Chapter Thirty-Four: The Pursuit of Luo Longyu

The soul-shaking roar of corpses echoed across the snow mountains, mingling with the thunder of a raging flood, as Luo Longyu, like a ferocious beast, lunged at Jiusheng. Jiusheng retreated several steps before halting, his face twisted with ferocity. His hands transformed into giant claws, demonic patterns swirling around as he charged.

With a resounding crash, Luo Longyu struck with a single punch—no ornate runes, no complex seals, just a simple, direct blow. The intent behind it was peerless, unstoppable, like an iron hammer shattering glass. The myriad demonic patterns dissolved into dust in an instant. Luo Longyu’s fist smashed into Jiusheng’s enormous claw, sending blood and bone fragments flying. Jiusheng screamed in agony as his claw was utterly broken, his right arm grotesquely twisted. Striding forward, Luo Longyu brought his palm down, slicing away half of Jiusheng’s skull. White and red splattered across the earth as he seized Jiusheng’s body, pummeling it into the ground with wild fury. Within moments, the already lifeless corpse was torn to pieces, blood gushing, gripped in Luo Longyu’s hands with savage violence.

“Jiusheng!” Yuyan cried out at the sight of Jiusheng’s brutal death, her gaze filled with grief and rage at Luo Longyu. Jiumang’s eyes burned red, hatred flaring as if he wished to tear Luo Longyu to pieces.

Even Yao Chihai, locked in fierce combat with Luo Mengxuan, turned his head at the carnage, his heart unable to calm for a long while.

Luo Longyu seemed a demon returned from the primordial age, silver light streaming from his eyes like abyssal depths, fangs protruding from his mouth, his skin dark and withered, an aura of sheer brutality swirling around him—a true fiend.

Luo Mengxuan, too, lost all desire to continue the fight. Luo Longyu’s state was dire; though the Corpse Path granted zombies divine awareness, it also made them dangerously prone to losing control. At this moment, Luo Longyu stood at the very edge.

“I’ll kill you!” Jiumang roared and leapt forward, visions swirling behind him—broken ancient walls, a shattered moon, snow swirling around as his killing intent surged forth.

With a guttural snarl, Luo Longyu charged, wild as a starving wolf. Jiumang pressed his visions down, crushing every inch of space. Luo Longyu, under immense pressure, ignited black flames from the corpse wheel behind him, its deep hum filling the air. The Slaughtering Heaven’s Nine Forms roared out, his massive blade tearing through the void, bisecting Jiumang’s vision. He drove his hand straight through Jiumang’s chest, bursting out his back with Jiumang’s still-beating heart in his grasp, hanging the mangled corpse on his arm.

Yuyan struck from behind, conjuring a short sword with her demonic arts. The blade, imbued with demonic runes, radiated brilliant divine light as she plunged it into Luo Longyu’s back. He howled in pain but did not dodge, instead twisting around to grasp Yuyan by the throat, lifting her into the air.

His eyes, silver light reversing to blood-red, the silver shrinking into twin wheels. The moment she met his gaze, Yuyan’s mind was engulfed by surging waves of agony, searing pain slicing open her sea of consciousness, flames lashing her very soul.

She screamed in torment, but it was futile. Black flames erupted from her eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth, consuming her entirely in seconds until nothing remained but ashes, swept away by the waters down the mountain.

“The Blood-Eyed Corpse Wheel… It’s the Blood-Eyed Corpse Wheel!” Luo Mengxuan first murmured in a trance, then cried out in terror.

Yao Chihai’s expression changed as well. The Blood-Eyed Corpse Wheel—a legendary weapon of the Corpse Path, killing unseen, cutting into the mind with unbearable pain, igniting the enemy’s organs from within until only ashes remained. It was a secret art of unmatched cruelty, a thousand times more agonizing than a swift death.

“If you don’t run now, you won’t live either!” Luo Mengxuan shouted desperately at Yao Chihai, whose face was stricken with fear.

