Chapter 89 Silent Death Battle
"Force field...Move objects!! Get out of the way! Get away!!"
The sound of wind. The crash. The cacophony. Finder's scream. Blood flowed from the void, and a part of himself escaped with it. It was a strange feeling, like watching death from within, watching life drain from the blood, like a thin, bloody thread flying off into the distance.
Then the pain hit. A pain unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Like my brain being gouged out, my nerves being torn apart by sheer force. The urge to scream reverberated through me, the suffocation tightening around my neck. If I didn't speak, I was going to die. I needed to breathe. Stop. Stop—
“Get out of the way!!”
Chu Hengkong forced his lips together, nearly gnashing his teeth. He used the momentum from the slash to retreat, leaping over the trench carved by the fission beam. He successfully dodged the attack, but the Immortal Machine's next strike hadn't arrived yet. There was no foothold on the ravaged land, and the enemy needed time to close the distance. But no details were visible. Nothing. He barely managed to strike a stance. How many seconds remained? How much time remained?
There are 4.87 seconds left until the activity stops.
The Immortal Machine's algorithm delivered its conclusion, free from the interference of the Phantom's tampering attack, and produced a flawless and infallible argument. Singularity Z-3000-3... Chu Hengkong's posture was riddled with flaws, even misjudging the direction of his attack. However, for this enemy, the preparation time for a full-power disintegration ray was too long, and the energy reserves at this moment did not allow for another miscalculation.
Therefore, the Immortal Machine adjusted its nozzle, and colorless flames emanated from behind its needles. Still using the shortest and most effective attack, it charged forward, its crossed pincers releasing a force field that transformed even the most ordinary collision into a devastating blow.
Clang. The rock blade barely blocked the attack, but the needle foot suddenly rose up, piercing the left lung. The killer and the blade flew backwards together. He tumbled awkwardly, but collided with the rock, a calculated move. The pincer limbs spun and smashed, followed by a cross-cutting slash of needle feet. The swift, unstoppable combo formed a golden cross, each strike enhanced by the nebulous body obliteration field.
Chu Hengkong parried with his tattered long sword. Three extremely difficult exchanges once again pushed him to the limit of survival. The blade made a sound of impending collapse.
Clang. Clang. Four seconds. Three seconds. Neither side made a sound, only the clashing of swords and halberds testifying to their resolve.
Luo Ye's hidden weapon was useless. The armor on his right hand had been completely destroyed before the third blow. The blade of his rock knife was covered in cracks. Two streaks of blood were seen at the corners of the knife-wielding man's eyes. He looked nothing like a warrior or a killer, merely a corpse still able to move. He struggled to defend himself, dodged awkwardly, and clung to life.
Then he swung the knife again.
Swing the knife again.
Swing the knife again——!
I couldn't see the enemy's face. Honestly, I couldn't sense their attack pattern. Was I parrying a normal attack or a force field? Was I dodging a slash I could withstand or a lethal attack? Like the battle itself, it was a complete unknown. All I could feel was pain. The pain of a broken limb. The pain of a punctured lung. The pain of a stiff heart. And the constant, empty pain that flickered in my eyes.
It was truly a sight to behold. Death was inevitable. At this point, life and death itself were no longer in question. This zombie-like battle, refusing to end, was a veritable symbol of emptiness.
But he wasn't going to stop. He had to keep going. If he was going to die, he'd just give up. If he couldn't win, he'd just give up the fight. Acting with such logical logic, what was the difference between him and the machine before him?
If I collapse here, all the accumulations I've made so far will be meaningless.
Death can be tolerated, defeat can be accepted.
But the only thing you cannot allow is that your life loses its meaning!
Four simultaneous strikes aimed at vital points: upper right, lower left, midsection, ankle. A serpentine slash parried a diagonal attack, sidestepping to avoid a midsection thrust, and with minimal force, a side kick stomped the blade aimed at his feet. Chu Hengkong used a tentacle to hook the needle foot, then struck out with his right fist, gripping the hilt tightly. A straight punch pierced the shattered gap in the armor, sparks of electricity illuminating the man's ferocious smile.
