Cyrus Flame's expression calmed, as if all traces of anger had vanished. He didn't bother to negotiate any terms with Moira Song, for he knew that she would never let him go.
"Sevenfold King, you've reigned over the Realm of Sevenfold Rebirth for so many years. Every soul that arrives here must heed your will. But the friends who come to this place, their lives are far too miserable. They risk everything for you, yet you are so stingy that you won't even spare a drop of Chaotic Magma. I hope that under my rule, everyone in the Realm of Sevenfold Rebirth can fully restore their bodies..."
Moira Song paused here and deliberately smiled at Bianna Poe, who stood off to the side. "Sister Poe, to be honest, even though we say there's a sliver of hope here, that hope is actually illusory. We cannot reincarnate, nor can we enjoy the Dao like ordinary cultivators. That's why I hope you'll help me strengthen our Realm of Sevenfold Rebirth, so that everyone who comes here will have a place to call home, and a chance to restore their physical bodies."
Bianna Poe smiled faintly, saying nothing, though she was full of disdain inside. If Cyrus Flame had said this, it might be barely believable. But coming from Moira Song, it was laughable. She'd sooner believe a dog wouldn't eat dung than trust a single word out of Moira Song's mouth.
At this moment, she awakened from her dream of fully restoring her body, seeing through everything more clearly than anyone.
Moira Song seemed unconcerned by Bianna Poe's silence. Instead, she turned to Cyrus Flame and said, "Sevenfold King, I won't kill you. I'll even give you a place in the Realm of Sevenfold Rebirth. All I ask is for one thing from you. I won't say what it is—you should know."
The Sevenfold King chuckled, "Moira Song, as you just said, it's one thing to trust a viper once. But if I trusted a viper a second time, I'd be worse than a pig..."
With those words, the Sevenfold King charged into the Chaotic Magma without hesitation.
Before Moira Song appeared, the person he hated most was Joe Di. Joe Di had split his body in half, leaving him gravely wounded. Yet now, he'd rather fall into Joe Di's hands than Moira Song's.
If Joe Di killed him, at least it was between enemies with no ties. But Moira Song was a dog he had raised—being devoured by his own dog was worse than being killed by his foe. Or perhaps, by plunging into the Chaotic Magma, he wouldn't need anyone to lift a finger; the terrifying heat of the magma would reduce him to ashes instantly.
Moira Song hadn't expected the Sevenfold King to be so resolute—he'd rather charge into the Chaotic Magma than make a deal with her.
Bianna Poe was just as surprised. She'd thought the Sevenfold King would swallow his pride and hand over the item to Moira Song. She never expected him to rush into the Chaotic Magma.
Moira Song turned to Bianna Poe, "Sister Poe, join forces with me. Together, we can bring new vitality to the Realm of Sevenfold Rebirth."
Bianna Poe replied coolly, "I won't work with you. Once the Chaotic Magma dissipates, I'll leave the Central Nexus."
To cooperate with Moira Song would be beneath Bianna Poe. The Sevenfold King's fate was a cautionary tale—if she didn't learn from it, she'd have only herself to blame.
With her strength, even if she refused to work with Moira Song, there was nothing he could do to her.
Sure enough, when Moira Song heard Bianna Poe's response, he could only smile and say no more. Whatever he was thinking, perhaps only he knew.
......
As soon as the Sevenfold King Cyrus Flame rushed into the Cycle Resonance cultivated by Joe Di and his companions, he stopped in astonishment. The terrifying heat of the Chaotic Magma he’d expected was nowhere to be found—in other words, he hadn’t been reduced to nothing by the magma.
Floating in the void before him was a pearl flickering with thunderlight. Endless chaotic energy from the Chaotic Magma was being stripped away and drawn into this Thunder Pearl. As the chaotic essence permeated the pearl, its aura grew ever stronger.
Cyrus Flame had survived countless years in the Realm of Sevenfold Rebirth. With a glance, he could tell that a soul inside the Thunder Pearl was rapidly recovering.
