Master, This Poor Disciple Died Again Today

The realm crumbled, on and on. The most far-flung of the villages met the edge of the crumbling space, and its bubble dissipated. The cultivators within flew away as fast as they could, picking up those who couldn’t fly and carrying them along with them. They stared up at Hui with horror and fear, shock and disbelief. One or two flew toward him, drawing weapons they hadn’t touched in some time, but when they met the cold void, they flinched back and retreated instead.

Hui watched them, quietly glad they could flee. Though even if they can’t, this is a loop. Everything will be returned. What doesn’t, will smoothly enter my garbage realm and be recycled, safely secured nonetheless.

And if it isn’t, if we win, if the garbage realm fails, then…

Well, I’m not the Landlord of the Underworld for nothing.

Stop panicking, everyone! Let it cook, okay? I promise I have a plan!

On the screen, a small golden form appeared before Zhubi. The Golden Immortal reached out, grabbing at Zhubi.

Here he is! Let’s go!

The Golden Immortal’s hand struck the barrier Hui had given Zhubi. Retreated into his shell, Zhubi regarded the Golden Immortal with black eyes, glinting faintly from the shadows of his shell.

“Golden Immortal! Coward. Face me!” Hui shouted.

The Golden Immortal whipped around. He vanished, reappearing in front of Bai Xue. Another barrier blocked his path.

“A coward like you couldn’t possibly find it in your heart to face me alone!” Hui called.

He vanished again. This time, he appeared in front of Li Xiang, in sword form. Rather than trying to attack, he simply stared, taken aback. “A sword…?”

“Ha! I knew you’d never be able to attack me!” Hui crowed.

“I’m trying to attack you! You’re the one who smeared your aura all over them!” the Golden Immortal snarled, jabbing his finger at Li Xiang.

“Didn’t even do it the fun way,” Bai Xue grumbled.

“Cowardly excuses from a coward!” Hui shouted.

The Golden Immortal’s lips pressed together so hard they turned white. He vanished yet again. This time, he reappeared in front of Hui.

Hui jolted to a stop. He laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. “Ah! Senior! Funny finding you here!”

“Enough. It’s time for this farce to end.”

“Mhm, I agree,” Hui said, nodding.

The Golden Immortal regarded him. He raised his hand.

“Senior, are you actually going to squash me like the small bug I am?” Hui asked, somehow a little excited. What a classic event! I finally get to experience it myself!

The Golden Immortal paused. “Is this a trap?”

“No…” Hui said, glancing aside, then flicking his eyes back at the Golden Immortal. Below him, the Immortal realm continued to crumble. A little more. Just a little more. I don’t care what he wants or what he’s doing, as long as I continue to destroy the Immortal realm, I secure my advantage. The longer this clone lasts, the better.

Though, well, if he destroys me, it isn’t that bad. I’m a clone, for one, and I’m only a small part of our plan. I’ve already accomplished what I need to. Everything from here is bonus points.

“I’ve seen you attempt to destroy the realm before, but never this successfully,” the Golden Immortal commented. He glanced down, then lifted a hand to the primordial energy and sent it swirling around his hand. Humming, he closed his hand around it, opening it to show a miniature copy of the Immortal Realm floating over his palm. “But it’s all meaningless, you know? You’re merely dancing on the palm of—”

“I know,” Hui said.

Irritation flashed over the Golden Immortal’s face. He cut his eyes at Hui, his punchable chubby face more punchable than ever before. “Then why try?”

“If I don’t attempt to dance, I’ll never know where the pillars of the world hide,” Hui said, tilting his head.

The Golden Immortal tipped his head back. “And you, up there. I’ve allowed you to exist for this long. Do you think this ceaseless scheming has accomplished anything, hiding in that garbage of a realm?”

Hui stiffened. He glanced over his shoulder.

In the void, the pure-white garbage realm appeared. Wearing white, a pale Hui looked at the Golden Immortal from afar. He grinned, embarrassed. “Oh, hello.”

“It wasn’t supposed to go like this. It was supposed to be a surprise,” the Vermillion Bird Hui told the Golden Immortal, a little sheepish.

“It’s less fun when you know all along,” the white-wearing Hui agreed.

The Golden Immortal sighed deeply, pressing his fingers to his forehead. He shook his head. “Go on, then. What’s your master plan to defeat me this time? I admit, it’s a bit more complicated than usual, but I’m sure it’s nothing I can’t withstand. Before I crush you yet again, why don’t you entertain me for a moment?”

The Huis exchanged a glance. The white-robed Hui shrugged first. “Let’s do it. If he knows I’m here, we’ve already sunk the cost. We might as well ride it to the bottom.”

“It’s true. We won’t remember the plan if he eradicates you,” the Vermillion Bird Hui agreed.

With a gesture, the white-robed Hui called the primordial energy to him. He closed his eyes, breathing slowly, and settled into place. The power of time swirled around him, merging out of the ferocious primordial energy.

“After so long caught in a loop, even the essence of this world has become tainted with the power of time. This is my ultimate technique,” Vermillion Bird Hui declared.

“Is it?” the Golden Immortal asked.

Hui tilted his head. “Ah, well, that’s what the other me would probably say, if he wasn’t busy. Right, and after that, something like, ‘You dared treat time as your toy. Did you never fear someone would take it from you?’ Though I can’t be sure. He’s busy, and he’s not talking to me.”

The Golden Immortal squinted at him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m pretty stressed right now, actually, Senior. Many thanks for asking, this small cultivator doesn’t deserve Senior’s care,” Hui said, nodding.

The Golden Immortal’s eye twitched. “Maybe I should try again with a different person from your world.”

“If you could, you already would have,” Hui said smugly. He looked down on the Golden Immortal and clicked his tongue, shaking his head a little. “Ah, how pitiful, to have to rely on a frustrating little bug like me.”

Nose wrinkled in disgust, the Golden Immortal raised his hand again.

“Wait, wait, Senior! He’s almost done. Aren’t you curious what we’ve been working so hard on?” Hui asked.

The Golden Immortal lowered his hand. “I suppose I am curious, yes.”

“Or rather, could it be? The Golden Immortal is actually injured and scared, and doesn’t want to admit that he can’t stop us,” Hui whispered, looking at the Golden Immortal from the corner of his eye.

The Golden Immortal lashed out. His blow deflected off a barrier as Hui smoothly activated a talisman. A grin spread over Hui’s face. “Ha, I thought so. We do have you on the back foot. More than you’d like to admit.”

“Silence this nonsense! If you’re going to be so obnoxious, I’ll end this now, and prove you wrong!” The Golden Immortal abandoned the Hui before him and hurtled directly at the one floating in the void.

Behind him, the Vermillion Bird Hui smiled a small smile. He turned, watching as the Golden Immortal closed the gap.

As he flew, the Golden Immortal’s stomach sunk. A sense of impending danger gripped him, such as he hadn’t felt in years. He accelerated, but too late.

The white-robed Hui opened his eyes. A wave of white light washed over the realm, and time turned.