2 seconds. 1 second. 0 seconds. The countdown paused. The killer, having surpassed the limits of prediction, continued to fight at an astonishing speed. Chu Hengkong's speed doubled, and after another clash, the rock blade deflected the incoming needle. The Immortal Machine's attack was no longer blocked by a clumsy strike. It was a strike that surpassed all expectations, a perfect one. The existing energy utilization was stretched to its limit, yet Chu Hengkong easily deflected the strike!
The algorithm's warning came belatedly. The Immortal Machine realized its second mistake. It shouldn't have taken away the enemy's vision. Any attack less than lethal would only increase the enemy's threat. The injury brought Chu Hengkong particularly close to death, and precisely because of this, the strength of his inner willpower increased rapidly.
Because of the blow that deprived him of his vision, the enemy's strength made another leap in just five seconds!
Then it comprehended reality. The enemy's attacks would not cease. Through mystical techniques, coincidence, and a frenzied obsession, Chu Hengkong transcended life and death, common sense. Even death could not stop him. Even if his body shattered, even if his thoughts ceased, his over-inflated spirit would engulf his ethereal form, transforming him into a battle-obsessed undead!
Another second passed. The Immortal Machine couldn't accurately track the enemy's movements. Even within its crimson vision, it could only see afterimages. Enemies surrounded it from all sides, unleashing a myriad of different techniques, their swift, continuous attacks piercing the True Machine's defenses. With no time to repair their wounds, their energy reserves dwindled further. Their dying frenzy created an invisible arena of death, where only the winds of fists and the shadows of swords shone between heaven and earth.
"Use your spirit to capture... mobilize your willpower!!"
Chu Hengkong sensed a small voice in his pocket, which had until this moment supported his friend's advice. He followed it, and then those overly surging arrogance and fleeting fantasies pierced his eyes like tangible horns.
Thus, Chu Hengkong could "see," seeing the form composed of sound, smell, and intuition, seeing its injuries, seeing its weaknesses, seeing the other ghostly entity roaring within that form. The white iron insect stared at him, a similar murderous intent swirling in its crimson eyes.
That thing also has the resolve to fight to the death. Very good. Now that's what we call an enemy.
Only this person is worthy of being my opponent!
He swung his sword, slashing again and again. Countless blade lights connected into a dense mass, seemingly attacking from all directions, but in reality, it was a refined sword technique focused on a single point. The frenzied blade lights connected into a net, and to shatter any one would be met with a counterattack from all the slashing attacks.
The force field's interference range was insufficient, and the beam's activation time was insufficient, so the Immortal Machine resorted to an outdated tactic. One of its pincer-like limbs temporarily transformed into an opening resembling a small cauldron, emanating an extremely strong gravitational pull. A hole instantly appeared in Chu Hengkong's blade net, and a pale golden pincer thrust out, striking his head with an opposing repulsive force.
A standard gravity generator, a standard feature of soul vessels. It was this power that destroyed Chu Hengkong's vision and plundered all the exotic beasts in the mountains. A lower-level module, supposedly completely replaced by the matter-disruption ray, proved to be the turning point in a desperate fight!
Unavoidable. Unstoppable. Even without a clear view of the attacker's form, intuition informed the attack. The rock blade couldn't withstand the enemy's iron fist, and even if he dodged the escaping force field, it would still erode the phantom form.
What was needed now was a means to defeat the enemy. A counterattack after enduring a decisive blow. A decisive move that would allow life to transcend boundaries. Ji Qiufeng had never taught such a boxing technique. None of the martial arts he had previously learned had such a miraculous power. Yet, inexplicably, an inexplicable confidence welled up within him. Such a technique did exist, appearing in similar situations, etched on the blade of the same weapon—
Memories leapt in an indescribable moment, the deadly fight in the fire flashing before his eyes. The rock-like man and his fatal sword, the warrior's figure instantly overlapping with his current enemy. He had once crossed that fatal barrier, using a sword technique unique to him, using the same blade.
