"Understood, truly only you talk of peace, and I'll do the fighting."
Lu Ze twisted his sore wrist, even twisting his head, making a cracking sound.
"Relying on him? Is this your confidence? Truly surprising. To place all your hopes on one person, this isn't like you, Jinpeng."
Xiao shook his head. He had no other options. Now, he had no choice but to trust Lu Ze.
"Don't speak too soon. What if I succeed? Moreover, I don't think I'll fail, because I have the strength! Last question, are you going to move or not? Don't blame me for slicing you in half."
A flicker of impatience crossed Yingda's face. As she opened her mouth to speak the first word,
"No..."
The next second, the Dising Dispersal Seven Thunders was only 0.1 millimeters from her. If it had gone down just a little more, her head would be gone.
"You... how could you do this? A sneak attack?"
Yingda was somewhat shocked, as she hadn't seen anything. When had Lu Ze appeared before her? He had even raised his sword, intending to strike her.
"This isn't a sneak attack, this is called being aboveboard. Who told you your speed isn't as fast as mine? Should you let me pass now? If that last slash had hit your head, I wouldn't need to ask for your answer."
Lu Ze slowly sheathed his sword, his cold expression possessing a hint of handsomeness.
"I understand. You're really like this, never being gentle with girls. Believe it or not, I'll cry for you?"
Yingda looked as if she could cry at any moment, which made Lu Ze a little flustered. He was never good at dealing with this.
"Alright, Yingda. Stop messing around. Losing is losing. Hurry up and let us pass. The upcoming Lantern Rite Festival will be enough for you to chat about."
Having her shortcomings exposed by her own siblings, Yingda was somewhat helpless. Her right hand touched the red doorframe, and the next second it turned blue.
"You all go ahead. I don't know if you can succeed, but I still hope that during the Lantern Rite Festival... I can personally say to you all, 'Happy Lantern Rite Festival'."
Yingda waved her hand, indicating for them to pass.
Along the way, only two people proved effective, which made the others feel a bit awkward. Even Arataki Itto, who was usually so talkative, remained silent.
After all, he knew that he couldn't defeat any of the Yakshas present. It was better to surrender proactively than to passively take a beating.
Since his bro wasn't around, it was fine to surrender. No one would know. Kuki Shinobu... wouldn't expose the boss, right?
As for Lumine and Paimon, the usually talkative external divine mouths, they were silent too. Perhaps they understood the seriousness of the situation, or maybe they were scared.
Yanfei's eyes held nothing but reverence for these Adepti. As a half-Adept, she naturally knew how much these Adepti had contributed to Liyue's peace.
Yelan? She had been frowning all the way, deep in thought. If the intelligence was correct, her ancestor should have participated in this war.
Even the entire Cloud Retainer's artifact was theirs, though not forged by them. It was a gift from an Adeptus and played a crucial role in this war.
And her ancestor, if nothing unexpected happened, should be named Boyang.
As for Dainsleif, he followed with a blank expression, interested in how things would unfold. If everything went as planned and the sealed monsters were all released, would Lu Ze truly have the power to resolve it alone?
Wasn't this heroism? He also waited to see.
Upon reaching the fifth gate, it was indeed the last Yaksha, the leader of the five Yakshas, a commander named Fu She, meaning fleeting life, all things forsaken...
"I didn't expect to see you here, Jinpeng... Were you scared by my actions earlier?"
Fu She smiled faintly. After all, he had met Jinpeng not long ago and even taken away his karmic impurities. Thus, his arrival was not entirely unexpected.
"I was scared. I thought my elder brother from the past was going to attack me? Do you know that after you disappeared, I kept investigating clues about you, but you didn't leave any message for me when you left."
Xiao became more and more angry and quickly charged forward, landing a punch on Fu She's chest. However, it was only a light punch that wouldn't cause much harm.
"I'm sorry, Jinpeng. At that time, I was consumed by a karmic outbreak. Not only did I forget my memories, but I also lost my reason. How could I have left any clues in such a situation?"
Fu She's face was filled with apology. As the elder brother, he should have protected his younger brother, but he, the elder brother, had fallen first.
"Forget it. We can see each other now, right? So! Don't leave this time, okay? I want to spend this Lantern Rite Festival with you all. So, let us pass, okay?"
Xiao slowly loosened his clenched fist, quietly awaiting the other's answer.
"I cannot agree. This is the last line of defense. Unless you defeat me, you won't pass! Also, Jinpeng... let me see your growth over this period."
Knowing that it was time for him to fight, Xiao sighed slowly. In the end, he had to fight his own brother. Fine, it was all for their revival!
"Then let me show you my growth, Fu She!"
Primordial Jade Winged-Spear appeared in his hand. Xiao kicked out with a foot, but unexpectedly, Fu She's other two hands grabbed his leg tightly, suspending him in mid-air.
Then, holding his leg, he spun him rapidly in the air before flinging him away.
However, Xiao did not get up from the dust as expected. Instead, he did a few quick flips in the air and charged forward again.
Xiao's mask had appeared on his face at some point, and even his spear was infused with a green hue, indicating he had used his ultimate.
Then, he leaped high into the air and performed a rapid diving attack, causing spikes resembling those on a battlefield to appear on the ground.
"You haven't changed after all, Jinpeng. In these hundred years, although you haven't neglected your martial arts, you are still the same."
He rapidly conjured a lightning ball with his four hands and forcefully threw it at Xiao, who was in mid-air.
"No, I haven't stagnated in these hundred years. It's just that I haven't used it yet."
Immediately after, Xiao teleported in mid-air, not only dodging the lightning ball but also appearing directly above Fu She, launching a diving attack straight at Fu She.