CHAPTER 49: THE FACELESS MASK

The blood-red giant sword came crashing down. Even Divine realm elites wouldn’t dare treat such a strike lightly.

Furthermore, Qi Yuan was armored and was already at level 95. On the Moonwatch Continent, that was the late stage Divine realm. A step further and he would stand as one of the great lords.

The sword’s swing unleashed a tidal wave of force, uprooting trees and tearing the battlefield apart. Hundreds of garment monsters perished instantly, their souls devoured to fuel the Death Radiance.

Qi Yuan’s XP bar skyrocketed. The Tattered-Cloth Emperor staggered back, its hulking form slightly disarrayed. Several jagged nails on its large claws had already snapped, revealing pale flesh beneath.

It showed neither sign of pain, nor spark of intelligence. The monster simply charged forward again.

Qi Yuan hefted his giant sword. “Today, it seems like we’ll settle not only victory or defeat, but life and death.”

His swing was steady and so powerful, he felt he could cleave a mountain in half. Well, not the mountains here. The Forbidden Zone's terrain is special, after all.

One strike sent the wind and clouds trembling. He triggered one of his minor skills, Shred Cloth—a technique with devastating effect against armor, clothing, and by extension, the garment monsters. For them, a Shred Cloth strike was no mere fabric cut, but a flesh wound.

The Tattered-Cloth Emperor’s face, hidden behind a black-and-white mask, was expressionless and inhuman.

Sword and claw collided, sparks scattering. The claws splintered, flesh peeled away, exposing bone as white as ivory.

Mildly surprised, Qi Yuan exclaimed, “You’ve got bones under there?”

The Tattered-Cloth Emperor said nothing. Its eerie mask simply stared, unblinking, into his soul. In the silence of the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone, the clash of steel and claw was all the more terrifying.

They fought again, shockwaves rippling outward. Countless other garment monsters were torn apart by the aftershocks, their numbers dwindling with every exchange.

The Tattered-Cloth Emperor was torn and battered. Qi Yuan, on the other hand, only grew fiercer, his momentum unstoppable.

He glanced around. The once fearsome Garment Tomb Forbidden Ruins now lay in ruins. With a thought, his giant sword shrank back down.

“If I keep swinging, there won’t be much left of this place. Better finish it cleanly.”

He gathered his strength. “Tyrannical Might! Heaven-Cleaving Sword!“

Two mighty skills flared at once. This was his strongest strike, without using any enhancers.

The giant sword pierced forward, lightning-fast. To his surprise, the Tattered-Cloth Emperor didn’t dodge. Whether from inability or intent, it simply stood there, allowing Qi Yuan’s devastating strike to pierce straight through its chest.

For the first time, the grotesque mask seemed to curve, as if smiling at Qi Yuan. Then its body sagged as all life drained out of it.

A layer of human skin drifted gently down through the air. Beside it, a blank mask fell to the ground.

Qi Yuan stared at the skin, an unexpected heaviness stirring in his chest. He picked up the faceless mask. At once, visions flooded his mind.

“You are the most gifted of our clan, with the potential to ascend to the Heaven realm. But the Celestial Demons scour the Moonwatch Continent. You must hide your talent and conceal your name. Wear this mask and leave our people. If one day you reach the Peak Emperor realm, step into the Four Great Forbidden Zones. Until then, remember: never enter the Heaven realm!”

He saw an average-looking young man with quiet appeal. The man put on the faceless mask, ultimately abandoning his name and life.

Yet, when he entered the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone and reached the Heaven realm, his reward hadn't been glory. Instead, a single fishing line fell from the heavens, draining his blood and essence.

All that remained was a hollow skin, which clung to a garment monster.

Qi Yuan lifted his head, staring into the night sky. A fishing line? A Celestial Demon?

He thought back to the invitation for the Demon-Slaying Assembly. “The final boss of this world sure has some nasty tricks...”

His gaze fell on the empty skin. “Even NPCs have their humanity. After killing him, I am now level 91. It won't be long before I reach 92.”

Qi Yuan lifted the faceless mask and slipped it over his own face.

A chime echoed in his ears.

[Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone mission cleared. Rewards obtained.]

[Reward 1: Polluted Heavenly Dao Fragments ×1] [Reward 2: Authority over Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone's military force]

Qi Yuan frowned. “Polluted fragments?”

The fragments in the Xuanyuan Forbidden Zone had been pure. He remembered that moment when the fishing line drained the human Tattered-Cloth Emperor dry.

“So this place was corrupted by the Celestial Demons? And I can only obtain complete fragments by slaying them. But according to the invitation, the Celestial Demons dwell in Earth's End. If I want whole fragments, I’ll have to go there.” He shrugged. “Not a problem. It just means I can’t fully set the rules for this place.”

In other words, he couldn't set a ladder rule for the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone.

“No good. I spent too much time here today. I need to log off.”

He was unharmed, but his spirit was worn thin.

Not even Death Radiance could restore the mental toll of playing. Staying too long would harm his real self.

This time, instead of digging another pit, he lay down with Little Bride at his side, the two of them sprawled comfortably together.

***

That night, the imperial palace glowed with lamplight. The imperial guard stood guard at the gates. Unease constricted the entire atmosphere around the palace.

Earlier that day, Jin Li had summoned Kong Qi. To her surprise, Duke Yu had also come to see her. He had expressed his distaste for Sima Ting. Between the lines, he suggested that she should flee while she still could. She understood, but she couldn't leave.

Deep into the night, she lay awake, unable to rest. Only her conversations with Qi Yuan had brought her comfort in recent days.

However, he hadn’t sent a word tonight. Was he safe in the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone? Could she possibly survive the storm about to break?

The Ancient Qichun Tree outside stood tall as ever, visible, yet forever out of reach.

Then, the Linglong Xi Jade in her hand flickered with light, loosening her grip. A message appeared.

Qi Yuan: Good news, I just cleared the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone! It’s mine now! But I need to log off. Today drained too much out of me. Tomorrow I’ll head to another Forbidden Zone.

Jin Li exhaled, the weight on her chest lifting.

So the Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone had fallen to Qi Yuan after all.

Her face flushed as she typed a reply.

Jin Li: Be careful.

Long ago, she recalled seeing her female guards whispering the same words to their husbands before battle.

She’d wanted to tell Qi Yuan more—to pour out her troubles. Yet, seeing how weary he was, she decided to wait until he’d rested.

Just then, the jade flickered once again.

Qi Yuan: Little Jin Li, I’ve come up with a plan to help you steady Southern Qian. Would you like to hear it?