Chapter 346: Sacrificial Snake (Part 2)

On the other side of the city, Lerna, who was knocked away, faced a second impact.

The force of the punch exploded into Laerna's abdomen, like a bomb activated at close range, sending her flying into the distance. Everything in her vision blurred into blocks of color due to the high speed, and the other self inside her screamed piercingly, expressing her desire to escape.

Lelna Barry ignored all of this, steadying her balance and striking out, like a spear thrust into a cliff. Her foothold was on the outer layer of a building, and the people inside stared in astonishment at this woman, parallel to the sky.

She bent her legs and leaned forward, taking the standard starting position of a sprinter. The starting gun sounded in her mind, and Laerna rushed out. The glass curtain wall of the building exploded the moment she took off, and she ran through the rain of debris and soared through the sky.

The distance she had covered upon receiving the blow returned even faster, the image of the Sacrificial Serpent magnifying before her eyes. Her overly focused mind transformed the surroundings into a hazy haze, leaving only herself, her enemy, and a pure black arc within the pure white. Lerna launched a scythe-like kick, her black garments fading into a thin line within the material world, like a withered mountain stream flowing through a pure white world!

The Serpent of Life Sacrifice tilted its body dramatically, its Qi of Thousand Years unleashing at that moment. Dark mountains and rivers flowed along the hem of the man's clothes, and he narrowly avoided Lerna's sudden attack. For the first time in this one-sided, life-or-death struggle, he finally managed to evade. Lerna stopped in front of the Divine Guard's gate and spun around, unleashing a spinning kick. Chu Hengkong met the blow with a perfectly aligned kick! Their kicks connected in mid-air, like a fierce clash of black and gray spears!

"It seems that you don't intend to fall asleep." Chu Hengkong smiled.

"Do you like fighting with losers?" said Lyanna.

She twisted her ankle and kicked Chu Hengkong's ankle with the back of her foot. Chu Hengkong stood back, his legs tucked in. Lerna's kicks came like a torrential downpour, like a thousand black bouquets blooming simultaneously. Chu Hengkong thrust out with one hand, his palm like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, blocking every kick. Lerna leaned forward, thrusting the back of her hand toward her neck. Chu Hengkong struck her wrist first, paralyzing the muscles with his Qi.

He restrained Laelna's right hand and yanked violently, his will and energy surging with the force of his fist, clogging the killer's blood circulation like ice. Just one more blow and Laelna's right arm would be brutally ripped off, but the excruciating pain didn't even allow her to react. She took this opportunity to slide sideways, shifting to her side, bent her left arm, and struck Chu Hengkong's temple with her elbow.

Chu Hengkong's left hand, hidden behind his back, shot up, catching the elbow with his palm. Lerna seized the opportunity to break free and leap backwards. She forced blood out of her grasp and launched five blood-thirsty flying knives. Chu Hengkong retaliated with his transparent, spirit-flying knives! Their attacks collided and vanished in mid-air!

"This guy is so strong!" Vander exclaimed.

Chu Hengkong's strengths lie in close combat and explosive attacks. While he possesses special abilities like the Misfortune Wrist and Death Wing, these are merely auxiliary techniques. Ultimately, victory or defeat comes down to fundamental combat. The powerful opponents within Particle 5 each possess unique skills, so it's no surprise that their intractable abilities can put Chu Hengkong in a difficult position.

But this woman had no abilities before. She only relied on basic physical fitness and martial arts, and she had fought with Chu Hengkong until now without being injured!

"Hey, did you hear that? Someone's praising you." Chu Hengkong hooked his finger. "It's so boring to have a sullen face all day long. You could be happier."

"Are you trying to provoke me?" Lerna didn't react at all. "I don't care. I only care about whether I can defeat you!"

Chu Hengkong chuckled softly and leaped into the air, dodging Lerna's jab and returning it with a blow as solid as steel. Lerna's counterattack caught him in the side, and he grabbed her ankle and threw the assassin backhanded. The shadows of wings flashed behind both sides, neither fully deploying their wings. In such a high-speed fight, excessive wings would simply create opportunities for the opponent. They only used their wings briefly to accelerate or change direction, like a meticulous driver calculating fuel consumption by the second.

Thin lines of red and black flashed through the skies above the Third Vein, so fast that the citizens couldn't even observe the fierce battle above, only perceiving the eruption of gusts of wind in the air. The fierce battle intensified as they soared into the air. Laerna drew her curved sword, while Chu Hengkong met her with masterful spearmanship. The clang of blades clashing echoed intermittently, transforming into the crisp sound of rain amidst the invisible storm.

He hadn't drawn his sword yet. Lerna's nerves clenched. This man wasn't serious yet, so she couldn't rush into using her skills right now. With his learning ability, he'd know how to break an enemy's ultimate move after just one encounter. So, she had to improve little by little, using pressure to pique his interest and simultaneously increase his combat power with the Sacrificial Serpent until the moment he drew his sword...

That is the only chance of winning!

She strained her heart and increased her power once more. She was prepared for harsh words, unconcerned with her enemy's thoughts. She remained calm, maintaining her composure. The pressure was three times greater than in the simulation, but with her current strength, she could handle it...

