Chapter 43 The Infinite Boss Invites Everyone to "Eat Melon" 43. Parting Ways...

At first glance, the Godfall Ruins dungeon doesn't seem much different from any other archipelago in the ocean. The only noticeable difference is that both the sea and the islands here are very lightly polluted, even less so than the lightest polluted players Lu Yu has ever seen—Gao Gan, Bao Xiaoqi, and others.

Judging from the level of contamination, the possibility of divine fragments existing here is indeed not low.

After entering the spatial passage, Mai Dadan transformed into a giant bird and led Lu Yu and the others to tentatively fly high into the sky to get a panoramic view of the Godfall Ruins.

Lu Yu wasn't familiar with this.

Regarding the battle five years ago, he only remembered that it took place high above an ocean; he wasn't very clear on the details. Returning to this place—which could be called the remnants of his own battlefield or his grave—from this perspective felt somewhat strange.

After reviewing the overview, they used another exploration point for confirmation.

“There are indeed fragments of awakened godhood.”

Lin Xiaoman said, "It's on one of the three islands in the central area."

Everyone's spirits lifted, and they quickly used their strange objects and special abilities to clear a path, landing in the central area.

"Divide into three groups and search the three islands and the surrounding waters. Conduct a thorough search, digging three feet into the ground, leaving no grain of sand unchecked. You must understand, no one knows what the fragments of divinity have become, and nothing is impossible. Maintain constant contact, be careful, and if the search is unsuccessful, take turns searching again."

Lu Yu set the plan, and everyone else had no objections. So, after determining the rendezvous point and contacting the strange creature, everyone immediately split up to carry out their plans.

Lu Yu and Pei Yanzhi were naturally a pair.

In addition, they also brought two trustworthy S-rank players from Crimson Dawn, one who can communicate with plants and the other who can manipulate earth elements, both of whom have a significant advantage in searching.

The three groups each used their skills and made the most of the time, searching for all non-living things in the central area.

There were naturally many dangers along the way, but they were all top-tier S-class players, and there were many of them, so these dangers would at most cause them some trouble, but would not have any serious impact.

Time passes.

A little after 11 a.m., the three groups finished their first round of searching, met up, looked at each other, and found nothing.

After that, they took turns searching more thoroughly.

Around midnight, the three groups met for the second time, still frowning and shaking their heads.

"That's strange!"

One player scratched his head: "We even used elemental power to wrap the flowing monster in every grain of sand on this beach, and we didn't find it! We also checked the seawater... What exactly is this fragment of divinity? Could it be hidden in the Earth's core, a pool of magma?"

“The Earth’s core is impossible, it’s too far, and there are limits to the exploration points,” said the earth elemental player. “I’ve also searched underground, but I haven’t found anything.”

“There’s one more round,” Mai said boldly. “Let’s search again. Maybe it’s not there underground on those two islands, but it is on the third one?”

After two rounds of searching, Lu Yu also felt that something was not quite right, but since the search was not yet complete, he could not draw any conclusions easily, so he said, "Let's begin the third round."

Everyone rallied and split up again.

This time, Lu Yu and Pei Yanzhi arrived at the third island they had never searched before. This island happened to be the lava cliff island that Pei Yanzhi had been matched into during the day.

As usual, the four first searched the island, then split into two groups: one went underground, and the other dived into the water.

"This is the place I told you about, the place where I found it."

Pei Yanzhi's voice suddenly rang in my ears.

Lu Yu turned his head and looked in the direction Pei Yanzhi was pointing. The pendant around Pei Yanzhi's neck had also risen, emitting a soft glow.

He and Pei Yanzhi used spatial powers to create a barrier, swimming underwater as lightly as two natural mermaids. At this moment, the two mermaids had searched the nearby sea area and were heading towards the last shore filled with strange caves.

"That underwater chamber?"

Lu Yu certainly hadn't forgotten the places that the gossip system and Pei Yanzhi had both mentioned.

"right."

Pei Yanzhi said, "When I came during the day, I went in and looked around. It was no different from three years ago, and I didn't find anything. But since we can't let anything slip by in this search, we shouldn't miss this place either..."

As he spoke, Pei Yanzhi raised his hand, and the power of space pushed aside the deep blue and almost black seawater, revealing a cave that faintly shimmered with a ghostly blue light.

"This is it."

Pei Yanzhi didn't touch the mechanisms of the secret chamber. Instead, he directly opened a spatial passage and swam in.

