Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Edwin raised his left hand, which was not holding a sword, and pressed it against the gruesome wound on his chest.

sizzle...

A chilling sound rang out, and a dense crimson power surged from his palm, frantically pouring into the wound.

Under the onslaught of the massive crimson power, the abyssal power lurking at the edge of the wound, like ice and snow encountering strong acid, emitted a faint hissing sound and rapidly melted and evaporated.

The enormous wound that had almost cleaved him in two was growing wildly at a visible rate, enveloped in crimson mist.

However, the amount of Crimson Power required to reverse the erosion of Abyss Power is considerable.

In Lin Yi's perception, the crimson power within Edwin's body, like a punctured balloon, diminished by more than half in just a few breaths.

After learning about Lin Yi's situation, Edwin lowered his hand, his ashen face remaining expressionless, as if the potentially fatal injury had merely been wiped away as dust.

He raised his longsword, gripping the blade with his left hand, blood seeping from his palm.

But the blood did not drip; instead, the instant it left the palm, it transformed into wisps of scarlet mist that rushed into Edwin's body, replenishing the enormous amount of power he had just expended.

Lin Yin could clearly see that Edwin's health bar, which symbolized his vitality, was instantly reduced by one-fifth.

At this moment, Edwin activated the Blood Pact, deducting 20% ​​of his own life points to choose to restore the Crimson Power.

As for why they were so resolute, the reason is quite simple.

Although Edwin's health points were monstrous compared to normal people, they were still far inferior to Lin Yi's.

Not to mention that Edwin had just noticed Lin Yi casting a healing and purification spell on him, and the "Crimson Erosion" he had painstakingly applied to Lin Yi was immediately dispelled.

Although Lin Yi suffered such a heavy blow, the wound on his left shoulder had healed and scabbed over thanks to the healing spell. Lin Yi casually shook it, revealing the newly grown skin.

The Crimson Power did indeed erode and reshape Edwin's way of thinking, erasing his "weaknesses" such as fear and hesitation, but this by no means means that he became a roaring beast.

On the contrary, Edwin, now driven by the crimson will, possesses combat wisdom and tactical skills far surpassing those of Celia, the red-clad woman who was blinded by power earlier.

Before her transformation, Celia was nothing more than a military prostitute who accompanied the army for their amusement, possessing strength but lacking skill.

Edwin, on the other hand, is a battle-hardened elite carefully cultivated by the family. In terms of basic qualities, the two are as different as rotten wood and fine steel.

After a brief exchange, Edwin had confirmed the gap between the two sides.

Lin Yi's attack power, tankiness, and recovery ability are all stronger than his, and that strange power is also very troublesome. This means that Edwin cannot choose to fight Lin Yi, otherwise he will be worn down by Lin Yi sooner or later.

Upon confirming this, the jeweled longsword in Edwin's hand glowed with a thick, dripping crimson light, which flowed and gathered on the blade as if it were alive.

Edwin moved.

There were no unnecessary starting movements, and not a single bit of power was leaked out.

He simply pointed the longsword, which gleamed with a scarlet light, diagonally at the ground.

The next instant, the ground beneath his feet silently collapsed, and he transformed into an elongated afterimage, moving even faster than his previous [Surprise Attack]!
The air was torn apart, emitting a piercing shriek. The thick, stagnant gray fog in the square was violently pushed aside as if it had encountered an invisible raging torrent, forming a temporary passage.

Lin Yi's nerves tensed up instantly, his intuition was screaming warnings.

Without hesitation, he relinquished control of the black and white roses and pressed his hands forward in a half-hearted motion.

hum!hum!hum!hum!
Dozens of Hercules Shields, gleaming with a heavy, earthy yellow light, instantly unfolded in front of him, forming a barrier.

boom--! ! !
The scarlet comet crashed violently into the earthen-yellow barrier, the deafening roar completely upending the entire square.

The first [Hercules Shield] shattered like fragile glass, turning into countless points of light!

Then came the second and third sides!

The terrifying impact transmitted through the layers of shattered divine shields, causing the ground beneath Lin Yi's feet to crack inch by inch. His body slid backward uncontrollably, his feet carving two deep furrows in the hard ground.

