Chapter 457: Neo Smiled

Chapter 457 Neo Smiled

In Neo's palm materialized a sword of light, which would naturally extend outward upon its manifestation, bound to pierce through Rango’s body. And so it did, the sword of light driving through Rango’s back out from his chest, skewering him at an upward angle.

Yet, the impaled body of Rango suddenly burst backward, turning into a splash of a mercury-like substance that in an instant formed a cage, trapping Neo who had just executed the ambush.

Simultaneously, the two scimitars hanging on Rango’s back flew backward on their own, executing a swift and vicious cutting strangulation.

With a thud, Neo's head fell to the ground, his headless corpse remaining standing.

Immediately, a ripple appeared in the space slightly to the side, and the true Rango stepped out from within, his hands spread as the two scimitars automatically flew back into his grip.

He then looked down at Neo, whose head he had just severed, only to see the body had transformed into a puppet, though the doll's head still lay upon the ground.

A halo of light manifested, and Neo's figure emerged from behind.

In this first round of engagement, both sides had traded and destroyed one of the other's stand-in puppets.

Rango brandished the scimitars in his hands and said, "I truly did not expect that Mipos Island still hid someone like you."

Neo spoke, "As a remnant of Light, one must naturally hide in places you orthodox holy churches would never think of now. Otherwise, what, wait around to die?"

"The island is completely filled with my people now. You cannot escape. Perhaps we can sit down and negotiate some terms?"

"What terms?"

"After you surrender your body, I will sign a soul contract with your spirit. That way, you can still maintain your sense of self."

"I know some merchants who are quite unscrupulous in business, and I even thought myself black-hearted enough, but I truly never imagined there could be someone as black-hearted as you in this world."

"It seems you disagree?"

"You can signal your people, call upon the army of your Samsara Church, those Lost Ones, as well as those clear-headed priests and soldiers. Call them all over. But are you absolutely certain there are no spies from other churches among them?"

"What of spies? Merely harboring a soul of Light, is it that severe?"

"To the church, of course it isn't considered severe. Although Samsara is heavily wounded now, it won't be utterly destroyed like those smaller churches just for being entangled with a remnant of Light.

But how should I put it? Taking the opportunity to make trouble, demanding that Samsara give an explanation, and handing you over alone—I think that's still quite plausible, wouldn't you say?

After all, anything tainted by Light is a taboo to all orthodox holy churches. Do you think the current Samsara will bear the collective pressure from all the orthodox churches just for you alone?

Everyone is quite delighted to see someone die."

"You are entirely right." Rango nodded, bracing his twin blades, his center of gravity sinking slightly into a crouch.

Neo spread his hands; his right hand condensed a sword of Light, while his left hand manifested a shield of Light.

Rango smiled faintly. "You seem to be at a slight disadvantage."

"I don't particularly like carrying weapons. I find them a bit of an encumbrance."

"Heh."

Rango's figure began to blur, meaning only an afterimage remained in place.

Neo brought the shield before him and turned his torso sideways. Rango materialized at that exact spot, his twin blades slashing rapidly. The speed was so immense that only blade shadows remained in a ferocious onslaught, like a fierce dragon continuously roaring at the target below.

While Neo's figure steadily retreated, he maintained the protective barrier of the great shield before him, not rushing to counterattack. This scene was quite reminiscent of that subordinate he always loved to tease.

The speed of Rango's blade work was still accelerating. Gradually, a phantom with piercing eyes even appeared behind him, holding a scimitar and moving in near-perfect synchronicity with Rango.

Neo's great shield began to crack repeatedly. Even as Neo continuously channeled the power of Light into it, he still could not halt its impending shattering.

Mentally counting down: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

The great shield shattered.

Neo's body lunged forward abruptly. Rango let out a low shout, one scimitar continuing its forward slash while the second scimitar lifted diagonally into the air. In an instant, a terrifying thunderbolt coalesced upon the second scimitar, crashing down toward Neo.

But after leaning forward for just that fleeting instant, Neo immediately pulled away diagonally, having executed entirely a feint.

"Boom!"

