Chapter Thirty: Do You Have Any Last Words?

"Attention... the circle is shrinking, cultivators please hurry to avoid the poison... Repeating... the circle is shrinking, cultivators please hurry to avoid the poison..." As the solitary Demon Sect cultivator, now hulking and green like some monstrous giant, charged furiously at Jiang Lin and Xiao Xueli, the voice of the Dragon Soul echoed once more from the sky.

The green giant, halfway through his assault, froze in place as abruptly as someone forced to cut short a bowel movement. Jiang Lin and Xiao Xueli were both dumbfounded.

According to the previous pattern, the circle usually shrank every three days—why had it started shrinking again so soon? As if attuned to the confusion of every cultivator in the secret realm, the Dragon Soul's voice resounded again:

"Because the poison circle drains too much spiritual energy, I can't keep the secret realm running for a full month, so the pace of the game has sped up. Hurry up and run from the poison, love and kill as you please!"

The Dragon Soul's voice swept across the entire secret realm, and Jiang Lin's forehead twitched.

"That damn Dragon Soul must be a transmigrator from ancient times!"

"Jiang Yida, what are you muttering about?" Xiao Xueli asked, hearing his rambling.

"Nothing, Miss Xiao, please leave first—the poison circle is imminent. I'll cover our retreat!"

"No, we go together!" Xiao Xueli grabbed the corner of Jiang Lin’s robe.

At this moment, Jiang Lin’s eyes grew moist; he genuinely wanted to burst into tears...

I told you to go, why must you insist on staying with me? I need to complete my system task.

The poison is coming.

Wait...

So far, I've never failed a task; at worst, I was forced to execute one. The system never mentioned what punishment comes with failure.

[Maybe I should fail one just to see?]

Just as this strange idea flickered in Jiang Lin’s mind, he quickly shook his head, banishing the terrifying thought.

"Miss Xiao! Forgive me! There are few I truly value, and I cannot bear to see you eliminated because of me!"

"Jiang..." Xiao Xueli barely opened her mouth before Jiang Lin flicked a small pill straight into it.

"What did you make me eat..." Xiao Xueli felt her body grow limp and her eyes slowly closed. Just as she was about to collapse, her eyes snapped open again, but her gaze had changed completely.

"Kid, I have to say, you truly live up to your reputation as a flower thief. You actually possess top-grade Softening Powder," said 'Xiao Xueli,' now controlled by the Sword Spirit, standing and gently brushing dust from her clothes.

"Miss Xiao didn’t come to the Mirage Secret Realm just for a simple trial. Senior Sword Spirit, please take her away."

"That's fine, but do you have anything to say to her?"

"I do!" Jiang Lin took a deep breath, watching the poison circle drawing closer, recalling the system's words that Xiao Xueli would kill him a thousand times and scatter his ashes. His eyes flickered. "Years from now, when you become accomplished in cultivation, please don’t seek me out! Forget me."

"You pair of scoundrels! You really think I’ll stay offline forever?! Roar!" Like a mindless beast, the green giant—no, Demon Sect Cultivator A—charged at Jiang Lin, his indestructible trousers barely holding together.

"Go!" Jiang Lin shouted, tossing his long hair, gripping his sword tightly as he dashed forward.

As Jiang Lin’s tall, slender figure strode forth, the Sword Spirit's heart wavered. Once, her first master was just as spirited, slaying gods and devils, cleaving monsters below. If she hadn’t already chosen Xueli, perhaps she could have partnered with him.

"Kid! I’ll remember you!"

"Huh? No, please don’t remember me..." Jiang Lin turned, but the figure had already vanished.

"You dare be distracted while fighting me? Pretty boy, I’ll make you regret it!" Cultivator A erupted with domineering energy, slamming Jiang Lin against a cliff, who spat blood.

"So, you’re a demon cultivator!"

Jiang Lin stood, wiping blood from his mouth.

Among countless cultivators—Confucians who cultivate through scholarship, Daoists who seek tranquility, Buddhists who chant for spiritual growth, even farmers rumored to have reached the Jade Pouch realm by ingesting countless poisons—there is one type most disgusting: demon cultivators.

Demon cultivators aren’t just those of demon sects, but those who grow stronger by absorbing souls, blood, or even devouring children—utter scum. They share one trait: the ability to rapidly boost their cultivation in a short time, like a sudden burst.

Other demon sects aside, the Sun-Moon Sect tolerates all manner of cultivation, but despises such life-harming demon paths. Their doctrine even states: When confronted with demon cultivators, kill if able.

"Cackling laughter..." Cultivator A sounded like a goblin. "You only now realize? I’ve eaten countless cultivators. Next, it’s your turn! Why are you lying down? Get up!"

At his command, the severely injured Demon Sect cultivators lying on the ground began to rise.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Seven cultivators tore off their clothes, transforming into green giants, each clad in indestructible shorts.

"Sigh... I thought you alone were a demon cultivator. Looks like your entire sect practices this forbidden art."

"Kid, worry about yourself!"

"Bang."

Seven or eight green giants stomped hard, making pits in the earth, all rushing at Jiang Lin.

"Sun and Moon Shine Together!"

Jiang Lin raised his sword to the sky, activating "Sun and Moon Dual Cultivation"—the core art he’d been taught since childhood in the Sun-Moon Sect after being picked up by Jiang Yuni.

Though Jiang Lin always felt something was missing each time he practiced the Sun and Moon Dual Cultivation, and its flow was never smooth, it was undoubtedly the sect’s signature technique.

Honestly, if he had enough mana for "I Am Swordbone," he would have used that instead. To be frank, Jiang Lin felt the odd operation of the Sun and Moon Dual Cultivation had kept him from reaching the Dragon Gate realm...

Within the secret realm, moonlight gathered on Jiang Lin’s life-bound flying sword, shining bright. In an instant, his sword, First Snow, became as luminous as a saber from Star Wars.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

"Da-da-da-da..."

In the jungle, under moonlight, seven green giants fought a Jedi. Jiang Lin, mimicking Xiao Xueli’s movement technique, darted among the seven green, shorts-clad giants, his glowing sword slicing their flesh again and again.

As the poison circle threatened to engulf the mountain forest in less than half a quarter hour, two figures remained: Jiang Lin, battered, bones seemingly broken, and Cultivator A, covered in sword wounds but without a single fatal blow. The others had been slain, their life-saving charms destroyed by Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin’s own life-saving charm had also been shattered by a punch.

"Any last words?"

"I've got your damn last words!" Jiang Lin, nearly spent, spat at him, transforming into a street ruffian. "Your Demon Sect is trash! Worse than pigs and dogs! Born without a mother, and you still dare join the secret realm? Did you buy your mother's coffin yet? Is your sect master naturally missing his balls?"

"I was going to let you die quickly out of respect for our shared path, but now, that’s unnecessary. I’ll keep you conscious and eat you bite by bite!"

"Shared path? I’ll share your sister’s path! Don’t insult me!"

"You dare insult my sister!"

With a roar, Cultivator A could no longer tolerate Jiang Lin’s taunts. He lunged, spittle flying, straight at Jiang Lin.