Click!

The final shield, Hercules, shattered under the relentless assault of the sword.

Lin Yi did not retreat. Instead, in this desperate situation, he forcefully twisted his waist and lowered his shoulders.

The power of the whole body originates from the soles of the feet, is transmitted through the spine, and finally, like a volcanic eruption, gathers in the right shoulder.

Like a battering ram, Lin Yi crashed into Edwin's body as he thrust his sword forward!
boom--! ! !
The dull thud of flesh colliding resounded, like two mountains clashing.

This is not a contest of skill; it is a brutal clash of strength.

Lin Yi's right shoulder slammed into Edwin's right rib, like a meteorite impact.

The immense impact momentarily slowed Edwin's high-speed advance.

His thrusting trajectory was abruptly deflected by this brutal and unreasonable collision.

The sword tip grazed Lin Yi's temple, the wind it generated cutting a thin line of blood on his cheek, a few strands of hair fluttering helplessly in the strong wind—this slight difference was the chasm between life and death.

Lin Yi paid a similarly heavy price, with a clear, distinct cracking sound coming from his right shoulder.

After all, it was a hastily condensed shoulder strike that clashed head-on with the opponent's long-prepared full-force charge. The transfer and reaction of force was enough to deform steel, let alone flesh and blood.
Using the recoil from the impact, Lin Yi forcibly stopped his backward movement and even took a slight step forward to regain his balance.

At the same time, his right hand, which had been gesturing and pulling back, clenched inward.

"Om-!"

The Dark Soul Silk transmitted a tremendous pulling force, and the black and white rose longsword, which was inserted into the stone slab, transformed into a black and white stream of light that tore through the gray mist, shooting towards Edwin's back, who was unsteady in front of him, with a sharp whistling sound.

The balance of power shifted in the blink of an eye!

Edwin had just steadied his body, which had been thrown off balance, and before his gray, empty eyes could even fully turn around behind him, the deadly whooshing sound was already upon him.

At this moment, Edwin's meticulously trained noble swordsmanship was on full display.

He didn't even turn around; relying solely on his subtle perception of the airflow, his body twisted strangely like a boneless snake, and he swung his longsword behind him.

clang--! ! !
The piercing clang of metal against metal was so loud it made my eardrums ache.

Edwin's backhand swung the blade, striking the tip of Black and White Rose's downward thrust with perfect precision. The immense impact traveled along the blade, causing Edwin's pale wrist to tremble slightly, and the hard stone slab beneath his feet to crack inch by inch.

However, their battle was never a turn-based game!
As Lin Yi controlled the Black and White Rose to launch a backstab, his right hand tightly gripped Edwin's left wrist, which had not yet fully retracted due to being knocked off course.

"Tsk-!"

The power of the abyss surged wildly into Lin Yi's palm, annihilating the crimson power surging on Edwin's wrist.

Edwin's ashen skin on his arm instantly turned charred black, and even began to crack like porcelain, with wisps of black smoke carrying a burnt smell rising up!

The other person's empty eyes turned to Lin Yi, and a flash of scarlet light seemed to appear deep within their gray pupils.

He did not try to break free from Lin Yi's grip; instead, he used the position where his wrist was held to spin his body like a top.

Using the centrifugal force generated by the rotation, Edwin's right hand, which had just parried the black and white rose, drew a deadly arc and slashed back at the arm that Lin Yi was holding his wrist with.

Faced with such an attack, Lin Yi would naturally not be foolish enough to use his flesh and blood to directly confront the opponent's sharp blade.

As Lin Yi released his grip, Edwin's freed left hand closed up, its five fingers swirling with a condensed crimson light. It was no longer a palm, but a poisoned dagger, thrusting straight into Lin Yi's unprotected throat.

This was Edwin's most efficient counterattack the instant he was freed from his restrictions; his fighting style had long since transcended the realm of "techniques" and become pure instinct.

Lin Yi did not retreat either. At the same time, he bent his left elbow, and the Hercules Shield appeared, with the tip of his elbow striking the opponent's sword blade.

Faced with the hand blade aimed at his throat, Lin Yi merely tilted his head slightly, choosing to close the distance with Edwin.