The surging power of thunder slammed into the ground. Realizing his strike had missed, Rango instantly sliced his blade horizontally, sweeping the remaining thunderous force toward Neo at his side.

Yet, Neo retreated his figure once more, having absolutely no intention of forcing a close-quarters assault, withdrawing with utter decisiveness.

"Roar!"

A low roar erupted from Rango's side, and immediately following, a massive azure lion materialized at that position, its jaws agape, as though it had been waiting previously for Neo to deliver himself into its mouth.

Rango shook his head and said, "Fighting like this becomes somewhat tedious."

Neo thought nothing of it, waving his left hand to condense another shield of Light.

"There is something I feel it necessary to tell you in advance." Rango once more assumed his initial offensive stance. "The reserve of my spiritual power is abundant beyond your imagination. If you wish to compete with me in consumption, you will only lose more miserably."

"Ignorant, aren't we? Heh, I've seen reserves far more abundant than yours. I'll introduce you if there's ever a chance."

"Very well, if there is a chance."

The azure lion transformed into armor, attaching itself to Rango’s body to form a set of azure light armor.

Promptly, Rango charged toward Neo once again.

Neo once more braced the great shield before himself.

Just as the two sides were about to clash, Rango dropped a scimitar from his left hand. In that instant, the azure armor originally attached to him detached directly, transforming into an armored figure that seemed possessed of life. Concurrently, it caught the falling scimitar mid-air, flashed, and pulled diagonally behind the great shield.

Rango himself held the remaining scimitar, hacking toward the great shield before him.

"Bang!"

The great shield shattered.

Rango’s gaze narrowed; this time, the shield had shattered somewhat too quickly.

Neo actively lunged out from the sky of cascading, fractured radiance. Behind him, the phantom of the Mad Pope emerged, and the power of Light abruptly surged to its zenith—particularly that sword of Light, which had now attained a texture so dense it neared molten magma.

Rango struck his blade against the sword's body, but his weapon was instead drawn and held fast by the contact. Neo seized the momentum to slam his torso sideways into him, while both his hands gripped the sword of Light, prepared to run Rango through.

Three layers of defensive barriers appeared before Rango, likely sacred artifacts carried on his person, but the three barriers dissolved instantly under the onslaught of Neo's great sword.

A sharp cry escaped Rango’s throat. The scimitar in his hand disassembled, transforming into a gray, ancient arm that directly grasped the sword of Light, forcibly halting the weapon's advance!

"Hum!"

In the next instant, the azure armored figure holding the scimitar arrived behind Neo, hacking down viciously.

A smile played at the corner of Neo’s mouth. His fingertips trembled slightly, and the restrained sword of Light instantly unleashed a brilliance several times more radiant than before, and then, exploded!

"Boom!"

Rango was blasted backward, and Neo used the force of the explosion to send his own body flying backward as well, evading the strike from the azure armored figure. Furthermore, accompanied by the splashing of the terrifying flames of Light, the control over the azure armored figure was disrupted, preventing it from pursuing Neo further.

As the dust settled, Rango stood there, his gaze still placid, though a few small embers still lingered upon his body.

The azure armored figure split open once more, transforming back into armor that fitted itself onto Rango, assisting him in purging the residual flames while simultaneously administering healing to prevent further invasion of the Light flames into his body.

Neo himself possessed no burden regarding his image, crawling directly out from the pile of rubble. He shook the dust from his clothes, then spat a mouthful of "bright red" blood onto the ground.

Raising the back of his hand, he wiped the corner of his mouth, a faint mockery surfacing in his eyes.

The gray arm on the ground reverted back into a scimitar, flying before Rango. Once Rango grasped it, the two scimitars fitted together—not with both edges facing outward, but with the two blades interlocking, crossing the two scimitars into a circular arc.

The arc radiated an unusual luster, beginning to revolve automatically before Rango.

"To be honest, I've always looked down on people who carry too many things on them." Neo shrugged, teasing, "So what if you have a lot of points to spend, is that supposed to be amazing?"

"I didn't stop you from using it either." Rango remained entirely unbothered by the sarcasm.

