Chapter 37: Shattering the False Idols (Two in One)
A blaze erupted in the south, while a dazzling light, as bright as the sun, blazed from the north. The blast surged from the depths of the dense forest, nearly knocking residents of the surrounding settlements to their knees. A sharp-eyed observer spotted a bloody figure emerging from the light, only to be blown to the ground by the storm like garbage. And yet, the ominous light persisted, as glowing corpses, cloaked in mud, emerged from the forest, silently shattering the hopes of the people.
"It's the end of the world," the desperate residents said. "The end of the world has come."
The sliver of confidence they had finally mustered was shattered by the successive changes. Some cried softly, while many more stood stunned and bewildered by the shock. Then, armed monks appeared, vigorously shaking bells that resembled small bells. The great wizard Adali suddenly appeared on the rooftop, smiling at the bewildered people.
"Pray. Chant my name," Adali said solemnly. "Then the disaster will be driven away, and you will find peace."
Many people followed their orders. Like desperately grasping at straws, they knelt and prayed. "Adari." "Adari..." "Please save us, great Adari!" Their pleas were humble, like a weakling praying for divine grace. And yet, the culprit who had caused the disaster, mingled among the corpses, openly accepting everyone's prayers.
But how could this be possible? Wasn't the Great Wizard Adari currently battling Chu Hengkong? This was merely a false illusion created using relics, a means of thwarting the Judgment Day plan... The real Adari stood in the northern part of the settlement, gazing at the scarred figure amidst the ruins.
"I'll just give you a compliment. After all, you took the measures I expected." The great wizard sneered, "It's just that you were incredibly rude and stupid!"
Chu Hengkong, bloodied, pressed his palm against the rubble, swaying as if on the verge of collapse, rose to his feet. His right hand, blackened by the intense heat, revealed the charred bone beneath the wound. Tiny scars accumulated on his tentacles, silvery blood flowing. A penetrating wound to his left abdomen, shattered bones from the previous encounter, and the poison now eroding his life... countless disadvantages had accumulated on the killer, yet he was still alive, having survived the previous explosion.
Before the corpses exploded, Chu Hengkong leaped high into the air, using his last bit of strength to escape the center of the blast. While his mental attack had indeed disabled his control of his body, it could still move on its own. This was a preemptive measure he'd prepared before the battle, a reflex he'd cultivated over three days. If he suddenly stopped mid-movement, he'd leap away from the fray.
This strategy may sound ridiculous, but someone with the dexterity to desperately control their body is capable of such a crazy fighting method.
However, merely escaping a fatal blow wouldn't reverse the tide of battle. In contrast to the miserable killer, Adari remained unscathed, in near-perfect condition. Chu Hengkong forced a smile, staring at the blurry, distorted silhouette in the distance. "What are you doing standing there? Afraid of someone seeing your hideous face?"
But Adari struck the ground with his staff, and a mud glow corpse melted, enveloping the wizard like liquid clothing. This made him indistinguishable from any other glow corpse. A skilled practitioner like Chu Hengkong could tell the difference, but ordinary people couldn't. He had even considered this subtle oversight.
"That's why I said it was incredibly stupid."
Adari indifferently gave the order, and the sludge glowing corpses that followed him scattered and leaped out, like glowing insects hungry for flesh and blood. Helplessly, Chu Hengkong retreated again, wielding his scarred tentacles like a whip to push back the glowing corpses. However, the glowing corpses that were whipped glowed brightly and exploded again!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Three more explosions erupted, sending Chu Hengkong careening through the blast. He crashed through two buildings and landed in the square of the Shengen settlement. Here stood a bronze statue of the great wizard Adari. Outside, a crowd of residents gathered around the phantom, praying. Seeing the glow of the exploding corpses, they frantically thanked the great wizard for his protection.
Adari maintained a sufficient distance, not allowing Chu Hengkong any chance to get close to him. He smiled smugly, his voice extremely weak, knowing that only the clever hands with well-developed hearing could hear his words.
"You should have taken the opportunity to hide in a building, but I know you can't do it. Because you don't want to hurt innocent people... and it is this self-righteous arrogance that determines your death!" Adari smiled disdainfully, despising the killer who was his enemy and despising everyone in the swamp.
There was no place to hide now. The killer collapsed in the rubble, the slurry glowing corpses closing in on him. Chu Hengkong flung out his tentacles with all his might. Even at this moment, he refused to give up, still thinking of a counterattack. But the poison had completely impaired his perception, and the tentacles lashed out to the side, empty and empty. His final counterattack failed to defeat a single enemy. The slurry glowing corpses swarmed over him, and a mass explosion was about to begin.
The dazzling light shot out like a sword, passing through everyone's eyes!