Lu Yu followed closely behind.

After passing through a short passage, the two arrived at a space that could be described as an underground research institute rather than a secret room.

The research institute had clearly been corrupted by an abnormal force; most of it was decaying, except for the area they were in, which appeared to be an archive. However, all the files inside were gone, only some fragments remained. Lu Yu's file had long been taken by Pei Yanzhi and was naturally not here.

"I had only recently awakened my special abilities, and my strength was limited. I overexerted myself and got trapped here. I couldn't get out and could only feel the oxygen being squeezed out little by little, gradually suffocating..."

Pei Yanzhi used his spatial power to summon various items, examining them carefully while speaking in a low voice.

Lu Yu looked at him.

Pei Yanzhi had told him about the pendant, the files, and the underwater chamber, but he hadn't mentioned the details of how he was trapped.

Although he could now roughly guess Pei Yanzhi's situation after receiving a lot of information, this was the first time he had heard Pei Yanzhi say it in person.

He didn't know whether he should interrupt him.

“I actually had another strange artifact back then, which I could have used to sustain myself for a while. But I didn’t use it. I lost my parents and relatives, I couldn’t see any hope for the future, I couldn’t find any opportunity for revenge, and I was heartbroken.” Pei Yanzhi spoke without any emotion, his eyes still holding a smile, but nothing else.

There was no sadness, no resentment, and no pain.

But Lu Yu's heart was still fiercely seized in that instant.

The spatial barrier seemed to have broken, letting in endless seawater. The immense water pressure crushed his alveoli, making it impossible for him to breathe.

“I wanted to die here,” Pei Yanzhi said, “but before I died, I unexpectedly saw a cockroach that I couldn’t kill no matter how hard I tried.”

"Life and will, such tenacious and vibrant power, are always very inspiring... You would never guess that I'm crying my eyes out here."

Pei Yanzhi laughed: "I cried for a very long time, and at one point I almost cried myself to death. I thought I wasn't trapped to death, but I was going to cry myself to death. But no... I didn't die, but survived."

Surrounded by flowing water, bathed in a soft, dim light.

Pei Yanzhi, like a mermaid willingly captured, slid down to Lu Yu, her amber eyes reflecting the most touching and tender ripples of the seabed: "I am truly grateful to you, and I like you very much, Lu Yu."

“You showed me the shape of hope, the opportunity for revenge. I want to seize them firmly and not miss a single moment, so…”

"Can I ask you to die?"

He said, "I trust myself the most."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the spatial barrier between the two suddenly shattered. Amidst the chaotic crackling sounds, a spatial blade pierced down, sharp and merciless.

Lu Yu didn't seem to trust Pei Yanzhi as completely as he appeared; rather, he was already on guard. When Pei Yanzhi made his move, his reaction was much faster than expected. However, whether due to temporary weakness or something else, his movements couldn't keep up with his reaction. In the instant his pupils contracted, he dodged to the side, but only narrowly avoided a fatal blow.

The sharp blade still pierced his body, driving deep into his shoulder.

Blood flowed out and rapidly spread into the endless sea.

"You're insane!"

Lu Yu was shocked and furious. Several abilities surged out in an instant, suddenly blocking Pei Yanzhi's spatial power that attacked again.

Pei Yanzhi's pupils were icy cold as he waved his hand indifferently. The spatial power became even more terrifying, and the entire underground building shook violently, being twisted into countless huge vortexes.

The power of rules emerged around Lu Yu, and all forces that approached him were crushed into ashes.

The power of rules and the power of space collided violently. At a certain moment, time seemed to freeze subtly for a second. The power of rules trembled, and cracks suddenly appeared in the halo.

Two figures appeared beside Pei Yanzhi. One had a strange watch face that was faintly visible behind him, while the other held a strange long sword and had a long dress that swayed in the breeze.

"Zeng Ming, Qian Yue!"

Lu Yu's gaze suddenly turned cold.

"Prepare to die, Lu Yu!"

Zeng Ming sneered and raised his finger to pluck at the invisible river of time.

Suppressing his hidden anger, Lu Yu raised his hand, and a thunderous roar resounded.

The power of natural disasters has arrived.

Endless lightning struck the sea, and a crown forged from lightning appeared above the man's head.

The scepter solidified, and the outline of the broken, silvery-blue sun floated out. A distant echo reverberated in the deep sea—it was a storm, an earthquake, a cataclysm.

