Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 1085 - 682: The Completed Mu Nuo

Chapter 1085: Chapter 682: The Completed Mu Nuo

The BOSS battle had finally arrived as hoped,

but Xu Yuan suddenly thought, perhaps it’d be better to let him go back to playing the role of a security camera watching cutscene CGs after all.

Dealing with large-scale enemies wasn’t something Xu Yuan was unaccustomed to. Within the Dayan Territory, those rampaging Demonic Beasts were often gauged in size by the zhang, but the towering figure before him—reminiscent of the war behemoths from the Battle of the Northern Border—had clearly exceeded his ability to handle.

In various literary works, the oppressive nature of giant creatures was often highlighted by slowing their movements to emphasize a sense of weight. However, the reality was that large entities didn’t necessarily move slowly.

Take the one in front of him, for instance.

Though he wasn’t entirely sure how Mu Nuo, a figure as massive as a mountain, manifested here, in the brief moment Xu Yuan was lost in thought, Mu Nuo had already moved. With a mere raise of his hand, Xu Yuan’s body was manipulated into being suspended mid-air.

Witnessing the sudden development, Xu Yuan instinctively tried to use Step Void Slash to break free from the control, only to realize that his body lacked even meridians at the moment, making it impossible to perform any spellcraft.

As he became aware of his current state, a few black lines instantly streaked across Xu Yuan’s forehead.

What the hell is going on?

His odds of victory were already negligible, and now in this Ghost Spiritual Space, spellcraft was apparently unusable. Was he supposed to headbutt this Ultraman in front of him?

Was he really going to dismantle a Gundam barehanded?

Staring at Mu Nuo’s massive head, which loomed ever larger within his field of vision, Xu Yuan also realized that in this stark white space, the combat appeared to manifest the cultivation levels of both parties. As someone in the Fusion Realm, there was no way he could compare to Mu Nuo, a Saint.

If he was outmatched in cultivation, then what about other aspects?

Xu Yuan didn’t believe that the process of being devoured would rely solely on cultivation. The various buffs he had should provide him with some level of resistance.

Sure enough, Xu Yuan soon noticed a few clues.

Compared to Mu Nuo’s enormous physique, his own body was currently surrounded by a faint golden glow, which subtly reflected and resisted Mu Nuo’s control over him.

In addition,

perhaps due to the soul power he had absorbed earlier during the possession attempt, Xu Yuan could faintly sense Mu Nuo’s current state after a slight focus of his mind.

The kid’s leaking.

Invisible threads of Qi were seeping out of the countless sword scars etched across his body, dissipating into this stark white space.

Thoughts churned quickly in Xu Yuan’s mind as he objectively analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of both parties, only to arrive at a rather helpless conclusion.

He couldn’t win.

Even though the Heavenly Gate Sword Intent had sliced Mu Nuo into a sieve, that kid’s cultivation was just too profound to overcome.

If he’d known things would turn out this way, Xu Yuan figured he should’ve used the Enchantress Divine Taoist Charm to directly break into the Third Grade before the war, or perhaps forcibly achieved a Boundary Breakthrough Origin using the cultivation methods passed down by his old man.

Yes, Xu Yuan had already met the conditions for a breakthrough; he’d just been deliberately suppressing it.

For someone with an Innate Taoist Body, the only challenging aspect of breaking from the Fusion Realm into the Grandmaster level was achieving the Dao Charm. However, thanks to his experience in that Illusionary Realm, Xu Yuan had long since fully comprehended the Enchantress Divine Taoist Charm.

The reason he suppressed the breakthrough was simple: Xu Yuan didn’t think much of the Enchantress Divine Taoist Charm.

For cultivators, any Dao Charm was inherently rare and valuable. But as Xu Yuan’s perspective expanded, he found this Dao Charm increasingly lackluster.

Spare him the feel-good platitudes about "there are no weak Dao Charms, only weak cultivators." The Enchantress Divine Taoist Charm was definitively inferior to Dao Charms like the Karma Universe Technique.

Breaking into the Grandmaster level with the Enchantress Divine Taoist Charm might allow Xu Yuan to achieve invincibility against those of the same rank, thanks to his various buffs, but he’d still pale compared to figures like Xu Changge and Tianyan.

As these thoughts filled his mind, Xu Yuan realized that his old habit had resurfaced.

The more dire the situation, the more prone he was to wandering thoughts like this.

At this point, though, it was too late to dwell on such matters.

Breakthroughs during battle were only viable within the same rank. Mu Nuo would never give him such an opportunity.

And even if he succeeded, his chances of victory wouldn’t exceed ten percent.

With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Xu Yuan found himself already manipulated by Mu Nuo’s power, brought face to face with him.

Those eyes remained as dark as ink, yet Xu Yuan could see the unyielding hatred within them, thick enough to drown a person.

It was clear that this kid blamed him entirely for the deaths of his parents.

Even though it was clearly his fault for devouring them, this was beyond unreasonable...

Just as he silently cursed, Mu Nuo’s somewhat immature voice echoed throughout the vast, white expanse:

"Xu Changtian, let’s make a deal."

Realizing Mu Nuo had stopped taking further actions, Xu Yuan stared at the massive entity before him, a faint trace of surprise flickering in his otherwise calm gaze.

This kid’s become a talker too?

Not that he seemed to have much choice in the matter right now.

"You’re looking a lot smarter than before."

Gazing at the burning hatred in those pitch-black eyes, Xu Yuan murmured softly, "To think you can actually resist the urge to kill me outright."

