Chapter 445: The Essence of Resurrection

"Novel 'Reign Over the Nine Heavens' ()" Find the latest chapter!

But Li Xuanyuan was fast, yet someone beside him was even faster.

A large hand reached out, firmly grasping his arm without any forceful burst of soul power. Yet his grip clamped down like iron shackles, rendering Li Xuanyuan, with his *ghost-level* strength, completely immobile.

It was Li Fusu. After all, he stood right beside him, and in this venue, those who could instantly restrain Li Xuanyuan likely numbered no more than five.

"Fourth Brother Li, what are you doing?!" Li Xuanyuan was both shocked and furious. Fourth Brother cared for their sister just as much—he had assumed Fourth Brother would stand with him.

"It's already too late. Stopping her now will only make her hate you for life." Li Fusu's gaze never left Winnie. His expression was grave, the hidden killing intent in his eyes no less than Li Xuanyuan's. But beyond that killing intent, there was something else. "If anything happens to Winnie, everyone involved will pay with their lives!"

Including everyone at Rose!

The commotion from Li Xuanyuan on the stands was significant, even drawing Amogan's attention below. Yet Winnie never once looked their way.

The moment the potion was retrieved, she unhesitatingly uncorked it and swallowed it whole without a second thought. Truthfully, even if Li Xuanyuan had charged down, it would have been too late to stop her. For someone truly intent on jumping off a building, there's no chance to pull them back.

The two brothers watched Winnie, realizing that the sister they had always seen as reckless showed not a trace of panic or agitation—only calm. That trademark Li family stubbornness!

Was it for victory in this battle?

Was it really worth it?

Why had it come to this?

Amogan didn't seize the opportunity to strike. He simply watched Winnie quietly. As a *bounty hunter*, he knew well the violent effects of that potion. The moment she swallowed it, the drug's power had already begun to erupt. Whether he attacked in those two seconds or not made little difference. Besides... he was ghost level, while she was merely at Tiger Peak. Even if the potion allowed her to barely cross tiers, could she really defeat him? That was thinking far too simply.

Winnie said nothing. The rainbow-hued potion slid down her throat, leaving a burning sensation as if setting her entire body ablaze.

In that instant, the past decade flashed through her mind.

She had always been mischievous—shooting from the hip, blunt, and never backing down from arguments or fights. In an ordinary family, she might have just been a playful kid, perhaps even liked for her straightforwardness since she never did anything truly malicious. But her mistake was being born into the infamous Li family.

With eight domineering older brothers and an even more overbearing father, the awe and fear the outside world held for the Li family was also projected onto Winnie.

No matter what she did, no one truly understood her. There was only fake tolerance, which gradually soured, and Winnie, in turn, leaned into being the troublemaker.

In the end, she had no friends left—only herself. Everything she did was just to be noticed, to find real friends, to do what she was meant to do.

Yes, joining the Old Wang Squad had been part of that game. Beyond complying with Rose's policies at the time, she had wanted to see how long Wang Feng—who kept preaching "teammates first"—would run the squad into the ground. After all, when he said things like "Teammates are the sky, teammates are the earth; I'd take a knife for them," his face was so damn fake...

So she held back in fights. When Kela and Fantasi got beaten up the first time, she'd been the first to laugh at them. She constantly schemed for the day the squad's fragile camaraderie would collapse, even fueling the fire whenever possible. But who would've thought? Old Wang had ruined everything—she ended up staying in the squad...

Winnie's entire body grew feverish, spasming uncontrollably. She could feel her blood reversing course, surging violently toward her head. Her vision swam with stars, her breath grew ragged, and her spine ached with a numbing, swelling pain. The potion was taking effect—sucking her blood dry, burning through her marrow, squeezing every ounce of potential from her body.

Fuck... this hurts like hell. I thought it'd be over in a flash...

Winnie gritted her teeth. Her two brothers on the stands had quieted down, likely resigned to the fact it was irreversible now. As for the one below...

Winnie had kept her back to Old Wang the whole time, so he had no idea what she'd just done. But when he saw the empty vial she tossed aside, his expression changed instantly.

That potion was the Li family's *Soul-Returning Elixir*!