That light wasn't a precursor to a corpse explosion; the fire zombies weren't moving that fast yet. The light came from the gleaming headlights of a dark blue SUV, roaring through the wall and charging into the enemy camp. Its sheer speed reduced the fire zombies to mud beneath its wheels. The driver's door was wide open, a thin hand gripping the tentacle tightly.
"Get in the car!" Jie An's voice was hoarse.
Chu Hengkong summoned his last bit of strength to retract his tentacles, and just before the explosion, he boarded the SUV. The explosion from the pile of corpses sent the SUV soaring into the sky! The great wizard had been completely mistaken. Chu Hengkong wasn't hiding in order to reveal his position. He had to make enough noise in the open to allow others to find him.
Adari reacted and roared angrily. The SUV jolted and lurched after landing. Chu Hengkong laughed heartily in the passenger seat. Jie An frantically slammed the door shut, driving with one hand and holding the pestle with the other. His voice trembled, "Laugh! You're almost dead, and you're still laughing!"
"You should be laughing when you're almost dead..." Chu Hengkong couldn't stop coughing, but there was a look of satisfaction in his eyes, "Where are the others?"
"Ji Huaisu is fighting a fire-breathing monster. The other team members have gone to get reinforcements." Jie An's legs were shaking. He let go of the steering wheel and hit his legs hard, but the hand holding the medicine pestle was still moving in the mortar, not stopping for a moment. "You have to hold on! Say anything, don't close your eyes!"
Chu Hengkong was still smiling, a weak and ugly smile. The muscles on his face were about to lose control, and death was approaching. "Why are you here?" He completely ignored Jie An's words and continued with the unfinished topic. "It's too risky."
"It's not your turn to fight to the death." Jie An gritted his teeth, "This is my gold... It's my medicine!!"
He was the one who wanted the gold the most, not just to save Ji Qiufeng. The gold was a promise he made with his father, and it was the meaning of his life. Now everyone was fighting tooth and nail, and he was the only one hiding in the back. How could that be called giving his all?
This is his battlefield, it has nothing to do with killers and knights, he, Jie An, is the one who should gamble his life!
The SUV careened through the city like a ferocious beast. He pressed the accelerator, never releasing it, skillfully shifting gears with one hand, changing direction at the last moment. The SUV swept the muddy corpses far away, without harming a single civilian on the road. His driving skills were uncanny, for he was also a cornerstone of the Particle One. Even if his talent was weak, the power of manipulating props and equipment was ingrained in his blood.
But Jie An's expression only grew graver. The light in the rearview mirror faded, and a figure gradually grew larger. It was Adari, personally pursuing him! He took another dose of drugs to stimulate the poison in his system, and his legs curved backward, transforming into hideous insect-like structures. His altered form gave him immense explosive power, allowing him to move faster than an off-road vehicle. Each of Adari's steps left a deep imprint on the road, the crescendos approaching like a death knell!
"What a fucking monster. You're a piece of shit!" Jie An cursed.
He hammered the pestle down one last time, then thrust it and the mortar into Chu Hengkong's arms. Chu Hengkong fell silent. Jie An couldn't relax. He swerved, trying to swerve and escape his pursuers, but Adari hurled several purple, poisonous needles. Like bullets of sudden poison, the needles pierced the tires, penetrated the car's body, and pierced deeply into Jie An's hands and lungs.
He suddenly felt breathless, his vision swaying like an earthquake. The Great Wizard in the rearview mirror was still approaching. The car was about to stall. He knew he had no chance. He simply shifted into reverse and accelerated, crashing into Adari behind him!
Adari leaped lightly, flew over the vehicle, and hurled another poison needle. Xie An's desperate struggles were futile. The SUV lurched a short distance before exploding. Adari stood in the distance, admiring the fools' deaths.
"Adari." "Adari..." "Adari!"
The fools continued to pray, chanting his name to the phantom. The Great Wizard stretched out his hands, enjoying the sense of omnipotence brought by worship. This was the end of the farce, just as Sanja was banished to the remote countryside, just as Alex was exiled to the courtyard. Those who opposed him would eventually be defeated, just as the enemies of God were destined to be.
Everyone in the swamp believes in gods, but so-called idols are but illusions in the eyes of fools. In this land of self-deception, only those who rule over the hearts and minds of others are worthy of being called gods. And there is only one god: the great wizard Adari!
However, at this moment when he should have been enjoying himself, Adari's eyes flashed with shock. He saw a black silhouette emerging from the firelight, and in the center of the ruins caused by the explosion, the blood-soaked killer stood up.
"Thank you." Chu Hengkong whispered, "I'm much better now."
