact overturned ancient trees within a radius of nearly a hundred meters.

Gu Shen was knocked off his feet by this blow, flying into the air. His expression was calm. He put away the light sword and landed on a giant tree in the distance.

The Vermillion Bird landed.

Gu Shen steadied himself against the trunk of the giant tree.

The two had thus switched positions.

"So, you really are a bastard from Light City..."

The Vermillion Bird sneered coldly, "You dared to lure me out, haven't you set up some kind of trap? I was even expecting Su Ye to show up here..."

"..."

Gu Shen silently smiled.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Envoy, you might be overestimating yourself."

"...?"

Hearing this, the Vermillion Bird's expression became even more gloomy.

He tapped his toes on the ground, instantly shooting out.

The ancient tree where Gu Shen had been standing was pierced through the next moment.

The Vermillion Bird shattered the ancient tree with a palm strike, and the Li Fire domain instantly spread, covering a hundred meters. However, the other party's "spiritual power" was used extremely cleverly, and his Li Fire lost its target again.

"Sizzle."

A very slight sound of something cutting through the air rang out behind the Vermillion Bird.

The Vermillion Bird Envoy caught the anomaly. Relying on the warning in his heart, he suddenly turned around at the critical moment, seeing Gu Shen's "ghost face" burning with white light and fire.

Gu Shen delivered the ruler!

It was the same sword that killed He Chan—

The sacred sword light tore through the night!

However, the Vermillion Bird's strength was far greater than He Chan's. Within the Li Fire domain, endless blazing flames instantly defended. The Vermillion Bird not only defended in time but also counterattacked!

"Boom!"

The two collided again, this time it was point against point—

Gu Shen suppressed "Pure Land" and used [Truth] with all his might to defend.

This sword could kill He Chan.

But it could not kill the Vermillion Bird.

He was sent flying a hundred meters away, smashing through several ancient trees in a row. Fortunately, the "Fire of Life" was burning within his body, so these injuries were nothing. He stabilized his breathing and regulated his aura.

Gu Shen looked at the point where the sword landed.

The Li Fire domain was no longer spreading to a hundred-meter radius but was closely surrounding the Vermillion Bird Envoy, surging and undulating, transforming into a lean, imposing humanoid form...

Although a fourth-order transcendent's domain can expand, the larger the expansion, the stronger the capture ability, but if it encounters a surprise attack, the resistance that the huge domain can offer is limited... This principle applies to transcendents of any stage. The total amount of source matter is limited. If it is spread out, it will naturally be thinner.

To defend against enemies, one needs to shrink the domain.

The more condensed, the stronger!

The blazing "Li Fire" enveloped the Vermillion Bird Envoy, constantly adjusting its shape, eventually becoming a lean little giant about two meters tall.

The heavy rain falling from the sky was vaporized by the high temperature several meters above...

With that one sword,

Gu Shen aimed at the Vermillion Bird's chest.

His sword light did not miss, but at the last moment, the sword was "grasped" by the Vermillion Bird's hand.

"Drip."

"Drip."

In the vacuum domain burned by Li Fire, something fell.

It was the Vermillion Bird's blood. Because it contained transcendent source matter, even the Li Fire could not evaporate it. It landed on the mountain grass, burning holes in the grass like lava.

His palm was trembling slightly.

He had been stabbed by Gu Shen... Although he blocked it, he had paid the price.

"You filthy believer of Light... Are you ready to face 'Purgatory'?"

The Vermillion Bird stared at Gu Shen, saying each word slowly, "I will let you know what it means to be worse than dead."

Gu Shen leaned against the ancient tree.

He adjusted his breathing, his expression calm, and resumed his defensive stance...

"Buzz!"

The Vermillion Bird Envoy, his body burning with scarlet flames, raised his hand and gently beckoned towards the sky.

In the silent night, a red token flew swiftly and entered his palm. The token was engraved with a large divine bird with drooping red feathers, and it looked incomplete...

Like... a fragment torn from a complete puzzle.

"Southern Departure..."

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes, speaking the words engraved on the token.

The Source Tower's Four Divine Envoys would each receive a "quasi-S-rank divine object" belonging to their identity. Pieced together, they could construct the "S-rank" barrier [Void Domain].

The power of this S-rank barrier was said to be extremely terrifying.

However... very few people had the opportunity to see it.

However, even when separated, these four identity tokens were still incredibly powerful sealed objects!

Southern Departure... was the Vermillion Bird's position!

The moment the token landed in the Vermillion Bird Envoy's palm, the entire mountain range ignited with light and fire. A circle of fire, five hundred meters in radius, spread out, connecting end to end, forming a perfect and flawless great circle.

Gu Shen silently watched as this fire barrier was erected higher and higher, eventually sealing off the entire mountain range.

Those trapped within had nowhere to escape, nor a place to be buried.

Only by being burned to ashes could they find an end.

This was, Purgatory.