"Hey, Young Master—or whatever you call yourself." Cheng smirked, feigning confidence.
"I have no grudge with your Dog Vocabulary Sect, so why are you coming after me?"
He needed time to think—a way out of this mess.
Xie Qing scoffed, seeing through Cheng's act.
"First of all," he said coldly, "it's Divine Visionary Sect, not that it matters—you'll be dead soon anyway.
"But since you're about to die, you should at least know the name of your executioner.
"I am Xie Qing, son of Xie Qixuan of the Divine Visionary—YOU COWARD!
How dare you run while I'm talking!"
The Escape
Cheng had already been warned by the system.
"You can't fight him. You can't defeat him. You'll die before you know it."
So instead of wasting time, he did the only logical thing—
he ran.
Ding!
[Skill Purchase: ULTRA SPEED]
Cost: 120,000 SPRemaining SP: 0
Cheng gritted his teeth, feeling the surge of speed propel him forward.
"Down to zero points again…" he muttered.
"I'd like to say this was worth it, but honestly—I'm not so sure."
His mind raced as he bolted through the forest.
"Xie Qing, huh… better watch your back."
A Familiar Nightmare
Just as he reached the forest's exit, a voice sent chills down his spine.
"Haaa…"
"Going somewhere?"
Cheng froze.
Standing at the entrance, waiting for him, was a very familiar face.
"Heyyy… buddy," Cheng smiled awkwardly, sweat forming at his brow.
"I was just on my way to see you! How have you been?"
Xie Qing's expression twisted.
"Yeah… and you were just saying I should watch my back."
Cheng laughed nervously.
"I meant watch your back for when we meet again as friends! Who knew we'd meet so soon!"
Xie Qing's grip tightened around his sword.
"By the time I'm done with you, we'll never meet again."
He prepared to strike.
Desperate Words & Foolish Distraction
"Wait, wait, wait—hold on a second!" Cheng quickly backed up, stalling for time.
"If I die, we'll still meet in hell, right?"
Xie Qing narrowed his eyes.
"Before you kill me, can you at least tell me why? I mean—
we're both humans, there's no need to slaughter each other.
"If you're jealous of my good looks, I get it. We can't all be winners."
Xie Qing's expression darkened.
"You stole something from me."
Cheng blinked.
"Something? Your girlfriend?
Listen, I may be a lot of things, but a girlfriend thief? Never.
"Besides, I'd never date a girl you like—
not because of your bad taste—don't get me wrong."
Xie Qing's patience snapped.
"The Sacred Moonstone.
You have it, don't you?"
His voice was full of disdain.
"I need it for my ascension to God's Abode.
Give it to me, and I might spare your life."
Betrayal & The Perfect Trap
"Ohh…" Cheng muttered, reaching into his robe.
"You should've said so earlier. Here—catch."
He tossed the moonstone toward Xie Qing.
Xie Qing's eyes gleamed.
"Finally…"
Then—his blade flashed.
"Now—DIE!"
"OHH, MISTER EAGLE… DINNER IS SERVED!"
SWOOSH!
A massive shadow descended from the heavens.
Before Xie Qing could react, the Sky Shattering Eagle swooped down—
gobbling up both Xie Qing and the Sacred Moonstone in a single bite.
A Lost Opportunity
Cheng sighed.
"I… completely forgot to ask about God's Abode."
His shoulders slumped.
"Oh well."