The King of Black Fog

"You bastard," the Phoenix, wincing in pain with one eye tightly shut, "How did someone like you manage to get into the top hundred thousand players!"

"A narrow escape." The Useless Taoist sighed, recalling those days.

Then, he laughed, "Fortunately, heaven rewards those who work hard. I managed to achieve a decent ranking and obtained this supreme skill... But do you know?"

His tone suddenly became fierce.

"Li Changzhou can steal others' skills for his own use. With someone like him around, I never dared to use this skill, not even once! I didn't even dare to hold it and nourish it; otherwise, why would I exhaust all my effort just to light up one prayer bead!

"This kind of nerve-wracking life, do you understand? Do you know? Huh?"

Whoosh!

In anger, another strike with his sword, unleashing the Useless Sword Qi.

The Little Martial Saint and the Phoenix, both Earth Immortals, rolled across the ground like two dogs hit by a speeding car!

"I'm curious," the Phoenix coughed up a mouthful of blood, "after surrendering your Identity Card, how did you fool His Majesty, and how do you plan to escape after killing us?"

She panted lightly.

"After I became a Tribulation Immortal, I risked my life to steal three Heavenly Mechanism Talismans from the sect before I left. I used one during the all-player event, another to disguise the Identity Card. To kill you and take the Heavenly Will, I will use the last one."

The Little Martial Saint's face darkened.

A talisman that can work in an all-player event might really help the Useless Taoist escape Li Changzhou's pursuit.

The Useless Taoist continued, "With Heavenly Will and Heaven and Earth Useless, who in this world can stop me?!"

He looked arrogant.

"One day, even Li Changzhou won't be my match! I will eventually kill him!"

"Heh." The Phoenix sneered, "Having the 'Useless Prayer Beads' and still not daring to challenge His Majesty, hiding in fear, I always thought the Little Martial Saint was dumb, but I didn't expect there'd be someone even worse than him."

"This is the first time you've praised me." The Little Martial Saint sighed, "But comparing this disloyal bastard to my fart, it feels like an insult."

"Of course, it's an insult to you. Do you think..."

"No need to stall for time." The Useless Taoist sneered, "I'll send you on your way now."

"Knight! Indra! Are you just going to watch him attack? Do you also have Heavenly Mechanism Talismans to fool His Majesty?!" the Little Martial Saint roared.

The Knight and Indra stood at the edge of the sky, hiding outside the glow of the Useless Prayer Beads.

"Martial Saint brother," Indra said, "I admire you, but I can't head in to die for you. Besides, even if I go in, I can't save you."

The Knight sighed and said, "Even if His Majesty knows, he won't blame us."

The Little Martial Saint had no hope from the start, just a desperate attempt before his death.

"On the Heavenly Road, I thought I might die, but I didn't expect to die at the hands of my own." The Little Martial Saint laughed heartily.

In the laughter, the Phoenix whispered, "I'm too injured to run. I'll stay and hold him off; you go."

Whoosh!

The sandy ground heaved, and the Useless Sword Qi slithered through like a serpent.

Without any abilities left, the Little Martial Saint didn't even react as the Phoenix suddenly lunged forward to crash into the Sword Qi.

Boom!

Despite relying on physical strength, the Useless Sword Qi was weak, yet the Phoenix, after taking a few strikes, finally lost consciousness under this blow.

"...Phoenix?!"

In the Little Martial Saint's roar, the dead beautiful body flipped through the air and fell to the ground, rolling like a gourd.

"Useless Taoist! I'm going to kill you!"

The Little Martial Saint grabbed a handful of sand and flung it, launching himself like a leopard.

The Useless Taoist raised his hand for another sword strike.

The Little Martial Saint deliberately blocked with his left hand.

Whoosh!

The left arm was severed at the shoulder, spraying blood, causing the Useless Taoist's face to change.

"Ah!!"

The Little Martial Saint, seemingly unaffected by his wound, charged at the Useless Taoist.

His body, already worn down, caused him to stumble and fall at the Useless Taoist's feet.

The Useless Taoist's heart pounded, surprisingly filled with fear towards a mere mortal.

"Well, well, Little Martial Saint, killing you is not a stain on my sword."

He raised his sword to stab.

"Roar!"

A sudden beast-like growl, the Little Martial Saint, like a snake, unexpectedly lunged up and knocked the Useless Taoist to the ground.

This was the last burst before death. The Little Martial Saint, long exhausted, could only open his mouth and bite down on the only place he could.

—None other than the Useless Taoist's left arm.

"Hahahahaha!" The Useless Taoist laughed hysterically, letting him bite, "Damn it, if you had bitten my neck, you might've really killed me!"

The Useless Taoist slashed and severed his own left arm.

He stepped back: "Lost an arm for you, consider it an even trade."

Whoosh.

The longsword pierced through the Little Martial Saint's back, spanned his body, and the tip just protruded from his chest with exquisite force.

The Useless Taoist was indeed a first-class Immortal among players who ranked in the top hundred thousand.

"Ha... Ha..."

The exhaustion and blood loss made even the Useless Taoist feel faint, forcing him to pant.

He looked down at the Little Martial Saint, whose corpse still clung to his arm, seemingly thinking he could live as long as he did.

With such determination, the Useless Taoist couldn't help but respect it.

He averted his gaze and walked towards the gourd on the edge of the Essence Energy Pond.

[Name: Heavenly Will·Purple Qi Gourd]

[Effect: Upon fusion, obtain the Purple Qi Gourd's Heavenly Will—unleash Heavenly Might, summon the Purple Qi Gourd, able to turn all things into Purple Qi. A strand of Purple Qi can permanently enhance mana-related skills tenfold in power; rapidly increase cultivation speed by a thousandfold; also serve as 'Fake Heavenly Will', achieving 'Fake Heavenly Position'.]

[Evaluation: Star System Level]

This was a Heavenly Will that required no refinement.

Passing by the Phoenix's corpse, the Useless Taoist delivered a stab to her chest and then discarded his heavy sword, taking out a talisman from his chest.

The talisman was blank, appearing as an ordinary yellow paper.

Seeing him discard the sword, heavily injured, the Knight and Indra hesitated to approach, then refrained.

Could the Useless Taoist, who had been so patient, give them an opportunity now?

The Useless Taoist looked up at the sky, unable to see them in his weakened state, but knowing they could see him.

He grinned with bloodstained teeth.

He bit the blank yellow talisman, allowing blood to seep through, while walking to the pool's edge to pick up the Purple Qi Gourd.

His heart surged with excitement, his body almost trembling.

From Immortal to Heavenly Immortal, step into the sky!

Never again to worry about Li Changzhou stripping away his skills!

With the Purple Qi Gourd and the S-tier [Useless Prayer Beads], he could even become the Tao Ancestor of a star system!

Might even glimpse the Saint Realm!

No longer hesitating, he activated the talisman.

On the once blank yellow paper, unknown when, blood had formed the characters—

Heavenly Mechanism.

The scene suddenly changed.

"Martial Saint brother! Phoenix!" The Knight and Indra shouted.

The desert disappeared, replaced by marshy jungles, countless trees severed, leaving only bare stumps like large round tables.

The corpse of a giant fierce beast lay like a hill in the marsh, its belly sliced open, and the bodies of the Little Martial Saint and the Phoenix sliding out from within, mixed with a heap of entrails and blood.

The Useless Taoist blinked, his left arm still severed.

He sat weakly on a stump, lowering his head.

Suddenly, the Useless Taoist grinned silently, with crimson blood between his teeth.

"Ah!!" He raised his head, crying out in pain, "Martial Saint brother! Phoenix!"