At the same time, he looked at Shelby Young. Shelby Young's cultivation was already at the late Genesis Realm, just a step away from entering the Prime Realm.
"Not bad—you were betrayed, yet you dared to flee to my domain." A cool voice interrupted Cyrus Flame's thoughts.
Cyrus Flame immediately saw Joe Di, who was looking at him with a calm expression.
Joe Di was naturally composed. Having sensed the Dao resonance cultivated by Emily Ye, he gained new insights and used the Chaotic Magma to advance to the mid Genesis Realm. He was still elated at his breakthrough, and hadn't expected the Sevenfold King to have the resolve to risk everything and flee into his grand array at this moment.
With one look at Joe Di, Cyrus Flame knew he was the young man who had gravely wounded him before.
Just seeing Joe Di, Cyrus Flame realized how far he lagged behind. Even uninjured, he might not be able to defeat Joe Di. With his former Dao Fusion Realm power, he couldn't even discern Joe Di's true cultivation. Moreover, the surging resonance around Joe Di was so vast that even without taking action, his aura could crush Cyrus Flame.
"Cyrus Flame greets you, fellow Daoist. Though I don't know why you attacked me, I admit this is my defeat." Cyrus Flame was deeply shaken. He hadn't expected Joe Di to know about Moira Song's betrayal—if Joe Di was aware of the deadly array he'd set up outside, what else might this young man know?
Joe Di sneered, "You bound my friend to the edge of the Chaotic Magma Lake and forced her to flee into the magma. Do you really need to ask why I attacked you?"
Cyrus Flame's heart skipped a beat—the thing he feared most in fleeing into the Chaotic Magma had happened. He'd dreaded that Joe Di and Charlotte Ling were friends, and now, it was confirmed.
"I'm very sorry—I truly didn't know she was your friend." Cyrus Flame had no idea how to explain himself to Joe Di, and he knew any explanation would be meaningless. With the situation so lopsided, if Joe Di wanted to kill him, all he could do was put up a token resistance before accepting his fate.
(This chapter isn't finished yet~.~ Please click 'Next Page' to continue reading the rest!)
"What puzzles me is, after spending so long setting up Deathtrap Arrays outside, why didn't you use them against the one who betrayed you? Why flee into my hands instead?" Joe Di asked, a little surprised.
"You really do know I set up Deathtrap Arrays outside?" Cyrus Flame suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He even thought himself rather foolish—pouring effort into those arrays while the person he wanted to defeat watched him like a clown.
Joe Di chuckled, "You think your arraycraft could deal with me? I'd have been ground to dust ages ago. A mere sixth-grade Radiant Lake Divine Deathtrap Array, and you had to borrow someone else's array foundation to set it up. Honestly, it didn't impress me at all."
Cyrus Flame's heart sank at Joe Di's words, and he gave up any thought of resistance. He bowed deeply to Joe Di. "Fellow Daoist, in both cultivation and arraycraft, you far surpass me. If you think I still have any use, please spare my life. I will do everything in my power to help you—even help you leave the Realm of Sevenfold Rebirth. If you think I'm useless, then kill me. I don't expect to enter the Cycle of Rebirth anymore."
Joe Di looked at Cyrus Flame in surprise. He hadn't expected the man to be so forthright, speaking without any pretense.
That suited Joe Di just fine—he disliked people who acted tough without any real cards to play.
"Good, I like what I'm hearing. My name is Joe Di. I'll ask you a few questions. If you answer well, I don't mind sparing you, and may even let you restore your cultivation and body here." Joe Di said calmly.
Hearing Joe Di's last words, Cyrus Flame was so excited he nearly trembled. Even as the Sevenfold King, he'd never had the right to sit atop the Chaotic Magma and recover his body and cultivation. That Joe Di would allow this was beyond his wildest dreams.
If he'd known this chance existed, he might have surrendered to Joe Di long ago.
(Hope all goes well tomorrow. Good night!)