Die, Replay, Repeat

Chapter 331 - Killing Lu Ziming

Luo Qingxin was beyond furious now. Power surged from her, and the temperature around her plummeted.

Ice began to spread from where she stood, quickly covering the ground in a thin, frosty layer.

"Let her go," she spat through gritted teeth, her voice icy and controlled.

Lu Ziming sneered dismissively. "You really overestimate yourself. You're just a fourth-tier psychic. Even if all of you rush at me, you won't even touch a hair on my head."

He paused, his eyes glinting with contempt. "And here's some advice—don't even think about attacking. Spiritual Energy is for making money. Fighting in the Land Between is the stupidest thing you could do. Win, and you'll still lose Spiritual Energy. Lose, and you'll lose even more."

Lu Ziming shrugged. "If you're wondering why I haven't attacked you yet, it's because I don't want to waste too much Spiritual Energy. That would leave me with less to earn."

He leaned in slightly, enjoying the tension. "There's an unwritten rule in the Land Between. You don't kill others easily because we all have a common goal—leaving this place. The more of us there are, the more efficiently we can make money together."

"I said, let her go!" Luo Qingxin's voice dropped to a deadly chill, carrying an unyielding threat.

Lu Ziming shook his head with a sigh. "After all these years, you're still the same. Nothing's changed. Maybe you want to die, but your teammates don't.

"Maybe you think you can win, but have you thought this through? Even if you manage to beat me, how much Spiritual Energy will you have left? How many of you will be injured or dead?

"After that, you'll be forced to sell your Spiritual Energy just to survive, and you still won't have enough to recover."

He continued, his tone cool and calculated. "By the time you've healed, how much Spiritual Energy will you have left? Once you drop to the third tier, the Grey Fog will overwhelm you. You won't even be able to leave the inn, let alone fight Specters. You'll be stuck, waiting to die."

His words hit hard. Even Luo Qingxin's face darkened with grim realization.

"Qingxin, today Ifm teaching you one last lesson. You have to see things for what they are. Don't let your anger cloud your judgment, or you'll doom everyone. Think carefully—on one side, you have teammates who will live or die with you. On the other, a poor woman you've never met. Who will you choose?"

The weight of his words hung in the air, and the tension in the group thickened.

Even those who had been so certain of their resolve couldn't help questioning their next move.

What Lu Ziming said made sense. Even if they managed to defeat him, it would come at a heavy cost—loss of Spiritual Energy, possible injuries, and potentially death.

In the Land Between, a serious injury could mean a swift fall to the third tier, where survival was nearly impossible. The idea of selling their Spiritual Energy just to stay alive was a grim reality they had all hoped to avoid.

Now they understood why, despite being a fifth-tier psychic, Lu Ziming didn't simply attack. Even he knew the cost of a fight in this place.

Killing them all might solve his immediate problem, but it would waste precious resources and put him at odds with Whitestone's unspoken rules, which would only bring more trouble than it was worth.

The group fell into a tense silence, caught in the difficult decision before them.

After a long pause, Luo Qingxin's murderous intent began to fade. The cold around her slowly dissipated, and the temperature returned to normal.

"Lu Ziming, I won't give up. If I can't kill you today, I'll kill you tomorrow. Sooner or later, I will kill you with my own hands." Her voice was resolute, though a quiet fury burned in her eyes.

Li Xiaoru, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. "This is the last time I'll ever call you Chief Commander. From now on, we're done."

Suddenly, Yang Ming's gaze was filled with pure malice, his eyes like ice, burning with murderous intent.

Luo Qingxin, who had been about to leave, paused and slowly turned toward Lu Ziming.

"Hahaha... You fools don't know your place..." Lu Ziming's laughter faltered as the scene shifted dramatically.

"Domain Activated. I Am Domain!"

A burst of golden light erupted around Yang Ming, blinding and brilliant, gathering at his feet like a storm.

For a moment, Yang Ming looked like a god descending from the heavens. He became a streak of golden lightning, charging straight for Lu Ziming.

CLANG!

The sound of metal colliding rang out, deafening and sharp.

Lu Ziming snarled as he raised his sword to block the attack. Brilliant Mindflare clashed with golden light, sending shockwaves through the air.

"I'm really curious," Lu Ziming sneered. "How can you be so stupid? Thinking you can kill me?"

"What makes you think I can't?" Yang Ming's voice was cold, cutting like a blade.

In that instant, multiple Domains flared to life, their Spiritual Energy bursting forth with wild intensity.

Luo Qingxin: "Domain Activated. Frozen Zone!"

Li Xiaoru: "Domain Activated. Infinite Conflict!"

Xiong Tianguang: "Domain Activated. Summoner's Rift!"

Xiao Chuxia, murmuring to herself: "I am an Enhancer. I am an Enhancer. Everyone... enhance!"

The eruption of Domain power nearly tore the fabric of reality itself.

Lu Ziming's expression darkened immediately.

"You crazy fools!" he roared. "It's almost dark, and you can't even scrape together ten thousand Spirit Money bills, yet you want to kill me? Don't you know that if you exhaust too much Spiritual Energy, you'll die?"

"Just kill him. No need to overthink it," Fang Xiu's calm voice rang out once again. As he spoke, his hands came together in a prayer gesture, and an immense surge of Spiritual Energy flooded his body. "Pain Manifestation—The Corpse Lake!"

Translator's note: The phrase 割袍断义 (gē páo duàn yì) literally translates to "cutting off the robe and severing the bond."

In simpler terms, it means to end a relationship or break ties with someone, often a close or important one. It comes from a metaphor where cutting off a robe symbolizes a complete and final severing of connections, and "loyalty" here refers to a deep, often moral bond between people, like that between friends, comrades, or even allies.

So, when someone says "割袍断义," they are declaring that they are completely cutting off all ties and loyalty with another person, usually due to betrayal, a major disagreement, or an irreparable break in trust.

In English, you could think of it as "cutting all ties" or "severing the relationship."