Frankly, Rose truly had no way out. If they lost this match, everything would have to be rebuilt from scratch... But so what? Without Rose, Wang Feng could just start a new team called Peony! How could that compare to a teammate's life?

Had he fucking not made himself clear enough before? Or had their shit-talking made him underestimate their resolve? Did he assume they'd know what mattered without him spelling it out? Yet from Fantasi to Winnie Lee...

"Winnie, you're fucking insane. You're all lunatics!" Wang Feng himself was losing it. He wanted to win—just not at this cost.

It was already too late to intervene now; disrupting the match would only make Winnie's sacrifice in vain!

Yet at this moment, Winnie grinned. This kinda trash talk hit just right—a million times better than the cries of "darling" or "poor girl" from the stands. No damn wonder she and Old Wang were two peas in a pod. For these homies who really got her...

Her reversed bloodline and the tapped potential had already begun erupting from every pore of her body.

The previous discomfort vanished instantly, replaced by an exhilarating release of power. Winnie's eyes now crackled with lightning.

She couldn't let Fantasy and the others bleed for nothing. Only bummer was that she might never get to bicker with Wang Feng again. Goddammit... She hadn't even won a single argument against him—talk about salt in the wound!

Her shining eyes suddenly narrowed. The previously scattered soul power now surged to a peak, erupting from her body and spiraling madly upward.

Her entire body turned crimson—her eyes, face, even her skin—a sign of her boiling blood!

Boom!

The soaring soul power shockwave rocked half the arena, sending countless pebbles floating as if weightless.

Amogan's face twitched slightly.

Ghost level!

The more thoroughly a potential-stimulating drug worked, the greater its side effects. Amogan had assumed Winnie Lee's potion would at most maybe bump her past Tiger Peak's limits. But this... was Ghost level! And this was Ghost level on steroids—her soul power peak had even surpassed his own!

How much of that juice had she slammed? How thoroughly had her body absorbed it? And to explode to this extent, just how deep were her own reserves? Hell, give her a few more months, she might have broken through to Ghost level on her own. A fourteen-year-old Ghost level would have meant boundless glory and a bright future!

Not even on suicide missions would anyone make such a sacrifice! When would someone use a potion like the Soul Rejuvenation Essence? Only when there was still a snowball's chance, a chance to survive. Users would always leave themselves some leeway—better a gimp than a goner. Otherwise, what was the point?

But Winnie Lee... She had left herself no way out!

Amogan's gut dropped to his shoes.

Even if this wasn't his fault, if Winnie died because of this, the beef between him and the Lee family would be eternal. Others might listen to reason, but the Lees wouldn't!

And that was secondary. Tomorrow's troubles could wait. What really shook Amogan was the terrifying power Winnie was displaying right now—it completely overwhelmed him!

Why? Why go this far? This was just a match!

Not just Amogan—almost no one in the stands could understand! If this was some gutter rat chasing fleeting glory, it might make sense. But this was Winnie Lee, born with endless resources, a natural prodigy who had already won at the starting line, with such immense potential. Yet she cared so little for her own life?

And this match had nothing to do with the Lee family! Yet their most treasured princess was going all-in with her life. Was it worth it? Besides, even if she fought, Tianzhe Yifeng was still waiting. Why?!

The whole arena went dead quiet.

Feeling the spiraling, blazing power within her, Winnie was filled with a sense of freedom. A wicked grin split her face, even as her burning blood burst through her veins and seeped from her skin. But... it was worth it.

Boom!

Blue-white flames erupted from her body, countless spiraling fire needles materializing in the air.

Hummm!

Ten, twenty, thirty... one hundred and eight!

The Heaven and Earth Annihilation Array!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Unlike the simple vibrations of the previous thirty-six spiraling fire soul needles, this formation of one hundred and eight needles now spiraled as one, forming a whirlwind-like vortex. The raging tornado of soul fire superheated the arena's railings till they glowed!

The power continued to escalate, and at this moment, Amogan felt a genuine threat of death. He truly hadn't expected Winnie Lee to go this far.

