The Heroine Must Die

Below, everyone watched with clenched fists.

Aside from the three thousand disciples channeling power into Gerald, the rest could offer little more than pills and logistical support.

Lauren knelt, checking Edmund’s condition. He lay limp in her arms, body pale and fading. His eyes fluttered open.

“Lauren…” His voice was barely a breath. “If it gets too bad… hand me over. Even if I’m imprisoned another ten thousand years… I can endure.”

Lauren gave a bitter smile. “Did you see her eyes?” she whispered. “She was just pretending to be merciful. Even if I hand you over, she won’t let us live.”

Edmund’s gaze drifted toward Gerald, bathed in golden light. “He won’t last much longer.”

“It’s fine,” Lauren said quietly. “As long as you’re alive, that’s enough.”

She looked toward Starfell Summit. “Don’t forget,” she murmured, “my master hasn’t come out yet.”

A moment later—

Dark clouds began to churn above Starfell Summit. Lightning streaked through the sky.

Lauren’s heart leapt. “Master!”

“The Immortal Venerable has come out of seclusion!”

“Immortal Venerable!”

The cry spread like wildfire. “It’s the Immortal Venerable!”

“Thank the heavens!”

The voices rose in waves, louder and louder. The previously exhausted disciples straightened, faces flushing red with renewed hope.

Because Drake was different. He had reached Great Perfection of the Mahayana realm thousands of years ago. From the very beginning, he had stood at the peak.

Even among geniuses, there were levels. Drake was a monster among monsters.

While other peak Mahayana cultivators hid in fear of ascension tribulations, shrinking back as their time approached— He alone remained.

Unyielding. Standing between heaven and earth without retreat.

His strength wasn’t something an ordinary peak Mahayana cultivator could even compare to.

Drake’s eyes locked onto the Temple Master as she continued tearing at the formation.

In the next heartbeat, he vanished. Space folded.

He reappeared directly in front of her, sword already descending.

The Temple Master’s arrogance shattered instantly.

Before the blade even reached her, she felt it—that overwhelming pressure, like the sky itself collapsing. Her pupils shrank.

She didn’t dare take the strike head-on.

With a sharp motion, she withdrew her horsetail whisk and retreated at full speed, throwing out spell after spell to deflect the force of the incoming sword light.

Even so, the shockwave tore through her defenses and forced her back hundreds of feet.

The other two hurried to her side, all three staring at Drake with grim vigilance.

“Temple Master,” one of them muttered, “this man is not simple.”

Below, Gerald—who had been using his greatsword to support himself—suddenly felt his knees give out. He collapsed onto the ground.

“Mr. Drake! Mr. Drake—waah—waah—” He burst into tears.

No one could tell whether he was crying over his destroyed Spirit Treasures or the beating he’d just endured.

Drake spared him a sideways glance.

“Gerald,” he said calmly, “I saw everything. You did well. I can rest easy knowing Thunder Sect is in your hands.”

Gerald wiped his face frantically and nodded like a child praised by his father. Every sacrifice suddenly felt worth it.

Nearby, Lauren held Edmund’s limp body. He looked like he didn’t even have bones anymore.

Her eyes were red. Master’s here. We’re saved.

Drake didn’t speak to her. He simply gave a slight nod. That was enough.

In the distance, the three Upper Realm cultivators exchanged looks, clearly communicating through divine sense.

The disciples’ earlier excitement gave way to nervous anticipation.

Drake was powerful—but there were three of them. All suppressed to peak Mahayana. Three against one was still three against one.

Drake looked at them.

For years—decades—his eyes had been calm as still water.

Now— Battle intent ignited.

Dark clouds rolled across the sky. Lightning began to gather.

Gerald grabbed Cornelius by the wrist, nearly vibrating with excitement.

“It’s the Thunder Domain! This is Drake’s Thunder Domain! The last time I saw this, I was as young as Junior Sister!”

By the time Gerald had entered the sect, Drake was already at his peak. No one had forced him to fight seriously in centuries.

A domain wasn’t something you gained just by cultivating long enough.

Maybe one genius in ten could comprehend one. And even among those who did, few could wield it with the control and destructive power Drake possessed.

Above, the Temple Master’s face turned green.

“Scatter!” she roared, shoving the other two away.

Too late. The Thunder Domain expanded in an instant, swallowing the battlefield whole. Lightning roared. Space trembled.

Their cultivation was instantly suppressed by an entire major realm. But the effect was limited—they hadn’t been at true Mahayana peak to begin with. Even suppressed, they could still exert formidable strength.

The three split apart without hesitation, forming a triangular encirclement around Drake.

The Temple Master raised her whisk. A brilliant white radiance burst outward, forming a luminous domain of her own.

Light Domain. The white glow illuminated the storm clouds, pushing back the darkness.

The crowd gasped. “She has a domain too!”

“And it’s Light-element!”

High above, light and thunder clashed violently. The collision shattered the air itself. Sand and stone were blasted skyward.

Gerald clutched his sword and snorted smugly. “That old witch’s Light Domain might work well exorcising ghosts or suppressing demonic cultivators. But against the Lord of Slaughter’s Thunder Domain? Not even close.”

He was right. It didn’t take long before cracks began to appear in the white radiance. The Thunder Domain pressed down mercilessly. The Light Domain fractured—

The sky darkened again as the white glow was devoured by storm clouds. The other two tried to intervene, but domain-level combat wasn’t something they could meaningfully influence.

Trapped inside the Thunder Domain, they were already struggling just to resist the relentless lightning strikes.

“This bastard’s too strong,” one of them hissed. “Temple Master can’t hold him.”

“If she falls, we’re dead.”

The skinny man’s eyes flickered wildly. Suddenly—

He gritted his teeth and severed his own arm. Blood sprayed into the air, forming a crimson shield around his body.

Forbidden technique.

He transformed into a streak of blood-red light and forcefully tore open a path through the Thunder Domain, fleeing into the distance.

“Shit—” the fat man muttered. The coward had run.

He glanced at the Temple Master— He quietly stowed his Vajra Hammer and made up his mind.

They had fifteen days in the Lower Realm. Hide somewhere. Wait it out. Return later.

He swallowed a pill. His body flared with blinding light.

Using the Temple Master’s desperate clash with Drake as cover, he bolted for the edge of the Thunder Domain.

He broke free— And immediately froze. The ground beneath him erupted. A dense mass of vines shot upward, wrapping around him before he could react.

“What the—?!”

Thorns pierced his flesh from every direction. Pain exploded across his body. His vision blurred.

He bit his tongue hard, forcing himself awake. But in that fleeting instant—

A small crimson flower bloomed at the tip of his nose. Pollen flooded his nostrils. His eyes grew hazy.

A beautiful dream enveloped him. He smiled faintly. And died. Briar withdrew its vines, dragging the corpse underground.

Moments later, it burst toward the Mountain Protection Array.

Gerald immediately shouted, “Briar’s back! Open the formation!”

Logan and Jade reacted at once. They’d seen this little girl before—always following Wayne at Starfell Summit.

But now? She was an absurdly powerful tree spirit. Where the hell had Lauren found something like this?

“Briar! Are you alright?” Gerald rushed forward anxiously.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!