Chapter 384: Chapter 377: The Frozen Scene

Countless fist-shadows, like a sky full of stars, descended upon Yuan Luàn. Vaguely, he thought he could see a pair of calm eyes hidden behind them.

Like a Divine Spirit orchestrating it all.

Then, he was overwhelmed by the near-endless sea of stars.

...

...

Meanwhile, Baiguang received a message from Yuan Luàn, sent through some special means, and was racing toward their battlefield at top speed.

CRACKLE!!

A semi-transparent ripple enveloped his body. His flowing blond hair lifted slightly, and his already muscular frame bulked up even further. It only served to enhance his handsome features, making him look like a Sun God descended to the mortal realm. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!

Even from a great distance, Baiguang could see a dazzling, silver-white starlight erupting from the Gobi desert ahead. Visible shockwaves rolled out one after another, creating a terrifying spectacle.

’What the hell?! How is it this insane?!’

Baiguang furrowed his brow as he sped across the Gobi terrain. He knew full well that Yuan Luàn’s abilities didn’t involve massive magnetic fields, so there was no way he could be creating such a terrifying aura and spectacle.

That left only one possibility: Yuan Luàn’s opponent was powerful beyond imagination.

’I hope nothing’s gone wrong... That useless bastard... he can hold out for a little while, right?’

Baiguang muttered to himself, his expression wavering.

Though he constantly bickered with Yuan Luàn, he was actually well aware of the man’s capabilities. A powerful body and formidable regeneration—there were very few things in this world that could break through that physique of his.

No matter how strong the opponent, holding out for a short time should have been no problem at all.

However, upon realizing the opponent’s immense strength, he didn’t dare to hold back any longer. The magnetic field around him surged, and the strange ripples solidified, resembling crackling lightning and causing his speed to increase dramatically.

Yet, the closer he got to his destination, the more his heart sank.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!

The terrifying explosions on the battlefield continued, as if the area were being carpet-bombed with missiles.

What worried him most, however, wasn’t the explosions themselves. It was the fact that he could distinctly feel the terrifying bursts of power beginning to subside.

It seemed to indicate the battle was drawing to a close.

’Did he lose? Or win?’

’The fight was decided in such a short time?!’

For some reason, an ominous premonition suddenly gripped Baiguang’s heart. He could faintly sense that deep within his soul, a special connection had been severed.

’Yuan Luàn...’

He seemed to understand what that meant.

SCREECH!!

Suddenly, he screeched to a halt, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

Because there, a hundred meters ahead, on a plateau tens of meters high, he saw a figure. Shrouded in silver-white light and backlit by the sun, the figure cast a long, endless shadow toward Baiguang, looking down on him from above.

The object this man was holding was at once both alien and familiar.

In that moment, time seemed to freeze.

...

...

HUFF... HUFF...

Heavy gasps escaped from Tan Ying’s frail body.

She gulped down mouthfuls of dusty air as large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. The afternoon sun was still scorching, draining the stamina from her already weak constitution at an alarming rate.

Her long, flowing hair was matted with sweat, and her pure-white dress was now filthy from her run, but the look in her eyes remained unchanged—incredibly resolute.

RUMBLE!! RUMBLE!!

The terrifying sounds of collisions and explosions from the distance didn’t frighten her; on the contrary, they spurred her on.

She wanted to witness the clash of the legendary powerful with her own eyes. Perhaps such a scene—one that defied logic and understanding, a true paradox made real—could grant her a wealth of inspiration.

Finally, she scrambled up to the highest point in the vicinity. Fortunately, the terrain here was higher than the battlefield, allowing her to see in its direction.

She took out a pair of binoculars, which she’d brought to take in the endless vistas of the grasslands, and aimed them toward the battlefield.

She was disappointed, however. The fierce clash between the two terrifying beings, the spreading magnetic fields, the swirling sand and dust, and the ruptured air currents made it impossible for her to see any details within the battlefield.

All she could see were the rocky buttes of the Gobi collapsing from the impacts and the mushroom clouds of smoke and dust billowing into the sky.

’Such terrifying Power... Is this what it looks like when S-rank Martial Artists go all out?’

But while the scene was spectacular, it failed to provide the true spiritual impact she was looking for.

Soon, however, she noticed that the explosions and collisions on the distant battlefield seemed to be subsiding, and the dust was beginning to settle.

At the same time, she spotted another figure rapidly approaching from a different direction.

’Reinforcements for the attacker?!’

Instantly, she grew tense.

That man from before, Zhou Hong, was clearly one of the Donghua People, while the attackers had Western faces. She could still tell friend from foe.

She immediately trained her binoculars on the approaching figure, but she soon saw him come to a sudden stop.

His gaze was fixed on something just ahead of him.

’What happened?!’

Tan Ying quickly adjusted the focus and angle of her binoculars, and the scene that came into view sent a tremor through her entire body.

A figure radiating silver light stood tall upon a rise in the Gobi. From her angle, the setting sun was positioned perfectly behind his head, forming a massive halo that made his incredibly bright eyes stand out.

In the figure’s hand dangled a horrifying object: a nearly-destroyed humanoid form. Its body was riddled with holes, and its head had several gruesome cavities. The entire form was blood-red, its shredded muscles still twitching nauseatingly. It looked like a Fierce Ghost that had crawled straight out of Purgatory.

She adjusted the binoculars again, widening the view to include Baiguang’s figure.

A composition that struck her to the very soul unfolded before her eyes.

A handsome, powerful man, like a Sun God, stood at the base of the rise, gazing up at its peak.

And at that very moment, the man on the peak radiated a brilliant light. The setting sun behind him formed the most noble of crowns. He held a corpse as grotesque as any Demon, his eyes filled with a bottomless calm and indifference.

He quietly gazed down upon the one below, like a Divine Being surveying His lamb.

It was an image that seemed to sear itself into Tan Ying’s mind.

In that moment, she felt something profound.

It was fantasy made manifest in reality.

Overcome by the immense shock, she flung open her backpack, pulled out her sketchbook and pencil, and began to draw furiously.

At that moment, the pencil seemed to move of its own accord, tracing one exquisite line after another.

Though she was keenly aware that the two were enemies, a single word surfaced in her mind as she drew. She knew it was the title of this piece.

It was called: *Pilgrimage*.