Dodge? Impossible. The moment the Heaven and Earth Annihilation Formation took shape, an unshakable mental lock had already made Amogan realize that no matter where he fled—whether to the heavens or the earth—those damned spiral fire-soul needles would chase him relentlessly. And in such a confined arena for a ghost-level battle, there was simply no room to evade!

Counterattack? Utterly pointless. Mutual destruction was the dumbest tactic.

That left only defense! Given Winnie’s current state, if he could withstand this attack, she would absolutely lack the strength for a second strike. As for the Lee family… life and death were fated, wealth and honor determined by heaven. Even if he didn’t want to offend them, he already had. They held great influence in the bounty guild, but worst case, he could abandon his identity as a bounty hunter and step into the Holy Sanctuary or the parliament as a member of the Dragon Group. With the Fu family’s backing, this alliance wasn’t the Lee family’s domain—what could they even do?

First, he had to survive this moment!

Boom!

Amogan’s eyes erupted with violet light as he unleashed his full soul power. Around his body, water and fire spiraled in harmony, instantly forming a shield wall several times larger than before. And as his soul power poured into it, the barrier only grew stronger and thicker!

—Great Arcane·Fire-Ice Yin-Yang Shield!

"Kill!" Winnie’s ultimate move had also fully charged by now. The raging fire tornado lifted slightly, tracing a perfect arc in the air before plunging down with furious momentum.

BOOM!

The fire tornado collided with the Yin-Yang Icefire Shield in an instant. The deafening impact forced many ordinary spectators to cover their ears.

On the shield, vaporized energy from the clash surged upward like a thick fog, enveloping half the arena. Meanwhile, the relentless *thud-thud-thud* of fire needles striking continued without pause.

"Both are ghost-level, both using ghost-level Soul Dominance techniques. But Amogan has been at ghost-level longer—his precise mastery over soul power is something Winnie Lee can’t match. She won’t break this shield. Recklessly using a potion like this is downright unwise." The Holy Son’s eyes flickered slightly. As a core member of the Dragon Group, he knew all too well the defensive power of Amogan’s Yin-Yang Icefire Shield.

Moreover, though Winnie’s Soul Dominance technique was formidable—even surpassing Amogan’s overall momentum—the Heaven and Earth Annihilation Formation’s composition scattered the fire needles’ points of impact. Their collective force absolutely couldn’t break the Yin-Yang Icefire Shield.

But clearly, not all experts shared this view.

"Your Highness, Holy Son, ghost-level and ghost-level are not the same."

The moment the Holy Son’s voice faded, a lazy voice sounded not far behind him.

The Holy Son’s peripheral vision caught the speaker—behind Lucky Heaven stood Hei Wukai of the Yasha clan. He was positioned beside Yama, the Yasha Prince and his elder brother, one of the continent’s rare top-tier experts. Yet now, both stood as guards flanking Lucky Heaven.

"Hei Wukai." Lucky Heaven shook her head slightly.

"Yes." Old Hei grinned, though he stopped there, not elaborating further. Still, the lazy smirk on his lips was brimming with disdain.

Ghost-level and ghost-level were indeed different—just as the top ten at Tiger Peak were worlds apart from ordinary Tiger Peak disciples. Amogan wasn’t weak among ghost-level fighters, but compared to Hei Wukai? Dealing with Amogan now? Ghost-level? Pfft. Old Hei felt he might not even need to manifest his true Yasha form!

Frankly, as Winnie’s former comrade, Hei Wukai felt both worry and indignation on her behalf. She could’ve easily reached this level step by step. Yet he also admired—no, revered—her choice. What kind of half-baked Holy Son dared spout baseless claims like that?

Opinions among spectators varied, but Amogan, currently on the defensive, suddenly paled.

The thick fog rising in the arena obscured the specifics of the fire needle assault. Yet as the one sustaining the Yin-Yang Icefire Shield, Amogan clearly sensed that the attacks weren’t scattered—they were converging on a single focal point. The Heaven and Earth Annihilation Formation had been nothing but a feint!

She had used the array’s aura to lock Amogan down, forcing him into a direct clash. But the instant the fire needles launched, Winnie Lee had altered her technique. All the spiral fire-soul needles aligned into a single, unbroken line. By then, Amogan had already committed to his shield—defense was always reactive. There was no time to adjust or dodge.