He swallowed the last of the medicine, and a refreshing aura flowed through his body. His vision cleared, his sense of direction stabilized, and twisted, elongated objects returned to normal. The light returned to yellow. Like a clear spring, it washed away the accumulated poison, eradicating the foul toxins. This miracle came from the elixir that Jie An had painstakingly crafted along the way, a recipe known to everyone in the swamp.
A panacea for evil and poison.
Chu Hengkong carefully put away the pestle, rolled up the Jie An with his tentacles, and placed it far away. A poison needle flew from behind, but he dodged it with a slight turn of his head.
The killer spun around, clenching his fists. His body, swiftly swift, transformed into a jet-black glow. The next instant, a vengeful punch tore through the air, slamming into Adari's face with an incredibly heavy blow!
Adari's vision went dark, and a perfectly circular wave of air spread outward from his head. The punch was incredibly heavy, and Adari was knocked to the ground. His body sank deep into the mud!
"You pariah!" Adari roared, rising to his feet. His luminous corpse disguise was instantly shattered, revealing his utterly awful appearance. Adari swung out a poisonous knife, but Chu Hengkong retracted his right arm, lashing out with a tentacle. The sharp blow hit his wrist, completely revealing the poisonous knife.
Adari calmly stepped aside, subtly channeling his strength to stimulate the poison within him. He saw the enemy preparing to strike, a perfect opportunity to poison him once more. However, the two fingers of his right hand, pulled back to his waist, shot out, and a water bullet struck Adari's shoulder first. Adari's flesh twitched as the stimulated poison burst forth, piercing its fangs, but only shattering the water bullet. At this moment, Chu Hengkong roared in anger and struck with a powerful punch, smashing the poison into a pulp and then shattering the great wizard's shoulder blade!
Adari roared in pain, his eyes revealing a look of disbelief and confusion for the first time. Chu Hengkong, on the other hand, remained indifferent. "It's just a little trick."
That vicious defensive technique had been completely deciphered. Adari was, after all, not a true warrior. The poison's "counterattack" was merely an automatic defense mechanism programmed in a similar way. A preliminary probing attack would completely defeat it. A seasoned assassin wouldn't be fooled by such a trick.
Now, only strength would determine victory. Using the Heart-Worting Poison Hand to counter the Dragon Country Fist, Adari leaped onto the rooftop, attempting to distance himself and wear down his opponent's stamina. But Chu Hengkong appeared on the rooftop at the same moment, their speeds evenly matched. The two of them sprinted and leaped through the Deep Roots settlement, using their bare-handed combat prowess to wear down their foe. One round... ten rounds... thirty rounds!
Adari performed a sideways spinning kick, and a razor-sharp bone spur sprouted from his face bone. Chu Hengkong countered with an identical spinning kick. As the kicks crossed, the sound of bones breaking and shattering rang out, and Adari's right leg was broken on the spot!
This was the natural outcome. The two were evenly matched in strength, Adari even having the advantage in speed and reflexes, but when it came to the most crucial skills, the difference between them was as vast as heaven and earth. How could a con man who had spent ten years deceiving people possibly defeat a battle-hardened assassin in fistfights?
Adari's right leg bent in an unnatural direction, and he rolled awkwardly on the roof. Chu Hengkong immediately gave chase, but without warning, a green wall of fire rose between them.
It was the man in the bowler hat's trick. Sensing Adari's disadvantage, he intervened to change the tide of battle. And the green flames weren't just in one place. Chu Hengkong felt a startling heat coming from behind him. Five meters behind him, the flames transformed into a ferocious giant bird head, pecking at his back. The firebird was the size of a car, yet as fast as a bullet. Even Chu Hengkong had to give up pursuit, or he would be pierced through the heart by the flames.
But Chu Hengkong didn't dodge. He leaped up with all his might and passed over the green wall of fire. At the moment the firebird approached, a golden light shield appeared behind the killer, blocking the fatal pursuit.
A moment later, the black sword wind slashed the firebird apart, and Ji Huaisu landed in the ruins covered with sparks. She turned her back to Chu Hengkong, picked up the giant sword, and exhaled a scorching breath.
"I won't let anyone else interfere with your battlefield. Just kill him like this!"
“—Leave it to me.”
Chu Hengkong leaped over the blazing wall of fire, while Adari barely managed to stand up on the other side, striking the assassin in mid-air with a blow aimed squarely at his heart. Chu Hengkong, taking advantage of his height advantage, responded with a heel drop, his heel smashing Adari's palm and sending the wizard flying off the roof.
At the same moment, several gunshots punctured the prayer. Adari's phantom vanished, pierced by bullets, and the armed monks were overthrown by the angry soldiers. However, this action did not provoke a riot, for an elderly woman stood among the crowd: she was the urgently brought in, Grandma Sanga.