The ocean froze, the fish throbbed, and an invisible tsunami brewed in the darkness, unleashing a deafening roar.

The whole world suddenly changed color, and torrential rain poured down.

"Let's join forces and go all out!"

Zeng Ming had never seen such a large-scale event before. His brow furrowed, and he immediately abandoned his original intention to be the first to make a move.

He dared not be careless and could only urge Qian Yue to control the Heart-Piercing Sword and provoke Pei Yanzhi to attack together.

However, the next second, Lu Yu, who had transformed into the King of Calamity in front of them with an astonishing aura and looked as if he was about to kill them with a flick of his wrist, suddenly flashed backward and disappeared.

Disappeared?

Zeng Ming was stunned for a moment, then his face twitched and a vein bulged on his forehead.

They've been tricked!

Lu Yu really was just a paper tiger. All that commotion was just a bluff to make them hesitate and then seize the opportunity to run away.

He had anticipated that the Boss might have some weaknesses and wasn't as strong as he had imagined, but he never expected that the Boss would run away in fear without even exchanging a single blow with them!

What's infuriating is that he was actually scared, and apart from cooperating with Qian Yue's sneak attack just now, he didn't even lift a finger.

Zeng Ming was filled with hatred and stepped forward, ready to give chase, but he hesitated, worried that it might be a trap, so he looked at Qian Yue first.

He wanted her to take the lead.

But upon closer inspection, Zeng Ming noticed that Qian Yue's condition seemed dire. She was trembling uncontrollably, her face pale and ashen, drenched in sweat, her pupils darting wildly, emitting wisps of black smoke. The Heart-Piercing Sword, hovering before her, swayed precariously, utterly unstable.

Zeng Ming's expression changed, and he was about to ask a question when Qian Yue suddenly let out a scream, abruptly severing her connection with the Heart-Piercing Sword, grabbing the sword and staggering backward.

"withdraw!"

Qian Yue cried out hoarsely, "The power and corruption of the Realm Lord are too strong. The Heart-Piercing Sword has been backfired on. I can't do anything about it. He's about to wake up... Hurry! It will be too late if we don't leave now!"

This time, Zeng Ming's face turned pale.

The Heart-Piercing Sword, as its name suggests, has the advantage of piercing the heart. As long as you find the enemy's mental weakness, you can strike with your sword at the right time and kill the opponent directly by exploiting that weakness.

It can also be used indirectly, using inner demons to control opponents and make them work for oneself.

Under normal circumstances, Qian Yue's Heart-Piercing Sword could make the people of an entire city on Jinshui Star willingly commit suicide without hesitation, or make S-level players with weaker mental strength unknowingly be controlled by her, living their lives according to her will without noticing the slightest problem.

But Pei Yanzhi is different after all.

His strength is well known.

Qian Yue's mental strength was inferior to his. If they hadn't made careful preparations, first deliberately luring the cow cat, which resembled Pei Yanzhi's pet, to the beach to stir up some of Pei Yanzhi's emotions, and then choosing a suitable place to act, using this underwater secret room to amplify Pei Yanzhi's emotional fluctuations and peek into his mental vulnerabilities, Qian Yue wouldn't have even had a chance to draw her sword, let alone briefly influence Pei Yanzhi and make him under their control.

Now, they have succeeded, but they have also failed.

Lu Yu seemed to have anticipated this, and Pei Yanzhi failed to kill him in one strike. They were also intimidated by Lu Yu's imposing presence and hesitated for a moment. Thus, this golden opportunity slipped away. Lu Yu escaped, and their time controlling Pei Yanzhi was up; they had no choice but to retreat.

If they persist, Pei Yanzhi will wake up, and their chances of winning will likely decrease from three against one to two against two, greatly reducing their chances of victory.

Although Zeng Ming didn't think Lu Yu could still join forces with Pei Yanzhi after this betrayal, he valued his life and dared not gamble.

Damn it!

Zeng Ming almost ground his teeth to powder, but he had no choice. After glancing at Pei Yanzhi's condition, he quickly grabbed Qian Yue and fled as if his life depended on it.

The two barely made a move, yet they were quite disheveled. After leaving the instance, they landed on a yacht.

On the yacht deck, Ji Chengchuan held a small statue that resembled the tree-hole stone statue, initially controlling the opening of the instance, as he received them.

“My dear, I’m so sorry, we…”

Upon seeing Ji Chengchuan, Zeng Ming immediately showed a look of shame.

