Death… And Me

Chapter 4347: Elimination

Ranka and Nazzun kept running as fast as they could, completely ignoring the injuries covering their bodies. Unfortunately, determination alone couldn’t change reality. Their wounds remained severe, and the Godly Energy flowing through their meridians remained chaotic after everything that had happened.

Every circulation cycle brought pain, while every attempt to force more power out of their bodies only aggravated their condition. As a result, both had already lost at least half of their normal speed, and it would take quite some time before they recovered enough to return to their peak condition.

Yet neither of them dared to slow down.

They knew very well that the moment they stopped, their fate would be sealed.

*Frummm!*

Suddenly, an enormous pressure descended from above.

The two Godly Colossi nearly lost control of their flight as the terrifying aura crashed onto their bodies. It felt as if an entire world had been dropped onto their shoulders, forcing their movements to become sluggish and unstable. Their hearts immediately sank.

Then they looked behind.

Fear instantly filled their minds.

A ray of golden light was rapidly approaching from the distance.

The sight alone was enough to make their scalps go numb. The golden ray seemed to tear through space and time as it advanced, leaving visible distortions in its wake. Space folded around it, while countless ripples spread through the surrounding environment. Even from so far away, the pressure it released was overwhelming.

The two Godly Colossi immediately pushed themselves harder, desperately trying to increase their speed despite their injuries. Unfortunately, the pressure behind them only grew stronger with every passing second. Their movements became heavier, their circulation grew more unstable, and the speed they had worked so hard to maintain gradually began to fall.

At that moment, both of them understood the same thing.

There was no escaping.

Sooner or later, they would be caught.

And once that happened, death would likely be the best outcome they could hope for.

Ranka glanced at Nazzun, his expression turning dark for a brief moment.

Then he closed his eyes.

Only for a split second.

Yet during that instant, his senses entered Nazzun’s body.

Deep inside, hidden among countless energy pathways, was a tiny concentration of Godly Energy. It was carefully concealed and practically impossible to detect unless someone specifically searched for it. The moment Ranka located it, a simple mental command was enough to activate it.

*ARRGGHHH!*

Nazzun immediately screamed in pain.

His body shook violently as the hidden energy suddenly erupted inside him. Since his internal condition was already unstable, the unexpected interference instantly threw his entire circulation into chaos. Combined with the pressure coming from behind, it became too much for him to endure.

His flight broke apart.

A moment later, he crashed toward the ground.

Only then did Nazzun realize what had happened.

When Ranka used the Power-Link earlier, he had indeed transferred part of his Godly Energy into Nazzun’s body to help him. At the time, Nazzun never considered that anything could be wrong with that action. However, Ranka had always been cautious. The moment he realized that cultivators from this region of the Celestial Plane might directly interfere, he began preparing for the possibility that things could go wrong.

That hidden energy was the result of that preparation.

From the very beginning, Ranka had left behind a contingency plan.

If everything went well and they escaped, the hidden energy would naturally dissipate after a few hours. Nazzun would never discover its existence. However, if the situation became hopeless, that tiny fragment of energy would become a weapon.

A weapon aimed directly at his ally.

In other words, from the very start, Ranka had already decided that if sacrifices became necessary, Nazzun would be the one left behind.

Naturally, Ranka didn’t stop there.

The moment Nazzun lost control, Ranka bit down hard on his tongue.

A mouthful of golden-red blood spread throughout his body, instantly releasing an astonishing amount of energy. Crimson light surged from every pore as the bloodline power hidden inside his body erupted into action.

The amount of energy released was incredible.

His aura skyrocketed.

His speed soared.

’Crimson Path!’

The Blood Seraphin wings on his back immediately turned crimson. Countless scarlet runes spread across the feathers, causing the wings to shine intensely. In the next instant, Ranka transformed into a streak of red light that shot toward the horizon.

The technique wasn’t designed for battle.

It wasn’t meant to increase combat strength or improve defenses.

Its sole purpose was escape.

Absolute escape.

As long as the user could survive the activation process, Crimson Path would allow them to unleash speed that far exceeded their normal limits.

The price, however, was equally terrifying.

Once the effects ended, Ranka would be left severely weakened. Even after recovering from the immediate backlash, he would struggle to utilize ten percent of his full power for several decades.

Such a price would be unacceptable under normal circumstances.

Compared to death, however, it was a bargain.

"RANKAAAAAAAAA!"

Nazzun’s furious roar echoed across the sky.

The hatred contained in that voice was enough to make anyone shiver.

He wasn’t an idiot.

The moment the hidden energy erupted inside his body, he had connected all the pieces together.

The Power-Link.

The assistance.

The hidden energy.

The timing.

The betrayal.

Everything suddenly made sense.

Unfortunately, understanding the truth didn’t help him anymore. Ranka was already disappearing into the distance. Even if Nazzun somehow survived, he would never catch up. More importantly, survival was no longer an option.

The golden light behind him arrived almost instantly.

The ray halted above him.

Then it changed shape.

The golden radiance condensed into the silhouette of a man.

The strange thing was that the figure didn’t possess a true physical body. Instead, it resembled a projection created from pure energy. Even so, the pressure released by the projection alone made the surrounding space tremble.

The man’s gaze landed on Nazzun.

His eyes contained nothing but cold disdain. "Hmph! You pieces of shit think you can do whatever you want, huh?" the projection said.

Golden energy immediately gathered in his hand.

More.

And more.

And more.

Within moments, a miniature golden sun floated above his palm. The surrounding space warped violently under its influence, while frightening fluctuations spread in every direction.

Nazzun’s face turned pale.

For the first time in countless years, genuine despair filled his heart.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" he shouted desperately. "I’ll do anything! I can even become your slave!"

Unfortunately for him, the projection had no intention of listening.

Whether Nazzun had reasons or excuses didn’t matter.

The damage had already been done.

The miniature sun descended like divine judgment.

It struck Nazzun before he could say another word.

*KABUM!*

The resulting explosion illuminated the entire region.

Blinding light spread in all directions, swallowing mountains, valleys, forests, and clouds alike. The shockwave that followed traveled tens of thousands of kilometers across the land.

The ground cracked.

Mountains collapsed.

Rivers changed course.

The earthquake generated by the attack spread throughout the surrounding territories.

For a brief moment, it looked less like a cultivator’s attack and more like the detonation of a celestial weapon capable of destroying worlds.

When the light finally began to fade, a massive crater occupied the area where Nazzun had stood. The crater stretched for hundreds of kilometers, and nothing remained inside it.

Not flesh.

Not blood.

Not bones.

Not even fragments of soul.

Every trace of Nazzun’s existence had been completely erased.

The projection silently observed the destruction for a moment before turning toward the distant horizon. More specifically, toward the direction where Ranka had fled.

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly. "A Blood Seraphin, huh?"

There was a trace of annoyance in his voice.

The projection’s body flickered, and the projection narrowed his eyes. It was obvious that maintaining this avatar wasn’t easy. The previous attack had consumed a considerable amount of the energy sustaining it.

"That one will be troublesome to catch now." He looked at the distant horizon one final time. "I’ve already spent most of this temporary avatar’s energy. Those Blood Seraphins are always difficult to deal with once they decide to flee."

Then the man snorted. "Hmph! Whatever. After today’s events, I doubt any of them will dare show their faces in this area of the Celestial Plane for quite some time."

Moments later, the projection dissolved into countless particles of golden light.

The particles scattered throughout the air before disappearing completely.

If not for the gigantic crater below and the aftermath of the explosion, it would have seemed as if the man had never appeared at all.