"Look." Granny Sangjia blew out a puff of smoke. The smoke spread over the people's heads, revealing a clear image. It was Chu Hengkong, gravely wounded but still fighting fiercely. His enemy was an ugly demon with a familiar face.
"Great wizard...?" "Lord Adali?" "Why, Lord Messenger of God?" "How could this be?" The crowd fell into chaos due to the excessive impact, and Grandma Sangjia raised her cane high.
"Because the great wizard Adari is the one who brought the light poison," she said.
The scene was almost in turmoil. Some scolded her for spreading lies, while others cried out for the truth. But after a few seconds, the noise suddenly subsided, and people saw Adari, who was in the smoke, raising his staff. A golden light emerged around him.
"Don't get too proud of yourself, kid!!!" Adari roared.
He had been gripping the stone staff tightly, not letting go even during the earlier, tense battle, because he needed to keep issuing orders to the glow corpses. Now, that simple command had its effect. The mud glow corpses scattered across the city gathered around the battlefield, gathering once again into a giant pile of torch corpses, each one glowing brightly.
It's about to explode! The blast from the torch pile of corpses is enough to raze a third of the settlement to the ground. Adari would rather bury countless innocent souls than kill his enemy here. Chu Hengkong stopped and, instead of fleeing, faced the impending pile of corpses. He put on the charging bracelet on his tentacle.
His wounds were still bleeding, but he spun around as if he felt no pain, facing the enemy with his unprotected back. In the split second before the explosion, his spinning body snapped back to its original position, his power-charging bracelet activated, and his silver tentacles shot out like light.
clang!
Like a hundred long arrows streaking across the sky, like a thousand swords unsheathed simultaneously, the roar that pierced the atmosphere shook everyone's eardrums. At that moment, everyone saw a silver circle rising from the center of the pile of torches and corpses, spreading outward at the speed of sound. The pile of corpses exploded with a loud bang, turning into a rain of mud!
This was the fruit of Chu Hengkong's diligent training. Using the power stored within the relic as "fuel," he built up momentum through his whirling technique, ultimately delivering a swift, swift lash with his flexible whip. His muddy body could withstand piercing blows, but not lightning. The lightning-fast whipping spread its impact in every direction, its evenly distributed force exploding simultaneously, shattering the previously impervious glowing corpse.
This is a unique skill achieved by leveraging the flexibility of the tentacles. Thunder Whip!
The pile of corpses collapsed, the explosion interrupted, and the Great Wizard's final move failed. Adari decisively withdrew, leaping backwards, using the massive momentum of the disintegrating pile to conceal himself. He could still wait for another opportunity. Ten years of cultivating popular support wouldn't be easily shattered. As long as the foundation remained, the Great Wizard wouldn't die... But his steps suddenly stopped, and silver tentacles swung out from the smoke and dust, wrapping around his neck with unerring precision. It was by sound that he was locating his position.
Adari breathed rapidly, feeling a sense of fear he hadn't felt in a long time. The man, his face covered in blood, emerged from the dust and smoke. His injuries were so severe that he looked like he would die in the next second, but the rage in his eyes burned like a raging fire.
"Enjoy it." The killer said, "This is your last breath in your life!"
Tentacles erupted, and Adari was lifted skyward by the immense force. At that moment, he finally saw where he was: the central square of the Deep Root settlement, with his own statue directly beneath him. Chu Hengkong exerted all his strength, hurling the great wizard downward. He struck the statue, leaving an ugly dent, and he was crushed against its pedestal.
The sudden impact drained the air from the wizard's lungs. He opened his mouth like a stranded fish, but couldn't breathe. The killer's iron fist was already there. Chu Hengkong leaped forward and smashed his clenched fist into Adari's abdomen. The force made the bronze statue behind him tremble!
“Stop…! Stop…” Adari screamed in horror, “You must not… offend… God…!”
He desperately forced the poison needles from his body, hoping to use the poison to repel Chu Hengkong's attack. But the killer didn't retreat, taking the poison head-on, punching through his own blood. His punches grew faster and faster, each one heavier than the last. His fists shattered the great wizard's defensive stone staff, shattering the various poisons in Adari's body, forcing the ugly man to expel all air and spit out poisonous blood.
A powerful force spread behind Adari, cracking the magnificent bronze statue. Chu Hengkong roared in anger, drawing his right arm back like a bow and delivering the finishing blow with all his might. A punch as strong as steel!
This blow pierced Adari's heart and shattered the crumbling bronze statue. In full view of the crowd, the hypocritical god was shattered!
Adari's upper body exploded into purple flesh and blood, submerged in the ruins left by the collapsed bronze statue. Chu Hengkong spat out a mouthful of blood, wiped the corner of his mouth nonchalantly, and took his coat from the arriving team member and put it on.
"Mission accomplished," he said.
(End of this chapter)
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