Chapter Seventy-Four: A Bloom in a Single Thought—Chaos in the World of the Pagoda!

The Death Row Paradise was divided into two main sections. Above ground, twelve buildings together formed a gigantic bat-shaped structure. Below the surface, an even larger bat-shaped complex was built, reminiscent of a bat hanging upside-down from a tree. Its wings, half-unfurled and half-folded, stretched deep into the earth, resembling the letter M and extending throughout the subterranean expanse of Death Row Paradise.

This was the legendary Thirteenth Building—Building M.

The minimum requirement for entry here was S-rank.

At the deepest part of Building M, within the throat of the inverted bat structure, the passage plunged into the Earth's crust. The temperature dropped sharply, and the granite was laced with countless tiny crystalline granules. Deeper still, the world was made almost entirely of vast, natural mica crystals. The view was otherworldly, dreamlike, and pure, stretching endlessly.

Gurgle… gurgle… gurgle…

In the empty chasm between colossal mica pillars, a sparkling crystal orb rolled forth. Moments later, another crystal orb the size of a basketball slowly emerged into view.

This place was a sea of crystal orbs! Countless spheres of varying sizes and colors nearly carpeted the space between the mica columns. In the world above, a thumb-sized crystal would fetch a fortune, yet here, these treasures formed a dazzling palace of wonders. One could only imagine the status of the person who called this place home.

Yet in the very heart of this crystal sea, only three figures could be seen.

One of them was about the same age as Mu You. His head was shaven, every hair on his body shed, his appearance and build somewhere between male and female—exceedingly gaunt, his bloodless skin crisscrossed with centipede-shaped scars; some nearly healed, some still raw and bleeding.

He lay sprawled atop a waist-high crystal orb, his head tilted back along its curve. The youth gazed at his own reflection in another crystal orb, lifting his right eyelid with a silver needle and humming a tune as he stitched it together. Then, drawing out a blood-soaked thread from the other side, he squinted in pleasure at the stinging pain.

"White Child, I thirst. Two parts Original Sin's Blood, one part Earth Marrow Milk. Fetch it for me."

Kneeling at his feet were a man and a woman, both death row inmates. Neither bore the mark of Final Punishment, but their bodies were adorned with unique tattoos. One’s eyes were black as ink, the other's pure white as snow.

Both now bowed at the youth’s feet, reverently lifting his dark purple toenails to their lips in a gesture of utmost submission.

"White Child?"

The youth, displeased at the woman’s delay, raised his foot and kicked her before him.

She slowly closed her pale lashes, her breath ceased, and her body began to cool.

"Dead? She was an SS-ranked convict, and barely lasted as my precious vessel? Looks like I'll have to go hunting again. But if I keep capturing SS-ranked inmates, that old monster Mo Han won't be pleased..."

Slightly surprised, the youth examined her, then sighed helplessly. Grabbing the girl's body, he bit down hard on her skull and ripped it open, exposing her brain as casually as if he were eating melon. With a slurp, a nearly golden Meridian Soulworm burst forth from the shattered brain.

"Still only at the peak of the Vassal stage? Not even the essence of an SS-ranked inmate can push you to the next threshold? No matter, the longer you stagnate, the more I look forward to your power when you finally break through to King rank!"

With that, he slurped the Soulworm into his mouth like a strand of noodles, his gaze suddenly drawn upward, as if sensing something.

"And you think you can speak my name? How I'd love to ravage a fresh soul... Hm? Someone else can manipulate time? Shame it's a man, and so weak. Otherwise, you'd be my next vessel."

As he spoke, the youth flicked his silver needle, sending it straight into the corpse’s skull. A blossom of blood bloomed at her forehead. The needle, carrying the body, shot backward, crashing through four massive mica pillars before piercing clear through the subterranean world and slamming into the distant barrier wall, disappearing into the depths.

With a thunderous crash, the four mica pillars shattered at last.

...

More and more attacks followed as the crimson lotus soared skyward, encircling it like stars around the moon. Mu You, arms raised, exerted all his strength to control the blood and the lotus. Only when it radiated an aura of flawless perfection did the corners of his lips curl in satisfaction.

Say I'm not the strongest? I'll show you—let's see who here can match my ultimate technique! No one can upstage me now!

"The strongest fighter in Building A is just a kid? What's wrong with that old fox Yan Zang? Showing off? Hmph, I don't play that game!"

The speaker was Lin Leng, leader of Building C. He had intended to direct everyone's attacks toward the C Building observation deck, but Mu You had thrown all his plans into disarray.

Colorless blood gathered on Lin Leng’s left arm, forming a meter-long Frost Wyvern Bow. His right hand drew a transparent dragon-tail arrow across the string, aiming straight at Mu You’s back.

Sensing danger, Mu You spun to glare coldly at Lin Leng, golden flames swirling round his hands in an open challenge.

"Oh?"

Lin Leng responded by baring the Frost Wyvern Bow’s fanged maw, loosing a chilling arrow that shot toward Mu You with the force of a thousand tons. At the same time, at least five similarly powerful attacks from various buildings converged on Mu You. If he failed to block them, the onslaught would consume him and blast his corpse into the A Building observation deck.

“Hmph!” Mu You’s smile grew even colder. The crimson lotus instantly swelled, shielding him as he unleashed his greatest technique:

"One Thought Blossom—Tower of Chaos!"

The lotus burst open, radiating dazzling golden-red light. It intercepted all six attacks, holding firm for a heartbeat before snapping shut, compressing rapidly back into Mu You’s hands.

Feeling the condensed power of the lotus, even Mu You’s heart trembled—now shot through with so many energies it glowed in a blur of color, the very air shimmering with its intensity. If this thing exploded, he would be reduced to ashes in a heartbeat.

Lin Leng and the others were dumbstruck. When Mu You turned his gaze upon them with ill intent, they recoiled, grinning sheepishly in defeat.

No way—if he throws that thing, at least a third of us are dead!

"Hey!"

Mu You bellowed at Lin Leng.

"Ah!!"

Lin Leng yelped and bolted without a second thought. Mu You, too busy to gloat, hastily hurled the ticking time bomb toward the observation deck.

If he didn’t throw it, he’d be the one blown to bits! The lotus in his hands was beyond terrifying!

"Down!" Mu You shouted, diving as he warned everyone else. The crowd scrambled to obey, but amid the chaos, a figure moved with impossible speed to stand before Mu You. He only glimpsed the man’s feet before a cataclysmic explosion erupted behind him.

Mu You and the others clapped hands to ears and squeezed their eyes shut, but the expected wave of searing heat never came. Daring to look up, Mu You saw that the blast—even more fearsome than he’d imagined—had been entirely contained within a seven-colored aura, not a trace of energy escaping.

What speed! What mastery! This man was not among the eight instructors—so who was he?

"Swastika Calamity: Absolute Dominion."

The long-haired man, his face calm, extended a finger in the air and spoke with absolute composure, devoid of emotion.