Unfortunately, Bai Ya had no idea about any of this. She was trapped between a rock and a hard place. She could no longer use her own Essence. Yet this stalemate couldn’t last. Especially since she now knew Yue Ge was completely out of control. Killing her would be effortless for him in this state.

Before Bai Ya could decide what to do, Yue Ge—who had been utterly still—suddenly released his grip. The surrounding darkness began to fade. Only then did she see the ground beneath her feet had vanished entirely. Galsis’s energy blast had carved a massive cylindrical crater into the earth.

Yue Ge lifted his head. His eyes were hollow as he stared at Galsis. Death Aura slowly gathered around them, forming a faint protective barrier.

Galsis looked down. Seeing Yue Ge lower his defenses, it wasted no time. It strode forward, arm raised to strike.

"Careful!"

Bai Ya’s warning slipped out instinctively. Galsis’s attack was already upon them. The 500-meter gap vanished in the blink of an eye. The sheer wind pressure split the air itself.

Yue Ge didn’t hesitate. Holding Bai Ya with one arm, he wrapped them both in black mist. They vanished just before Galsis’s blow landed. The earth tore open with a colossal crack—but Yue Ge was gone. He reappeared above Galsis’s head.

Bai Ya fell silent, watching helplessly. This had escalated beyond her reach. She’d never imagined Yue Ge’s Essence could be this powerful. His combat strength matched Galsis—no, surpassed it. Whether by trickery or brute force, he’d blocked Galsis’s energy blast head-on. That alone made him stronger than any other Chosen One.

One thing puzzled her: Why did he keep dragging her along even while dodging attacks? She’d seen it clearly—he’d released her once, only to grab her again when Galsis struck. Was some shred of his true self still fighting through this rampage?

*Was that even possible?*

Galsis, however, couldn’t tolerate an insect crawling atop its head.

**"ROOOOAAARRRRR!!!"** It roared, swiping to knock Yue Ge down. But its arm froze mid-motion.

Yue Ge simply swept his hand downward. A colossal black spear materialized in midair. It pierced Galsis’s chest from front to back, pinning the Deity to the ground like divine Judgment. His motion never changed—whether slaughtering weak monsters or towering gods, it was always just that single downward slash.

Nothing escaped Death’s Judgment.

Once wasn’t enough? Then twice. Twice wasn’t enough? Then countless times.

Yue Ge gazed down impassively. His clenched fist tightened.

**"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"** Galsis’s final roar echoed. Countless spears erupted through its body. The eerie glow in its eyes dimmed. Black molten rock cracked across its form. At the breaking point, its entire body exploded—leaving only bone fragments and ash raining down. Its heart? Reduced to nothing by the spears.

The Lord of the Earth had fallen to Death.

A torrent of Death surged from Galsis’s remains, flooding into Yue Ge. As raw Essence flooded his body, impure Death was expelled. For a fleeting second, the crimson eyes beneath his hood cleared. But the clarity lasted less than a heartbeat. The overwhelming Death forced his consciousness back into the shadows.

Compared to the ocean of external Death, this Essence was merely a drop in the ocean. It couldn’t sustain his control. Yet in that single second of clarity, he made the only choice he could.

"Stop me," he whispered.

Here, only Bai Ya could do that.

"Yue Ge…" Bai Ya watched helplessly as he pushed her away. Even the Death Aura shielding her dissolved. After a moment of disorientation, she realized what she had to do as she fell. She had to knock him back to his senses—just like before.

Yue Ge didn’t look back. He slowly raised both hands. More Death Aura swirled toward him, coalescing into a colossal black vortex overhead. Ominous darkness churned within it, expanding rapidly until it swallowed the entire Fated City.

No one knew his plan. It didn’t matter. Once that vortex finished forming, even if Yue Ge did nothing else—just dropping it—no one in the Fated City would survive.

Bai Ya knew she couldn’t wait. She activated her Essence and charged. She had no confidence she could win against him like this. Yet strangely, no fear gripped her. Only calm.

She’d foreseen this moment the instant he’d recklessly come to save her. Even if it cost her life, she’d drag him back. Besides… this wasn’t hopeless. His actions had sparked a sliver of hope.

*Please… trust me.* She prayed silently. For the first time, she staked everything on someone else—on a fragile, impossible chance.

A faint light gathered in her palm, stretching into a slender blade. Gripping it tightly, she abandoned all defense and lunged straight for Yue Ge’s chest.

*Huff…* The black hood tilted down. A raspy breath escaped. Without hesitation, he caught a black blade mid-swing and slashed downward.

*Ugh!* Before Bai Ya could react, her weapon was shattered by the Reaper Scythe. The force nearly knocked her from the air. But she wasn’t flying—she manipulated space itself. As long as she held on, she couldn’t fall.

Yue Ge’s strength was immense, yet far weaker than Galsis’s. And strangely… he’d aimed precisely for her weapon. At his speed, killing her would’ve been effortless.

*This won’t work. I can’t even get close…*

Gritting her teeth, Bai Ya pushed herself up. She stared at Yue Ge’s indifferent face. After disarming her, he’d simply waited—watching for her next move. Even now, his instincts protected him. She couldn’t touch him.

Time was running out. She didn’t need to look up to feel the vortex’s completion. Dread pressed down, threatening to buckle her knees. This calamity, forged from millions of deaths, would’ve shattered her long ago—if not for the divine power within her.

"Going all in." Bai Ya took a deep breath. She gathered no power. She just closed the distance, planted her foot, and threw herself at him.

She had to gamble: *He won’t kill me.*

Yue Ge stepped back—but too late. He reversed his grip on the scythe, thrusting it straight at Bai Ya’s heart. His eyes held no emotion. Yet at the last instant, an unseen force wrenched his arm down two inches. The blade missed its mark.

"Sleep." Bai Ya wrapped her arms around his neck. Forehead to forehead. A trace of white light flickered between them.

The black hood shimmered twice, then dissolved. The colossal vortex above them faded like a forgotten dream.

Sunlight poured down, bathing the city once more.

Bai Ya held the unconscious Yue Ge, speechless. Relief, exhaustion, and a storm of emotions crashed over her. But one thing remained clear.

"Fool," she whispered, pulling him closer. She closed her eyes and wept. "Thank goodness… you’re alive. We’re both alive."