Her curved sword was pressed down by the spear tip, causing her wrist to vibrate. The killer's straight punch knocked her away, and Laerna stood on the top of a tower and jumped out in the opposite direction by stepping on the building.

But why was she at a disadvantage again this time?

Everything was going as expected, so why did she feel powerless?

She struck out with her sword, but Chu Hengkong easily dodged her blow. As they crossed paths, the man's laughter echoed in her ears.

"Do you feel less and less confident the more you fight? Don't worry, it's not a strategic problem. You have good character and talent, and you're quite resilient. It's a pity that you only have half the time to practice, so until now you still..."

"I'm not good at my craft!"

Chu Hengkong put away his spear, lowered his center of gravity, and kicked out. That kick hit Lerna's chin, sending the female killer flying into the sky!

It wasn't a masterful technique from Longquan Township, nor was it a secret weapon passed down by the remnants of Shura Island. It was a kick commonplace on Earth, yet she saw no possibility of evasion. The sensation of the blow reached her brain before she could even formulate a countermeasure. It wasn't about speed or reflexes; it was a difference in pure "skill."

You should use all your strength.

You should give it your all from the very beginning.

Worrying about countermeasures, worrying about evolution, worrying about the enemy becoming stronger, the moment you step onto the battlefield with this mentality, the invisible victory or defeat has been decided!

A faint regret spread through Lerna's heart. She gritted her teeth, rallied, and dived down, ready to give it her all at all costs. However, Lerna strangely "floated" away in mid-air, and the shockwave triggered without warning caused her to deviate significantly from her original trajectory.

For the first time, she showed an angry expression: "Don't interfere with my fight!"

"You're the one who should get out!" the man in the suit shouted, "He's my prey!!"

A cloud of dark smoke rose high into the sky, revealing the figure of a man in a suit. The blood smoke that Chu Hengkong had smashed into the ground had long since vanished. He floated in the air and pulled away his tie from his chest. The tie bent and shaped with his movements, transforming into ferocious and brutal "teeth."

Xueyan leaped up, his body splitting into two, then four, then eight, instantly transforming into a vast expanse of humanoid figures. Tens of thousands of Xueyans simultaneously swung their arms, their sharp fangs piercing the air, biting down with hatred towards Chu Hengkong in the sky!

"Shadowfang Falls!"

Thousands of shadow fangs ripped apart the sky, the power within their sharp fangs so terrifying that even space itself was scarred by their bite. The sounds of the material world collapsing overlapped, like the roar of a brutal beast.

If Chu Hengkong were on the ground at this moment, one-third of the poetry umbrellas would have disappeared simply because they blocked the path of the blood smoke. But now, only the killer stood still in the sky, which meant that he had to face the violence engulfing the city alone!

Chu Hengkong didn't move at all. The speed that made him stand out from the crowd seemed to have disappeared from him. Facing the roar of the Shadowfangs, he only had time to raise one finger, the fingertip covered with bright red armor.

Zhengxuan Gangqi Armor.

He snapped his fingers and knocked away the first shadowfang that bit him, and his willpower defeated the strange force into gray mist. He blew on his fingertips and said:

"Five times."

Yiqi Qianqiu activated in all directions, instantly elevating the warrior's state. Chu Hengkong pointed again, using both hands. Everything seemed incredibly slow to him now, even the Shadow Fangs, moving as slowly as in a movie. He effortlessly struck out, destroying them one by one, even finding enough energy to adjust the form of his Qi Armor.

To the onlookers, the battle unfolded in the air, a bizarre and unimaginable scene. The killer's swift movement transformed into a thousand shadowy hands, forming an impenetrable circle. The Shadow Fangs, unable to exert any power, were shattered on the edge of the circle. Their numbers were enough to destroy a city, but they were all slain before their swift power. Tens of thousands of Shadow Fangs were annihilated, yet they couldn't even shake Chu Hengkong!

"What a monster! Stronger than before, more outrageous than before..."

Blood Mist's attack failed, but he instead laughed maniacally, speaking words that no one else could understand: "When I saw you at the Fifth Pulse, I was truly disappointed, so disappointed that I lost the will to attack. I don't understand how the Sacrifice Serpent could have become such a boring person, hesitant and timid, like a loser bound by setbacks."

But now the old you is back! That crystallized form of will and strength! Nothing can stop you, no one can stop your sword!

Xueyan covered his head and let out a sound that was either a roar or a wild laugh. He stretched out his hand towards Chu Hengkong in the air, as if a wingless mortal was trying to catch a flying bird.

Chu Hengkong stood silently in the smoke, without a response or a sound, his eyes cast down indifferently. Xueyan was all too familiar with that look; it was one of utter contempt. Chu Hengkong wore this expression every time he saw him, even in the final battle when he blew up Velus's building, and when Chu Hengkong came to kill him, he showed no hatred or anger. He drew his sword indifferently, beheaded him indifferently, and stepped over his body indifferently. Even though he was seriously injured, he showed no emotion, as if he were disposing of a piece of garbage.

