Chen Ling looked at the bandage-wrapped face and instinctively furrowed his brows.
The black figure’s appearance was far too abrupt—even Chen Ling hadn’t seen how he’d materialized. However, the fact that he’d kicked one person to death and thrown two others into the incinerator the moment he arrived was proof enough that his methods weren’t something an ordinary person could possess.
Who was he?
The man clearly wasn’t part of this group. Judging by his actions, he might even have a grudge against them… Was his target also that hollowed-out corpse?
“Who the hell are you?!” Brother Chen’s face paled as he watched three of his subordinates get instantly killed.
“Me?” Jian Changsheng sneered. “I’m the vengeful ghost who’s come to settle scores with you.”
As the words fell, Jian Changsheng transformed into a blur as he lunged forward. His fist tore through the air with a sonic boom, carrying terrifying force as it smashed toward Brother Chen’s face!
Brother Chen instinctively raised his arms to block, but the impact sent him flying backward as if he’d been hit by a speeding car. A sharp pain shot through his forearms—likely fractured by the punch.
His body slammed into the wall, the recoil jolting his internal organs. Darkness flashed before his eyes, and his body crumpled to the ground like cotton.
He was leaving.
Seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Chen Ling’s eyes.
The next moment, Jian Changsheng felt a bone-chilling killing intent erupt from his side. His pupils constricted, and without hesitation, he threw himself sideways!
Whoosh!
A blade reflecting the moonlight grazed past his cheek.
The sudden murderous aura sent Jian Changsheng stumbling back several steps like a startled bird, his back drenched in cold sweat. Instinctively, he drew a short sword from his waist and held it horizontally in front of his chest, only then getting a clear look at the source of the attack.
Dim light spilled from the window, casting a glow over the wilderness outside the crematorium’s entrance. A figure cloaked in a brown overcoat stood quietly on the dividing line between light and shadow. As his face tilted slightly upward, a black smiling mask came into Jian Changsheng’s view.
The moment he saw that mask, Jian Changsheng’s heart lurched. Whether it was the eerie crimson eyes or the exaggerated grin stretching to the ears, it gave him an inexplicable sense of dread…
Who the hell was this guy?!
The same question arose in Jian Changsheng’s mind.
The two figures stood facing each other in front of the crematorium, the air suddenly falling into silence. They coldly sized each other up, trying to deduce the other’s identity and affiliations.
[Audience Expectation +3]
“Are you with them too?” Jian Changsheng asked darkly.
“No.” Chen Ling shook his head. “I don’t care about their lives. But you’d better hand over that corpse.”
“Oh? And if I don’t?”
“Then I don’t mind turning you into a corpse too.”
There was no way Jian Changsheng would surrender the body. To him, it was a crucial tool—one that could even be used to blackmail the Stellar Chamber of Commerce if necessary. Likewise, Chen Ling couldn’t allow such critical evidence to be taken away.
At this point, any further probing or negotiation was meaningless. After a brief silence, the two figures charged at each other simultaneously!
Having witnessed Jian Changsheng’s earlier display, Chen Ling knew his opponent was likely a holder of a Divine Path as well. Not daring to underestimate him, Chen Ling reversed his grip on the dagger and, without hesitation, stabbed himself three times in quick succession!
Crimson blood instantly dyed the blade, and Chen Ling’s speed and strength surged explosively!
Jian Changsheng, who had been rushing toward him, froze momentarily at the sight. Before he could react, Chen Ling’s afterimage-fast figure was already in front of him, the dagger carving a deep, bone-exposing gash across his body!
What the hell?!
Jian Changsheng was dumbfounded. He’d never seen someone stab themselves before a fight. Was this guy also on the [Blood Robe] path, growing stronger with injury?
Snapping out of his daze from the pain, Jian Changsheng barely managed to raise his arms to block as Chen Ling’s second punch came flying toward his face. But Chen Ling, now in a severely wounded state, clearly had the upper hand in strength. The punch sent Jian Changsheng flying backward like a kite with its string cut.
As his body crashed heavily to the ground, a cloud of dust billowed into the air. Jian Changsheng struggled to his feet, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes.
He raised his own short sword and, with a fierce slash, cut open a bloody wound across his abdomen. Fresh blood immediately gushed out, staining his clothes.
“[Blood Robe]?” Chen Ling asked in surprise.
Seeing this familiar move, Chen Ling raised an eyebrow. After using this trick for so long, he’d finally encountered an enemy on the same [Asura] path who’d copied his method… though judging by the wound, his opponent seemed even more ruthless than he was.
Jian Changsheng tightened his grip on the bloodstained short sword, his gaze fixed on Chen Ling like a feral beast. Instead of charging forward again, he flicked his wrist, sending droplets of blood flying through the air!
The moment those blood droplets neared him, Chen Ling sensed something amiss. Recalling the man’s bizarre earlier appearance, he instinctively retreated a step.
The instant he moved back, Jian Changsheng’s figure teleported to the spot where the foremost blood droplet had landed. His bloodied sword sliced through the air with a shrill whistle, aiming straight for Chen Ling’s throat!
Chen Ling reacted swiftly. Under the effect of [Dance of Slaughter], his dagger clashed repeatedly with the short sword at blinding speed. With similar strength and comparable agility, blade met blade in rapid succession, sparks flying in the night air!
Was that the second-tier skill of the [Asura] path?
Chen Ling recalled the moment the blood droplet had transformed into Jian Changsheng and quickly pieced it together. After all, not everyone had his ability to learn others’ skills. If this man’s first-tier was [Blood Robe], his next skill had to belong to the [Asura] path as well.
As the fight dragged on, more and more blood seeped from Jian Changsheng’s abdominal wound. Narrowing his eyes mid-exchange, he dragged his short sword across the injury again, coating the blade thoroughly in fresh crimson.
Clang!
The dagger and short sword collided once more. This time, fine droplets of blood sprayed outward from the impact!
Almost simultaneously, Jian Changsheng vanished from Chen Ling’s front and reappeared behind him. The blood-red blade plunged straight into Chen Ling’s back, burying itself deep.
A sharp pain erupted from his spine. Chen Ling grunted behind his mask and swung his dagger backward in retaliation, but Jian Changsheng nimbly dodged out of range.
So that’s how this skill works?
This was Chen Ling’s first encounter with the [Asura] path’s second-tier skill, and he’d fallen for it unprepared. Feeling the surge of power from his fresh wound, his eyes behind the mask grew even colder.