Luo Qingxin was beyond furious now. Power surged from her, and the temperature around her plummeted.
Ice began to spread from where she stood, quickly covering the ground in a thin, frosty layer.
"Let her go," she spat through gritted teeth, her voice icy and controlled.
Lu Ziming sneered dismissively. "You really overestimate yourself. You're just a fourth-tier psychic. Even if all of you rush at me, you won't even touch a hair on my head."
He paused, his eyes glinting with contempt. "And here's some advice—don't even think about attacking. Spiritual Energy is for making money. Fighting in the Land Between is the stupidest thing you could do. Win, and you'll still lose Spiritual Energy. Lose, and you'll lose even more."
Lu Ziming shrugged. "If you're wondering why I haven't attacked you yet, it's because I don't want to waste too much Spiritual Energy. That would leave me with less to earn."
He leaned in slightly, enjoying the tension. "There's an unwritten rule in the Land Between. You don't kill others easily because we all have a common goal—leaving this place. The more of us there are, the more efficiently we can make money together."
"I said, let her go!" Luo Qingxin's voice dropped to a deadly chill, carrying an unyielding threat.
Lu Ziming shook his head with a sigh. "After all these years, you're still the same. Nothing's changed. Maybe you want to die, but your teammates don't.
"Maybe you think you can win, but have you thought this through? Even if you manage to beat me, how much Spiritual Energy will you have left? How many of you will be injured or dead?
"After that, you'll be forced to sell your Spiritual Energy just to survive, and you still won't have enough to recover."
He continued, his tone cool and calculated. "By the time you've healed, how much Spiritual Energy will you have left? Once you drop to the third tier, the Grey Fog will overwhelm you. You won't even be able to leave the inn, let alone fight Specters. You'll be stuck, waiting to die."
His words hit hard. Even Luo Qingxin's face darkened with grim realization.
"Qingxin, today Ifm teaching you one last lesson. You have to see things for what they are. Don't let your anger cloud your judgment, or you'll doom everyone. Think carefully—on one side, you have teammates who will live or die with you. On the other, a poor woman you've never met. Who will you choose?"
The weight of his words hung in the air, and the tension in the group thickened.
Even those who had been so certain of their resolve couldn't help questioning their next move.
What Lu Ziming said made sense. Even if they managed to defeat him, it would come at a heavy cost—loss of Spiritual Energy, possible injuries, and potentially death.
In the Land Between, a serious injury could mean a swift fall to the third tier, where survival was nearly impossible. The idea of selling their Spiritual Energy just to stay alive was a grim reality they had all hoped to avoid.
Now they understood why, despite being a fifth-tier psychic, Lu Ziming didn't simply attack. Even he knew the cost of a fight in this place.
Killing them all might solve his immediate problem, but it would waste precious resources and put him at odds with Whitestone's unspoken rules, which would only bring more trouble than it was worth.
The group fell into a tense silence, caught in the difficult decision before them.
After a long pause, Luo Qingxin's murderous intent began to fade. The cold around her slowly dissipated, and the temperature returned to normal.
"Lu Ziming, I won't give up. If I can't kill you today, I'll kill you tomorrow. Sooner or later, I will kill you with my own hands." Her voice was resolute, though a quiet fury burned in her eyes.
Li Xiaoru, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. "This is the last time I'll ever call you Chief Commander. From now on, we're done."
He spoke with finality, and in a symbolic gesture of severing ties, he drew a knife and slashed through his own robe.
The fabric ripped with a sharp sound, as if cutting his past—and everything tied to it—completely in two.
Xiong Tianguang didn't say a word, but the fire in his eyes was unmistakable, a blazing rage far stronger than the frustration he had felt during games.
"Xiu, let's go," Li Xiaoru said, her voice low but firm.
They were all disgusted by Lu Ziming. Even if it meant death, they refused to step into his filthy shed or hand over a single Spirit Money bill.
Fang Xiu remained silent, his eyes scanning Yang Ming, who had been oddly quiet.
Something was off about Yang Ming. It was as though he wasn't even standing there—like he didn't exist, blending perfectly with the surroundings.
He stood completely still, like a statue, his face almost emotionless.
But the deeper the calm, the more suffocating and overwhelming the undercurrent became.
"Yang… Yang Ming?" Li Xiaoru called out cautiously, sensing the change.
Yet Yang Ming didn't respond. His gaze remained fixed on Lu Ziming, intense and unwavering, as if something was awakening inside him.
Lu Ziming chuckled mockingly. "Right now, you despise me, you hate me, but in time, you'll all become just like me. Trust me, that day is coming soon."
Suddenly, Yang Ming spoke. His voice was distant and emotionless, as if he were an entirely different person.
"Xiu, can I kill him?" His words were cold and precise, reverberating through the air.
Lu Ziming froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. "You? Kill me? Are you listening to yourself? An early fourth-tier psychic? And how are you going to do that?"
Despite the mockery, Yang Ming's expression didn't shift. He was waiting—waiting for Fang Xiu's response.
Fang Xiu's lips curved into a small, knowing smile.
He understood why Yang Ming was asking.
It wasn't whether Yang Ming could win the fight. It was about the consequences. He wasn't worried about his own life or death, only whether his actions might harm everyone else.
Yang Ming was waiting for Fang Xiu to tell him if there would be irreversible repercussions.
Would there be dangers down the line?
Fang Xiu's voice was calm, unwavering. "You can do it."
His tone was steady, indifferent, as if the presence of a fifth-tier psychic meant nothing at all.
Lu Ziming couldn't contain his laughter. The absurdity of it all—two low-tier psychics discussing killing a fifth-tier expert—was almost too much.
Suddenly, Yang Ming's gaze was filled with pure malice, his eyes like ice, burning with murderous intent.
Luo Qingxin, who had been about to leave, paused and slowly turned toward Lu Ziming.
"Hahaha... You fools don't know your place..." Lu Ziming's laughter faltered as the scene shifted dramatically.
"Domain Activated. I Am Domain!"
A burst of golden light erupted around Yang Ming, blinding and brilliant, gathering at his feet like a storm.
For a moment, Yang Ming looked like a god descending from the heavens. He became a streak of golden lightning, charging straight for Lu Ziming.
CLANG!
The sound of metal colliding rang out, deafening and sharp.
Lu Ziming snarled as he raised his sword to block the attack. Brilliant Mindflare clashed with golden light, sending shockwaves through the air.
"I'm really curious," Lu Ziming sneered. "How can you be so stupid? Thinking you can kill me?"
"What makes you think I can't?" Yang Ming's voice was cold, cutting like a blade.
In that instant, multiple Domains flared to life, their Spiritual Energy bursting forth with wild intensity.
Luo Qingxin: "Domain Activated. Frozen Zone!"
Li Xiaoru: "Domain Activated. Infinite Conflict!"
Xiong Tianguang: "Domain Activated. Summoner's Rift!"
Xiao Chuxia, murmuring to herself: "I am an Enhancer. I am an Enhancer. Everyone... enhance!"
The eruption of Domain power nearly tore the fabric of reality itself.
Lu Ziming's expression darkened immediately.
"You crazy fools!" he roared. "It's almost dark, and you can't even scrape together ten thousand Spirit Money bills, yet you want to kill me? Don't you know that if you exhaust too much Spiritual Energy, you'll die?"
"Just kill him. No need to overthink it," Fang Xiu's calm voice rang out once again. As he spoke, his hands came together in a prayer gesture, and an immense surge of Spiritual Energy flooded his body. "Pain Manifestation—The Corpse Lake!"