Chapter 28: Level Up!

Endless thunder crashed down, yet that single strand of energy blocked all the lightning. There was no mighty burst of power, no sound at all; the sea of thunder vanished without a trace.

Zhou Zhan saw that thread of energy and his pupils contracted, but the sensation of his body blurring grew even stronger, as if he might disappear at any moment.

"I never expected you to reach this stage..."

The Holy Demon withdrew from that strange state, allowing the Demon to take control once more. Hearing Zhou Zhan's words, a bizarre smile appeared on his face.

"A thousand years have passed; I can't remain stagnant forever."

Zhou Zhan's figure grew even more indistinct, his features almost impossible to discern. He glanced at the divine dragon, whose body was nearly entirely corroded into blackness, and spoke in a deep voice:

"Demon, today I cannot stop you, but if you continue to target Zhou Tian, even if you break through to that realm, you will not escape the Zhou family's relentless pursuit!"

With those words, Zhou Zhan vanished from the spot. The Demon stood silent for a moment. A jet-black beam soared from his hand, striking the golden eye high in the sky.

Boom!

The great eye exploded, turning into a rain of light and fading into the void. Only then did the Demon speak slowly:

"Compared to the Zhou family's pursuit, I'd rather not go on living in this state..."

He turned toward the altar, where "Zhou Tian" floated at the heart of the white lotus. A slender black needle slowly pierced "Zhou Tian's" forehead, endless dark light radiating outward. The illusory figure of "Zhou Tian" shattered...

Ancestral land of the Zhou family...

In the void, Zhou Zhan's figure shuddered and finally became solid. His expression was grim. He wiped a faint trace of golden blood from his lips and spoke in a low voice:

"To the Prince of Qin's mansion!"

...

Prince of Qin's mansion, in the reception hall.

Zhou Tian sat helplessly, listening to Zhou Zui, who was enthusiastically discussing strategies for winning a woman's heart. After all this talk, it could be summed up in two words:

Spend money!

Zhou Tian was resigned. For those women of the brothels, of course spending money worked. He bore no prejudice against them; earning money by one's own skills, with mutual consent, was nothing to criticize.

The key issue was that this fellow treated such tactics as some sort of secret, not to be shared.

Unable to endure it any longer, Zhou Tian spoke up:

"I..."

He had barely uttered a single word when everything went black and he slid from his chair to the floor.

Within the log panel of the Undying System, lines of text flashed rapidly:

"Host has suffered a soul attack!"

"Host has died!"

"Undying System activated!"

"Host has been revived!"

"Death count increased by one!"

...

"Big brother! Big brother, are you alright? Don’t scare me! I just came to chat with you, how could you just die like this..."

Zhou Zui’s face was deathly pale. He crouched beside Zhou Tian. No matter how he checked, Zhou Tian’s vital signs had utterly vanished—Zhou Tian was dead.

A flash of golden light, and Elder Zhan, Zhou Yi, and Emperor Qin appeared. Seeing them, Zhou Zui's face turned even paler. He pointed at Zhou Tian, then at himself, opened his mouth, but couldn't get a word out.

Not my fault? There are only two people here. Zhou Tian died suddenly, if it isn't your fault, whose fault could it be?

Even Zhou Zui himself didn't believe it. He foresaw the rest of his life spent in the clan's prison.

Just as Zhou Zui was plunged into despair, Zhou Tian suddenly uttered a series of soft whimpers. Zhou Zui stared in disbelief as Zhou Tian—whose soul aura had vanished entirely—stood up clutching his backside, muttering,

"What happened? Why does my butt hurt so much!"

"Ahh..."

Zhou Zui’s emotions soared and crashed like a rollercoaster. Tears welled up as he hugged Zhou Tian and wept, warming Zhou Tian’s heart. He hadn’t expected Zhou Zui to care so deeply for him, to be so moved by his revival.

As he came back to life, Zhou Tian had already seen the log in the Undying System, recording his death—just like last time, a soul attack.

"Tian’er, are you alright?"

Zhou Yi stepped forward, pushing away the fawning Zhou Zui and asking Zhou Tian.

"I'm fine! What could happen to me?"

Zhou Tian pretended nothing had occurred. His death had lasted only an instant, and only Zhou Zui had detected the disappearance of his vital signs. By the time Zhou Zhan and the others arrived, Zhou Tian had already revived. The soul lamp that could track his life state was gone, so the three newcomers didn't know Zhou Tian had actually died just moments ago.

Zhou Zhan frowned slightly. Could it be the Holy Demon had heeded his warning and refrained from acting?

...

Elsewhere, just after the soul projection of "Zhou Tian" vanished, the Demon smiled. Yet seeing the two black-robed figures beside him still grim-faced, he asked curiously,

"We succeeded... Why aren't you happy?"

One of the black-robed men explained,

"Demon, it was the same last time—yet Zhou Tian did not die."

"Oh..."

The Demon was slightly taken aback. Just then, the remaining Heavenly Blood Divine Lotus nectar in the void rippled gently. White lotuses bloomed anew, and a "Zhou Tian" soul projection appeared again at the lotus's center...

The Demon narrowed his eyes at the sight—interesting, truly interesting!

He waved his hand, demonic energy surged. The formation shattered by his battle with Zhou Zhan glowed once more, the void cracked, countless departed souls emerged. In an instant, a black needle reformed. This time, without the protection of the dragon's fate, the needle pierced "Zhou Tian's" forehead unimpeded, and once again "Zhou Tian" exploded...

But this time, they waited long, and no new "Zhou Tian" emerged from the Heavenly Blood Divine Lotus nectar...

...

Back at the mansion, before Zhou Tian could say a word, everything went black once again, and he collapsed to the floor.

"Host has suffered a soul attack!"

"Host has died!"

"Undying System activated!"

"No revival attempts left. Revival time postponed!"

"Death count increased by one!"

"Host has leveled up, skill point added!"

...

"Tian’er!"

Zhou Yi shouted, catching Zhou Tian. His aura surged and fluctuated, an endless sea of blood rising and falling, his presence soaring. In the imperial capital, countless experts turned their attention to the Prince of Qin's mansion, uncertain what had happened.

Zhou Zui stared in shock. In his perception, Zhou Tian had lost all vital signs once more, and he muttered,

"How did you die again!"

Instantly, three figures surrounded him. Zhou Yi, wrapped in blood energy like an ancient blood demon, his eyes glowing an eerie red, demanded,

"What do you mean, 'died again'!"

Zhou Zui swallowed nervously and stammered,

"R-reporting to all the elders... just now... Zhou Tian... died once, but... came back to life..."

Though his words came haltingly, he managed to explain briefly, terrified that Zhou Yi might tear him apart if he said too much...

"Second brother, calm yourself. Remember the time the soul lamp rekindled—there may yet be hope!"

Emperor Qin laid a hand on Zhou Yi’s shoulder, golden runes flickering, helping him steady his emotions.