Volume Two, The Devil’s Game Chapter Six, Purification

The scene shifts to a sealed stone pillar, where a man holds a crimson sealing stone before it. Two currents of energy clash in the air, growing in intensity as the sealing stone draws ever nearer the pillar.

Yet behind him, a red formation springs swiftly into being, and from it, the Guardian emerges, descending to the ground. With a crisp sound, the man presses the sealing stone into the pillar. At that very moment, the Guardian, propelled by the force of entwined vines, surges forward and appears at the man's side. Her hand strikes in a knife-edge blow—instantly, the man shatters into fluttering scraps of paper that drift to the earth.

The Guardian frowns in clear dissatisfaction. Having just used the teleportation skill, she must now remain in the vicinity for some time. Slowly, she surveys her surroundings; meanwhile, the ground beneath her swells in patches. Soon, a platform woven of vines rises to lift her up. She scans the area but finds no trace of the man.

Looking about once more, her gaze lands upon a certain grove.

"What is he doing over there?"

"You're late. He was like that when I left the stream earlier."

"Isn't that just passive playing? Why don't the organizers do something?"

"Ha! What's the problem? How does the saying go—he's already hung himself on the southeast branch. If the Guardian comes, he'll be caught for sure; if not, there are others she can find. If he survives until the end, it's only because his teammates are carrying him."

"Don't kid yourself; he won't last that long. I just came from the main stage—the Guardian is already headed this way."

Shi Xiaolu lounged atop a branch, idly swinging her legs. "That talk of cooperation—what's the point? As long as I hide up here, who would know I'm here? I'm not going to do something as foolish as attracting the Guardian's attention. With so many veterans and those who've awakened their powers, even if I don't lift a finger, they'll complete the task just fine." As she spoke, her head nodded drowsily.

"This tree is five or six meters high—if I can't see anyone from here, the Guardian surely can't either. I'll just nap for a bit." With that, she closed her eyes.

In a haze of half-sleep, a woman's voice echoed in her ear, humming a cheerful tune—sweet and pleasant.

Shi Xiaolu shifted. "Not bad, what a lovely song. What's it called?"

"Would you like to know the name?" The melodious voice was gentle.

"Yes, it—" Shi Xiaolu jerked upright on her branch. When she opened her eyes, the Guardian was sitting beside her.

"Ahhh!" she screamed at once.

The Guardian frowned. "You're far too loud." With a swift chop of her hand, the branch beneath Shi Xiaolu snapped. She tumbled down, breaking several more branches as she went, before landing hard on a sturdier one.

But panic left her unable to catch hold, and she spun down along the branch, finally crashing to the ground.

Shi Xiaolu doubled over in pain; several branches had pierced her abdomen. Blood seeped rapidly from her wounds, soaking her clothes.

The Guardian leapt down, sparing a glance at Shi Xiaolu's pitiful state, her brow twitching slightly.

"No, I don’t want to die! I want to live! Is anyone—anyone nearby, help me!"

"Tsk, with a performance like that, no teammate would bother helping."

"Exactly. How do you think she’ll die? Neck snapped?"

"Who knows? This Guardian looks gentle, and the host said she’s an elegant lady. Maybe she’ll use a method we can’t even imagine."

The Guardian, seeing Shi Xiaolu incapable of fleeing, did not strike again. Instead, she extended her hands, from which tiny sparks of green light emerged, seeping into Shi Xiaolu’s body.

The green light grew from faint glimmers to a radiant glow. Shi Xiaolu’s screams faded; the pain vanished, and the bleeding stopped. The light enveloped her, suffusing her with a sense of returning to a gentle embrace. Overwhelmed by this sensation, she closed her eyes.

"What’s this? Is she healing him?"

"Hey, if the contestant is slacking off, fine, but now even the Guardian is slacking? This is going too far—he even looks like he’s enjoying it!"

"You don’t get it. Sometimes, the more pleasant something is, the more deadly it becomes."

"What?"

As the conversation continued, Shi Xiaolu began to float into the air, enveloped by the Guardian’s intensifying green light. The energy, rich with life force, completely shrouded Shi Xiaolu.

The green glow solidified, transforming into a tree rooted in place. Shi Xiaolu’s hands and feet were engulfed by the trunk, and the tree’s patterns crept steadily over her body.

Yet Shi Xiaolu felt nothing, her face still bearing that look of serene bliss.

"This—is purification!"

"Purification? Sounds like something those sanctimonious types would say."

"You don’t understand. What does she purify into—light?"

While debate raged on the main stage of the live broadcast, the Guardian placed her hand atop Shi Xiaolu’s head. Her skull softly melded into the tree. Satisfied, the Guardian slowly withdrew her hand—a single leaf glowing green remained pressed to Shi Xiaolu’s forehead.

Without another glance, the Guardian turned away and left.

Lu Yi opened a box and his face lit up. "Finally found it." He took out a talisman and pressed it to his body; at once, feeling returned to his arm.

At that moment, Lu Yi sensed a change. He looked around, then up at the sky, where green light was gathering, forming a wreath above.

Others across the land saw it as well, eyes turned skyward, curious to see what would come next.

"One challenger has been purified. Fifteen remain." The cold announcement sounded in Lu Yi’s mind as the wreath in the sky shattered with a thunderous crash. Countless leaves of green light rained gently down.

Watching the falling leaves, Lu Yi’s expression grew grave. He breathed out two words, "Purification."

He quickly set off for the next box. Less than half an hour had passed since the challenge began, and already one competitor had been eliminated. He had to prepare as swiftly as possible.

Directly beneath the center of the heavenly wreath, Liang Feisong slowly lowered the Talisman of Liberation from his hand. He gazed at the tree before him—or more accurately, at the smiling human face embedded in the trunk.

"Damn it," Liang Song slammed his fist into the tree. "What are you even doing here? Content with stagnation? Useless waste, lost in your own mire, beyond saving."

"Whoa—this is purification?"

"Didn’t she just turn him from an animal into a plant?"

"Exactly. Stripping away all the cluttered thoughts—isn’t that a kind of purification?"