Chapter 443: The Terrifying Power of a Love Brain

The God of Pain paid no heed; just as a person crushing an ant never hears its wails.

He reached out toward Su Mu. The hand, wreathed in materialized agony, moved so slowly that even a child could have dodged it, yet it gave Su Mu the distinct feeling that escape was impossible.

Su Mu showed no trace of panic. He smiled and said, "Xiao Yuan, resurrect Jasmine."

Within the Land of Origin, the pixelated figure on the Computer screen dragged Jasmine's folder out of the recycle bin and moved it to the world folder: Blood Moon Empire, Pain Divine Cult Stronghold.

Thrum!

The empty space beside Su Mu rippled like water. A soft white light flickered. Within that glow, a pair of pale, delicate bare feet appeared first. The light swept upward, revealing a young woman's slender calves and shapely thighs.

Further up was a simple white dress, so light and airy it seemed woven from clouds.

The white light softened as the girl's figure fully materialized, finally settling on a pure, lovely face.

The girl opened her eyes in bewilderment. Her bright, clear gaze slowly brought her surroundings into focus. "Didn't I... die? Where is this... Yang Dongqing!"

Jasmine stared at the familiar figure. Even shrouded in endless black light and covered in twisted runes, she recognized her beloved at a glance.

Jasmine's trembling voice acted like a pause button on reality. The hand Yang Dongqing had been about to close around Su Mu suddenly froze in midair.

A trace of human emotion surfaced on his indifferent face.

At the same time, the black light radiating from Yang Dongqing began to flicker like a candle battered by the wind.

The God of Pain drew His power from suffering, but Yang Dongqing's suffering stemmed entirely from Jasmine's death. Now that Jasmine had returned to life, that torment naturally dissolved.

This was exactly why Su Mu had chosen the God of Pain as his target.

"Jas... Jasmine..." Yang Dongqing forced the name from his lips. His body trembled violently, as if he were trying to suppress something.

"Yang Dongqing, what's wrong with you? How did you end up like this?" Seeing her beloved in such a state, Jasmine's eyes filled with heartbreak.

The corners of Su Mu's mouth turned up in a smile. "Jasmine, Yang Dongqing allowed an evil god to invade his body just to resurrect you. Right now, you're the only one who can wake him up. Otherwise, he will be completely consumed."

Jasmine's face paled. She didn't care why Su Mu was here, nor did she care to find out what had happened. In this moment, her eyes held nothing but deep concern for Yang Dongqing.

"Dongqing, what's happening to you? Please don't scare me." Trembling, Jasmine walked toward him.

Yang Dongqing's expression twisted fiercely. His left hand clamped down on his right hand in a death grip. "Don't come any closer!"

Jasmine stubbornly shook her head. With red-rimmed eyes, she ignored his warning and threw her arms around his rigid body. "Dongqing, it's me."

"Ah!" Yang Dongqing roared in agony, his hands digging viciously into his head.

"An Illusion Technique! It's an illusion. It's all fake! You're the one behind this, aren't you, Su Mu?"

Su Mu smiled. "Does it matter if it's real or fake? Admit it, Yang Dongqing. Even if the Jasmine before you is an illusion, you still couldn't bear to kill her."

That single sentence struck his fatal weakness. Just as Su Mu said, even if she were an illusion, Yang Dongqing would never raise a hand against Jasmine.

"Besides, this isn't an Illusion Technique. Take a look. What is this?" Su Mu raised his hand, revealing a mysterious, archaic ring glowing with dark golden light.

Yang Dongqing's pupils contracted sharply. He recognized it immediately—it was Supreme Heaven, the very thing he had been desperately seeking!

Wasn't Supreme Heaven in Pride's hands? Could it be...

As if guessing his thoughts, Su Mu's lips curled upward. He slowly swept a slender hand across his face, and a Silver-White Mask instantly appeared.

"That's right. I am Pride." His indifferent voice was entirely identical to Pride's.

At that moment, the last shreds of doubt in Yang Dongqing's heart vanished. Trembling, he looked down at the petite, lovely girl in his arms, tears welling in his eyes. "Jasmine... is it really you?"

To him, the revelation that Su Mu was Pride paled in comparison to the fact that Jasmine had returned to life.

"It's me! It's me, Dongqing..." Jasmine reached up with shaking hands to cradle his face, her eyes brimming with worry and love.

Thrum!!!

Furious, incomprehensible whispers echoed from within Yang Dongqing's body. The God of Pain's power was rapidly waning. He could clearly sense that the agony housed within this vessel had entirely dissipated. All that remained was joy, happiness, and another intense, unrecognizable emotion.

Su Mu pulled off the Silver-White Mask and smiled. "That right there is love."

The God of Pain had used Yang Dongqing's torment as a medium to descend. Now that the suffering was gone, the God of Pain naturally lost His anchor.

Logically speaking, the God of Pain could have simply returned to the Abyss. But having already reached the Dream World, how could He possibly give up? Thus, He was forced to settle for the next best option: possessing someone else.

Endless black light flared from Yang Dongqing's body. It condensed into a dark shadow and instantly burrowed into a figure clad in a black robe.

It was a high-ranking member of the Pain Divine Cult—a Gold tier powerhouse.

Su Mu smiled faintly. He had long anticipated this outcome, which was exactly his goal: to further weaken the God of Pain's power.

Between the suppression of the Dream World and the erasure of Yang Dongqing's suffering, the two-pronged approach ensured that the God of Pain's hoped-for flawless descent ended in failure.

However, the true battle was only just beginning. Even though He wasn't in His complete form, the God of Pain wielded power far beyond the Saint Grade. If Su Mu couldn't strike Him down, this world would still face inevitable destruction.

"Jasmine, hold on to me! I'm getting you out of here. It's too dangerous!" shouted Yang Dongqing, having finally regained his senses.

He scooped Jasmine into his arms and ran, not once looking back.

Su Mu paid them no mind, his gaze locked entirely on the God of Pain and His new vessel.

Having been outplayed, the God of Pain was consumed by fury. With a sweeping wave of His large hand, the endless black light churned and instantly condensed in the void, forming a black spear that shot straight toward Su Mu to impale him.

"I was just looking to test the power of a God." Su Mu's eyes narrowed. Phantoms of the Seven Artifacts of Royal Authority materialized out of thin air, slowly solidifying around his body. With the Divinity of the Six Gods fully unleashed within him, his physique and mental strength—surpassing even the Saint Grade—erupted outward, channeling entirely into the Sword of Royal Power.

Clang!

The crisp ring of a sword echoed through heaven and earth.

If one were looking down from the heavens in that instant, they would see violent ripples of distorted space exploding outward with Su Mu at the center. Brilliant golden light erupted, piercing straight through the clouds.

"Sever!"

He swung his sword with explosive force. An unparalleled, domineering surge of golden sword qi tore through the air, acting like a massive pair of golden shears slicing the sky apart and plowing a shocking rift into the void.

The sword qi collided with the black spear.

Clang!!!

An earth-shattering explosion rang out. The golden sword qi trembled violently before shattering like a broken mirror. The Sword of Royal Power vibrated continuously, as if letting out a mournful wail.

In the next instant, the black spear tore onward without losing momentum, viciously impaling Su Mu right through the heart.