Chapter 107: The Woman Called Future (Part One)

With the sword held horizontally, the blue magical energy beneath Kong Zhe’s feet nearly solidified, the swirling azure currents stirring the dust on the ground. Then, Ye Xuan dashed forward like a bolt of lightning.

The sound barrier cracked in his ears—Kong Zhe was certain this was the fastest speed he could achieve.

He wasn’t sure if attacking an epic-level powerhouse was wise, but after the other party had just snatched Xiao Lei away, there was only one thought in Kong Zhe’s mind: he must never let her be taken, even if it meant dying to retrieve her.

Almost like teleportation, Kong Zhe appeared beside the woman in red, his Apocalypse Sword slashing fiercely toward her.

Yet, the lightning-fast strike passed through empty air.

She had already reappeared five meters away, her gaze laced with mockery. With a cold sneer, she said, “I’m taking this girl with me.”

Kong Zhe gritted his teeth, his brow furrowed deeply. The next moment, he vanished again, moving at high speed while cloaking himself with spatial cards to conceal his form, hoping to inflict even a scratch.

But disappointment came swiftly. Just as his sword grazed her, the woman disappeared once more, appearing far away.

At that instant, despair welled up within Kong Zhe’s heart.

So powerful... is this the strength of an epic-level warrior?

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t even touch the hem of her garment.

“Who... exactly are you?” Kong Zhe growled, glaring coldly.

“Oh? You want this girl that badly?” The woman in red asked with a strange expression.

“Of course. I will never let you take her away!” Kong Zhe raised his sword again.

“Brother Kong Zhe...” Xiao Lei saw the grave expression on his face. She understood that this enemy was likely beyond even his strength, yet hearing him say that filled her with a flicker of hope.

“Oh? Is that so?” The woman in red dodged his attack again. Now outside, she looked at the agitated Kong Zhe from a distance and sneered, “So, what’s your real reason for keeping her? Isn’t it just to use her to overcome the curse on you? Otherwise, why else would you care so much?”

Kong Zhe’s pupils contracted sharply. She knew about the curse! That meant she also knew about the Super Artifact within him?

Who exactly was this woman in red?

He gritted his teeth. No matter who she was, his last shred of hope vanished.

He had thought she was unaware of the Super Artifact, and thus there was no direct conflict between them. But now that she knew, everything was off the table. He couldn’t believe she was uninterested in the Super Artifact. This meant they were locked in a fight to the death.

Thinking this, Kong Zhe relaxed slightly, sighed, hesitated, and then answered her question.

“No, that’s not it!”

Technically, Kong Zhe had kept Xiao Lei close to remove the curse, but when asked, he realized that wasn’t the whole truth. He couldn’t fully explain it himself. Their relationship wasn’t one of mere utility; his care for her was instinctive, not because she could lift the curse. But at that moment, he struggled to put it into words.

“Oh? Not really? Fine then, would you trade the Super Artifact for her?” The woman in red sneered coldly. “If you had to choose only one, which would you pick?”

“Don’t rush to answer. I’ll tell you—if you choose this girl, I will truly take your Super Artifact!”

Kong Zhe was speechless, frozen in place.

“What’s wrong? Lost for words?” Her voice was chilling, her bright eyes sparkling like jewels, as if she could see through his soul. She sneered at him from afar. “I knew it! Men are all no good.”

Kong Zhe remained silent, bowing his head in silence. Then suddenly, he looked up with a wicked smile and said, “I won’t choose. Whether it’s the Super Artifact or Xiao Lei—I want them both!”

“Heh, and you think you can have both?” The woman in red laughed contemptuously. “Talk big, but you need the strength to back it up.”

Her words had barely fallen when she suddenly exclaimed softly.

At some unknown moment, white mist began to drift before her, swiftly engulfing her entirely.

Within the fog, the woman in red stood motionless, yet she felt nothing—no sound, no scent, not even a trace of magical energy. Her brow furrowed; even an epic-level warrior like her was cut off from all perception by this mist?

