Feeling the gaze from behind Chen Ling’s mask, Jian Changsheng’s heart trembled slightly—there was an inexplicably familiar pressure in those eyes…
But Jian Changsheng quickly suppressed the unease in his heart. Gripping his bloodstained short sword, he slashed fiercely, sending dozens of blood droplets flying toward Chen Ling like a storm!
Clang! Clang! Clang!!
The rapid clashing of blades filled the air. Relying on the terrifying mobility granted by [Blood Drop Step], Jian Changsheng forcefully suppressed Chen Ling. His figure flickered like a blood-colored specter, appearing and vanishing unpredictably across the blood-splattered battlefield. It was nearly impossible to anticipate where the next strike would come from.
“So you’re just a first-tier.” Jian Changsheng’s lips curled slightly beneath his bandages. “Without [Blood Drop Step], you can’t beat me.”
On the same path, the higher the tier, the more skills one possessed. For battles below the fourth tier, the number of skills almost always determined the outcome. Since this black-masked figure still hadn’t used [Blood Drop Step], he had to be a first-tier.
Chen Ling narrowed his eyes. Though his figure retreated step by step during the fight, his movements showed no sign of disorder. Soon, he had backed into the wilderness outside the crematorium.
“Is that so?” Chen Ling said lightly.
His fingers swiftly hooked onto a broken tree branch on the ground, snapping it in half. At the same time, the bloodied short sword lunged toward his chest at an alarming speed!
Jian Changsheng’s vision blurred—the short sword in his hand had inexplicably transformed into half of the tree branch. The brittle wood jabbed into Chen Ling’s hardened chest and instantly shattered into pieces.
Meanwhile, the remaining half of the branch in Chen Ling’s hand had become the short sword, now firmly gripped in his palm.
Jian Changsheng froze in place.
“Now, can you still dodge?”
In the next instant, a crescent-like arc of cold light slashed through the air. The razor-sharp blade sliced open Jian Changsheng’s throat, threatening to decapitate him outright!
Without his short sword, Jian Changsheng could no longer rely on blood droplets to shift positions mid-battle. Fortunately, his reflexes were quick—he jerked his head back just in time to avoid instant death.
Even so, crimson blood gushed uncontrollably from his severed blood vessels, pooling onto the ground in an expanding stain.
But Chen Ling’s assault didn’t stop there. After the slash, his body coiled slightly, drawing power from his wounds as he unleashed a devastating side kick. The force tore through the air with a shrill screech before crashing brutally into Jian Changsheng’s chest!
Jian Changsheng’s ribcage caved in as if struck by a meteor. His body hurtled backward over a dozen meters, smashing through several tree trunks before finally collapsing in a cloud of dust.
Chen Ling wiped the blood from his lips, gripping the dagger in one hand and the short sword in the other as he strode slowly toward the fallen figure.
Earlier, Jian Changsheng’s overwhelming [Blood Drop Step] had kept Chen Ling on the defensive for a long time. Now, Chen Ling had finally seized the chance to counterattack with [Scarlet Trickery]—and this counter was enough to turn the tide. That near-decapitating slash and the crushing kick would have been enough to finish even a third-tier.
Yet, things still took an unexpected turn.
When Chen Ling saw the blood-drenched figure struggling to rise from the pool of blood, his expression beneath the mask darkened.
Tch… So hard to kill.
The last person who’d given Chen Ling this feeling was Jian Changsheng back in the Soldier's Ancient Repository… and this one seemed even harder to finish off than that version.
Meanwhile, Jian Changsheng was equally bewildered.
Chen Ling’s substitution trick had left him reeling. He couldn’t understand—if they were both on the [Asura] path, why did Chen Ling have such bizarre skills? Was his own [Asura] fake, or was the other guy’s?
Come to think of it, he’d once faced another opponent with similarly chaotic and sinister abilities… At this moment, the self-proclaimed genius Jian Changsheng relived the terror of being dominated by Chen Ling.
Jian Changsheng shook his head, forcing the fear aside. Right now, he was in a near-death state—precisely when [Blood Robe] could be pushed to its limits. If this dragged on any longer, he might really die here!
Taking a deep breath, Jian Changsheng stomped hard into the blood pool, sending droplets splattering in all directions!
In the dim forest, Chen Ling immediately sensed a barrage of fist strikes closing in from all sides. This time, he didn’t meet them head-on. Instead, relying on the terrifying perception of [Secret Eyes], he frantically dodged Jian Changsheng’s attacks.
Though both had [Blood Robe], Jian Changsheng’s heavier injuries gave him a significant edge in speed and strength. A single direct hit from those fists would likely send Chen Ling into a near-death state as well… and Chen Ling wasn’t willing to gamble his life here.
Chen Ling narrowed his eyes. Just as he was about to be cornered by a fist strike, he brought his hands together in front of his chest with a soft clap.
As the crisp sound echoed, Jian Changsheng watched in shock as Chen Ling’s figure dissolved into a flurry of crimson butterflies, scattering amid the gusts of his punches… Jian Changsheng’s attack met empty air. As he spun in confusion, a sharp sting suddenly flared across his cheek!
Unbeknownst to him, Chen Ling had ghosted to his side. The dagger sliced open his face, severing the bandages wrapped around it. Bloodied strips of cloth fluttered to the ground…
Jian Changsheng’s heart lurched, followed by a surge of fury and ruthlessness. Instead of covering his exposed face, he lashed out at Chen Ling’s black mask!
Snap!
Even as Chen Ling retreated hastily, the fierce punch shattered the mask. Both faces were now laid bare under the dim moonlight as they staggered apart.
The moment Chen Ling saw Jian Changsheng’s face, he froze.
Of course Chen Ling recognized him but Jian Changsheng should have died in the Soldier's Ancient Repository. Back then, he’d used [Tribunal] to obliterate the man’s heart, then double-checked to confirm no life remained. The body had already gone stiff… How could he possibly be standing here alive now?
Chen Ling was utterly shaken. Yet at the same time, a long-standing puzzle in his mind finally clicked into place… No wonder his identity had been exposed so quickly back then—there had been a survivor who’d made it back to Aurora City.
As for Jian Changsheng, when he saw the unfamiliar face of “Lin Yan,” he exhaled in relief…
Good. It wasn’t that red-clothed Chen Ling behind the mask.
During the fight with this mysterious figure, the oppressive aura had given him an odd sense of déjà vu… He’d even wondered if this person might be Chen Ling wearing a disguise. After all, in his experience, only that freak could wield such a bizarre array of skills.
But now, it seemed he’d overthought it.
Having already lost his own disguise, how could Jian Changsheng guess that beneath the opponent’s seemingly simple mask lay yet another hidden persona?
Seeing Chen Ling poised to attack again, Jian Changsheng suddenly spoke up:
“Wait!”