Chapter 534: Assimilation

The moment their hands touched, Qian Wu only felt an icy coldness, as if he were gripping a corpse.

Though he had seen “Xuanwu” many times before, this was the first time he had actually touched her. The sensation was far stranger than he had imagined.

Xuanwu seemed like a person devoid of body heat—her fingers were as cold as a corpse’s, yet unnervingly soft like a living person’s.

“By holding my hand… can you really kill me?” Xuanwu asked.

“I’m not sure, but I’ll do my best,” Qian Wu replied. “No matter what, I’ll stake my life on killing you.”

“You *must* do your best,” Xuanwu said with a vacant nod. “It’s fine if it takes multiple attempts, but you must try your hardest.”

Behind Xuanwu, Tianma and Tianhu watched the scene unfold and took a slow step back. Now that Xuanwu had taken the stage, they no longer had the right to speak.

Qian Wu turned his head slightly and gave a meaningful glance to the two men behind him—Luo Shiyi and Chou Ershi. They nodded, picked up their daggers from the ground, and slowly approached Qian Wu.

“Brother Wu,” Luo Shiyi said, gripping Qian Wu’s shoulder. “Don’t worry… it won’t hurt…”

“It’s fine,” Qian Wu replied with a nod. “Do it.”

Luo Shiyi glanced at Xuanwu. She and Qian Wu stood hand in hand, their closeness almost resembling that of lovers. Yet the chilling aura radiating from her sent shivers down his spine.

“Brother Wu… I’m sorry,” Luo Shiyi muttered, taking a deep breath before plunging the dagger straight into Qian Wu’s heart.

From a distance, Qi Xia and the others held their breaths. The plan seemed to be going unexpectedly smoothly.

Qian Wu felt no pain—only the sensation of something cold piercing his chest.

“No… don’t use *Forget Sorrow*…” Qian Wu gritted his teeth. “Pain can hasten my death…”

Luo Shiyi’s expression darkened as he nodded. “Understood.”

He closed his eyes, silently reciting a few words to himself. But when he opened them again, Qian Wu showed no reaction.

“Remove *Forget Sorrow*,” Qian Wu repeated.

“I…” Luo Shiyi hesitated. “Brother Wu, *Forget Sorrow* is already gone…”

“What…?” Qian Wu stiffened. “*Forget Sorrow* is gone…?”

Not only did he feel no pain, but there was also no sign of impending death.

Xuanwu raised her other hand and swept aside the long hair covering her chest. The three men saw a fresh wound blooming on her chest, identical to the one on Qian Wu’s.

“Is this all…?” Xuanwu asked, her voice tinged with disappointment. “Is *this* how you planned to kill me…?”

Qian Wu frowned, unsettled, then turned to Chou Ershi.

Understanding immediately, Chou Ershi raised his dagger without hesitation and slashed it across Qian Wu’s neck, severing an artery.

A dull *thud* of metal piercing flesh echoed—and at the same moment, a matching wound appeared on Xuanwu’s neck.

“What the hell…?”

Qian Wu was the first to realize something was wrong. Even without *Forget Sorrow*, he felt no pain from either the fatal wound in his chest or the one in his neck.

Qi Xia’s eyes darkened as he watched from afar. He stepped back from the prison gate and motioned to Chen Junan and Qiao Jiajin. “Qian Wu has lost. Be ready—*Tianma’s Hour* is about to begin.”

“Lost…?” Chen Junan and Qiao Jiajin froze. “Isn’t he still trying to kill Xuanwu?”

“It’s impossible now,” Qi Xia said. “At this point, forget Xuanwu—even Qian Wu can’t die.”

Saturday, overhearing this, shot a disbelieving glance toward Qian Wu.

Qian Wu pushed Luo Shiyi aside and pulled the dagger from his chest. He looked down—only to find a pitch-black hole where the wound should have been, not a single drop of blood spilled.

“How…?” Qian Wu muttered. “Is this *Indestructible*…?”

He had intended to assimilate Xuanwu’s body, but for some reason, his own had instead been transformed into *Indestructible*.

Refusing to accept defeat, Qian Wu gripped the dagger still embedded in his neck and yanked it sideways, carving a deep gash across his throat.

The same inky darkness spread across both his and Xuanwu’s necks, their heads now looking as if they were sewn onto their bodies—grotesquely unreal.

Yet neither of them died.

“So this is how it is…” Qian Wu lowered his head, despair creeping into his voice. “I was too naive… I considered countless outcomes, but never this one…”

“Hey,” Xuanwu called out coldly. “What’s the difference between this little trick of yours and just stabbing me directly?”

“At this point…” Qian Wu shook his head bitterly. “There is no difference.”

“Huh…?” Xuanwu’s eyes instantly dulled with disappointment. “What are you saying…? You mean you *can’t* kill me?”

Qian Wu now fully understood the horror of *Indestructible*. His neck bore a wound that should have been fatal, yet he felt nothing.

Even if his head were severed now, he still wouldn’t die. So why couldn’t he assimilate *her* body instead?

“Run…” Qian Wu whispered. “Shiyi, Ershi… find a way to escape…”

“Brother Wu… what about you—”

“If I let go, I die,” Qian Wu said, resignation heavy in his voice. “This time… I’ve lost.”

He turned back to Xuanwu, his brow furrowed. “You only want my life, right? I was the mastermind behind the attempt on Tianma.”

“No.” Xuanwu shook her head. “All three of you carry intense killing intent toward Tianma. None of you will be spared.”

“You—” Qian Wu knew he had no bargaining power left.

If *Twin Blossoms* couldn’t defeat Xuanwu… was there *any* way to kill her?

“No need to beg, Brother Wu,” Luo Shiyi suddenly chuckled. “I never planned to leave anyway. Might as well stay here today.”

He snatched the dagger from Qian Wu’s hand and lunged at Xuanwu, slashing wildly—just as Qi Xia had done earlier—carving countless wounds into her body.

But Xuanwu remained utterly unfazed.

“Every time… it’s the same,” Xuanwu murmured, her eyes lifeless. “None of you who try to kill me… ever bring any sincerity to it.”

In the next instant, a crimson object appeared in her hand—a still-beating heart.

Luo Shiyi barely had time to react before Xuanwu crushed it effortlessly.

Like a sponge soaked in water, the heart burst apart in a spray of blood. Luo Shiyi collapsed, his face frozen in shock.

“Shiyi!”

Qian Wu knew that, despite appearances, *he* was the one in far greater danger. The moment he let go, he would die instantly.