“——!”
Chu Hengkong took a step forward, proactively meeting the fatal blow. The essence of immobility flowed through his body, and the long sword, on the verge of collapse, carved a graceful trajectory like a flying swallow. This alone was not enough; the fragile bird would be slain by the machine. Therefore, he added the true meaning of the stone. In the moment of deflection, he absorbed the enemy's attack, transforming it into a thunderous recoil force...
If the enemy's strength is too much to resist, use their brutality to sharpen the blade and launch a powerful attack that will return double the damage!
He laughed silently, closing his eyes and swinging his sword. The clashing blades deflected, but instead of flying far away, they penetrated directly. The blade's light passed through the steel clamps and suddenly exploded, carrying a force and determination far greater than before, like thunder exploding in silence!
Steel Edge Flow·Returning Strength Strike!
At that moment, the rock blade shattered the white phantom, the mortal blade piercing the metal, severing the immortal machine. Deep cracks pierced the blade, and the rock blade shattered at the completion of the slash, carrying away the original owner's sense of relief. The killer's hands were empty, and the machine's energy was almost exhausted. With their hearts nearly exposed, their armor unrepaired, their fatal weaknesses exposed before each other, they simultaneously delivered the final blow.
The Heavenly Spear struck first, its flaming silver spear piercing the rift, nearly piercing the Immortal Machine's body. Chu Hengkong, using his retracting tentacles, charged forward, his powerful fist striking the single crimson eye. The armor protecting the pupil cracked, but his movement suddenly stopped. The True Machine's attack had arrived, and the Immortal Machine's forelimbs collided, igniting a dazzling golden light. The light swept across the battlefield like a ring, passing over Chu Hengkong's body. Blood flowed from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, unable to stop the attack he had launched.
Phantom body annihilation force field, wide-area attack!
The Immortal Machine's red eyes flashed wildly, and warnings from its calculation program popped up repeatedly, indicating that it was overusing resources. It simply shut down the program manually, as purely rational simulations would only lead to disastrous defeat in the face of the enemy. This was the most energy-intensive attack, and after three more impacts, it would temporarily lose its ability to move. But this was the only way to kill Chu Hengkong.
If you don't even have the determination to give up energy, how can you fight to the death with an enemy who is willing to give up his life!
The verification program had been completely shut down, leaving no more weaknesses in its response. The Immortal Machine's armor ceased repair, determined to end the enemy's life even if it meant its own destruction. Chu Hengkong hadn't regained consciousness yet, and the Immortal Machine's pincers separated, then struck again.
A second wide-area attack was launched, this one instantly extinguishing the flames of ambition and completely shattering the protective spirit surrounding the ghostly body. Then, in less than a breath, a third wide-area attack was overloaded, its annihilating light striking the killer at close range... However, Chu Hengkong did not fall! Another will stood in its way, and the Eye Demon leaped into the light, leaving silver tears of blood in the corners of its eyes!
"Go ahead! Chu Hengkong!!"
The roar awoke his dormant consciousness, and he watched as the Eye Demon's body was engulfed in golden light. His consciousness ignited into a blazing blue flame, the raging fire of ambition ravaging the Immortal Machine's interior. The moment his wide-area attack stalled, he clenched his fists, summoning all the will within him. The Immortal Machine's crimson eyes reflected the man's fury!
"kill!!"
A heavy punch shattered Red Eye, completely shattering the True Machine's computing core. Amidst the roar that shook the mountains, the silent battle came to an end.
The warrior stood on the remains of the machine, covered with wounds, but full of fighting spirit!
The outer path particle 2, the ultimate true machine, the immortal machine, is completely destroyed.
(End of this chapter)
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