Gurgle...
The Ghost Face King's head hit the ground.
Zhao Kongcheng's body swayed for a moment before collapsing straight to the ground.
Lin Qiye's reflexes were quick. He caught Zhao Kongcheng's body securely. Only then did he realize just how bad the other's condition was.
Scratches, bruises, fractures... Through Lin Qiye's mental perception, Zhao Kongcheng was covered in wounds, with blood oozing from every inch, turning the muddy rainwater beneath him a deep red. At least five or six bones had been broken. Lin Qiye couldn't even imagine how Zhao Kongcheng had managed to get back up with such severe injuries.
The most alarming part, however, was that Lin Qiye could clearly sense Zhao Kongcheng's physical body rapidly deteriorating. His life force was like embers fading in ash, growing weaker with each passing moment...
Lin Qiye sat helplessly beside him. "Your body…"
Cough cough cough...
"It's nothing, just the aftereffects of forcibly unlocking my potential."
"At this rate, you'll die."
"I know."
"Is dying not a problem for you?"
"Heh heh heh..." Zhao Kongcheng tried to laugh, but halfway through, he began coughing up blood again. "Not bad, at least I got to experience the Forbidden Ruins before I die. And..."
"And what?"
"And I did it. Slashing the Abyss, Blood Staining the Sky." Zhao Kongcheng shakily reached out, his hand dragging through the mud, pulling out a handful of blood. "This amount of blood... Even if it won't stain the sky, staining the land should be no problem."
Lin Qiye froze for a moment. "But... there's no one behind you. Apart from me, no one saw your efforts. Is it still worth it?"
Zhao Kongcheng smiled faintly, but didn't respond.
"Do me a favor."
"Say it."
"There's a pack of cigarettes in my pocket. Light one for me."
Lin Qiye fumbled through Zhao Kongcheng's chest pocket for a moment and pulled out a rain-soaked cigarette. He then reached into his pants pocket and retrieved a lighter.
He placed the cigarette between Zhao Kongcheng's lips, shielding the lighter from the rain with his hand, pressing the button repeatedly.
Chik, chik... Chik!
A small flame flickered to life, igniting the cigarette in Zhao Kongcheng's mouth.
He inhaled deeply, letting out a long sigh, as if the very act of breathing had brought him a sense of relief.
Zhao Kongcheng held the cigarette in his mouth, his eyes gazing up at the overcast sky. Rainwater trickled down his face, sliding down his cheeks...
"Lin Qiye."
"Hmm?"
"I killed the Ghost Face King with one slash. Did you see that?"
"I saw it."
Zhao Kongcheng's lips curled into a smile he couldn't suppress. He was genuinely happy.
Lin Qiye nodded and was about to say something when suddenly his body trembled slightly.
He stiffly turned his head and saw, in the distant mud, a massive headless corpse slowly rising.
On its body, a pale, eerie ghost face crawled like a parasite, moving quickly from its legs to its back, and then from its back to its chest...
Finally, it settled onto the chest of the Ghost Face King.
The ghost face on the severed head beside it had already disappeared without a trace.
Lin Qiye's pupils contracted sharply!
The Ghost Face King... was still alive.
The rain was still falling.
Zhao Kongcheng, lost in his memories of the battle, was still savoring the moment, unaware of the change in Lin Qiye's expression.
"Damn it, even the captain couldn't kill that bastard, but I did... Lin Qiye, tell me, am I impressive or what?"
Lin Qiye was silent for a moment, looking down at Zhao Kongcheng's body in his arms, and then nodded heavily.
"Yeah, impressive!"
"After accomplishing something this big, if I survive, I should be able to become a general, right?"
"Definitely." Lin Qiye's eyes were filled with certainty. "You have to survive!"
"Heh heh."
Zhao Kongcheng seemed to envision something and a satisfied smile spread across his face.
But the light in his eyes was slowly fading.
Lin Qiye's hands trembled slightly. He shook Zhao Kongcheng's body, whispering urgently:
"Zhao Kongcheng! You haven't become a general yet, you can't die!"
Zhao Kongcheng seemed to no longer hear Lin Qiye's voice. His eyes were growing distant... He opened his mouth, and his voice came out as a faint whisper:
"Was... was I... cool just now?"
"Cool!" Lin Qiye's lips quivered, but he nodded firmly.
"Extremely cool! Cooler than anyone I've ever seen!"
Zhao Kongcheng's lips curled into a slight smile, his eyes slowly closing as his body relaxed.
Zhao Kongcheng was dead.
Whoosh...
Lin Qiye sat there, frozen, as the rain blurred his vision. Yet, his gaze never left Zhao Kongcheng's body.
Until... that heavy footstep sound echoed again.
Lin Qiye pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and slowly sat up from the ground.
He turned around, his eyes falling on the headless corpse of the Ghost Face King in the distance, his golden pupils seeming to burn like a blazing sun!
He took two steps forward,
and pulled out a straight knife that was stuck in the ground at an angle!
It was Zhao Kongcheng's knife.
Lin Qiye gripped the knife, walking step by step toward the Ghost Face King, the rain soaking him through, but it couldn't extinguish the fire burning in his heart!
Nor could it douse the flames in his golden eyes!
The ghost face on the Ghost Face King's body twisted as if it was silently screaming. Its steps grew faster, finally charging toward Lin Qiye like a stumbling giant beast!
The headless Ghost Face King, whose right arm had been severed by Zhao Kongcheng, could only rely on its left claws to unleash a frenzied barrage of attacks!
Lin Qiye gripped the knife, seemingly able to predict its attack trajectory every time, dodging with lightning speed, avoiding each strike.
He was like a midnight butterfly, fluttering through the fierce storm, never once touching the leaves.
His terrifying dynamic vision, combined with the speed boost from Star Night Dancer, made Lin Qiye seem like a ghost in that moment.
He dodged over ten attacks from the Ghost Face King, his expression unchanged. He lifted his hand and swung the knife with precision!
This time, his target wasn't any vital part of the body, but rather the pale ghost face residing on the Ghost Face King's chest!
If he was right, this ghost face was the true form of the Ghost Face King.
Although Zhao Kongcheng had severed its head earlier, he hadn't harmed the ghost face, which was why the Ghost Face King could come back to life!
Lin Qiye moved through the gaps in the Ghost Face King's attacks, swinging the straight knife with relentless precision, striking again and again at the ghost face.
Even though he had five times the strength boost, he still couldn't cause significant damage to the Ghost Face King, only leaving shallow, bloodstained marks.
But that didn't matter.
If one slash wasn't enough, he would strike ten slashes, a hundred slashes!
This time... he would slash the Ghost Face King into oblivion!
One slash, two slashes, three slashes...
The Ghost Face King couldn't land a blow on Lin Qiye, but Lin Qiye could strike it again and again. Gradually, the ghost face on the Ghost Face King's chest became riddled with wounds, blood oozing from them, and its expression grew more and more pained!
Soon, the Ghost Face King's attacks began to slow down.
Lin Qiye's eyes flashed with killing intent. Seizing the opportunity, he gripped the knife with both hands!
With all his strength, he thrust it into the ghost face!
A blood-curdling scream rang out through the air!