"If I devour you, I still wouldn’t be a match for that Demon Dragon outside."

It seemed that Emperor Bai had left a shadow in the heart of this young and inexperienced calamity. Judging from the sudden change in tone, Mu Nuo appeared to have been influenced by Mu Xingyi’s memories.

Processing the information in the brief exchange, Xu Yuan’s expression turned skeptical:

"As far as I know, Emperor Bai can’t kill you."

Mu Nuo didn’t open his mouth; his voice spread outward:

"With the help of that golden-eyed woman, they could seal me."

Tian Ye?

Xu Yuan thought about that woman’s personality and then nodded slightly.

That Enchantress was indeed someone ruthless enough to pull off such a plan. Even if it meant sacrificing Tianyan’s life, she’d work with Emperor Bai to seal Mu Nuo away.

"What kind of cooperation do you have in mind?"

"Xu Changtian, do you know something?"

Mu Nuo didn’t answer the question. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the infinite expanse of white: "I was formed by the will of heaven and earth, but born with the flaw of Heavenly Que. After coming to this space, my thoughts have become much more lucid. Those incessant whispers that used to haunt my mind have completely disappeared."

"I can tell your IQ has improved a lot, so maybe cut back on the nonsense," Xu Yuan responded without hesitation.

Unbothered by the subtle jabs in the human’s words, Mu Nuo continued speaking at his own pace:

"When I attempted to possess you earlier, I found myself pondering—what exactly is your existence, Xu Changtian, to me?

"Are you my nourishment, my superior, or a heaven-sent adversary specifically birthed to counter me?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow:

"And what conclusion did you come to?"

"No conclusion."

"Why?"

"Because you carry pieces of my Heavenly Que, yet I lack anything you absolutely need."

"Is what you’re calling Heavenly Que something like rationality?"

"...That’s one way to put it."

Mu Nuo’s massive form slowly raised a hand. In his palm, a miniature version of Zhenxi Prefecture City materialized, floating in the air as he spoke in a low voice:

"Before that golden-eyed woman drove me to lose control, at the moment I made contact with you, I obtained something critical from your body."

As he spoke,

the miniature Prefecture City instantly dissolved into black smoke, only to recondense into a black petal floating mid-air moments later:

"This petal."

Looking at the object, a strange expression flickered across Xu Yuan’s face.

It was the Enchantress’s mark...

The very one Yuchu had given him in the Qionghua Secret Realm.

Mu Nuo glanced at Xu Yuan’s expression, his youthful yet weighty voice resonating:

"This petal allows me to collect the soul marks of heaven and earth and manifest the beings that once existed from those marks...."

"I think I understand what this kid is getting at now,"

Xu Yuan’s voice abruptly cut off Mu Nuo, and he said softly:

"You want to consume me entirely, then resurrect me within your Ghost Domain as a soul mark?"

Mu Nuo neither confirmed nor denied this, but spoke in a mountainous, somber tone:

"If you devour me, your understanding will change. You’ll no longer be who you are, but rather a monstrous amalgamation of Mu Nuo and Xu Changtian."

"......"

Hearing this, Xu Yuan lowered his gaze, pondering briefly before the corners of his lips lifted into a faint smirk:

"Mu Nuo, I think I’ve figured out your plan."

"......" The boy furrowed his brows.

Xu Yuan carefully chose his words before murmuring to himself:

"You’re not wrong. Devouring you would inevitably alter my cognition, but at this point, you should also know—it’s impossible for me to agree to this ludicrous deal.

"Given the disparity in our power, you don’t even need to negotiate. You could just devour me outright; I wouldn’t stand the slightest chance of resisting.

"In other words... everything you’ve been saying is nonsense."

With that, Xu Yuan’s voice took on a hint of amusement:

"Mu Nuo, are you stalling for time?

"Is it because there’s something about me that makes you apprehensive?

"If there really is something you fear, and I cling to it with everything I’ve got, wouldn’t that mean you can’t swallow me after all? Doesn’t that make your stalling tactic exceedingly foolish...

"Which would mean,

"whatever you’re afraid of must be growing weaker the longer you delay."

As he muttered to himself, a newfound clarity glimmered in Xu Yuan’s otherwise calm eyes. His gaze turned icy as he locked eyes with Mu Nuo:

"Kid, it looks like you’ve really gotten a lot smarter—you even managed to turn the tables on me."

"Your earlier possession attempt, was it merely a diversion?

"Was your true aim to subtly implant something in me during the process, altering my cognition—making me forget the gift that Enchantress Tian Ye gave me?"

What a disgrace...

To think he’d let himself be outmaneuvered by this little runt, letting Mu Nuo manipulate him into forgetting that he, too, possessed the powers of a Saint.

This realization flickered through his thoughts as Xu Yuan slowly raised his right hand.

At some point,

intricate black patterns had spread across the back of his hand, extending along his entire arm and creeping toward his head.

Mu Nuo’s gaze was calm yet piercing as he looked at the well-dressed young man before him. No longer masking his hatred, his alabaster lips twisted into a cruel smile:

"Xu Changtian, I didn’t want to go through all this trouble, but since you’ve seen through my plan, I’ll ensure your soul mark is properly preserved, trapping you eternally in my Spirit Domain to experience true despair!"

Xu Yuan fiddled with the patterns on his hand, confirming their function before nodding lightly:

"Got it."

With those words,

a beam of radiant light shot out from the black patterns on his right arm,

like a colossal Light Sword slicing through the void,

its shimmering afterimages effortlessly tracing across the neck of the towering youth.

Buzz————