# 1498
# Chapter 1499: Yuanshi's Killing Intent
At the rear of the battlefield, darkness receded like a tide. Lu Baoyou and Fang Mo stood frozen in time, their forms perfectly preserved on the ground.
Lu Baoyou was covered in blood, a Straight Blade pressed against Fang Mo's neck, as if he was about to decapitate him at any moment, yet his face betrayed no emotion. Fang Mo stared intently at Lu Baoyou, lost in thought.
Lin Qiye stepped before them, examining the scene carefully, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. When he'd arrived here with Lingbao Tianzun, these two had already been in this state—undoubtedly affected by the laws of time. But Wang Mian had gone with the other Great Xia gods to confront the Black Goat spawn. Wang Mian shouldn't have been here to freeze them in time.
Unless... the future Wang Mian had used 【Chrono Outlaw】 to travel back and alter history?
Lin Qiye could only arrive at this conclusion. Yet he lacked any time-related abilities, so he couldn't unfreeze them. Only Wang Mian could help.
As Lin Qiye considered moving them to safety, a gray figure descended from the sky. Seeing who it was, he spoke in surprise:
"Wang Mian? Weren't you at the front lines?"
"With the Gods of Great Xia and the two Heavenly Venerables handling things, the Black Goat spawn have been mostly contained. My presence there makes little difference." Wang Mian shook his head. "I've just traveled back through time. Let me release these two first."
Lin Qiye's eyebrows rose. "You traveled through time?"
"Yes. In the previous timeline, we returned too late, resulting in much tragedy." Wang Mian gestured toward Lu Baoyou with his blade at Fang Mo's throat. "In that timeline, this child attempted to ambush Lucifer with a knife, but failed. Enraged, Lucifer killed him instantly. The other child transformed into a White Tiger but was cut to pieces before they could act. Later, Lucifer extracted the White Tiger soul from their body and corrupted it through special means, turning it into his mount. It was extremely troublesome."
Hearing Wang Mian's account, Lin Qiye stared at the two figures, frozen in place.
"This child may be violent in temperament, but their nature isn't evil. Otherwise, they wouldn't have risked their life attacking their own patron god for the sake of their companions," Wang Mian couldn't help but sigh. "Later, I considered it and reversed roughly ten-something seconds of time, returning to before this child attacked Lucifer. I froze them in that moment. This way, we could preserve the White Tiger's life and prevent Lucifer from detecting the child's rebellious intent, using the soul contract to kill them."
"I see..." Lin Qiye nodded, suddenly understanding. "Thank you!"
"Don't thank me... cough cough... These aren't just your students, they're our descendants too." A smile appeared on Wang Mian's weathered face.
Wang Mian waved his hand, and the laws of time rippled outward. The two figures frozen in time resumed their movements.
Lu Baoyou's eyes flashed with a ruthless glint. At the instant the Straight Blade was about to touch Fang Mo's neck, he suddenly changed direction, slashing toward the spot in the sky where Lucifer had been—but struck nothing but empty air.
Lu Baoyou stood there, bewildered, staring at the empty sky. Fang Mo, beside him, was equally stunned. Though he hadn't truly believed Lu Baoyou would harm him, warmth bloomed in his heart when Lu Baoyou redirected his blade.
"Seven Nights!" Fang Mo, having escaped death, caught sight of Lin Qiye nearby, his eyes widening with joy.
Lu Baoyou also came to his senses. Upon seeing Wang Mian and Lin Qiye, his expression flickered through various emotions.
"Don't look at me—thank Wang Mian instead. If he hadn't used his lifespan to save you, you'd both be corpses now." Lin Qiye gestured toward Wang Mian.
"Thank you, Senior Wang Mian." Fang Mo, startled, spoke sincerely.
"Thanks..." Though reluctant, Lu Baoyou forced out the words.
Wang Mian smiled without speaking.
"Seven Nights, should we join the battlefield?" Fang Mo asked.
"You?" Lin Qiye shook his head. "We've returned—do you really think we need greenhorns like you on the battlefield?"
"..." Fang Mo couldn't help but protest. "You're not letting us fight again? This is the second time. We can't just run back and forth for nothing..."
"All of you combined—how many Cthulhu monsters could you kill?" Lin Qiye smiled. "Rest easy. The Gods of Great Xia can handle this crisis. Barring the unexpected, this should be the Great Xia's final battle in recent times."
A slight twitch appeared at the corner of Lu Baoyou's mouth, obvious disappointment flickering in his eyes.
Lin Qiye quickly escorted the young Night Watch members who hadn't yet entered battle toward safety before rushing to the front with Wang Mian. Across the Heavenly Court's mopping-up operation, the Black Goat spawn had been driven from the war pass, retreating toward the edge of the mist.
BOOM—!
The Heavenly Court manifested fully beyond the mist, looming like a mountain range, pressing down upon Great Xia's borders. Surging spiritual energy continuously dispersed the foul stench permeating the battlefield. Divine kingdom origin wrapped around Yuanshi Tianzun's fingertips as he gazed into distant emptiness.
In that direction, hundreds of kilometers from the battlefield, a massive cloud of flesh churned above the sea. Countless eyeballs writhed within it, staring toward the Gods of Great Xia, their thoughts unfathomable.
Of course, only a few could perceive this distant scene—the Yuanshi and Daode Heavenly Venerables.
"What is He afraid of?" Daode Tianzun stood beside Yuanshi Tianzun, frowning.
"Their bodies carry the scent of Earth's origin. He must be wary of the Ancestral God." Yuanshi Tianzun spoke calmly. During their journey to Great Xia, Lingbao Tianzun had already told him everything that had transpired—including the Ancestral God Temple and Earth's origin.
With Earth's origin as an "anchor," the Gods of Great Xia had cut through the mist effortlessly, their power undiminished. Charging straight toward that churning mass of flesh and blood, they pressed forward against the seemingly endless tide.
"So the 【Black Goat】's courage isn't all that impressive after all," Daode Tianzun remarked with a laugh.
"【Black Goat】 isn't a god suited for combat to begin with. If it were 【Key to the Gate】 or 【Chaos】, even with all three Heavenly Venerables here, we might not be able to stop Them." Yuanshi Tianzun's eyes narrowed slightly. "Perhaps... this is our opportunity."
"What do you mean?"
"He assumed all the Gods of Great Xia had been banished, so He dared to reveal Himself, hoping to invade Great Xia... But Lingbao and the others returned at full strength, directly disrupting His plans. Now that the Cthulhu Faction has only revived one 【Black Goat】, and has even exposed His true form—this is our best chance to eliminate Him. Otherwise, once the other three pillar gods revive, He will become a grave threat!"