"...The Path of the War God?"
Seeing the black ribbon flying straight towards him, Jian Changsheng was taken aback.
He staggered to his feet, looked down at Yan Xicai's bloodied corpse and the bloodstained short knife in his hand, his expression somewhat complex... Fate seemed so fascinating.
The Path of the War God converged before him, intertwining into a stairway leading to the heavens. Jian Changsheng hesitated for a moment but ultimately stepped onto it.
Boom——!
The moment his foot touched the ground, the divine path took shape!
A massive influx of information and power flooded into Jian Changsheng's mind. He stood stunned for a long time, then looked down at his hands... First Stage of the Path of the War God.
"The [Asura] Path?" A look of surprise appeared on his face.
Having been an enforcer for so long, Jian Changsheng naturally knew some of the paths of the War God, and [Asura] was undoubtedly one of the strongest paths among them... It was said that even Lu Xuanming sought it but could not obtain it.
And he, had awakened this path?
"Maybe... I really am a prodigy of the Path of the War God?"
While muttering to himself, Jian Changsheng moved his body and found that since stepping onto the [Asura] Path, his crippled leg was no longer crippled. He felt unprecedented lightness, and he could sense an unprecedented surge of power flowing through his entire body.
This was a sensation even more addictive than gathering murderous intent. He closed his eyes, carefully moving every muscle and bone in his body, which emitted a cracking sound.
He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled the turbid breath... When those eyes opened again, they were as bright as torchlight.
"I am indeed a prodigy, right?!"
The corners of Jian Changsheng's mouth uncontrollably rose. He spat on Yan Xicai's corpse. That pile of mud had hindered his life for over a decade, and now... he felt that his life was finally back on track.
Perhaps due to his personality being suppressed for too long in the past, Jian Changsheng only felt his confidence exploding at this moment. It was a mindset akin to a nouveau riche, and he urgently wanted to find a target to test his strength.
"Huh?" A surprised voice sounded from the side. Number 10 stood at the edge of the hill, overlooking Jian Changsheng and Yan Xicai's corpse nearby, and exclaimed in surprise,
"Killed by someone else? Tsk..."
The moment Jian Changsheng saw the Fire Manipulator, his eyes lit up. Gripping the bloodstained short knife, he hesitated not at all and charged towards the hill!
His speed was swift, with every step seeping blood. In Number 10's eyes, he only saw a bloody blur rapidly approaching him.
"Another one who's stepped onto the Path of the War God?" Number 10's heart sank, and he immediately became cautious. He hadn't seen the first-stage skill of the [Asura] Path, but it was visibly different from others' [Iron Clothes].
Number 10 flipped his hand, and a handgun appeared in his palm. He aimed at the rapidly approaching Jian Changsheng and fired the trigger repeatedly!
Bang bang bang——
Three bullets were fired in succession, all hitting Jian Changsheng, and the other party didn't have the sturdy skin like [Iron Clothes], so the bullets easily embedded themselves.
"Just this?" Number 10 was stunned, but the next moment, he realized something was wrong.
After being hit by three bullets, Jian Changsheng didn't stop; instead, his speed increased. Like a phantom, he crossed a distance of tens of meters. Before Number 10 could continue firing, a glint of cold light flashed before his eyes!
Number 10 exclaimed, and "Steal" was instantly activated. Jian Changsheng's short knife disappeared into thin air, leaving only an empty fist pounding Number 10 behind the ear.
Boom——!
The terrifying force directly deafened Number 10, and blood immediately flowed from his ear.
Despite being shot three times, how could he still move so fast? And his strength is even more astonishing than those from the [Iron Clothes] group!
No. 10 endured the intense pain and dizziness, gripping a short knife and stabbing Jian Changsheng three times in his lower abdomen, each blow penetrating deep.
Yet after those three strikes, Jian Changsheng showed no pain reaction from being stabbed; instead, he fought with even greater ferocity. With his bare hands, he unleashed terrifying strength, striking No. 10's chest five times in half a second, so swiftly that bloody afterimages appeared in the air!
No. 10's chest visibly collapsed, his ribs nearly all broken. He suddenly sprayed a mouthful of blood, flying several meters like a broken kite before crashing to the ground.
Blood continuously seeped from Jian Changsheng's wounds, but he acted as if he felt nothing, leaving a trail of bloody footprints as he slowly walked towards the fallen No. 10... In those bloodshot eyes, there was a mix of exhilaration and arrogance!
"This is the [Asura] path... So powerful, completely different from other paths!" Jian Changsheng couldn't help but laugh,
"I, Jian Changsheng, am indeed a genius!"
As No. 10 watched that blood-demon-like figure approaching, terror emerged in his eyes.
This guy, whether shot or stabbed, seemed completely impervious to pain, and with more wounds, he fought even harder... He was simply a human-shaped beast!
No. 10 lay in a pool of blood, constantly trying to move backward, but Jian Changsheng stepped on his chest, causing intense pain that elicited a piercing scream from him. The louder he screamed, the thicker the smile on Jian Changsheng's lips became.
"A Fire Manipulator? Nothing more than this."
He crushed No. 10's ribs with one step, the broken bones piercing into his heart. No. 10's pupils suddenly contracted, and then he lay helplessly on the ground.
The cold wind swept across the bloody earth, with Jian Changsheng standing alone, like the only victor on this battlefield... His gaze slowly shifted from the corpse at his feet to the distant melee battlefield.
In his eyes, murderous intent flickered again.
"Let me end this..." He sneered, his bloody footsteps crossing over the hill and gradually disappearing into the wilderness.
Some time later.
A figure in red walked out of the shadows.
Chen Yifei watched Jian Changsheng's departing figure thoughtfully, muttering, "The [Asura] path... That skill looks quite impressive."
Chen Yifei hadn't expected such a transformation from Jian Changsheng. He had noticed this crippled man trailing behind Yan Xicai's group and seen how Yan Xicai humiliated and beat him, but Chen Yifei had thought he would just endure it in silence...
Unexpectedly, beneath that seemingly humble and frail body lay such a fierce soul. No wonder he was noticed by the Path of the War God.
If placed in the past years of the Ancient Martial Arts Relics, Jian Changsheng would undoubtedly be a dark horse figure, enduring humiliation for most of his life and finally making a desperate stand here, counter-killing the giant above him and obtaining a powerful path. It's imaginable how smooth his journey would be from now on... In a novel, he would be the perfect protagonist archetype.
But unfortunately... This dark horse is destined to perish here.
As Chen Yifei was about to walk towards the battlefield that was nearing its end, a rustling sound suddenly came from beside him.
He let out a light exclamation and turned to look, only to see that Yan Xicai's corpse, which was already a bloody mess, suddenly emitted a faint blue glow... On his chest, a petal-like sacrificial artifact was emanating the aura of life.