<3rd POV>
After releasing Bai, Renxue started flying up. She turned to the others fighting "Uncle Xue, uncle Long" she said with a voice full of dignity that forced people to want to bow to her "Finish now!" she ordered.
Renxue's wings widely opened glowing brightly with a golden color "
On the other hand, Wudi and Dugu Bo were suppressed by it, not being able to even use 50% of their power, making any technique consume a greater amount of spirit energy.
Wudi was already being pushed by Paper Douluo, not being able to last a lot more time. With Renxue's truth, Wudi's spirit power was completely purified, bein unable to put any defense. He could only stare as an uncountable number of red paper stinger approached him. The stinger pierced his skin, causing his body to become full of bloody holes, finally, for one of them piercing his heart, killing him instantly. His lifeless body fell to the ground followed by the strings that were dissolved in papers, his blood and red papers forming a strange picture.
"How beautiful!" Jiang Long said enthusiastically "It doesn't matter how ugly one is in life, under my hand their death becomes art, you should be grateful. I will call it Breaking the Breaker" Jiang Long said laughing at Wudi's dead body.
On Dugu Bo's side. Ci Xue was almost about to fall prey to Dugu Bo's poison when Renxue's Truth affected both. Dugu Bo's poison was purified, Ci Xue quickly healing from it. Ci Xue grinned with his spiky teeth "It seems that the roles changed" Ci Xue started then furiously absorbing Dugu Bo's poison, suctioned by the Porcupinefish mouth, with Renxue's help he didn't need to worry by its after-effect.
Dugu Bo could only stare as his poison was being absorbed, any of his technique useful at all. Not only were ineffective, but his poison was also empowering his enemy who was becoming stronger at each second. Dugu Bo finally had all his spirit energy empty, his Serpent Avatar dispersing, falling to the ground exhausted.
Ci Xue's body started deflating, the porcupinefish becoming his usual human self covered with purple clothes. He cleaned his mouth "It was delicious" he turned to Renxue and bowed "Your highness, could I keep him as my prey? His poison would be very beneficial for my futures breakthroughs" he requested.
Renxue withdrew her Truth and simply nodded "As you want. I expect you to keep him in check"
Ci Xue's bowed even more "Thanks for your generosity, your highness" his spirit power already covering Poison Douluo lifting him close her.
Jiang Long turned to Tang San, Xiao Wu and Chenxiang who were laying exhausted and full of wounds, and grinned "You will make a perfect mural. Young talents are always the best material" he shuddered in anticipation, a purple spirit ring shining brightly.
"Stop!" ordered Renxue, Jiang Long quickly stopping his skill and turned to Renxue with the face of a kid who someone took his candy. "I will let you have them, but I want her"
Renxue extended her left arm that shined brightly pulling Chenxiang to her. Chenxiang tried to struggle but it was futile, slowly being dragged to Renxue. Standing in front of Renxue, Chenxiang rather than feel terror, she made a face full of fury, wanting to tear of Renxue.
"You're Bai Chenxiang?" Renxue asked without expecting any answer "I saw how you look at Bai" she then made a pissed face for an instant "And how he looked at you. You will be useful"
"I-I w-won't h-help y-you" Chenxiang said with a hoarse voice, being difficult to even talk.
"It doesn't matter if you're willing. I will keep you alive a little more. I want for Bai to see you suffer and die, he would become more willing to follow my orders after being broken. Then, I would only to obtain her sister, he would follow my orders if he doesn't want her to experiment the same" Renxue turned to Jiang Long "You can take the others"
Jiang Long bowed "Thanks, your highness!". He turned to Xiao Wu and Tang San and licked his lips. "Become art!" a yellow ring shined "<2nd skill: Bull Talisman>" a bull was formed by his grimoire's pages and charged to both of them "Be grateful, you will die together. I will call it Young Love!"
The Bull charged to the helpless pair. Just as the Bull was about to hit Tang San and Xiao Wu "Swing!" one gray sword quickly crossed the sky like comets. It interposed, stopping the bull's strike. "Crack!" near Renxue, the space broke like glass, a translucent sword was shot from the crack, it targetted between Renxue and Chenxiang.
Renxue was shocked by it, evading the attack, unconsciously releasing Chenxiang.
"Swing! Swing!" Two more swords crossed the sky, this time a red one and a green one. The red one was covered in powerful flames and was shot towards the stopped bull, piercing through it and dispersing it in papers. The green one caught Chenxiang who was falling and emitted a green aura, healing Chenxiang.
"Renxue!" someone shouted causing all of them to turn to the voice. At the ground, stood a handsome young man, with short hair, half of it black and the other half white, with different colored eyes, his left eye was black while his right one was golden. One sword at each hand, one black and one white.
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Opening my eyes, I found myself in the familiar black and white world. Paul stayed at the center looking down at me with a cold face devoid of any emotion.
I clenched my teeth and crossed my right arm over my eyes, hiding my tears. After some time, Paul continued still, not a word leaving his mouth.
I turned to him "Why don't you laugh at me?!" I shouted with teary eyes.
"Why should I laugh?" he answered coldly.
"You were right!" I shouted, then I said in low voice "Qinghe wasn't him, she was Renxue and had lied to me all this time. I was the little naive idiot who trusted her, even when the evidence pointed the opposite. Like always you were right"
I punched the ground "I couldn't win against her, she is too powerful"
"Hum!" Paul hummed "At least you see your situation. You were an idiot, you have been always one, nothing to surprise here"
"Yes, I can't do anything for myself. Even when I trained all this time, trying with all my might, I couldn't do a thing, I don't have the power to protect anyone" I self-condemned "If this continues Renxue is going to kill everyone. I don't want them to die" I cried.
