Neug Mu on his way to the ancient demon Kingdom ruins on the way he was ambushed by a rival of his, at this critical moment Neug Mu could do nothing about this. He had just passed the immortal formation tribulation three days ago not fully recovered yet.
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Nueg Mu met Nolan Ranan at a dimly lit bar tucked away in one of the quieter corners of the city. He was already drunk when she approached him, slouched over the counter with a half-empty glass in hand. His usual imposing presence was dulled by the haze of alcohol.
Nolan raised an eyebrow, settling beside him. "What's with the mood, Nueg?"
He scoffed, took another sip, and stared at his reflection in the dark liquid. "It's nothing." But the alcohol loosened his tongue more than he intended. "Just passed the tribulation."
Nolan blinked. "You what?"
He flinched slightly, realizing too late what he'd said. That was something he wanted to keep to himself. A secret. Something sacred. But now it was out, and it wouldn't take long before word spread.
People would talk. They always did.
A figure from the Zengue continent—passing the tribulation and then found drunk in a bar? It didn't fit. The Zengue were only ever known for war, discipline, and unmatched strength. Not for getting wasted and mumbling confessions in public. Most would fear seeing such a powerful being in such a state. And yet here he was.
Neug Mu was one who had tolerance for drinks and Indeed he loved taking the Shanghai wine it was something he would drink even if he was given it in a dream.
(A fair lady she was indeed she had a scent that was extraordinary, so tall and had the shape of a princess a gorgeous woman) "Neug Mu what's the matter with you I haven't seen you in such a mood?" she asked. Neug Mu under alcoholic influence began to spit out everything bothering him unknown to him he was in a public place. If at all he was in his right senses he would have requested they met at a Hidden spot or activated a seal to conceal what they discussed about.
Be it as it may the fair lady was Nolan Ranan she was a lady who once loved Neug Mu.
Even after knowing that he was married she still felt for him and always looked after him in secret anytime he was away from home. Unknown to her some spies sent by the Nexus sect heard all they discussed, Nolan soon learnt about that and killed the ones she could but some escaped.
A day has passed, Neug Mu still recovering according to Nolan it would take him about a week or two to fully recover.
The news about Neug Mu's injury had become the talk of the town, one could hear people talking about it here and there
It happened to be that in years now no one have had conflict with the Nexus sect as they have been unrivaled in the whole light star continent. Neug Mu offending an elder from such sect means that he is of a reputable background. Nolan happened to find out about this rumours on her way to the market before she could head back to where Neug Mu's tent was behold a scene has been out up already.
The skies above trembled with fury, split asunder by waves of spiritual energy that crackled through the firmament. Lightning, born not of nature but of unleashed cultivation power, wove a chaotic tapestry above the battlefield. Beneath that fractured sky stood Neug Mu—bloodied, battered, yet unbowed.
His robes, once pristine, were now little more than tattered rags clinging to a frame pushed far beyond its mortal limits. Every breath he took came with agony, every step a rebellion against the void clawing at the edge of his soul. Before him loomed his foes—two cultivators, both in the mid stage of the immortal formation realm, their auras vast as oceans, pressing upon him like an unyielding mountain.
He was only in the early stage. The gap between them was not merely in power—it was fate, destiny, inevitability.
And yet he fought.
His sword, long chipped and glowing faintly with the remnants of his qi, rose once more, defying exhaustion and despair. "I will not fall… not until I've carved my mark into this world."
Blood poured from the corner of his mouth as he forced a final surge of energy into his limbs. With each exchange, the air trembled, the ground cracked, and the sky dimmed, as if mourning the loss it already sensed coming.
But it was not enough.
The enemy's combined might was unrelenting—each blow chipped away not just at his body, but his soul. Neug Mu staggered, knees buckling. The world tilted. His vision blurred.
Then he felt it: the seal within his heart, ancient and buried, trembled—his life force. A forbidden wellspring. A final offering.
In the depths of his pain, he smiled.
So be it.
He thrust his sword into the earth and crossed his hands into a final incantation. The runes etched into his flesh began to glow, igniting like fire across his veins. His dantian flared with unnatural brilliance, and in that instant, the heavens themselves seemed to pause.
Burning one's life force was a taboo among immortals—sacrifice without rebirth. But Neug Mu needed not eternity. He needed only this moment.
With a cry that echoed across the valley, he surged forward, his entire being a comet of blinding light. His enemies faltered, sensing too late the enormity of what was to come. There was no escape, no shield, no talisman that could defy the wrath of a soul giving its all.
The explosion that followed was silent. Not because there was no sound, but because the world had gone still to witness it.
When the light faded, there was nothing.
No shattered weapons.
No scorched earth.
No bones to bury.
Only the faint scent of lotus blossoms carried by the wind.
And in the middle of the clearing, untouched by dust or ash, lay a single jade letter, resting against a small stone—a life seal still faintly glowing with Neug Mu's qi.
Nolan Ranan arrived too late.
She stood alone among the silence, the tips of her fingers trembling as she reached for the letter. Her cultivation let her see what others could not—the lingering echo of his soul, wrapped around the seal, as if he were still watching over her.
She fell to her knees.
Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as she whispered, "You fool… You beautiful, brave fool…"
Her heart ached not just from loss, but from awe. In death, Neug Mu had not been defeated—he had broken the heavens' decree. He had defied the impossible.
And in doing so, he ascended—not in body, but in spirit.
His legend, sealed in sacrifice, would echo through the generations.
A warrior who stood when he should have fallen.
A man who loved so deeply, he left behind more than silence.
He left hope