From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 534 Deciphering the Broken Stele

That piercing laughter was like a poisoned steel needle, stabbing deep into the nerves that were about to reach victory.

I froze, and the chaotic spiritual power I poured into the spirit crystal and shadow crystal almost went out of control.

The tremors of the jade tablet became slightly discordant. The light of the newly emerged magic array flickered and became extremely unstable, as if it would collapse at any moment.

I looked up abruptly, my gaze piercing through the shimmering golden light, and fixed on the uninvited guest at the door.

He was dressed in a black robe, with a wide hood covering most of his face, revealing only a pale and thin chin and a pair of bloodless lips, which were curled into an extremely mocking arc.

The blood-red longsword in his hand was no ordinary weapon; its blade shimmered with a dark red light, like a blood vessel saturated with fresh blood, exuding a nauseating stench and an overwhelming, unyielding resentment.

Just standing there, he was like an abyss, ready to devour all the light and hope around him.

"Who are you? A lackey of the Netherworld Sect?" The Void Immortal was the first to react. He flashed and stood in front of me.

Despite being slightly disoriented by the Soul-Sealing Stele, his demeanor as a senior expert remained undiminished. His eyes flashed like lightning as he coldly stared at the man in black robes.

Wen Chen didn't speak, but he silently took a step to the left, forming a pincer movement with the ethereal immortal, protecting me and the Soul Sealing Stele behind him.

His hand was already on the hilt of the sword at his waist, his eyes calm as still water, yet concealing a deadly vortex.

Zi Ling turned pale with fright, but she did not back down. Instead, she tightly gripped a defensive talisman and stood to my right, using her body to separate me from the dangerous man.

"Lackey?" The man in black robes chuckled, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together. "What a naive title. I'm just a spectator here to witness the cycle of fate, and incidentally, to take away an overconfident 'sacrifice'."

His gaze passed over the ethereal immortal's shoulder and landed precisely on me. His eyes were cold and empty, yet they carried a strange familiarity, as if he had seen countless people like me and witnessed the fate of all of us.

“Scapegoat…sacrifice…” My heart skipped a beat; the meaning behind his words coincided with the thought that was already in my mind.

Could it be that before me, many so-called "destined people" had tried to activate the Reverse Fate Array, only to fail and meet a tragic end?

“You’re wavering.” The man in black robes seemed to see right through me, his smile widening. “Looks like you’ve figured it out too. ‘The chosen one’? What a ridiculous and cruel lie. The last one who called himself that has bones colder than the stones on this ground. You think you’re special? No, you’re just like them, merely stones paving the way for the real ‘that person.’ Your sacrifices, your struggles, even your self-righteous enlightenment, are nothing more than pawns destined to be discarded on the chessboard of fate.”

His words were like a bucket of ice water poured over my head.

I felt a chill run down my spine, not from his murderous aura, but from the despairing realism in his words.

Yes, if controlling the Reverse Fate Array is so simple, why has the threat from the Void Realm persisted until now?

If I am the only solution, why did the Netherworld Sect only send people to obstruct me instead of launching a full-scale attack to nip me in the bud at all costs?

Perhaps they aren't afraid of me activating the magic circle at all.

What they fear is that once the magic circle is activated, it will unleash the real "variable" that could change everything, and I am merely the key to unlocking it all.

A key that will be discarded after use, or even devoured by fate until nothing remains.

"Shut up!" Zi Ling sensed the malicious intent in his words and couldn't help but shout angrily, "Don't even think about shaking Xiao Yao's resolve! Her destiny is in her own hands, not defined by a coward like you!"

“Well said.” Wen Chen’s voice was deep and firm. “If fate were already predetermined, why would the Netherworld Sect go to such lengths? It is precisely because the future is uncertain that they are afraid and that they send someone like you to bewitch people.”

The ethereal immortal snorted coldly, "I have cultivated for a thousand years and have seen countless self-proclaimed seers of the heavens. In the end, they all became dust in the world. Little girl, don't be fooled by him. Guard your mind and fulfill your mission! We are here!"

My companions' support was like a warm current, instantly dispelling the chill in my heart.

I took a deep breath, and my chaotic thoughts cleared up again.

Yes, they are right.

The man in the black robe may be telling the truth; the road ahead may indeed be fraught with sacrifice and traps.

But what about that?

That memory resurfaced in my mind: the woman in white, amidst the sorrow of thousands of her comrades falling behind her, resolutely holding the twin crystals, drawing lines to seal the heavens and earth.

Her eyes held no confusion, no fear, only unwavering resolve to protect.

Didn't she know she might die?

Did she not know that she might just be one of countless victims?

She knew. But she did it anyway.

Because some things always have to be done by someone.

She wasn't a scapegoat; she was a protector. And so am I.

Having figured this out, the last trace of wavering in my eyes vanished, replaced by an unprecedented firmness.

I looked at the man in black robes and spoke slowly, each word distinct, yet clearly echoing throughout the stone chamber: "Are you finished?"

The man in the black robe seemed surprised that I could escape his verbal trap so quickly; a hint of astonishment flashed in his eyes beneath his hood.

I ignored him and instead focused all my attention back on connecting with the Soul Sealing Stele.

Instead of stopping, I poured even more chaotic spiritual energy into the twin crystals without reservation.

Since he's a visitor, I'll show him how this "chess piece" can overturn the entire chessboard!

"Om-!"

As I frantically poured my spiritual power into it, the light of the originally crumbling magic array instantly surged, illuminating the entire stone chamber as bright as day.

Pale golden runes outlined and connected in the air at an unprecedented speed, forming an extremely mysterious pattern.

The cracks on the Soul Sealing Stele were no longer a symbol of shattering, but rather became a river of flowing golden light, exuding an ancient and majestic aura, as if a giant that had been sleeping for ten thousand years was awakening.

"You're courting death." The black-robed man's voice turned completely cold, devoid of any mockery.

He seemed to realize that verbal attacks were no longer effective against me, so all that was left was the most direct approach.

He said nothing more, but slowly lifted his foot.

With just one step, the air in the entire stone chamber seemed to be sucked out, and the malevolent aura mixed with blood and resentment transformed into tangible pressure, crushing me from all directions.

Both the ethereal immortal and Wen Chen let out a muffled groan, clearly feeling the immense impact of the enormous pressure.

The light of the magic array that was about to take shape behind me also began to hum under the impact of this malevolent energy.