Qian Yue collapsed to the side, unable to support herself, and couldn't even speak.

Ji Chengchuan seemed to be suppressing his emotions, not showing any obvious expression. He didn't condemn Zeng Ming and Qian Yue, but simply waved his hand, had someone help Qian Yue down, and said to Zeng Ming, "Brother Ming, you've worked hard. Go and rest first. We can talk about it later. I'll check the situation again..."

As he spoke, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes, as if he couldn't hold back any longer.

Zeng Ming felt even more guilty and his hatred intensified. He resolved that he would risk his own safety to trap or kill Lu Yu in the future, and he would never repeat the mistake he made tonight.

Seeing that Ji Chengchuan didn't want to say anything more, he opened his mouth but didn't say anything in the end, and followed the others down to the cabin.

He walked away too quickly and decisively, so he didn't see Ji Chengchuan's pleasant smile as he turned to leave, facing the sea.

Who said his plan failed?

It would be best if Lu Yu died tonight, but it's normal if he doesn't. Even if the Boss is just an empty shell, he's not so easy to kill. It doesn't matter if he didn't kill him; he has already obtained the information he wanted to get from this round of probing, and achieved his goal.

He confirmed that the Boss was all bark and no bite, stripped the Boss of his most powerful ally, and now, what could possibly stump him?

To his side, the monitoring screen inside the instance, brought about by the initial control of the instance, was still slowly changing. Right now, it was the moment when Pei Yanzhi woke up and stared blankly at his blood-stained palm.

“Pei Yanzhi, you’ve finally met your match.”

Ji Chengchuan grinned disdainfully.

In the video, Pei Yanzhi was briefly stunned before his face broke into a look of panic.

He looked around, then, as if sensing something, quickly went to the spot where Lu Yu had disappeared, tore open a spatial passage, and chased after him.

Around the same time.

Lu Yu had already found Lin Xiaoman and the others, told them about Pei Yanzhi's betrayal, and then took them outside the instance. Having found nothing, he seemed to have concluded that the existence of divine fragments in the Godfall Ruins was a trap, and decided not to waste any more time searching.

In the stone statue forest, the great prophet and Wang Kun and others who were there to meet them came over. Just as they were about to ask questions, they saw that apart from Xiao Qian and the others, Lu Yu and Lin Xiaoman and the others were all watching them warily and not getting close, for some reason.

The great prophet frowned, about to speak, when another spatial passage appeared. Pei Yanzhi stepped out, glanced at Lu Yu, and said anxiously, "Lu Yu, let me explain. Qian Yue used the Heart-Piercing Sword to control me. Hurting you was not my intention..."

"Stop him!"

Lu Yu issued orders to the great prophet and others.

The great prophet hesitated. He seemed to have vaguely guessed something from Pei Yanzhi's words and Lu Yu's reaction, knowing that there was a misunderstanding, and did not take action.

"As expected, you guys are in cahoots."

Lu Yu sneered, showing no surprise whatsoever. "I shouldn't have listened to Pei Yanzhi's sweet talk and believed you all. I shouldn't have left my mark on you."

The great prophet said, "Mr. Lu, please calm down. There must be some misunderstanding here..."

“There’s no misunderstanding.” Lu Yu scoffed lightly.

Gazing at Pei Yanzhi, the anger and hatred in his expression faded, leaving only calm.

"Pei Yanzhi, I can forgive you for hitting me, but don't treat me like a fool."

His dark eyes were deep and unfathomable, like the midnight sky: "I know what the Heart-Piercing Sword is. It can cut through the flaws in your heart and use them to its advantage, rather than fabricating a thought or a personality out of thin air for you. Your murderous intent towards me, and that statement that you only believe in yourself, isn't that because that's what you truly believe in your heart?"

"Stop lying to yourself, you've never believed me."

Pei Yanzhi's expression stiffened slightly, and he stopped in his tracks as he was about to move forward.

"Did you ever trust me, Lu Yu?" He stared at Lu Yu, his lips trembling, his eyes welling up with tears. "When I stabbed you, you were prepared. You've always been wary of me, and now you're questioning why I didn't trust you? Others have the right to ask that, but you don't!"

"Okay, okay..." Lu Yu forced a smile. "If you don't believe me and I don't believe you, then there's no point in continuing to pretend, is there?"

“That’s it,” he said. “Let’s go our separate ways.”