Paul grinned a little "What do you propose?"
"I don't mind what you do to me," I said resolutely "If you safe Xiang and the other, I will give you full control, complete control of my spirit, I don't mind disappearing if, with it, I can protect my loved ones"
"You always with you self-sacrifice hero's act" Paul shook his head.
"I will give all to you. However, you must promise that you won't damage my family of friends. Save them now, stop Renxue and then disappear of their lives, you can do whatever you want then" I requested.
Paul grinned and mockingly bowed to me, lifting his hand towards me "I accept your request, little boy" he paused a moment "It's what I would like to say but..." he stood up with a cold face and turned to one side. There appeared a screen, showing Renxue's attack and progress, my memories of the fight "I won't be able to face her. You really create a monster"
"What?!" I said shocked, standing up "How can you not win? You are always so sure, always framing my weakness. You already told that Renxue won't be your match!"
"I simply state the facts. It won't be difficult to face against the Renxue that I have knowledge about, the truth is that even you could have been able to face her, even if not winning, at least stop her" He then signaled at the screen that showed Renxue's 8-winged transformed "She was only supposed to have 4, her power, not even half of now. Even her fighting progress shouldn't be so high with so little fighting experience, but she fought like someone with rich experience. It's impossible for me to win"
"How can it be?" I fell to my knees depressed "B-but your sword focus on offense, your Sword Heart is stronger than mine. You should be able to destroy her defense"
"In normal conditions, of course, but..." he stood thoughtfully "She is my complete counter. In her presence, I won't be able to even use a tenth of my strength. My domain and techniques canceled by her Truth, similar to Tang Sang whose domain was extinguished"
"So, there's no way to win" I collapse cried.
"Truth be told, you should have accepted her offer. As now, she has the power of a titled douluo, and it would only increase in the future. It's even possible that she would become a stronger god, combined with her mother and Spirit Hall's power, I doubt that it would be possible winning agains them" Paul explained "Renxue had a good opinion of you, take advantage. As you rejected her, even if you change your mind, she would punish you. Anyway, you should accept her and try to safe whatever you can"
"So I need to take away my words and lowered my head to her for a mere opportunity, supplicating my family survival," I said sadly.
"You already lowered your head to me, what's the difference?" Paul laughed.
"It's completely different!" I shouted "She lied to me! I thought we were friends. You always exposed yourself as my enemy, I can accept lies from you. I always thought Qinghe as my best friend, thinking that the feeling was reciprocated"
"People like Renxue didn't gain these feelings easily. She had suffered a loveless infancy, her mother always showing contempt to her, even when she always tried to strive for her acceptance. She only is able to see people for their value. As now your importance lays in my spirit, she won't let us free when my spirit had the power of evolving her. However, this way she would always think you as someone lower than her, only useful in being used. You must surpass her in strength" He shook his head "Now being 'almost' impossible to do, thanks to your power-up her" he said putting emphasis in the almost.
"Almost?" I looked at him with doubt.
"The easy thing would be go with her rather than fight, but..." A powerful Slaughter Intent shot from his eyes "I don't want to lose to that bitch! Leaving under one would be a disgrace" his intent disappeared and he turned his cold face "I would be truthful with you for one time as if you are not fully with me it would impossible"
"Tell" I said with curiosity.
"1st option, you lower your head, your survival is 100% secure. You shouldn't even worry about me, under her influence, you will win against me easily, only being at her side would make our fight pointless in your favor. Your friends here would most likely die as Renxue is really pissed. The most probable is that your family is killed as they obtained too much power, I suppose that she would let your sister live as she isn't truly any danger alone" Paul explained.
(I will be alive and win my fight against Paul. However. this would be throwing all that I worked hard for, trying to keep whatever scraps Spirit Hall let me, never lifting my head. Paul was right, the most probable was that they keep Rongrong as blackmail material against me, forcing me to use the Golden Oreos and the others for them) I thought.
"And the other option?" I asked hopefully.
"Fight, of course. Fight to the limit, putting our life in line" Paul said opening his hand grinning.
"You already said that it's impossible to win over her" I denegated him.
"It's impossible for me, it's impossible for you. But, if we work together, we might create an opportunity" he said "I despised working for you, but it's the only option to fight her. This option doesn't secure anything. It's an all-out. We could win, keeping your loved ones safe or we could lose all, dying in the process" Paul turned to his cold self "Now, decide. I can't force you"
Looking at Paul's eyes, I knew without any doubt that he was telling the truth. My survival vs an insecure future. There was also the fact, that Paul could take advantage of gaining more option to win over me, even winning against Renxue it could mean my demise.
I turned to Paul decidedly "Your decision is clearly towards the second, as is the only one with a possibility to your survival. Paul, promise me what I requested before. If you win over me, don't injure my loved ones"
"You have my word" Paulaccepted, this time not even an ounce of mockery in his voice.
I nodded "Let's go with the second option. We will fight, together"
"Focus on using your spirit, use your intent to protect us against her. Death and Life are incompatible, but, at the same time the absence of one, will make the other stronger, focus on creating a free place for my own intent" he said lifting his hand.
I lifted mine, doing a handshake, a blinding white and black light shined at our contact.