Everyone has weaknesses, but this man's weakness wasn't his own. He was strengthened by the weakness of "others," invulnerable because of that weakness. So, the blood smoke couldn't shake this man, couldn't even make him glance at him.

The Serpent of Life will not be defeated by tricks, the Serpent of Life is not afraid of trivial threats, the Serpent of Life will always be able to carry out his own ideals and will. Therefore, he is the strongest person on earth!

Xueyan laughed wildly: "No one else can do it, not even the Dark Kingship. Only you, Chu Hengkong! Only you are the one and only number one in the world!"

That's why I want to defeat him.

That's why I hope to become his enemy.

I wanted to destroy that will, shatter that power with even greater violence, and make that undefeated strong man fall from the throne of the God of the World—

"Crush your power and become a being stronger than you!"

His laughter stirred the smoke around Chu Hengkong. The hysterical emotion instantly animated the smoke, transforming it into countless destructive gaseous bombs. A rainbow light emanated from the palm of Xueyan's hand, sinking deep into the smoke, turning it into a dazzling rainbow color.

From the remains of Shadowfang Falls, a most diabolical trap took shape. It was the power of the Anti-Law Rainbow, a force that foreshadowed destruction, its very existence an enemy of law and order. Bloodsmoke, with his own malevolence, pushed this quality to its limit, creating the ultimate evil spell that made him a legend.

"——Rainbow Smoke Burial!!"

The smoke converged towards the human figure at the center, solidified, and then exploded with a bang. The rainbow light erupted without noise or vibration, only a frenzied, trembling cloud of smoke like a swarm of bees. The destructive power of the anti-law rainbow was forcibly compressed into a space of less than ten square meters. The discomfort of being unable to escape multiplied the smoke's agitation. It hit a wall, irritated, and then released this emotion. Thus, explosion after explosion followed explosion. The rainbow smoke would erupt endlessly in this small prison, until the target on death row was buried in despair!

People could no longer observe Chu Hengkong; even the Secret Sky Eye's vision was obscured by the smoke. Only the frantic, turbid rainbow remained above the Third Meridian. Xueyan gasped like a drug addict, his overpowering burst of power causing him to temporarily weaken.

He vanished into thin air, escaping into the distance, leaving his reconstructed clone to observe the situation. The rainbow smoke persisted for three seconds, five seconds, ten seconds, and continued, unchanged. He could almost imagine the man in the smoke, bruised and battered, unable to survive, and he wanted to cheer in triumph.

Then, Hongyan moved.

It was a speed so slow it could be called "normal," indistinguishable from stillness in a battle of their level. The cloud of smoke drifted gently to the ground, mimicking a human's stroll. It suddenly doubled in size, then tripled again.

Finally, people could see the truth within the smoke, finally understand the source of that slowness. It was indeed a stroll; the person within the smoke was indeed strolling. Chu Hengkong, hands in his pockets, walked forward at a leisurely pace. The explosions of the rainbow smoke occurred in microseconds, leaving a crisscross pattern of scars on his body.

But the explosion couldn't shake his existence at all; the Qi and blood within him were seamlessly integrated and invulnerable. His immortality, activated by his thoughts, healed wounds at a speed even greater than it had destroyed them. He moved forward effortlessly amidst the despair, as if entering an uninhabited realm!

"Hazama Mingya." He said word by word.

“——!”

Bloody Smoke had long ceased to sweat, but the moment he heard the call, his back felt as if it were drenched in cold sweat. Chu Hengkong clenched his metallic left fist and struck it hard beside him. Rainbow Smoke's tomb suddenly exploded, and a surge of bloody aura incinerated all the smoke.

A silver chain shot out from the end of his prosthetic body, piercing through Xueyan's clone and moving straight forward along the mysterious connection. In a second, the chain traversed the entire third meridian sequence and wrapped around the neck of Xueyan's original body!

The new ability that Huo Wan awakened after ascending to Sephiroth 4 is the causal lock that traces the cause from the effect.

Chu Hengkong gripped the chain tightly, raising it with all his might as if he were throwing a hammer. A cloud of blood rose in the distance, and the killer's brute force spun him toward the heart of the city. He smashed through countless trees and pierced countless walls. He was slammed into the ground, then driven into the cliffs. The irresistible force swung him up like a rag, sending him tumbling to the edge of the city, where he finally crashed into an old tree as thick as a city wall!

Xueyan vomited foul blood, the pain penetrating his bones making him think every bone in his body was broken. He was completely powerless and unable to move. Chu Hengkong walked towards him step by step, still with that familiar indifferent look in his eyes, even without emotion when he drew his sword.

"You... say it...!" Blood Mist screamed, "You called my name! Then say it! Say something!!"

"You're still disgustingly cowardly," the killer said.

At that moment, Xueyan's consciousness went blank. Chu Hengkong raised his sword and thrust it out, piercing his heart. It was the most brutal sword technique in history, a vicious sword technique that even the Canxin Life Master considered taboo and never used.

Shadow appears in the brilliant sky flow and dark skeleton!

(End of this chapter)