Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

Godslayer’s excitement was a contrast to Alex’s emotional distress. Here he was, dying of guilt for requesting Godslayer’s help in the current situation. But somehow, Godslayer showed a totally different emotion.

“Wait…” Alex said slowly. “Did you say your body?”

“Yes, my body. Where is it? Let me see.”

Godslayer saw the outside world through Alex’s eyes. Doing so required effort, but at that moment he couldn’t care less. He saw the red sand, the group in the air, and the woman lying on the ground, lifeless.

“Where is it? Where’s my body?” he asked.

“What are you talking about?” Alex asked. His eyes turned toward Death. “Is she your body? I thought you were a man.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Did you forget what I am?” Godslayer asked.

Alex’s eyes widened. “Right, a sword spirit.” He raised the sword in his hand, the one he had found Godslayer in. “Are you talking about this?”

“Not that. My actual body. Have you not seen a black sword around here? It’s somewhere up there in the front, but I can’t locate it as well as I should. Something is obstructing our connection a little.”

“A sword…” Alex said, gasping in realization. “The Sword! The one she was holding.”

Alex had known the sword Death was holding was special, given its incredible sharpness. But with Death holding it, it had been completely overshadowed. He hadn’t even given it a second thought as soon as he had realized it wasn’t what was causing Death’s issue.

“She? Who is she?” Godslayer asked.

“Death,” Alex answered, moving closer toward Death. He swung his sword, throwing out attacks toward the sect leader, who effortlessly blocked them, getting closer toward Death.

Alex wanted to help Godslayer find the sword Death had been using for all these years, and he knew it had been tossed to the side. It had to be in the sand close by her.

However, Death’s life was more important than Godslayer’s body.

“She’s the one I was talking about previously. I need to save her in order to leave Hell, Godslayer. Can you do something? Can you help me? I need her. We need her.”

He threw another attack, delaying the sect leader, but the inevitable was getting closer.

“Godslayer, please. Do something.”

“You’re losing to them?” Godslayer asked in a surprised tone.

“Their body cultivation is far stronger than mine. I have no power to fight them, and their battle array is powerful as well.” Alex’s voice was desperate. “If you don’t do something, we won’t be able to save her.”

“Oh, I… I…”

Godslayer felt the sword nearby. His sword. His body. It was so close. He was so close.

“I… I’m sorry, kid. But I can’t do it.”

Helping Alex in this moment meant destroying every part of him to rescue someone he didn’t even know. It meant becoming the same as Midnight, a spirit that wasn’t a spirit. He couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Not when Alex was in no threat at all.

He would likely take a longer time to leave Hell, but that was preferable to dying for Godslayer. Not again.

“What? Can’t you help me?” Alex asked, fighting back more.

“I’m sorry, but I choose not to die. Not for—”

Godslayer couldn’t get any more words out when Alex finally arrived around the side, and Death’s face finally became visible.

“W-w-what is she doing here?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Alex saw a chance. “Do you know her?” he asked, surprised. Maybe he shouldn’t be. She had his sword.

“How… How is she… they’re Immortals,” Godslayer spoke in broken words, his mind failing to comprehend the situation before him.

“She’s mindless. Soulless,” Alex said, explaining in hopes that Godslayer would choose to help him. “She can’t defend herself.”

“Like hell she can’t!” Godslayer said. “Why would she struggle to fight Immortals?”

“Like I said, she’s not herself. She’s soulless. Or at least, her soul is very weak. I can’t tell why,” Alex said.

“Her soul…” Godslayer said, trying to think of something. “Of course. Her soul. She has no soul.”

He seemed to have realized something.

“Yeah,” Alex said. “So what can we do? How do we protect her?”

“Protect her? You think too highly of yourself. She needs no protection at all,” Godslayer said.

“But—”

“Return her sword,” Godslayer said.

“But she can’t fight. She has no soul!” Alex said.

“Just do it!”

Alex spent just a second hesitating before rushing toward the black sword. He trusted Godslayer, so he searched the sand for her sword, hoping to give it to her.

Hopefully, Godslayer was right.

Suddenly, Alex felt a world of pain strike his mind and he fell from the sky, landing next to Death.

His sudden appearance caused the sect leader to take a step back before realizing what had happened. “Oh, you showed yourself,” he said. “Good. Now stay there. I’ll deal with you soon.”

“Alex! Alex!” Godslayer’s voice resounded in Alex’s head. “What are you doing?”

“Their Intent… it’s strong,” he said, trying to force himself up. “I… can’t hold the seal up much longer.”

“She’ll protect you,” Godslayer said. “Give her sword back.”

“I… can’t find it,” Alex said. “It’s lost in the sand.”

The seal was closing in.

“Not me. Not the black sword,” Godslayer shouted even as the seal resealed itself. “Her sword. The one in your hand.”

The seal was closed.

Alex heard Godslayer’s last words and stared at the sword in his hand.

Her sword.

Alex didn’t have the time to think what that meant. He used the last of his Intent to push back against their assault, and used all the freedom he got from it to reach out with his sword and place it on Death’s palm.

Just like when he had cut Death’s palm during the sandstorm a few days ago, her hand clasped around the sword.

Around her sword.

Blood trickled down from her hand as it began to tremble, followed by her entire body.

Then, despite the Intent of the entire upper echelon of the Endless Night sect pouring on top of her, Death raised her head.

Finally, she moved.