In that split second, the spiral fire-soul needles linked tip to tail, each subsequent needle amplifying the one before it. This wasn’t just concentrated force—it was exponential escalation!

—Soul Dominance·Heart-Piercing Ghost Annihilation!

Hold! Hold on!

Amogan’s eyes bulged with strain as he pushed his soul power to the absolute limit. He didn’t want to die here, but…

*Forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one!*

Bang!

Only by the fifty-first needle, before even half the power of the Heart-Piercing Ghost God Annihilation had stacked up, the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Shield was forcibly pierced through, leaving a fist-sized hole.

This is bad!

Amogan's expression changed drastically as he mustered every last ounce of strength to desperately shift to the left...

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

But the instant his expression shifted, the Spiral Fire Soul Needles had already pierced straight through his chest. Any soul defense or physical defense was as fragile as wet paper before this terrifying killing move—instantly penetrated, leaving a bowl-sized hole in his right chest.

Thump!

Amogan was sent flying and collapsed to the ground, motionless.

The crowd of tens of thousands fell dead silent.

Fu Changkong’s perpetual smile stiffened slightly. Beside him, Zhao Feiyuan's mouth hung open, while the already exhausted Hawkland suddenly went rigid, gripping the armrests of his chair so hard his butt left the seat. His throat was dry and itchy with tension, but he couldn't utter a sound.

Boom!

Winnie raised her hands, mustering her last strength to clear the mist in the arena. Only when she saw Amogan collapsed on the ground did she finally relax and smile.

Both Amogan, whose condition was unknown, and Winnie, clearly at the end of her strength, urgently needed medical attention. Chief Referee An Nanxi wasted no time—she blurred into motion, appearing at Amogan’s side instantly and checked his breathing...

A faint breath remained. After all his battles, he had managed to shift his vitals at the last moment, avoiding a direct hit to the heart by the Heart-Piercing Needles. But the gaping hole in his chest was still enough to kill him. Even if he clung to life now, surviving the night was a gamble...

An Nanxi immediately raised her hands.

"Rose Academy, Winnie Lee wins!"

Almost the moment An Nanxi announced the result, Winnie's body went limp, and she fell backward. At the same time—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several figures streaked into the arena at once.

Only Tian Wu Lan rushed to Amogan's side, while three people arrived almost at the same time for Winnie.

Old Wang reached her first—he was closest. He caught Winnie from behind before she even hit the ground.

He’d already slashed his wrist and now pressed the gushing wound to Winnie’s mouth.

Winnie's injuries weren't something his usual Soul Elixirs could heal. The only hope lay in Old Wang's "Tang Monk blood."*

Honestly, Old Wang had no idea if it’d work. His research on his own precious blood was still limited to brewing Soul Elixirs. But he knew one thing—the *Insect God species’* vitality topped all soul seeds—the only one comparable to the Phoenix bloodline of the Avian God species. Who were the unkillable cockroaches? Insects, of course!

The Soul-Returning Essence Winnie had taken burned through her lifeblood, squeezing the potential of her body and soul. And the *Insect God species’* bloodline was richest in life essence and soul power. If even this couldn't save her, then nothing in this world could.

But as soon as his blood touched her lips, murderous intent exploded toward him.

"Get the fuck away from her!" Li Xuanyuan wanted Wang Feng dead. If not for this scheming bastard, his little sister would never have been this reckless!

In a rage, he gripped a Li family life-elixir in one hand and slashed at Wang Feng’s neck with the other—a killing blow! But the strike never landed, as Li Fusu grabbed his wrist in time.

"Third Brother, don't act rashly!" Li Fusu urged. "Look at Little Sister!"

Li Xuanyuan’s anger stalled as he stared.

Winnie’s deathly pallor vanished as color flooded back from her lips, spreading across her entire face. Then, her tightly closed little mouth suddenly opened—and she clamped onto his wrist, sucking greedily.

Li Xuanyuan’s face went slack with shock.

*A reference to the legendary Tang Monk from *Journey to the West*, whose flesh was said to grant immortality.