Chapter 150: Till Death Do Us Part

Having understood this, Lü Yang fired decisively.

His tears hadn’t been to deceive Zhou Ling; they were driven by intense rage and heartache… witnessing Liu Hui’s body being repeatedly stabbed by Zhou Ling…

Previously, Lü Yang had considered a slim possibility—that this current Mysterious Domain wasn’t created by him or Zhou Ling, but by a third Mystic Scholar passing by. And that this third Mystic Scholar, like Zhou Ling, was an advanced Engineering Spectralist, so bored they’d created a Mysterious Domain to pull Lü Yang and Zhou Ling in.

This chance was almost impossible. So, Lü Yang ultimately abandoned this theory, convinced instead that he himself created this domain, and that inside, only he and Zhou Ling existed.

Lü Yang knew himself well: unless forced to, he would never harm the innocent. Thus, others could only be illusions, like Zhou Jing—whose hair killed—and Yun Zhao—who breathed fire.

Therefore, shooting Liu Hui was inevitable.

In these perilous Mysterious Domains, his understanding was limited. Often, he had to gamble on intuition. Like during the second Star Joy Gas Station Anomalous Domain, where death meant life. Or this Jinda Hotel Mysterious Domain, where he creating it was the highest probability…

He made his decision without absolute certainty. Time to think was scarce; he had to act fast. So, intuition and luck decided it.

“Touched a nerve, didn’t I? Cat got your tongue?” Zhou Ling chuckled triumphantly.

Lü Yang stayed silent as he thought, stunned. Zhou Ling’s intelligence was terrifying. Setting traps, breaking them down—ignoring the gap in their ranks as Mystic Scholars, the clash of good versus evil—just in raw intellect, Zhou Ling outmatched him.

From the moment Yi Ya was captured, since the third Mysterious Domain began, nearly everything unfolded under Zhou Ling’s control.

Only the domain’s final Path of Survival remained unknown. Should she solve it, Lü Yang held no card left to save Yi Ya.

She could not learn the truth.

“Scared off? Did my brains crush what little confidence you had? Hahaha!” Zhou Ling laughed, arrogance unrestrained. Beyond cruelty and killing, she craved cracking Mysterious Domains and battling puzzles obsessively.

Being pulled into a domain alone was like single-player gaming. Facing another Mystic Scholar? That was multiplayer combat. Lü Yang wasn’t her first foe, but he was her most admired. Had he possessed his Mysterious Tool for longer than just a week? Given time, he could become a nightmare.

Good thing she met him early. For now, he posed no threat.

She eyed Lü Yang as he sat slumped on the hotel front desk. Moments before he’d burned with killing intent; now his spirit seemed crushed. Zhou Ling’s heart softened. If he hadn’t unexpectedly obtained that Creation Card, forcefully dragging them here, forcing a fight to the death, leaving her no choice… She genuinely wouldn’t have harmed him.

But today? It was all his doing. Now, not even Zhou Ling could undo the damage.

“What you talked about, what does it mean? I’m only someone from Xiao Ling’s memory? Impossible! I’ve complete free will!” Liu Yin, listening until now, looked stunned and confused.

“Though you’re just part of my memories, my Memory Remolding is powerful! Spending years by my side gave you an independent personality in my mind, like Xiao Jing… Think of you as a perfect backup of your reality. But why explain? You wouldn’t comprehend…” Zhou Ling threw him a careless explanation, impatient as her eyes fixed back on Lü Yang.

Killing him would be effortless: she’d done it countless times. But a worthy opponent—one she suspected sparked genuine feelings—made her hesitate.

Recalling moments with him atop Donkey Head Mountain (Lutou Mountain), Zhou Ling felt an ache. She knew much of this wasn’t truly her, influenced yet by Liu Hui’s lingering feelings. Yet she wasn’t strong enough yet to cleanse that influence away.

“No way!” Liu Yin—who’d just struggled to sit—collapsed back, his head clutched in agony.

“You broke into my memory after escaping the Eerie Domain of Lutou Mountain because my Main Soul, after leaving the last domain, hadn’t fully returned. It was stuck in Xiao Hui’s body. Only a Remnant Soul, or a tiny shred of my Main Soul, was back within my True Body. That was my weakest moment: open to invasion. You had the Creation Card? Never saw that coming! Sneaked right in!”

Zhou Ling lectured Lü Yang. Her theories about Mysterious Domains were evidence based. Compared to his logic based on chance and gut feelings, her conclusions were leagues ahead.

It was frustrating: a novice facing an online gaming veteran armed with powerful gear.

“You never expected this, did you? Outsmarting yourself! Trying to wipe me out in one swoop locked us in this dead-end! Made enemies of us forever! Threw yourself straight to hell!” Zhou Ling shook her head, pity coloring her tone.

“When the previous domain ended, you hadn’t recognized me as the Death Killer. But then, you dragged us both straight into this one. Something must have happened between those two Mysterious Domains—something letting you identify me as the Death Killer. Maybe… maybe Liu Hui’s powerful, love-driven obsession affected me: back in reality I couldn’t help myself, confessed my identity! But you refused my peace offering! Created this domain! Pulled us both in! Your mistake! Your consequences to bear!” Zhou Ling continued firmly.

Lü Yang disagreed internally. He didn’t recall what exactly happened between the domains, but he guessed he saw something different in the two women’s eyes—Liu Hui’s versus Zhou Ling’s—and deduced Zhou Ling was the Death Killer.

He remembered constantly looking at Zhou Ling’s eyes as this domain began. Instinctively. Why? Lingering leftover memory? Likely he saw traces of Liu Hui’s gaze from the Lutou Mountain domain…

Her eyes betrayed her heart.

Now? All he could do was wait. See if his judgment held true.

“Know this? Inside that BMW during the last domain? The one who kissed you wasn’t Liu Hui. It was me… And… that was… my first kiss…” Zhou Ling spoke gently, a rare softness—genuine—in her eyes.

So, after escaping the Eerie Domain of Lutou Mountain and entering the Jinda Hotel Mysterious Domain? She found she no longer loved Liu Yin. She couldn’t tell if this was Liu Hui’s lingering obsession or her own heart’s new choice. But seeing the men together now? The truth was clear.

Even the idea surfaced: recruit Lü Yang as her partner…

Until she deduced exactly this domain’s Path of Survival. She instantly knew: Lü Yang could never become her ally.

This was a unique fight-to-the-death domain. Two Mystic Scholars locked in conflict until one perished.

“Ugh! Bull!” Lü Yang spat hard onto the ground at Zhou Ling’s “first kiss” claim, then roughly wiped his mouth.

Zhou Ling’s brow furrowed, her gaze turning vicious again.

“Give Yi Ya back. Or I will kill you!” Desperate and worn as Lü Yang looked, his words held fierce resolve.

“So important?” Zhou Ling’s face twisted bitterly, a cruel despair rising.

After her sister’s murder, after two failed loves left her scarred, her mind had warped.

Torturing that allegedly disloyal cat belonging to Zhou Jing ignited her cruel streak. Then she plunged into the Death Livestreams on a twisted whim.

Her own Death Livestream? Driven by needing to test Han Cheng’s feelings for her. She’d gone from crushing on him to then falling for Liu Yin, you see. Sent Han Cheng the link herself.

Han Cheng was her first love, the one who’d pulled her out of doubt and confusion.

His response shattered her… ignored her… refused even the Task of naming her his “Death Killer.” Left her abandoned.

Thinking her love dead? She went wild again. She needed to vent. Needed violence…