Only then did Yao Chihai react. Seeing Luo Longyu advancing, Jiumang’s mangled corpse still swinging from his arm, he trembled, legs nearly giving out, stumbling backward before fleeing madly toward the base gates.

Luo Longyu’s eyes were seas of blood, poised to pursue, but Luo Mengxuan grabbed his arm, shouting hoarsely, “Luo Longyu! Wake up! Wake up—!”

Before she could finish, Luo Longyu seized her face, his blood-red eyes boring into hers. Just as Luo Mengxuan felt herself about to share Yuyan’s fate, the crimson faded from his gaze, replaced by silver. Luo Longyu shoved her away and, without hesitation, leapt after Yao Chihai—his murderous resolve clear.

Just as Luo Longyu was about to intercept Yao Chihai, a shell shot from within the base. Luo Longyu caught it, but it exploded violently, propelling him nearly a hundred meters away, his head mangled beyond recognition—a horrifying sight.

“Open fire!” The base gates opened as a squad of soldiers poured out, guns blazing. Amid the thunder of gunfire, Yao Chihai dashed into the base. Heavy machine guns from hidden bunkers roared as well. Luo Longyu made no attempt to dodge, bullets pounding him back step by step.

Another shell struck, blasting Luo Longyu off the cliff.

Just as the soldiers ceased fire and approached to confirm his death, the deep hum grew louder—Luo Longyu surged up from below, swinging a massive blade wreathed in black flames, as if to set the entire mountain ablaze.

Luo Mengxuan’s face drained of color as she rushed forward. In the nick of time, a phoenix’s cry rang out—Little Guai, transformed into a crimson phoenix, spread its wings and unleashed searing flames to meet the black fire, the two cancelling each other out. The phoenix blocked Luo Longyu’s path, preventing him from attacking the PLA soldiers—an act that, if committed, would spell his end.

But disaster followed disaster. Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the base as several figures burst forth—creatures with bloody wings, clutching something that glittered, fleeing swiftly toward the horizon. Among them was a woman in white robes.

At the sight of this woman, Luo Longyu froze—it was his mother, Xuanyuan Qianqian.

“Mother… Mother!” Luo Longyu’s voice was hoarse and shrill, but he cried out desperately, breaking past the crimson phoenix in pursuit. Yet Xuanyuan Qianqian turned with an impassive face, her eyes black as ink. With a gesture, she unleashed a seal like a mountain, knocking Luo Longyu to the ground, his corpse splitting anew.

Then, Xuanyuan Qianqian vanished into the distant sky with the other aliens.

“Mother… Mother…” Luo Longyu struggled to rise, reaching out as if to grasp her, but she was already gone.

“Luo Longyu! You’ve colluded with vampires and betrayed your country!” An angry shout rang out as Jufeng, disheveled and in tattered clothes, emerged from the base, evidently battered from battle, with three deep wounds across his chest.

“Mother…” Luo Longyu did not hear, only stared at the empty sky where Xuanyuan Qianqian had vanished, unable to understand why she had struck him so mercilessly.

Supported by Yao Chihai, Jufeng forced down his pain, surrounded by soldiers, and shouted, “Luo Longyu, your crimes are beyond redemption! You destroyed decades of national effort! You slaughtered my third squad—I’ve already reported to the Arcane Pavilion. You will not escape this time!”

Luo Longyu paid him no heed. Luo Mengxuan, however, was stunned—she knew Luo Longyu had fallen into a trap. Furious, she shouted, “Jufeng! You’re despicable!”

“Miss Luo, you’re the one blinded! Even now you let Luo Longyu deceive you—if you continue to follow him, you’ll be an enemy to all! Not even the royal clan can save you!” Jufeng’s words were chilling, his gaze severe.