From outside, one could see a white fog enveloping a one-mile radius centered on her.

Suddenly, at the edge of the mist, a dark figure shot out and fled swiftly into the distance.

“Interesting.”

At the heart of the fog, the woman in red smiled faintly, flicking her hand. The mist instantly dissipated. Seeing no one around, she revealed a peculiar grin.

“Did you grasp a bit of how to use it between life and death?”

She muttered, extending her right hand, her delicate fingers lightly tapping the air.

“But it’s still not enough. You... are too weak! You don’t yet have the strength to protect her.”

As her fingers pointed downward, everything around froze.

Leaves blown by the wind halted midair; birds flying in the sky turned into still images in a painting; snowflakes paused halfway down.

All things around became statues. Even the air ceased to flow.

Time was utterly frozen.

With a smile, the woman in red stepped gracefully through this motionless world, walking leisurely in one direction. She moved neither fast nor slow, but with elegance. Soon, she saw Kong Zhe.

He was carrying Xiao Lei on his back, gritting his teeth with a desperate expression. One toe touched the ground, the other foot raised midair, his body leaning forward as if running at full speed, yet, defying all physical laws, he remained perfectly still.

On his back, Xiao Lei’s mouth was slightly open, her face frozen in surprise within this suspended space.

The woman in red passed by them both, stopping about ten meters from Kong Zhe. Turning to face them, she snapped her fingers.

“Snap!”

With that sound, time resumed flowing.

Snowflakes began to fall again; birds resumed flight; leaves danced with the wind.

The air stirred, and the entire world came back to life.

Kong Zhe had come to a sudden halt as if slammed on the brakes, staring at the woman who appeared like a ghost before him. His face darkened.

Again—did this person’s teleportation have no limits? No cooldown, and even such a long distance? How utterly unfair!

Her power left him feeling helpless.

Just moments before, in the midst of danger, a sudden inspiration struck him: the possible use of Tarot cards. He had been using them one by one, but what if he combined them?

When he tried merging “Samadhi” with “Water Wave,” something miraculous occurred.

The two cards combined to produce a new skill—the mist that had just appeared.

Trickster’s Mist: a product of blending water and fire elements in a certain ratio. Anyone entering the mist, except the user, becomes cut off from all senses—no sight, sound, smell, or magical perception.

Though it lacked offensive power, Kong Zhe was certain it was at least an A+ level skill, since it ignored rank and other conditions.

This meant even the level 89 woman inside the mist became blind and deaf.

He could see everything within it, which allowed him to seize the chaos to carry Xiao Lei away, randomly picking a direction and fleeing recklessly.

But to his shock, after only five seconds, he was caught.

“Damn it, Xiao Lei, run!” Kong Zhe set her down without looking back, drawing the Apocalypse Sword and glaring fiercely at the woman.

“No!” Xiao Lei cried in panic, tears streaming from her wide eyes.

Kong Zhe ignored her. Red flames coursed through his body, surging onto the Apocalypse Sword.

After what just happened, Kong Zhe understood there was no chance to escape. He had to fight, even if it meant dying and trying again. His three chances at resurrection were his greatest reliance now.

“I know what you’re thinking—about rebirth, right?” The woman in red’s eyes sparkled, as though reading his mind, stating his intent outright.

She sneered, “Hmph, what a waste. Such a magnificent Super Artifact, yet you use it so frivolously!”

“Huh? What did you say?” Kong Zhe was genuinely surprised. Did she know the true use of the Tarot cards?

“What do you mean? Explain yourself!” he demanded.

In his anxiety, his momentum weakened, and the flames on his sword gradually faded.

“You’re too noisy!” The woman in red didn’t answer, shaking her head with a frown.

The next moment, just as Kong Zhe was about to speak, he gasped sharply.

Without noticing, she had already appeared right before him, extending a finger to tap on his forehead.