Although the Hand Demon didn't understand what "completion percentage" meant, he could sense the arrogance in the towering human's expression.
This human wasn't afraid of him at all?
The massive hands coiled around his neck began to scratch at his arm out of irritation. Narrowing his cold, cross-shaped pupils, the Hand Demon hissed:
"Human, just because you've killed a few weaklings, do you think I'm as pathetic as they are?"
BOOM!
The ground beneath Tong Gu's feet suddenly exploded. Before he could react, a massive arm shot out from underground and seized his ankle.
The Hand Demon's sinister grin deepened. He planned to rip this arrogant human limb from limb before feasting on him. The hand gripping Tong Gu's ankle yanked violently.
Huh?
The Hand Demon's eyes widened in shock.
Despite his brute strength, Tong Gu remained immovable. His legs were slightly apart, his stance firmly rooted. Years of practicing foundation techniques had given him an unshakable footing, and his body—honed through millions of yuan spent on training and enhancement—was a fortress.
Stone Breathing: Second Form, Sky Crasher!
Tong Gu shifted his breathing rhythm. His muscles tensed like solid rock as he reversed his grip on his Nichirin Blade and stabbed fiercely into the ground.
The Hand Demon instinctively released his grip, attempting to retract his arm, but Tong Gu didn't hesitate. His blade pierced the earth with unstoppable force.
BOOM!
A blast erupted beneath the ground, sending waves of pain through the Hand Demon's extended arm. When he withdrew it, only half remained.
Tong Gu slowly extracted his blade, casting a calm, disdainful glance at his foe.
"So, what makes you better than those weaklings?"
Enraged, the Hand Demon roared, launching multiple arms like projectiles at Tong Gu.
Tong Gu sidestepped fluidly, gripping his blade tightly.
Kesa Slash!
A flash of gray steel sliced through the air, severing the Hand Demon's flurry of arms in an instant.
One clean strike. Tong Gu adjusted his grip on the blade and charged forward with massive, thunderous strides.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each step echoed like the tolling of a funeral bell, yet Tong Gu moved with surprising speed. Covering meters with every stride, he closed in on the Hand Demon. Despite regenerating his severed limbs quickly, fear flickered in the demon's eyes. Letting out a shrill cry, he unleashed a chaotic barrage of strikes.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground cracked and splintered under the relentless assault.
Tong Gu, unflinching, tightened his grip on the Nichirin Blade, swinging it wildly in a dance of destruction.
Stone Breathing: Third Form, Flesh of Stone!
The whirlwind of slashes shredded the incoming arms, sending them scattering. The Hand Demon, now writhing in pain and panic, turned to flee.
Boom! Boom!
Tong Gu's heavy footsteps rang out once more, each step like a death knell.
The Hand Demon turned his head just in time to see a glint of blinding steel. Gritting his teeth, he wrapped every remaining arm tightly around his neck, shouting defiantly:
"You can't cut through this!"
Slash!
Tong Gu's blade struck, sinking deep but failing to sever the neck entirely. The blade's force was absorbed by the layers of flesh and muscle.
Cough!
The Hand Demon spat out a mouthful of blood but managed a cruel grin. He could feel it—the blade had failed to decapitate him.
As the sword lodged in his neck, he laughed maniacally. Two freshly grown, massive arms swung toward Tong Gu's head.
Tong Gu sighed softly, his expression calm.
"My swordsmanship still has a long way to go."
He admitted it—someone with his strength and proper technique should've decapitated the demon in one blow. But his current form felt clumsy, hindering his execution.
As the massive fists closed in, the force of the wind scattered his hair. Tong Gu suddenly dropped into a crouch.
CRACK!
The demon's fists collided above Tong Gu's head, missing their mark.
Tong Gu shifted into position, his left hand braced in front, and his right fist drawn back at his waist. Every muscle in his body tightened, emitting faint creaks like a frozen river cracking in spring.
Ancient Flowing Technique: Ice Breaker!
BAM!
A devastating blow struck the Hand Demon's bloated abdomen, shattering his internal organs before erupting out of his back.
URGH!
The demon staggered, vomiting blood and losing his balance.
Tong Gu took a deep breath, leaping into the air. Flipping midair, he kicked the back of his lodged Nichirin Blade with tremendous force.
SLASH!
The blade spun free, embedding itself into a massive tree ahead.
The Hand Demon released his arms from around his neck, attempting to touch it, but his consciousness quickly faded.
"…Brother…"
In his final moments, memories of his older brother flashed before him. How could he have forgotten his brother? How could he have… eaten him?
Tong Gu turned away indifferently, kicking over the massive tree to retrieve his blade.
This twisted world, shaped by Muzan Kibutsuji's existence, had birthed countless monsters like the Hand Demon. Hateful, yet pitiable.
"I'd love to see you under the sun, Muzan Kibutsuji," Tong Gu muttered coldly.
[You have slain the Hand Demon. World Completion Progress increased by 1%. Trial Rating slightly improved.]
Tong Gu wasn't surprised. According to Xinyuan's analysis, every world in Game of Fate had a hidden theme. Advancing toward this theme incrementally improved the world's completion rate. When the rate hit 100%, the world would likely be permanently removed from the game. However, this theory had yet to be proven.
Each power upgrade meant facing increasingly difficult trials. Game of Fate never allowed anyone to grind for points.
Though Tong Gu understood the strategy to clear worlds, he could only sigh. Muzan Kibutsuji, while despicable, remained an insurmountable foe for now. Even with the weapon in his inventory, Tong Gu wasn't confident in defeating him.
Still, he had a clear idea for his next target—powerful demons who influenced the main storyline.
Only by defeating such foes could he achieve dual trial rating boosts.
A vivid, alluring figure appeared in his mind.
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