"No, I prefer relying purely on myself."

"Do you believe that's the only way to progress quickly?"

"No, I just find it more satisfying that way."

"To each their own joy, whatever feels right is best."

Rango placed his hand before him, and the great arc instantly froze in place.

"To guide the deceased, to lead the lost, to light the lamp for departing souls—let all chaos, darkness, and the unseen enter the cycle, journeying toward rebirth.

Great God of Samsara, grant your divine assent, open the gates of rebirth, and allow their passage!"

"Hum!"

A gate materialized directly ahead of the arc.

As Rango shifted his gaze toward Neo, a matching gate appeared right behind the man.

"Creak..."

"Creak..."

Both doors swung open simultaneously.

Within Neo's vision, the door before him instantly grew into something monumentally grand, suffused with majesty and mystery.

A duel of spiritual techniques, is it?

Neo gently cracked his neck, letting out a soft chuckle. Ha, to think you'd use this on me.

Placing a hand over the left side of his chest, Neo began, "Great God of Or..."

Wrong, that's not right. Let's try that again.

Neo coughed twice, clearing his throat to intone anew: "O Great God of Light, please..."

...

Rango was currently manipulating the arc, maintaining the onslaught of his spiritual technique.

"Ryan, this body you desire is truly extraordinary."

The consciousness belonging to the luminous soul replied, "I am curious, Rango—why didn't you continue fighting him directly?"

"Because I sensed danger."

"But I felt you held the initiative and the advantage."

"Yet despite several traps I laid, he never once bit. This fellow possesses immense combat experience; he is highly skilled in close-quarters battle. Moreover, I have a premonition that he has been digging some pit for me from the very start.

Ryan, do not forget that I existed as a soul entity for so long. My perception is far keener than that of an ordinary person."

"Rango, he is no match for you, of that I am certain."

"Of course, but as I am now, I must still be cautious. I do not wish to undo my seal; this body might not sustain it. Furthermore, I have no desire to end up like those lost souls on the island."

"That is the absolute worst-case scenario, and things will not get that bleak. I have faith in your control, Rango."

"Still, it is an outcome I am trying my utmost to avoid. I know you are impatient, Ryan."

"Yes, such a pure aura of light! This body is nearly 'crystalline' inside and out. I need it, I want it. If I acquire it, I will gain a new vessel, and my power can be better exerted.

It would mean you have an extra assistant—a living assistant forever under your control, unable to escape your grasp.

You know well that the soul covenant we signed places you as master; I cannot defy your commands, and you will never have to worry about me turning away... or betraying you.

I simply want to feel myself possessing flesh and blood again, and right now, the urge is desperate!"

"I will satisfy you, Ryan, I will."

"Very well, though it seems your spiritual technique cannot trap him. He is walking out."

...

A path manifested beneath Neo's feet, a guidance born from the God of Light.

Following this path, Neo stepped directly into the gate of rebirth.

From behind, voices suddenly began calling out to him—former friends, comrades-in-arms, some still living, others long dead... Neo ignored them completely.

"Captain, why didn't you come find me and save me?"

Karen's voice drifted from behind. Neo still didn't turn around, merely raising a hand to give a casual wave as he corrected:

"Call me Squadron Leader."

The Karen behind him immediately amended: "Squadron Leader."

"Call me Regiment Commander."

The Karen behind him complied again: "Regiment Commander."

"Ah, I hope you're still alive, though there's a high probability you're dead." Neo let out a heavy sigh. "I'll see when I get back, check if there's any big news at the temple. If you died, it really ought to cause quite a 'shock.'

Still, I do hope you show up alive before me again. Otherwise, when I go searching for those secrets, who else could I exchange them with?

Without someone to trade with, secrets lose all their fun. Alas."

"Neo."

Yulisa's voice echoed behind him.

Neo smiled and said, "Call my name a few more times."

"Neo, Neo, I miss you so much."

"I miss you too, Yulisa. When I finally play around and get myself killed, I'll come see you. But not right now. To preserve the freshness of our feelings for when we truly meet, and to ensure my genuine emotions aren't ruined by a rehearsal, I won't turn back to look at you this time."

