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The air before the mausoleum was permeated with the stench of blood. As it assailed Ye Zichen’s nostrils, it riled up the surrounding lions.

“Hey, Bro, can’t we sit down and talk this over?” Ye Zichen had no idea just how this mausoleum was set up. Ye Zichen retreated a few dozen meters, only to discover a vast and endless abyss behind him.

He couldn’t fly in here. All he could do was face the lions head on and fight to the death.

He greeted the lion in the middle, which seemed like their leader. To his despair, despite his warm and friendly smile, the lions only roared in response.

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit overly unfriendly? You ought to be the Five Elements Great Emperor’s divine beast guardians, right? Come on, take a good look at me! I’m good friends with the Five Elements Great Emperor!”

All he got in response was another deafening roar. The lions drew nearer, step by step.

Ye Zichen instinctively took a step backwards, but his foot landed on the edge of a cliff and knocked a nearby stone into the abyss. A long time passed, but he heard no sound. From this, it was clear just how deep the abyss was.

Ye Zichen gulped in terror, and cautiously examined the surrounding lions.

It seemed he couldn’t possibly communicate with them. His hope of breaking through their ranks was distant and fleeting, too. No matter how adaptable Ye Zichen was, he couldn’t see any way to get out of this alive.

“Chi Mei was right. If the Five Elements Great Emperor called us here, he shouldn’t let us die. Alternatively, perhaps this mausoleum is nothing but a trap to trick countless members of later generations into throwing their lives away so he doesn’t have to be alone in his endless slumber? If that’s the case, the Five Elements Great Emperor is one twisted guy!”

Ye Zichen’s thoughts raced. In his eyes, there was absolutely some way to escape his predicament; it was just, he had no idea where or what it was.

The lions drew closer and closer to Ye Zichen. It seemed they were in no hurry to swallow him up; they wanted to play with their dinner first. Their steps slowed, yet each leisurely step was like a countdown to his doom. They reminded Ye Zichen, over and over again, that his life was nearing its end.

“Dp you really think I’m that easy to bully?” With that, Ye Zichen shockingly charged right at the lions. Five fireballs, each fifty feet high, instantly lit up behind him.

When the fireballs appeared, even Ye Zichen himself was surprised; he’d summoned them instantaneously. Given his half-hearted power of the Five Elements, he shouldn’t have been able to do that. The Dao of the Five Elements was really clear and powerful here.

“Perhaps this will get me out of this.” As he considered this, Ye Zichen’s heart blazeed with home. In the blink of an eye, the fireballs multiplied behind him, then merged into a singular sea of flames hundreds of feet across.

Beasts feared fire. When they saw the dazzling sea of flames, the vicious lions retreated backwards.

“Hey, you little beasts. Weren’t you awfully aggressive just now?”

The sea of flames behind him was all Ye Zichen had to rely on. When he saw that this was enough to scare those vicious beasts off, Ye Zichen suddenly felt a surge of regret. Why hadn’t he done this right from the start? If he had, he might have been able to save Chi Mei and Wu Yi.

“Chi Mei, although your fake cutesiness was really awful, you’re dead now.... I’ll avenge you. And you too, Grumpyface. I’ll get revenge for you too.”

Boom!

The sea of flames suddenly swept towards the lions, which repeatedly backed away out of sheer terror. They moved further and further back.

However, when they reached the gates to the mausoleum, it seemed like they hit their limit. They couldn’t retreat any further, so they came to a stop and roared in agitation.

“Roar.....!”

At that moment, the leader of the lions let out a low roar, then charged right into the sea of flames. The others followed hot on its heels.

“You’re seeking death!”

The sea of flames grew without end, but against all expectations.....

“Roar!”

The leader emerged from the flames. The blaze had set it on fire, so its formerly tawny fur had been burnt black.

Its eyes flashed with hatred as it knocked Ye Zichen to the ground.

The lion was so strong that it instantly slammed Ye Zichen to the ground, and in the process, shattered his bones. Ye Zichen struggled to maintain his consciousness despite the heartrending agony, but he could do nothing but watch helplessly as the leader of the lions opened its gaping maw and took a bite.

“Am I going to die again?”

If he thought about it, it was a bit ridiculous. He’d gone to so much trouble to reincarnate and ascend to the God Realm. Now he was going to die again without so much as stepping foot on the Divine Mountains. He’d yet to determine whether the news of Xia Keke was real or not, or whether Su Yiyun’s soul had made it to the River Styx. He hadn’t visited the Sea of Innocence, or cleared up his misunderstanding with Su Yan, or married Lil’ Honghong......

There was far too much he’d yet to accomplish, but now he was going to die.

He didn’t blame Chi Mei. It was too late for that, and besides, she was already dead. What was the point of resenting her? Instead, he hated the Five Elements Great Emperor.

“Five Elements Great Emperor, were you just playing with us?” He forced a weak and bitter laugh. By now, he no longer had the strength to shout. All he could do was smile grimly as the lions opened their mouths wide.....

“Hey, Ye Zichen! Wake up!”

Ye Zichen, who’d already accepted his inevitable demise, suddenly opened his eyes. He looked before him in astonishment, but instead of a lion, he saw Chi Mei. Hadn’t the lions already eaten her?

“You.....I...... am I already dead?”

The lions didn’t fool around. To his surprise, they didn’t torture him, and instead gave him a quick, clean death.

He was dead. He was now free of all worldly concerns.

He sat bitterly on the ground, only to discover that Grumpyface, who’d been eaten alive by lion cubs, was standing right in front of him.

He was still grimacing, just like when he was alive.

“Grumpyface, you’re already dead, so why are you still so tense? What? Is this just your style? Are you planning to keep this up in the next life too? Let me tell you, if you act like this girls won’t like you. Hurry up and change your look. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll die old and alone.”

Grumpyface’s face was ashen. He glowered hatefully at Ye Zichen, as if trying to kill him with his gaze alone.

“What are you trying to do? Who do you think you’re threatening? If we really fought, do you think you’d be any match for me? Look at your scrawny arms and legs. I’m afraid that if I used even just a little force, your bones would snap.”

He was already dead, so he was willing to say all sorts of things he never would have said in life. Dying in frustration unleashed his inhibitions. This time, he directed his words at Chi Mei instead.

“A brainless bimbo! That term describes you to a tee! You think you’re acting cute? Let me tell you, your fake cutesiness is ridiculously uncomfortable. One look and I can’t help but clench my fists. I’m just itching to punch you right in the face. Of course, logically speaking, your face and figure really do meet the standards necessary to become my concubine.”

Chi Mei, who was still laughing at everything Ye Zichen said to Wu Yi, suddenly froze. However, her response wasn’t as friendly as Grumpyface’s. Instead of glaring, she smacked Ye Zichen right in the face.

Ye Zichen grabbed her hand in mid-air and snorted contemptuously,“You want to hit me? I....”

However, before he could even finish his sentence, Ye Zichen stopped. If he weren’t mistaken....

Her hand! It was warm!

Ye Zichen couldn’t quite believe his senses. He raised his hand and slapped his thigh.....

His leg! It hurt!