"Pfft!" "Clang—!"

Two distinct sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

Edwin's sword was violently knocked away by Lin Yi's elbow strike, the blade leaving a trail of dazzling sparks as it sliced ​​across the shield.

The hand blade aimed at his throat pierced deeply into the left side of Lin Yi's neck and shoulder joint.

[You have been affected by 'Crimson Erosion', your maximum health has been temporarily reduced by 3%, current stack count: 3.]

Lin Yi endured the numbness and corrosive sensation coming from his neck and shoulders, and with the momentum, he spread his right hand and reached out to grab Edwin's gray face, which was so close to his.

If this grab lands firmly, even if it can't instantly crush that hard skull, it will be enough to severely damage its facial senses, or even shatter its eyeballs, thus completely seizing the initiative in this fierce battle.

Edwin sensed a deadly threat, and his wrist, which was being held by Lin Yi, suddenly burst out with strength far exceeding what it had shown before, forcibly breaking free of the restraint.

"His!"

The price was heavy: a large chunk of charred, bark-like flesh, along with the mutated tissue beneath, was forcibly torn from Edwin's wrist by Lin Yi.

Lin Yi reached for his face with his right hand, but ultimately grasped only empty air.

However, the sharp finger strikes left five parallel tear marks on Edwin's already tattered noble attire, revealing the equally ashen skin beneath.

This close-quarters combat between the two involved an extremely dangerous exchange of offense and defense in the blink of an eye, leaving them both injured and once again less than five meters apart.

The wounds on Lin Yi's neck and shoulders stopped bleeding quickly thanks to the passive healing from the light, but the reduction in his maximum health caused by the five layers of Crimson Erosion felt like a persistent leech.

With a thought, Lin Yi cast a purification spell on himself.

[Successfully dispelled the 'Crimson Erosion' effect. Current Crimson Erosion stacks: 0.]

On the other side, Edwin looked down at his charred wrist. The crimson power he had lost surged again, clearly indicating that he had activated the [Blood Pact] again, exchanging his life points for a replenishment of power.

His original 100% health points had plummeted to only about 40% after activating the Blood Retribution Pact twice and enduring the erosion and attacks of Lin Yi's Abyss Power.

After a brief pause, the prelude to an even more violent storm begins.

Lin Yi waved his right hand, and the Dark Soul Silk pulled the Black and White Roses back to his hand in an instant.

As the hilt came into hand, the power of the abyss surged into the blade as if finding an outlet, and the patterns on the blade lit up, like a rose in bloom.

Edwin adopted an ancient aristocratic swordsmanship starting stance, the tip of his sword pointing diagonally at the ground, his body slightly lowered, like a cheetah poised to pounce.

The gray fog throughout the square seemed to be drawn by his aura, swirling around him.

"Om-!"

Without any warning, Edwin vanished again.

Instead of the previous straight thrust, it appeared as if by teleportation in Lin Yi's left blind spot. The scarlet longsword transformed into a continuous sword curtain, its speed reaching the extreme. Each strike precisely targeted Lin Yi's weak points and vital joints.

Lin Yi's feet moved in a zigzag pattern, his figure like a willow catkin in the wind, performing extreme dodges and parries within a small space.

Black and white roses precisely parried, blocked, deflected, and redirected Edwin's storm of attacks!

Ding ding ding ding! ! !
The sounds of metal clashing, as dense as a torrential downpour hitting banana leaves, blended together, and blinding sparks flew wildly between the two men.

Each collision was accompanied by a fierce clash between the crimson power and the abyssal power. The shockwaves generated by the energy annihilation continued to spread, blowing away and crushing the rubble and black moss on the surrounding ground.

Edwin's swordsmanship was like a precise killing machine, each strike carrying an elegant, aristocratic trajectory.

His strength was slightly inferior to Lin Yi's, but with the passive effect of [Crimson Erosion], every successful block or scratch added a lot of trouble for Lin Yi.

Lin Yi displayed a completely different fighting style. His swordsmanship was more ferocious and efficient, without any fancy moves, and every strike was aimed directly at Edwin's weak points.