None of the illusions and temptations, none of the world's clamor, none of life's various fetters could delay Neo in the slightest.

It was clearly a path where a single backward glance meant eternal damnation, yet Neo walked it with the easy nonchalance of a post-dinner stroll through a garden.

No curiosity, no lingering attachments, perfectly clear, perfectly decisive;

In truth, this was also a form of numbness—a numbness that left him feeling somewhat helpless, a numbness he even wished to reject.

That kid Richard is the truly fortunate one; downing a bottle of hallucinogens allows his mind to go pleasantly hazy and 'float' away.

He can be bored when he's bored, happy when he's happy, cry out in pain when beaten, and his heart can be both sensitive and gentle.

Neo had already forgotten what that felt like. From the moment he tore off his own skin to fashion a mask that belonged to 'himself,' certain things were destined never to return.

Up ahead, a figure materialized on the path—the Mad Pope.

His presence was highly similar to the phantom of Gethsemane that lingered beside Karen. There he stood, offering Neo a final guidance.

"Honestly, you didn't need to come out; I obtained your bloodline inheritance purely by happenstance anyway." Neo clearly didn't appreciate the kind gesture. "I'll thank you first, and then, if you'd please step aside."

The phantom of the Mad Pope vanished.

Walking further and further, a smear of blackness appeared on the road ahead. Upon the pristine white path, these mottled dark stains looked incredibly jarring.

"My heart will forever belong to Order," Neo said in a deep voice, "but when I wield the power of Light, I ought to focus."

Upon the path, the blackness dissolved away, leaving behind only a pure, soft white.

Neo continued forward, and as he walked, he came to a sudden halt.

"I am weary; an exit ought to be just ahead."

No sooner had the words left his lips than the distant glimmer of an escape appeared before him.

"I am weary, I have no desire to journey any further; let it be closer."

As soon as he spoke, the exit rushed forward, drawing itself right to his feet.

Neo took a deep breath, exhaled it slowly, and continued his solitary monologue:

"That fellow will undoubtedly strike the very instant I step through the threshold. He must realize this spell cannot hold me for long, so he will wait until I emerge in high spirits, only to plunge me into a genuine pitfall.

Ah, and he even boasts of his abundant spiritual power. Heh, true abundance should be like Karen's—never dwelling on these frivolous schemes, but simply wearing you down through sheer attrition.

I used to call that style of combat foolish, but looking at it now, that is the only way to be completely devoid of flaws.

Therefore,

Will the door collapse the moment I step out, leaving me utterly stunned?

And then he will seize the opportunity to disrupt the spell and launch a sneak attack?

Yes, that must be it.

In that case,

Let it come."

Neo stepped through the great doors, and at the exact instant he returned to reality—

"Boom!!!"

The doors collapsed.

A terrifying torrent of spiritual power and the aura of reincarnation transformed into a complex, chaotic undertow, sweeping directly toward Neo, leaving him feeling as though he were trapped in the very eye of a tempest.

It was at this precise moment that Lango moved, drawing a scimitar from the arc. Whipping his speed to the absolute limit possible in this state, he closed the distance until he was directly in front of Neo.

Almost by pure instinct, Neo conjured a barrier of light.

"Bang!"

The scimitar pierced right through the shield.

Instinctively, Neo began to retreat, attempting to widen the gap between them.

Bloody tendrils were seeping from Lango's pores; his speed had reached its critical breaking point in this condition.

He was somewhat astonished by Neo's martial prowess—that even in such a predicament, guided by mere instinct, he could still manage such a reaction. Yet, this was the end of the line.

Lango hurled the scimitar forward, and within that desperately short distance, the two engaged in a blindingly swift clash of sheer velocity.

The victory belonged to Lango, for he successfully drove the scimitar into the left side of Neo's chest, right where the heart lay, and with a final sliver of opportunity, he twisted the blade with the momentum, tearing a gaping hole directly into Neo's chest.

Lango smiled.

Neo smiled as well.

———

Adjusting my sleep schedule today, will strive to finish writing this plotline tomorrow.