Luo Longyu ignored Jufeng entirely, instead turning to Luo Mengxuan, gripping her arm, his face blank as he asked, “Mengxuan, tell me—why did my mother do this? Why? Was she controlled—yes, yes, that must be it. They took control of her body, it has to be!”

“Luo Longyu…” Luo Mengxuan grew worried, seeing how unhinged he had become.

Before she could say more, Luo Longyu collapsed, his body reverting to normal, his face deathly pale, as though he might become an ordinary corpse at any moment.

In his last conscious moment, Luo Longyu saw the anxious Luo Mengxuan shouting, “Luo Longyu! Luo Longyu!” Then, all went dark.

When Luo Longyu awoke again, he found himself lying among a pile of rocks. In the distance, the Himalayas soared into the clouds—it was clear he was still in Tibet. But as he looked up at the sun, he realized something was wrong. The Himalayas should be to the southwest, but now they were north—he was no longer in Tibet, nor even in China.

“Nepal…” Luo Longyu recalled his geography, certain he was now in Nepal.

Looking around, he spotted Luo Mengxuan seated in meditation atop a large boulder, blood at the corner of her mouth, her whole body suffused with a faint red glow and a delicate fragrance in the air. Little Guai lay listlessly beside Mu Yimian, its feathers ruffled, all of them in poor shape.

Luo Longyu did not disturb Luo Mengxuan, but checked himself over. Under the bright sunlight, his wounds were mostly healed, save for the injury dealt by his mother’s palm—which had severely damaged him and would take time to mend. Her blow had even disrupted the field of the corpse wheel, a testament to its deadly force.

Meanwhile, at the Arcane Center, the destruction of the Himalaya Zero Base received grave attention in Beijing. A special team was dispatched to investigate alongside the military and the Arcane Pavilion.

In the conference room, the central team sat to one side. Wu Yifeng’s face was grim; with Zero Base destroyed and the Third Squad nearly wiped out, it was a devastating blow and a stinging humiliation for the Arcane Pavilion.

“Ahem… Based on current findings, including testimonies from Captain Jufeng, member Yao Chihai, the soldiers involved, and video footage, it can be confirmed that Luo Longyu bears primary responsibility for the destruction of Zero Base. As for collusion with Western blood clans, there is no conclusive evidence yet, so we cannot pass judgment,” Elder Xuan said, clearing his throat as he leafed through the report.

He paused, then continued, “Jiumang, Yuyan, and Jiusheng of the Third Squad were killed by Luo Longyu—this is beyond doubt. Jufeng fought valiantly against several blood clans at the end, as all soldiers attest. So, this was a premeditated act by foreign aliens. Luo Longyu’s appearance may have been by chance, or perhaps… a diversion. In the end, he was rescued by a young demon royal named Luo Mengxuan…”

“Elder Xuan, the central committee takes the Zero Incident very seriously. What we need is not a recounting, but results and losses,” the central leader interrupted.

Elder Xuan fell silent, then said, “The greatest loss… was the theft of the Arcane Gold. The Third Squad is lost. All our research on the Zero Region has been destroyed.”

“Oh…” The leader nodded, then smiled coldly, “You say that so lightly… Decades of research destroyed, right under your noses—and if I recall, Luo Longyu was always your Pavilion’s ‘ultimate weapon,’ wasn’t he? Now look, he turned on us. General Wu, your thoughts?”

Wu Yifeng tapped the table, face dark, “Initiate the worst-case scenario. Recover the Arcane Gold at all costs. First Squad—Luo Longyu is your responsibility now. Full pursuit, eliminate if necessary. Alert the Xinjiang troops to guard against threats from the Tomb of Ten Thousand Corpses. Captain Kong, Luo Mengxuan is one of yours—bring her in.”

“Yes,” Kong Yuxuan replied, his face equally grim.

“Chief, must we go after Luo Longyu?” Elder Ge asked, unwilling.

Wu Yifeng shot him a fierce glare, barking, “What else? Watch him slaughter all our elites?”