Lin Yi not only used his sword, but also knee strikes, elbow strikes, and shoulder strikes, combined with the corrosive properties of the [Abyss Power], making every close-range contact a test for Edwin.

The battle has completely descended into a fierce and grueling struggle!

Edwin's figure appeared and disappeared amidst the remaining thick fog and the shadow of the huge skeleton in the square, like an elusive ghost.

Edwin thrust his longsword from various angles, displaying his exceptional combat intelligence. He constantly utilized the environment—the massive skeletons, broken stone pillars, and archway ruins—as perfect cover and fulcrums for leaps, creating tricky blind spots to try and drag Lin Yi into his rhythm.

Lin Yi, however, was like a persistent, ingrained ailment, relentlessly pursuing him.

His movement style became more ruthless and direct. He used the Hercules Shield in creative ways, transforming it from a simple defensive barrier into a mobile stepping stone and a cage that squeezed Edwin's dodging space.

He instantly conjured several shields, trapping himself and Edwin in a confined space for a fierce close-quarters battle. At the same time, he erected the shields in Edwin's retreat path, forcing him to take the brunt of his attacks.

"Holy Nova!"

The instant Lin Yi successfully parried and deflected Edwin's longsword, he slammed his left hand into the ground! A dark, circular shockwave exploded once more!

Edwin seemed to have been prepared. The moment Lin Yi pressed his hand on the ground, his body floated backward as if weightless, while his longsword danced rapidly in front of him, drawing a scarlet cross!

"boom!"

The shockwave from the Holy Nova struck the Crimson Cross, the energies annihilating each other, but the aftershocks of the explosion still pushed Edwin back several meters.

Just as Edwin was losing momentum and retreating, the black and white rose in Lin Yi's hand suddenly flew out, but instead of attacking Edwin, it shot towards a huge, tilted stone pillar not far from Edwin's side.

"Hmm?" Edwin's empty eyes flickered, seemingly puzzled.

Just as the black and white roses were about to collide with the stone pillar, the dark soul threads wrapped around them suddenly snapped straight!

The longsword, as if pulled by an invisible slingshot rubber band, drew a strange right-angle refraction just before hitting the stone pillar, its speed increasing dramatically, and slashed upwards from Edwin's blind spot—below his right rib.

This strike was incredibly precise in timing, angle, and speed!
This was achieved by taking advantage of the moment when Edwin was knocked back by the Holy Nova and his attention was drawn to Lin Yi.

Edwin forcibly twisted his body, hastily returning his longsword to defend and parry.

“Dang—Puff!”

The hasty parry was ultimately a beat too slow!
Although the tip of Black and White Rose's sword was deflected, the sharp blade still tore open Edwin's grayish-white skin on his right side, leaving a deep wound that exposed the bone.

The position was almost parallel to the huge wound on his chest that had just been repaired.

The power of the abyss surged in like sharks smelling blood.

Edwin's health bar steadily decreased under the corrosive power of the abyss; after all, he didn't possess Lin Yi's near-cheating regeneration ability.

After fighting for so long, Lin Yi's health bar still showed 100%, but about one-third of the Abyss Power flowing through his body had been consumed.

Currently, Lin Yi's Abyss Power is his health bar. To severely damage Lin Yi, unless you can kill him instantly, you must first deplete Lin Yi's mana bar before you can harm his health bar.

Edwin's health bar had dropped to one-third. If it weren't for the Crimson Power forcibly supporting his body and shielding him from most of the pain and weakness, he would have already fallen into a state of severe weakness.

The continuous heavy blows, especially the tearing open of old wounds again, and the erosion of the abyssal power caused this body, which was dominated by the crimson power, to feel unbearable pain.

"Crimson... Waltz!"

Om-!
Centered on Edwin, a massive crimson domain with a radius of fifteen meters instantly unfolded!

The gray fog within the area was forcibly pushed aside, and the ground was covered with a layer of dark red light film that looked like a living thing.

Edwin Heinrich launched the 'Crimson Waltz'.

['Crimson Waltz' Field Effect: Each of Edwin's basic attacks will add a small area-of-effect energy splash damage, which can also stack "Crimson Erosion" layers.]

The Crimson Dance, on the stage of death, has officially begun. (End of Chapter)