101: Third Life: How Am I the Villain? (Sixty-Five)

A gray finger force, seemingly slow but actually crossing space in an instant, extinguished Spiritual Qi and severed life wherever it passed; even light seemed to be swallowed by it, carrying a Concept of ending all things and returning them to nothingness as it met Xu Yuan’s brilliant saber light.

This finger strike was no longer a Foundation Establishment technique, but a terrifying Divine Ability containing a hint of Golden Core Law!

Boom—!!!

The dark-gold saber light and the Extinction Finger force collided violently!

This time, it was no longer a silent disintegration.

A violent energy shockwave erupted, sending any Overlord Blade Sect Disciples or Joyful Union Sect Cultivators who were slightly too close flying, their bones broken and tendons snapped!

Xu Yuan’s body shook violently, the webbing between his thumb and forefinger split, and blood instantly stained the hilt of Ink Sever; he was sent flying like he'd been struck by a falling star, smashing hard into the ground of the distant square and plowing a deep trench.

The absolute gap in Realm was not something that could be fully bridged by mere will and determination.

However, while flying backward, he forcibly twisted his body and landed on one knee, using his saber for support; he abruptly lifted his head, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth as he glared fixedly at the golden figure in the sky.

He had withstood it!

Though disheveled and injured, as a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, he had taken a direct hit containing Golden Core Law and survived!

Ye Feng’s brow furrowed imperceptibly.

This result was somewhat beyond his expectations.

This boy’s Foundation was more robust and his Saber Intent more pure than he had previously judged.

More importantly, when he struck with the 'Extinction Finger,' a Divine Ability containing Golden Core Law, he vaguely felt that the opponent’s Saber Intent seemed to contain an extremely obscure yet high-ranking power; it was precisely that sliver of power that had, to some extent, offset the suppression at the Law level and saved his life.

This was definitely not something an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator, or even an ordinary Prodigy, could possess!

An absurd yet logical thought flashed through Ye Feng’s mind.

Hovering in the air with golden Dao patterns flowing around him, he temporarily halted his pursuit. His indifferent golden eyes gazed at the struggling Xu Yuan; they no longer held mockery, but a hint of scrutiny.

He spoke slowly, his voice still carrying an ancient resonance, but no longer looking down as before; instead, it carried a tone of equal questioning:

“I am True Person Xuanming.”

He announced his title from his previous life, and an invisible majesty spread out, as if wanting the world to remember his name.

“You junior, your Karma is entangled, your fate is in Chaos, and there is even a trace of... ‘Other-power’ that even I find difficult to see through.”

“Speak! Which Fellow Daoist’s pawn are you? Why have you entered the game to obstruct my path to the Dao?!”

Ye Feng’s gaze was like a torch, locking onto Xu Yuan.

He absolutely did not believe that a boy he had randomly chosen as fuel could grow to such an extent on his own, or repeatedly struggle within the ‘Karma Retribution Golden Core’ he had meticulously planned, even reaching the point of obstructing his path to the Dao!

Behind this, there must be someone at the same level—or at least someone who had touched the edge of the Golden Core—orchestrating the moves!

Perhaps it was an old acquaintance with a grudge who had calculated the timing of his Reincarnation and used this boy to ruin his Dao fruit!

Hearing this, Xu Yuan was first startled, then realized.

So that's it... this reincarnated old monster suspects there's someone behind me? Suspects I am also a pawn in the hands of some mighty figure, specifically meant to deal with him?

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. The Ten Thousand Blades Returning to the Origin Foundation within his body worked frantically to heal his injuries, absorbing the Geng Gold Evil Qi that had become increasingly dense due to the fierce battle.

Facing True Lord Xuanming's questioning, he was not afraid; instead, he revealed a cold, arrogant smile.

“True Lord Xuanming? Never heard of you.”

His tone was flat, yet carried an undisguised sharpness.

“I, Chen Yuan, act only by the saber in my hand and the Dao in my heart!”

“No one commands me, and I am certainly no pawn!”

“If you insist there is some ‘Other-power’...”

Xu Yuan paused. Mo Qianji’s Legacy, the vastness of the wordless heavenly tablet, and that ‘interesting’ that sounded like an illusion flashed through his mind.

But he suppressed these thoughts, his gaze sharp as a blade as it slashed toward the golden figure in the sky:

“Then it is the unyielding power... sparked by you treating all living beings as pawns, using Karma as a butcher's knife to destroy my sect! It is the power of justice and resistance in this world!”

“Justice?”

True Lord Xuanming sneered. He was certain Xu Yuan was making excuses to hide the existence of the person behind him.

In that case, he would first capture the boy, search his soul and refine his spirit, then destroy the Overlord Blade Sect and reclaim his Golden Core position. He didn't believe he couldn't drag out the mastermind!

He no longer held back. The golden Dao patterns around him shone brightly, and his hands formed seals, invoking the Karma vortex circling above his head that had absorbed countless Tribulation Qi and Luck!

“Karma as chains, bind his true spirit!”

Clatter—!

In the Void Realm, the countless originally invisible Karma threads now condensed into physical dark-gold chains. Like countless venomous snakes, they pierced through the void, coiling toward Xu Yuan from all directions. Not only did they want to bind his Physical Body, but they also intended to directly lock his Divine Soul and probe his deepest secrets!

Facing this terrifying Divine Ability that far surpassed the previous ‘Extinction Finger,’ Xu Yuan felt an unprecedented crisis of death.

He knew that this was no longer something he could withstand by taking it head-on.

A fierce light flashed in Xu Yuan’s eyes. Facing the coiling Karma Chains, he almost instinctively moved to activate his strongest trump card—the Heavenly Blade Calamity inscribed upon his Innate Blade Bone, which had helped him slay countless powerful enemies!

This forbidden power originating from the Innate Dao Bone was his greatest reliance for fighting those of higher ranks, and one of the trump cards that gave him the confidence to defy and strike down powerful foes.

In this desperate situation, performing this technique seemed to be the only choice.

The sword bone hummed, and a terrifying aura that invoked heavenly might and judged all things began to condense at his fingertips. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi grew restless, as if heavenly lightning were about to gather.

However, at this critical moment—

Boom!

A flash of inspiration, like a thunderclap tearing through the mist, suddenly exploded in his mind!

No!

I can't use it!

A bone-chilling thought instantly extinguished his impulse to activate the Heavenly Blade Calamity.

The Golden Core Ye Feng wanted to condense today was named the ‘Karma Retribution Golden Core’!

The core of this core was the word ‘Karma’!

And what was the largest, most fundamental source of Karma between him and Ye Feng?

It was precisely this ‘Innate Blade Bone’!

His Innate Blade Bone did indeed originate from Ye Feng, and he had relied on this Innate Blade Bone to make a great name for himself in the Southern Region. This ‘fruit’ was built upon Ye Feng’s ‘cause’!

If he used the Heavenly Blade Calamity to deal with him now... Xu Yuan’s heart instantly sank to the bottom, and cold sweat drenched his back.

Wouldn't that be playing right into his hands?!

This would be no different from personally and proactively delivering this most deeply entangled core Karma to the opponent!

With the methods of a Golden Core True Person who sought to condense a Human Destiny Golden Core on the Karma side, it was entirely possible for him to instantly absorb and transform this ultimate Karma power—which contained the conflict between ‘plunderer’ and ‘original owner’—into the most critical and violent ‘ firewood’ for re-condensing his Golden Core!

Not only would it be ineffective, but it might even become the final push to help him return to the Golden Core stage!